the end of his life which he suffered both in soul and body they were the compleating of his formerly begun and running obedience but were not his only obedience for us or his only suffering for us for he had done and suffered much from his incarnation before his last passion and death but the highest degree of his obedience whereby he bought deliverance unto us from sin and misery and whereby he bought unto us immortality and eternall blessednesse in heaven was his death on the crosse compleating our ransom 3. Whereas some have said that one drop of His blood was sufficient to redeem moe worlds then one if there wre any moe it is but an inconsiderat speech and destitute of Scriptural authority for when Christ had suffered all things before the time of His death it behoved Him to be crucified also Luke 24. 26. but it behoved Him not to suffer more then justice required for a ransom but only as much as was agreed upon and no less could satisfie Now this commandment He received of the Father that He should lay down His life for His sheep Ioh. 10. 18. For the wisdom of God thought good to testifie His own holiness and hatred of sin and to testifie His love to the elect world and riches of His grace toward them to whom He would be mercifull by inflicting no less punishment of sin on the Mediator His own dear Son taking upon Himself full satisfaction to justice for all the sins of all the Elect given unto Him to redeem then the death both of His body and soul for a season And indeed it was suteable to His holy and soveraign Majesty that for the ransom of so many thousands and millions of damnable sinners and saving of them from everlasting torment of body and soul no less price should be payed by the Son of God made man and surety for them then His sufferings both in His body and soul for a season as much as should be equivalent to the due deserved punishment of them whom he should redeem and it became the justice of the infinite Majesty offended to be reconciled with so many rebels and to bestow upon them heaven and eternal blessedness for no less price then the sufferings of the eternal Son made man whose humiliation and voluntary obedience even to the death of the cross was of infinite worth and value and therefore he yieldeth himself to the sufferings agreed upon in the covenant of Redemption both in body and soul. Of the sufferings of Christ in His soul. OUr Lords sufferings in His body did not fully satisfie divine justice 1. because as God put a sanction on the law and covenant of Works made with us all in Adam that he and his should be lyable to death both of body and soul which Covenant being broken by sin all sinners became obnoxious to the death both of body and soul So the redeemed behoved to be delivered from the death of both by the Redeemers tasting of death in both kinds as much as should be sufficient for their redemption 2. As sin infected the whole man soul and body and the curse following on sin left no part nor power of the mans soul free So justice required that the Redeemer coming in the room of the persons redeemed should feel the force of the curse both in body and soul. Ob. But how can the soul die seing it is by the Ordinance of God in creation made immortal Ans. The death of the soul is not in all things like to the death of the body for albeit the spiritual substance of the soul be made immortal and not to be extinguished yet it is subject to its own sort of death which consists in the separation of it from communion with God in such and such degrees as justly may be called the death of the soul from which sort of death the immortality of the soul not only doth not deliver but also it doth augment it and perpetuat it till this death be removed Obj. But seing the humane sould of our Lord could never be separated from the permanent holiness wherewith it was endued in the first infusion of it in the body and could never be separated from the indissolvable personal union with the second person of the God-head assuming it how could His soul be subject to any degrees of death Ans. Albeit the con-con-natural holiness of the soul of Christ could not be removed nor the personal union of it be dissolved no not when the soul was separated from the body yet it was subject by Christs own consent to be emptied of strength-strength-natural to be deprived for a time of the clearness of vision of its own blessedness and of the quiet possession of the formerly felt peace and of the fruition of joy for a time and so suffer an ecclipse of light and consolation otherwise shining from His God-head and so in this sort of spiritual death might undergo some degrees of spiritual death The degrees of the suffering of Christs holy soul. AMong the deprâ—â—s of the death suffered by Christ in His soul we may number first that habitual heaviness of spirit which haunted him all the dayes of His life as was foretold by Isa. 53. 3. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief We hear He weeped but never that he laughed and but very seldom that he rejoiced 2. He suffered in speciall sorrow and grief in the observation of the ingratitude of them for whom he came to lay down his life we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not Isa. 53. 3. 3. The hardnesse of mens hearts and the malice of his own covenanted people and the daily contumelies and despightfull usage he found from day to day increased his daily grief as by rivolets the flood is raised in the river he was despised and rejected of men Isa. 53. 3. 4. He was tempted in all things like unto us and albeit in them all never tainted with sin Heb. 4. 15. yet with what a vexation of his most holy soul we may easily gather by comparing the holinesse of our Lord with the holinesse of his servants to whom nothing is more bitter then the firie darts of the devil and his suggestions and sollicitations to sin especially if we consider the variety of temptations the hainousnesse of the sins whereunto that impudent and unclean spirit boldly sollicited his holinesse Matth. 4. and withall the importunity and pertinacy of the devil who never ceased partly by himself partly by those that were his slaves and partly by the corruption which he found in Christs disciples to pursue presse and vex the God of glory all the time he lived on earth 5. The guilt of all the sins crimes and vile deeds of the elect committed from the beginning of the world was imputed unto him by accepting of which imputation albeit he polluted not his Conscience yet he burdened his soul binding himself to bear
strengthened and set forward to glorifie God in Christ in necessar duties As for the maner and measure to be keeped in the use of things lawfull prudence must be asked of God who will direct us in this as in other Christian duties CHAP. XVI Concerning the converts suspicion that his softness of heart is nothing but a natural disposition to weep upon any occasion VVHen the Lord hath taken away from the sinner a heart of stone and hath given unto him a heart of flesh so that he dar not any more harden himself against the threatnings of Gods Word but doth tremble at the hearing thereof as speaketh Isaiah 66. 2. and in his prayer doth pour forth his heart ordinarily with tears he may as experience hath taught fall in a suspicion of this ordinar or frequent melting of heart as if it were nothing else but a childish or woman-like temper of body and spirit and no evidence of contrition for spiritual causes which the Scripture requireth and commendeth in the penitent 2. In this case there is danger on either hand if the convert be not wary and circumspect in this condition for on the one hand he is in hazard of making light account of the work of God who hath taken from him the heart of stone and given him an heart of flesh On the other hand he is in hazard of laying too much weight on his tears if once he be satisfied about the suspicion he hath of his own tears and made clear that they were proofs and evidences of his sincerity in his prayers to God That there is a danger on either hand experience hath taught for some sincere converts having entertained the suspicion that their tears in prayer proceeded from the soft temper of their natural complexion disposition of spirit have resisted their inclination to mourn and striven against letting forth of tears so far that they have become so dry for a long time and have prayed more perfunctoriously then before that when just causes of grief and tears were given unto them they were not able to bring forth one tear for easing of their grieved heart On the other hand experience hath taught that some looking upon the expressions of the Saints in Scripture concerning their tears have laid so much weight upon their tears as they have numbered in a manner all the drops of their eyes and from the lesse or more quantity of them made reckoning of their own better or worse condition and of Gods acceptation of their prayers lesse or more 3. This tendernesse of heart and easinesse to be moved unto tears for spiritual motives is a rare gift Few they are who with sense of the body of death and original sin bearing them down do lament their natural sinfulnesse in their best condition with Paul Rom. 7. 24. Few shall be found so affectionat to the glory of God and salvation of peoples souls as to pour out tears both in secret and openly for promoving thereof as the Apostle did Act. 20. 19 21. and 2 Cor. 2. 4. Few like Timothy whose heart was so tender that the Apostle could not but observe his tears and remember them 2 Tim. 1. 4. Yet we doubt not that from age to age sundry be who by the grace of God have this constantly melting heart according to the measure of Gods free donation some with tears some without tears And therefore if there be found in such mourners an honest endeavour to walk circumspectly let not the suspicion that their tendernesse is but natural weaknesse of spirit or bodily complexion be entertained Only let the giver of the grace of a tender heart be relyed upon and not their tears as if they were any more then witnesses of their honest affection in spiritual exercises for such prayers may prove sincere and acceptable to God both when they cannot mourn and also when their heart seemeth withered hard and dry CHAP. XVII Concerning the converts suspicion that all his devotion is but lip-labour which is not joyned with a tender and melting heart and with Gods sensible approbation AS some are suspicious of their condition because of their ordinar tendernesse and melting of heart So other some are suspicious of their condition because they find not their heart tender and soft in their devotion All converts do agree in this that God must be worshiped in spirit and truth and that it is not acceptable worship to God if a man draw near him with his lips when his heart is far from him whereupon every convert when he is mindfull of his duty goeth about to worship God with understanding and inward affection of heart to confesse sin deprecat wrath ask of God things necessar interceed for others give thanks to God for his benefits and praise him for his works and working so as his affections may be conform to his expressions and the conscience may approve both his words and his hearty affections and God may with his peace and consolation approve the worshiper But some converts are who albeit in sincerity they worship God yet they count all their devotion to be but lip-labour except they find their affections wakened up and their heart tender and some vigour of spiritual life in their exercises and the sense of Gods approbation of their worship by giving sense of his peace and consolation to them in their worship Hence oft-times doth suspicion arise without just ground that they are deserted of God that he is displeased with them and this suspicion being entertained doth send forth complaints and bringeth on coldrifenesse in prayer and discouragement 2. This unjust suspicion of the grace of prayer the Lord doth oft-times chastise by with-drawing peace and comfort and order in prayer and of words also that he who complained that his devotion was but lip-labour because he sound not such measure of affection as he would have had nor that consolation which he wished to have shall find himself in worse taking after his complaining then he was in at first when he began to suspect his condition It is true that confusion of mind and want of words to expresse the case wherein he is may fall on a convert by reason of afflictions and manifold temptations and yet he may be free from this suspicion of Gods affection and acceptation of his person and prayers as the Apostle doth teach us Rom. 8. 26. Likewayes the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered But when this cutting short of the gift of prayer in any measure doth follow after suspicion of Gods respect and good will toward the complaining and discouraged convert it is a fatherly chastisement from God threatning the convert with a greater measure of desertion and heavier temptation except he repent his folly and return to God whom by his suspicion and misbelief he hath offended 3. For remedy of
their deserved punishment Now when we see that the vilest sinners as liars thieves adulterers cannot patiently hear themselves called liars or thieves nor bear the shame of the vilenesse whereof they are really guilty with what suffering of soul with what clouding of the glory of his holinesse think we that our Lord took upon his shoulders such a dunghill of all vilenesse then which nothing could more be unbeseeming his holy Majesty 6. Unto all the former degrees of suffering of his soul the perplexity of his thoughts fell on him with the admiration and astonishment of soul when the full cup of wrath was presented unto him in such a terrible way as made all the powers of his sense and reason for a time to be at a stand Which suffering of his soul while the Evangelist is about to expresse he saith he began to be sore amazed and also to be very heavy and to expresse himself in these words My Soul is exceeding sorrowfull unto death Mark 14. 33. 34. Obj. But did not this astonishing amazement of Christs soul speak some imperfection of the humane nature Ans. It did no wayes argue any imperfection or inlake of sanctity in him but only a sinlesse and kindly infirmity in regard of naturall strength in the dayes of his flesh for the mind of a man by any suddain and vehement commotion arising from a terrible object may without sinning be so taken up that the swift progresse of his mind in discourse may for a while be stopped and the act of reasoning suspended a while all the cogitations of the mind fleeing together to consult and not being able to extricat themselves in an instant may stand amazed and sit down a while like Jobs friends astonished Now our Lord taking on our nature and our common sinlesse infirmities became like unto us in all things except sin Daniels infirmity at the sight of an Angel was not sin Dan. 10. Obj. But doth not this astonishing admiration suddainly lighting upon Christs soul prove that something unforeseen of him did befall him Ans. Not at all for he knew all things that should befall him and told his disciples thereof and was at a point and resolved in every thing which was to come before it came But this astonishing amazement did only shew forth the naturall difference between things preconceived in the mind and these same things presented to sense for there is in the mind a different impression of the preconceived heat of a burning iron before it do touch the skin from that powerfull impression which a hot iron thrust into the flesh doth put upon the sense In regard of which naturall difference between foresight and feeling between resolution and experience this astonishment befell our Lord and in this regard Christ is said to learn experimentall obedience by these things which he suffered Heb. 5. 