Advice to the Young with an Advice to the Old/Advice to the Old
Advice to the Old.
I exhort therefore, that prayers and giving of thanks be made for all men, for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and and peaceable life, in all godlineſs and honeſty; for this is good and acceptable in the ſight of God, our Saviour.
And now, if thou pleaſeſt, read the following work, and receive his counſel from me. Firſt, thou muſt know that every man cannot be excellent, yet may be uſeful. An iron key may unlock the door of a golden treaſure; yea iron can do ſome things that gold cannot do.
Secondly. Remember it is no haſty reading, but ſeriouſly meditating upon holy and Heavenly truths, that makes them prove ſweet and profitable to the ſoul; it is not the bees touching of the flowers that gathershoney; but her a-biding for a time upon them and drawing; out the ſweet; it is not he that reads moſt but he that meditates moſt, that will prove the choiceſt, ſweeteſt, wiſeſt and ſtrongeſt Chriſtian,
Firſt, I believe that there is a God; an incomprehenſible perfect being, a Spirit infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wiſdom, power, holineſs, juſtice, and truth; having his being of himſelf, and giving being to all things.
2dly, I believe that the living and true God is but one; and that in the unity of the Godhead there is a Trinity of perſons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt; and that there three are but one God, the ſame in ſubſtance, equal in power and glory. This is the revealed myſtery, which I do believe, but cannot comprehend.
3dly: I believe that this God, who was God from all eternity did in the beginning of time, create, or make out of nothing, the world, the heaven, and earn and all viſible and inviſible; and this he did by the word of his eternal power in the ſpace of ſix days and all very good. And that the ſame God doth by the ſame power unfold and maintain the creatures in that being which he at firſt gave them. By him all things ſubſiſt; from the higheſt angel to the meaneſt worm And that this God in the right of creation and preſervation is the ſupreme abſsolute Sovereign and Rector of the world ruling and governing all his creatures, and all their actions, according to the wiſe, holy, and eternal counſel of his own will, to the praiſe and glory of his own name.
4thly, I believe that God, as the governor of the world, hath given a law to his rational creatures; according to which they are to walk, in order to their glorifying him and that to the preſent ſons of men the ſcriptures of the Old and New Teſtaments are given, as the only rule to direct them both in faith and practice. That this book of Scripture was given by inſpiration of God; holy men ſpeaking and writing as they were moved by the Holy Ghoſt And that this is the foundation of all revealed religion, and a perfect ſufficient rule of direction to the children of men.
5thly, I believe that God made man upright in his own image conſiſting in knowledge righteouſneſs, holineſs with dominion over the creatures; and that he made a covenant of works with him, promiſing life upon condition of a perfect and perpetual obedience: threatening death upon diſobedience, and giving him a command or trial, not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil upon pain of death.
6thly I believe that Men being left to the freedom of his own will at the inſtigation of the devil ſinned against God, in eating the forbidden fruit and to feed from the eſtate or holineſs and happineſs, and he being a common perſon, all his poſterity fell with him into an eſtate of ſin and miſery. That all the ſons of men are born children of diſobedience wanting original righteouſneſs, and under corruption or the whole nature ſlaves to the fleſh, the world and devil, and conſequency children of wrath, obnoxious to the juſtice of God, and the condemnation of the law; and that no creature is able to deliver them out of this condition. That God, having from all eternity, of his mere good pleaſure, elected a remnant of mankind to everlaſting life, did, in infinite wiſdom, find out a way to ſave and deliver them out of this ſinful and miſerable eſtate, and to bring then into an eſtate of ſalvation; and that was by giving his only begotten Son to be their Redeemer; who, being God, and one with the Father, according to the determinate counſel of God, did, in the fulneſs of time, take upon him our nature, a true body and a reaſonable ſoul, and became man, being conceived by the Holy Ghoſt, born of the Virgin Mary, and called Jeſus.
