1. Q. Who made thee?

A. God the Father.

It is true: Esa. 44.2. For thus saith the Lord that made thee. And to make thee is to Give thee a being, that is, a body, and soul, and all the parts, faculties, and powers of them. This is of great use.

1. To enquire who made thee, and

2. To resolve that it was God.

1. 1 Thou must enquire after him that made thee; We must enquire who made us. Both that thou mayst know to whom to ascribe the glory of the work: and to whom to goe to supply the de­fects of thy nature (for he can best re­paire that first made:) as also that thou mayst be acquainted to whom to goe to sustaine nature. Nature hath taught e­very thing to goe to that for sustenance, which brought it forth; as the Lambe goes to the Ewe, and the Chicken to the Hens body.

Vse. Therefore thou mayst see what fooles we are by nature, who are more apt to enquire after any thing then after our Maker. Every trick of our Trades, eve­ry devise to help us to live, or live com­fortably, is attended with all diligence; [Page 3] but we desire not to be acquainted with our Maker. But I hope better things of thee, and that which accompanies salvation. Be thou provoked to enquire after this, and not to sacrifice to thy own nets, or to run to naturall means chiefly for supplies when thou art necessitated.

2. 2 Resolve that it was God that made thee. Galen himselfe, when, God made us. as a natu­ral Anatomist, he did consider the frame of Man, said like an Atheist, that he sung a song in the praise of God. [...]. But thou (my child) needest not to be beholding to his confession: for thou must be made either of nature, or of thy selfe, or of thy Parents, or of God. But thou art not made of nature; for it cannot give a good rea­son of every thing in thee. They that have doted most upon nature could never give a prevailing reason of the strength of the nether jaw-bone, which hath such weake supporters, nor of the heat of the stomach, which consumeth fit things put into it, yet not those parts about it. Nor art thou made of thy selfe: For though the Maker know the parts of the thing made, yet thou doest not know thine, no, not by anatomy; neither canst thou [Page 4] command, or refraine, the pulse of thy wrist, or the motion of thy heart. Nor art thou made of thy parents: for neither thy father that begat thee, nor I thy mo­ther that conceived thee, knew what was begotten, nor what was conceived; and yet it is necessary that the cause should know the effect. What then remaines but that thou shouldst acknowledge thy selfe to be of the generation of God? Act. 17.28.

Vse. Remember this then, and know that God doth know whatsoever is in thee, even thy most secret thoughts, Psal. 139.12, 13. and hidden lusts. A man that made a work, can easi­ly espie the least fault that another makes in it: so God can see all the disorders that Satan, and thy wicked heart hath wrought in thee: and this must make thee walke in feare of offending such a God, and with a resolution to doe all things to the honour of him that made thee. Every man that makes a thing, doth desire to have the comfort, and cre­dit of it, much more doth God, who made man for himselfe, Prov. 16.4. as well as all things else. Vse. Therefore, Whether thou eate, or drink, 1 Cor. 10.31. or what ever thou doe, doe all to the glory of thy God. Doe to his glory in [Page 5] thought, word, and deed: do to his glo­ry in disposing thy selfe in all the occur­rences of this life. Thou mayst make o­ther comfortable reflexions upon thy soule from this point, if thou weigh the Texts in the margine: Psal. 149.2. Psal. 119.73. Psal. 100.1, 2, 3. Job 30.13.15. but I leave them to thy own meditations, as God shall quicken thy heart with a love to the good word of God.

Tell me next,

2. Q. Who Redeemed thee?

A. Jesus Christ.

Mark, (my good child): Christ Re­deemed us. 1 Tim. 2.6. It is Christ that gave himselfe a ransome for us; even the ransome of his blood, by which he hath redeemed us out of all the world. Apoc. 5.9. To re­deeme, is to buy thee again when thou wert lost in thy enemies hands. Thou wert lost by the sinne of Adam. As thou seest when a Carp is taken by a Fishers hooke, or net, and dieth, thousands of spawnes in his belly are caught, and die with him: so was it with thee, and all mankind. We were all in that one man in his first transgression. Therefore, Bles­sed Paul saith, Rom. 5.12, 14. By one man sinne entered in­to the world, and death by sinne, and passed upon all men, even over those that had not [Page 6] sinned after the similitude of Adams trans­gression, for that all have sinned. When thou wast in this cursed condition, with all mankind, Christ came and bought thee again, Joh. 10.11. by laying down his life for thee.

Vse. Remember this, and make such use of it, as Paul would have the Corinthians; Ye are not your own; 1 Cor. 6.19, 20. for ye are bought with a prize: therefore glorifie God in your bo­dy, and in your spirits, which are Gods. If you buy any thing you expect the com­fort of it, whether it be for the health of your body, or of your soule. Thinke but the same of Christ, and you will be willing to live to him that died for you, 2 Cor. 5.15. and rose again.

Tell me next,

3. Q. Who sanctified thee?

A. The holy Ghost.

Mark here: The holy Ghost doth sanctifie us. If I should aske thee, What it is to be sanctified? it is, to be made holy. But when I aske thee, who sancti­fied thee? it is, to make thee holy; and this is the worke of the holy Ghost. Therefore Paul telles the Corinthians, when they were changed in their state, That they were sanctified by the Spirit of our God. 1 Cor. 6.11. Now, the holy Ghost doth san­ctifie [Page 7] thee, by taking away of sinne, and giving of grace. As, if thou wert to give entertainment to a great and good friend, thou wouldst first sweep out the dust, and brush down the cobwebs, and then lay out thy carpets, cushions, and other ornaments: so the holy Ghost takes the besome of destruction, the hammer, Jer. 23.29. and fire of the word, and sweeps out thy raigning sinnes by Repentance, and the spirit of Judgement; Esa. 4.4. Gal. 5.22, 23. Eph. 3.17. 1 Cor. 3.16. and then brings in the graces of the Spirit, to make thee an holy Temple for Christ to dwell in by faith. All this the holy Ghost works by the Word, Sacraments, and Prayer. By the Word: for Christ prayeth; Joh. 17.17. Sanctifie them through thy truth, thy word is truth. By the Sacraments: for Paul saith, Eph. 5.26. That he san­ctifies and cleanseth his Church with the washing of water, by the word; and that We being many are one bread, and one body: 1 Cor. 10.17. for we are all made partakers of one bread; Implying that in the Lords Supper we are sealed up into the body of Christ; and we cannot be, properly, without holinesse. By Prayer: for Christ saith, that if we aske the Father he will give us his spirit.

Vse. Therefore (my deare child) ply the holy Ghost in this way wherein thou art sanctified, and shalt encrease it more, and more, 2 Cor. 7.1. till thou grow to, or perfect thy ho­linesse in the feare of the Lord. If there were but one Mart, or Market, where all necessary commodities were to be had, thou wouldst ply that upon all ur­gent occasions: so must thou deale with the Word, Sacraments, and Prayer, if thou wouldst have the holy Ghost shine upon thee in the beautie of holinesse.

Tell me next, because thou namest the Father, the Sonne, and Holy Ghost, even these three,

4. Q. How many Gods are there?

A. There are three persons, and, to us Christians, but one God.

Goe to Jordan, and thou shalt see the heavens opened, There are three per­sons. Matth. 3.16, 17. whence the Father sent a voice from heaven, the Sonne baptized, and the Holy Ghost descending like a Dove to make up three persons. Reflect upon thy own Baptisme, and thou shalt behold thy admittance into the Church, in the name of the Father, Matth. 28.19. and of the Sonne, and of the Holy Ghost, to make up three persons again.

Consider our witnesses, and thou shalt finde that we have three that beare record in heaven, the Father, the Word, 1 Joh. 5.7. and the Holy Ghost, and that these three are one.

For though there are three names or persons in the Godhead, Yet is there but one God. 1 Cor. 8.5, 6. and though there be many that are called Gods, and Lords, yet to us Christians there is but one God.

This heavenly mystery may be sha­dowed unto thee a little in a fiered coale. There is the substance of the coale, the light of the coale, and the heat of the coale, and yet but one fiered coale. So soone as ever the coale is fiered there are these three, the substance of the coale, the light, and heat of it. So in the same Divine Essence (though in a more tran­scendent way) is there the Father, the Sonne, and the Holy Ghost.

Yea it may be shadowed in thy selfe. So soone as ever thou art borne into this world thou art a creature to God, a childe to thy Parents, and a subject to thy King, and yet art thou but one. So, so soone as ever as God is (that is, from all eternitie) he is Father, Sonne, [Page 10] and holy Ghost, and yet but one God.

Vse. This will help thee mightily in clea­ving to the Scriptures, and in all thy de­vout prayers to God. Art thou tempted to question the truth of the Scriptures? doe not yeeld: 2 Tim. 3.16. 2 Pet. 1.19. For all Scripture is given by Inspiration of God; and so, is a sure word, to which thou must take heed as unto a light that shineth in a darke place; be­cause it hath this threefold testimony, in one God, which cannot faile thee. Doth the Scripture give any precept, make any promise, denounce any threatning? Rest upon it, that thou must obey it. Imbrace it, and tremble under it as Gods truth confirmed by three witnesses which shal stand, when all other witnesses shall fail.

Wouldst thou powre out thy devout­est prayers to God? Thinke upon this one God, three Persons as a fountaine to supply all thy defects. Hast thou any brack or defect in the nature of thy bo­dy and soule? Pray to God the Father, as thy faithfull Creator, that, for the merits of Christ, and by the working of the holy Ghost, he would perfect thy parts to doe him service. Hast thou sinned a­gainst thy good Maker? Pray to God the [Page 11] Sonne, as thy faithfull Redeemer, that from the love of the Father, for his merits, and by the operation of the holy Ghost, he would procure a pardon sealed to thy conscience. Hast thou, for want of be­leeving in his name, sinned against thy good Saviour? Pray to God the Holy Ghost, as thy faithfull Sanctifier, that from the love of the Father; for the holy bloud-shed of the Sonne, and by his blessing worke of preparation, and Insi­tion, he would apply thee to Christ, and make thee one with him, that thou mayst have all the benefits of his Passion.

Now (my child) remember what I have said.

Thinke of these points seriously, and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. It may be, thou canst not so clearely conceive some of these high my­steries, as of three in one, in a more ex­cellent way then can be expressed: or of Essence, which is one Nature in three: or of Persons, which are the severall manners of being in the selfe same God; as in respect of Creation, God is the Father; in respect of Redemption, God is the Sonne; in re­spect of Sanctification, God is the Holy Ghost. These things, I say, are above reasonable capacitie. But it is otherwise [Page 13] with thee in the understanding of other things, and of these mysteries. In other things thou must first know, and then beleeve: but in these things thou must first beleeve, and then know, as Peter said, We beleeve, and are sure, Joh. 6.69. that thou art that Christ the Sonne of the living God. And if thou adde but this, Joh. 7.17. To will to doe thy God's will, thou shalt know of the doctrine whether it be of God, and so, rest with con­fidence upon these most divine mysteries to comfort thy soule.

Now let us goe on: Tell me

5. Q. What is God?

A. He is that Almightie one, who made, and governeth all things.

Know (my child) that we cannot know God as he is in himselfe; Thou canst not know God as he is. for he dwels in a light that no man can attain unto: And therefore we may say, as that Hea­then did of old, when he was asked what God was? By how much more I thinke, by so much lesse I understand what that is which we call God. Yet may we know Gods back-parts, that is, those works, Exod. 34. and names by which he is made known unto us in the Scriptures. For thus he hath mani­fested himselfe unto us for this end.

Object. Obiect. It may be, thou mayst thinke, that if God cannot be known, it is un­lawfull for me to enquire of thee what he is.

Sol. Sol. This is true if it were impossible for us to know God any wayes.

But, Yet thou must labour to know him as he will. because we may and must know him as he hath manifested himselfe unto us; therefore, surely, it is not unlawfull to search into him so farre. For otherwise it might be said of us, as Christ of the Samaritanes, Joh. 4. They worship they know not what. Yea, without this, we cannot ac­cording to our measure, ascribe unto him such excellencies as his nature doth de­serve: for we cannot say, that is gold, which we cannot affirme to be gold, or brasse. Yea, without this we cannot love and desire God. We cannot desire, and love what we know not. The love of God must not be a groundlesse love, which is more in the lover, then in the thing loved; but a well grounded love, which must proceed from the knowledge of the amiablenesse of the thing loved. Of this alone we can give a true reason, from the worth of God, or any person, or thing else which we love.

Vse. Therefore (good child) know the wickednesse of all our, and thy natures, which care least to know God. Doe but mark, and you shall see your selfe ready to know every thing, and yet thou takest no notice of God though thou art con­tinually in his presence. Yet I hope better things of thee, and that which doth accom­pany thy salvation. If the Heathens gro­ped after him, and rather then they would not find him, Acts 17. erected an altar to the un­known God; much more wilt thou, who art crowned with more blessed favours of light, and love.

But why should I presse thee to en­quire after God, when thou tellest me plainly what God is? You tell me, that God is that Almightie one, that doth make, and governe all things. Though thou knowest him not as he is in himselfe, yet thou describest him as he hath manifest­ed himselfe to the Church. If I should aske thee what the Apostle Paul was? You would answer, that he was an able and extraordinary Minister of the New Testament. Herein you did not tell me, what he is, or was in himself, (for so he was a living creature endued with a rea­sonable [Page 16] soule), but you tell me what Paul was as God did imploy him in, and for the Church; so in this description thou tellest me what God is, with refe­rence to the whole world. Thus thou tellest me two things of God.

1. His sufficiency (He is that Almigh­tie one).

2. His Efficiency, or how he hath ma­nifested it in part two waies:

• 1. By making all things.
• 2. By governing all things.

First, God is the Almightie. thou saist (He is that Almightie one), and so he is: for God saith to A­braham, Gen. 17.1. I am God Almightie, and Jeremy calles him, Jer. 32.18, 19. The great and mightie God, great in Counsell, and mightie in strength. Almightie, is one mightie to doe all, or one that is all-sufficient for all things in himselfe, and for us.

This Almightinesse, or All-sufficiency stands in his skill, in his will, and in his power. He is Almightie in skill, to know all things: Almightie in will, to will all things that are good: and Almightie in power, to doe all things according to his will. Were he not Almightie all these waies, he could not be self-sufficiently [Page 17] blessed in himselfe, neither could he be almightily sufficient for us. Were he not Almightie in skill, he could not al­mightily will according to an almightie knowledge. Were he not Almightie in will, he could not almightily doe accor­ding to an almightie knowledge and will. Were he not Almightie in power, were he never so Almightie in skill, and will, he could not be an all-sufficient worker for his own, and our blessednesse. But when these three things meet, his knowing all things, his willing all things good, and doing all things according to his will, nothing can lye between him and his own blessednesse, nothing can hinder us from our blessednesse in him if we lye in his rode.

Vse. The serious thought of this should (my child) humble, direct, and comfort thee. 1 It should humble thee under the mightie hand of God. Power breeds feare; and fear, humilitie. God made his power known to Job, in the wind, horse, earth-quake, and Leviathan; Job 42.6. And then he abhorred himselfe, and repented in dust and ashes. Act. 12. As when the men of Tyrus and Sidon heard that Herod would wage [Page 18] warre with them, they, knowing that they were nourished with the Kings bread, feared his power: so, when thou hearest of this Almightinesse, thou must not so much feare them that kill the bo­dy, Matth. 10. as feare him that is able to cast body and soule into hell; if thou approach not to him with due obedience.

Againe, 2 thou must be directed from hence, to labour to feele this Almightie power of God in thy body and soule for thy sanctification, and salvation. Paul prayes for the Ephesians, Eph. 1.19, 20. that they may know what is the exceeding greatnesse of his power to us-ward that beleeve, according to the working of his mightie power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead. And how is this? Surely, onely by feeling, that as God raised up Christ, so, by their fellowship in, and with them, he doth raise up them from the death of sinne, to the life of grace. The good Lord grant that it may be thus with thee: that as the power of that Almightie one did raise up the Lord Jesus, so thou maist find thy selfe raised in, and from him to such a new life as may appeare before God with acceptance.

Lastly, 3 thou maist have singular com­fort also, from this meditation, in any adversitie that may come upon thee. For this Almightie one can change thy vile body, Phil. 3. and make it like unto his glorious body, ac­cording to the mightie power by which he is able to subdue all things unto himself. What though, by affliction, thy face be wither­ed with weeping, thy body crusted like a potsheard, and burnt to ashes, yet this Almightie one is able to raise thee up in the latter day, Joh. 6. and to make those eyes of thine to see thy Redeemer, Job 19. when thou shalt a­rise for thy selfe, to the glory of Gods grace, and thy everlasting comfort.

Next here, thou tellest me how God hath manifested his Almightinesse, God made all things. (By making and governing of all things.)

That this Almightie God made all things doth appeare in Genesis: Gen. 1. and 2.4, 5. Esa. 44.24. and God saith by Esay, I am the Lord that maketh all things, that doth stretch forth the heavens alone, and spreadeth abroad the earth by my selfe. To make all things is, to give all things their being. God gives the heavens to be, the earth to be, and all creatures in heaven, and earth, their severall beings. And doe but weigh that it cannot be [Page 20] otherwise. For the world was neither made by chance, nor by nature. Not by chance: For as thou maiest see an excel­lent order in every thing (and chance is an enemy to order): so maist thou dis­cerne set purpose in every thing. All crea­tures have every thing provided of pur­pose to perfect them. An eye hath a co­lour, an eare a sound, a palate a tastable thing, and a smell, savours; yea, brute beasts have fodder, and man hath heaven and earth of purpose for body, and soul. Neither is it made by nature. For then as nothing could be done above nature, the contrary whereof thou maist perceive in the very butter-flies painted wings, and the little gnats trunk, which can pierce, and draw bloud thorough a tough horses skin; so could nothing be done against nature; but thou maist observe the con­trary: Josh. 10. for the Sunne stood still in Gibe­on, and the Moone in the valley of Aja­lon, in the daies of Joshuah; and the Sun went ten degrees backward, as was to be seene on the diall of Ahaz: yea, thou readest of an Eclipse of the Sun, at the death of Christ, when the Moon was at the full, which was quite against na­ture. [Page 21] If therefore the world was neither made by chance, nor by nature, thou mayst justly conclude, that the Almigh­tie God made all things.

Vse. Therefore (my deare child) learn how to use, and feare to abuse, We must use all the creatures from God. any of Gods creatures. Thou must aske Gods leave to use any of them: we hold all in God, and from God, and have no freedom to use them; but as we have leave from him. Godlesse people account every creature, within their power, their own: and because they have a creatures right, and a civill right, by the laws, and com­pacts of men, they think they have an ab­solute right without dependance. There­fore they never looke to God, but say with Nabal, shall I take my meat, 1 Sam. 25. and my bread, and my drinke, which I have pro­vided for my servants, and give it un­to strangers whom I know not from whence they come, or whither they go? But it must be otherwise with thee.

Thou hast the use of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, heaven, earth, and all their furniture. God made them all, there­fore thou must not dreame of an abso­lute right, but humbly pray that thou [Page 22] mayst have libertie to use them under God, without which thou canst have no sound comfort.

Besides, We must not abuse any of the creatures. thou must feare to abuse any of them, because they are the good crea­tures of God. Wilt thou dare to abuse the Kings stuffe, or furniture of his house, or those provisions which he hath made for his servants? How then wilt thou dare to abuse thy meat for glutto­ny, thy drinke for drunkennesse, thy ap­parell for pride, or the Sunne to give thee light to worke the works of dark­nesse, or the house, and woods, and shades to cover wicked practises? If thou have right to any thing, and lend it to an­other, thou wouldst be loath it should be abused: yea, God made provision un­der the Law, Exod. 22. that the lender should be no loser, but that the thing lent should be made good. Much more is it equall, that, if God lend thee the use of any of his creatures, it should be made good to God when thou hast had the comfort of it. Be sure therefore that thou do it, and do it upon this ground, that God made all things.

Secondly, this Almightie God doth [Page 23] Governe all things also. Jeremie saith, God is the governour of all things Jer. 10.23. O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himselfe, It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps; because it is God that governs him. And Solomon saith, that there is no wisdome, nor understanding, Prov. 21.30, 31. nor counsell against the Lord: the horse is pre­pared against the battell, but safetie is of the Lord; because man is not the Master of his own Issues, but God is the highest Governour above him, and above all the world. As when we have a Journey to goe, and get on horseback, with a bri­dle we guide him onward, and back­ward; this way, and that way, till we have done our businesse: Psal. so God rides up­on the heavens as upon a chariot. He hath an hooke in the nosthrils, 2 Chron. and a bridle in the mouthes of his creatures; and, as he saith to the Sea, Here stay thy proud waves; so he saith, by the active word of his providence, to all his creatures, as that Centurion to his souldiers; Goe, Luk. 8. and it goes; come, and it comes; doe this, and it doth it; and so he governs all the crea­tures to the Issue of his will. When a man looks upon the horrible disorders in the world, and sees Atheists, blasphe­mous [Page 24] swearers, prophaners of the Lords Day, murtherers, whoremongers, theeves, lyers, to swarme in the world, a man would thinke that God did not Govern all things. But thy sense teach­eth thee, that if thou ride upon a lame horse, to dispatch all thy busines, though he halt, which is from himself, (by leap­ing over hedge and ditch) yet thou go­vernest him till thy businesse is over, which is from thee. So though all the men in the world be lame in actions, and all the creatures of the world doe groane under the vanitie of their sinnes, yet doth God (as it were) ride about, and governe all, and will bring the wic­kedest; at last, either to repentance, and to shame and just confusion for ever.

And thou canst not conceive other, but that God must needs governe all things. For otherwise the flint and steele of contradictions would so kindle the tinder of corruption, that the whole world would have been long agoe in the flame of ruine: yea, the Church of God would have been devoured by her enemies. The Church of God, thou knowest, Luk. 12. is but a little flock, and her ene­mies [Page 25] like the army of the Aramites co­vering the earth, and their hearts like those of the Edomites, who cryed over Jerusalem, Down with it, down with it, Psal. 137. even to the ground. What then can hold them but Gods bridle, which restraines the Gates of Hell; Matth. 16. that they cannot pre­vaile over them? Resolve then there­fore that God governes all things.

Vse. Hence when thou findest any thing to worke together for thy good, give the glory to God who governes all things: and desire this Almightie one to shew himselfe a Governour by governing thee. Thou art not able to governe thy thoughts, words, or actions without God. In conscience of this, David said, Let the words of my mouth, Psal. 19. and the medita­tions of my heart, be alwayes acceptable in thy sight; and set a watch before my lips; and Lord, open thou my lips: even so, Psal. 51. and much more mayst thou. Therefore, by how much lesse able thou art to governe thy selfe, by so much more must thou pray to God every day, to governe thy mind, heart, life, will, affections, desires, conscience, and actions, that thou mayst walke through the land of uprightnesse, Esa. 26. [Page 26] into a place of happinesse, where there are fulnesse of pleasures at the right hand of God for evermore. Psal. 16.

Thus (my good child) thou hast told me what God is. Now tell me next,

6. Q. Wherefore did God make thee?

A. To doe him service.

This is Gods truth. For, What doth the Lord thy God require of thee, We are made to serve God. Deut. 10.12. Joh. 22.5. but to feare the Lord thy God, to walke in all his wayes, and to love him, and (to serve) the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soule? and thy blessed Saviour saith, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, Matt. 4.10. and him onely shalt thou serve. If thou shouldst not be asked to what end thou wert made, thou might'st live to wrong ends, and might'st be ready to doe ser­vice where thou owest none. Therefore do I put thy soul to this question. When thou dost answer, that thou art made to serve God, thou must mean that thou art made to Do Gods worke or businesse. When thou servest a Master, thou doest thy Ma­sters work, when thou servest a Mi­stresse, thou doest thy Mistresse's bu­sinesse: so when thou servest God, thou doest Gods work, or businesse, or what [Page 27] he requires at thy hand. Christ saith, Joh. 6. This is the work of God, that ye beleeve in him whom he hath sent. Paul saith, 1 Thess. 4. This is the will of God, or the work which he re­quires you to endeavour, even your san­ctification. Therefore when thou livest or doest the acts of life, this is thy work, or service of God. Thou, by nature art too apt to think that thou art free-borne, as they that said, Our tongues are our own, Psal. 10. Psal. 129. Rom. 1.1. Jam. 1.1. Jude 1. Pro. 16.4. who is Lord over us? But David often professed himselfe to be Gods servant; and so did Paul, James, Jude, and so must thou. For God hath created all things for himselfe: and he hath committed unto thee a Talent to be imployed for his uses: Matth. 25. and hath intrusted thee with a Stewardship whereof thou must give an ac­count as a servant. Luk. 19.