8. 7. Another degree of the suffering of our Lords soul is the interruption for a time of the sensible uptaking and feeling of that quiet and peaceable injoyment of the felicity of the humane nature given for the point of right unto it in its personall union with his God-head in so far that in the midst of many disciples Greeks and Jews looking on him the vehemency of his trouble did not suffer him to hide his perturbation for Ioh. 12. 27. our Lord cryed out Now is My Soul troubled and what shall I say and Mark 14. 34. made him declare his exceeding heavinesse My Soul is exceeding sorrowfull unto death In which words he insinuats that to his sense death was at hand yea that in no small measure it had seased on him and wrapped him up in the sorrows of death for the time as in a net of which he knew he could not be holden still Obj. But did not this hudge heap of miseries take away from the humane nature the felicity of its union personally with his God-head Ans. It did indeed hide it for a time and hinder the sensible feeling of it for a time as it was necessary in his deep suffering but it did not take it away nor yet eclipse it altogether for as a corporall inheritance hath a threefold connexion with the person owner thereof so a spirituall inheritance hath a threefold connexion with the believers soul. The first is of lawfull title and right the next is of possession of the inheritance according to the lawfull right the third is an actuall fruition and present feeling of the use of the inheritance The fruition and felt benefite and use may be marred or suspended the possession stand and the possession may be interrupted and suspended and the lawfull right remain firm Christ had not only an undoubted right to this felicity standing unto him by the personall union but also a fast possession of it in as far as the personall union was indissolvable But the actuall felt fruition in his humane sense and uptaking was so long interrupted as the humane nature was diverted from this contemplation for its present exercise and turned to look toward the sad spectacle of imminent and incumbent wrath especially when and how long it was as it were bound to the feeling of the present stroke which did fill the soul with sadnesse and grief anxiety and vexation without sin 8. Neither did the vindictive justice of God pursueing our sins in our Surety stay here but in the garden went on to shew unto Christ the cup of wrath and also to hold it to his head and to presse him to drink it yea the very dregs of the agreed-upon curse of the law was poured into his patient and submissive mouth as it were and bosome and the most inward part of soul and body which as a vehement flame above all humane apprehension so filled both soul and body that out of all his veines it drew and drove forth a bloody sweat the like whereof was never heard as when a pot of oyl boyling up and running over by a fire set under it hath yet further the flame increased by the thrusting of a firie masse of hot iron into it Hence came such a wasting and eating up of all his humane strength and emptying of his naturall abilities such a down-throwing of his mind such a fainting and swounding of his joy and so heavy a weight of sorrow on him that not only he desired that small comfort of his weak disciples watching with him a little and missed of it but also stood in need of an Angel to comfort him Luke 22. 43. It is without ground that some of the learned have denied the cause of this agony to be the drinking of the cup of wrath holden forth to him by the Father saying that the sight of it only and of the perill he saw we were into was the cause of this heavy exercise for the cup was not only showen unto him and the hudge wrath due to our sin set before him that he should see it and tremble at the apprehension of the
due to us in full measure but also because that which Christ suffered in the point of torment and vexation was in some respect of the same kind with the torment of the damned for in the punishment of the damned we must necessarily distinguish these three things 1. the perverse disposition of the mind of the damned in their sufferings 2. the duration and perpetuity of their punishment and 3. the punishment it self tormenting soul and body The first two are not of the essence of punishment albeit by accident they are turned into a punishment for the wickednesse vilenesse and unworthinesse of the damned who neither will nor can submit themselves to the punishment and put the case they should submit are utterly unable to make satisfaction for ever do make them in a desperat dolefull condition for ever though obstinat sinners do not apprehend nor believe this but go on in treasuring up wrath against themselves pleasing themselves in their own dreams to their own endlesse perdition Of these three the first two could have no place in Christ Not the first because He willingly offered Himself a sacrifice for our sins and upon agreement payed the ransom fully Not the second because He could no longer be holden in the sorrows of death then He had satisfied Justice and finished what was imposed on Him and His infinit excellency made His short suffering to be of infinit worth and equivalent to our everlasting suffering The third then remaineth which is the reall and sensible tormenting of soul and body in being made a curse for us and to feel it so in His reall experience And what need we question hellish pain where pain and torment and the curse with felt wrath from God falleth on and lyeth still till Justice be satisfied Concerning which it is as certain that Christ was seased upon by the dolours of death as it is certain in Scripture that He could not be holden of the sorrows of death Acts. 2. 24. Quest. But what interest had Christ God-head in His humane sufferings to make them both so short and so precious and satisfactory to Justice for so many sins of so many sinners especially when we consider that God cannot suffer Ans. Albeit this passion of the humane nature could not so far reach the God-head of Christ that it should in a physicall sense suffer which indeed is impossible yet these sufferings did so affect the person that it may truly be said that God suffered and by His blood bought His people to Himself Acts 20. 28. for albeit the proper and formall subject of physicall suffering be only the humane nature yet the principall subject of sufferings both in a physicall and morall sense is Christs person God and man from the dignity whereof the worth and excellency of all sort of sufferings the merit and the satisfactory sufficiency of the price did flow And let it be considered also that albeit Christ as God in His God-head could not suffer in a physicall sense yet in a morall sense He might suffer and did suffer for in as much as He being in the form of God and without robbery equall to God did demit His person to assume humane nature and empty Himself so far as to hide His glory and take on the shape of a servant and expose Himself willingly to all the contradiction of sinners which He was to meet with and to all railings revilings contempt despisings and calumnies shall it seem nothing and not enter in the count of our Lords payment for our debt Obj. But how could so low a downthrowing of the Son of man or of the humane nature assumed by Christ consist with the Majesty of the person of the Son of God Ans. We must distinguish in Christ these things which are proper to either of the two natures from these things which are ascribed to His person in respect of either of the natures or both the natures for infirmity physicall suffering or mortality are proper to the humane nature The glory of power and grace and mercy and superexcellent Majesty and such like are proper to the Deity but the sufferings of the humane nature are so far from diminishing the glory of the divine nature that they do manifest the same and make it appear more clearly for by how much the humane nature was weakned depressed and despised for our sake by so much the love of Christ God and man in one person toward man and His mercy and power and grace to man do shine in the eyes of those that judiciously look upon Him Obj. But seing Christs satisfaction for sinners doth not stand in any one part of His doings and sufferings but in the whole and intire precious pearl and compleet price of His whole obedience from His incarnation even to the death of His crosse how cometh it to passe that in Scripture the whole expiation of our sins is ascribed so oft to His passion and particularly to His blood Ans. This cometh to passe 1. Because the certainty and verity of His assumed humane nature and the certainty of His reall suffering and the fulfilling of all the leviticall sacrifices did most evidently appear unto sense in the effusion of His blood 2. Because the expression of His sufferings both in soul and body appeared in the effusion of His blood for in the garden while His body was not as yet touched or hurt by man from the meer pains of His soul drops of blood fell down out of all His body to the earth 3. Because His blood-sheding and death was the last act of compleeting the payment of the ransom to the Father for us which payment began in His humble incarnation and went on through all His life and was compleeted in His bloodshed and death whereof our Lord gave intimation on the crosse when He cryed as triumphantly victorious it is finished The use of this article of the covenant of Redemption WE have at some length spoken of the price of Redemption and of Christs defraying the debt by His passion 1. That hereby the merit of our sins may the more clearly be seen 2. That the sublimity and excellency of divine Majesty offended by sin may appear 3. That we may behold the severity of Gods justice till He have satisfaction and reparation in some sort of the injuries done to Him 4. That the admirable largenesse of Gods mercy may be acknowledged and wondered at For in the price of Redemption payed as in a mirror we may see how greatly the Lord hateth sin how great His love is to the world in sending his Son Christ amongst us how heavy the wrath of God shall lye upon them that flee not to Christs satisfaction for their delivery how great the dignity and excellency of the Lord our Redeemer is for whose cause reconciliation is granted to all that take hold of the offer of grace through him how great the obligation of believers is to love God and serve him and how
death of soul and body by the rule of simple justice whether the sinner had consented to the punishment or not But man by entering in the covenant actually gave a formall voluntary consent that death should sease upon him if he should sin as Evah beareth witnesse in her conference with the serpent while she doth repeat the condition put upon the breaking of the particular command given by God and accepted by man Gen. 3. 3. Fourthly when the covenant of works is abolished so far as it can neither justifie nor condemn the man that is â—led to Christ and entered in another posterior covenant of grace the naturall obligation of the man slandeth still for taking direction from and giving obedience to the law for it remaineth still the rule of a mans walking and it is impossible that a meer man should be exeemed from the authority of God over him and from subjection due by nature to his Creatour for upon this account that man is a reasonable creature understanding Gods will about his behaviour toward God he is alwayes bound for ever to love God with all his mind heart and strength and his neighbour as himself Neither can the naturall merit of sin be taken away nor death deserved be eshewed but by forgivenesse of it for Christs merits The covenant then was superadded unto the law in the deep wisdom of God for this way of dealing with man by a Covenant was of its own nature a most fit mean unto mans felicity and unto the glory of God How the Covenant of God with man was a mean to mans felicity THe Covenanting of God with man tended of its own nature to mans good and happiness First because a singular respect and honour was put upon man when he was made a confederat friend of God for if it be an honour to a mean and poor man to be joyned with a King or Prince in a formal bond of mutual friendship how much greater honour is it unto man to be joyned in a bond of mutual love and friendship with God Secondly before the making of the Covenant man had no promise made to him by God but so soon as the Covenant was made the Lord did freely obliege himself to give and made to man a right to ask and to expect of God with a ground of certainty to obtain of him such things as without promise 〈◊〉 he could not ask or at least he could not certainly expect to have granted unto him Thirdly before the making of the Covenant nothing hindred the Lord if he had pleased to command man to return to dust whereof he was but after the Covenant it pleased God by his own free promise to obliege himself to perpetuat mans happiness wherein he was made so long as he should go on in obedience Fourthly by the making of the Covenant a door was opened and a fair entry to a higher degree of felicity then he possessed by his creation for when a natural life and earthly felicity was given to Adam to enjoy upon the earth God by the Covenant made paction with him upon condition of perfect obedience to give him a life and felicity super-natural opposite unto death bodily and spiritual which was threatned unto him if he should transgress the command Fifthly Adam by the Covenant had a sort of help to make him keep the Law written in his heart more carefully and cautiously and a prop to make him stand more fixed for on the one hand he was advertised and forewarned of the danger of sinning that he might beware to offend God and on the other hand he was encouraged and allowed to serve God more chearfully and to perform due obedience to God the more diligently for in the Covenant the greatest reward that could be thought upon was set before him and promised unto him to wit eternal life upon his obedience and the greatest punishment threatned if he should dis-obey both which served greatly to move him to be constant in his obedience How Gods covenanting with man served for Gods glory IN Gods covenanting with man his glory did notably shine and shew forth it self to man First the goodness and bounty of God did manifest it self therein for in making a Covenant with man the Lord demitted himself and in a maner humbled himself to deal with man for the standing of mutual friendship between himself and man for ever and when we consider this as the Psalmist saith Ps. 8. 4. What is man that thou are mindfull of him and the Son of man that thou visitest him So may we say what is man or the Son of man that thou shouldest enter in covenant with him Secondly by covenanting with man God did show his wonderfull moderation for God is soveraign Monarch and absolute Emperour over his own creature to make of it what he pleaseth yet in covenanting with man he did sweetly temper his supreamacy seeking as it were to reign with mans consent And when because of his soveraign Authority and absolute Right and Interest he might have put upon man harder commands and conditions of the Covenant and these also altogether righteous and just he choosed to use such moderation that he would require nothing of man except that which man should and behoved in reason judge both a just and an easie yoke and in accepting the condition of the Covenant acknowledge it to be such Thirdly the Lord declared his wisdom in covenanting with man because when he had made man a reasonable creature he choosed to draw forth a free and voluntary service most suteable to his reasonable nature and that in a most sweet way to wit not only by giving unto man a most equitable Law but also by setting before the man by way of paction the highest reward that he could be capable of even life everlasting Fourthly in covenanting with man God did most wisely and holily have a respect to the glory of his own both soveraignty and holiness because after he had made man by nature good and holy albeit mutable and subject to change if the man pleased to essay another way he took course to help the mutability of his free will not only by setting a reward of obedience before him but also by a threatniug of punishment if he should transgress and so on the one hand and the other to hedge him in and guard him against all temptation unto sin that neither he should be forced by any external power to sin nor by any counsel or suggestion or moral swasion whereunto only man was exposed in the tryal of his obedience should have so strong motives to draw him to disobedience as the promise of God and the threatning should have force in all reason to keep him fast to his due and loyal obedience Thus was Adam fore-warned and fore-armed against whatsoever without himself might assault him for what reward for disobedience could be offered unto him so great as the favour of God and everlasting life in the