7thly, I believe that this Jeſus was the true Meſſiah, promiſed to, and expected by the patriarchs, under the old Teſtament. That he lived a holy and ſinleſs life, and fulfilled all righteouſneſs, being made under the law, that he underwent the miſeries for ſin, a curſed death upon the croſs thereby ſatisfying divine juſtice for the ſins of men, and ſo reconciling us to God, and bringing in an everlaſting righteouſneſs. That he was buried, and that, having conquered death, he roſe again the third day; and having commiſſioned his apoſtles and miniſters to preach the goſpel to all the world, he aſcended into heaven, where he is, and continues to be God and man, our prevailing Interceſſor with the Father, and the glorious head over all things to the Church, in all this, gloriouſly executing the three great offices of Prophet Prieſt and King.
8thly, I believe that in Jesus Christ there is a new Covenant of Grace, made and published in the Gospel, the tenor of which is, that all those who, in the sight and sense of their lost and undone condition by nature, come to Jesus Christ and truly repent of all their sins, and heartily renounce the devil, the world, and the flesh, and all their own righteousness in point of justification, and, by a lively faith, cordially resign themselves to Jesus Christ, as their Prince and Saviour, covenanting to be his humble servant, tho' not in all manner of Gospel obedience: shall have all their sins pardoned, their peace made, their persons justified, their natures sanctified & their souls and bodies eternally saved.
9thly, I believe that the Holy Spirit doth effectually apply the redemption purchased by Christ, to all the Elect by working in them that which is required of them, convincing them of sin, enlight'ning their minds with the knowledge of Christ, renewing their wills, and not only persuading them but powerfully enabling them to embrace Jesus Christ as he is freely offered in the Gospel: and that the spirit same continues to dwell in them and to work all their works in them; weakening their corruptions, strengthening their graces guiding their way, comforting their souls, witnessing their adoption, enabling them more and more to die unto sin and live unto righteousness, and keeping them faithful and stedfastly unto the end.
10thly, I believe that all true believers make up one invisible sanctified church, which is the mystical body of Jesus Christ, receiving vital influence from him as from their head and having communion in the same spirit of faith and love. And that all those who by Baptism outwardly profess faith in Christ, as the true Messiah, make up the universal visible church of Christ on earth, of which Jesus Christ is the only ruling head, and as such, hath instituted ordinances for Worship and discipline, which are to be observed and kept pure in particular churches, and hath appointed the standing office of a Gospel Ministry, or the church; and hath promised to be with them always to the end of the world.
11thly, I believe that God hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained, who will raise the bodies of all men from the grave and judge them all according to their works, sending the Wicked, Impenitent, and Unbeliever, into everlasting punishment; and receiving the righteous into life eternal, to be together for ever with the Lord. And that then he shall deliver up the kingdom to God even the Father, that God may be in all to eternity: and that this is the foundation of all revealed religion and a perfect sufficient rule of direction to the children of men.
And again, I am to take Christ for my prophet, to be taught by him what is my duty, and in this case I desire to learn of him as the only master, what is the will of God and renouncing my own wisdom, which I reckon but weakness and folly, I know and am persuaded, that I am r lost creature, that justice must be satisfied, that I am not able to satisfy it, nor no creature for me, that Christ is able, and his death and sufferings sufficient satisfaction: on this I throw my soul with its full weight; my duties I believe the best of them would sink me to the lowest pit and must needs be washed in that precious blood can have no acceptance with God but through his intercession, I can have nothing to do with God out of Christ nor to converse with but only through Christ, I am sensible that I have nothing to commend me to Christ that he may take my cause in hand, if he should damn me, he should do me no wrong, but the cord of love is let out, even the covenant in his blood, I accept of it, and at his command lay hold on it and venture: this is faith in spite of devils, and my heart is pleased with the glorious device of man's salvation through Christ, carrying all the praise to free grace and leaving nothing of it to the creature.
My soul is content of him for my king, and though I cannot be free of sin, God himself knows he would be welcome to make havoc on my lusts and to make me holy; I know no lust that I would not be content to part with my will bound hand and foot I desire to lay at his feet and it will strive whether I will or not I believe whatever God does to me is best done.
Lowliness of mind is not a flower that grows in the field of nature, but is planted by the finger of God in a renewed heart and learned of the lowly Jesus.
FINIS.