ARTICLE 7:

 

I believe that CHRIST rose from the grave, that I might rise from sin:

 

and that he is ascended into heaven, that I may come unto him.

 

 As CHRIST came from heaven to earth, so I believe he went from earth to heaven, and all for the accomplishment of my salvation; that after he had lived a most holy life, he died a most cruel death; that he was apprehended, arraigned, accused, and condemned, by such as could not pronounce the sentence against him, did not himself, at the same time, vouchsafe them breath to do it. But yet, as it was not in the power of death long to detain the LORD of Life, so I believe he rose again from the dead the third day; he lay three days, that I might believe he was not alive but dead; he rose the third day, that I might believe he is not dead, but lives; he is now ascended up into heaven, that he may make intercession to GOD’S mercy for my soul: thither I believe he is gone, and there I believe he is, not as a private person, but as the Head and SAVIOR of his Church; and, under this capacity, I believe he is as really preparing my mansion for me there, as I am preparing myself for that mansion here. Nay, I believe that he is not only preparing a mansion for me in heaven, but that himself is likewise preparing me for this mansion upon earth, continually sending down and issuing forth from himself fresh supplies and influences of his grace and SPIRIT, to qualify me for his service, and " make me meet to be partaker of his inheritance with the saints in light."

 

 Which inheritance, I believe, he claims for me, himself having purchased it with the price of his own blood; and as he has purchased the inheritance itself, so likewise the way unto it for me, and therefore sues out for the pardon of those sins, and subduing those corruptions, which would make me unworthy of it, and for the conveyance of those graces to me, whereby I may walk directly to it; not only saying to his FATHER concerning me, as PAUL said to PHILEMON concerning ONESIMUS,-"If this thy servant oweth thee any thing, set it upon my account, I will repay it;" but, 'What this thy servant oweth thee, it is set upon my score already, acid I have paid it: what punishment he is indebted to thee, for all the offences he has committed against thee, behold I have borne them already; see how I have been" wounded for his transgressions, and bruised for his iniquities; the chastisement of his peace was upon me; with my stripes, therefore, let him be healed."' (Isai. liii. d.)

 

 Thus, as he once shed his blood for me amongst men, he now pleads it for me before GOD; and that not only for the washing out the guilt of my transgressions, but likewise for the washing away the filth-of my corruptions; himself having purchased the donation of the SPIRIT from the FATHER, he there claims the communication of it unto me.

 

 And that he has thus undertaken to plead my cause for me, I have it under his own hand and seal; himself, by his SPIRIT, assuring me, that if "I sin, I have an advocate with the FATHER, even JESUS CHRIST the Righteous." (I John 2: 1.) So that I believe he is not so much my Solicitor at the mercy-seat, as my Advocate at the judgment-seat of GOD; there pleading my right and title to the crown of glory, and to every step of the way that I must go through the kingdom of grace unto it.

 

ARTICLE VIII.

 

I believe that my Person is only justified by the merit of CHRIST imputed to me;

 

and that my nature is only sanctified by the SPIRIT of CHRIST implanted in me.

 

 THUS I believe only CHRIST to be my SAVIOR. It was he alone that trod the wine-press of his FATHER's wrath; it was he that carried on the great work of my salvation, being himself both the Author and Finisher of it; he alone; for what person or persons in the world could do it besides himself The angels could not, if they would; the devils would not, if they could; and as for my fellow-creatures, I may as well satisfy for their sins as they for mine; and how little able even the best of us are to do either, 1: e., to atone either for our own transgressions, or those of others, every man's experience will sufficiently inform him: for how should. we, poor worms of the earth, ever hope to raise a tower, "whose top may reach heaven " Can we expect, by the strength of our own hands, to take heaven by violence Or, by the price of our works, to purchase eternal glory It is a matter of admiration to me, how any one that pretends to the use of reason, can imagine, that he should be accepted before GOD for what comes from himself! For how is it possible that I should be justified by good works, when I can do no good works at all before I be justified My works cannot be accepted as good, until my person be so; nor can my person be accepted by God, until first engrafted into CHRIST; before which engrafting into the true vine, it is impossible I should bring forth good fruit; for the " plowing of the wicked is sin," (Prom. 21: 4,) says SOLOMON, "yea, the sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD." (Chap. 15: 8.) And if both the civil and spiritual actions of the wicked be sin, which of all their actions shall justify them before GOD

 

 I know not how it is with others, but for my Own' part I do not remember, neither do I believe, that I ever prayed with that reverence, or heard with that attention; or received the sacrament with that faith, or did any other work whatsoever, with that pure, heart and single eye, as I ought to have done; insomuch that I look upon all my " righteousness but as filthy rags;" and it is in the robes only of the righteousness of the SON of Got), that I dare appear before the Majesty of heaven. Nay, suppose I could at length attain to that perfection as to do good works, works exactly conformable to the will of God, yet, they must have better eyes than I, that can see how my obedience im one kind can satisfy for my disobedience in another; or how that which God commands from me, should merit any thing from him.

 

 No, I believe there is no person can merit any thing from God, but he that can do more than is required of him; which it is impossible any creature should do. For in that it is a creature it continually depends upon God, and therefore is bound to do every thing it can for him; especially considering that the creature's dependence upon God is such, that it is beholden to him even for every action that issues from it; without whom, as it is impossible any thing should be, so likewise that any thing should act, especially what is good.

 

 Upon this account, I shall never be induced to believe that any creature, by any thing it does or can do, can merit or deserve any thing at the hand of God, until it can be proved that a creature can merit by that which GOD does; or that GOD can be bound to bestow any thing upon us, for that which himself alone is pleased to work in us, and by us.

 

 It is not therefore in tile, power of any person in the world to merit any thing from God, but such a one who is absolutely co-essential with him, and so depends not upon him, either for his existence or actions; and as there is no person can merit any thing from God, unless he be essentially the same with him, so likewise unless he be personally distinct from him; forasmuch as, though a person may be said to merit for himself, yet he cannot be said to merit ally thing from himself. So that he that is not as perfectly another person from God, as really the same in nature with him, can never be said to merit any thing at his hands.