Vse 1 Be thou therefore sure (my Child) so to carry thy selfe, as one that may give a comfortable account. If a Master should put his servant in trust with his whole estate, and when he comes to give an ac­count he sets down, Item thus much to maintaine Idlenesse, thus much for Whoring, Drunkennesse, Pride, thus much for Profane exercises on the Lords [Page 28] day, doe you think that this account would be taken? No more will God ac­cept of a wicked account from thee who art made to serve him.

Vse 2 Therefore be perswaded (as thou lovest thy soule) to doe all things as serving of God. We plough, we sowe, we serve Masters, we provide for fami­lies in generall, and children in speciall, we obey Masters, Governors, Parents; we eate, we drinke, we play, we worke, we rest, we sleepe, and ordinarily we do all this, and more, as to our selves, and others either under, or over us. But (my child) learn thou to doe all things as serving God. When thou eatest thy meat, do it not so much to fill thy belly, or to satisfie thy appetite, as that in the strength of the creatures thou mayest be able to serve God. When thou cloath­est thy self, doe it not so much to keepe thy selfe warme, as that in the warmth of them thou mayst be able to serve God. This is to observe that rule, Whe­ther you eat or drinke, 1 Cor. 10. or whatsoever you doe, doe all to the glory of God. This will keepe thee from Gluttony, Pride, Drunken­nesse, Covetousnesse, and every evill [Page 29] way. Without this I shall tell thee of a fearfull discomfort which will be brought upon thee at last; when thou art runne a long way, and art come to the last houre of the day, and it may be, to the latter end of thy life, God will awake thy conscience, which will cry out unto thee, O Friend, Friend, Friend, thou art quite out of thy way. Thou wast made to serve God, and thou hast runne thus long in the service of the world and flesh. Oh this will wound in the latter end. Remember therefore that thou art made to serve God and doe it: And next tell me,

7. Q. How oughtest thou to serve him?

A. As he hath commanded in his lawes.

Herein thou sayest right also. For God saith, Deut. 12.32. Whatsoever I command thee take heed to doe it: thou shalt put nothing thereto, nor pull ought therefrom. God would have us punctuall in performing all our service to him as he appoints. Therefore as David did take notice, that God had commanded to keep his precepts di­ligently: so we must practise. Psal. 119.4.

Remember therefore, first, We must seek how God must be served. that thou must enquire how God must be served. For, [Page 30] naturally, thou knowest not, by reason of that ignorance that is in thee. As a servant, that comes newly to an house, is a stranger to that service which will be required; so art thou to the service of thy good God. Yea, God hath a pecu­liar service from all false gods; and ther­fore Balaam said, Num. 23.9. the people shall dwell by themselves, and shall not be reckoned among other nations: they shall have a Religion; and Lawes apart. Other gods will be content with service sutable to their na­tures; but God will be serv'd above the power of nature. Yea, they that have performed Gods service for matter, have failed in manner, Esa. 1. Psal. 50. Esa. 5. and have been cursed. Experience teacheth that good meate may be marr'd in dressing: and so may the service of God in performance.

Vse. Therefore thou may'st justly lament the carelesnesse of our soules, who either never, or with no delight, doe enquire after the service of God. Most may say, as those ancient Heretiques, In this faith I was borne, in this I will dye. Most take up the service of God by tradition, and custome, without further enquiry. But doe thou (my child) stand in the wayes, Jer. 6.16. [Page 31] and behold, the good old way, that thou may'st learne to serve him as thou shoul­dest. Thy soule is like water, or other fluid substances which can never be at rest till it be bounded; and nothing can bound it, but God, and his word, which is thy perfect directory.

Marke next, God must be served by his law. Exod. 25.40. Heb. 8.5. that Gods service must be of Gods commanding. Moses did every thing about Gods worship according to the pat­terne, to the very pinnes, and snuffers, and besomes, and basins. And God forbids us in his worship, Num. 15.39. Deut. 12.8. Ezek. 20.18. Matt. 15.9. Esa. 29.13. Col. 2.23. to follow after our owne hearts, and eyes; or to teach his worship, and fear, by the precepts of men; or to walk in the ordinances of our forefa­thers: and condemns all voluntary Reli­gion, though it have a shew of wisdome, and humblenesse of mind. Nature teach­eth this equitie, that God should have that service which best pleaseth him. If thou serve a Master or Mistres, thou must, in all of it, respect their plea­sures. As they are best acquainted with their owne natures and dispositions, so is God: and because he is a Spirit, he will be worshipped in spirit, and truth, Joh. 4. which is most sutable to his nature, where­with [Page 32] he onely is best acquainted.

Vse. Therefore (my child) take thou heed of will-worship, whether it issue from thy owne will, or from the will of o­thers. Esa. 1. Of this God will say, Who hath required this at your hands? Wilt thou leane unto mens directions? They may deceive, and be deceived in what is plea­sing unto God. Wilt, thou follow good intentions? The end of an action is not sufficient to make it good as thou may'st fee in Nadab, Levit. 10.1, 2. 1 Sam. 15.15. Judg. 8.27. Rom. 8.7. and Abihu, Saul, and Ge­deon: Wilt thou leane unto thine owne wisdome? It is not onely an enemy, but enmitie against God. Wilt thou follow thy affections? That which is done without Gods warrant is not of love: for love is the fulfilling of the law. Gal. 5.14. Rom. 12.9. There­fore let all thy service be reasonable, that is, such as whereof thou canst give a rea­son from Gods word, then shalt thou do it of faith, and with good comfort.

Now, take a short sight of how farre we are come: and to this end tell me

Thus (my child) we have brief­ly summ'd the three last Questions, and Answers: now let us proceed.

Tell me therefore,

8. Q. Which are these lawes of God?

A. Exod. 20. Deut. 15. Those tenne words which God wrote in two Tables of stone, and are set downe in Exodus, and Deuteronomie.

Marke here two things: Ten Pre­cepts, two Tables. Deut. 4.13. Exod. 34.28. The number of Gods lawes; and the course that God tooke to notice them to us unworthy crea­tures. As to their Number, they are tenne words, or tenne Commandements, and must not be made fewer by us. As to Gods perpetuattng their notice unto us, after the publishing of them, he wrote them in two Tables of stone. Had we not blotted out a great part of them, and contracted hearts harder then a stone, God would not have written them in stone. Had any stone beene sufficient to have written them in, he would not have order'd their publishing againe, Exod. 20. Deut. 5. and againe, in the second and fifth bookes of Moses, besides all the explications of [Page 35] Christ, Moses, the Prophets, and A­postles. Now seeing I enquire after these lawes, and thou dost characterize, and marke them out, by their Number tenne, and by Gods perpetuating them to po­sterity by stones, and writings; doe but admire the wisdome of God, who can give so large a Volume in so few words: and remember to take notice of the lawes of God in generall, and of all ten particulars of them.

Vse. First, We must know the laws of God. thou must take speciall notice of the lawes of God, and therefore I aske, and thou answerest concerning them. Hence the Jewes were commanded to write them upon the posts of their houses, Deut. 4.6. and upon their gates: and, in truth, they are thy wisdome out of Christ, they are thy wisedome unto Christ, and they are part of thy wisdome in Christ.

They are thy wisdome out of Christ: for Moses saith, Doe them, Deut. 4.6. for they are your wisdome, and your understanding in the sight of the people. They have an excel­lent politicall use to order thy going in, and out, for the good of the common­wealth, and family. They are thy wis­dome unto Christ: for they are the best [Page 36] Schoolemaster, Gal. 3.19.24. in thy sinfull state, to bring thee unto him. They are like the storme of fire and brimstone which drave Lot out of Sodome. For while they require perfect personall righteousnesse to justi­ficaion; and, for want of this, doe re­veale sinne, and uncloth thee of all worth: Rom. 8. Heb. 12.20, 21. and by reason of sinne, doe in­gender the spirit of bondage, by making thee feare and quake; they make thee haste to Christ, without whom the curse will swallow thee up in sorrow.

They are, besides, part of thy wisdome in Christ: for, by manifesting the re­liques of sinne, they will keep under thy carnall part, Mic. 6. and, so, make thee walke humbly with thy God; and they will be such an hedge of all morall duties, as they will make thy faith shine, in adorn­ing thy Christian calling with good works to all well pleasing.

Vse. Therefore (my deare Child) neglect not this dutie, know the good lawes of thy God. They are briefe for memory, cleare for capacitie, and so perfect, that they shall not need either addition, cor­rection, or repealing. It may be thou mayst think, that now thou art not un­der [Page 37] the Law, but under Grace. It is true, Rom. 6. that, when God hath put thee into Christ, thou art delivered from the ex­action, malediction, and irritation of the law: but remember this similitude; So long as an oake grows, it shadows thee from the warmth of the Sunne; but, when thou hast cut it down, thou canst make wedges out of it self, to rent it in pieces, and make it serve for thy severall uses: so, when the law doth overtop thee, during thy being under the power of nature, thou art deprived of the com­fort of the Sunne of righteousnesse, but, when it is thrown down by the power of the righteousnesse of faith, Rom. 7. then mayst thou make instruments out of it selfe to kill that sinne (by way of repression and mortification) which the law occasioned, and to lay open the path of obedience, wherein (for the justification of thy faith) thou mayst run the way of Gods commandements. Psal. 119.

Secondly, We must know every comman­dement. thou must not onely take notice of these laws in generall, but of every particular of them: as which is the first, second, third, fourth, and so of the rest. God hath neither swelled them in­to [Page 38] to twentie, nor shrunk them into nine. And for these ten, Deut. 4.13. he hath given none of them in vain, but hath, in the least, dis­covered a world of wisdom, and good­nesse, which is particularly to be noticed to thee, except thou wilt dishonour thy good God.

Ʋse. Therefore, be thou (my child) sure to be diligent in this dutie. When thou prayest, wouldst thou know, in confes­sing thy sinnes, how to rise from lesse sins to greater, till thou shake thy heart, and cover thy face with confusion? then know the commandements, and the power of them distinctly Wouldst thou know to speake supplications to God for for thy selfe, or others, that he would adorne his providence by thee, and them? Then know the commande­ments distinctly. Wouldst thou know how to examine thy heart, and life, and to referre vertues, and vices to their pro­per heads, that thou mayst make use of them accordingly? Then know the commandements distinctly.

To help thee therefore with the milk of Babes in this particular, we shall passe thorough a briefe sum of them all in or­der.

Tell me therefore

9. Q. What is the first Commandement? Exod. 20.3.

A. Thou shalt have no other God before me.

Here God requires the having of the true God onely to be thy God: What God requires in the first comman­dement. Thou must have a God; thou must have the true God; thou must have him onely; thou must have him to be thy God. Gen. 3. Thou must have a God, or else thy wicked nature will be a God to thy self. Adam was tempted to be so, and it did undoe him and us: and thou wilt be so, without further temp­tation, and be accursedly miserable. Thou must have the true God; for all false gods are dung hill gods, and lying vani­ties which cannot profit thee. Thou must have him onely, for as marriage, and Mo­narchy, cannot endure corrivals; so can­not God endure that any should be joyn­ed with him. Thou must have him to be thy God: for a man is not chiefly com­forted but with that which is his own. A mans own house, land, wife, children, gold, and silver speake best content unto him; and so will God when he is thy own. It may be thou wilt wonder, how thou canst have God? Thou canst not [Page 40] have him as thou hast money in thy purse, How God may be had. cattell in thy ground, or cloathes on thy back; yet mayst thou have him as an husband hath a wife, or a wife an husband. A man and his wife may be a thousand miles asunder, and may not see one another in many yeares, and yet the husband hath his wife, Prov. 2. and the wife hath her husband by vertue of the Covenant of God, by which they are made one flesh. So mayst thou have God by Covenant when thou cleavest unto him by know­ledge, faith, feare, love, confidence, worship, and the like.

Use. Be thou sure (my good child) to have the true God onely to be thy God thus. When thou knowest not God, and doest not beleeve, love, and feare him, nor put thy trust and confidence in him, that thou mayst enjoy him, and use him as thine, thou hast him not: no nor thou doest not give him these graces alone. Thou hast there articles of the Cove­nant for him alone, and for other things, and persons, under him, and for his ho­nour onely.

10. Q. What is the second Commande­ment?

A. Exod. 20.4, 5, 6. Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any graven Image, nor any likenesse of things, that are in heaven above, nor in the earth be­neath, nor in the waters under the earth; thou shalt not bowe down to them, nor wor­ship them. For I the Lord thy God am a jea­lous God, visiting the iniquitie of the Fa­thers upon the children unto the third, and fourth generation of them that hate me, and shewing mercy to thousands of them that love me and keep my commandements.

Here God requires the worshipping of God with his own outward worship. What God requires in the second comman­dement. God sees the vaine wickednesses of Idolaters. Because they are carnall, they must have carnall helps of their own inventions. Hence is it, because they have not bodi­ly communion with their gods; they, ordinarily, see them not, heare them not, feele them not: therefore they set up their Images, likenesses, and similitudes; they doe honour and worship to them in the place of their gods: they adorn them, they cense to them, they kneele, bowe, courtesie, and pray to them: they think that there is a religious, and divine pow­er and presence in them, to be a chariot of their devotions, and to convey the [Page 42] Influences of their hearts, and words, to their patrons, their great gods. But God will not be worshipped in this carnall way. Deut. 4.15, 16, 17, 18. He manifested no similitude on the day that the Lord spake out of the midst of the fire, lest we should corrupt our selves and make a graven Image, the similitude of any figure, the likenesse of male or female. God is a consuming fire, Deut. 4.24. and a Jealous God, and will have none of his worship con­veyed to any devises of man, or by them, to him: but he will have his own wor­ship, by an acknowledgement of such divine excellencies as are in him, in the way, and by the means that he hath appointed, that is, by the Word, Sacraments, and Prayer.

Vse. Therefore (my child) look upon all Idolaters so as to hate their abominable course. Doe not thinke to please God by devices of thine owne, or others. Ima­gine not that Images, or Idols, either graven, or carved, or painted, can carry thy worship to those Gods, or divine things, or Persons whom they represent. Bestow not thy divine respects upon any thing, or person but God alone. Frame not any will-worship thy selfe for the true, and good God. But as thou learn­est [Page 43] out of the word the worship, to give him all manner of prayers, and prayses, to heare his word, to receive his Sacraments, and to offer up any spirituall sacrifices, so doe, that thou provoke not God to jea­lousie, and so to hate thee, and to plague thine before thy face to thy confounding discomfort.

11. Q. What is the third Commande­ment?

A. Exod. 20.7. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine; for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine.

Here God requires the worshipping of him in his owne manner, What God requires in the third Comman­dement. so as it may not be in vaine. If it be not done as he would have it, as good never a whit, as not done as he would have it. The name of God is, God himselfe any wayes made knowne unto thee. Thou art knowne by thy name, and God hath a name whereby he is, or may be, made known, to all mankind, to wit, his works, his word, his titles, his attributes, his religion, his worship; this is his name. To take it, signifies to take it up, or to challenge it from contempt, and blasphemy, so as [Page 44] God may not be dishonoured by thine, or others use of it. To take it in vaine, is to use it to no end, to a fruitlesse end, or to a wicked end; as when thou usest the names, titles, and attributes of God, to tosse them like Tennice balls to no use, but as fruitlesse imbellishments of thy speech; when thou usest them in asseve­rations, and oathes, to belch out the pas­sions, and bitternesse of thy heart to, or against others; and when thou usest them in word, or actions, to vent the malice, or hypocrisie in thy heart.

Vse. Take heed of doing thus (my child): Thou art a Christian, and wouldest be accounted godly, and so thou takest up Gods name. Do it so, as God and his people may not be ashamed to acknow­ledge thee for such. Thou sometimes takest up the name of God in thy mouth; doe it with all reverence. When thou swearest, doe it, when thou art justly called unto it, Joh. 7. Heb. 6. Jer. 4.2. to cleare the innocency, or to end strife among men, in truth, in righ­teousnesse, and in judgement. When thou prayest, hearest, vowest, or receivest the Sacraments, doe them as sincerely de­siring to draw thy self into communion [Page 45] with God in Christ. If thou doe not, though men are found to be carefull for preserving of their owne names more then Gods, yet God tenderly respects his owne name, and will account thee guilty, and bind thee over to be plagued in this world, and for ever.

12. Q. What is the fourth Comman­dement?

A. Exod. 20.8, 9, 10, 11. Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day. Six dayes shalt thou labour, and doe all thy work. But the seventh day is the sab­bath of the Lord thy God: In it thou shalt not doe any worke, thou, nor thy sonne, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattell, nor thy stran­ger that is within thy gates. For in six dayes the Lord made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the se­venth day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Here God requires the worship­ping of God by his owne meanes upon that time which is appointed. It is said, What God requires in the fourth Comman­dement. That the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it, which thou must not conceive to be an idle repetition of words of the same value in so short a [Page 46] summe: and therefore compare other Scriptures, and the sense will be cleare and distinct unto. Esau cries out to Ja­cob, Gen. 27. Blesse me, even me also my father, and then Jacob gave him a propheticall bles­sing, the fatnesse of the earth, and the dew of heaven. Judg. 1. Achsah Caleb's daughter ask'd him a blessing, and what did she mean? Springs above, and springs below, that is, a convenient situation for dwelling. So when God blesseth he gives a blessing to things, or persons. Thus the Lord bles­sed, that is, gave a blessing to the Sab­bath day. Before the giving of the Law, the blessing of Patriarchs who were Priests, Prophets, and Kings of their Fa­milies to regulate under, and from God the private, and publique worship. After the Law, the blessing of Levites, Priests, and Prophets. So in these times of grace, he gives the blessing of Apostles, Evangelists, Ephes. 4. and Prophets by their wri­tings, and Pastors, and Doctors, by their teachings from the word, to be as bles­sings to the Lords day. Now, because we are so worldly, and wicked, that we would not make use of this blessing of the means of worship by the Ministery [Page 47] of the Word, if we were left unto our selves: therefore God hath hallowed the seventh part of time, and set it apart to holy uses, and enjoyned us to apply it to such uses, that we making use of this blessing, may learn to know God, and serve him with his owne worship, and in his owne manner. Marke then, that the meanes for the advancement of the worship of God is the blessing of the Mi­nistery of the word of God, which is set a­part for interpretation, and instruction of us in Gods will by the Scriptures. The time that God hath set apart for this end is the seventh part of time at the least. For if he required of a Jew thus much, whose mercies were not so great, much more of us Christians whose mercies are greater.

Vse. Therefore (my good child) think this Commandement to be as Joseph to pro­vide for all the rest: and when thou seest that all men are not Prophets, 1 Cor. 1.10 nor all Tea­chers, but God hath gifted, out of all now, some to be apt to teach, by taking more speciall heed to themselves, to the word of God, to reading, and to doctrine: 1 Tim. 4.23 and when thou considerest that God [Page 48] challengeth the seventh part of time, that thou mayst make use of the gifts of these men gifted for thy edification: and, last­ly, when thou weighest that that seventh part of time which was allotted to the Jews, as a type of Christs resting in the grave, is now vanished, and another se­venth part of time consecrated by the acts of Christ, and his Apostles, and the practise of the Church in all Ages, which is particularly called the Lords day (the like grounds for observing any other se­venth part being impossible for us now to have): therefore, with all care, and conscience, doe thou remember the time, and apply it unto holy uses, both in pre­paration, and practise, that by the pub­lique Ministery of the Word, and pri­vate meditation of it, and conference a­bout it, and prayer to make it profitable to thee, thou maist make it a market day to thy soule to provide for the know­ledge and service of thy God, according to his good will both for matter, and manner.

Thus have I shewed the summe of the foure first Commandements, The sum of the first Table. as thou art able to receive it now: and that thou [Page 49] conceive them clearly, Ile thus represent it unto thee. Thou art born into this world, and, when thou comest to yeers of discretion, then bethinkest thy selfe how thou mayst live in after time. First, therefore, thou puttest thy selfe to a Ma­ster to bring thee up in some good Im­ployment. When thou hast a Master, thou knowest that thou must doe his work. If thou doe his work, thou know­est thou must doe it in his manner. He had rather thou should'st let it alone, then not doe it according to his mind: and in case he be not bodily present, but hath left his Stewards to give directions at set time, how he would have all his businesse dispatched according to his will, thou must wait upon them in their seasons, that thou mayst be punctuall and exact in all his affaires. Just thus must it be with thee in this businesse for thy souls good. Thou desirest to know how it may be well with thee in after­time. Therefore first thou must choose God to be thy onely Lord, and Master: there is the first Commandement. Next, thou must doe his worke, and worship, not according to the fancies of Idolaters, [Page 50] but according to his will: there is the se­cond Commandment. Next, thou must doe it in his manner, so as it be not in vaine; Esa. 1. for otherwise he will say, Who required this at thy hand? there is the third Commandement. And lastly, be­cause he is not visibly present, but hath left his Stewards and Ambassadours to direct thee in his will, at times by him appointed, therefore must thou, espe­cially at those times, hang upon their lips, to be satisfied in thy Masters will, that thou mayst serve him with his own service, and in his own manner.

Now proceed, and tell me:

13. Q. What is the fifth Commande­ment?

A. Exod. 20.12. Honour thy father, and thy mother: that thy dayes may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

Here God establisheth Superiours, What God requires in the fifth Comman­dement. and Ineferiours, and their severall duties. When he hath ordered every thing concerning himselfe, and his worship; then thy good God comes to order the world. And, because it can never be put in or­der by a parity, and equality, he doth establish first the throne of excellency. He [Page 51] would not have Haile fellow, well met, in the world: but he would have some high, some low; some rich, some poore; some Governours, some governed; and some Superiours, some inferiours, for the better marshalling, and ordering the world. There shall be fathers, and mothers; this he speaketh to superiours. Ye shall honour your fathers, and mothers; this he speakes to inferiours. Fathers, and Mo­thers, are all those that are in state of ex­cellency above thee. If they be more excellent in Age, as old men, and wo­men, who beare an Image of Gods eter­nitie: or more excellent in Grace, who are fuller of Gods Spirit, and beare an Image of Gods goodnesse: Or more ex­cellent in Nature, who have priority in time of us, and are instruments of our derivation into the world, and so beare an Image of Gods Paternity: Or more excellent in Place, who have power, and government over us, and so beare an Image of Gods Soveraignty: all these are thy Fathers, and Mothers. These are commanded to be Fathers, and Mothers, that is, so to carry themselves in nature, in grace, in age, and in place, that they [Page 52] doe not lay their honours in the dust, and make their inferiours to despise them. By honouring of father, and mother thou must understand, those respects which are due to severall excellencies. To naturall excellency Reverence, obedience, and all thankfulnesse under God. To graci­ous excellency, acknowledgement, and submission. To ancient excellency re­verent deportment: and to powerfull excellency, feare, and testification of it by obedience in the Lord, and for the Lords sake.

Vse. Therefore (my good child), admire the wisdome of God here, who for the well ordering of the world hath settled the Chaire of state, and put every one within his traces. If ever thou be a Fa­ther, or Mother any of these wayes, pray to thy God that thou carry thy selfe so, as honour from others may willingly flow to thee. Thou seest many who are Fathers and Mothers all these wayes, who carry themselves unworthy of such honour. This moves many young men to contemne the Aged; many children to despise their Parents; many of no gifts to contemne those that have many; [Page 53] and many underlings to neglect those that are in authoritie both to their sinne and misery. Again, as thou art an Infe­riour give all due honour to all Pater­nitie, and motherhood. Rise up before the hoarhead, and honour the persons of the Aged. Acknowledge all the gifts, and graces of others, and make use of them for thy good. Be subject to the higher powers, not for feare of wrath, but for conscience sake. Be subject unto thy parents, and when they cannot pro­vide for themselves, doe thou thy best to provide for them; and then if thou have not a penny, thou shalt have a pound, if thou live not long in this world (which is not good enough for thee), thou shalt live for ever at Gods right hand where there is fulnesse of pleasures for evermore, which God grant unto thee.