professors of the christian Religion and seeming zealous worshipers crying Lord Lord may deceive themselves and misse heaven but also Preachers of the Gospel yea and Prophets yea and men indued with the gift of doing miracles and casting out of devils in Christs name not a few shall be disclaimed by Christ and condemned by him in the day of judgment If it be asked what can be their mistake and the cause of Christs rejecting of them we answer Such men deceive themselves 1. because both they and beholders also think them holier then they who are inferiour in place and gifts unto them 2. They compare themselves with those they live among and not with the law of God 3. They put not due difference between common gifts and saving graces 4. They consider not that to whom much is given much will be required of them and therefore after tryal they will be found pust up with the estimation of gifts induements imployment and successe which they have had as if these were the undoubted evidences of their regeneration and of Gods special love towards them they will be found men void of repentance and far from humble walking in the sense of their natural habitual and actual sins they will be found void of all fear of wrath which might drive them in the acknowledgment of their blindnesse poverty and misery unto Christ the Redeemer and justifier of sinners and they will be found void of all care of and endeavour after new obedience conceiving that the exercise of their gifts and successe in their imployments are sufficient holinesse and evidence of the holy Ghosts dwelling in them and working by them for otherwayes Christ will never disclaim them who have fled to him in the sense of their sin and haunted him as their refuge in the fear of deserved wrath and studied by faith in him to be furnished to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit which he hath promised to them that abide in him It is one thing to be justified before God another thing to be reputed righteous by men and esteemed so by a mans own self it is one thing to be indued with the knowledge of divine mysteries another thing saveingly to believe them and have them written in their heart it is one thing to teach others the way of salvation whereby the hearers may be saved another thing to apply saving doctrine to themselves and make right use of it it is one thing to cleanse the outer side of the plater and reform the mans outward carriage another thing to be inwardly renewed it is one thing to teach repentance and mortification of lusts another thing by he Spirit of Christ ro mortifie in-bred pride and the love of the world vain glory and other carnal lusts The course which Paul followed is the only safe way though he was a man most laborious in the work of the Lord yet he lived most sensible of his natural corruption and the body of death he did not trust in his holy life but in Jesus Christ Rom. 7. 24 25. he so made use of faith in Christ as he did not neglect the means of mortification of his sinfull nature 1 Cor. 9. 27. I keep under my body and bring it under subjection lest that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should be a cast-away The fifth and last sort of self-deceivers by absolving of themselves without the Lords allowance or approbation are temporizers who for their temporary believing temporary repenting temporary motions of their affections and temporary amendment of their maners do seem to themselves and others also true believers This sort however it be in sundry cases coincident with one or moe of the former four self-absolvers yet because our Lord in the parable of the sower of seed Matth. 13. 21. and Luke 4. 17 doth put a difference between the stony ground and the other sorts of ground we shall give it a room by it self specially because it may have the own proper considerations Temporizers then we call such as upon temporary motives from temporary principles for temporary ends do imbrace the Word of the Lord readily but slightly and do as readily and lightly passe from it upon temporary motives in special when persecution arileth for the Word Mark 4. 16. when they have heard the Word immediatly they receive it with gladness and afterward when affliction or persecution arises for the Words sake immediatly they are offended Lightly they take up truth delivered and lightly do they passe from it again they have no root in themselves or solid believing of the truth for the truths cause but what pleaseth others pleaseth them and what displeaseth others doth displease them in the maters of religion the way of God set down in Scripture when they hear it they can say nothing against it yea they think it good to hear the Gospel and the largenesse of Gods grace and because it sheweth unto them a possibility of their salvation they receive it with a sort of natural gladnesse which sort of believing doth endure for a time to wit so long as the way of others among whom they live and the laws of the country and prosperity and good estimation with others goeth along with the profession of the truth received but when the wind of another doctrine bloweth and doth carry with it power to trouble and persecute them who will not receive it by and by they are offended and renounce the truth controverted because it draweth trouble with the profession of it for such persons suppose that gain ease and applause are very godlinesse It is true sometime the true believer may be surprised with a sudain tentation to renounce the profession of truth in some point for fear of death as Peters example doth shew us but true faith recovereth strength and ariseth after a fall and endureth persecution for that truth as temporary belief doth not but faileth altogether And the temporizers repentance failleth also because it ariseth from natural principles and is for natural motives and ends Such was the repentance of Saul in weeping and justifying David for sparing his life 1 Sam. 27. 21. Such was the repentance of the carnal Israelits Psal. 78. 36. and the humiliation of Ahab and such is their amendment of life all nothing but temporary and which doth not continue as Hosea chap. 6. 4. sheweth O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee O Judah what shall I do unto thee for thy goodnesse is like the morning cloud and like the early dew that passeth soon away Neither is it any wonder that unrenewed men may attain to something like unto faith and repentance and outward amendment of maners if we consider that humane writings find so much credit with men as not to be called in question but believed to be true for experience testifieth that their affections are moved sometime with delight and sometime with indignation and pity not only when they read Histories but also when
danger we were in but it was poured into him and not only on him that he for the sins of his redeemed should suffer it sensibly and as it were drink it that the bitternesse thereof might affect all the powers of soul and body for the Scripture testifies that not only upon the sight and apprehension of this wrath and curse coming on him the holy humane nature did holily abhor it but also that he submitted to receive it upon the consideration of the divine decree and agreement made upon the price to be payed by him and that upon the feeling of this wrath this agony in his soul and bloody sweat of his body was brought on Obj. But how could the pouring forth of the Fathers wrath upon his innocent and dear Son consist with his Fatherly love to him Ans. Even as the innocency and holiness of Christ could well consist with his taking upon him the punishment of our sins for even the wrath of a just man inflicting capitall punishment on a condemned person put case his own child can well consist with fatherly affection toward the child suffering punishment therefore it is not to be doubted but these two can well consist in God in whom affections do not war one with another nor sight with reason as it falleth forth among men for the affections ascribed unto God are effects rather of his holy will toward us then properly called affections in him and these effects of Gods will about us do alwayes tend to our good and blessednesse at last however diverse one from another in themselves 9. Among the degrees of the sufferings of Christs soul we may number not only the perturbation of his mind and thoughts but also the perturbation of his affections and especially his fear for his humane nature was like unto ours in all things except sin and was indeed feared when it saw and felt the wrath of God least it should have been swallowed up by it and of this fear the Apostle Heb. 5. 7. beareth witnesse saying who in the dayes of his flesh when he had offered up prayers and supplications and strong cryes and tears unto him that was able to save him from death and was heard in that he feared Now albeit this seemeth the saddest passage of all his sufferings that he was feared for being swallowed up yet this his fear is not to be wondered at nor is it inconsistent with his holinesse for when Christ assumed our nature as hath been said he assumed also all the common and sinless infirmities passions and perturbations of our nature Now it is kindly that the creature at the sight of an angry God should tremble for we read that the rocks and mountains have trembled before God when he did let forth his terrour and it is naturall to man at the sight of a terrible object at the sight of a perill and evill coming upon him but much more already come upon him especially if the evill and perill be above all his naturall strength to tremble and fear the worst and this becometh holy nature very well to fear present death off-cutting perdition and swallowing up in the danger when God appeared angry and was hasting to be avenged on sinners in the person of their Surety what could the humane soul of Christ gather from this terrible sight but that which sense and reason did teach In the mean time there was no place here for his doubting of the issue and his escapeing from being swallowed up for naturall fear of the manly nature arising from the infirmity of the creature differs very far from the fear arising from the infirmity of faith in Gods faithfulnesse and power and naturall fear of the worst can very well stand with the strength of faith to overcome the naturall fear for as the sensitive appetite may abhor a bitter cup of medicine and cause all the body tremble for fear to take it while in the mean time the man by reason is resolved to drink that bitter cup of medicine because he confidently hopeth to help his health thereby so naturall fear in Christ to taste of the cup of wrath could very well consist with strong faith and assurance to be delivered therefrom for it is very sutable that faith should as far overcome the naturall apprehension of sense and reason naturall as reason doth overcome sense in drinking a loathsom and bitter cup of medicine And to clear this yet further that extream fear to be swallowed up of wrath could well consist in Christ with strong faith to overcome and bear out that terrible wrath Let it be considered that as it was needfull Christ should be subject to the infirmity of naturall strength that he might suffer death so it was needfull that he should have strong faith to inable him to bear out in a holy way that which he behoved to suffer for if on the one hand Christ had not been weakned and emptied of all humane strength in his flesh he could not have been humbled enough for us he could not have suffered so much as Justice did exact for satisfaction for us and on the other hand if he had not stood firm in faith and love toward Gods glory and our salvation he could not have satisfied Justice nor been still the innocent and spotlesse lamb of God nor have perfected the expiatory sacrifice for us Obj. But was he not tempted to doubt by Satan Ans. We grant that he was indeed tempted by Satan to doubt yea we shall not stand to grant that he was tempted to desperation But we altogether deny that he was tainted with sin by temptation in the least degree for the Scripture saith he was tempted in all things like unto us but yet without sin in him or yielding in any sort to any temptation And seing by the Evangelist Matth. 4. we understand that he was tempted in the wildernesse by the devil unto the most horrible sins that Satan could devise and yet was not stained or polluted in the least degree with the least measure of yielding to the sinfull temptations we need not stand to grant that he might be tempted or that he was tempted unto doubting and desperation for this was among the most notable and prime temptations whereby Satan in his impudent boldnesse sollicited the Son of God very God and man in one person even to doubt of that what Satan knew he was If thou be the Son of God saith he It is true indeed that we who are sinners by nature and corrupted in all the powers of our soul cannot be tempted tossed and troubled but therein our sinfull nature in some measure may appear and be polluted But the mater was not so with our holy Lord the God of glory who was separat from sinners for our impure nature is like to water in a pudle which being stirred doth presently become muddy and foul but the holy humane nature of Christ was altogether pure like unto clear and pure fountain