 

 From all which I may safely fix my faith in this Article, viz., That there was only one person in the whole world that could do this great work for me, of justifying my person before God, and so glorifying my soul with him; and that was the SON of GOD, the Second Person in the glorious Trinity, begotten of the Substance of the FATHER, from all eternity; whom I believe to have brought about the great work of my justification before GOD, after this or the like manner.

 

 He being, in and of himself, co-equal, co-essential, and co-eternal with the FATHER, was in no sort bound to do more than the FATHER himself did; and so, whatsoever he should do, which the FATHER did not, might justly be accounted as a work of supererogation'; which, without any violation of divine justice, might be set upon the account of some other persons. And hereupon, out of compassion to fallen man, he covenants with his FATHER, that if it pleased his Majesty to accept it, he would take upon him the suffering of those punishments which were due from him to man, and the performance of those duties which were due from man to him; so that whatsoever he should thus humble himself to do or suffer, should wholly be upon the account of man, himself not being any ways bound to do or suffer more in time than he had from eternity.

 

 This motion, the FATHER, out of the riches of his grace and mercy, was pleased to consent unto: And here upon, the SON, assuming our nature, becomes subject and obedient both to the moral and ceremonial laws of his FATHER; and at last to death itself, "even the death of the cross." In the one he paid an active, in the other, a passive obedience; and so did not only Fulfill the will of his FATHER, in obeying what he had commanded, but satisfied his justice in suffering the punishment due to us for the transgressing of it. His active obedience, as it was infinitely pure and perfect, did, without doubt, infinitely transcend all the obedience of the sons of men, even of ADAM in his primitive state; for the obedience of ADAM was but the obedience of a finite creature, whereas the obedience of CHRIST was the obedience of one that was infinitely GOD as well as man. By which means, the laws of God had higher obedience performed to them than themselves, in their primitive institution, required; for being made only for finite creatures, they could command no more than the obedience of finite creatures; whereas the obedience of CHRIST was the obedience of one who was the infinite Creator, as well as a finite creature.

 

 Now this obedience being more than CHRIST was bound to, and only performed upon the account of those whose nature he had assumed as we by faith lay hold upon it, so God, through grace, imputes it to us, as if it had been performed by us in our own persons. And hence it is, that as in one place CHRIST is said to be " made sin for us," (2 Cor. 5: 21,) so_ in another place he is said to be "made our righteousness." (I Cor: 1: 3O.) And in the forecited place, (2 Cor, 5: 21,) as he is said to be " made sin for as," so we are said to be " made righteousness in Him." But what righteousness Our own No; " the righteousness of GOD;" radically his, but imputatively ours: and in this way we are said to be made " the righteousness of GOD," even by the righteousness of CHRIST'S being made ours, by which we are accounted righteous before GOD.

 

 The righteousness of CHRIST is either internal or external. His internal righteousness is the image of GOD, stamped upon every power and faculty of his soul. It is a copy of his divine righteousness, so far as it can be imparted to a human spirit. It is a transcript of the divine purity, the divine justice, mercy, and truth. It includes love, reverence, resignation, to his FATHER; humility, meekness, gentleness; love to lost mankind, and every other holy and heavenly temper; and all these in the highest degree, without any defect, or mixture of unholiness.

 

 It was the least part of his external righteousness, that he did nothing amiss; that he knew not outward sin of any kind, ` neither was guile found in his mouth; '.that he never spoke one improper word, nor did one improper action. Thus far it is only a negative righteousness, though such an one as never did, nor ever can, belong to any one that is born of a woman, save himself alone. But even his outward righteousness was positive too: He did all things well: In every word of his tongue, in every work of his hands, he did precisely ` the will of Him that sent him.' In the whole course of his life, he did the will of GOD on earth, as the angels do it in heaven. All he acted and spoke was exactly right in every circumstance. The whole and every part of his obedience was complete. ` He Fulfilled all righteousness.'

 

 But his obedience implied more than all this: It implied not only doing, but suffering; suffering the whole will of GOD, from the time he came into the world, until ` he bore our sins in his own body upon the tree; ' yea, till, having made a full atonement for them, he ` bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.' This is usually termed the passive righteousness of CHRIST; the former, his active righteousness. But as the active and passive righteousness of CHRIST were never in fact separated from each other, so we never need separate them at all, either in speaking or even in thinking. And it is with regard to both these conjointly, that JESUS is called, ` The LORD our Righteousness.'

 

 " But when is it that the righteousness Of CHRIST IS imputed to us; and in what sense is it imputed Itis imputed to every one that believes, as soon as he believes faith, and the righteousness of CHRIST, are inseparable. All believers are forgiven and accepted, not for the sake of any thing in them, or of any thing that ever was; or ever can be done by them; but wholly and solely, for the sake of what CHRIST has done and suffered for them. And this is not only the means of our obtaining the favor of GOD, but of our continuing therein."

 

 And thus it is into the merit of CHRIST that I resolve the whole work of my salvation; and this, not only as to that which is wrought without me for the justification_ of my person, but likewise as to what is wrought within me for the sanctification of my nature. As I cannot have a sin pardoned without CHRIST, so neither can I have a sin subdued without him: neither the fire of GOD’s wrath can be quenched, nor yet the filth of my sins washed away, but by the blood of CHRIST.

 

 So that I wonder as much at the doctrine that some men have advanced concerning free-will, as at that which others have broached in favor of good works; and it is a mystery to me, how any that ever had experience of GOD’s method in working out sin, and planting grace in our hearts, should think they can do it by themselves, or any thing in order to it. Not that I do in the least question, but that every man may be saved that will; for this, I believe, is a real truth; but I do not believe, that any man, of himself, can will to be saved. Yea, it is as impossible for my soul to will salvation of itself, as to enjoy salvation with GOD.

 

 And this my faith is not grounded upon a roving fancy, but the most solid reasons: forasmuch as of ourselves we are not able, in our understandings, to discern the evil from the good much less then are we able, in our wills, to prefer the good before the evil; the will never settling upon any thing, but what the judgment discovers to it.

