SELECTIONS FROM THE SICK MAN'S SALVE. Philemon. We greatly desire to hear the confession of your faith, that we may be able to testify hereafter, that you departed in the faith of Christ. Epaphroditus. I unfeignedly believe with my heart, and freely confess with my mouth, that there is one only, true, living, immortal, and everlasting God; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, three distinct persons in the Godhead, and notwithstanding, one very God in substance, of like majesty, glory, might, power, judgment, and will. A's touching the first person in the Deity, I unfeignedly believe with my heart, and freely confess with my mouth, that he is that God who alone is the Father, not only of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus, whom of himself from everlasting he begot, his very son, and therefore likewise true and immortal God; but also of all the faithful, not by nature, but by adoption, whom he hath chosen to be his children in Christ Jesus, before the foundations of the world were laid, to love, favour, cherish, comfort, nourish, govern, defend, and bless them, both corporeally and spiritually. This God the Father I believe and confess to be almighty, and able to do whatsoever his godly will and pleasure is. With him all things are possible. There is nothing too hard for him to do, neither is any thing impossible in his sight. This God the FATHER ALMIGHTY, I believe and confess to be the Creator and Maker of Heaven and Earth, and of all things contained in them. Of nothing, by his wonderful and almighty power, he made the heavens, with the blessed angels, and heavenly spirits ihat are in them. The one he chose to be his glorious seat; the other he made to be his ministers, to do his blessed will and holy commandment. This God, the Father Almighty, made also the earth of nothing, with her increase ; and gave breath to the people that are in it, and spirit to them that dwell therein. The heavens, the earth, and the sea, with all that ever is contained in them, are the creatures of this God the Father Almighty, created unto this end, even that they should set forth, magnify, praise, and commend the majesty, power, might, and glory of this most mighty and gloiious God. And whatsoever he made, he made it through his only begotten Son, by whom all things were made, and without whom was made nothing that was made. For when he made the heavens, this his only begotten Son was present; when he hanged the clouds above, when he fastened the springs of the deep, when he shut the sea within certain bounds, that the waters should not go over the marks that he commanded; when he laid the foundations of the earth, he was with him, ordering all things, delighting daily, and rejoicing always before him. (Prov. viii.) For the Son of God caused the light that faileth not to arise in the heaven, and covered all the earth as a cloud. And the princely prophet saith, By the word of the Lord, which word is Christ, the very Son of God, were the heavens made, and all the hosts of them by the breath of his mouth. This God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, I believe and am fully persuaded, that he for Christ's sake, by faith, is my most merciful Father, and that I am born again of him, not by mortal, but immortal seed, through the word of God, who liveth and abideth for ever, and so am become his son; and that he therefore loves and favours me, governs and defends me, feeds and nourishes me, and finally has made me his heir, and fellow heir of eternal glory with his only begotten and most dearly-beloved Son, Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour, Now have you heard my faith concerning God the Father. Ph. It is a faith both true and christian, and from the beginning received of all godly persons. Will it please you likewise to rehearse your faith concerning Jesus Christ the Son of God, yea God and man? Ep. This is it. I unfeignedly believe with my heart, and freely confess with my mouth, that Jesus Christ the second person in the Godhead, is the only begotten Son of God; yea also the true, immortal, and ever-living God, begotten of God the Father, before any beginning ; of like majesty, might, power, and glory with God the Father ; of the same nature, essence, being, and substance. I believe that this Jesus Christ, who is the very brightness of his Father's glory, and the very image of his substance, first begotten before all creatures, is our Lord, even the Lord of all the faithful. And I believe that as he is called ܕܙ Jesus, that is to say a Saviour, so likewise he is both able and will save me from all my sins. A God that is righteous, and such a one as saveth, there is none but he. There is salvation in none other. Neither is there any other name under heaven given unto men, wherein we may be saved, but only the name of Jesus. Of him therefore alone, as of an almighty Saviour, do I look for my salvation. For vain is the saving health that is looked for of any other. And as he is called Christ, that is to say, anointed, because he is the King and Priest of all the peo. ple of God, and is anointed with the true ointment, even with the fulness of the Holy Ghost, (for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him, but he hath anointed him with the oil of gladness above his fellows,) even so do I believe, that out of him, even as out of a lively spring and flowing fountain, this oil of gladness, I mean the Holy Ghost, came forth upon all the members of Christ, and they also in him and through him, are made Christ's, that is to say, the anointed of the Lord. For of his fulness have all we received, even grace for grace. And whosoever believeth on him, as saith the scripture, floods of living water shall flow out of his heart. As I am of this Christ called a christian, so do I believe that this Christ hath anointed me with his Holy Spirit, and therewith also sealed me up unto everlasting life. For they that are led with the Spirit of God are the sons of God. For the same Spirit certifieth our spirit, that we are the sons of God. If we be sons, then are we also heirs; the heirs I mean of God, and fellow heirs with Christ, of eternal glory. Furthermore, I believe that Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is called our Lord, not only because he is Lord of all things, inasmuch as he is God, and hath all things in subjection unto him, by the right of his divine nature ; but also because he is the Lord, Ruler, and Governor of all the elect and chosen people of God, and mightily delivers them from the power, violence, and tyranny of Satan, sin, and death; by this means making them his own and peculiar people, and continually defends and preserves them against all evils and perils, whereunto they should daily fall through the deceitful subtleties of Satan, the vain persuasions of the world, and the poisonful enticements of the flesh, if by the mighty power of him they were not preserved. For although there are many lords, yet we have but one Lord, even Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. And this Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, I faithfully believe to be my Lord, my Protector, my mighty Shield, Buckler, and Defender, and that he hath delivered me from the tyranny of Satan, from the law of sin and death, and brought me in through faith, unto this grace, wherein I stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Moreover, I unfeignedly believe with my heart, and freely confess with my mouth, that this Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is also very true and natural man, of the same flesh and blood with us, and like unto us in all points, sin alone excepted. And he became man, not after the manner of other men, but by the wonderful operation, above natural working, of God's Holy Spirit. For he was conceived of the Holy Ghost, and born of the virgin Mary, a pure and undefiled virgin. It was necessary that Jesus Christ should be so both conceived and born, that by this his pure and clean birth, he might wash and put away the corruption and filthiness of our nature, which was distained in the fall and sin of Adam. For it was not convenient, that he who was come to cleanse the world from all sin, should in any point be spotted with sin, but that both his conception and nativity should be so pure, and without blemish, that by the pureness thereof the filthiness and corruption of our conception and nativity might be put away. For of the unclean, who can be cleansed ? All we are unclean in Adam, both concerning our conception and birth. For after that God had made man like unto his own similitude and image, he placed him in paradise, and gave him liberty to eat of all the fruits in the garden of pleasure, except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. But man disobeyed the Lord his God, and transgressed his holy commandment. Through which disobedience and transgression of God's holy commandment, sin, curse, and death came over all mankind; so that now in Adam, so many as are born after the common course of nature, are begotten, conceived, and born in sin. They are the children of wrath, and defiled with all uncleanness, both bodily and of the mind. Now when there was no help nor comfort for man, whereby he might be redeemed out of Satan's power, and delivered from the intolerable miseries wherewith he was so very wretchedly wrapped and brought into slavery, for now man with all his thoughts, imaginations, devices, words, deeds, enter prises, &c., is become, through the sin of Adam, wicked, impure, filthy, and sinful, then God that merciful Father, had pity upon mankind, and promised them a seed, even Jesus Christ his only begotten Son, who should tread down the head of the serpent, overcome the devil with all his power, and restore us to life again. And likewise, as God is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works, and true and faithful in all his words, even so hath he kept all his promises truly. For when the time was fully come, he sent his only begotten and dearly beloved Son, and through the working of the Holy Ghost, he became flesh, that is to say, true and natural man, as the scripture witnesses, saying, The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory as the glory of the only begotten Son of the Father, full of grace and verity. He brought not his body with him from heaven, but as he received all his divine nature and substance of God the Father alone, even so likewise did he take all human nature and substance of the pure virgin Mary alone, through the wonderful operation of the Spirit of God; as St. Paul saith, He was born of the seed of David after the flesh. Again, he saith, He that sanctifieth, and they which are sanctified, are all of one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying, I will declare thy name to my brethren, and in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold here am I and the children which God hath given me. Forasmuch therefore as the children were partakers of flesh and blood, He also himself likewise took part with them, for to put down, through death, him that had lordship over death, that is to say, the devil; and that he might deliver them, which, through the fear of death, were all their life-time in danger of bondage. For he in no condition taketh on him the nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham taketh he on him; wherefore in all things it became him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things concerning God, for to purge the people's sins, &c. |