Faith and Experience, Articles of faith – Interjection
Concerning the God-head.
I. I Believe there is a God, and that this God i… infinite. 1. In Subſtance. 2. In Holineſſe, and in Being, that there are 3 Perſons in the divine Being, The Father, the Sonne, the Holy Ghoſt, each one God, and yet in being but one God.
Concerning the way to come to know God.
II. I believe, that this God is made knowne to us, by his Word and by his Workes: That there is a way of the knowledge of God, by the Scripture; and that there is a way of the knowledge of God in a more ſpeciall way, wherein God [by his Spirit] revealeth himſelfe to his people experimentally; yet according to Scripture.
Concerning the Word of God; the holy Scriptures.
III. I believe, That the holy Scripture is the very Word of God. 1. Becauſe it declares the Wiſedome of God. 2. Becauſe it diſcovers our vileneſſe and folly. 3. Becauſe it puts us upon purity. 4. Becauſe it reveales to us the great myſteries of Salvation. I believe, That God by this his Word is made knowne to us. 1. As he is in himſelfe by his Nature. 2 By his Names, which are his Attributes; or, [2. his Names of Relation.]
Concerning Gods works of Creation; and Providence.
IV. I believe, That this God is further made knowne to us, by his Workes of Creation. I believe His work of Creation, was his Creating of all things in heaven and earth. I believe, That God did create all things in heaven and earth: I put a difference between Creating, and Making: To make is to produce ſomething out of ſomething: To create is to produce ſomething out of nothing. I believe, that God did make all things in heaven and earth, for man, and man onelyonly for himſelfe and his ſervice.
Concerning the Creation of man in ſpeciall, and the ſtate of innocency in which he was created.
V. I believe, That God made man only for himſelfe and his ſervice. I believe, That man was made in ſuch an eſtate, whereby he was able to ſerve God, by that divine grace which was put into him by God himſelfe. I believe, That man (being thus created) was infinitely ingaged to ſerve his God, becauſe hee had thus made him, and all things elſe, for his uſe and ſervice. I believe, That all that God made [amongſt which was man] was exceeding good, and whatſoever was afterward not good was through the defect of the Creature. I believe, That man being thus made and engaged to ſerve his God, yet was made liable to fall.
Concerning the Fall of man.
VI. I believe, That Man fell, and that wholly from God, and that being thus fallen, God might juſtly have taken advantage upon fallen man, and have caſt him and his poſterity off, to all Eternity, as hee did the fallen Angels.
Concerning Gods workes of grace. 1. Of Election.
VII. I believe, There is an Election of Grace; and that according to that Election there ſhall be but a few that ſhall participate of the way of recovery by Ieſus Christ.
Concerning the work of Redemption and Reconciliation.
VIII. I believe, That there was no cauſe in man being fallen, to move God to recover him from that fallen eſtate: but onelyonly he was moved from his owne bowells. I believe, [being moved ſo from himſelfe] hee found out a way himſelfe for mans Recovery. I believe, That the way ſo found out, and the meanes by which alone fallen man can be reſtored, was by a Mediator taking upon him our Nature, that ſo he might pacifie the wrath of God for the ſinne of our Nature, that wee might thereby be fit to live with God in our Nature.
Concerning Originall ſinne.
IX. I believe, [That our Nature was ſinfull] and that the ſin of our Nature was the cauſe of all our ſorrowes temporall, and Eternall; we dyed ſpiritually at the inſtant of the fall, and all ſhall certainly dye a temporall death, and only ſome ſhall be delivered from dying eternally.
Further. Concerning the worke of Redemption and Reconciliation, the ſole Redeemer, the fruit of Redemption, the myſterie of conveyance, &c.
X. I believe, That as the whole Trinity did worke in the Creation of the world, ſo they did alſo equally worke in the worke of our Redemption: God the Father and the Holy Ghoſt ſending, and the Son being ſent and comming. [But] I believe, that Chriſt hath [alone] performed the worke of redemption and reconciliation, fully ſatisfying the Iuſtice of God to the utmoſt for all his. I believe alſo, that every man in the world is beholding to God for Ieſus Chriſt, for the enjoyment of their lives, and of the creatures, and that for the preſent they are reprieved from hell and damnation. I believe, That Reconciliation is to be found in no other, but in Ieſus Christ, who is the alone great Reconciler betwixt God and his people. I believe, That the worke of Redemption is a great myſterie: for the divine Nature to take upon him the humane nature, O it is a great Myſterie.
I believe alſo, That it is a great Myſterie, in regard of the way of its particular conveyance. And that Chriſt hath not onelyonly purchaſed this ſalvation, but alſo makes a particular Declaration of it. 1. By his Word. 2. By the Worke of his ſpirit on the ſoule. And 3. By the witneſſe of the ſpirit. I believe, That in this worke, Jeſus Chriſt purchaſed ſtrength for every beleever, to withſtand Sin, Death, and Hell.
Concerning Perſeverance in Grace.
XI. I believe, That by the Lord Jeſus Chriſt there is power purchaſed for every Believer, to withſtand Sinne, Death, and Hell [Notwithſtanding that] the fallen Angels, the Devils, as they were the firſt occaſion of the fall, ſo they are great hinderers of this worke of [Grace and] Reſtauration, they having us at ſuch an advantage.
Concerning Death and the Reſurrection; and the Immortality of the ſoule.
XII. I believe, That all men according to Gods appointment muſt [dye, and] continue in the Grave. The bodies [I meane] of every Man and Woman, that ſo they might be made fit for eternity, ſome for eternall wrath, others for eternall glory. I believe, That the ſoules of all immediately after death, goe to God that gave them, there to give an account for what they have done in the fleſh. I believe, that the Reſurrection of the Saints to grace here, and glory hereafter, is purchaſed by the Death, Reſurrection, and Aſcenſian of Jeſus Chriſt. I believe, That the ſame bodies both for ſubſtance and forme, every joint and limbe ſhall riſe againe, and not a bone ſhall be wanting. A ſubſtantiall body both for fleſh and bones, that I prove by Chriſts reſurrection who was raiſed with the ſame body.
Object. But, you will ſay, Chriſts body lay but three dayes in the Grave, and ſo his body was not rotted in the duſt, but ours will lye ſo long that our bodies ſhall be turned into duſt.
Anſ. I Anſwer. The ſame power that made the body of Adam out of the duſt, the ſame power can raiſe our bodies again, although turned to duſt: So that the worke of Reſurrection is a curious worke, and ſecretly wrought in the wombe of the earth, as the child is ſecretly wrought in the womb of the mother. There ſhall be the ſame matter to make the bodies of in the Reſurrection at the laſt day that there was when God firſt formed the body of Adam, viz. The Duſt of the earth. The ſame power ſhall raiſe all our bodies, though turned to duſt.
Concerning the day of Iudgement.
XII. I believe, That Chriſt ſhall come perſonally to judge the world, and that with an audible voice, & by the word of his mouth, he ſhall raiſe the dead; And that at the day of judgement all the ſins of the godly ſhall be laid upon Ieſus Christ. They here in the world accuſe themſelves for ſinne, and ſo ſhall be excuſed at the laſt day. It is the office of conſcience to accuſe here or hereafter. Conſcience having done its office, there ſhall be nothing objected againſt them at that day, But they ſhall heare that bleſſed Sentence, Come ye bleſſed of my Father.
Concerning Glorification & heaven.
XIV. I believe, The godly at the day of Iudgement ſhall heare that bleſſed Sentence, Come yee bleſſed of my Father, inherit the Kingdome prepared for you before the beginning of the world.
I believe, In Heaven there ſhall be no Infant of dayes, nor old man of yeares. The corruptible life of of the creature ſhall not inherit eternall life; there ſhall no weakneſſe, no deformity what ever accompany that life; there ſhall be no eating nor drinking in it, but ſinging Hallelujahs to God for ever. I will conclude with the Pſalmiſt.
Pſalm. 139. I will praiſe the Lord for I am fearefully, and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works, and that my ſoule knowes right well.
Reader! Thou haſt thus far read her Faith; now hear her Storie, that was faithfully taken from her own mouth: And ſo alſo was this that followes, being the Relation of Gods dealings with her.