 

 But now, that my natural judgment is unable to apprehend and represent to my will the true and only good under its proper notion, my own too sad experience would sufficiently persuade me, though I had neither Scripture nor reason for it. And yet, the Scripture also is clear in this point, that I could not have denied it, though I should never have had any experience of it; the Most High expressly telling me, that " the natural man receives not the things of the SPIRIT of GOD, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Cor. 2: 14.) " Neither can he know them," 1: e., there is an absolute impossibility in it, that any one remaining in his natural principles, without the assistance of GOD, should apprehend, or conceive the excellency of spiritual objects. So that a man may as soon read the letter of the Scripture without eyes, as understand the mysteries of the Gospel without grace. And this is not at all to be wondered at, especially if we consider the infinite disproportion betwixt the object and the faculty; the object to be apprehended being nothing less than the best of beings, GOD; and the faculty, whereby we apprehend it, nothing more than the power of a finite creature, polluted with the worst of evils, sin.

 

 So that I believe, it is a thousand times easier for a worm, a fly, or any other despicable insect whatsoever, to understand the affairs of men, than for the best of men, in a natural state, to apprehend the things of GOD. NO; there is none can know God, nor by consequence, any thing that is really good, but only so far as they are partakers of the divine nature: we must, in some measure, be like to God, before we can have any true conceptions of him, or be really delighted with him. We must have a spiritual sight, before we can behold spiritual things; which every natural man being destitute of, he can see no comeliness in CHRIST, why he should be desired; nor any amiableness in religion, why it should be embraced.

 

 And hence it is that I believe, the first work of GOD upon the soul, in order to its conversion, is to clear up its apprehensions about spiritual matters, so as to enable the soul to look upon God as the chief good, and the enjoyment of him as the greatest bliss; whereby the soul may clearly discern betwixt good and evil, and evidently perceive that nothing is good but so far as it is like to GOD; and nothing evil, but so far as it resembles sin.

 

 But this is not all the work that God has to do upon a sinful soul to bring it to himself; for though I must confess, that in natural things, the will always follows the ultimate dictates of the understanding, so as to choose what the understanding represents as good, and to refuse whatever appears to be evil; I say, though I must confess it is so in natural, yet I believe it is not so in spiritual matters.

 

 For though the understanding may have never such clear apprehension of spiritual good, yet the will is not at all affected with it, without the joint operations of the grace of GOD upon us; all of us too sadly experiencing, that though our judgments condemn what we do, yet we cannot choose but do. it; though our understandings clearly discover to us the excellency of grace and glory, yet our wills, overpowered with their own corruptions, are hurried into sin and misery. I must confess it is a truth which I could scarcely have believed, if I had not daily experience of it: But, alas! There is scarce an hour in a day, but I may go about lamenting, with *: Though I see what is good, yea, and judge it to be the better, yet I very often choose the worse.

 

 And the reason of it is, because, as by our fall from GOD the whole soul was desperately corrupted, so it is not the rectifying of one faculty that can make the whole straight; but as the whole was changed from holiness to sin, so must the whole be changed again from sin to holiness.

 

 And hence it is, that where God intends to work over a soul to himself, he doth not only pass an enlightening act upon the understanding and its apprehensions, but likewise a sanctifying act upon the will and its affections; that when the soul perceives the glory of God, and the beauty of holiness, it may presently close with, and entertain it with the choicest of its affections. And without GOD’s thus drawing it, the understanding could never allure the soul to good.

 

 And therefore it is, that for all the clear discoveries which the understanding may make to itself concerning the glories of the invisible world, yet GOD assures us, it is himself alone that affects the soul with them, by inclining its will to them; for it is GOD " which worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure." (Phil. 2: 13.) So that, though GOD offer heaven to all that will accept of it in his Holy Scripture, yet none can accept of it but such whom himself stirs up by his HOLY SPIRIT to endeavor after it.

 

 Sure, to say none shall be saved but those that will of themselves, would be sad news for me, whose will is naturally so backward to every thing that is good. But this is my comfort, I am as certain my salvation is of GOD, as I am certain it cannot be of myself. It is CHRIST who vouchsafed to die for me, who has likewise promised to live within me; it is he that will work all my works, both for me and in me. too. In a word, it is to him I am beholden, not only for my spiritual blessings, but even for my temporal ones too, which, in and through his name, I daily put up my petitions for. So that I have not so much as a morsel of bread from Go D, but only upon the account Of CHRIST; not a drop of drink but what flows unto me in his blood. It is He that is the very blessing of all my blessings, without whom my very mercies would prove but curses, and my prosperity would but work my ruin.

 

 “Whither, therefore, should I go," my blessed SAVIOR, " but unto thee Thou hast the words of life." And how shall I come but by thee Thou hast the treasures of all grace. O thou that hast wrought out my salvation for me, be pleased likewise to work this salvation in me. Give me, I beseech thee, such a measure of thy grace, as to believe in thee here upon earth; and then give me such degrees of glory, as fully to enjoy tile, for ever in heaven.

 

ARTICLE 9:

 

I believe GOD entered into a double covenants with man; the covenant of works made with the first, and the covenant of grace made in the second, ADAM.

 

 THAT the Most High God should take a piece of earth, work it up into the frame and fashion of man, and breathe into his nostrils the breath of life, and then should enter into a covenant with it, and should say, “ Do this and live," when man was bound to do it, whether he could live by it or not, was, without doubt, a great and amazing act of love and condescension; but that when this covenant was broken by the first, God should instantly vouchsafe to renew it in the second, Adam, and that oo upon better terms, and more surprising mercy: for the same say that Adam eat of the forbidden fruit, did God make his this promise, tha "the seeed of the woman should bruise the serpents’s head.”

 

 And this promise the afterwards explained and confirmed by the mouth of his Prophet Jeremiah saying, “this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those day; I will put my law into their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and I will be to them a GOD, and they shall be to me a people." (Jer. xxxi. 33.) And again, by ST. PAUL, under the New Testament, almost in the self-same words. (Heb. viii. 1O.)