14. Q. What is the sixth Commande­ment?

A. Thou shalt not kill.

When God had set the world in or­der in the former Commandement, What is required in the sixth comman­dement. and made some high, and some low, some superiours, and some inferiours, that so [Page 54] his providence might be the more beau­tified in the sight of men: he comes next to give men in charge things according to the price of them. And because no­thing is so precious as life (for the Devil sees, Job 2. that skin for skin, and all that a man hath will he give for his life): therefore he first gives in charge the preservation of life. This is that which God requires in this law, the preservation of thy owne, and thy neighbours life. And because man hath a double life, the life of the soule, and the life of the body, God would have thee have a care of both lives in thy selfe, and others. There is a difference betwixt killing, and murder: there may be a lawfull killing, but no lawfull mur­dering: for murder is an unlawfull hurting of the life of selfe or others. But for kil­ling, though thou must never kill thy selfe, yet may there be a lawfull killing of others when these foure things meet, a just Cause, a just Power, a just order and a just Mind. A just cause, as God saith, He that sheddeth mans bloud, by man shall his bloud be shed: Gen. 9. a just power, as God saith, Rom. 13. not the private man, but the Ma­gistrate beareth not the sword for nought [Page 55] a just order, as that Jew said, John 11. Our law judgeth no man before he be heard; there­fore there must be conviction, and triall before condemnation: and a just mind, which doth it not out of revenge, but out of love of justice: for though Jehu did execute Gods Justice upon the house of Ahab, yet, because he did it with his owne revengefull heart, God saith, Hos. 1. I will visit the blood of Jezrael upon the house of Jehu. Thus thou seest, there is a diffe­rence twixt killing, and murder; yet be­cause God would have thee see how precious life is before him, he saith, Thou shalt not kill.

Thou must not kill the soule either of thy selfe, or others, by yeelding, or per­swading to any sinne, or else by giving a scandall whereby thy brother may be moved to fall. Sinne is that alone which murders soules. Thou must not kill the body either of thy selfe, or others. This wicked murder doth rise by Envy, and carnall Anger; it doth rancle by Hatred, and Malice; it breaks out in the Coun­tenance, by scornfull, disdainfull, and furious lookes; in the Body, by pointing of the finger, or turning the back by way [Page 56] of disgrace; It is executed by wilfull hurting of limbes, liberties, or life, when body and soule are parted by an unjust hand.

Vse. Therefore (my deare child) take heed that thy heart be not made a slaughter­house, and then thy hand will never be made a murderer. It is fearefull to see what murderings of soules, and bodies there are in the world. Ministers murder soules, either by stabbing them with false doctrine, or by starving them for want of teaching. One Christian murders the soule of another by perswading, and encouraging, or exampling to a thousand sinnes. And for mens bodies, what envy, hatred, malice? what scornes, diminutions, and disrespects? what hurting of limbes, liberties, and lives doe abound, to the sadding of those whose hearts God would not have sadded? But let not thy soule enter into their secrets. Possesse thy selfe in mercy, and love. Be thou able to look upon an enemy without anger, to behold his pro­speritie without envy, and to beare his wrongs without desire of revenge. Keep thy soule without sinne raigning, and [Page 57] doe what thou canst to keep others also, and what thou canst not doe in answer to this command, mourne for it sadly, and seriously, and fly to Jesus Christ to heale thee that thou mayst be better.

15. Q. What is the seventh Comman­dement?

A. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Exod. 20.14. What is required in the seventh Comman­dement.

The next precious thing among men is Honesty. If God would have men live, surely, he would have them live honest­ly: therefore so soone as ever he had commanded that men should live, and not be killed, presently he adds, that they must live honestly. It is better that men were dead then that they should live adulterers: therefore, saith God, Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Here God requires the preservation of thy owne, and thy neighbours Chastity. A­dultery properly, is the polluting and de­filing of another mans bed; when men commit folly, and wickednesse with an­other mans wife: but because this is odi­ous to God, as a seminary of corruption both to the Church, Common-wealth, and Family: therefore he comprehends all other uncleannesses under this head. [Page 58] There is an inward, and outward un­cleannesse. The inward is a wanton na­ture, lustfull thoughts, violent burn­ings, delight in them, and serving their tyranny. The outward uncleannesse is ei­ther in Preparation, or in Practise. Men and women are prepared for lust by Drunkennesse, Gluttony, Idlenesse, and Wan­ton apparell. Men and women practise it by wanton eies, filthy speech, unseemly gestures: and these bring forth fornicati­on, ravishing, adultery, incest, unnatu­rall sinnes, which I am loath to name unto thee, much lesse describe. Yet all these God comprehends under Adul­tery. And, that thou mayst not thinke that thou art exempted from this law, God speakes to every particular person in this word [Thou]: thou child, thou man, thou woman.

Vse. Therefore (my child) stirre up thy strength to keepe thy vessel in holinesse, and honour. What miserable pollutions are among men? in eyes, as they that had their eyes full of adultery; 2 Pet. 2. in speech, as Judah to Thamar, Gen. 38. Let me lye with thee; in gestures, Jer. 5. 2 Sam. 13. as they that neighed after their neighbours wives; By fornication, as [Page 59] Amnon; by adultery, Joh. 8. Gen. 49. as the woman ta­ken in adultery; by incest, as Reuben, and that incestuous man; 1 Cor. 5. Rom. 1. & 1 Cor. 6. and by unnaturall sinnes. How doe men and women pro­vide for it by Drunkennesse, Gluttony, Wanton apparell, and Idlenesse? Oh let thy heart bleed to thinke of these sins committed in secret, and watch over thy nature, crush thy thoughts, quench thy burnings with the bloud of Christ rest­ed on by faith, that lust never come to delight or tyranny.

16. Q. What is the eighth Commande­ment? Exod. 20.15. What is required in the eighth comman­dement.

A. Thou shalt not steale.

The next precious thing among men is goods. See carefully, that first we must live, next we must live honestly, next honest persons must live by honest means, they must not steale. Here God re­quires the preservation of thy owne and thy neighbours goods. God would have every man have his owne, and that we might maintaine a just possession to our selves, and others; there God saith to every man, woman, and child [Thou shalt not steale].

To Steale, strictly taken here, is closely [Page 60] to convey away the goods of thy neigh­bor without his privity: but it is to be ex­tended to all unlawfull depriving thy selfe, or others, of their goods. All men condemn open theft, and the sword of a Magistrate doth reach to such theft: therefore God is pleased to use that word which signi­fieth close theft, and under that to com­prehend all. This theft ariseth from a distrust of Gods providence: it increa­seth by love of money, covetousnesse, and the crafty invention of a thousand de­ceits, and couzenages to bring in: but it breaks out both against thy selfe, and o­thers. Thou mayst be a thiefe to thy selfe by penuriousnesse, prodigality, and idlenesse. If thou refuse to take the com­fort of what God hath given thee; or dost prodigally lash out in a day what would serve a weeke; or art idle and slothfull to get what God offers in the ordinary course of his providence, thou art a thiefe to thy selfe. Thou mayst be a thiefe to others by sinnes of commis­sion, or omission. If thou trust in wrong, or robbery, by deceiving any man, wo­man, or child in bargaining either by word, or deed; or by secret, or open de­ceiving [Page 61] them of their goods to the hurt of Church, Common-wealth, or Fa­mily: If when thy selfe, or thy neighbor are wronged in their goods, thou do not discover, and punish, and rescue when thou canst, and cause restitution to be made if thou be able, thou art a thiefe before God.

Vse. Therefore (my child) doe thou give every man his right in that proper state which God hath cast upon him. Our good God hath allotted to every man his owne, and therefore he hath ap­pointed buying, and selling, letting, and hiring, borrowing and lending, and hath given bounds to every one. He would have this justly preserved, that thou, Rom. 13.7. Luk. 3.14. Luk. 1.75. and all men might have just maintenance by just getting, keeping, and spending. If thou erre from this course, the rack of conscience will so pursue thee, that thou wilt not have peace in any thing thou doest enjoy.

17. Q. What is the ninth Commande­ment?

A. Exod. 20.16. Thou shalt not beare false witnesse a­gainst thy neighbour.

This is the fourth precious thing [Page 62] would have in a well ordered world. What is re­quired in the ninth Comman­dement. First he orders the world into severall ranks of Governours, and governed. Next, he would have a care of life. Next, he would have men live honestly. Next, he would have honest men maintained by honest meanes: and here, that men may have their honour in the fifth Com­mandement; their life in the sixth Com­mandement; their honesty in the seventh Commandement; and their goods in the eighth Commandement; he would have truth. If falshood may prevaile, men shall neither have their goods, nor their honesty, nor their life, nor their ho­nour. Therefore God requires in this Commandement, The preservation of our owne, and our neighbours truth. God is pleased to look upon that order which he hath set in the world: that some are in the throne to be honoured, and some at the footstoole to honour. He saw that much disorder and sinne would arise a­bout mans life, his honesty, his goods, and his good name: therefore he com­mands that all falshood be banished, and that Justice be carried by allegations, and proofes, according to truth.

Witnesse may be given either by word, Josh. 24.22. Job 16.8. when the tongue speaks it, or by work, when some doing, or suffering speaks it. False witnesse is, when it is not agreeable to the thing spoken of, to the minde of him that speaketh it, or to the end of speaking it, that is, Justice, and Charity. To beare false witnesse is, either to re­ceive, speake, or doe any thing that may prejudice charitable truth. Against thy neighbour, is, concerning thy neighbour, in Gods language, whether it be for him, or against him. And this thou mayst happen to doe in the root of false witnesse, and in the fruit of it. The root and foundation of false witnesse may sometimes be uncharitablenesse to the person thou witnessest against, or flat­tery, and partialitie, to the person thou witnessest for: sometimes suspition of worse then thy neighbour deserves: but alwayes an inclination to hunt after that which is thy neighbours. This will breed a digging deepe to hide the truth, a judge­ing uncharitably, and an augmentation of the report, making a little to be a great deale more. The fruit of it is, when we doe not maintaine the truth of things, [Page 64] and persons; but fall into many sinnes, both against truth, and against truth and charity. Thou mayst sinne against truth simply by falshood in speech, by denying the truth, by betraying the truth, and by counterfeit and fained actions. Thou mayst sinne against truth and charity both publiquely, and privately. Pub­liquely, in the person of a Judge or Arbi­tratour, when thou nourishest strife a­mong neighbours, by delaying sentence, beleeving the oathes of wicked lyers, or by passing rash, or unjust judgements: In the person of the Jurie when thou findest not according to the truth: In the person of the Plaintife, when thou accu­sest falsly: In the person of the Defendent, when thou accusest thy selfe unnecessa­rily, or colourest, or deniest a bad cause: In the person of a Lawyer, when thou pleadest knowne bad causes, or any cause before thou understand it: In the person of a witnesse, when thou doest pervert truth, conceale truth, or testifie falshood: and in the person of a Register, when thou doest not record truth as it is found. Thou mayst sinne against truth, and cha­rity privately, either against thy selfe or [Page 65] others. Against thy selfe, when thou dost not regard thine owne credit, or thinkest either too basely, or boastingly of thy owne person. Against others, when thou praysest them above deserts, or praysest mens vices, or givest not them their due truth, by scorning, backbiting, slander­ing, or the like.

Vse. Thus (my child) maist thou sinne a­gainst truth: but take heed. God would have truth precious with thee and all men. Therefore, discerne it as cleare as thou canst; honour it, by not withhold­ing the truth in unrighteousnesse; and maintaine it in thy selfe, and others, that justice may flourish. It is true, that, ma­ny times, truth breeds hatred among men, but beleeve God, who saith, that he that deales truly is Gods delight.

18. Q. What is the tenth Commande­ment?

A. Exod. 20.17. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his oxe, nor his asse, nor any thing that is thy neighbours.

Here thou art at the very foot of the ladder: and from hence thou mayst rise [Page 66] to the highest pitch of morall vertue, What is required in the tenth comman­dement. or of sinne against it. If thou have this co­veting after that which is thy neigh­bors, thou wilt not spare falshood to get it. If thou canst once out-face truth, then have at thy neighbours goods for thy profit, thy neighbours honesty for thy pleasure, yea thy neighbours life rather then thou wilt misse of either; and next, have at thy neighbours honour, that thou mayst have none to punish thee; and then have at thy God in all disobedience: for if thou sinnest against thy neighbour whom thou seest, thou wilt much more sinne against thy God whom thou doest not see but in his word, and works. Therefore God requires in this Com­mandement, such an evennesse of spirit, that nothing that is thy neighbours doe trou­ble thee. Hath thy neighbour better house, better wife, better servants, better cattell, better any thing then thee? thy eye may not be evill because Gods is good. If thou have God, it is enough, it is all things: nothing that is thy neigh­bours must trouble thee.

This Coveting is call'd Evill concu­piscence, Col. 3.5. and is an inordinate motion of thy [Page 67] soule soliciting to evill against thy neigh­bour. This is of two sorts, originall, and actuall. Originall (referred to neighbours) is part of thy flesh, which, by pronenesse, poysoneth thy soule, and moveth thee to injustice. Actuall, are ill motions rising from thence in thy mind by foolish fan­sies, thoughts, and judgements, and in thy heart by affections, wishes, and desires, inordinately carried after pleasures (the lusts of the flesh), profits (the lusts of the eyes), and honour (the pride of life). This Coveting must not be carried, in speci­all, after things without life, as thy neighbours house, nor after things with life, which are reckoned according to their honour, as, thy neighbours wife, servants, oxe, or asse: nor in generall, af­ter any thing that is thy neighbours, that so thou mayst know that nothing is to be excepted. These home-bred broyles and covetings are the causes of all evils, when they are yeelded unto: therefore God hath set them at the lower end of this Ladder.

Vse. Be carefull (my child) to watch with all care and diligence, in thy soule, a­bout these covetings. Have such a quiet [Page 68] resting in God, and all that he gives thee, be it little, or be it much, that no­thing that is thy neighbours trouble thee. If thou doe not, thou wilt trouble thy selfe, and thou wilt be provoked to hurt and trouble thy neighbour, and to rise higher to a more direct sinning a­gainst thy God.

Thus have I given thee (fit for thy capa­city, I hope) a short summe of these Ten Lawes of God: now look back, and let me see what thou hast observed. Thou hast told me that God made thee to serve him as he hath commanded in his Lawes.

Thus thou hast heard what God is, that he made thee to serve him, that thou must serve him according to his Lawes, and what these lawes are: Now tell me.

19. Q. Art thou able to keepe these Commandements?

A. No: let me doe what I can, yet I break them every day more then I can expresse.

Here thou makest a strange accusation against thy selfe. Indeed, Christ saith, that, out of the heart come evill thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnesses, Mat. 15.19. blasphemies. They are not sent into the heart, but sent out of it, and such an heart, surely, breaks the Com­mandements: And Paul saith, when he [Page 73] spake experimentally of his naturall heart, I know that in me, that is, Rom. 7.18, 19. in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me, but how to performe that which is good I know not: for the good, that I would, I doe not, but the evill which I would not, that doe I: and certainly he that stands in this state cannot keepe the Commandements. Yet marke, that thou puttest in an heavy indictment against thy selfe. I say, marke this, and marke it seriously. Hast thou a strange God to be thy God? Doest thou follow Ido­latrous worship? Doest thou dishonour the name of God, in thought, word, action? Doest thou neglect the Mini­stery of the word, and profane the Lords day? Doest thou rebell against Gods Ordinances for the orderly government of the world? Art thou a murderer, an whore, or whore-master, and a thiefe? Art thou a lyer, slanderer, or backbiter? Hast thou a wicked lustfull heart, which boyles with discontents because it is better with thy neighbor then with thy selfe? If another body should charge thee with all these things, thou wouldst defie him, and be ready to spit in his [Page 74] face; yet thou sai'st openly, that thou doest breake the Commandements every day.

I confesse it to be a truth, How we do break all the Com­mande­ments eve­ry day. yet must thou understand it according to the word of God, or else shame, and confu­sion will lye upon thee more then upon other men, women, and children: know then, that thou breakest all the Com­mandements every day three wayes.

First, 1 in Adam, we were all in Adam when he sinned, Rom. 5. and in his fall, sinne went over all mankind, and so, over thee, as well as any body else. If a Carp eat of a baite, and be taken, and killed, not onely she dies, but thousands of spaunes that are in her belly: so when Adam sin­ned in eating the forbidden fruit, and died to God, we, that were in his loynes eate it, and died in him. He sinned a­gainst a Sacrament. By eating the for­bidden fruit, he made himselfe unfit, and unworthy, to eat of the Tree of life. In sinning against this Sacrament, he sin­ned against the whole Covenant of Na­ture. For thou know'st that he that tears off the labels, and seales of a Bond, sin­neth against the vertue of the Bond, and makes it of none effect: so Adam sinning against that Sacrament, the seale of the [Page 75] Covenant, he made it uselesse. He was neither bound to God now by vertue of that Covenant (because he had made himself unable) nor God to him (because he had made himsefe unworthy). We therefore being in Adam, and sinning in Adam, doe break all the Commande­ments in him, as we are in the first Adam.

Secondly, 2 we breake all the Comman­dements in the pronenesse of our nature to breake them. A Fox is chained up in the yard. If he doe not kill all the Poultry about the house, no thanks to him, but to his wary Master, who hath tied him up. So, no thanks to thee, if thou doe not break all the Commandements, but to God, who hath an hook in thy nosthrils, and restraines thee by his providence, be­fore he renues thee by his Spirit: for thy nature is prone unto it. God looks upon the pronenesse of nature, and according to that doth passe censure upon men, wo­men, and children. Heb. 11. Abraham is said to offer up his sonne Isaac by faith, though he did it not: because from that principle of grace within him, his nature was now prone to doe it, and would have done it, Gen. 22. if God had not held his hands. Christ [Page 76] saith, That he that looks upon a woman lustfully hath already committed adultery with her in his heart, Matt. 5. yet the woman is very chaste, and untouched: because Christ looks to the pronenesse of the heart. So though thou have not broken any of the Commandements, but art as unrebukable concerning the letter of the Law, Phil. 3. as Paul was; yet so long as God sees the pronenesse of thy nature, that thou hast a principle of wickednesse in thee, which makes thee as ready to break the Commandements as Cain, A­chitophel, Peter, yea, Judas, he will ad­judge thee a breaker of all the Com­mandements.

Thirdly, 3 in breaking one of the Comman­dements, Jam. 2.10. we doe breake them all. Holy James saith, Whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all: and surely thou breakest some one of them every day, or else thou couldst not be a sinner; 1 Joh. 1. and he that saith he hath no sinne is a lyer. The whole Law is one body of righteousnesse. Now, thou know'st, that if I sinne against the least member of thy body, I sin against the whole. Let me cut off the least joynt [Page 77] of thy little finger, or of thy little toe, I offend thy whole body; Thy eye weeps, thy mouth complains, thy whole body shrinks, because touching is shot through thy whole body. So if thou breakest the least part of Gods Commandements, all will feele, and call for wrath upon thee, because thou sinnest against the whole body of righteousnesse. There is such a linking of all the Commandements to­gether, as is betwixt ten sworn friends; abuse one, and all will fall upon thee. Therefore Paul saith, Cursed is he that con­tinueth not in all things that are written in the Booke of the Law to doe them. Gal. 3. Thou must have the Law, thou must know it, thou must doe it, thou must doe all things in it, thou must continue in doing it. thou must continue in doing all things that are in it, or else thou art accursed.

Yet one thing may seeme strange unto thee, that thou confessest thy selfe a breaker of all the Commandements e­very day, when one Commandement concerns the Sabbath of old, the Lords day now, which comes but once a week: how then canst thou break this every day? I tell thee sadly, that thou mayst break it [Page 78] before it comes, and when it is gone Before it comes, by doing that upon the weeke day, which makes thee unfit to keep it when it comes. If I command a servant to doe some businesse for me a­farre off, put case he doe make himselfe drunke by the way, and so, be unfit to doe my businesse, he sins against my command. So if thou doe that upon the weeke day, which makes thee unfit to keep the Lords day when it comes, thou breakest that Commandement. Thou seest many worldly men; they bu­ry themselves under the earth all the weeke, and they have neither life, nor leasure to come to the Congregation of Gods people on the Lords day; or if they doe, they sit like blocks upon benches, and have more mind of the world, then of the word, of their pence, then of their prayers. So thou seest many a wanton boy, and girle, who would nothing but play all the weeke, and when the Lords day comes they mind nothing else, and so, are disgraces to the Assemblies where they are. These sinne against the Lords day before it comes, and so mayst thou, and heed it not. Thou [Page 79] mayst also break it when it is gone, by not answering the end of it. The Prophet Esay, Esa. 2. speaking of these dayes, saith, That we shall encourage one another to goe up to the house of the Lord, that he may teach us his wayes, and we walke in his pathes. This should be thy end, now, of keeping the Lords dayes. But when God doth not teach thee his wayes, and then thou dost not walke in his pathes notwithstanding all the teaching which shines about thee, then thou breakest the Lords day when it is gone. And thus thou now seest how thou breakest all the Commandements every day. And never wonder at it, see­ing the Law exacts perfect obedience to justification, but is weake to give it, Rom. 8.3. be­cause of the flesh. Indeed the Gospel gives more strength, so as by grace thou mayst keep it in desires, purposes, en­devours, with all sincerity, and willing­nesse for thy sanctification, though not perfectly for thy justification: but I en­quire yet of thy naturall state, and of that thy answer is given and opened by me.

Vse. Therefore (my child) seriously think upon it, that it may wound thy heart [Page 80] with the spirit of bondage so farre as to bring thee over to Jesus Christ. Rom. 8. Most men are like Saul, who, when he saw Samuel after the destruction of Amalek, said, 1 Sam. 15. Blessed be thou of the Lord, I have kept the commandements of God: so, they have kept them also, they are neither whore, nor thiefe, they keep their Church, and are good neighbours: and some men say as Shadrach, Dan. 3. Meshech, and Abednego, to Nebuchadnezzar in another case, We are not carefull to answer thee in this matter, or to keep thy commandement: so they care not to enquire into it, or know whether they keep, or breake them. But as thou lovest thy soul, let it not be so with thee. As I have asked thee carefully, so feele conscionably thy answer, that thou break­est them, that thou mayst lye down in shame, and confusion, in thy selfe, that thou mayst be prepared for Jesus Christ. Think that thou wert in Adam, when he brake the whole Law of nature. Thinke how prone thy nature is to all sinnes, even the worst that ever were commit­ted. Thinke how thou sinnest daily a­gainst the whole body of Justice in ma­ny petty sinnes which makes thee groane [Page 81] and cry daily, forgive us our trespasses. Thinke, that though there be but one Market day in seven, for provision for thy soule, yet thou sinnest against it be­fore it comes, and when it is gone, as well as when it is, and so barrest the blessing of it from thy soule. And, when thou seriously thinkest of these things between God and thy own soule, thinke again what will become of thee if thou die in thy sinnes, and come to answer before a just God who cannot endure to behold iniquitie. It may be, that (if God blesse) thy conscience may be rowzed to hearken further concerning thy estate, and never give over hearkening, and en­quiring, till thou have found a way into Jesus Christ. If thou wilt know more, tell me

20. Q. What punishment is appointed for them that breake Gods commandements.

A. Gods curse, which is the everlasting destruction both of body, and soule.

Remember how farre thou hast gone. Of Gods curse upon sinners. Thou wert made to serve God: thou shouldst serve him according to his laws: thou breakest all these laws; and for this, by nature, thou doest lye under this [Page 82] curse of God, of which thou here speak­est. Deut. 27.26. Deut. 28. Levit. 26. Moses speaks of this, Cursed is he that confirmeth not all the words of the Law to doe them: and, He shews the particu­lars of this curse upon body, soule, and state. Gal. 3.10. Paul expounds it more clearly, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the Law to doe them. And Christ speaks of the height of it; Matth. 25.41. Depart from me, ye cur­sed, into everlasting fire prepared for the de­vill and his angels. It is most miserable to be in such a case: yet thou art in it by nature, Eph. 2. as thou art born a child of wrath, an heire of hell.

God curseth when he doth inflict pu­nishment. Men curse when they wish ill one to another, as poxe, plague, gallows, vengeance, and confusion, or hurt any way to body, or soule. These are kinds and formes of speech, savouring of the belched-up froth of carnall, and devil­lish hearts. But God curseth when he in­flicteth punishments. Thou wouldst thinke it a great curse to have a father, mother, master, or mistresse, who should doe nothing but beat, bruise, and wound thee day and night. In stead of feeding [Page 83] thee, beat thee; in stead of cloathing thee, beat thee; in stead of refreshing thee, beat thee; in stead of giving thee rest and sleep, beat thee: so is it a farre more miserable estate to lye day and night under Gods flayles of punish­ments. The punishment which God in­flicts is eternall destruction of body, and soule. To be destroyed in body, is a fearefull punishment: to be destroy­ed in soule, is more fearefull: to be destroyed in body, and soule is more fearefull yet: but to be destroyed in bo­dy and soule everlastingly is most fear­full; it cannot be expressed; it is end­lesse, easelesse, and remedilesse. What the destruction of body and soule is. This de­struction is double, the destruction of sin, and the destruction of misery. By this thou mayst know that thou hast the destructi­on of sinne, when thou art not used to that end which God made thee for. God made thee to serve him; thou shouldst serve him by keeping the law: thou breakest the law, and hast this part of the curse, the destruction of sinne. If I had a piece of timber squared, fawed, and framed; if I use it not to this end, but let it lye and rot in the durt, it is destroyed. If thou [Page 84] hadst good apparell, and shouldst not weare it, but let it lye in the high way for horse, and carriages to go over, for swine to rent, it is destroyed: so it is with thee when the world, flesh, and devill abuseth thee, and thou art not used to Gods end. By this thou mayst know that thou hast the destruction of misery, when thou art subject to the miseries of this life, and of the life to come. The miseries of this life are all crosses to thy person, comfort, credit, and state, as sicknesses, sorrows, disgra­ces, discomforts both within, and with­out. The miseries of the world to come are thy separation from the Lord, and his Law (the two principles of life) for e­ver. As when thy soul is separated from thy body, a naturall death is made up: so when thy person is separated from God, and his word of comfort, a spirituall death is made up, which begins in this life, and is continued for ever, and ever.