water in a glasse which howsoever it be troubled and tossed remaineth most pure and free of all muddinesse Obj. But at least was there not a conflict in our Lord between his faith and the temptation to doubting Ans. We grant not only a conflict of Christs humane naturall strength with the burden of affliction but also a conflict and wrestling of his faith against the temptation to doubting for wrestling doth not alwayes argue the infirmity of the wrestler for the Angel who is called God Hos. 12. wrestles with Iacob and in God was no infirmity Again wrestling doth not argue alwayes infirmity but doth only evidence the wrestlers power and the importunat obstinacy of an adversary who being repulsed and cast down doth not at first leave the field but riseth up again insists and presseth on so long as it pleaseth the most powerfull party to suffer the adversary to make opposition Obj. But you must grant that in the conflict of Christs humane naturall strength with the affliction and burden of the punishment laid upon him by the Father he was overcome and succumbed and died Ans. Yes indeed but we must put a difference between the conflict of naturall strength with the burden of affliction and the conflict between faith and a temptation unto sin in the conflict of holy humane nature in Christ with the punishment of our sins laid on Him it was not a sin to have his naturall strength overpowered and to lye down under the burden and to lay down his life and die but it was a main part of His obedience it was the performance of His promise and undertaking to yield himself to Justice and to die for us that we might be delivered from death eternall But in the wrestling of His faith with the temptation unto doubting it had been a sin to have yielded in the least degree and that which could not consist with the perfect holinesse of the Mediatour Surety for sinners Obj. But did not the perplexity of His thoughts and the anxiety of His mind diminish something of the vigour and constancy of his faith Ans. It did diminish nothing of the vigour and constancy of His faith for there is a great difference between the troubling of the thoughts and the hesitation or weakening of faith as there is also a great difference between the perturbations of the mind and the perturbation of the conscience For as the mind may be troubled when in the consideration of some difficulty it cannot at first perceive an outgate mean-time the conscience remaining sound and quiet so may the work of the mind 's discoursing be interrupted and at a stay for a time faith mean time remaining untouched wholly sound and quiet For example upon the sudden receiving of a wound or upon an unexpected report of some great losse such as befell Iob the wheels of the reasoning faculty may be at a stand for a time and the conscience in the mean time be quiet yea and faith in the mean time remain strong as we see in Iobâ— first exercise Now if this may be found in an holy imperfect man in any measure why shall we not consider rightly of the exercise of the holy one of Israel suffering in His humane nature the punishment of our sin Let us consider but one of the passages of our Lords exercise Ioh. 12. 27. 28. Now saith He My Soul is troubled wherein behold the perplexity of His mind smitten with the horrour of the curse due to us coming upon Him then cometh forth what shall I say wherein behold reason standing mute and altogether silent only He lets forth the confession of His perplexity presently after this He subjoyneth Father save Me from this hour wherein behold Holy nature trembling and shrinking to fall into the wrath of the Father and according to the principles of holy nature testifying the simple abhorrency of His soul from such an evill as is the wrath of God His Father which had it not been for love to save our souls He could not have yielded his humane nature to endure or bear it therefore He considering that we were but lost for ever if He should not suffer wrath for us He repeats the sum of the Covenant of Redemption agreed upon But for this cause came I unto this hour And last of all shuts up His speech and exercise in the triumphing voice of victorious and untainted faith Father glorifie thy Name and here He resteth wherewith the Father is so well pleased as that from heaven He speaketh to the hearing of the multitude standing by I have both glorified it and will glorifie it again 10. Among the deepest degrees of the suffering of Christ in His soul we reckon that desertion whereof Christ on the crosse giveth an account crying out My God My God why hast Thou forsaken Me By which speech He doth not mean that then the personall union of the natures was in him dissolved nor yet that God had withdrawn His sustaining strength and help from the humane nature nor that the love of the Father was taken off him nor that any point of the perfection of holinesse was taken from him but his true intent is to shew that God for a time had taken away sensible consolation and felt joy from His humane Soul that so justice might in His sufferings be the more fully satisfied And this is the forsakeing of Him here given to us to understand In which desertion Christ is not to be looked upon simply as He is in His own person the Son of the Father in whom He is alwayes well pleased but as He standeth in the room of sinners Surety and Cautioner paying their debt In which respect He behoved to be dealt with as standing in our name guilty and paying the debt of being forsaken of God which we were bound to suffer fully and for ever if He had not interposed for us 11. The last degree of Christs sufferings wherein He may be said to have descended into hell so far as Scripture in the old Testament or the hystory of Christs passion in the new will suffer us to expound that expression is that curse wherein the full wrath of God and the dregs of that horrible cup was poured forth upon His holy humane nature while heaven and earth and hell seemed to conspire to take vengeance on Him and fully to punish our sins in the person of Him our Surety by that cursed death of the crosse which was the evidence foretold of the malediction of God lying on Him in so far as was necessary to compleet the punishment of losse and feeling both in soul and body And therefore not without ground have Orthodox divines taken-in Christs suffering in His soul and the detaining of His body in the grave put in as the close and last part of Christs sufferings as the true meaning of that expression He descended into hell not only because these pains which Christ suffered both in body and soul were
a most wise course so to execute the decree of election and Redemption as he shall be sure to bring in his own to himself and not open up his counsell in particular to the discouraging of any as is told by the father Isa. 52. 13. My servant shall deal prudently and prosper The chief mean appointed is the preaching of the Gospel to all nations commanding all men where the Gospel is by Gods providence preached to repent and believe in the Name of Jesus Christ and to love one another as he hath commanded them Acts 17. 30. and 1 Ioh. 3. 23. and they who refuse to obey are without excuse Another mean is the bringing of so many as professe their acceptation of the offer of grace by Christ Jesus them and their children into the bond of an expresse solemn covenant that they shall submit themselves to the doctrine and government of Christ and teach their children so to do as Abraham the father of believers did Gen. 18. 19. Matth. 28. 19. 20. make disciples of all nations or make all nations disciples to Me. A third mean is the sealing of the covenant by the Sacrament of baptism Matth. 28. 19. 20. make all nations disciples to Me baptizing them in the Name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost A fourth mean is the gathering them into all lawfull and possible communion with others his disciples that by their Church-fellowship one with another they may be edified under their officers appointed in Christs Testament to feed govern and lead them on in the obedience of all the commands which Christ hath commanded his people in his Testament by which means he goeth about his work and doth call effectually sanctifie and save his own redeemed ones leaving all others without excuse Concerning all these and other means and maner also of executing his decree it is agreed upon between the Father and His Son Christ as His holy Spirit hath revealed it to us in Scripture All which may be taken up in two heads the one is the agreement about the doctrine and directions given to His Church the other is about actions operations and all effects to be brought about for making his word good Concerning his doctrine Christ saith Ioh. 12. 49. 50. I have not spoken of my self but the Father who hath sent me he gave me a commandment what I should say and what I should speak and I know that his commandment is life everlasting whatsoever I speak therefore eveâ—â— as the Father said unto me so I speak Concerning actions and operations and the executiou of the decrees it is agreed also between the Father and the Son Ioh. 8. 16. If I judge my judgement is true for I am not alone but I and the Father that sent me and vers 29. He that sent me is with me the Father hath not left me alone for I do alwayes these things that please him and Joh. 6. 38. I came down from heaven not to do my own will without the consent of the Father but the will of him that sent me In a word the consent and agreement of the Father and the Son Jesus Christ our Lord is such that the Son â—oth nothing by his Spirit but that which the Father â—oth work by the same Spirit from the beginning of the world Ioh. 5. 17. My Father worketh hitherto and I work and Col. 1. 16. for by Christ were all things created that â—re in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible â—hether they be throns or dominions or principalities or 〈◊〉 〈…〉 created by him and for him He is alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending the first efficient and the last end of all things Rev. 1. 8. because for the glory of Christ the creation the covenant of works and the covenant of grace were made and had and shall have their full execution all for the glory of God in Christ by whom all things were made and do subsist CHAP. V. Of the Covenant of works WE have spoken of the first divine covenant wherein God and God incarnat are the parties it followeth to speak of the next divine covenant to wit the covenant of works between God and man Adam and his posterity made in mans integrity In which covenant God is only the one party of the covenant and man created with all naturall perfections is the other party In this covenant mans continuing in a happy life is promised upon condition of perfect personall obedience to be done by him out of his own naturall strength bestowed upon him as the Apostle teacheth us Gal. 3. 12. the Law is not of faith but the man who shall do these things shall live by them And unto this law or covenant of works is added a threatning of death in case man should transgresse the sense whereof is â—old by the Apostle Gal. 3. 10. cursed is every one who doth not abide in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them The difference between the law and the Covenant of works THe word Law is sometime taken for the mater or substance of the law of nature written in the hearts of our first Parents by creation the work of which law is to be found in the hearts of their posterity unto this day And in this sense the word Law is taken by the Apostle Rom. 2. 15. the Gentiles saith he shew the wrok of the Law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witnesse c. Sometime the word is taken for the formall covenant of works as Gal. 3. 10. as many as are of the works of the Law that is under the covenant of works are under the curse for it is written cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them 2. The law as it is taken for the covenant of works differeth from the law of nature written by creation in the hearts of our first Parents first because the law of nature written in the heart of man in order both of nature and time went before the covenant made for keeping that law because the covenant for keeping that law was not made till after mans creation and after his bringing into the garden to dresse it and to keep it Gen. 2. 16. 17. Secondly God by vertue of the law written in manâ— heart did not obliedge Himself to perpetuat mans happy life for albeit man had keeped that law most acuratly God was free to dispose of Him as he saw fit before he made the covenant with him But so soon as he made the covenant he oblieged himself to preserve him in a happy life so long as he should go on in obedience to his law and commands according to the tennor of the covenant do this and live Thirdly death was the naturall wages and merit of sin albeit there had no covenant been made at all for sin against God deserveth of its own nature
they read very Fables and fained Romances which they know to be such and yet they cannot command their affections in reading of them May not then an unrenewed man give as much credit to holy Scripture and be affected with the holy history thereof without any change made of his perverse nature the wisdom whereof is enmity against God and cannot subject it self either to his law or Gospel Secondly if we consider what the power of a natural conscience can work upon the affections by just accusations or excusations for raising grief and joy therein whereof not only Scripture but also heathen writers do bear witnesse we need not doubt but the natural conscience may have the same power in a temporary believer Thirdly if we consider what the precepts of morall Philosophy hath wrought upon the Schollers of Socrates and Aristotle and other heathen Masters for the outward framing of them unto seeming vertues we need not doubt what the precepts of the morall law may work upon a temporary believer for putting a luster on his life as was to be found in sundry Pharisees without conversion and renovation of the inner man toward God Fourthly if we consider what delight is found by Schollers in the contemplation of these things which Philosophy doth treat of we may easily perswade our selves that more delight may be had in contemplation of what holy Scripture doth hold forth without making the man a new creature But when unto the natural mans foresaid seeming perfections knowledge of the mysteries of religion and the gifts of preaching and prophecying are superadded which are but movable gifts common to renewed and unrenewed men and far from being saving graces what wonder the natural man and temporary believer be puffed up with a high estimation of his own worth and hope of being received by Christ the Judge and yet be found at last to have deceived himself and unwarrantably absolved himself by his own deluded conscience as Christ giveth warning Math. 7. 21. Quest. But what can a temporary believer want coming up all the length that is now spoken of and supposed to be indued with so many seeming good things whereunto many saved Saints do not attain Ans. Every saved Saint is beaten out of self-estimation for any thing in himself beaten out of confidence in any thing he doth or can do and is humbled in his heart by the law the spiritual perfection whereof being understood killeth his natural pride Rom. 7. 9. 2. Every saved Saint is chased for refuge to flye to Christ to his righteousnesse and the riches of grace holden forth in him and every saved Saint is a new creature aiming more and more to follow the course of new obedience and drawing vertue from Christ by faith to please God and worship him in spirit Phil. 3. 3. So that his purpose and endeavour in some measure is like unto that of David Psal. 71. 10 15 16. saying I will hope continually and I will praise thee more and more my mouth shall shew forth thy righteousnesse and thy salvation all the day for I know not the numbers thereof I will walk in the strength of the Lord God I will make mention of thy righteousnesse even of thine only But the temporary believer reckoneth not for his debt and deservings with the law he is not humbled in the sense of his sins and sinfulnesse and inability to satisfie the law by himself he hath not the root of repentance in him for immediatly upon the hearing of the Gospel he receiveth the Word with joy without godly sorrow for his sins Luk. 8. 