 

 A covenant so gracious and condescending, that it seems to be made up of nothing else but promises. The first, was, properly speaking, a covenant of works, requiring on man's part a perfect and unsinning obedience, without any extraordinary grace or assistance from GOD to enable him to perform it; but here in the second, GOD undertakes both for himself and for man too, having digested the conditions to be performed by us into promises to be Fulfilled by himself, viz.

 

 That he will not only pardon our sins if we do repent, but that he will give us repentance, that so we may deserve his pardon; that he will not only give us life if we come to CHRIST, but even draw us to CHRIST, that so he may give us life; and so, not only make us happy, if we will be holy, but make us holy, that so we may be happy.

 

 But still, all this is in and through CHRIST, the Surety and Mediator of this covenant, in whom all " the promises are yea, and Amen." (2 Cor. 1: 2O.) So that CHRIST may be looked upon, not only as a surety, but as party in this covenant of grace, being not only bound to GOD, but likewise covenanting with him for us. As GOD-man, he is a surety for us; but as man, he must needs be a party with us, even our Head in the covenant of grace, as ADAM was in the covenant of works.

 

 What therefore, though I can do nothing in this covenant of myself Yet this is my comfort, that He has undertaken for me, who can do all things. And therefore it is called a covenant of grace, and not of works, because in it there is no work required from me, but what, by grace, I shall be enabled to perform.

 

 As he is nothing but what he is unto us, so he does nothing but what he does for us. So that whatsoever GOD does by his ordinary Providence, or (if our necessity requires) whatsoever he can do by his extraordinary power, I may be sure he does and will do for me.

 

 Now he has given himself to me, and taken me unto himself, what will he not do for me that he can And what can he not do for me that he will Do I want food GOD can drop down manna from the clouds, or bid the quails come down and feed me with their own flesh: or, he can send me ravens to bring me bread and flesh, as they did his Prophet ELIJAH. Am I thirsty GOD can broach the rocks, and dissolve the flints into floods of water. Am I cast into a fiery furnace He can suspend the fury of the raging flames. Am I thrown amongst the devouring lions He can stop their mouths, and -make them as harmless lambs. Am I swallowed up by the waves of the tempestuous ocean GOD can command a fish to come and ship me safe to land. Am I in prison Gore can but speak the word, as he did for ST. PETER, and the chains shall immediately fall off, and the doors fly open, and I shall be set at liberty. And thus I can have no wants, but God can supply them; no doubts, but GOD can resolve them; no fears, but GOD can dispel them; no dangers, but GOD can prevent them. And it is as certain that he will, as that he can, do these things for me.; himself having by covenant engaged and given himself unto me.

 

 And as in GOD’s giving himself he has given whatsoever he is, and whatsoever he has, unto me, and will do whatsoever he can do for me; so in my giving myself to him, whatsoever I have I am to give to him, and whatsoever I do I am to. do for him.

 

 But now, though we should thus give ourselves up wholly to GOD, and do whatever he requires of us; yet there is an infinite disproportion betwixt the grant on GOD’s part, and that on ours, in that he is GOD, and we but creatures, the work of his own hands, to whom it was our duty to give ourselves, whether he had ever given, himself to us or no. He is ours by covenant only, not by nature; we are his by covenant and nature too.

 

 Hence we may infer, that it is not only our duty to do what he has commanded us, because he has said, " Do this, and live; " but because he has said " do this;" yea, though he should say, Do this, and die, it would still be our duty to do it, because we are his; wholly of his making, and therefore wholly at his disposing.

 

 But if it were my duty to obey his commands, though I should die for it, how much more when he has promised I shall live by it Nay, I shall not only live if I obey, but my obedience 'itself shall be my life and happiness; for if I be obedient unto him, he is pleased to account himself as glorified by me; "for herein is my FATHER glorified, if ye bring forth much fruit." Now what greater glory can possibly be desired, than to glorify my Maker It is not therefore my duty only, but my glory,. to give myself, and whatsoever I am, unto him " to glorify him both in, my body and in my spirit, which are his; " (1 Cor. vi,.2O;) to lay out whatsoever I have for him; 11 to honor him with all my substance;" (Prov, 3: 9;) cc and whether I eat or drink, or whatsoever I do, to do all to his glory," (1 Cor. 10: 3L);: Not as if it was possible for GOD to receive more glory from me, more than he had, in himself from all eternity, No; he was, infinitely glorious then, and it is impossible for him to be more glorious now: all that we can do, is duly to acknowledge that glory which he has in himself, and to manifest it before others.; which, though no addition to his glory, yet is the perfection., of ours, which he is pleased to account as his.

 

 As for the grant, therefore, in the covenant of grace, I believe it to be the same on our parts with that inn the covenant of works; 1: e., That we Christians are as much bound to obey the commands he lays upon us now, as the Jews under the old covenant were. What difference there is, is wholly and solely on GOD’s part; who, instead of expecting obedience from us, is pleased in this new covenant to give this obedience to us. Instead of saying, 41 Do this, and live," he has in effect said, I will enable you to do this, that so you may live. u I will put my laws into your minds, and write them in your hearts; and I will be to you a GOD, and you shall be to me a people." (Heb. viii. 1O.) So that God loth not require less from us, but only has promised more to us in the new than he did in the old covenant. Nay, as we have more obligations to obedience upon us now than we had before, by reason of GOD’s expressing more favor to us than formerly he did; so I believe he expects more from us under the new, than he did under the old covenant. In that he expected the obedience of men; in this, he expects the obedience of Christians, such as are by faith united unto CHRIST, and in CHRIST, unto himself; and so are to do what they do, not by the strength of man, but by the strength of the. eternal GOD himself; who, as he at first created me for himself, so he has now purchased me to himself, received me into covenant with him, and promised to enable me to perform the obedience he requires from me; and therefore he now expects I should lay out myself, even whatsoever I have or am, wholly for his glory.