Vse. Oh (my child) feare, and tremble under this burthen. Thou art apt (as all others) to build up thy way to heaven with untempered morter, saying to thy own soule, that all is well, when all is a­misse. This makes thee, with an hard, [Page 85] and impenitent heart, to goe on in thy accursed courses. But this doctrine of curses will teach thee that thou wert in danger before thou wast borne, and ever since. Thou mightst justly have been cast into hell before thou didst breath in this open world. Thou hast, all thy life, been under the destruction of sinne, and this hath enwrapped thee in the destru­ction of misery. Thou feelest many paines, and sicknesses, which are but the light flashes of hell fire. Thou art like a man condemned to a tormenting and dying death. As if a man had a Caldron of boyling lead hang over his head, and he starke naked under it. First one drop falls upon his head, another upon his shoulder, another upon his arme, another upon his hand, another upon his backe, another upon his belly, another upon his legge, upon his foot another, which makes him start and shreeke: but at the last the whole showre comes, which makes him roare, and tumble like a wild bull in a net. So thou, by this volley of curses, art first nipt in one part, then in another, which makes thy joy to be in­terrupted, and thy mirth, many times, [Page 86] turned into mourning. But at last, in death, and Judgement comes an whole Sea of them, which makes weeping, howling, and gnashing of teeth. Weigh it seriously before it be too late. It may be that God will leave a blessing behind, to make thee search after a deliverance, which is the next thing that comes to be skanned. But first let me try thy profit­ing. Thou toldest me that thou breakest all Gods commandements according to which thou shouldst serve him.

Tell me therefore,

Doe not forget how farre thou art gone; God made thee: thou art made to doe him service: thou shouldst serve him as he commands: thou breakest all his commands; and therefore, thou art under the curse, and so, a more misera­ble creature then a toade or any serpent, if thou be not delivered. Tell me then

21. Q. How shalt thou escape this curse?

A. Onely by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Thou answerest rightly: Christ is our delive­rer from the curse. Act. 4.12. for there is no name under heaven whereby thou canst be saved, but onely the name of Je­sus; that is, no authoritie, power, vertue, or merit. Gal. 3.13. It is he that hath redeemed thee from the curse of the law, being made a curse for thee. Col. 2.14, 15. It is he that blotted out the hand­writing that was against thee, and tooke it out of the way, nayling it to his crosse, and having spoyled principalities, and powers, made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them, in himselfe, on the crosse: and therefore when Paul gro­veled under the burthen of his sinne, he could find no rest for his soule but in the Lord Jesus Christ: Rom. 7.24, 25. and thus must it be with thee; therefore it behoves thee to know him.

If thou didst owe millions of pounds, yea, and satisfaction to the law by death; and hadst but one friend in all the world that would, and could undertake to dis­charge thee from all, thou wouldst know him, or else thou wert unworthy to have benefit by him. So thou must know Christ in his names, natures, offices, and [Page 89] uses, by which thou hast saving good by him, or else thou art unworthy of him. And because this is signified in his names, thou must throughly know the sense, and vertue of them for thee.

He is called Jesus, Matth. 1.21. because he saves his people from their sins. He saves thee three wayes; By Ransome, by Rescue, and by Mortification. He saves thee by Ransome, by laying down his life for thee. Joh. 10.15. Thou shouldst have died the first, and second death for ever, and ever: Christ died the first death, and overcame the second for thee. He saved thee by Rescue, by de­livering thee by strong hand. When God was satisfied, thy enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devill, would not let thee goe. Luk. 1.71, 74, 75. Therefore Christ saved thee from thy enemies, and from the hands of them that hate thee, that thou being delivered from them, mightst serve him without feare (of them) all the dayes of thy life, in holinesse, and righteousnesse before him. He saveth thee by Mortification, by killing of sinne of thee, least thou be killed in sinne. When thou art ransomed, and deliver­ed, yet sinne sticks closer to thee then thy skinne. Therefore, to perfect thy salva­tion, [Page 90] Christ strengthens thee with might, by his spirit in the inner man, Ephs. 3.16; 17. Rom. 8.13. and dwels in thy heart by faith, that thou mayst mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the spirit.

He is called Christ, because he is a­nointed. Psal. 2.2. Col. 2.9. This anointing is, his having the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelling in him bodily. He was not onely made partaker of the divine nature, as we are: but he was full God, and full man personally united; Joh. 3.34. and so he received not the spirit by measure: but was anointed with the oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes. Psal. 45.7. The reasons why he was anointed were, that he might be a fit Prophet, Heb. 7.25. Joh. 1.18. Ephes. 1.17. 1 Cor. 1.30. Esa. 53. Priest, and King, to perfect thy salvation. As he was a Pro­phet, he came out of his Fathers bosome, to reveale his will unto thee, that so, he might be thy wisdome to shew thee the way to heaven by him. Heb. 7. As he was a Priest, Rom. 8. he offered himselfe in sacrifice for thee, and still maketh request for thee at the right hand of God. As he was a King, he had all authority, and power commit­ted to him, to rule over thee, and overrule thy enemies. Thus nothing lies in the way to hinder him from being the Prince of thy salvation, by mortification, as a King, and Prophet; by ransome, as a [Page 91] Priest; and by rescue, as a King.

He is called our Lord, Act. 10.36. Rom. 7.25. Phil. 2.8.9, 10.11. as one that hath power to maintaine that salvation which he hath procured thee: because by pur­chase from God for thee, and conquest o­ver the world, the flesh, and the devill, he doth possesse thee as his owne, 1 Cor. 6.19, 20. and therefore must give an account to him. Thus thou seest him that saveth thee from the Curse.

Vse. Therfore (my dear child), build thy self upon Jesus Christ our Lord, upon Christ for salvation, & for dominion. All his gar­ments smell of Myrrhe, Aloes, and Cassia. Psal. 45.8. That which covers thee, and comforts thee frō Christ, is preservative, as Myrrhe; compurgative, as Aloes; comfortative, as sweet smelling Cassia. Christ wil not only comfort thee from guilt, but purge and preserve thee from the body of death. Without Christ nothing can purge thee. Mich. 6.6, 7. Luk. 18.11, 12. Esa. 1.11, 12, 13, 14. Hypocrites will runne to thousands of Rams, and tenne thousands of Rivers of Oyle: Moralists will run to their civill carriages: Formalists will runne to the outward acts of Gods Ordinances: but nothing will doe thee good without Christ. If thou seeke to Christ only, [Page 92] then all things succeed to this end. The Holy Ghost purgeth, by way of infusi­on: Faith, by way of application: Re­pentance, by way of disposition: Holi­nesse, by way of repression, and mortifi­cation: Zach. 13.1. but Christ is the fountaine whence all proceeds. Would'st thou have peace with God? Rom. 5.1. It must be through our Lord Jesus Christ. Would'st thou have joy? Rom. 5.11. It must be through our Lord Jesus Christ. Would'st thou have grace raigne? Rom. 5.21. It must be by Jesus Christ our Lord. Would'st thou be justi­fied? Phil. 3.8. It must be by the knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord. Would'st thou walke in Christ? Col. 2.6. As thou hast received the Lord Jesus Christ, so walke in him. Would'st thou have grace and peace? 1 Thess. 1.1. It must be from the Lord Jesus Christ. Wouldst thou have any saving grace? 2 Pet. 1.8. It must be by fruitful­nesse in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Still whole Christ must be rested on, or it will doe thee no good. When a wise Physician gives a certaine quan­tity to purge rebelling humours, thou must take it all: so when God gives the Lord Jesus Christ, thou must apply him all. Christ cannot be divided. Jesus [Page 93] cannot be Jesus except he be a Lord. He was anointed to be a King, as well as a Priest, and a Prophet, and without the exercise of all his Offices, he saves not one soule. There is not the vilest sinner in the Church, but would have Jesus. He would runne to his salvation, because he is convinced that he cannot be saved without him: but they cannot abide the Lord Jesus who must rule and raigne.

Ob. It may be thou maist thinke that thou runnest to the Lord Jesus Christ daily. Sol. If thou doest, then as a man cannot plunge himselfe into a fountaine daily, and not be cleanner, or as a man cannot live a­mong sweet odours, and not be sweeter: so nor can a man runne unto, and use Christ, daily, but he shall be better.

Ob. It may be thou maist thinke, that thou shalt not be the worse though thou lie under the burden of some sinne: because we cannot be quite rid of the body of death. But I would have thee know, that there are three sorts of sinners. Sol. 1 Some that neither know the sinnes they might know, nor desire to know them. These can not make use of Christ: because they have no sight of their foulenesse; and [Page 94] therefore they can neither renounce it, nor goe to the fountaine to cleanse it. Some know them, 2 and, when they are convinced, Deut. 29.19, 20. sigh to know them, yet live in them wilfully under hope of mer­cy. 3 These cannot look for salvation: for God will not be mercifull to such. Some are such sinners, as Paul was. These are in the way of salvation by Christ. Rom. 7.15. 1 Cor. 9.27. If thou aske, what manner of sinner Paul was? I tell thee, that he was such a sinner as hated sinne, and cared not who knew what was in him: and practised great works of mortification: Rom. 7.24. and accounted himselfe a base wretch, the least of Saints, the greatest of sinners: and one that walked humbly under the sense of finne, and one that made diligent search after Christ to save him, and when he had found him, thanked God for whole Christ, even for the Lord Jesus Christ. Be thou such a finner (through Gods grace) and I shall not feare the Curse of the Law which lies upon thee for sin. Now tell me:

22. Q. What is Jesus Christ?

A. He is the eternal Son of God made man.

This is also Gods truth: What Jesus Christ is. for when Christ was baptized, and when he was [Page 95] transfigured, a voyce came from heaven, saying, This is my well beloved Sonne. Matt. 3.17. Matt. 17.5. And that he is the Eternall Sonne of God, ap­pears; because he was in the beginning, Joh. 1.1. that is, when God made Time, he was before God made that Time, to wit, in eternity, and so, was God. This crowned Peters faith, in the name of all the Apo­stles, when he said, Thou art Christ, Matt. 16.16 Matt. 3. Luk. 3. the Sonne of the living God. And that he was made man, the Genealogies prove. And tha the was the Son of God made man, appears from Johns testimony, The Word was made flesh, and dwelt amongst us, Joh. 1.14. and we beheld his glory, the glory of the onely be­gotten of the Father: and from the Testi­mony of the Angel, who saith to Mary, Luk. 1.35. an holy thing shall be borne of thee, which shall be called the Sonne of God, 1 Joh. 3.1. not nuncu­patively, by name onely, but shall be the Sonne of God. As Gods people are cal­led the sonnes of God by adoption, and are so; so Christ by nature. As borne of the Virgin, so he was made man, as the Sonne of God, so was he God. The Son of God must be thy Saviour; Luk. 3.38. because he might give thee what thou wantest. Thou wast, in Adam, the sonne of God: by fal­ling [Page 96] in him, Joh. 8.44. thou becamest the sonne of the Devil: thy Saviour comes to make thee the sonne of God againe, without which thou canst not be the heire of glory. Now marke, God cannot give thee what he hath not. The Father is not the Sonne, neither is the Holy Ghost the Sonne; but the Sonne is the Sonne. Therefore he becomes thy Saviour to give thee sonship. The Sonne of God becomes the sonne of man, to make the sonnes of men become the sonnes of God. He is made man, that he might be a fit sacrifice. Man is a more noble sa­crifice then a woman: Mal. 1.14. for cursed is he that hath a male in his flock, and offers a corrupt thing.

Vse. Now, ponder seriously on this, (my child) with thy selfe, that thy Saviour is the eternall Sonne of God. I tell thee that if thou have but any ingenuity in thee, it will make thee both hate, and avoid sinne. Hadst thou such a Plague soare, botch, or boyle about thee, that nothing could cure but the heart-bloud of the Kings sonne, and the King should be so loving as to kill his onely sonne for thy health, would'st thou not hate such [Page 97] a disease, and take heed that thou never didst fall into such a disease againe? This is thy case. Thy sinne is a soare, wound, and plague, that nothing could cure but the heart-bloud of the Sonne of God. God out of his infinite love did send him into the world to take thy nature upon him, that he might be reviled for thee, spit upon for thee, scourged for thee, crowned with thornes for thee, sweat drops of bloud for thee, be cru­cified for thee, and shed the bloud of his hands, feet, and heart for thee, and all to cover, and cure thy finne. Wilt thou not now hate thy finne, and be carefull to suppresse it, and never fall into the like againe? I hope thou wilt, or else thy latter end will be worse then thy begin­ning. Goe on now and tell me:

23. Q. What hath Christ Jesus done for thee?

A. He suffered the paines of death for me.

Thou hast seene what Christ was, What Christ hath done for us and is; now sadly consider what he hath done for thee. Thou happly, mayst thinke it little for him to be borne for thee, to live for thee, (though it were in­finite [Page 98] love): but because the purity of his nature, and perfection of his obe­dience, have influence into the value of his sufferings; therefore thou doest mention onely these paines of death. Peter mentioneth these paines of death: Act. 2.24. and Paul cals them, Rom. 6.9. the Dominion of death; Phil. 2.8. and his humbling of himselfe, and becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the crosse. What paines and tor­ments Christ endured for thee then, is unexpressible: yet they may be valued a little, Heb. 5.7. by his offering up prayers, and sup­plications, with strong crying, and teares to his Father: and by sweating drops of bloud when he grovelled upon the ground, in so cold a season as made Peter creep to the fire in the high Priests Hall. Surely, there was fire nigh which caused this sweat. What may the cause then of these paynes and torments be? Surely, the sight of our sinnes charged upon him, Heb. 7.22. and the sense of his Fathers wrath. He stood a Surety in our roome, and was to answer for all our sinnes to God, and not be dis­charged till he had satisfied for them all. Look therefore, as if a man were bound for a million of thousand pounds for o­ther [Page 99] men; when he was once attached his whole charge would be put in a­gainst him: and this sight would be fearefull to him, especially if he consi­dered that they were his chiefe enemies for whom he was bound, and a nest of unthankfull creatures, who did load him with disgrace, and obloquy. Just thus was it with thy blessed Saviour. Though he had the testimony of his e­nemies that never man spake as he did: Joh. 7.46. Mar. 7.37. Act. 10.38. and that he had done all things well; be­cause the Lord was with him: Yet when he was under arrests, and executions, Esa. 43.24. he was made to serve with our sinnes, and was wearied with our iniquities: 2 Cor. 5.21 for he was made sinne for us, who knew no sinne, when all our sinnes were charged upon him, and he was to make satisfaction to God his Father for them. And whose sinnes were these? The sinnes of those that were his enemies: Rom. 5.10. the sinnes of his Dis­ciples, who runne away from him: the sinnes of Peter, who denied him: and the sinnes of Jewes, and Gentiles who crucified him. The Jewes, and Gentiles bare a world of enmity against him: Eph. 2.16. yet he reconciled both unto God in one body by the [Page 100] Crosse, having slaine the enmity in himselfe. Thinke seriously, whether this was not a torment, and paine of death to have all the debts presented unto him of such sinners to be satisfied for. Besides, when God his Father saw him thus covered with sin in the State of a surety (though the holinesse of his person was never polluted), he withdrawes the blessed vision of the divine nature. Where­soever it shined abroad upon others, yet, though hee was personally uni­ted unto it, it shined not upon him­selfe, but left him to sweat drops of bloud, and his soule to be heavy unto death, and his heart and tongue to cry out, Psal. 22.1. Mat. 27.46. My God, My God, why hast thou for­saken me? Is not this an unutterable paine, and torment of death? Was it not enough for him to die, but he must endure the sorrowes of death thus?

Use. Oh (my deare child) forget not this point. It will humble thee for sinne, drive thee from sinne, and comfort thee against sinne. It will humble thee for sinne, to think that it should present such a cursed visage to God, that such a fearfull load must be laid upon thy Surety for it. It [Page 101] will drive thee from sinne, to thinke, that, if thou neglect so great salvation as Christ hath offered unto thee, thou shalt be, for thy sins in a worse case then he was. He was able to slay hatred, and en­mity, but thou canst not by suffering millions of millions of ages: and there­fore thou shalt have thy sinnes lye before thee for ever, and the wrath of God will presse thee to all eternity. It will com­fort thee against sinne, to thinke, that, thy Surety having endured this for thee, it were unjust for God to impose it upon thee againe. Onely be sure that thou keepe the Covenant of the Gospel, that is, when thou hast been translated out of the kingdome of darknesse, into the Kingdome of his deare Sonne, that thou honour the Father in the Sonne by be­leeving in him with a faith working by love, and then thou wilt have cause to triumph, as Paul, Rom. 7.25. I thanke God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Now let me see, what thou remem­brest, and understandest of what I have said. Tell me:

Remember (my child) how farre thou art gone. Thou wast made to serve God: thou shouldst serve him as he hath commanded: thou breakest all the com­mandements, and so lyest under the curse of the Law. Jesus Christ came in­to the world to deliver thee from this curse. This Jesus Christ was the Sonne of God: and though he were the Sonne of God, yet becoming thy surety he suffered the sorrows of death, to satisfie God, and discharge thee. It may seeme strange that the Sonne of God (who is immortall) should dye: Tell me there­fore,

24. Q. Seeing Christ was God, how could he dye?

A. He was God, and man. As he was God he died not: but as man he died for my sinnes, and rose againe for my Justification.

Here thou tellest me of the natures of thy Saviour, How it could be that Christ could die. and of the use he made of them for thy good. As to his natures, he was God, and man: as to his uses, he u­sed his humane nature to dye for thee, and his Divine nature to rise againe for thy Justification. First, he was God and man. Man he was certainly: for in his [Page 105] whole course, and carriage, Phil. 2.8. he was found in fashion as a man; not in appearance onely; for (as) is here demonstrative of the truth of his humane nature. As John saith, Joh. 1.14. we saw his glory as the Glory of the onely begotten Sonne of God, that is, his glory was the glory of the true Sonne of God: so in fashion as a man, that is, a true man. Therefore Paul saith, we have one Mediatour betwixt God, and man, the man Christ Jesus, 1 Tim. 2.5. Matth. 1.2. who is therefore often called, the sonne of man, the sonne of Abraham, the sonne of Da­vid, yea, Heb. 2.16. the seed of Abraham according to the flesh. He was as surely God. For when he was given to us to be a Child, a a Sonne, his name is, the mightie God, Esa. 9.6. Jer. 23.6. Rom. 9.5. and Jehovah our righteousnesse, and over all, God blessed for ever. And John saith, that this essentiall word of the Father, who was with God, was God, Joh. 1.1. even from eter­nitie before, and when, God made the beginning of time.

Secondly, As man Christ di­ed. Christ made excellent uses of these natures for thee: of his Man­hood he made this use to dye for thee. For Christ suffered for thee in the flesh, 1 Pet. 4.1. 1 Pet. 2.24. and bare thy sinnes in his own body on the tree. [Page 106] If the Sunne shine upon the body of a tree which thou hast a purpose to cut down, thou canst cut the tree, but thou canst not cut the shine of the Sunne; that is united unto it, and shines upon the gashes and dints thou makest in the bark, heart, sap, and root. So when Christ God and man was united for thee, the un­suffering Divine nature could not suffer, but the body of his flesh, and blood, that suffered and dyed for thee. Man had sin­ned, and man must dye. It is not equall that another nature should suffer for man's sinne. Therefore verily he tooke not on him the nature of Angels, but he tooke the seed of Abraham, that he might taste death, Heb. 2.9, 10. and be made a perfect Captaine of thy salvation through suffering.

Of his Godhead he made this use, As God Christ rose againe. Rom. 4.25. Rom. 1.4. to rise againe for thy Justification. For he mightily declared himselfe to be the Sonne of God by the resurrection from the dead. He was to deliver thee from a world of evil, and to bring thee to a world of good things. The guilt of sinne, the wrath of God, the power of hell, the fear of death were to be wrought from thee by him. The pardon of sinne, the power from [Page 107] sinne, the Inheritance of heaven were to be settled upon thee by him. How could he ever have done any, or all of these for thee, if his Divine nature had not influence into his sufferings to bring thee the righteousnesse of God? Rom. 3.25, 26. Phil. 3.9. Let him have done all this for thee, thou couldst never have been justified if he had not declared himselfe to be the Son of God, with power, by his resurrection from the dead. This settles the merits of his death upon thee, and assures thee, that they are accepted by his father for thy discharge; because death hath no more dominion over him, Rom. 6. but he comes triumphantly out of the prison of the grave whither thy sins had cast him. Christ bare a double per­son for thee; the person of a suretie, Heb. 7.22. 1 Joh. 2.1. and the person of an advocate. What he doth for thee for the discharging thy debt, and for the settlement of a full satisfaction upon thee, as a suretie, that he doth in thy roome, and it stands in the Law of God, and man, as a discharge of thy score: what he doth as an Advocate, in appearing for thee, pleading for thee, and satisfying all offices in thy roome, that is interpreted as thy act, & thou must stand [Page 108] to it, and challenge it as thy own. When thou seest, therfore, Christ dying a satis­fying death for thee, and rising a dischar­ged resurrection for thee from further imprisonment, thou hast a full quietus est, or assurance that all thy debts are payed. If any man were bound for thee, and cast into prison, and after enjoying the liber­tie of a free subject, thou mayst con­clude that all thy debts are payd: so mayst thou rest thy soule that God is well pleased, and satisfied with what his sonne hath done for thee when thou seest by miracles, acts, and many testimonies, that he is risen from the dead.

Vse. Therefore (my deare child) feed thy soule comfortably with these natures of thy blessed Saviour, and with the uses he made of them for thy good. He was man to performe lowly offices: he was God to performe exalted offices of love. Is he to dye an accursed death? He is a man, Rom. 8.3. in the similitude of sinfull flesh. Psal. 24. Is he to rise againe? He is the King of Glory, the Lord mighty in battell, who knows how to vanquish the last enemy, 1 Cor. 15. death, as well as any that appeared be­fore. He that is thy suretie, so able, so [Page 109] willing, will satisfie to the utmost farth­ing. He that is thy Advocate, so faith­full, so wonderfull in counsell, will not leave any of thy worke behind, till he have brought thee a Certificate of thy full discharge. When thou repentest, and art ready to be swallowed up of sor­row, let thy poore soule rest here, and thou shalt have joy by beleeving, and come with confidence, and boldnesse to the throne of grace.

But, it may be that the extent of this benefit may something damp thy spirit: Therefore tell me

25. Q. Whether all men are saved by Christs death?

A. No: onely they are saved which have a true faith.

Right thus doth the Scripture teach. If all were saved, it were happy for the children of darknesse, and sons of Belial: Hell should soone be emptie, and hea­ven fuller then ever God meant it. God should be made the greatest tyrant in the world, if he should require such repen­tance, faith, mortification, Godly living of some, and yet save all by Christs death, who never touched any of Gods [Page 110] holy rules with their little finger. There­fore, certainly, this salvation must be li­mited to them that beleeve. Thus doth Christ; Joh. 3.16.18.36. Whosoever beleeveth in him shall not perish: and, he that beleeveth on him is not condemned: and, he that beleeveth on the Sonne hath everlasting life: and Luke saith, That at Antioch, when Paul, and Barnabas preached, as many as were or­dained to eternall life beleeved. This was the receit that Philip gave to the Eunuch, Act. 13.48. Act. 8. Act. 16. and Paul and Silas gave to the keeper of the Prison: and it must be thine. For faith is the eye, the foot, the hand, the mouth of thy soule, yea it is all in all to give thee union with Christ for life, and salvation. It is the eye of thy soule: therefore God saith, by the Prophet, Looke upon me and be ye saved, Esa. 45.22. O ye ends of the earth, that is, beleeve in me. It is the foot of thy soule: therefore Christ saith, Joh. 6.35. He that comes to me shall never hun­ger, that is, he that beleeves in me. It is the hand of thy soule: therefore John saith, Joh. 1.12. So many as received him, to them he gave a free right to be the sons of God, that is, beleeved in him. It is the mouth of the soule: therefore Christ saith, Ex­cept [Page 111] ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man, Joh. 6.53. and drink his bloud, ye have no life in you, that is, except ye beleeve in him. Yea, it is all in all, for uniting thee to Christ: therefore John saith, 1 Joh. 3. Rom. 1. Heb. 10. Gal. 2.20. Joh. 14. He that hath the Sonne hath life; and Paul saith, By faith we live: because it is that excel­lent Instrument which unites us to Christ who is both our way, truth, and life.

