to our Redeemer, as we are his Own, his (Difciples and) Subjects, and his Beneficiaries; with all the fpecial benefits of thefe Relations as antecedent to our duty; and then all bur duty in them as commanded: And then the benefits after to be expected (as in promife only.) 35. Next mult diftinctly be confidered, the preaching, and converting, and baptizing part of the minifterial Office; 1. As in the Apofiles: 2. And in their fucceffors to the end, with the nature of Baptifm, and the part of Chrift, and of the Minifter, and of the baptized in that Covenant. 36. And then the defeription of the universal Church, which the baptized constitute. 37. Next is to be defcribed the state of Chriftians after Baptism: 1. Relative, 1 In Pardon, Reconciliation, Justification, 2. Adoption. 2. Phyfical, in the Spirit of San&ification. 38. Where is to be opened . The first fanctifying work of the Spirit: 2. Its after-helps and their conditions. 3. All the duties of Holinefs, primitive and medicinal towards God, our felves and others. 39. Our fpecial duties in fecret: reading, meditation, prayer, &c. 40. Our duties in Family Relations and Callings. 41. Our duties in Church Relations; where is to be described the nature of particular Churches, their work and worship, their miniftry, and their members, with the duties of each. 42. Our duties in our Civil Relations. 43. What temptations are against us, as be to be over come. 44. Next is to be confidered the state of Chriftians and Societies in the world: How far all thefe duties are performed; and what are their weakneffes and fins. 45. And what are the punishments which God ufeth in this life. 46. And what Chriftians mnft do for pardon and reparation after falls, and to be delivered from thofe punish ments. 47. Of Death, and the change which it maketh, and of our Special preparation for it. 48. Of 48. Of the coming of Chrift, and the Judgement of the great day. 49. Of the punishment of the wicked impenitent in Hell. 50. And of the bleffedness of the Saints in Heaven, and the everlasting Kingdom. Thefe are the Heads, and this is the Method of true Divinity, and the order in which it should lye in the understanding of him that will be compleat in knowledge. II. And as this is the Intellectual Order of knowledge; fo the order which all things muft lye in at our bearts and wills, is much more neceffary to be observed: 1. That nothing but GOD be loved as the infinite fimple good, totally with all the heart, and finally for bimfelf: And that nothing at all be loved with any Love, which is not purely fubordinate to the Love of Ged, or which caufeth us to love him ever the lefs. 2. That the bleffed perfon of our Mediatour, as in the Humane Nature glorified,be loved above all creatures next to God: Because there is most of the Divines Perfections appearing in him. 3. That the beavenly Church or Society of Angels and: Saints be loved next to Jefus Chrift, as being next in excellence. 4. That the Vniverfal Church on earth be loved next to the perfe& Church in Heaven. 5. That particular Churches and Kingdoms be next loved; and where ever there is more of Gods Intereft and Image, than in our felves, that our Love be more there, than on our felves. 6. That we next love our felves, with that peculiar kind of love which God hath made neceffary to our duty, and our happiness and end; with a felf-preferving, watchful, diligent love; preferring our fouls before our bodies, and fpiritual mercies before temporal, and greater before less. 7. That we love our Chriftian Relations with that doubleLove which is due to them as Chriftians and Relations; and love all Relations according to their places, with that kind of Love which is proper for them, as fitting us to all the duties which we must perform to them. 8. That 8. That we love all good Chriftians as the fanctified members of Chrift, with a fpecial Love according to the measure of Gods Image appearing on them. 9. That we love every visible, Christian (that we cannot prove hath unchriftened himself by apoftacy or ungodliness) with the fpecial Love alfo belonging to true Chriftians, because he appeareth fach to us: But yet according to the measure of that appearance, as being more confident of fome, and more doubtful of others. 10. That we love our intimate fuitable friends that are godly with a double Love, as godly and as friends. 11. That we love Neighbours and civil Relations, with a Love which is fuitable to our duty towards them (to do to them, as we would have them do to us; which is partly meant by loving them as our telves.) 12. That we love all mankind, even Gods enemies, much more our own, as they are men; for the dignity of humane mature, and their capacity to become holy and truly amiable. 