 

 This therefore being the tenor of this covenant of grace, it follows, that I am now none of my own, but wholly God's: I am his by creation, and his by redemption, and therefore ought to be his by conversation. Why therefore should I live any longer to myself, who am not my own, but GOD’s And why should I grudge to give myself to him, who did not grudge to give himself to me Or rather, why should I steal myself from him, who have already given myself to him But did I say I have given myself to my GOD! Alas I it is but the restoring myself to him, whose I was ever since I had a being, and to whom I am still infinitely more engaged, that I can thus cordially engage myself to him; for as I am not my own but his, so the very giving myself to him, is not from myself, but from him. I could not have given myself to him, had he not first given himself to me, and even wrought my mind into this resolution of giving myself to him.

 

 But having thus solemnly, by covenant, given myself to him, how doth it behove me to improve myself for him! My soul is his, my body is his, my parts his, my gifts his, my graces his, and whatsoever is mine is his; for without him I could not have been, and therefore could have had nothing. So that I have no more cause to be proud of any, thing I have, or am, than a page has to be proud of his fine clothes, which are not his but his master's; who bestows all his finery upon him, not for his page's honor, but for his own.

 

 And thus it is with the best of us in respect of GOD. He gives men parts, and learning, and riches, and grace: But to what end Not to gain honor and esteem to ourselves, but to give him the honor due to his name; and so employ them as instruments in promoting his glory and service. So that whensoever we do not lay out ourselves to the utmost of our power for him, it is downright sacrilege; it- is robbing God of that which is more properly his, than any man in the world can call any thing he has his own.

 

 Having therefore thus wholly given up myself to GOD, so long as it shall please his Majesty to entrust me with myself, to lend me my being in the lower world, or to put any thing else into my hands, as time, health, or strength; I am resolved, by his grace, to lay out all for his glory, all the faculties of my soul, as I have given them to him: my understanding shall be his, to know him; my will his, to choose him; my affections his, to embrace him; and all the members of my body shall act in subserviency to him.

 

 And thus, having given myself to God on earth, I hope GOD, in a short time, will take me to himself is heaven; where, as I gave myself to him in time, he will give himself to me to all eternity.

 

ARTICLE 10:

 

I believe, that as GOD entered into a covenant of race with us,

 

so has he signed this covenant to us by a double seal,

 

Baptism, and the LORD'S Supper.

 

 As the covenant of works had two Sacraments, viz., u The Tree of Life, and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil;" the first signifying and sealing life and happiness to the performance; the other, death and misery to the breach of it; so the covenant of grace was likewise sealed with two typical sacraments, Circumcision, and the Passover. The former was annexed at GOD’s first making his covenant with ABRAHAM'S person; the other was added at his Fulfilling the promises of it, to his seed or posterity, which were therefore styled, " the promised seed." But these being only typical of the true and spiritual sacraments that were afterwards to take place upon the coming of the MESSIAH, there were then two other sacraments substituted in their stead, viz., a Baptism, and the Supper of the LORD." And these sacraments were both correspondent to the types by which they were represented.

 

 As to the first, viz., Circumcision, whether I consider the time of conferring it, or the end of its institution, I find it exactly answers to the Sacrament of Baptism in both these respects. For, as the children under the Law were to be circumcised in their infancy, at eight days old; so are the children under the Gospel to be baptized in their

 

infancy too.

 

 And as the principal thing intended in the rite of circumcision, was to admit the children of the faithful into the Jewish Church; so the chief design of baptism now, is to admit the children of Christians into the Church of CHRIST. And for this reason, I believe, that as under the Old Testament children had the grant of covenant privileges and church-membership, as really as their parents bad; so this grant was not repealed, as is intimated, (Acts 2: 39,) but farther confirmed in the New Testament, in that the Apostle calls the children of believing parents, holy: (1 Cor. 7: 14:) which cannot be understood of a real and inherent, but only of a relative and covenanted holiness, by virtue of which, being born of believing parents, themselves are accounted in the number of believers, and are therefore called holy children, in the same sense that the people of Israel were called a holy people: (Deut. 7: 6; 14: 2, 21:) as being all within the covenant of grace, which is sealed to them in their baptism.

 

 And though the seal be changed, yet the covenant privileges, wherewith the parties stipulating unto GOD were before invested, are no whit altered or diminished; believers' children being as really confederates with their parents, in the covenant of grace now, as they were before under the Jewish administration of it. And this seems to be altogether necessary; for otherwise, infants should be invested with privileges under the type, and be excluded from them under the more perfect accomplishment of the same covenant in the thing typified; and so, the dispensation of GOD’s grace would be more strait and narrow since, than they were before the coming of our SAVIOR, which I look upon to be no less than blasphemy to assert.

 

 And, upon this ground, I believe it is as really the duty of Christians to baptize their children now, as ever it was the duty of the Israelites to circumcise theirs. For children's right to baptism is grounded upon the outward profession of their believing parents; so that, as a king may be crowned in his cradle, not because he is able to wield the sceptre, or manage the affairs of his kingdom, but because he is heir to his father; so here, children are not therefore baptized because they are able to perform the conditions of the covenant, which is sealed to them, but because they are children to believing parents. And this seems yet to be farther evident from the very nature of seals, which are not administered or annexed to any covenant, because the conditions are already perms formed, but rather, that they may be performed; and so children are not baptized, because they are already true Christians, but that they may be so hereafter.

 

 As for a command for infant baptism, I believe that the same law that enjoined circumcision to the Jewish, enjoins baptism likewise to Christian children, there being the same reason for both. The reason why the Jewish children were to be circumcised, was, because they were Jewish children, born of such as professed the true worship of GOD, and were in covenant with him; and there is the same reason why Christian children are to be baptized, even because they are Christian children, born of such as profess the true worship of the same GOD, and are confederates in the same covenant with the Jews themselves.

 

 And as there is the same reason, so likewise the same end for both, viz., That the children might be actually admitted into the same covenant with their parents, and have it visibly confirmed to them by this initiating seal put upon them so that circumcision and baptism are not two distinct seals, but the same seal diversely applied; that one being but as a type of the other, and so to give place to it, whensoever, by the institution of CHRIST, it should be brought into the Church of GOD. And therefore, the command

 

for initiating children into the Church by baptism remains still in force, though circumcision, which was the type, and shadow of it, be done away. And for this reason, I believe that were there never a command in the New Testament for infant baptism, yet, seeing there is one for circumcision in the Old, and for baptism, as coming into the place of it, in the New, I should look upon baptism as necessarily to be applied to infants now, as circumcision was then.