Vse. Therefore (my deare child) be not beguiled with the deceitfulnesse of Sa­tan, as too many are, who dreame of the saving of all Christians if they doe but professe to beleeve in Christ, upon a generall knowledge of the grounds of Christianity. No, no, thou must have faith, and thou must have a true, and a living faith, if thou wouldest have thy salvation by Christ. The faith that or­dinary professors at large dreame of, is an easie way to heaven. They may swallow downe all their sins with gree­dinesse, and goe thither at an houres warning. It is but knowing and assent­ing to the truth of Christianity, and say­ing, upon presumptuous grounds, that Christ died for them, and they hope to [Page 112] be saved by him, as well as the precisest of them all. But thou wilt find it an har­der worke to have a true faith of Gods e­lect. For thou mayst find that when sin­ners are brought into the straits of death, sometimes they can not beleeve, and sometimes they dare not beleeve. They can not beleeve for their lives, as Francis Spira, who cried out, that he could no more beleeve then the Devill. If a man will e­ver runne, he will runne, when he runs for his life: and if a man will ever be­leeve, he will beleeve, when he beleeves for his life. But poore sinners when the sight of their owne unworthinesse, and Satans temptations are let loose upon them, can not beleeve for their lives. Sometimes they dare not beleeve, as wicked Christians, who see they must lose all if they beleeve in Christ. They must lose father, mother, wife, children, houses, lands, and all sublunary content­ments, if they beleeve in Christ. As a man that hath gotten a great deale by greedy scraping, ravening, and holding, dares not beleeve that Covetousnesse is I­dolatry; for then he shall be undone: So dare not a professor at large beleeve in [Page 113] Christ; Phil. 3. because he knows that he must account all things losse, and dogs-meat for the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ, and him crucified. He must deny all his rotten grounds of confidence, (as, I keep my Church; I am neither whore, nor thiefe; I wrong no man; I am a good neighbour; I have a good heart to God-ward; I have a good meaning; though I doe not pray as o­thers, yet God knows my heart; though I can­not say as others, yet I know the way to hea­ven as well as the best; I doe as I would be done unto, and the like): he must (I say) deny all these rotten grounds, which he dare not doe: for then he sees that he shall be a dunghill, and hath nothing to please himselfe in. Get thou therefore true faith, even the faith, not of the world, but of the Gospel. In this I'le helpe thee as I can; and therefore tell me:

26. Q. What is this true faith of Gods elect?

A. It is the resting of the soule upon Christ for salvation.

Understand this well as thou lovest the life of thy soule. What true Faith is. Some will tell thee that it is an assenting to the truth of the [Page 114] Gospel: It is not assenting to the truth. Jam. 2. and in truth, thou must agree to the truth of the Law, and Gospel also: yet Devils and wicked men may doe thus much, and yet not have saving faith. Yea, what thou doest not actual­ly know and assent unto now, thou must have a prepared and ready mind to know and agree to it when God shall reveale it unto thee from the Scriptures. Others will tell thee that this faith is a full per­swasion of thy heart that what God hath pro­mised in Christ he will make it good to thee. It is not a full per­swasion. But take heed: for this will be a rise for fearefull temptations. Put case the De­vill should tempt thee, and say, If thou be a Christian indeed, thou hast true sa­ving faith. If thou have this faith, thou art fully perswaded that thou art one of Christ's saved ones. Tell me then, art thou fully perswaded thus? If the ground should now open and swallow thee up quite: if thou wert now to give an ac­count of all things that are done in thy flesh whether they are good, or evill, art thou fully perswaded that without more faith, repentance, obedience, thou shalt go to the heaven of heavens? What saist thou now? faith Satan: art thou [Page 115] fully perswaded? If not, thou hast no faith: if thou hast no faith, thou art no good Christian: therefore go with me to thy own place. Where art thou now? Act. 1. How is thy soul perplexed.

It is true, that thou must labour to be fully perswaded: for God saith, 2 Pet. 1.10. make thy calling, and election sure: and it is pro­per to faith to work this full perswasion, in Gods people, at many turnes: but there is a vast difference betwixt the working of faith in it self, and the work of it in thee. Thy handkerchief, band, cuffs, or any part of thy linnen may be very white, yet put it into an Ink-pot and it will soon be made black. So true faith works full perswasion of it self: but put it into thy heart, where there is too much flesh, and unbelief, and doubting, and self-policy, and the work of faith is too much, too long, too often hindred, which makes thee cry out, Lord I beleeve, help my unbeleef. Besides, nothing can work this full perswasion but faith: for faith is an argument to conclude it. Therefore Paul saith, Ephe. 1.13. that after ye beleeved ye were sealed with the ho­ly spirit of promise: as if he should say, [Page 116] after the spirit had wrought faith in your hearts (for faith is a fruit of the spirit) the same spirit took faith, Gal. 5. and thence con­cluded to your souls (as with a seal) that the promise of salvation did belong unto you. Thou seest then, that faith is one thing, and a full perswasion is ano­ther: a full perswasion is nothing but a conclusion, or consequence that issueth from true faith. Therefore pitch not up­on that description of faith.

Build then upon that which thou hast given, It is a rest­ing upon Christ for salvation. that it is the resting of thy soul upon Christ for salvation. Thou would'st fain be saved, and lookest through all hea­ven and earth to satisfie thy weary soul with sinne, thou findest Christ, and seest his fitnesse, and fulnesse, and then resol­vest upon him onely, and restest upon him for thy salvation. This is called con­fidence, affiance, trusting, but this is the plain English sense. Esa. 10.20. (a resting upon Christ) This is described by staying upon the Lord: 2 Cor. 3.4. Psal. 37.5. Joh. 3.15, 16. by trusting through Christ to God­ward: by rowling our way upon the Lord: by beleeving upon Christ, and in Christ: but the plain sense of all is, 1 Joh 3.23 Eph. 3.12. thy resting upon Christ. Because Christ is Gods [Page 117] onely ordinance to keep thee out of hell. Who shall save thee? Christ. How shall he save thee? By his holy death rightly applied. Whom shall he save? Those that trust in him, or rest upon him, Joh. 5. and so, honour the Father in the Sonne. If thou do thus, thou shalt be guarded by the mighty power of God through faith unto salvation. 1 Pet. 1.5.9. Put case that the mouth of hell were opened, and thou wert ready to be tumbled into it. Thou seest Christ set, by God, like the tree of life, in the way, to stay thee from that bottomlesse pit; and thou rowlest thy self upon him, and resolvest there to live and die what ever comes; this is faith. Mat. 16.18 Christ is called A Rock oftentimes in the Scripture. Put case that a man were cast into the sea: he spies a rock, and swims to it, as fast as he can: one wave after another beates him back, yet his face is to the rock, and he will not give over. He strives and strives, and at last he gets hold of it. There he prayes, and cries, and looks to heaven, and resolves there to live, and there to die. So thou art cast into a sea of grief, for thy sea of sinne: Thou espi­est Christ thy rock fastened by God (for [Page 118] him hath God the Father sealed) to keep thee from perishing: Joh. 6. Thou hungerest after him; thou makest to him with the strength of thy heart. Thou art beaten off again, and again, by many tempta­tions, and art ever and anon, ready to give over: yet, at last, by the mercy of thy God, thou dost imbrace him, and grasp him. Then thou criest out as Ja­cob, Gen. 28. I will not let thee go without a blessing. Thou resolvest to live and die with him, in whose bosome thou now doest lye: this is thy faith. And though sometimes thou hast not a full perswasion, yet in this resting, there is more, or lesse, for thy soul. An old man can rest upon a staffe, and so can a young man, and so can a palsie man: one weakly, another strongly, another shakingly, yet all rest upon it according to the measure of strength. So a weak faith, a stronger faith, and the strongest faith of all can rest upon Christ, according to the mea­sure of their faith. There is a latitude in resting to hold up a fainting soul. One rests weakly upon Christ, yet he rests: another strongly, yet he doth but rest.

Vse. Therefore (my dear childe) finde this [Page 119] faith, this true and living faith to be in thee: without it no salvation; with it are all things belonging to faith and godli­nesse. This faith makes thee one with Christ, and Christ with thee, and so, bringeth thee to suck honey out of the rock. This faith brings Christ in the mouth of it to God the Father, who therefore can deny thee nothing. This faith makes ar­guments out of the word of God to con­clude convincingly for a powerfull holi­nesse. He that is in Christ must be a new creature: but I am in Christ by faith. Rom. 6. He that is in Christ must be led with boldnes to the throne of grace: Col. 3. but I am in Christ by faith. He that is dead with Christ must not live to sin: but I by faith, am dead with Christ. He that is risen with Christ must seek the things that are above; above sin, grace; above the world, the church; above earth, heaven: Rom. 8.1. but I am by faith grafted into the similitude of his resur­rection. He that is in Christ hath no condemnation which shall touch him: but I am in Christ by faith; because I live not after the flesh but after the spi­rit. This faith can do wonders; pacifie God with the bloud of Christ shed a­bove [Page 120] a thousand six hundred years ago; purifie thy heart; open the windowes of heaven, and triumph over death and hel. Rest not therfore before thou finde it in thy soul: and if thou canst not finde rest unto thy soul with the resting of a strong man, yet comfort thy heart that thou doest it with the resting of a childe; and labour, in the use of Gods means, and by experience of his love, to encrease it more and more. Now look back a little, and let me see what thou hast profited.

Thus have I led thee along (my child) from thy creation to thy misery, and frō thy misery to thy deliverance: When thou wast made, thou sinnedst against thy creation: when thou hadst sinned, thou layest under the curse: when thou layst thus miserable, Christ came to save thee: he came to save, in the fine, only be­leevers: and thou hast now heard what this faith is. But, now, thou maist say, Joh. 4. the well is deep, and there is no body to draw; I cannot tell how to reach this faith, there­fore tell me,

27. Q. How must this faith be wrought in thee?

A. The Holy Ghost must work it in my heart, by the preaching of the Gospel.

In this thou saist right also. Faith is one of the fruits of the spirit: Gal. 5.22. and it was the Lord, Act. 16.14. who opened the heart of Lydia, and made her attend to the preaching of Paul, Joh. 6.44. and drawes us unto Christ: and that he doth it by the preaching of the Go­spell, may appear to thee in what Paul saith to the Romans, and to the Galathi­ans. Rom. 10.14, 15. To the first he saith, they cannot be­leeve in him of whom they have not heard; and they cannot hear without a preacher, and they cannot preach (now) unlesse they be sent to preach the glad tydings of good things. Gal. 3.2. Act. 11.14. To the second he saith, that they received the spirit of the hearing of faith. Hence Peter tels that God gave him a Commission to tell Cornelius words (that is, to preach the Gospel) whereby he and his wife should be saved. It is not man that can work in thy heart, were he as an Angel from heaven. He may tell thee the whole history of the Gospel, and all the promises of salvation by Christ, and thou wilt be never the nearer to power­full [Page 123] believing. But if the holy Ghost bring home the word of Christ to the soul, he will write it there, Heb. 8. and so seal it home, that he will make an impression of faith upon thy soul. And in truth, it must be the holy Ghost, that must do it. For Faith is an infinite comfort against an infi­nite horrour of sinne. Nothing should dee­per wound thee then sinne: and thy sins (in respect of thy self) are infinite in guilt, and number. Who can comfort against this but an infinite God who can rebuke thy unbeleeving heart? Besides, will it not seem contrary to thy reason, that thou shouldest be made wise by another mans wisdome; righteous, 1 Cor. 1.30 by another mans righteousnesse; holy, by another mans sanctification; and persevering by another mans full redemption? But let the holy Ghost bring the Word to thy heart, and convince thee that Christ was thy surety, and so, one person with thee, doing, and suffering in thy room, and for thee, then wilt thou beleeve that Christ is not another person, but one with thee, and so his riches are thine. Agaiu, thou saist, that the Holy Ghost works faith in thy heart: Rō. 10.10. for with the heart [Page 124] man beleeveth unto righteousnesse. This must put a difference betwixt the faith in the head; and faith in the heart. Wicked men and devils have the faith in the head, where they know and assent to the truth of the Gospel: and they are said to tremble, Jam. 2. because they have no share, and part in it. But good people onely have faith in the heart, whereby they sa­vingly rest upon Christ, as a wife upon an husband, for protection, provision, and pleading their cause even to their perfection, in the body of Christ.

Vse. Therefore (my childe) depend not up­on thy own strength, nor upon the wisdome of flesh and bloud, for the at­taining of this faith: neither think it an easie worke, as they do that lay the weight of their salvation upon an easie possibility of believing at their latter end: but submit thy self to the holy Ghost, Eph. 3. who onely can strengthen thee in the inner man, and work Jesus Christ to dwell in thy heart by faith. This will ar­gue a goodnesse in thy soul, if, when thou comest to hear the Gospel prea­ched, and so often as thou doest it, then pray to God, for Christs sake, that [Page 125] the spirit of God may accompany the word, according to his covenant; Esa. 59.21. to work faith in thy heart, that Christ may be one with thee, and thou with Christ. And, because thou maist have a faith in the head, by connexion; and not a faith of the heart, by true conversion un­to Jesus Christ, pray also, that by the word, thou maist not onely submit to the truth of the Gospel, but receive it into thy soul so, as thou maist be chan­ged into the image of Christ thy hus­band, and be called a true Christian. I remember, I have read of one in the pri­mitive Church, who being examined what he was? he answered, a Christian. What is thy name? he answered, Chri­stian. What is thy profession? he an­swered, Christian. What life leadest thou? he answered, Christian. What are thy thoughts, words, and deeds? he still answered, Christian. He had so digested Christ into his soul by faith, that he could speak nothing but Christian. So let it be with thee. This can faith do, and it is wonderfull in our eyes. Tell me next,

28. Q. How is this faith confirmed and [Page 126] made stronger in thee?

A. By hearing the same Gospel preached, and using the sacraments.

Here thou knowest the means, which confirm thy faith: and truly, there is not a readier way to do it under God. The Thessalonians heard the Gospel prea­ched unto them, 1 Thes. 3.20 2 Thes. 1.3. Prov. 4.18. and though at first, there was something lacking in their faith; yet as they heard the Gospel, their faith grew exceedingly; as just men, their path was as the shining light which shined more, and more, unto the perfect day. And for the sacraments, it cannot seem strange that they should confirm thy faith. For if I make a promise unto thee that I will give thee ten, twenty, thirty, forty pounds; if thou think me to be in ear­nest, and to be able, and willing to give it unto thee, the oftener I promise it, the more thou wilt beleeve it: but if I set my hand, and seal to it, then thou art sure of it; and maist sue me for it. Such is the case betwixt God and thy soul. He promises to give thee salvation by Je­sus Christ if thou beleevest. The oftener thi promise repeated, the more thou beleevest. But when God hath set it un­der [Page 127] his hand, and seal, in the word of God and sacraments, now thou hast cause to beleeve it more, and maist humbly sue him for it at the throne of Grace.

Vse. Therefore (my childe) remember this. Thou wilt presse after assurances, and confirmations in every thing for thy bo­dy, and estate, why not for thy soul? Thou would'st be sure of houses, lands, portion, and health: do what thou canst to be sure of salvation by Christ. And, because this is the way, to hear the Gospel often, that the word of grace may dwell richly in thee; Col. 3. and to receive the sacraments; as thou lovest the com­fort of thy soul, neglect them not. Hear in season, and hear out of season, and as oft as thou canst, ply the seals of Gods love that thy faith may be encreased. If thou still doubtest whether yet thou shalt be saved or no, God loves the im­portunity of his children. Go to the throne of Grace, and implead God. Blessed God, hast not thou promised, that if I beleeve in Christ I shall be sa­ved? Hast not thou sent thy Ambassa­dours to tender this promise again? Hast [Page 128] thou not set thy hand, and seal to it in the word, and sacraments. Hast thou not made my heart go out of it self to rest upon thy blessed sonne onely? Oh why do I languish in doubting despairs? Why do I begin to sink for want of hold on my Saviour? How long, Lord, how long! Let the light of thy countenance shine upon me, and I shall have peace.

Thus I have cleared to thee the means to beget, and encrease faith: and because the Sacraments are one; therefore tell me,

29. Q. What are Sacraments?

A. They are signes and seals of the righ­teousnesse of faith.

Here thou layest down the nature of Sacraments. The nature of the sa­craments. By the righteousnesse of faith, thou must understand, that righteous­nesse which thou hast by the Covenant of the Gospel; that is, the meritorious obedience of Christ for thee, as thy surety, rested upon by faith. And the Sacraments, Rom. 4.11. are signes, and seals of this righteousnesse of faith. They are signes: because they signifie something unto thee. Thou knowest that a picture, or similitude upon a poste at an Inn, or Ale­house [Page 129] house dore, is called a signe; because it signifies, that thou maist have meat, drink, and lodging there for thy mony: so is the Sacrament called a signe; be­cause it signifies something unto thee. When thou seest the bread, and wine set apart on the Lords table for this speciall service, it signifies that God the father hath set apart and sealed Jesus Christ for thy salvation. Joh. 6. The bread signifies the bo­dy of Christ. The wine signifies the bloud of Christ. The breaking of the bread sig­nifies the suffering of Christ upon the crosse. The powring out of the wine sig­nifies the shedding of Christs bloud up­on the crosse. The Minister presenting these unto thee, signifies God the Father, whose Ambassadour he is, offering un­to thee his sonne for thy salvation: and thy receiving of it into thy hand, and mouth, signifies thy faith by which thou makest Christ and his merit thy own. Thus by these signes thou discernest the Lords body and bloud, 1 Cor. 11. without which thou catest judgement to thy self, which is damnable, & without repentance will in the issue prove thy damnation. So in the other Sacrament of Baptisme, water [Page 130] signifies the bloud, merit, and spirit of Christ: laying on of the water as well as dipping and plunging, signifies thy death and buriall with Christ: Rom. 6. washing and cleansing signifies forgivenesse of sinnes: and wiping off the water, as well as rising out of it, signifies our rising with Christ to a new, holy, and cleansed estate.

Sacraments are also seals: As Abraham was said to have received the signe of Cir­cumsion, Rom. 4.11. as the seal of the righteousnesse of faith: so doest thou receive our Sacra­ments. Now, thou knowest the use of seals among men. When men make a bargain and set their hands and seals un­to it, then the bargain is concluded. When men make a promise, and set their hands, and seals unto it, then their pro­mise is confirmed: we have just cause to beleeve it. When men convey houses, and lands either to other, and set their hands, and seals, to an instrument drawn to that end, then those houses and land, upon delivery, are conveyed; and there­fore it is called a conveyance. For such like reasons, the Sacraments are called seals: because they do conclude, confirm, [Page 131] and convey. In the Sacrament there is a Covenant or bargain betwixt God, Heb. 8.6. and thee. Christ is called the Mediatour of a better Covenant. Heb. 8.10. By this Covenant God promiseth, that he will be to us a God, even our God, and we shall be to him a people, Jer. 31.33. even his people. By vertue of this, he gives the forgivenesse of sinnes, Jer. 32.40. Heb. 8.10, 11, 12. illumina­tion, sanctification, experimentall knowledge and perseverance in the wayes of grace. This blessing, and blessed covenant is concluded in the Sacraments. In Bap­tisme thou publikely enterest into this covenant: Rom. 4.17. and that God who calleth things that are not as if they were, is pleased to call thee a beleever: not so much by vertue of thy parents faith, as by vertue of his covenant to Abraham and his seed according to the flesh, Act. 2.36. and according to the spirit, which makes parents, and their children one, and in one covenant. In the Lords Supper thou publikely renew­est thy covenant. Conscience tels thee, that, though thou art sorry for thy sins, by which thou hast broken thy Covenant of Baptisme, and purposest to do so no more; and therefore canst look back to thy Baptisme with comfort: yet thou fail­est [Page 132] again and again. And therefore thy God of mercy hath pleased to give thee leave to come and renew thy covenant again, and again, in the Supper of the Lord: and if thou purposest to deal faithfully with God, as thou renewest thy covenant with God, so God renews his Covenant with thee. Therefore it is called a seal to conclude this Covenant betwixt God, and thee.

2 Again, Joh. 3.16. in the Sacrament is confirmed thy faith in the promise when thou art of years to judge what thou hast done, and doest. God makes a gracious pro­mise in the Covenant of the Gospel, that if thou beleeve in Christ thou shalt be saved. Oh how hard is it for thee to grapple with thy unbeleeving heart! When thou lookest to Gods love, and Christs me­rits, thou art cheered; but when thou lookest to thy own unworthinesse, thy faith flags, and faints. Therefore thy good God doth send his Ambassadour, 2 Cor. 5.20 with bread, and wine, to confirm thy faith, and assure thee, that as sure as thou hast this bread, and this wine given unto thee: so surely God will make good thy salvation to thee, if thou beleevest in his Christ.

3 Lastly, the Sacrament, as a seal, doth convey Jesus Christ, and all his benefits to thee, so, as thou maist say, I am my beloveds, and my beloved is mine. Look as houses, and lands may be conveyed un­to thee by a sealed writing; and though thou never see either house or land; yet, in a court of Record, thou maist have it made thine if it be within the Kings dominions: So Christ by his promise, and seal is made thine: and though thou see him not according to the flesh, yet thou hast communion with the body and bloud of Christ, 1 Cor. 10.16. by the court of Record in the Scriptures, in the kingdome of the great King of heaven and earth. The manner of this conveyance is sacramen­tall, that is, as a signe and seal. For it doth not convey Christ as I can convey money to thy purse, or hand; or as cloaths to thy back by naturall instru­ments: but as Sacraments can convey him: that is, they can signifie the con­veyance of Christ, and seal it unto thee by the covenant and ordinance of God.

Vse. Therefore let me charge thee (my good childe) to prize this truth as a seal upon thy heart, and a signet upon thy right [Page 134] hand. Wert thou not most miserable if thou wert not in covenant with God? If he did not take thee into speciall pro­tection as thy God? If thou didst not engage thy self to be one of his people who have illumination, forgivenesse, sanctification, and perseverance? All this God doth assure thee of in the seal of the Sacrament. Would'st thou not account thy self in a sad condition if God had made thee a promise of salva­tion by Christ, and, when thou art bea­ten off by the sin of thy heart, thou hadst no confirmation of it from the God of truth? yet, this is confirmed by the seal of the Sacrament. Would it not adde to thy saddest thoughts, If thou hadst ma­ny promises of comfort by Christ, and yet hadst no performances? Behold, the seale of the Sacrament doth convey Christ unto thy soul by faith. Is it not registred in the Records of heaven, that this bread is my body, Luk. 22. 1 Cor. 11. this wine is my bloud as Christ hath witnessed? Hadst thou but a cut finger, thou couldst not have the vertue of the salve, to cure it, except thou hadst the plaister of the salve it self: nor canst thou have the merits of Christ, [Page 135] except thou hast Christ himself, though not in a carnall way. Use the Sacrament as a signe to signifie; but let it be a signe, and not the proper thing signified. Use it as a seal; yet let it be but a seal to as­sure a possession of what thou hast, though thou seest it not. Get possession of Christ, and it is enough. In the mean time, turn thou this doctrine into pra­ctice, and plead with God from the Sa­crament. Good father, let these signes signifie powerfully thy love to my soul. Let these seals be a sweet conclusion of the covenant of Grace betwixt thee and me: be a confirmation to my doubting faith: and be a conveyance of Christ to me, that he may live in my soul by faith, and confound sinne more and more, and quicken me to all Grace to thy Glory.