13. The temporary believer is ignorant of the righteousnesse of God by faith in Jesus Christ and goeth about to establish his own righteousnesse upon the bottom of his own blamelesse conversation priviledges of the visible Church common gifts of the Spirit and successe with prosperity all which because he is not justified by faith in Christ do not advance him above the state of the workers of iniquity Math. 7. 21 22 23. The symptoms and ordinary signs of this malady of unwarrantable self-absolution are these 1. all of this sort are well pleased with their own wayes they are not daily humbled in the sense of short-coming in duties and chased to Christs righteousnesse which may hide their nakednesse 2. They are all secure and fear no wrath but put the evil day far from them 3. They cannot be induced to any accurat examination of their own life wayes condition or estate If any man insinuate any suspicion of hypocrisie in them or if their own conscience begin to question their sincerity they cannot endure it 4. Albeit they say unto Christ Lord Lord yet they make little use of his office of mediation of his power and vertue for illumination humiliation healing and helping on to salvation 5. They look more to the seeming good things in themselves for strengthening their carnal confidence then they take notice of the evil of a body of death in themselves to drive them to Christ the only deliverer from it 6. Yea they all serve some Idol lurking in their heart they yield obedience to some reigning lust which they will not forsake for which cause Christ foretells that he will declare them to be but workers of iniquity Math. 7. 23. The causes of this evil are 1. the ignorance of the law and the utter inability yea aversenesse of nature to be subject to it the knowledge whereof might make men live all their dayes in a loathing of themselves and cut off all hope of obtaining righteousnesse by the law 2. The ignorance of that dear-bought righteousnesse of Christ and of the riches of his grace offering to impute his satisfaction to every self-condemned sinner who shall flye to him and accept his offer 3 The ignorance of the necessity of the bringing forth the fruits of faith in love and study of new obedience and sanctification by the furniture of Christ without which no man shall see God 4. The taking of a presumptuous dead faith in stead of that true justifying faith which layeth hold on Christ and worketh by love The taking of a vain groundlesse hope for that lively hope which purifieth both the heart and external conversation also 5. The comparing of themselves either with the worst sort of vile sinners or with such as are like to themselves or with the Saints in their grosse failings not judging themselves according to the law The use to be made of this doctrine is first to stir us up to take notice of that power of the soul called conscience which God hath put in every man to observe all the mans words deeds and intentions and to compare them with the law and will of God so far as it is informed and to accuse or excuse condemn or absolve smite or comfort the man as it findeth cause that we suffer not our own conscience to sleep but set it on work whilst it is time that we may know how
to prove a man to be regenerat but he must be proven also a true believer in Christ a man reconciled to God a man justified and an adopted child 2. It is necessary therefore for proving a man to be regenerat to know the right description of the regenerat man which is given by the Apostle Phil. 3. 3. We are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Iesus Christ and have no confidence in the flesh Wherein the Apostle holdeth forth the truly regenerat circumcised in heart 1. He is not sinlesse but so sensible of his sinfulnesse as he hath no confidence in himself nor any thing else in himself 2. He is not free of accusations or tentations and doubts but he flyeth to Christ for righteousnesse 3. He is not an idle and unfruitfull branch but a worshiper of God in spirit and truth 1. He is burdened with sin 2. He cometh to Christ for relief 3. He puts on Christs yoke Math. 11. 28 29. If a man have these three properties joyntly in him he is a regenerae man and may defend his interest in the state of grace and right to righteousnesse and eternall life through Jesus Christ. 3. Divine operations and saving graces which accompany salvation such as are faith repentance unto life hope Christian love to God and men for Gods cause effectual vocation justification reconciliation adoption go together in time by Gods gift but one of them goeth before another in order of nature for effectual calling goeth before faith and faith goeth before hope and before charity or love Again these graces which are given to the redeemed child of God joyntly in respect of time do not shew themselves in their evidence alike soon in time nor do they equally manifest themselves when they do appear in time And so the evidences of repentance may be discerned in not a few converts before faith in Christ do shew it self in them clearly So also love to God and his Saints oft-times may be discerned in a regenerat man before he himself dare affirm any thing of his faith in Christ. 4. Albeit there be many regenerat persons who for the present time cannot perceive in themselves any undoubted signs of their conversion yet it is certain also that there be many who to their own unspeakable comfort are assured of their regeneration and that they are translated from death to life and that they have received the spirit of adoption and earnest of eternal life as is pointed out in the experience of the Ephesians chap. 1. 14. And this is certain also that all who are fled to Christ for refuge should by all means labour to make their calling and election clear and certain to themselves 2 Pet. 1. 10. And to this purpose we are commanded to examine our selves and try whether we be in the faith or not whether Christ by his Spirit be in us or not 2 Cor. 13. 5. for otherwise except a convert know certainly the blessednesse of his own state and that he standeth in grace and favour with God it is not possible for him to give hearty thanks to God for the change of his state from being an enemy to be made a reconciled subject and child of God It is not possible for him to rejoyce in the Lord or set chearfully himself to serve God or comfortably call on God as a father to him in Christ Wherefore all who in the sense of their sins and fear of deserved wrath are fled for refuge unto Christ should deal by prayer earnestly with God that he would graciously grant unto them his Spirit by whose operation in them they may know the saving graces which he hath freely bestowed upon them of which gift of the holy Spirit the Apostle doth speak 1 Cor. 2. 12. 5. The knowledge of a mans own regeneration hath many degrees of clearnesse and assurance by reason of the variety of conditions wherein a man truly converted may be For many doubts may arise in the man regenerat which may darken his sight and hinder the assurance of saving grace granted unto him whereof sundry causes may be found and in special these four among others 1. In a man illuminat and renewed by the holy Spirit there remains a great deal of ignorance much doubting mixed with faith by reason of unskilfulnesse of the convert to examine and discern this blessed change made in him where through that cometh to passe in many young converts which will be seen in infants who have a soul indeed but do not know or perceive that they have a soul till they come to some years of discretion yea many sound Christians are oft-times at a stand about their regeneration and know not what to make of their faith or repentance especially when they feel the power of the body of death the strength of natural corruption in themselves and great indisposition for any spiritual exercise they are forced with the Apostle to cry miserable man that I am who shall deliver me Rom. 7. 24. mean time for weaknesse of their faith they are not able at the first to wrestle against discouragment and to come up unto the Apostles thanking God through Christ. 2. By the tentation of Sathan oft-times the perswasion of holy men is darkened so as they cannot see the evidences of their own regeneration clearly for Sathan sets himself to vex the Saints who are delivered from his kingdom and bonds whom albeit he know that he cannot destroy them yet he will not cease to trouble them that at least he may make them some way unfit for Gods service and marr their cheerfulness in his service and because he feareth harm from them unto his kingdom by their dealing with the unconverted to repent their sins and to turn unto God therefore he finds them work at home in their own bosome and puts them to defend themselves and to forbear to invade his subjects till they be setled themselves 3. Oft-times the Lord is offended by the sins of the regenerat and specially by their grosse transgressions for which his Spirit being grieved doth for a time cease from comforting them and doth not bear witnesse with their spirits that they are the children of God as he hath formerly used to do 4. Oft-times the Lord by suffering doubts to arise in their hearts useth to try and exercise the faith of his children and thereby to stir them up to the pursuing of the duties of piety and righteousnesse more vigorously and sincerely that after victory obtained over these tentations they may be more confirmed in their faith and more diligent in his obedience 6. It may come to passe that while the true convert doth most doubt of his own regeneration that the work of Gods special grace may be observed in him and clearly seen by others more experienced in the wayes of God and indued with the spirit of discretion The reason whereof is because howsoever the weak convert and child of light walking
faith and to follow hard after the growth of sanctification without which no man shall see the face of God and let us so extoll the covenant of Grace and freedom of the believer from the covenant of Works that we neglect not to keep up the authority of the moral Law and the commands thereof as the perpetual rule of new obedience the use whereof is very profitable in the whole course of a Christian life to hold forth the duty of believers in Christ and to shew unto them by their short-coming in duties the poyson and power of corruption remaining in the Saints and to make them sensible of the necessity of flying daily to that imputed righteousnesse by faith in Christ and of drawing strength from Christ to bring forth more aboundant fruits whereby Christ shall be more and more precious in our eyes and be acknowledged absolutely necessar for our justification sanctification and salvation 15. When question is made concerning Christian vertues and operations of the holy Spirit in us the order of Gods working held forth to us in Scripture is carefully to be marked by us which is that sense of sin should go before faith in Christ for the Law is a pedagogue to Christ for he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Matth. 9. 13. And faith in Christ goeth before the fruits of faith and the fruits of faith before the sensible approbation of them and approbation of the fruits by Scripture goeth before the sensible fealing of the believer and the quieting of the conscience in its approbation of what the Scripture approveth for after we have believed we come to be sealed Ephes. 1. 13. Now for the not observing this order many real Christians do make unto themselves a very un-comfortable life for albeit they be convinced of sin and humbled in the sense of their own inability to help themselves and are fled to Christ for pardon and help and do lead a life blamelesse yet do they unhappily suspend the acknowledging of the work of faith bestowed upon them and do disquiet themselves so as they cannot rest on Christ but do quarrel the reality of their faith till they shall feel and perceive with approbation of their conscience such and such fruits of faith in themselves and that in such a measure as they have fore-imagined to be the necessar evidences of faith yea and they refuse to account themselves persons justified because they cannot perceive such mature fruits in themselves as they conceive must not only be but be acknowledged also to be in the justified person before he can lay hold on justification Such persons do in effect invert the order which they should observe for when it were their part to flye unto Christ the only Mediator because they come short of new obedience and because they are loaden with sin that in him they might have God reconciled to them and by his Spirit pouring in of his grace in their souls to make them more holy they take another and contrary course by suspending their faith upon their works and do exact of themselves works before faith and so do weaken their own faith and hinder it to bring forth such fruits as they do require It is reason indeed to prove our faith by our works and it is just that such a faith be accounted dead which is not accompanied with the purpose and endeavour to live holily justly and soberly But it is against all reason and equity to condemn weak faith accompanied with the purpose of a new life as if it were no faith because it hath not as yet brought forth so fair and fully ripe fruits as the weak believer would It were their wisdom when they perceive such impotency to do what is good and such strength of the body of death in them to flye unto the Redeemer so much the more and in him to seek remission of sin and strength to bring forth good fruits and to be sucking juice and sap out of him as the true Vine for if we come to him and abide in him we shall bring forth much fruit Iob. 15. 4 5. For faith in Christ in order of nature goeth before good works for only they who come to Christ and abide in him do bring forth aboundant fruit and not they who upon the apprehension of their want of fruits do loose or slacken their grip of faith and upon discouragment are ready to depart from the living God 16. The like wisdom is required in dealing with the consciences of men concerning the preparatory dispositions of such as may confidently come unto Christ to be justified sanctified and saved for albeit it be true that all that come to Christ ought to come in the sense of their sin and acknowledgment of wrath and death deserved for their sins ought to come with contrition of heart with godly sorrow for their sins and a humble renunciation of all confidence in themselves yet must not such persons as do not satisfie themselves in the measure or sincerity of such preparatory dispositions in themselves be keeped back or debarred from coming to Christ because they not only want as they conceive both the humiliation and sorrow of heart for sin and fear of wrath required in such as have accesse unto Christ but also do perceive in themselves such blindnesse of mind and vanity thereof such stupidity of conscience and stubbornesse of a proud heart as is not fit as they conceive to be received by Christ or fit to be comforted by him such persons I say are not to be forthwith debarred from coming to the throne of grace for oft-times sincerity of conviction compunction and humiliation is to be found in such as are displeased with their own short-coming in such preparatory dispositions more then in many others who make a fairer shew and profession of their godly sorrow and humiliation and are well pleased with themselves in that respect We must be wary also while we require sorrow and humiliation and other like preparatory dispositions in them who may come unto Christ least we secretly import and insinuat a sort of merit to be in such dispositions so as if he that doth not perceive himself thus qualified could expect no good at Christs hands except he have in his hand such preparatory dispositions as if it were a price of purchasing adresse to Christ. But let us hold this fast that the more poor and empty a man be in his own eyes he ought to draw the more near unto the riches of grace in Christ because in him only are to be found all the treasures of every saving grace and preparatory dispositions for receiving thereof he is that exalted Prince who giveth repentance unto Israel Act. 5. 31. he is the author and finisher of faith unto whom all they who in the sense of their want of repentance and faith do sigh in themselves ought and safely may come that they may have from him a more ample