 

 But why should it be supposed, that there is no command in the New Testament for infant baptism There are several texts that imply its being practiced in the first preaching of the Gospel, as particularly in the case of LYDIA, and the Keeper of the prison; (Acts 16: 15-33;) who had their whole families baptized; and we no where find, that children were excepted: on the contrary, ST. PETER, exhorting the converted Jews to be baptized, makes use of this argument to bring them to it,--,-For the promise," says he, "is unto you, and to your children;" (Acts 2: 38, 39;)'which may as reasonably be understood of their infants, as of their adult posterity. But besides, it was the express command of CHRIST to his disciples, that they should " go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST." (Matt. 28:19.) The meaning of which words I take to be this: " Go ye, and preach the Gospel amongst all nations," and endeavor thereby to bring them over to the embracing of it; that leaving all Jewish ceremonies, and heathenish idolatries, they may profess my name, and become my disciples, receive the truth, and follow me; which if they do, I charge you to " baptize them in the name of the FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST." For the word, *, doth not signify to teach, but to make disciples, denoting the same here, that ,*,doth upon the like occasion. (John 4: 1.)

 

 And this is the sense that all the ancient translations agree in; nor indeed will the text itself bear any other, especially not that of teaching; for though the Apostles should have taught all nations, yet they were not presently to baptize them, unless they became disciples, and professors of the doctrine that they were taught. A man may be taught the doctrine of the Gospel, and yet not believe it; and even though he should believe, yet unless he openly professes his faith in it, he ought not to he baptized.

 

 So that a man must, of necessity, be a professed disciple of the Gospel, before he can be admitted into the Church of CHRIST., And hence it is, that the words must necessarily be understood of discipling, or bringing the nations over to the profession of the Christian religion; or else, we must suppose what ought not to be granted, that our SAVIOR must command many that were visible enemies to his cross, to be received into his Church; for many of the Jews were taught the doctrines of the Gospel, who notwithstanding were inveterate enemies to CHRIST.

 

 Now, as it was in the Jewish Church, when any one became a proselyte, not only himself, but whatsoever children he had, were to be circumcised; so in the Church of CHRIST, whensoever any person is brought to the profession of the Christian religion, his seed are all invested with the outward privileges of it, though they be not as yet come to years of discretion, nor able of themselves to make their profession of that religion they are baptized into. For so long as children are in their infancy, they are looked upon as parts of their parents, and are therefore accounted holy by the outward profession which their parents, under whom they are comprehended, make of it.

 

 And hence I verily believe, that in the commission which our SAVIOR gave to his Apostles, to a disciple and baptize all nations," he meant, that they should preach the Gospel in all nations, and thereby bring over all persons of understanding to the profession of his name, and in them, their children; and so engraft both root and branch into himself, the true vine, by baptizing both parents and children, in "the name of the FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST."

 

 And as baptism thus comes in the place of the Jews' circumcision, so doth our LORD'S Supper answer to their Passover. Their Paschal Lamb represented our Savior CHRIST, and the sacrificing of it, the shedding of his blood upon the cross: and as the Passover was the memorial of the Israelites' redemption from Egypt's bondage, (Exod. 12: 14,) so is the LORD'S Supper of our -redemption from the slavery of sin; or rather, it is a solemn representation of the death of CHRIST, and offering it again to GOD, as an atonement for sin, and reconciliation to his favor.

 

 So that I believe this sacrament of the LORD'S Supper, under the Gospel, succeeds to the rite of sacrificing under the Law, and is properly called the Christian sacrifice, as representing the sacrifice of CHRIST upon the cross; and the end of both is the same: for, as the sacrifices under the Law were designed as a propitiation for sins, by transferring the punishment from the offerer to the thing offered; so, under the Gospel, we are told, that it was for this end our SAVIOR died, and suffered in our stead, that he might obtain the pardon of our sins, and reconcile us to his FATHER, by laying the guilt of them upon his own person; and accordingly, he says of himself, that a he came to give his life a ransom for many." (Matt. 20: 28.) And ST. PAUL tells us, that "he was made sin for us, who knew no sin." (2 Cor. 5: 21.)

 

 And as the end of both institutions was the same, so were they both equally extended. The Paschal Lamb was offered for all the congregation of Israel, and so is the Sacrament of the LORD'S Supper to be administered to all the faithful people in CHRIST. And, for this reason, I believe, that as all the congregation of Israel was to eat the Passover, so is all the society of Christians to receive the LORD'S Supper; those only excepted, who are altogether ignorant of the nature of that covenant, or openly guilty of the breach of the conditions it requires.

 

 But as in the institution of the Passover, there were some particular duties enjoined for the solemnization of it;; so there are some preparatory duties required for the celebration of the LORD'S Supper, which, before I presume to partake of it, I must use my utmost endeavors to exercise myself in. And these are,

 

 First, That I should examine, confess, and bewail my sins before GOD; with a true sense of, and sorrow for them and making, strong resolutions for the time to come utterly to forsake them, solemnly engage myself in a new and truly Christian course of life.

 

 Secondly, That I should be in perfect charity with all men, 1: e., that I should heartily forgive those who have any ways injured me; and make restitution or satisfaction to such whom I have in any respect injured or offended myself. And then,

 

 Thirdly, That I should with a humble and obedient heart exercise the acts of faith, and love, and devotion, during the celebration of the holy mystery; and express the sense I have of this mystery, by devout praises and thanksgiving for the great mercies and favors that God vouchsafes to me therein; and by all the ways and measures of charity, that he has prescribed, manifest my love to my Christian brethren.

 

 Do thou, O blessed JESUS! inspire my soul with such heavenly dispositions as these; and then I need not fear, but that as oft as I eat the flesh of CHRIST, and drink his blood, I shall effectually obtain the pardon of my sins, the sanctifying influences of his HOLY SPIRIT, and a certain interest in the kingdom of glory.