13. That all means be chofen according to the end (which is to be preferred before other ends) and their fuitableness and fitness for that end (as they are to be preferred before other means.) III. And the order of practice is, 1. That we be fure-te begin with God alone, and proceed to God in the creature, an end in God alone. It is the principal thing to be known for finding out the true method of Divinity and Religion, that (as in the great frame of Nature; fo) in the frame of Merality, the true motion is eircular: From God the efficient by God, the Dirigent to Ged, the finat Canfe of all; therefore as God is the firft fpring or cauf of motion; fo the creature is the Recipient first, and the Agent after, in returning all to God again. Therefore mark, that our receiving Graces are our first graces in exercife; and our receiving duties are our firft duties; and then our returning graces and duties come next; in which we proceed from the effer to the greater, till we come up to Go 4 himself, Therefore Therefore in point of practice, the first thing that we have! to do, is to learn to know God himself as God and our God, and to live as from him, and upon bim as our Benefactor, from our hearts confeffing that we have nothing but from him, and fhall never be at rest but with him, and in him, as our ultimate end ; and therefore to let our felves to feek bim as our end accordingly, which is but to feek to love him, and be beloved by him, in the perfection of knowledge and delight. 2. The whole frame of means appointed by God for the attainment of this end, must be taken together, and not broken afunder; as they have all relation each to other. And 1. The whole frame of Nature must be looked on as the firft great means appointed to man in innocency,for the prelervation and exercife of his holiness and righteousness: 2. And the Covenant or Law-pofitive, as conjoyned unto this: 3. And the Spirit of God, communicated only for fuch a meer fufficiency of neceffary help, as God faw meet to one in that condition. And though thefe means(the Creatures, and the Spirit of the Creator in that degree) be not now fufficient for lapfed man; yet they are fill to be looked on as delivered into the hand of Chrift the Mediatour, to be used by him on his terms, and in order to his bleffed ends. 2. But it is the frame of the recovering and perfeðing means, which we are now to use: And in this frame 1. Chrift the Mediatour is the first and principals and the Author of our Faith, or Religion; and therefore from his Name it is called Chriftianity. He is (now the first means used on Gods part for Communicating mercy unto man; and the firft in dignity to be received and ufed by man himself; but not the firft in Time, - because the means of revealing bim mußt go first. 2. The fecond means in dignity (under Chrift) is the operation of the Holy Spirit as fent or given by the Redeemer : which Spirit being as the foul of outward means (which are as the body) is given varioufly in a fuitableness to the several forts of means (of which more anon.) 3. The outward means for this Spirit to work by and with, have been in three degrees: 1. The lowest degree, is the world. or creatures (called The Book of Nature) alone: 2. The fecond degree was the Law and Promifes to the Jews and their fore-: Ccc fathers fathers together with the Law of Nature.) 3. The third and highest degree of outward means is the whole frame of Christian Institutions, adjoyned to the Book of Nature, and fucceeding the forefaid Promises and Lam Every one of these hath a fufficiency in its own kind, and cou its proper ufe. 4. The Law of Nature is fufficient in it's own! kind, to rescal a God in his Essential Principles and Relations; 3and to teach man the ncceffity now of fome fupernatural Reve lations and Inftitutions; and so to direct him to enquire after them (what and where they be) sch) & noul 2, arada 57 2. The Promifes and Jewish Law (o£Types, &c.) was suff fisient in its own kind, so acquaint men that a Saviònê must be fent into the world, to reveal the Will of God more fully, and to be a facrifice for fin, and to make reconciliation between God and man, and to give a greater measure of the Spirit, and to renew mens fouls, and bring them to fill perfection, and to the bleffed fruition of God. The Jewish Scriptures reach them all this, though it tell them not many of the Articles of sur Chriftian Belief. 3. The Chriftian Gospel is sufficient in its own kind, to teach men first to believe aright, in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and then to love and live aright. When I lay that each of these is fufficient in its own kind, the meaning is, not that these outward theans are of themselver fufficient without the Holy Spirit, for that were to be suffreient not only in fue genere, but in alieno vel in omni genere; not only for its own part and works but; for the Spirits part alfo: But other caufes being supposed to concur, it is fufficient for its own part: As my Pen is a fufficient Peny though it be not fufficient to write without my handioso 24, 31 Now the measure of the Spirits concourfed with all these three degees of means is to be judged of by the nature of the means, and by Gods ends in appointing them, and by the vifible effects. And whereas the world is full of voluminous contentions about the do&rine of fufficient and effectual grace, I fhall here add thus much in order to their agreement. 1. That certainly fuch a thing there is, or hath been, as is called fufficient not-effectual grace: By fufficient they mean fo much as giveth man all that Power which is neceffary to the commanded |