Now cast thy eye backward, and tell me; seeing thou must have faith, or else thou canst not be saved by Christ,

Thus have I (by Gods blessing) brought thee from thy creation to thy fall; from thy fall, to thy curse; from thy curse, to thy deliverance by Christ; from thy deliverance to the settlement of it upon thee by faith: and from thence to the means working, encreasing, and confirming. Now proceed, and tell me

30. Q. How many Sacraments there are?

A. Two onely: Baptisme, and the Sup­per of the Lord?

Here thou tellest me the number, The num­ber of the Sacraments and what they are in particular. 1 Cor. 10.2, 2, 3, 4. and names of the Sacraments. The number; there are but two. For thou findest but two ordained by Christ: and where Paul speaks of purpose of them, he names onely two under those that went before them: yea, two are aboundantly suffi­cient for their end; one to signe, and seal, our engrafting into Christ, that is Baptisme; and another to signe and seal our growing in Christ, that is the Sup­per of the Lord: yea lastly, the true na­ture and use of a Sacrament agrees onely [Page 140] to these two; for onely these two are signes and seales of a thing signified and sealed, having a word of com­mandement, and a word of promise to all beleevers. Act. 10. Matth. 28. Rom. 6. Their names are Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. Baptisme is a washing with water, consecrated by the word, and prayer, by a Minister, in the name of the Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost, to signifie, and seal our grafting into Christ. The Lords Supper is bread, Matth. 26.26. Luk. 22.19, 20. 1 Cor. 11. and wine, conse­crated, and broken by a Minister, given, re­ceived, eaten, and drunk, by the Church, to signifie and seal our growing in Christ. Thus maist thou conceive these two.

Vse. Therefore (my childe) see the won­derfull love of God to thee, who would not onely have the fellowship of Christ bestowed upon thee, but will signifie and seal it unto thee also. Doest thou doubt of thy union with Christ? Thou hast it by covenant in Gods promise; thou hast it by application in the exer­cise of thy faith about saving Christ; and thou hast it sacramentally, by signe, and seal in Baptisme. Doest thou doubt that God wil not provide for thee a feast of fat things, Esa. 27. Luk. 15. and fined wines, even that [Page 141] fattest Calf, to nourish, and feed thee to eternall life; because thou hast been a wicked prodigal, sinning against the co­venant of Baptisme? Do but thou con­demn, and alter thy course, and renew thy covenant, and then thou hast Gods promise for it in the covenant; the settle­ment of it upon thee by faith; and thy assurance of it in the Lords Supper. To make it more plain, tell me

31. Q. What benefit hast thou by bap­tisme?

A. A new estate in Christ, and so the forgivenesse of my sins, if I, repenting, do beleeve according to the Covenant in bap­tisme.

This is an excellent benefit indeed, The benefit of Baptism. if thou rightly understand it, and do make use of it accordingly. Thou hast a new estate in Christ: Gal. 2 [...] 7. Rom. 6.3, 4, 5. for in baptisme thou doest put on Christ, and art planted into his death, and resurrection. Thou hast the forgivenesse of thy sins: for Peter saith, be baptized for the remission of sinnes: Act. 2.38. Act. 22.16. and Ananias said to Paul, arise and be bapti­zed, and wash away thy sinnes: yet know that thy baptisme doth not this as the bloud of Christ, by way of expiation and [Page 142] attonement: not as the Holy Ghost by an infinite power: How in baptisme is the forgive­ness of sins. but onely as a Sacra­ment; and that three wayes. 1 First by signification; for as the water doth wash thy body, Heb. 10.22 so Christ's bloud being sprink­led upon thy conscience by faith, doth wash thee from thy sins. 2 Secondly, by the re­ceit of Beleevers. As if a Prince made a Proclamation, that he that can bring in the head of a traytour shall have a thou­sand pounds; so soon as he hath this head, he sees his thousand pound, and is confident upon the word of the Prince: so a beleever, when he heares this proclamation of God, Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, Act. 2.38. for the forgivenesse of sinnes: when he sees and feels his repentance, and hath no­tice of his baptisme, he is confident for the forgiveness of his sins upon the word of God. 3 Thirdly, by the Covenant of God. God strikes a Covenant with his people upon this condition, that if they beleeve they shall have their sinnes forgiven. He gives his seal for it, that certainly he will be as good as his word. When the Chri­stian sees his faith he builds upon this covenant; and sayes, surely, God hath [Page 143] forgiven my sins. Indeed, it is the bloud of Christ that deserves thy forgivenesse, the Father that pronounceth it, and the Holy Ghost that effectually applies; but Baptisme by Gods covenant doth signifie and seal it unto thee.

Use. This may be either comfortable, or terrible to thee to consider. It is terrible if thou keep not the condition of the co­venant, that is, if thou repenting beleeve not. Mat. 3.11. Thou must make thy Baptisme a baptisme of repentance to amendment of life, Mar. 1.4. Mar. 16.16 and God will make it to be a bap­tisme for remission of sinnes. Thou must beleeve and be baptized; and then thou shalt be saved. Thou shalt not be made partaker of these benefits without obser­ving the condition. Act. 2. Indeed God ac­counts thee a federall beleever when thou wast an infant, and wast baptized, as he accompted the Jewish children, when they received the signe of circum­cision as a seal of the righteousnesse of faith. Rom. 4.11. But as it was accounted uncircumcision to them if they kept it not when they came to years of discretion (because he is not a Jew which is one outwardly, Rom. 2. neither is that circumcision which is litteral; but he is a [Page 144] Jew which is one inwardly, and circumci­sion is not of the letter but of the spirit) so thy baptisme shall be accounted no­thing, if, with a penitent heart, thou doest not, when thou comest to years of discretion, beleeve according to the covenant. But if thou doest, out of con­science, bethink thy self of thy cove­nant, get into this new estate, wherein thou maist be baptized into Christs death and resurrection; then what a sweet comfort to thee is it, to see thy assurance of the forgivenesse of thy sins. Be sure therefore that thou have faith working by charity to the author of faith by obedience; to the word of faith by hearing, and the houshold of faith by love, and then thou maist look back with joy to thy baptisme, and say, surely my good God hath given me forgivenesse of sins. For it is not laying on of water that doth forgive thy sins, nor doing of it in the name of the Father, Son, and holy Ghost: but it is God that doth it for the merits of Christ, and by the assistance of the holy Ghost, and sealeth it to thee in the covenant of Baptisme, if thou keep it according to the measure of grace given.

32. Q. What benefit hast thou by the Sup­per of the Lord?

A. The body, and bloud of Christ, verily, and indeed taken and received by my belee­ving soul.

Mark this comfortable benefit by the Lords Supper. The bene­fit of the Lords Sup­per. Thy body receives the bread and wine. Thy soul receives the body, and bloud of Christ by beleeving. God offers him in a promise (this is my bo­dy, this is my bloud) and thou canst not re­ceive a thing in a promise but by beleeving it. If I promise to give thee houses and lands, and seal a conveyance of them to thee, thou canst not receive it but by beleeving my words, and conveyance: so it is with thee in this Sacrament. Christ, in respect of his bodily presence is in heaven; for they are not to receive him, Act. 3.21. till the time of the restitution of all things: yet in the Sacrament we have his body and bloud taken and received. As a maried woman hath her husband, one flesh and heart with her, though he be a thousand miles off, Prov. 2. by vertue of the Co­venant of God which they made: so by vertue of the covenant and promise of God in the Sacrament, though Christ [Page 146] be in heaven, and thou upon the earth, thou hast his body and bloud. A man may be present in a place, or to a place. In a place, as thou art here with me. To a place as Paul was absent in body, 1 Cor. 5. but pre­sent in spirit to the Corinthians, that is by his Apostolicall spirit, power, and au­thority. So is Christs body, and bloud, present to the receivers of the Sacrament faithfully. When the Sun shines full up­on our window, we say that the Sun is come into the house; yet it is not the Sun, but the shining of it: so we say that Christs body and bloud is in the Sacra­ment; yet it is not Christs body, and bloud carnally, bloudily, but the Rayes of his person and merits to the comfort of thy soul. Every thing is received by us as it is perceived of us. Thou receivest a colour by the eye; because that per­ceives it. Thou receivest a sound by the ear; because that perceives it. Thou re­ceivest a scent by the nose; because that perceives it. Thou receivest savourie things by the taste; because that per­ceives it. Thou receivest the Revolution of the heavens by the understanding; because that perceives it: but thou recei­vest [Page 147] Christ in the Sacrament none of these wayes. Thou seest him not, feel­est him not, tastest him not, hearest him not, smellest him not, understandest not how bread, and wine, both before, in, 1 Cor. 10.16. 1 Cor. 11.27, 28. and after consecration can be the naturall or glorified body, and bloud, of Jesus Christ, and yet be bread, and wine: & yet set thy faith on work upon Gods pro­mise, and thou canst truly receive Christ, because thou perceivest him by faith, and no otherwise. He is given to thee as he may satisfie thee that desires him: but thou desirest him to satisfie not a corpo­ral, but a spirituall hunger. Joh. 6.35, 36.62.64. Joh. 6.63. He is given as he may do the good, but it is the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing. Ob. If thou think, that, though his naturall flesh profits nothing, yet his glorified flesh would: Sol. Christ tels thee, that it is his naturall body that comforts thee in the Sacrament, not his glorified: for Christ saith this is my body which is broken for thee: this is my bloud which is shed for thee: and I am sure that his glorified bo­dy was not thus dealt withall. Ob. If thou ask me, why the bread and wine conse­crated in the Sacrament should then be [Page 148] called the body, and bloud of Christ. Sol. I tell thee, it is not because it is properly so: but first, because of the Sacramentall union between the signe and the thing signified by Gods pact and covenant. If thou receive the signe faithfully, 1 Cor. 10.16. thou shalt have a reall communion with Christ by promise. Next because of the change of the bread and wine from common to holy use. Though there be not a sub­stantiall change of them: yet is there a change in use, in name, and in honour. In use: it is not used as common bread and wine, but as the Supper of the Lord. In name, during the time, it is not called bread, and wine, but the body, and bloud of Christ. In honour: It is used by the faithfull to give a reall communion with Christs body, and bloud.

Use. Therefore (my dear childe) make spe­ciall use of this sweet benefit. Who would not joy in such a communion? Who would not be glad when he comes unto it? Who (except fools, or mad men) would not cashier all wicked so­ciety for this with Christ? Nay, if thou love thy soul, and thy Christ the Sa­viour of it, thou must abandon it. As [Page 149] David said, Away from me ye wicked, Psal. 119. I will keep the commandements of my God: so thou must say, away ye wicked, I will have communion with the body and bloud of Christ. Be of his minde that thought, one dayes fellowship with Christ to be more worth then all the world. But remember that thy soul must be a beleeving soul, or else thou wilt never draw water out of this well, suck honie out of this Rock. There are thousands in the Church who presume to come to the Sacrament, and think they may have fellowship with Christ, & yet keep their old sins, & their old fellowship also: who never look what faith they have to carrie Christ home. But what ever they do, be thou sure to follow Gods will, and my counsell about it, forsake all and fol­low Christ. If thou say, that thou maist come to the Sacrament long enough be­fore thou be assured that thou doest take, and receive the bodie, and bloud of Christ: Ile tell thee that I have obser­ved two wayes whereby thou maist get some comfortable witnesse in thy soul of it. First, by the Spirit of Christ. His bodie and bloud were never dis-united [Page 150] from his divine nature. How we may be as­sured that we receive Christ in the Sacra­ment. Ezek. 1.21. Therefore where his body and bloud goes, his spirit goes along with it. As the Prophet saith, the spirit of the horses were in the wheels: so the spirit of Christ is in his body, and bloud, to make them act for thy good. Doest thou then finde his spirit? Mark what Paul saith, where the spirit of Christ is, there is a killing vertue to sub­due the flesh; Rom. 8.9, 10, 11. and a quickning vertue, to raise you from the death of sinne, to the life of grace. If it be thus with thee, let thy soul comfort it self that thou doest take the body and bloud of Christ. Next, 1 Joh. 1.6, 7. thou shalt know it, by thy course in this world. For saith John, If we walk not in darknesse, then we have fellowship with Christ, and the bloud of Jesus Christ the righteous cleanseth us from all sinne: Therefore if thou doest not walk in the darknesse of sinne, and errour, but la­bourest to know and do Christs will; then thou takest and receivest the body, and bloud of Christ.

Thus I have shewed thee the numbe [...] names, and benefits of the two Sacra­ments. 1 Cor. 11.29. But, now; because they that eat and drink the Lords Supper unworthily do [Page 151] eat, and drink judgement to themselves: therefore tell me,

33. Q. How must thou reverently pre­pare thy self to receive this Sacrament?

A. I must examine my self, whether I have desire, repentance, faith, thankful­nesse and charity fit for the Sacrament.

Mark here. Preparati­on to the Lords Sup­per. God requires not any actuall preparation of thine before thou comest to Baptisme in thy Infancie. If thou wert converted, or convinced, from Heathenisme, Judaisme, or Turcisme un­to Christianity, then must thou be pre­pared at least with a profession of actuall faith, as Simon Magus: Act. 8. Act. 10. Matth. 3. Matth. 28. Mar. 16. Act. 2. and thus thou must understand all those places of Scri­pture which set down confession of sinne, or teaching, or beleeving before Baptism. But now thou art born in a Christian Church, of Christian parents (at least in outward covenant with God) and art rightly baptized in thy Infancie; and God requires no such preparation. He looks upon his own covenant, and pro­mise; which concerns not onely the Jew [...] and their children, Act. 2.38.39. but all that are afarre off, even so many as the Lord our God shall call, to the profession of Christia­nity: [Page 152] and he looks to our parents pro­fessing Christianity, as to the Jews for­mer profession of Judaisme: but he looks not upon thy personall preparation, fur­ther then he disposeth thee himself, ei­ther by sowing seeds of faith in thy soul, which may sprout forth afterwards; or by calling thee a beleever by vertue of his covenant with thee. Matth. 18.6 Mar. 9.42. Yet, when thou comest to the Lords Supper God doth require an actuall preparation.

This preparation (thou saist) must be by examination. Prepara­tion must be by exa­mination. 1 Cor. 11.28. Thou saist, thou must examine thy self. This, Paul enjoyned the Corinthians, to redresse the wicked abu­ses which had crept into the Lords Sup­per: and this is as necessary for thee. Thou wilt finde thy heart mainly apt to judge too well of thy self: yea, there is many a trayterous sinne in thy bosome which steals thy heart from thee, and spoils thy fellowship with Christ. Be­sides this, thou lookest for comfort when thou comest to the Sacrament; and all thy comfort depends upon thy disposition before hand. As it is with a tree; if it be well rooted, the rain fals, and the Sun shines upon it, and the more [Page 153] it growes and flourisheth: but if it be plucked up by the roots, the more the rain fals, and the Sun shines upon it, the more it rots. So is it with thy body and soul, if thou art well stated in Grace, the more Christ, in the Sacrament shines upon thee, the more thou flourishest: but if thou be dead at heart, and plucked up by the roots, the more he shines up­on thee, the more thou rottest, and pe­rishest.

This examining thy self is asking thy soul questions. What exa­minationis. Thou lookest into the Word, and searchest for qualifications which God requires to make Christians fit communicants. Thou doest, in the presence of God, apply them to thy soul, that thou maist passe censure accor­dingly: and therefore, that this work may be done thoroughly, thou settest some time apart for this work; that so thou maist rise, or fall to thy self. Psal. 4.4. Da­vid said to Sauls Courtiers, commune with your own hearts upon your beds, and be [...] that is, when you have set your selves apart from all the businesses of the world, and be quiet, then talk with your souls. And David himself, when he [Page 154] found turmoil in his soul, cals his soul to a reckoning, Psal. 42, & 43. why art thou so heavy O my soul? Why art thou so disquieted within me? So must thou before thou come to the Lords Supper. As if thou should'st say, O my soul, now thou should'st go to the Supper of the great King. Matth. 22. If thou go without thy wedding garment, thou wilt be convinced, made speechlesse, and hear at last that fearfull sentence, binde him hand and foot, and cast him in­to utter darknesse, where there shall be everlasting weeping, wayling, and gnash­ing of teeth: tell me therefore, art thou fit to go to it? Hast thou such qualifica­tions as Christs requires? Try, my soul: look unto the word: see what it sayes of this businesse: apply it impartially to thy self, that thou maist be humbled, or cheerful according to severall states, &c.

But about what must thou examine thy soul? Thou tellest me that thou must do it about Desire, Repentance, Faith, Desire. Thankfulnesse, and Charity fit for the Sacrament.

1 First, thou must examine the fitnesse of thy desire. Luk. 22.15. As Christ said, with desire have I desired to eat the Passeover with you: [Page 155] so must thou desire to eat the Lords sup­per. Christ doth invite such unto his feast; Hoe, if any man thirst let him come. Esa. 55.1. Joh. 7.37. Others come as unworthy guests; but these have Christs hearty welcome. Christs bowels are moved over such. As he had compassion towards them that had continued with him, Mat. 15.32. and had nothing to eat: so hath he over the thirsty. He fils the hungry with good things. Luk. 1.33. These de­sires fill up the gap where other graces are wanting. For, 2 Cor. 8.12. if there be first a willing minde, it is accepted according to what a man hath, and not according to what he hath not.

Vse. Therefore (my childe) before thou come to the Lords Supper, get these de­sires fit for the Sacrament. Let them not be grounded upon the commandement of superiours onely, nor upon old cu­stom, nor upon the fashion and practice of others, nor upon a superstitious con­ceit of the work wrought, that that will be for thy souls health; but from an hum­ble willingnesse to renew thy Covenant with God, and to have a vertuous communion with Christ. Thy covenant was pub­likely strook with God in Baptisme: but [Page 156] thou hast all along dealt falsely with God concerning it. Therefore, now, thou must earnestly desire it. And that thou maist do it aright, thou must examine thy knowledge of God the great cove­nant-maker; the knowledge of thy sinne, the great covenant-breaker; the know­ledge of Christ, the great covenant-founder; and the knowledge of the na­ture, and use of the Sacrament, the great covenant-confirmer. Thou wilt not de­sire any thing but according to the knowledge thou hast of the nature and use of it. Speak therefore on this manner to thy soul.

O my soul, thou art now going to the Lords table: doest thou know that God, Nah. 1. Mal. 4. with whom thou haste to do, who is a Lord of Anger, and a consuming oven to approaching stubble, and a God of mercy to humble souls? Doest thou know thy sinne so farre as to hate it for drawing thee from thy God, and making thee a stranger to the covenant of pro­mise? Doest thou know thy Christ who is the Covenant of his people? Doest thou know the nature, and use of the Sacraments which bindes God to thee [Page 157] on his part, and thee to God on thine? If thou do not thou wilt never desire to come unto the Sacrament as thou ought­est; to renew thy covenant with God. If thou knowest all this, which is the ground of thy desires, doest thou finde thy desires caried aright? What doest thou principally desire when thou co­mest to the Lords Table, doest thou not desire Christ? Saist thou not, Ps. 42.1, 2. my soul panteth after thee O God, even for the li­ving God? Doest thou not desire all Christ, a Jesus to save thee, a Christ to anoint thee, a Lord to rule over thee? Doest thou not throw away what ever may hinder the comfort of the Sacra­ment? He that desires to fill his hands with gold, and silver, will lay aside what ever baser matter he hath in them. Doest thou desire to cast away thy old trans­gressions that thou maist become a new creature in Christ? Doest thou finde that thou hast no contentment without Christ, no rest till thou enjoy Christ, and that when thou hast him, he is all in all unto thee? Then comfort thy self from thy fit desires.

2 Secondly, thou must examine the [Page 158] fitnesse of thy Repentance. Repen­tance. The King never offers a sealed pardon before Delin­quents are sory for their faults, and pro­mise amendment: neither will God seal thy pardon in the Sacrament before thou do thus. 1 Cor. 5.7, 8. Exod. 12. Thou must purge out the old le­ven, and then keep the feast. The Paschal Lamb must bee eaten with the sowr hearbs of Repentance. As the Jewes did not eat the Passeover before they had se­parated themselves from the abominations of the heathens: Ezr. 6.21, 22. so nor thou must come to the Lords table before repentance hath disingaged thee from thy sinnes. Tit. 1.15. Hag. 2.13, 14. Conscience defiled with any known sins corrupteth the holy thing of God to thee. Now, this Repentance stands in grief for thy sins past; hatred also, and loathing of sinnes past, and present; and an holy purpose, and endeavour to forsake them. This is that repentance which thou must examine. Speak therefore on this manner to thy soul.

Vse. O my soul, Lam. 3.39. thou art now going to the feast of fat things and fined wines. Doest thou search and try thy wayes that thou maist turn unto the Lord? Dost thou know what sinnes of thine have made a separation [Page 159] betwixt God, and thee, and kept good things from thee? Doest thou see how these things gape upon thee, thy igno­rance, infidelity, security, deadnesse of heart, prophannesse of spirit, and the like? Are these and other sinnes, as pride, hypocrisie, gluttony, drunkennesse, whoredome, envie, hatred, malice, and all thy injustice, so noticed unto thee, as thou grievest to think that thou hast offended so good a God, Jude. and hatest the garment spotted of the flesh, and resolvest never to do the like again? Art thou full of care to forsake thy sinnes, and to keep thy self from offending thy God? Art thou full of clearing to pacifie thy consci­ence from wrath present, & to come. The bloud of Christ rested on by faith? 2 Cor. 7.11 Art thou full of indignation against thy sins, and thy self for sin, as David, who chides himself, so foolish was I, and ignarant, Psal. 73. and as a beast before thee? Art thou full of fear of offending God, lest thou should fall into the same sin a 2 ^d. time? Art thou full of desire, to walk with thy God, and to do his will with all well pleasing? Art thou full of zeal to run the way of Gods commandements, and to purifie thy [Page 160] self from sin? Art thou full of indigna­tion to beat down thy body by holy acts of mortification, to bring it into subje­ction to the will of God? If thou art, then thou hast this Repentance fit for the Sacrament.

3 Thirdly, Faith. thou must examine the fit­nesse of thy faith. The Sacrament is not appointed to begin faith, but to encrease, and confirm it, Rom. 4.11. and therefore is it called a seal. And as a man will not be such a fool, as to set his hand, and seal to a blank; for then any man that hath it may put in any covenants, and condi­tions: so nor is God so unwise, as to give a seal to thy soul, where faith hath not written thy obligation, and Gods promises. Heb. 4.1. As the word of God profits not except it be mixed with faith: so nor the Sacrament. It is faith which is the eye, foot, hand, and mouth of thy soul, as I have said. Besides, when thou co­mest to the Sacrament thou drawest near to God, and art at peace with him: and thou must draw near to God by faith: Heb. 10.22 and being justified by faith, thou art at peace with him, though not with his ene­mies.

Speak then (my childe) on this man­ner to thy soul. O my soul, now the fat­ted Calf is provided for thee in the Sa­crament, hast thou a fit faith to feed up­on him? Doest thou cast thy eye upon sinne and hate it because it is against thy word of faith? Doest thou cast thy eye upon Christ, and rest with confidence upon him for thy salvation? Hast thou a license of Christ to rest upon him? Thou knowest that every slovenly Clown, with his dirty hands, must not rest up­on a King: nor must every wicked sin­ner rest upon Christ. There is not the wretchedst beast in the world but will say, (if he know Christ) that all the world shall not beat him off from rest­ing upon him. But hath Christ given him a license? If he have not, he will say, Touch me not. Depart from me, I know thee not. Mat. 11.28. He doth give a license to some, saying, Come unto me all ye that la­bour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Doest thou labour under the burthen of sinne, crying out with Da­vid, my sinne is an heavy burthen too hea­vy for me to bear? Art thou heavie laden to think that thou canst not be so good [Page 162] as thou would'st, and therefore criest out with the Apostle, Rom. 7.24. Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the bo­dy of this death? Doest thou finde that thy faith works purgation, and charity? True faith doth purifie the heart, Act. 15. funda­mentally in Christ, derivatively from Christ, Rom. 6.1, 2 and argumentatively, by draw­ing such reasons from the Scriptures as may beat down sinne. Doth thy faith work thus? Gal. 5. True faith worketh by love: and in truth it will work thee to love the word of Christ as the meanes, Christ as the meriter, (and therefore thou must set an higher price upon Jesus Christ then all things else) and the Saints, Phil. 3. and members of Christ, as those that are in communion with thee for salvation. For we must not stroke the head, and strike the members: pretend to love Christ, and hate those that are Christs. Indeed thou must not so farre dote upon Christs members, as therefore to suck in all errours and miscarriages in them, who do but know in part, 1 Cor. 13. and therefore may aym, and practise imperfectly: but so farre as we see Christ in them, so farre we must love them: and is thy faith [Page 163] thus, then hast thou this faith fit for the Sacrament.

4 Fourthly, thou must examine the fit­nesse of thy thankfulnesse. Thankful­nesse. Luk. 22.19. This is one of the main duties of those that partake at the Lords Table: and it will argue thy love to it, and thy need of it, and thy desire to enjoy the benefit of that for which thou art thankfull; yea it is that rent, Ps. 116.13. Psa. 107.1. and tribute which the Lord re­quireth upon the receipt of any favour. Therefore thou must perform this both in word, and work. In word: for, be­fore thou comest to the Sacrament, thou must praise God, who is pleased to or­dain so familiar a means to confirm thy faith, and give thee communion with Christ: when thou art in the use of it, thou must thankfully remember the Lords death which is signified and sealed unto thee, with the fruits of it: And when thou hast received, thou must thank God for the benefit and comfort thou hast enjoyed by it, yea, though for the present thou feel it not. Thou must be thankfull in work, by a constant obe­dience unto his will, 1 Sam. 15. for obedience is bet­ter then sacrifice. In obedience thou [Page 164] might'st offer beasts, and goods, but in obedience thou offerest thy self.