 

ARTICLE 11:

 

I believe that after a short separation, my soul and body shall be united together again,

 

in order to appear before the judgment-seat of CHRIST,

 

and be finally sentenced according to my deserts.

 

 I KNOW this body, which for the present I am tied to, is nothing else but a piece of clay; and therefore, as it was first taken from the dust, so shall it return to dust again But then I believe, that it shall as really be raised from the earth, as ever it shall be carried to it; yea, though -perhaps it may go through a thousand changes before that day come. He who framed me out of the dust, can with as much ease gather all the scattered parts of the body, and put them together again, as he at first formed it into such a shape, and infused into it a spiritual being.

 

 Thus says the LORD of Hosts, " Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise." (Isai. 26: 19.) "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some ' to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." (Dan. 12: 2.) And thus says the SAVIOR of the world, "who is the way, the truth, and the life; the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth, they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation." (John 5: 28, 29.) The same has it pleased his Divine Majesty to assert and prove with his own mouth, (Matt. 22: 31, 32,) and by his SPIRIT, (2 Cor. xv,) and in many other places: From all which, I may with comfort and confidence draw the same conclusion that holy JOB did, and say, "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see GOD; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another, though my reins be consumed within me." (Job xix. 25-27.)

 

 And, as I believe my body shall be thus raised from the grave, so I believe my soul shall never be carried to it; it shall never die, but shall be as much, yea, more alive when I am dying,-than it is now; my soul shall be the more active in itself, the less it is tied and subjected to the body.

 

 And farther, I believe, That so soon as ever my breath is out of my nostrils, my soul shall remove into the other world, there to live to eternity. Yea, I am more certain that my soul shall "return to God that gave it," than that my body shall return to the earth: for it is possible my body may be made immortal, but I am sure my soul shall never be mortal. I know, that at the first the body did equally participate of immortality with the soul, and that had not sin made the divorce, they had lived together to all eternity. And the time will come, when thousands of men and women shall not be dissolved and die, but be immediately changed and caught up into heaven, or to their eternal confusion thrust down into hell; whose bodies therefore shall undergo no such thing as rotting in the grave, or being eaten up of worms, but, together with their souls, shall immediately launch into the vast ocean of eternity. But who ever heard of a soul's funeral Can any disease arise in a spiritual substance, wherein there is no such thing as contrariety of principles or qualities to occasion any disorder or distemper Can an angel be sick, or die And if not an angel, why a soul, which is endowed with the same spiritual nature No, no! Deceive not thyself, my soul; for it is more certain, that thou shalt always live, than that thy body shall ever die.

 

 Not that I think my soul must always live, in despite of Omnipotence itself, as if it was not in the power of the ALMIGHTY, to take my being from me; for I know I am but as a potsherd in the Potter's hands, and that it is as easy for him to dash me in pieces now, as it.was to raise me up at the first. I know he could do it if he would, but himself has said, he will not. I have it under his own hand, that my "dust shall return to the earth as it was, and my spirit to God that gave it." (Eccles. 12: 7.) And if it return to GOD, it is so far from returning to nothing, that it returns to the Being of all beings; and so death to me will he nothing more than going home to my father and mother: my soul goes to my Father, GOD; and my body to my mother, earth.

 

 Thus likewise, has it pleased his sacred Majesty to assure me, that if "our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens: " (2 Cor. 5: 1: ) so clearly has the great GOD "brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel." (2 Tim. 1: 1O.) The light of nature shows the soul can never perish without the immediate interposition of GOD’s omnipotence; and we have his own word, that he will never use that power in the dissolution of it: and therefore I may with the greatest assurance believe, that as really as I now live, so really shall I never die; but that my soul, at the very moment of its departure from the flesh, shall immediately mount up to paradise, there to remain until the grand assizes, the judgment of the great day, when" the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." (1 Cor. 15: 52.) And when our bodies, by the word of the ALMIGHTY God, shall be thus called together again, J believe that our souls shall be all prepared to meet them, and be united again to them, and so both "appear before the judgment-seat of CHRIST, to receive sentence according to what they have done in the flesh, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." And from the light GOD has vouchsafed to give, I have grounds to believe it will be carried on after this manner:

 

 The day and place being appointed by the king of kings, the glorious Majesty of heaven, JESUS CHRIST, who long ago received his commission from the FATHER, to be the "Judge of quick and dead," (John 5: 22; Acts 17: 31,) " shall descend from heaven, with the shout of the archangel, and with the trump of GOD;" (1 Thess. 4: 16;) royally attended with an innumerable company of glorious angels. (Matt. 25: 31.) These he shall send with the great sound of a trumpet, and they "shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to the other; " (chap. 24: 31;) yea, and the wicked too, from whatsoever place they shall be in; and then shall he "sever the wicked from the just." (Matt. 13: 49.) So that all nations, and every particular person, that ever did, or ever shall live upon the face of the earth, shall be gathered together before him; and he shall " separate the one from the other, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats; and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats upon the left." (Matt. 25: '32,33.)

 

 Things being thus set in order, he shall declare and manifest himself to the the Judge of all the earth, sent by the GOD of heaven, to judge them that had condemned him, and in that very body that once was crucified at Jerusalem; so that all the world shall then behold him shining in all his glory and majesty, and shall acknowledge him to be now, what they would not believe him to be before, even both GOD and man, and the Judge of all the world, from whom there can be no appeal.

 

 And the first work he will go upon, will be to open the book of GOD’s remembrance, and to cause all the indictments to be read, that are there found on record against those on his right hand; but behold, all their sins being blotted out with their SAVIOR it's blood, and nothing but their good works, their prayers, their meditations, their alms, and the like, to be found there; the righteous Judge, before whom they stand, turning towards them, with a serene and smiling countenance, will declare to them, before all the world, that their sins are pardoned, and their persons accepted by him, as having believed in him; and therefore will he immediately proceed to pronounce the happy sentence, a Come, ye blessed of my FATHER, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."