may be found in humane Histories who from the principles of nature and civil education have led a more innocent and blamelesse life than many who glory in their Christian profession for whose conviction and condemnation Pagans and Infidels shall arise in the day of judgment and be brought forth for a witnesse against many called Christians and who shall be beaten with fewer stripes than many who are counterfeit Christians and do disgrace the profession of Christian Religion But we have here to do with these that are indeed regenerat and indued with saving faith who endeavour to be holy and do lament their imperfections and do not give over the use of the means whereby they may profit in holinesse albeit with grief and fear they go on heavily suspecting they meet at last with disappointment and be excluded from the kingdom of heaven for their coming short of Scribes and Pharisees in the point of righteousnesse 2. In this case first the complaint of the afflicted concerning the imperfections of his life and fruits of faith in as far as it is true and just must be admitted granted and confirmed and the afflicted must be taught upon this consideration to be seriously humbled in the presence of God that he may profit in self-denyal and more and more renounce all confidence in his own works or inherent righteousnesse To which purpose let him consider yet more the body of death and original sin not yet throughly mortified in him let him look upon and acknowledge in his present case the bitter roots of infidelity and inclination to depart away from the living God even then when he is most called and hath most need to draw near and adhere unto him upon the sight and consideration whereof he shall perceive a necessity daily to renew the acts of repentance and faith in Christ. Secondly let the necessity and timeous use-making of the imputed righteousnesse of Christ be shewed unto him which righteousnesse if the Lord had not set before us for a refuge what should become of us in the examination of our works and felt imperfection of our inherent righteousnesse And here the afflicted must be exhorted in the sense of his own un-righteousnesse to run alwayes toward Christ to have his nakednesse hid by the garment of Christs imputed righteousnesse and exhorted to apply and imbrace more and more straitly the righteousnesse of Christ our Cautioner who is judicially by the Father adjudged to the believer fled unto him for righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Iesus who is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption And here let the friend comforter of the afflicted insist that he may consider the value of the ransom paid for us and of the righteousnesse purchased unto us for the only garment able to hide our nakednesse Thirdly let the afflicted person understand that it is righteousnesse with God to be displeased with his children when they esteem little and make little use of the dear bought righteousnesse which Christ hath purchased and that in wisdom and righteousnesse Christ doth not increase the inherent righteousnesse of those who slight him in the mater of his imputed righteousnesse for we are not justified by the perfection of inherent righteousnesse which in this life is impossible but by the perfection of Christs righteousnesse imputed unto the believer in him Fourthly when the Pastor or prudent friend perceiveth the afflicted now convicted of his mistake and error and to be brought to acknowledge that the justification of a sinner doth come by the imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ alone without respect to the works of the law and that the justified man must set himself to bring forth good fruits in the gracious furniture which Christ hath promised to the believer Now I say let him enter upon the comparison of the righteousnesse of the penitent believer in Christ with the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees and then shall it be clear to the afflicted person that the righteousnesse of the weak Christian shall far exceed the righteousnesse not only of Pagans but also of Scribes and Pharisees of the highest pitch and that for three reasons the first is this the Pharisee cutteth short the interpretation of the law unto the measure of his own external obedience lest the law whereby he seeketh justification should condemn him but the Christian acknowledgeth in all things the spirituality and perfection of the Law and doth not reject any duty which the Law doth command but finds himself bound to obey the Law in all things and to aim to be perfect as his heavenly Father is perfect The second reason is because the works which the Pharisee or Scribe doth are all counterfeit and corrupt in regard they arise from the strength of the natural man and are done for his own glory and carnal ends and not for the glory of God but the works of the Christian exercising faith in Christ proceed from the power of the spirit of Christ in him and are done to the glory of God by him The third reason is because the righteousnesse of works which the Scribes and Pharisees did affectat is altogether impossible and maketh void the grace of God for if righteousnesse be by works it is no more of grace it overturnes that heavenly way of justification by faith in Christ for the righteousnesse of the Pharisee by works cannot consist with the righteousnesse which is by faith of grace but the righteousnesse and justification of the Christian by faith in Christ is possible and ready at hand to every one who renounceth all confidence in his own worthinesse and slyeth unto Christ for grace and this is a most perfect way of righteousnesse which dependeth upon the obedience and satisfaction of Christ imputed to the believer in him Which righteousnesse only can stand in the judgment of God as perfect which only doth open the fountain whereby the power of the holy Ghost runneth down upon the man justified by faith in Christ to enable him to bring forth the acceptable fruits of new obedience By this comparison it doth easily appear that the righteousnesse of the weak believer in Christ doth far exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees and thus may the afflicted be solved of his doubt arising from comparison of his righteousnesse with the righteousnesse of the Pharisees 3. If these grounds of satisfaction laid before the afflicted do not satisfie but his wounds do break up and bleed afresh let us examine his reasons O! saith he what I have been aiming at in the way of new obedience I suspect is not accepted of God because I find not these fruits of the Spirit which the Apostle speaketh of as evidences of a new creature Gal. 5. 22. love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse and temperance the defect and little feeling of these fruits doth argue that God doth not approve my works For answering of
then the sensible comfort thereof remaineth with him but either doth retreat his judgment of his blessed estate or doth not defend his right doth not resist Sathan by being stedfast in the faith no wonder his disquietnesse and dejection of courage return upon him 6. For removing of this cause of disquietnesse let the afflicted consider that spiritual consolation and sensible feeling of Gods favour is granted to Gods children to make them stedfast in the faith of Gods grace toward them when sensible comfort is with-drawn and when they are put to the tryal and exercise of their faith under trouble and temptations And therefore when the afflâ—cted once being made clear of his interest in Christ and of his keeping on him the yoke of Christ doth find a change in his condition let him presently humble himself before God in acknowledgment of the power of the body of sin in himself and of whatsoever evil fruit it hath brought forth whereby he hath procured the change of his own comfortable condition and let him 〈◊〉 the acts of his repentance and of his 〈◊〉 in Christ striving against all temptations for the 〈◊〉 once given to him and disputing for his right and interest unto Gods grace in Christ that he may with patience obtain the victory over his temptation and be able not only with Dâ—vid to charge his own soul to trust in God the help and health of his countenance Ps. 42. and 43. but also to glory with the Apostle and to say 2 Tim. 1. 22. I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day And so may the second cause of disquietnesse be removed 7. A third cause of disquietnesse is or may be this if a sincere convert finding himself come short both of his purpose and hope of making progresse in the course of new obedience and reformation of heart and conversation shall in 〈◊〉 of being more humbled and beaten more out of confidence in his own strength and works and in 〈◊〉 of laying 〈◊〉 hold on the imputed righteousnesse 〈…〉 discouragement and so open a 〈…〉 calling his own conversion in question In this case the 〈…〉 of the true convert is augmented by reason of the conscience of his sincerity in his couversion wherein he renounced the love and service of all sin renounced all confidence in his own worth or works did flye unto the grace offered in Christ and received him heartily and purposed â—onestly to serve God thereafter in newnesse of life which maketh him say in himself I can never put repentance from dead works and faith in Christ and purpose of new obedience more sincerely in exercise then I have done and now seing I come short of my purpose and hope of profiting and can never more sincerely repent of sin or believe in Christ then I have done have I not just cause of doubting of my estate and of discouragment and disquietnesse 8. For removing this cause of disquietnesse let the afflicted consider first that there is a great difference between purpose and practice A holy and sincere purpose oâ—t times cometh short in practice for the Apostle saith Rom. 7 18. To will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not The inlake here is of strength to perform and not in the sincerity of the will and purpose Secondly let him consider that there is a difference between the consent of a well-informed conscience to the discharge of holy duties and the practical coming up of the not well-reformed heart unto the actual discharge of those duties for oft-times the heart is like a deceitfull bow that disappointeth the archer therefore let not the afflicted deny the sincerity of his purpose but let him be humbled for the corruption of his heart which hath not answered his purpose and expectation Thirdly let not the afflicted think that he hath so fully renounced all confidence in his own works as he conceived we may be clearly convinced not to lean to our own righteousnesse and so more easily in our judgment renounce all confidence in our good behaviour but the dregs of the sin of misbelieving Jews is not easily purged out of us wherein they went about to establish their own righteousnesse and did not submit themselves to the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 9. and 10. 3. As he therefore who denyeth that he leaneth his weight on his staff and yet falleth to the ground when his staff doth slide is found to have leaned more weight on his staff then he pretended So he is found to have leaned too much weight upon his own works who is cast down because his performances are not answerable to his purpose and hopes Humbled indeed he ought to be and to lament his misery under the body of death but not be so dejected and discouraged as to loose or sâ—cken his grips of the covenant of Grace especially when he doth consider that the Lord by this experience of his own weaknesse is teaching him thereafter to have a more high estimation and make better use of Christs imputed righteousnesse and to lean lesse to his own purposes and promises and inherent righteousnesse that so he may draw more ability from Christ by faith to bring forth better fruits for without me saith Christ you can do nothing Joh. 15. 5. Last of all let him neither say nor think that he cannot put forth any act of repentance or saith or purpose of amendment of life more sincerely then he hath done for no man hath attained such a measure of sincerity in the discharge of any act of saving grace but there is room for him to receive a greater measure both of activity and sincerity in acting then he hath attained already but rather let him examine more narrowly and find out the corrupt inclination of the heart to lean to its own inherent righteousnesse and difficulty of subjecting it self wholly to the righteousnesse of â—aith and sanctification through faith in Christ for this doth the Apostle teach us to do Philip. 3. 12 13 14. he did not think himself already perfect but reached himself forth to those things which were before him pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus And the end of the pressing of the Law is that sin may be the more clearly discovered that as sin hath reigned unto death even so might grace reign through Christ Jesus our Lord Râ—m 5. 20 21. 9. The fourth cause of disquietnesse is or may be this if the true convâ—rt being frequently convinced of the manifold deceits of the heart for this cause shall begin to call in question all the work of grace in himself which inconvenience doth flow from his not putting difference between the true consent of the heart unto the covenant of Grace and acts of holinesse in so far as the heart is renewed on the one hand and the doubting