Vse. Therefore (my childe) put thy soul to the question here also. O my soul, hast thou this thankfulnesse meet for the Lords Supper? Doest thou know the benefit of thy redemption, of which this Sacrament is a seal? Hast thou a secret joy in heart for it? Doest thou ad­mire the mercy providing, and perform­ing it? Doest thou resolve to love God for it, and to set forth his praises to him, and his praises to others? Doest thou re­solve, and endeavour, by grace given, to obey him in all things, who hath comforted thee in this which is above all things unto thee? If it be thus with thee, then hast thou this thankfulnesse fit for the Lords Supper.

4 Lastly, thou must examine the fitnesse of thy Charity. Charity. I would have thee know that there is no service acceptable with­out this charity. If thou prayest, thou must lift up pure hands without wrath. 1 Tim. 2.8. If thou hearest the word, thou must be slow to wrath; Jam. 1.19, 20. because the wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God. If thou sacrifice, thou must leave [Page 165] thy gift at the Altar and go, Matth. 5.23 24. and be recon­ciled. And thus it is, by way of propor­tion, when thou comest to the Lords Supper. Yea, mark, that it is impossible that sound faith should be without cha­rity. The pulse of faith beats this way: therefore James saith, Jam. 2. shew me thy faith by thy works. Yea, thy very coming to the Sacrament doth require charity. A loaf of bread is made of many grains, and we that are partakers of one loaf, must be one bread. 1 Cor. 10.16, 17. We come to have commu­nion with Christ our head: and when members attend for direction, and com­fort from the head there must be no jars. The shoulder must not say to the arm, nor the arm to the hand, nor the hand to the foot, I have no need of thee, and thee. The God of peace will fill thee with all peace by beleeving, and practi­sing this. Q. If thou ask me to whom thy charity must have respect? A. I tell thee first to God in Christ, and next to all Christian brethren for Christs sake. Thou must love God any way made known unto thee, but especially in Christ thy Saviour. [...] He that that loves not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be an execration, Maran [Page 166] Atha. What? Not to love him that is an Advocate, a Surety, all, in all to us, in us, for us? Too great punishment can­not be inflicted on such: too much un­worthinesse to come unto the Lords Supper cannot be imputed unto them. Next, thou must shew thy charity to all Christian brethren, both by forgi­ving and performing the offices of re­conciled persons. In forgiving, thou must pacifie thy heart from all bitternesse, Ro. 12.19. and desire of revenge; Vengeance is mine, and I will repay, saith the Lord: and thou must discharge them from the offence to thee, though thou canst not discharge them from the offence to God. Indeed thou art not bound to think, and judge him good, or a friend, who by long proof hath manifested himself other­wise: neither art thou alwayes bound to discharge a penalty, if it be great: for then, Christianity should give a license to ungodly men, to offer all manner of injuries to the godly: but thou must discharge so farre from the offence as it may seem to deserve the least revenge: For thou must not be overcome of the evill of thy enemy, Ro. 12.21. or of thy own malicious [Page 167] heart: but thou must overcome thy ene­mies, and thy own evill also, with good­nesse. In performing the offices of Charity, thou must labour to unite others, by ma­king them friends, if thou canst, that all our matters may be done in love: and thou must communicate to the necessities of the Saints. For thou receivest an inesti­mable favour from God, and therefore thou must do good, Heb. 13. and to distribute thou must not forget; for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Vse. Therefore (my dear childe) reflect once again upon thy soul, and examine it. Hast thou (O my soul) that charitie which fits thee for the Lords Supper? Hast thou a ground of all true charity to men, the love of God in Jesus Christ? Doest thou love to walk before him that he may see, and correct all thy wayes? Doest thou love his familiar presence a­bove the greatest presences of the world? Doest thou love to hear him speak unto thee in the word, and to speak unto him in prayer? Doest thou rejoyce when thou seest the tokens of his love in his graces, and Sacraments come rowling upon thee? Doest thou for his sake love [Page 168] all that are his, his ministery, his wor­ship, his ordinances, and his Saints? Doest thou love to have peace with all men, Rom. 12. so farre as is possible, and to be friends with Christs members, as they are such? Doest thou really discharge thy heart from all desire of revenge, and canst thou be content to be nothing for Christ? Art thou willing to perform all offices of charity, in working reconci­liation betwixt neighbour, and neigh­bour, and communicating to the neces­sities of the Church? If it be thus with thee, thou hast that Charity which is fit for the Sacrament. Now look back­ward, and let me see what thou hast pro­fited. Seeing there are but two Sacra­ments, Baptisme, and the Supper of the Lord; Tell me

Thou must remember now (my good child) how farre we are gone. I have learned thee to know God, and thy self. Thou hast seen thy creation, thy fall, thy curse, thy remedy by our Lord Jesus Christ. Thou hast seen that Christ must become thine by faith. I have discovered how faith is begotten in thee, and how it is encreased, namely, by the word of God, and Sacraments. I have shewed thee the nature, the number, and the use of the Sacraments from God. I have shewed thee how thou shouldst use them [Page 174] for thy comfort; and especially, how thou must prepare thy self for the Lords Supper; so, as thou mayst carry Christ home with thee from thence. There is but one thing more wherein I desire to informe thy childish understanding in, and that is prayer. Tell me then,

34. Q. Is not prayer an excellent means to make thy faith grow?

A. Yes: It is a speciall means appointed of God.

Mark this truth. Prayer is an excel­lent means to encrease faith. The word of God, and Sacraments are sweet means: But how these will be made effectuall, with­out thy prayer, thou canst not tell. Christ saith, Matth. 7.7. Aske, and ye shall have; seek, and ye shall find, knock, and it shall be opened unto you. All these phrases presse upon thee prayer, for the enjoying of any blessing. Act. 4.31. When the Disciples had pray­ed, the place was shaken where they were assembled, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. God answered them extra­ordinarily to confirm them upon their prayers. And therefore, when the Apo­stles found their faith weake for the for­giving of wrongs, Luk. 17.5. they prayed, Lord, encrease our faith. Gods promises goe a­long [Page 175] with power. Psal. 145.19. Psal. 34.15.17. He will fulfill the desire of them that feare him. His eares are open to their cry. Therefore David looks upon God with confidence, and saith, Psal. 4.3; The Lord will heare when I call. And thou canst not wonder that prayer should be such a powerfull means to encrease thy faith. For it moves God to be mindfull of us amid a thousand vexations. When Christ was on the crosse, and vexed from heaven and earth, yet, when the good thiefe prayed, Christ, he answer­ed, This day shalt thou be with me in Para­dice. Yea, prayer doth, in a manner binde God: and therefore when Moses pray­ed, God said, Now, Moses, let me alone: Exod. 32.16. Gen. 18.33. and God went not from Abraham a foot, before he had left praying; yea, further, and let it be spoken to the ho­nour of our great God countenancing of his own ordinance, prayer doth (in a manner) command God. Esa. 45.11. Aske of me (saith he) and, concerning the works of my hands, command thou me; as if he should say, if I am able to doe it, I will doe it, if thou pray. Yea, in truth, prayers are so pow­erfull, that, when God purposeth not to grant, he shuts them out. When I cry, and [Page 160] shout, Lam. 3.8.44. he shuts out my prayer: he covereth himselfe with a cloud that prayer should not passe thorough. It is no marvell then that it should be so effectuall to encrease faith.

Vse. Therefore (my child) if thou wouldst have faith, and have it in aboundance, be sure that thou duely adde this to all o­ther means. Oh, it is a comfortable thing to have the word of God, and Sa­craments: but these will never worke kindly upon thy soule, without Gods blessed assistance, and that must be ob­tained by prayer. Gods nature doth as­sure thee that he will heare thee. He is prone to doe us good above all that we can speak, or think. The Egyptians made Gods of wood, and not of gold, and silver, and other more untractable mettals, to signifie the easinesse of their nature to work upon. Joh. 5.6. And Christ, at the poole of Bethesda, to shew his readinesse, went to the man of infirmities, and said, with­out being asked, Numb. 20. Wilt thou be made whole? God bade Moses, take his rod, and speak to the rock. Moses he strook, and strook twice, and God was angry: because it might bring a slander upon him, that he was [Page 177] hardly to be entreated to confirm his peoples faith. Again, this assures thee, that he will hear thee, because prayers are most acceptable to God. He is ready to hear at all times. Moses saith, Exod. 8.9. when shall I do it? When shall I pray for thee? As if he should say, he is a God of all houres. He is angry when we sue to others not to him. When Ahaziah re­ceived an hurt, 2 King. 1.2, 3, 4. he went to Baalzebub the God of Ekron for his cure, and not to him, God was angry, and Ahaziah must dye for it. God puts his own sonne to his prayers for what he hath purchased: He hath a double right to all the world; a right of inheritance, and a right of pur­chase: yet God saith unto him, Psal. 2. Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost part of the earth for thy possession. Yea, God hath so ordered the matter, that his servants have nothing to give that is better then prayer. What shall I give unto the Lord, Psal. 116. saith David, for all his benefits? I will call upon the name of the Lord: As if he should say, because he hath given me many blessings, I will honour him by asking more. All this shewes that pray­ers [Page 178] are most acceptable to God, and therefore thou hast no cause to doubt, but, if thou prayest to God to encrease thy faith, that God will grant it. Let me therefore ask thee further,

36. Q. What is prayer?

A. It is a religious moving of our soules to God to draw our selves into Communion with him against sinne, and for grace, and all blessings.

Mark this seriously. The nature of Prayer. When thou look­est upon thy self, thou seest thousands of wants. Thou doest not know how to help thy self. Thou seest an all-suffici­ency in God thy faithfull creatour, re­deemer and sanctifier. The souls moving to God. If thou hast not communion with him, thou shalt have none of thy necessities relieved. There­fore thy soul must move out of it self in­to communion with him, that thou maist gain his help against sin, and for grace, Phil. 3. and all other blessings. This is prayer: and by this, thou shalt be able to do all things through Christ, that helpeth thee. Psa. 10.17. Rom. 8.26. Lam. 3.41. Psal. 25.1. Prayers are a motion towards God: and therefore they are called, our desires: and sighes that cannot be expressed: and lifting up of our hearts with our hands to [Page 179] God in heaven: of our hands to help us, of our hearts to do the work: and our drawing neer to God. Wherein thou must not exclude the motion of the un­derstanding; 1 Cor. 14.13. for as thou must pray with the spirit, thou must pray with the under­standing also. Thou must minde God thou prayest unto. Thou must minde the things thou prayest for. Thou must minde the disposition of thy own heart from which thou prayest, and without which thou canst not watch in prayer: wherein though thou hast not a constant and distinct attendance; yet thou must have a constant desire, endeavour, and disposition. Yet principally thou must desire the motion of thy will to honour thy God in thy prayer. First, by present­ing no desires but good and honest. Next, by stirring up such affections as are fit for the presence of God, as such as immediately follow faith, hope, and charity: and lastly by resting upon Christ for the obtaining of whatsoever thou desirest.

Secondly, A religious moving to God. prayer is a religious moving of the soul to God. A man may civilly move his heart to any of his superiours, [Page 180] that have a civill excellency in them: as when they pray to them to help them according to their civill, or naturall power to help them to any good, or to remove any evill in their power: but for the religious motion of the soul, Rō. 10.14. Exo. 14.31. it must be onely to God. For how shalt thou call on him in whom thou hast not beleeved? And, I am sure that thou must beleeve onely in God, and in these that are im­mediately sent from God, for Gods message sake. Thus must thou move to God in prayer to draw thy self into com­munion with him. For com­munion with him. For as a man that is faln into a pit, and catcheth hold of a bough, doth not desire to pull the bough to him (for that will drown him the sooner) but doth desire to pull him­self to the bough, that he may escape danger: so he that prayeth, doth not de­sire to pull God down to him (for this would overwhelm him), but doth de­sire to pull himself to God that he may have the love of the Father, 2 Cor. 13. the grace of the Sonne, and the communion of the Holy Ghost to bring him to life. Lastly, thou must desire this, Rō. 15.30. and strive with God in prayer, to have his assistance against [Page 181] sinne, for grace, and all other blessings. Against sin, and for grace. Job. 20.12. To the ungodly, wickednesse is sweet in his mouth, he hides it under his tongue, as one loath to confesse it. He cares not for any of Gods graces, because they are ene­mies to his lusts, and corruptions which he loveth. He saith to God, Job. 21.14. Rom. 6. depart from me, I desire not the knowledge of thy laws: I will sinne, that grace may abound: 1 Cor. 15. let us [...] at, and drink, for to morrow we shall die. But let it not be so with thee. Let thy soul move to God against sinne by confession, and suits for pardon; For grace by petitions, and thankesgiving; yea and for all other blessings, that thou maist acknowledge him the fountain of them, & serve God with joyfulnes and glad­nes of heart, for the aboundance of all things. Deu. 28.47

Use. Thus maist thou (my childe) conceive what prayer is; and therefore be sure that thine be such. The wicked are rea­dy to say, Job. 21.15. what is the Almighty that we should serve him? Eph. 6.18. And what profit should we have if we should pray unto him? But let thy soul alwayes move to God with all religion against sinne, and for grace. 1 Thes. 5.17 If thy prayers be like the golden sockets of the holy lights, boyling with specu­lations, [Page 182] and not like the Bowles of the Altar, full of the liquor of heavenly re­ligion, they will prove but like the Ae­gyptian flesh-pots reeking out the hot vapours of the onyons, and garleek of thy own vain heart. If they be fair words of uncharitable hearts, they are like Eze­kiahs bloudy pots, Ezek. 24.6. that boyl with the scum of rust, and lust. But if they be the inter­preters of a broken, and bleeding soul moving to God, they shall be Zacharies pots, Zach. 14.20 and the bowles of the Altar, sending up sweet incense, which shall fill the whole heart with the savour, as the house was filled with the odour of Maries oyn­ment. Joh. 12.3. The moving of thy feet to the as­semblies of Gods people, the moving of thy body by kneeling, and beating thy breast, and lifting up of hands, and eyes to heaven: the moving of thy tongue, and lips, will be nothing without this moving of thy heart, and soul for fel­lowship with God in Christ. Oh, let thy heart move against sinne. O Lord, it hath oppressed me, undertake for me. My sinne in Adam, my sinne of nature, my sins of life in thought, word, and deed are before thee: O pardon them for [Page 183] Christ his sake. Let thy heart move for grace. O Lord, I want thy preventing grace, thy assisting grace, thy pardoning grace, thy sanctifying grace, thy sealing grace, thy persevering grace. Oh give them for Christ, from Christ, or else I die, and perish. Let thy heart move for all blessings. O Lord, I have nothing but under thee, from thee. Thou hast given me a naturall right to meat, drink, and apparel, health, peace, and libertie. Oh give me the right of a childe, of an heir, and accept my bodie and soul as ho­ly, living and acceptable sacrifices in Jesus Christ thy Sonne in whom thou art well pleased. The God of heaven en­large thy heart, and give thee by his helping spirit, Rom. 8.26, 27. to vent thy soul with groanes, and sighes that cannot be expressed. These, God that searcheth the heart, and knowes the minde of the spirit, will under­stand to thy eternall peace.

37. Q. Where canst thou more fully learn the matter of prayer?

A. In that which is commonly called the Lords prayer. The Lords prayer is the matter of prayer.

Thy blessed Saviour made many prayers, which may bee called the [Page 184] Lords prayers: but there is one which he hath set down as a doctrinall matter of prayer, Matth. 6.9. when he saith, after this manner pray ye; and as a formall prayer, when he saith, Luk. 11.2. when ye pray, say, Our Father; which is more peculiarly called the Lords prayer. This is a brief comprehen­sion of all confessions, suits, for or a­gainst, of all intercessions, and praises. This hath the best authoritie in the world; the wisedome of God, the Son of God, the onely beloved of God, who is in the bosome of the Father, and so, of Gods nearest Court, and nearest coun­sell. This must give the graines of weight to all thy Petitions without which they will be found too light.

Vse. Therefore (my dear childe) learn to pray from this thy blessed master. Joh. 3.31. Christ, that is from heaven, is above all: earthly masters will learn thee earthly prayers, but he that is from heaven will learn thee heavenly. Joh. 1. He is full of grace, and truth, for the perfections of thy under­standing, and of thy will. He is the way, wherein all thy prayers must walk to God. Joh. 16.23. To aske in his name is to ask salva­tion; and this is to ask himself, which [Page 185] he cannot deny. To ask in his name is to use his mediation; and this is the right way to the throne of grace. God the Father bears singular love to him: Matth. 3.17 and and the efficacie of his merits are such, as if they be presented in prayer, they are powerfull and prevailing, Revel. 8.2. as the gol­den Altar before the throne, on which are offred the prayers of all the Saints. Wouldst thou have any grace? learn of Christ to pray. Wouldst thou forsake any sinne? learn of Christ to pray. Prayer is a most important dutie. Dan. 6. Daniel chose it rather then to avoid Lions: and David gave himself unto prayer. Other duties are for certain seasons, but this must must be continually in habit, or act. Luk. 18.1. Thou shalt finde thy self hardly drawn to prayer. Easie businesses we are easily drawn un­to, because they are of quick dispatch, but weightie businesses stick, as the flay­ing of an Oxe at the head. Thou must have many motives to draw thee to pray; Christs command, Christs pro­mise, Christs example, and Christs do­ctrine. This shews the weight of this dutie, and how necessary it is to learn the matter of it from thy best Master. [Page 186] Ob. Thou must think that every good Chri­stian hath abilitie to pray, and that there­fore thou needest not learn; Zach. 12.10 especially considering the promise, I will powr out upon them the spirit of grace and supplica­tion. Sol. But understand that there is a dou­ble power and abilitie: an inward power, by which the heart moves, and goes out of it self after God for all good. This all good Christians have from the Spirit, which they vent, Rom. 8.26. by groanes, and sighes, which cannot bee expressed: an outward power, by which they are able distinctly to expresse the motions of their hearts about fit matter. This they have not all: neither hast thou. Therefore must thou be willing to learn it from this blessed summe of Christ, even all things to be hoped for. I tell thee that it is much abu­sed by three sorts of persons: Ignorant persons who understand it not: Impeni­tent persons, who practise it not: and carelesse and superstitious persons, who minde it not in sence and power, but rest in the emptie repetition of the words. Be thou none of these: know the words and sense of it: use it as a penitent be­leever: and possesse the matter and con­tents [Page 187] of it so fully, that thou maist with reverence, attention, feeling and desire, go out to God for necessarie materials to furnish thee in all briefer, or larger supplications. Which that thou maist do, go along with me, and tell me,

38. Q. What is the enterance into this prayer?

A. Our Father which art in heaven.

Here thou doest bespeak God with an humble salutation. As when thou hast any suit to a great man, thou doest humbly salute him with his fit titles: so here, when thou hast many suits to thy God, Christ learns thee to salute him with a title fit for prayer. For God is here described, by his goodnesse, and by his greatnesse. He that is good, and great too, will be as well willing as able to help thee. The title of his goodnesse is, Our Father. Thou canst not spare either of these words. Father is a title of immu­tability, and of excellent love. A father offended is a father still: a prodigall son is a son still. A man may be a friend to day and an enemy to morrow: but a Father to day is a father so long as he is. What will not a father do for his childe [Page 188] by indulgence, compassion, and boun­ty. This then is a word of faith, to hold up thy hands in prayer. Our, is a word of love to keep thee in Christian charity. It includes thy selfe; charity begins at home. It includes, also, all that are, or may be, in communion and fellow­ship for life; charity looks abroad to the salvation of all Christs body. The title of his Greatnesse is, which art in Heaven. He is here, and there, and every where, yet must thou look upon him in prayer as being in heaven. This will keep thee from sawcinesse. He is Our Father, be­cause thou shouldest not faint: He is in heaven, because thou shouldest not pre­sume. This will raise up thy affections in prayer above all the world. Earthly fa­thers are mutable in affection, may fail, and want power to their hearts: but no father like this father which is in hea­ven. This will keep thy heart in tune to pitch upon chief things in prayer, Eph. 1.3. spiri­tuall blessings in heavenly things: other moveables are for the sonnes of Keturah, but these for Gods Isaacs. This also will prepare thee to pray with all devotion. Which art in Heaven, are words of devo­tion: [Page 189] for it tels thee that prayer is the work of Eagles that look against the Sun, and not the work of Moles that dig in the earth: and therefore thou must cla­rifie thy sight to converse with thy fa­ther in heaven when thou prayest: and then as it was with Christ, when he prayed, Luk. 9.29. the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his rayment was white, and glistering: so he will transforme thee from Glory, to Glory, till thou come un­to his full image as thou art capable.

Vse. Now (my dear childe) make the right use of this preface. Let it raise up thy faith, because thou prayest to thy Fa­ther: kindle thy charity, because thou goest out after the good of others: and blow up thy devotion, because thou for­gettest the earth, and conversest with thy father which is in heaven. Use it as a means to prepare thee to prayer by answering of it, by the spirit of adoption to cry Abba, father; by the spirit of cha­rity, to make thee lift up pure hands to God without wrath to men; and by the spirit of devotion to seek heavenly things, and earthly in an heavenly way.

Lastly, be sure to use it aright, by [Page 190] exclu­ding no person in Trinitie when thou prayest; by excluding all creatures when thou prayest; by conceiving God a­right in prayer, as a Father in Christ, who being in heaven can showre down upon his inheritance all fruitfull bles­sings; and by learning never to pray to God without due preparation.

39. Q. What is the first petition?

A. Hallowed be thy Name.

Here thou prayest for the chiefe end of thy creation, What is prayed for in the first Petition. and all blessings upon thy selfe, and others. By the Name of God, thou must understand God him­selfe any wayes made known unto thee. Name is taken for person, as Esay hath it; Esa. 26.8. The desire of our souls is unto thy name: and when God is made known by his nature, word, worship, or works of crea­tion, or providence, this is his name. By hallowing of Gods name, thou must un­derstand, the manifesting of God to be, as he is in himselfe, high, and excellent. Thou canst not doe it by separation, and appli­cation, of Gods name to holy uses, as thou doest the Lords day, and the Sacra­ments: but thou mayst doe it by decla­ration of what God is in his worke in [Page 191] thee, and in thy worship, and service of him to life. Now, Gods name cannot suffer from God himself, Angels, and Saints in heaven (though they will, and must glorifie him): but from thee, and us poor sinfull men, women and chil­dren. And we hallow his name, when we challenge it from Ignorance, by know­ledge, and acknowledgement: from ob­livion, by the remembrance of thee, from contempt by confession, praise, and swea­ring by his name in truth, holinesse, and righteousnesse: And from prophanation by blasphemy in tongue or life, or any other prophanation of his Justice, mer­cy, goodnesse, truth, or the like.