 

 The sentence being thus pronounced, the righteous (and I hope myself among the rest) shall go up with shouts of joy and triumph, to sit with our blessed REDEEMER, to judge the other part of the world, who stand at the left hand of the tribunal, with ghastly countenances and trembling hearts, to receive their last and dreadful doom. Against these, all the sins that ever they committed, shall be brought up in judgment, and the indictment read against `every particular person, high or low, for every particular sin, great or small, which they have committed.

 

 And the truth of this indictment shall be attested by their own consciences, crying, Guilty, guilty. I say, by their own consciences, which are as a thousand witnesses; yea, and by-the omniscience of GOD too, which is as a thousand consciences. And therefore; without any farther delay, shall the Judge proceed to pronounce sentence of condemnation, a Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels."

 

 O may these awful thoughts always accompany me, and strike such a deep and lively impression upon my heart, in every action of life, as to deter me from offending this just and almighty Being, in whose power it is, "to destroy both body and soul in hell; " and engage me in such a course of life, as to be always ready, whenever he shall please to summon me, to give in my accounts at the grand audit, and with a holy assurance fly for mercy and succor into the hands of my REDEEMER, and be permitted to enter into the joys of his rest!

 

ARTICLE 12:

 

I believe there are two other worlds,

 

besides this I live in; a world of misery for unrepenting sinners,

 

and a world of glory for believing saints.

 

 I BELIEVE that at the great and general assizes of the world, there will be a glorious' entrance opened for the righteous into the holy of holies, the seat and fountain of all bliss and happiness, where they shall draw nigh to the Most High GOD, "behold his presence in righteousness," and reign with him for ever in glory, " where we shall see him face to face," (1 Cor. 13: 12,) "and know him the only true GOD, and JESUS CHRIST whom he has sent." (John 17: 3.) And this knowing and beholding God face to face, is, I believe, the very heaven of heavens, even the highest happiness that it is possible a creature should be capable of.

 

 O what a happy creature shall I then be, when I shall know and enjoy him that is, all things in himself! What can a creature desire more yea, what more can a creature be capable of enjoying or desiring', And that which will always accompany this our knowledge and enjoyment, is perfect love to what we enjoy and know, without which we should take pleasure in nothing, though we should have all things to take pleasure in. But who will be able not to love the choicest good, that knows and enjoys him

 

 And this I believe to be the perfection of my happiness in the other world; that I shall perfectly know and love, and so perfectly enjoy and rejoice in the Most High GOD; and shall be, as known, so perfectly loved, and rejoiced in by him.

 

 If we have but the least drop of these pleasures here on earth, how strangely do they lift us above ourselves! If we can but at any time get a glimpse of GOD, and his love, how are we carried beyond all other pleasures whatsoever! How apt are we to say with PETER, "It is good for us to be here!" And if the foretastes of the blessing of Canaan be so unspeakably pleasant, O what will the full possession of him be! What transporting ecstasies of love and joy shall those blessed souls be possessed with, who shall behold the King of Glory smiling upon them, rejoicing over them, and shining forth in all his love and glory!

 

 This is the crown of righteousness, which the LORD, the righteous Judge, reserves in heaven for me, and which, at his second coming, he has promised to bestow upon me, and not upon me only, but upon all them also that love his appearing.

 

 As to the state of the wicked in another life, I believe it will be as exquisitely miserable, as that-of the righteous is happy and glorious. They will " be driven for ever from the presence of the LORD," from those bright and blessed regions above, where "C1HIST sits at the right hand of GOD," to those dark and dismal dungeons below, where the Devil and his angels are for ever doomed to be tormented.

 

 What sort of torments they are thereto undergo I am as unable to express, as I am unwilling to experience; but according to the notions which Scripture gives me of these matters, I believe they will be two-fold, viz., 1. Privative; and, 2. Positive; 1: e., The wicked will not only be deprived of all that is good and happy, but actually condemned to all that is evil and miserable; and that in the most transcendent degree.

 

 The first part of their punishment will consist in envious melancholy, and self-condemning reflections upon their having lost not only their carnal_ mirth and sensual enjoyments, their friends, fortunes, and estates in this world, but also all the infinite joys and glories of the next, the presence of God, the society of saints and angels, and all the ravishing delights which flow from the fruition of the choicest good: and what adds to their anguish, is, that they have lost the very hopes of ever regaining any of those enjoyments.

 

 O how infinitely tormenting must such a condition be, which at once gives them a view of the greatest happiness, and the greatest misery, without the least hopes either of recovering the one, or being delivered from the other! How must they tear, torment, and curse themselves for their former follies; and too late wish that they had been stifled in the womb.

 

 And, if the bare privation of happiness be so tormenting, how will it fill their souls with horror and amazement, to behold the eternal GOD, the glorious JEHOVAH, in the fierceness of his wrath, continually threatening to pour out his vengeance upon them! How much more, when he positively consigns them over to the power of the Devil, to execute his judgment in full measure! When they are gnawed upon by the worm of their own consciences, feel the wrath of the ALMIGHTY flaming in their hearts, and fire and brimstone their continual torture And all this without the least allay or mixture of refreshment, or the least hopes of ending or cessation.

 

 In a word, when they have nothing else to expect but misery for their portion, weeping and wailing for their constant employment, and the Devil and damned fiends their only companions to all eternity! And this is that world of misery, which all that will not be persuaded to believe in CHRIST here, must be doomed for ever to live in hereafter.

 

 And what though I never did see the New Jerusalem that is above, nor the flaming Tophet that is below; yet since God himself has both related and described them to me, why should I doubt of them Why should not I a thousand times sooner believe them to be, than if I had seen them with mine own eyes I cannot so much believe that I have a pen in my hand, have a book before me, and am writing in it, as I do, and ought to believe, that I shall one day, and that ere long, be either in heaven. or hell; in the height of happiness, or depth of misery.

 

 Do thou, O my God, keep me steadfast in this faith, and give me grace so to prepare myself to appear before thee in the white robes of holiness, in another world, that whenever my dissolution comes, I may cheerfully resign my spirit into the hands of my Creator and Redeemer, and from this house of clay take my flight, into the mansions of glory, where CHRIST sits at the right hand of GOD; and with the joyful choir of saints and angels, and the blessed spirits of "just men made perfect," chant forth thy praises to all eternity.