these and the like grounds the Apostle lived a comfortable life Phil. 4. 12. I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and suffer need I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me Thus must Christian souldiers live in the midst of their toyling in warfare in want of many things in watching and running hazard of life in hope of victory and promised glory holding up their hearts by faith in Christ. And these things which we have spoken in explication of this case are not intended to hinder the tender hearted believer from praying and endeavouring by all means that the face of the Lord may shine upon him and that he may be filled with the joy of his Spirit for we are charged to seek his face and strength continually Psal. 105. 4. But all our speech doth drive at this mainly that the afflicted in his discouragment and unquietnesse meekly submit himself to the will of God howsoever he be exercised alwayes going on in the way of God according to his vocation through honour and dishonour through good report and evil report looking unto the promises which are made to him that endureth to the end And what is spoken here of living by faith must not be abused to softer negligence in well doing or bringing forth fruits of faith in every condition or to hinder the daily exercise of repentance or to require of a Christian a stoical stupidity under trouble but the thing we aim at is that the Christian in all crosse dispensations and vexations endeavour by faith to be of good courage in the Lord and endeavour to draw vertue from Christ to bring forth fruits giving glory to him whatsoever measure he shall bestow more or lesse because it is Christ who is made unto us wisdom and righteousnesse sanctification and redemption and in him alone shall the soul of the afflicted have rest Matth. 11. 24. CHAP. IX Wherein the converts doubt arising from his uncertainty as what time he was converted is solved THere are some true converts who after they have past a good part of their journey to heaven begin to halt and make slow progresse by doubting whether they be walking in the true converts foot-steps or whether they be converted at all or not The reason of their doubting ariseth from this that in conference with sundry of the Saints of their acquaintance they have observed that every one of them could design the time of their conversion and from that time can reckon their age in Christ Or from this is their doubt arisen that in the Treatise of some modern Writer they have read or from the Sermon of some well esteemed Preacher they have heard some such doctrine whereupon the true convert falleth out with himself in saying I was bred and brought up in a godly family I have followed the exercises of religion after hearing the heads and summe of christian Religion I have embraced the truth I seemed to my self to believe in Christ and entertain the exercise of repentance and to endeavour the amendment of my life I love these whom I see to live holily and I do hate the wayes of the profane but because I cannot tell when or what day or year I was really converted as I know sundry of the godly of my acquaintance can do therefore I doubt whether my conversion be begun or not but mean time though I will not turn off the way I have been following yet I go on halting and heartlesse till I be cleared of my doubt 2. For removing this doubt we must yield this far to the afflicted that many indeed deceive themselves who being civilly educated and from their bairn-age accustomed with the exercises of religion are nothing beyond the foolish virgins and do rest satisfied with their own and others opinion of themselves If such persons be questioned when they began to repent or believe in Christ it is true they cannot design the time when they were unconverted but have still been pleased and are pleased with their own estate and in effect were never converted But it is no lesse true on the other hand that there are some who indeed are renewed in whom peece and peece without any notable change faith and repentance and a holy conversation have grown with the growing knowledge of the Gospel and will of God therein of whom it may be truly said the kingdom of heaven cometh not with observation of whom it is said Mark 4. 26. So is the kingdom of God as if a man should cast seed into the ground and should sleep and rise night and day and the seed should spring and grow up he knoweth not how But to solve the doubt it maters not whether a man know or not know the day of his conversion provided he be indeed regenerat and made a new creature Wherefore the afflicted may be of good courage if after serious examination of his own conscience he be humbled frequently in the sense not only of his actual sins and short-coming of his duty but also in the sense of his original and in-dwelling corruption or body of death if as he doth indeed loath himself and renounce all confidence in his best works so he seriously imbrace the imputed righteousnesse of Christ and in his strength by faith in him doth endeavour to live holily righteously and soberly albeit joyned with many imperfections he may conclude he is regenerat for if these three be joyned in him in any measure of honesty he needeth not be anxious what day moneth or year the holy Spirit began to work these things in him Only let him give all diligence to grow in humility faith and new obedience and to hold on this way whatsoever doubts or impediments he shall meet with for the Apostle exeemeth such a man from the number of hypocrits and unconverted Phil. 3. 3. We saith he are the circumcision or the Christian converts who worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Christ Iesus and have no confidence in the flesh CHAP. X. Wherein is solved the converts doubt of his regeneration arising from his apprehension that the beginning of the change of his life was not from the sincere love of God but either from terror or self-love which he conceiveth to be but carnal SOme true converts are who can design the time of the change of their way from sin to Christ and to a holy life whereof they have not only the Church they live in but also their own conscience witnesses yet after a considerable time do fall in suspicion whether that time of their change was the time of their effectuall calling some of them bringing no other reason of their doubting save this that they were never much troubled with the terrors of the Law but most part allured to draw near to God and to eshew the way of sinning by the love
senselesse and secure and doth please himself in his pollutions for whatsoever he may be the holy Ghost points him forth among the unregenerat as a dog or sow If such a man after a time shall repent and bewail his condition and set himself to the seeking of God in Christ and to draw grace out of Christ to mortifie his lusts we shall not pronounce or determine of his former estate whether he was before that time regenerat or not but for the present case of his repenting he is on the way to evidence his regeneration more clearly then before only let him take heed to humble himself in earnest before God and to repent more seriously that so he may confirm himself and go on in the course of faith and obedience of the Evangel strengthening his brethren as Peter was commanded to do by our Lord Luk. 22. 22. 3. But if corruption of nature do not break forth to defile the whole man but inwardly stirreth and striveeth to bring its old servant into bondage again unto which tentations albeit the afflicted do not succumbe yet he is shaken and staggers in his faith doubting of his state and of the sincerity of his conversion because he findeth the power of sin in him more vigorous then he had found it before the change of his old conversation We do not deny but this case is readily incident unto such as are lately converted from formality in religion and fair civil carriage before men to true repentance and inward holinesse beseeming Christians This case because it may have sundry causes doth require also sundry cures 4. First this case may befall a young convert who because he hath not as yet gotten the experience of his own weaknesse is somewhat puffed up in the conceit of his own strength and is more confident then he hath reason that the sincerity of his purpose shall bear down and overcome all his spiritual enemies so oft as they shall oppose his holy resolution In this case what wonder is it that the Lord by a new proof of the mans weaknesse let him see that it is not in him that willeth or in him that runneth but in God that hath mercy to the intent his pride may be broken down and that he being humbled in himself may learn not to trust any more to himself but to God to Christ who by his Spirit maketh his children to mortifie sin in themselves as the Apostle teacheth us Rom. 8. 13. saying if ye mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit ye shall live Therefore the afflicted in this case must beware to fret or murmure or entertain suspicions of Gods grace in himself but rather let him after experience of his own weaknesse humble himself and renew the exercise of repentance and resolve in the use of the means to lean to the strength of Christ who doth help his souldiers in their conflict against sin and Sathan either by giving them the victory quickly or else sustaining them in the conflict by his grace as he did the Apostle 2 Cor. 12. 7. to whom Christ did not grant the victory till he despairing of his own ability to stand out against the messenger of Sathan did humbly beg deliverance from the tentation and then he gave him assurance that the assistance of his grace should prove sufficient to sustain him in the conflict and to deliver him in due time Secondly this case may fall out by the meer malice of Sathan who doth set himself to vex the young and â—ender convert lately taken out of his dominion to the intent he may make him repent his coming out of Egypt if it be possible and by leading out against him a new army of temptations may move him to despair of the victory and so bring him back to the flesh pots and taking on again the yoke of bondage if he can 2. And here consideration must be had of Gods wise and holy permission who suffereth Sathan to put a young convert to so hard tryals that in the weaknesse of his own child he may make evident his great power in upholding his young souldier against the forest assaults of Sathan and his wisdom in breaking by this mean the strength of in-born corruption raging against the work of grace in his child In this case let the afflicted remember he is called to give a proof of his faith and sincerity that he may acquit himself manfully and not be afraid of the power of temptations but bear out stoutly resisting Sathan being confident of the victory and of tramping Sathan under his feet shortly yea pre-suppose with inward temptations external persecution be joyned let the Lords souldier follow the example of the godly Hebrews whom the Apostle doth exhort to prepare themselves after spoliation of their goods to meet with grievous affliction under hope to overcome Heb. 10. 32. 36. and 12. 4. 3. This case may fall out not so much from the growing power of corruption as from the growing light of grace discovering sin more clearly then before regeneration for he who before regeneration was lying dead in sin did not feel the weight of sin at all or was sensible only of grosse out-breakings but when the clearer light of the Law doth come opening up the dens and caves of natures corruption out of which come forth legions of sinfull motions and amongst these sundry monsters of unperceived wickednesse are discovered to the young convert what wonder he be afraid and cast in many doubts and suspicions For if even the Apostle Paul himself out of the sense of inherent sin and of the bonds thereof where-with he did find himself bound was compelled with tears to cry out Miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 7. 24. what wonder is it that a novice in Religion do tremble when he seeth and smelleth the dunghill and filthy stable of his own unclean heart In this case all the comforts which the Gospel doth furnish are to be ministred to the afflicted hope is to be fostered in him of victory over all those evils the wisdom of God is to be set forth before his eyes under this exercise wherein the Lord hath brought to light the latent corruption of nature of set purpose that he might yoke his young souldier in combat with it and give him the victory by the holy Ghost over not only those evils which do trouble him for the time but also all other sins and so promoveth the mortification and abolition of the whole body of corruption in him 4. The fourth cause is or may be this that the afflicted hath not such estimation of the imputed righteousnesse of Christ as is requisit but with the slighting of Christs satisfaction and righteousnesse purchased to the believer by Christ goeth about to establish his own righteousnesse whereupon the Lord discovereth his short-coming in sanctification which in this life is imperfect and should indeed be followed after carefully
and for drawing him to Christ to be his refuge in his worst condition CHAP. XXVIII Wherein is solved the doubt of the true convert concerning his regeneration because he findeth the power of the body of death in the pollution of the imaginations of his heart vigorous and powerfull THere are some true converts who albeit they be cleansed from the pollutions that are in the world and have their conversation blamelesse and without giving scandall unto them they live among yet frequently are troubled with doubting of their state in grace because they feel in themselves such a power of in-bred corruption of their hearts as can hardly consist as they conceive with regeneration and saving saith because Iames chap. 3. ver 11. maketh the question thus doth a fountain send forth at the same plâ—ce sweet water and bitter c. unto the end of the Chapter This doubt the afflicted wrestles with and saith with himself what shall I think of my self whose heart is so polluted that it casteth forth continually dirt and mire how shall I reckon my self among the Saints how shall I incrude my self among the justified who find so little evidence of the work of sanctification in me For faith should purifie the heart from this pollution whereof I do justly complain 2. For solving of this doubt many things are already spoken which serve for the curing of this case and comforting the afflicted in this condition but because one and the same doubt doth diversely present it self now in one shape then in another and doth vex the afflicted in sundry wayes we shall answer this doubt proposed as it is set down First therefore let the afflicted examine himself whether he may with some measure of honesty say with the Psalmist Ps. 66. 18. I do not regard iniquity-in my heart I do not so delight in sin but that sin is still my affliction and my daily grief Secondly let him examine himself whether the power of corruption doth break forth in words and deeds or not or if it do burst out in some passionat fits whether he doth open the sluce and give it way or whether he sets himself to oppose the out-breaking of sin and is humbled for what doth break forth Thirdly let him examine whether he flyeth to Christ to wash him and help him against the power of sin or not If after examination he can in any measure of honesty joyn with the Apostle in his lamentation and recourse unto Christ for delivery Rom. 7. 24 25. he may be assured he is in the state of grace For there is a vast difference between a mans being sold unto sin by his native corruption captivating him and a mans setting of himself unto sin as a voluntary servant of sin for a renewed man may be in sundry cases a captive to sin and is a fighter against sin But a man selling himself to sin is a slave voluntarily suffering sin to reign in his mortall body Let the afflicted therefore comfort himself because in him there is a perpetual conflict between the flesh and the spirit between his native inclination to sin and the new creature or inclination to holinesse Neither let him by mis-understood Scripture formerly cited vex himself for his faith is indeed upon the work and the way of purifying his heart first because he doth flye to the bloud of Christ which cleanseth him from all sin in respect of remission granted Secondly there is a constant endeavour to be more and more holy and to draw vertue by faith from Christ to bring forth good fruits well-pleasing unto God Thirdly he is about to mortifie his lusts by the Spirit of Christ and to purge out the leaven of all filthinesse of flesh and spirit albeit he cannot purge it out all at once or wholly in in this life And fourthly because albeit his doubting of his estate in grace be not allowable yet it doth bear witnesse that the remainder of pollution in him is his grief affliction and vexation So also that other Scripture Iames 3. 