Use. Therefore (my good child) take di­ligent care of this petition. Thou know­est that Gods name is holy and Reve­rend: that none can hallow it but the holy; for praise is not comely in the mouth of a foole. Thou knowest that God is thy Father; and it is a debt of charitie to honour thy father. Thou knowest that all the servants of God, when they see Gods name advanced will know him and trust in him. Seeing therefore thou hast so many tyes, strive [Page 192] with God in prayer that thou mayst do this work. Pro. 18.10. Gods name is a strong towre: and our help stands in the name of the Lord our God. Thou seest how little Gods name is sanctified: God passeth by, and we know him not. Thou seest how the wicked prophane it; and knowest that God will honour them that honour him. Therefore be thou sure to ayme at the hallowing of Gods name. If the Devill should stand up in Judgement a­gainst thee, and plead; Great God, thou hast done wonderfull works for this thy creature, and yet he doth dishonour thee in thought, word, and deed. I have done nothing but sought his ruine, and burning in the pit of hell; and yet he serveth me deedily: what wouldst thou answer for thy self? wouldst not thou be speechlesse? Take heed. If any work be wrought, if it be wrought basely, and bunglingly, he that wrought it hath no credit by it. If it be wrought curiously, every man that passeth by takes notice of it, and praiseth the workman. This is thy case. Thou art the workmanship of God. If thou shew thy selfe forth like Gods workmanship, and live to his [Page 193] honour, thou doest hallow Gods name, but if thou live wickedly, as if the devill made thee, thou doest not hallow Gods name. Therefore pray that thou maist know, and acknowledge him, that thou maist remember him in his wayes; that thou maist honour, confesse, and praise him; that thou maist not prophane his Name either in tongue by vain swear­ing, cursing, and blasphemy; or in life, by wicked life: and thou shalt hallow Gods name. Now tell me,

40. Q. What is the second Petition?

A. Thy Kingdome come.

Here thou askest the first principall meanes for the hallowing of Gods name. Thou canst never do it savingly, What is as­ked in the second Pe­tition. except thou be a subject of Christs Kingdome; because without faith it is impossible to please God to life: therefore next after, hallowed be thy name, thou prayest, Thy Kingdome come. By King­dome thou must principally mean the Kingdome of Grace, and the Kingdome of Glory. The Kingdome of grace, is that soveraignty which Christ exerciseth o­ver us by grace. Of this it is said, Rom. 5.21. that grace reigneth through righteousnesse unto [Page 194] eternall life: Luk. 17.21. Rō. 14.18. and that the Kingdome of God is within us; and stands in righteous­nesse, peace, and joy of the Holy Ghost. The Kingdome of Glory, is that Soveraign­tie which Christ exerciseth over us by Glory; that is, when Christ and his members are in full glory: Mat. 25.34. of which Christ speaketh, Come ye blessed of my fa­ther, receive the Kingdome prepared for you. By the comming of Christs King­dome, thou must understand, the Ere­cting of it where it is not: Psal. 24.9.10. Act. 2.41.47. Gal. 6.1. the Enlarging of it where it is, by adding new souls to the Church: the repairing of it where it is decayed, when broken Members are joynted again: and the perfecting of it fully, 1 Cor. 15. when God is all in all. Next, mark that thou saist not the Kingdome, but thy Kingdome; Because Christ would op­pose this against all other Kingdomes. Thou knowest what Esay saith, Esa. 26.13. Revel. 12.4 O Lord our God, other Gods besides thee have had dominion over us. The Kingdome of Grace is opposed by Satan, Act. 28.23. by the world, and self-carnall hearts. The Kingdome Glory is opposed by loving the world and the things that are in this world; 1 Joh. 2. by rot­ting in sinne, and by persecution of Gods [Page 195] servants, which would make Gods ser­vants come short of glory. But thou de­sirest here, that the Kingdome of the world, flesh, and devill may be cast out, and that the Kingdome of grace may be established, which may fit us for the Kingdome of glory. And that all this may come to passe, mark what thou prayest for. That thou maist have all means for Christs Kingdome of grace and glory. For the Kingdome of grace, that thou maist have inward, and out­ward means. Inward, thy subjection to the word of God, the spirit to create new hearts, & the fruits of righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Ghost. Outward means, are either in the Church, Cōmon­wealth, or both of them. In the Church thou prayest for Schooles of good learn­ing, faithfull Ministers, and their peace. Act, 19.9. Matth. 9.28 2 Thes. 3.1. In the Common-wealth, thou prayest for godly Magistrates, good Lawes, and and execution of them. In both, thou prayest that thou maist have the Scrip­tures, the Lawes of the Kingdome, and the blessing of God upon all for good government. As for the Kingdom of Glory, thou prayest that thou maist have the [Page 196] Kingdome promised by a glorious re­surrection, and a speedy comming to judgement: and that God, and Christ may have full glory manifested against all our enemies.

Vse. Therefore (my dear childe) prize this petition. Thou canst not hallow Gods name before thou be in his Kingdome. They that are without it are against it, and do quite contrary to it. This King­dome is not yet fully come. Though he be fully King, yet in respect of us, he is not in quiet and peaceable possession; because we suffer yet from the King­dome of the flesh, the devill, and the world. Therefore pray heartily that Christs Kingdome may come. Pray that the Kingdome of grace may come. Phil. 3.9.10 Ephe. 3.14.16, 17. Thus did Paul for himself, that he might be found in Christ: and for others, I bowe my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that Christ may dwell in your hearts, that you may be strengthened by the Spirit in the inner man, in the holy use of all these inner, and outward means which God hath ordained. Pray heartily that the Kingdome of glory may come. The whole Creation groanes under the burthen [Page 197] of vanity, and we our selves do groan: Rom. 8.19.23. Rev. 22.17. and the spirit, and the bride say, come. Till then God hath not the full glory of his mercy and justice. If thou do but see the largenesse of the Kingdome of sinne, and Satan; 1 Joh. 5.19. that the whole world lyes in wickednesse: If thou consider the many enemies of Christs Kingdom, who say, depart from us, Job. 21. we desire not the knowledge of Gods lawes: who is the Almighty that we should serve him: we will not that he rule over us; therefore let us break his bands, and cast away his cords from us: If thou weighest how ready thou art to rebell against the Kingdome of Christ, and to admit of the Kingdome of darknesse, thou must zealously pray, Thy Kingdome come.

41. Q. What is the third Petition?

A. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Here thou cravest the second princi­pall means for the hallowing of Gods name, that is, the acts of grace. W ha is prayed for in the third Petition. It is not enough that Gods Kingdom be within thee by grace: but thou must also act it, by the doing of Gods will. Put case that thou be in his Kingdom, it is not every [Page 198] one that saith Lord, Lord, that shall be of his Kingdom, Matth. 7. but he that doth the will of our Father. When this Kingdom is come, we are enabled to hallow his name: but how? By doing of his will: therefore next thy Kingdome come, is set, thy will be done.

God hath but one will, yet he doth not reveal all to us. Some part he keeps to himself, till the event make it known. This is called his Counsell, Psal. 33.11. Rom. 9. Rom. 11. or thought of his heart. Of this Paul saith, who hath re­sisted his will? and who hath known his will? Some part he makes known to us, and would have us to do for the exerci­sing of grace. Ephes. 5.17. Of this Paul saith, under­stand what the will of the Lord is. This is the Scriptures; which are called Gods will from the common course of speech, as our words are called our will, which are but a signe of our wils. Of both these thou prayest here, both that God do as he please, Act. 21.14. as Paul said, The will of the Lord be done: and that we do as God re­quires in the volume of his book. Psal. 40. By doing his will, Revel. 2.6. thou must understand, that God works his whole will to be our will both for submission and obedience. And that [Page 199] thou maist do it most acceptably, Christ doth teach thee to pray for an elevating qualification, that Gods will may be done on earth as in heaven. By Heaven, thou must understand the heaven of hea­vens, where the will of God is glori­ously done. In this heaven, there are Christ, Angels, and Saints that do it. Christ professed that he came not to do his own will, Joh. 6.38. Psal. 104. but the will of him that sent him. The Angels fulfill his commande­ment: and the Saints have leisure to do nothing else. Thou must not look to e­quality of measure, but likenesse of man­ner in their doing of Gods will: that as they do the will of God first, willingly, speedily, faithfully, and zealously: so must thou pray to do. Yea, thou must lift up thy obedience above the earth that thou maist bare the image of heavenly things. If now, thou would'st frame thy heart in prayer according to this petition, have an eye to Gods secret will, and pray that thou maist submit to it when it is revealed. Thou knowest not; for present, how God will deal with thee in body, soul, state, or friends: but, when he hath revealed his pleasure, pray that [Page 200] thou maist submit. Again, have an eye to Gods will in his word, and pray that thou maist have it, know it, beleeve it, and love it. Have an eye also to thy confor­mity to Gods will, and pray heartily, that thou maist basely esteem of thine own will, and deny it: that thou maist have power to submit, and bring it into act in all things as they do that are in heaven.

Use. Therefore (my dear childe) learn, that it is not enough to be a subject in Gods Kingdom, except thou live answerably. Thou maist hear many say, God knows my heart, that is good to God-ward. This is but a vain plea where there is not submission to, and doing of Gods will in life. When therefore thou seest how willing thou would'st live at liberty what ever the will of God is. When thou seest what enemies we are to Gods will, and how few do it. When thou thinkest what dishonour it is to God to have so many servants, and so few to do his will. When thou considerest how many do it, and do it amisse by failing in faithfulnesse: then stir up the grace of God in thee to pray the more earnest­ly, [Page 201] Thy will be done. To this end know the word of God. Remember those parts of it most which concern thine, and others salvation. Talk and conferre with Gods skilfullest workmen about thee. Practice the doing of so much of the will of God as thou knowest, and avoid the course of sinne: and then what thou prayest, thou shalt do about Gods will, to Gods glory, and the good of thy soul.

42. Q. What is the fourth Petition?

A. Give us this day our daily bread.

Here thou prayest for the best princi­pall means for the hallowing of Gods name. What is prayed for in the 4th. Petition. Thou canst not hallow Gods name without grace; therefore thou prayest, Thy Kingdome come. The plea of grace is but poor except there be pra­ctice; therefore thou prayest, Thy will be done. And, now, because thou art un­fit to seek Gods Kingdome, and to do his will, except thou hast the supplies of this life: therefore thou callest for bread. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were di­stracted in famines. Israel did want bread and murmured. Many poor Christians shine not as they should for want of ne­cessary [Page 202] provisions: and so it may be with thee. Therefore that they, and thou mayst hallow Gods name, by being in his kingdome, and doing of his will, therefore Christ learns thee next to pray for daily bread.

By Bread, thou must understand all worldly necessaries. Luk. 14.1. Bread in the Scri­pture doth sometimes signifie a Feast, as when Christ went into the Pharisees house to eat bread, that is, to feast with him: Matth. 14.2 sometimes it signifies ordinary diet, as when it is said of the Pharisees, they wash not before they eate bread, that is, take their diet: sometimes it signifies fruit, Jer. 11.19. as when the Prophet saith, destroy the tree with the bread, that is, the fruit of it: Prov. 31.14. and sometimes it signifies provision of all sorts, as when it is said of the good housewife, she fetcheth her bread from a­farre, Ezec. 4.16. Psal. 104.15. that is, all provision from her fa­mily. All this is asked under the name of bread, both because bread is the staffe of life, and strengthens man: and because the very name of bread onely might re­straine from gluttony, and drunkennesse. Thou cravest that t u mayst obtaine bread by gift (Give us). Psal. 105.15. Thou doest not [Page 203] say, let me enjoy what I have, or render my own bread unto me, or let me be my own carver; but Give us. God gives it by blessing the earth with plenty: Hos. 2.21. Psal. 128. Psal. 104. by making thee to eat the labour of thy hands: by blessing the creatures to strengthen thee: and by giving an holy use of them. He gives it to wicked men and sends leannesse withall into their soules: Matth. 4. but he makes his people live not by bread onely, but by every word of God. Thus thou doest acknowledge God, the supreame Lord of all creatures, that thou mayst be hum­bled under his hands for wants, and thankfull to him for enjoyments. Thou cravest not onely that bread thou hast use of, but what thou hast right unto, (Our bread). Though thou possessest it, Job 20.14.23. yet it will doe thee no good except God blesse it. Though God blesse it, it will doe thee no good except God keep it, Psal. 127.1. and preserve it for thee. Though God keep it for thee, it will doe thee no good except thou be enabled to make use of it: for when sicknesse comes, Psal. 107. thy soule will abhorre all manner of food. Yea, though it be possessed, and blessed, and kept for use, yet will it doe thee no good if it be [Page 204] anothers bread, and not thine. There are that eate the bread of violence, Prov. 4.17. Prov. 20.17. and the bread of deceit; but thou wouldst not, and therefore thou sayst, Give us our bread. Thou cravest this bread not onely for thy selfe, but for others, under this word, (us). Men are apt to think their throat cut with all fat morsels that goe besides themselves. But Christ learneth thee to pray for others, and for thy selfe for o­thers uses. Thou wouldst have this bread given thee this day, or day by day. The foole saith, Luk. 12.19. Soule thou hast stored up much for many yeares: but the wisdome of God teacheth thee to crave but for the day. Not as if thou mayst not pro­vide as the Ant, and Joseph for a raynie day; Joh. 6. for Christ will have thee to gather up the broken meat that nothing be lost: but because he would not have thee distrust, or be discontent, or self-confident. Last­ly, 1 Tim. 6.9, 10. thou cravest this day our daily bread, that is, fit, and sufficient to support thy es­sence, and being in nature, and state. Thou wouldst have it fit to doe thee good: not a stone for bread, or a scorpion for a fish. Thou wouldst have it bread of ne­cessitie, not of wantonnesse. And thou [Page 205] wouldst have it food convenient for thy nature, and person. Prov. 30.8. Oh the wisdome of Christ who teacheth thee in so few words to aske for so much? under bread thou prayest for meat, drink, and cloath, health, peace, liberty, fruitfull seasons, and joy of heart, that thou mayst be the better able to hallow Gods name. Un­der the word, Give, thou prayest God to dispose to thee an honest course of life, and his blessing upon it. Under the word, Our, thou prayest God to sancti­fie thy right in things, and to apply them unto thee by honest labour, and prayers. Under the word, (us), wherein thou in­cludest others, thou prayest for content­ment, against repining at others, or en­grossing to thy selfe: and for willing­nesse that all men may have their share. Under the word (this day), thou prayest for painfulnesse, against idlenesse; for frugalitie, against ryot; and for liberali­ty, against covetousnesse. Under the word (Daily bread), thou prayest for supply in due season, and for sufficiency both for thy nature, and person.

Therefore (my childe) set thy heart aright for grounding thy prayers upon [Page 207] this Petition. Pray it for thy self: for he that is wicked to himself cannot be good to any man. Pray it for thy family, when thou hast one. 1 Tim. 5.8. Prov. 31.15 28. Thou must not pluck out feathers from thy wings, that thou canst neither flye thy self, nor shel­ter them. Pray it for the houshold of faith, that they may not want bread that call upon the name of the Lord. Pray it for the Poor, Joh. 31.17, 18, 19, 20. Prov. 30.9. Rō. 12.20. that they may have bread to keep them from stealing, and so, taking Gods name in vain. Pray it for thy enemies also. It is strange fire to offer thy prayers to the God of peace, with any revengefull anger in them. Do but think what dishonourable shifts men may be put unto if they want bread, as to lye and flatter for a morsell of bread. This made David play the fool before Achis, and to beg his bread of churlish Nabal. Think how few use the creatures aright, and what worlds of gluttonies, drunkennesses, thefts, oppressions, cove­tousnesses do flye for vengeance on all hands. Think how apt we are to bee without pietie, and charitie, in the use of creatures. And think how comforta­ble it will be to enjoy every thing from [Page 206] Gods gift and blessing, both in life and death. This will make thee zealously put up this Petition both for thy self, and others, Give us this day our daily bread.

43. Q. What is the fift Petition?

A. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us.

Here thou beginnest to beg the remo­ving of such impediments as hinder the hallowing of Gods name. What is prayed for in the fift petition. There are two sorts of Impediments: the first are our sinnes past. Sinnes do make a separation betwixt God and thy soul, and keep good things from thee. They keep thee both from grace, and glory, and so, thou canst not honour God: therefore here thou doest pray against the guilt of them, Forgive us our trespasses. Matth. 6. By tre­spasses thou must understand sinnes, that is, all errours in thy nature, and in thy life, against the rule of Gods word. These are called Debts. Because thou canst not performe the debt of obedience to God, therefore, for sinne, thou owest the debt of satisfaction. Under this, thou must conceive thy sinnes, thy daily sinnes, and thy sinnes of all sorts, and sizes whether five hundred pence, or ten thousand ta­lents. [Page 208] To forgive, 2 Cor. 5.21 Phil. 3.9. is, freely to discharge thee for the merits of Christ accounted thine by faith. It is as much as, let them go; have not to say to them; Psal. 32.1. Esa. 38.17. Mich. 7.19. Jer. 50.20. Cover them; Cast them behinde thee; throw them into the depths; make them become as no sins, like Daniels Lions, and Pauls Viper, that could not hurt, or like a Debt book that is crossed. To this Forgivenesse thy God leads thee by these wayes, the way of procuring, the way of conferring, and the way of receiving. 1 Joh. 1.7. It is procured for thee by the bloud, and merits of Christ. It is bestowed upon thee, Rom. 8. 2 Sam. 12. Act. 2.38. Mat. 26.28. by God the Father pronouncing it, and tendring of it unto thee in the holy use of the word of grace, and the two Sacraments. And for thy re­ceiving of it, first thou art made capable by a contrite, Psal. 50. and broken heart: Next, thou doest receive it by faith. Rom. 3. Phil. 3. Now, mark for whom thou wouldst have this forgivenesse. Forgive (us) that is, thy self and all that are in communion and fellowship with thee for a pardon. Thou must include thy self. Though Christ have satisfied for thee by way of remedy, Esa. 53.5. Mat. 18.32. yet not by way of application of it without prayer. Thou must not exclude [Page 209] others of all sorts who stand for a par­don. Psal. 65.2. All flesh comes to him that heareth prayers: and if it come for a pardon, thou hast no authority to shut such an one out. Lastly, the argument by which thou cravest thy pardon is (for we for­give those that trespasse against us). Matth. 6.14 This is not a cause of thy forgivenesse, but an argument of thy asking it from Gods promise. It is true, that thou canst not for­give, as thou desirest that God should forgive thee, in Equality, so perfectly as God forgives; nor in quality so purely: but yet thou maist, in likenesse. Though thou be a drop, and God be an Ocean of mercie; yet a drop of water may wet as well as the whole sea, though not as much: so maist thou forgive as God forgives, but not so perfectly. Won­derfull is the wisedome of Christ in helping thee about the forgivenesse of sinnes in this Petition. Consider the Pro­curer of thy forgivenesse, thou prayest that Christs worth, and merits may be made thine: Consider the forgiver, thou prayest that God the father would ac­cept thee in Christ, and hide thy fault, and guilt. Consider the setlers of forgive­nesse [Page 210] upon thee, thou prayest that the word may work a sight, sense, and con­fession of thy sinne; and that the Sacra­ments may be means to seal, and assure thy pardon. Consider thy receiving of it, and thou prayest that thou maist have contrition, desire, and faith: and consi­der the promise of Christ, and thou prayest that thou maist have true mercie in forgiving others, without which thou shalt not be forgiven thy self.

Vse. Therefore (my childe) ply God here. Neither thou, nor any body else, can hallow Gods name under the guilt of sinnes; for praise is not comely in the mouth of a fool. Therefore, what ever thou doest, pray that this guilt may be taken off both from thee and others. The odiousnesse of sinne is such, that it is worse then Satan, and hell. Hell could not be hell unto thee, were it not for sinne; and Satan could do thee no mis­chief, Act. 8. had not thy own sinnes bound thee hand and foot first. Therefore we reade of an old Christian in former times, who said, that if he were set to chuse heaven, or grace, he would chuse grace before heaven; because without [Page 211] grace, heaven could not hold him: and if he must chuse hell, or sinne, he would chuse hell before sinne; because hell without sinne could not possesse or hurt him. Again, the danger of sinne is fear­full, it defaceth the image of God, woun­deth conscience, hindereth peace, and keepeth good things from us. If thou adde but to this thought, the plenty of sinne, that the whole world lies in wic­kednesse, and that the sinnes of all sorts of people cry to heaven, thou wilt then cry for a pardon for thy self, and others, that for the merit of Christs bloud God would discharge us, and by the word of God and Sacraments would assure it, that we may comfortably walk before him all the dayes of our life.

44. Q. What is the sixt Petition?

A. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evill.

Here thou prayest to remove the last impediment which hinders the hallowing of Gods name, that is, sinnes to come, What is prayed for in the sixt petition. and the issues of them. Thou art born to ho­nour God, and thou prayest that thou maist answer Gods end. This thou canst not do, as thou oughtest, without grace [Page 212] in Gods Kingdome, exercise of grace, in the doing of Gods will, and the ordina­ry supplies and additions of this life's ne­cessaries: and therefore thou cravest them. But because thou canst not have these without a pardon of the guilt of sinne, and a power against the filth of sinne: therefore as thou diddest crave that in the former; so thou cravest this in this latter petition. None owe more to God, then they whose sinnes are par­doned: Joh. 5.14. therefore he that saith, thy sins are forgiven thee, saith also, sinne no more. None are more in danger then they whose sinnes are forgiven: for when the unclean spirit is gone out he is never quiet till he return with seven Devils worse then himself. Matth. 12. Hence Christ teacheth thee after forgive us our sinnes, to pray, not to lead us into temptation.

Thou first, prayest against temptation, not that of tryall: for God will make proof of thy wisedome, faith, hope, and charity, Gen. 22.1. as he tempted Abraham: but that of seducement, by which thou art seduced from the way of God, 1 Thes. 3. 2 Pet. 1. and per­swaded to the way of sinne. This the De­vill, and the corruption that is in the world [Page 213] through lust, sets on upon thee, by the force of adversitie, or by the fraud of prosperity to gain thee to their party. Thou would'st not bee led into these temptations, that is, thou doest not de­sire to be found trading that way, and so, justly to be given over to the power of thy enemies, and to be deserted by God. Rom. 1.24.26.28. Psal. 77.7, 8, 9. Tempted thou must be so long as thou art militant; but thou would'st not, for a world, that God should lead thee into them, by leaving thee to thy self, Psal. 119.8. 1 King. 22. 1 Chr. 21.1. and let­ting Satan justly loose upon thee, and lea­ving thee under his power. Secondly, thou prayest for deliverance from evill. By Evill, thou must understand that evill one, the evill of sinne, and that evill thou deservest for being drawn. That evill one is Satan, Joh. 17.15. 1 Joh. 2.13. & 5.8. who is full of power, malice, methods, depths, and assistants to negotiate for him. The evill of sinne, he draws thee unto, is conti­nuance in sinne as a thing loved, and li­ked, and presuming to lay hold of the promises without faith, and of safety without holinesse. The evill thou deser­vest for being drawn, is an evill consci­ence, and the full showre of miseries [Page 214] whereto thou maist bee subject in this life, and in the life to come. By Delive­rance, thou must understand, prevention of evils, that they set not upon thee as Philistims upon Sampson: supply in evils, that they oppresse thee not no more then Daniel in the Lions Den: and full deliverance from evils that they de­stroy thee not, no more then they did Joseph, when the irons entred into his soul.

Vse. Therefore (my childe) labour to make good use of this Petition. Thou wouldst take on grievously if God should say un­to thee, I will not forgive thy sinnes. It is as sure as if God had spoken it, that he will not do it if thou wouldst have onely pardon for sinne, and not power against it. They that truely desire a pardon do zealously desire preservation. Wilt thou ask pardon to day, and wilfully trade in sinne to morrow? Shall thy present prayer be but a preparation to thy future sinning? God forbid. Consider, that thou hast gotten nothing by sinne but blowes. That Satan aymes at thy soul in drawing thee to sinne. That glori­ous Saints have now, and then, been [Page 215] caught in the snares of sinne. That ma­ny evils attend thee, if thou sinne, both of further sinne, and misery. Therefore pray, and pray, for prevention of sinne, that thou maist have power against sin: that thou maist not be left to temptati­ons: that thou maist not love them, or have thy heart hardened by them. And for deliverance from evill, pray, that Sa­tan do not captivate thee: that thou mayest not love, and like, and continue in sinne: that the ill of a wicked con­science be removed; and thou be ever­lastingly preserved from hell, and con­demnation. Tell me now once more,

45. Q. What is the conclusion of this Prayer?

A. For thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, for ever, Amen.

Here is an allegation of reasons, The summe of the con­clusion of prayer. why thou prayest and trustest to be heard: and a confident expectation of an answer from God. The reasons why thou trust­est to be heard are five. 1 First, because thine is Kingdome. Whether should sub­jects go, but to them that have King­dome, to free them from distresses? 2 Se­condly, because thine is power. Whether [Page 216] should weaklings go but to power? Power will help weaknesse. 3 Thirdly, because thine is Glory. If thou help me, thou wilt glorifie thy self. If thou help me, I shall glorifie thee. 4 Fourthly, be­cause thine is The Kingdom, Psal. 47. Psal. 72. The power, and The glory over all. For generality, God is King over all the earth, and for superiority, all Kings shall fall down be­fore him. Why shouldest thou not trust to be heard by such a God? 5 Fifthly, be­cause all these are thine for ever: for God onely hath immortality: therefore why shouldst thou not depend upon him that lives for ever, and can help for ever? These are thy reasons.

The confident expectation of Gods answer is in this word, Amen: By this thou sealest thy consent, and doest signi­fie thy desire, and confidence. And thou must do it. For it is but a toy for one man to say the prayer onely, and ano­ther man to say Amen. Amen is part of thy devotion, and all, both Ministers and people, or all others, that pray must say, Amen.

Use. Therefore (my childe) once more hear this word of exhortation. Use all [Page 217] these reasons, and this Amen so, as thou maist pray with successe, and confidence. O my God, am not I in thy Kingdom? Art not thou the God of power? Will it not end in thy glory, which was also the end why thou madest me? And do'st not thou only live for ever, everlast­ingly to help me? I cannot but depend upon thee, and confidently say Amen,

So be it.