11. which faith that out of the same fountain proceedeth not salt water and sweet is not to be understood so as if no rotten speech could possibly proceed out of the mouth of a regenerat man at any time for Iames doth witnesse that in many things we sin all in thought word and deed But the meaning is that he that bridleth not his tongue his religion is vain and nothing but a presumptuous boasting of that wich is not reall and in truth and that it is inconsistent with regeneration that out of a mans mouth pretending to blesse God cursing of men who are made after the similitude of God should flow forth as waters flow forth from a running fountain without controlment CHAP. XXIX Shewing how to quench the fiery darts of Sathan and resist his sinfull suggestions whether of shorter endurance or of longer continuance SOmetime on a sudain Sathan casteth a fiery dart of tentation unto some sin as his messenger seeking to prepare the lodging for him which tentation he doth so furiously presse as if he would not be refused or could not be resisted and possibly may so bear-in his tentation as the convert may be afraid that Sathan shall prevail finding himself as it were over-powered and unable to bear out in such a case as the Apostle had experience of 2 Cor. 12 7 8 9. who found himself as it were buffeted and abused by the messenger of Sathan and unable of himself to resist him The remedy whereof is that the afflicted with the Apostle be humbled in himself in the sense of his in-born sinfulnesse and inability to overcome tentations 2. That he flye to Christ the captain of militant souldiers and do pray unto him instantly to help to bear out in the conflict and to be rid of the Tempter 3. Let him hold fast the faith of promised grace and wrestle on so long as it shall please God to exercise him so With such a tentation Iob also was exercised which so far prevailed as to make carnall and corrupt nature speak for it The tentation was very fearfull and no lesse then self-murther Iob 7. 13 14 15. When I say my couch shall ease my complaint then thou scarrest me with dreams and terrifiest me with night-visions so that my soul chooseth strangling and death rather then life The remedy whereof is with Iob to flye to the Redeemer and fix faith upon him and to present the tentation unto God by prayer and humble lamentation striving against the suggestion and never to give over relying on God as he did 2. Sometime Sathan when he cannot find instruments to charge the convert with hypocrisie and a course of wickednesse as he found in Iobs tryall by his uncharitable friends he useth immediately to fall a railing against the whole course of the work of grace in the convert and charge him falsely with deep guiltinesse as calumniators use to do in their furious flyting and slandering
of such as they hate hoping how false and groundlesse soever the calumnies be that yet something shall prove likely and probable and so fasten something upon the innocent In which case let the afflicted lift up his mind to the Lord and pray him to rebuke Sathan 2. Let him humble himself in acknowledgment of his natural corruption and having fled to Christ for righteousnesse let him take the shield of faith for quenching that dart 3. Let him as he is inabled contemn these devilish slanders of Sathan and set his mind on some better employment then to dispute with so impudent and restless an adversary for we have other businesse to go about then to take notice of the dogs barking at us but if it please God to continue that exercise from day to day let the afflicted in patience submit himself to God and direct his speech and thoughts unto God only not answering directly such a Shimei at all It is not safe to direct our speech to Sathan at all but let us say to God the Lord rebuke Sathan 3. Sometime Sathan falleth on with suggestions blasphemous against God and all the grounds of religion and fathers all these blasphemies on the afflicted as his proper sins In which case let the afflicted be humbled before God because of original sin whereof Sathan maketh use as of something of his own in us 2. Let him renew the grips of faith on Christ the Mediatour in whom the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth reconciling the elect world to himself not imputing their sins unto them 3. Let not the afflicted look upon these blasphemies otherwayes then as Sathans malice against God for so they are indeed and not the sins of the poor soul vexed with such suggestions 4. Let the afflicted beware of discouragments misbelief or weakening of his faith in God of impatiency and fretting under this sad exercise for there is more cause of fear from Sathans second subtile tentations then from his grosse suggestions whereby at the back of the former grosse blasphemies he goeth about to draw the afflicted to the suspicion of the former work of grace in him and of Gods love unto him His wiles in this case are much more dangerous then his violence in his furious lyon-like assaults for he may more easily get the consent of the afflicted to some sits of misbelief and impatience or some other sins then to admit or consent unto any of these grosse blasphemies suggested 4. Sometime when the young and tender convert is reading or hearing in Sermon the sad sentences of God against such and such sins which do reign in the wicked Sathan flyeth on him with a false application saying thou art the man and doth not a little disquiet the weak in faith In which case let the afflicted consider that whatsoever is spoken in or from Scripture of the maledictions of the law are spoken against them that are under the curse of the law and covenant of works 1 Tim. 1. 8. who have not repented their sins nor fled to Christ nor are aiming at reformation of life and sanctification but these curses are not spoken against the righteous that is to say against such as in the sense of their sinfulnesse do loath themselves and are fled to Christ for refuge and have taken on his yoke upon them already justified and begun to be sanctified 5. Sometime Sathan doth abuse the Scripture and put a wrong sense upon it that thereby he may wound these that are weak in the faith For example it is written Rom. 14. 23. whosoever doubteth is damned if he eat But thou saith Sathan to the young and weak convert hast done many things whereof thou didst doubt whether they were lawfull or not yea thou hast eaten the Supper of the Lord with doubting therefore thou art damned Again it is written 1 Cor. 11. 29. He that eateth the sacramental bread of the Lord or dinketh of the cup of the Lord unworthily eateth and drinketh his own condemnation but thou saith Sathan hast eaten the bread and drunken the cup of the Lord unworthily for thou knowest thou art very unworthy therefore thou hast eaten and drunken thy own condemnation In this case and such other like let the afflicted convert inquire of the Pastor or some faithfull Christian better acquaint with Scripture concerning the sense of the words of Scripture which seem to make against him that the words being well understood the doubt may be dissolved As for example these foresaid abused Scriptures do only declare the sentence of the law against him that doth what he doubteth to be lawfull but doth not exclude him from mercy upon the acknowledgment of his sin and flying to the mercy offered in Christ Jesus And by eating and drinking unworthily we must not understand that every one who finding himself unworthy flyeth to the grace offered and sealed in the Supper of the Lord eateth unworthily for so no man should eat worthily for all worthy communicants in the sense of their unworthinesse must and do flye to free grace offered in Christ but the meaning is that these do eat and drink unworthily who profane the Sacrament and put no difference betwixt this holy banquet of the Lord and a common supper yea and even this sin of not discerning the Lords Body doth not exclude the man from mercy for the Apostle for remedy of this sin exhorteth these who are guilty to judge themselves that so they may not be judged by God who pardoneth the penitent 1 Cor. 11. 31. And so let the afflicted for strengthening of his faith know that every Scripture which speaketh against sin doth drive the guilty man unto repentance and faith in Christ without whose grace sought after and embraced there is no salvation 6. Sometime Sathan the adversary of all converts doth assault the faith of Gods children when he findeth them under some present guiltinesse lately contracted or under tryall of their faith as under desertion and disconsolation or some miserable condition whereof he taketh advantage to suggest to the child of God that his faith is but phantasie that God neither loveth him nor can love the like of him In which case let the afflicted humble himself before God and flye to him in Christ offering reconciliation let him 1. resolve firmly to adhere to the covenant of grace offered to self-condemned sinners through Christ. 2. Let him observe his present condition to be the day of his visitation tryal and probation what use he will make of Christ in his difficulties and straits 3. Let him in the use of Gods worship wait for the day-star of divine consolation promised to those that wait on the Lord Isa. 49. 10. 11 and Hos. 6. 3. and Isa. 40. 31. And last of all lest we insist too long in reckoning the innumerable wiles of the crafty serpent let every convert consider that there is no time while we dwell in the tabernacle of this body of death wherein we may be secure
from him in fatherly wrath yet must he not yield to the weakening of his faith but rather yet more humble himself in the sense of his sins which have stirred up wrath against him and flye in to Christ and lay hold more closely upon his grace because God being offended is not pacified nor pleased save only by flying in tâ— Jesus Christ. Quest. II. Q. But what will you say unto them whose confidence is weakened whether they will or not whensoever they apprehend God angry against them and especially when they feel that God being provoked justly removeth gifts and benefits comfortable from them Ans. It is not to be doubted that the confidence of many true converts is shaken and weakened in this case but the question is what shall be said unto them We answer that they must acknowledge that they have leaned too much upon these carnal props the failing whereof maketh them to fall 2. Let them be humbled yet more because of such sins as have provoked God to change his dispensation toward them 3. Let them lean more upon the only rock of free grace in Jesus Christ offered in the Gospel for the comfort and relief of all those who in the sense of sin and unworthinesse in the sense of their ill deserving and of any measure of apparent fatherly wrath that hereafter however it fair with them they may rely upon Jesus Christ who is the only foundation to build our selves upon and whose grace is sufficient to help and uphold them who have their recourse unto him in every condition whether it be adversity or prosperity Quest. III. Q. ALbeit common benefits are not sufficient evidences of Gods favour yet new obedience of faith and fruits of the spirit are sure signes of Gods special favour bestowed only on the Elect Seing then as these signes when they are present serve much for the strengthening of faith so also when they are amissing have as great force of reason to debilitat faith yea seing faith without fruits is dead may it not be concluded where no fruits are no faith is Ans. If the question be of the universal want of all fruits of faith such as is to be found in all unrenewed men whose fruit cannot be good so long as the tree is evil whose seeming service cannot be acceptable so long as they remain unreconciled to God through Christ let the question be yielded unto But we are speaking of the true convert in whom there is a missing of the measure of formerly felt fruits and that in the time present wherein by some temptation or tryal their faith is sifted and winnowed And here indeed there is a vast difference between them that were never humbled in the sense of their sins nor led for relief from sin and misery unto Jesus Christ and the true convert who hath renounced the works of darknesse and hath fled unto Christ and consecrated himself to his service and who is set upon a new course of life hath brought forth new fruits of repentance faith love and hope and hath felt consolation in this course and now under exercise of conscience looketh upon himself as barren ground doth lament his impotency to bring forth good fruits and while he is under this exercise liveth in a sad condition blamelesse and free of scandal-giving great ods between this man and a man yet in nature We grant in the unrenewed man who is a stranger to the life of grace and true godlinesse the sentence holds No fruits no faith but as for the convert who hath had comfort in Christ and brought forth good fruits in some measure he must not reason from his present dead condition felt and lamented barrennesse to the denying of true faith in Christ or to the weakening of his saith or marring his confidence further then to acknowledge he hath leaned too much on his formerly felt fruits and hath not grounded himself wholly on Christ and the rock of free grace in him but may and should maintain his faith in Christ against his discouragment that he may be inabled to bring forth more ripe and aboundant fruits Quest. IV. Q. BUt what shall be said to humbled converts who looking to the holy Law of God and finding no fruits such as should be do passe sentence in the time of tentation upon all their works as unworthy of the name of the fruits of the Spirit and then do dispute against their own faith by the Apostles words Iam. 2. 20. faith without works is dead Ans. If the conscience do pronounce according to the truth as the mater is indeed it cannot be denied but faith without works is dead and God is greater then the conscience and knoweth all things But when the conscience is misled by a tentation powerfully pressed in by Sathan in the time of some sad affliction and appearance of Gods displeasure the testimony of the conscience is not a sufficient proof to infer so hard a conclusion for it cometh to passe oft-times that the convert who liveth blamelesly and entertaineth the love and purpose of well-doing in his heart followeth the exercises of religion constantly is not negligent in his calling and is ready upon occasion offered to let forth the fruits of love to his neighbour for all this sometimes walketh in darknesse and under desertion seeth no light as Isaiah 50. 10. In this case it may be he set all his works at nought as no wayes answerable to the Lords Law I see nothing saith he but sin in me I see no fruit of true faith in me I feel no operation of the holy Spirit in me save the work of convincing me of sin and unrighteousnesse In this case we must not give credit to the afflicted but convince him rather of his error and in special of his leaning too much weight on his works before this sad exercise fell upon him for when a convert maintaineth his faith in Christ only so oft and so long as he findeth in himself the fruits of new obedience but when he hath new experience of the power of the body of death and findeth the course of good behaviour and bringing forth good fruits to be interrupted in himself incontinent he resiles from his confidence such a man certainly giveth evidence that he hath relyed too much on his former felt righteousnesse an himself for he doth as if he durst not for sin approach unto Christ and so he falleth in Peters case who looking on his own sinfulnesse and the brightnesse of Christs Godhead shining in a recent miracle cryeth out Luke 5. 8. depart from me O Lord I am a sinfull man for Peter in this case did forget Christs mediatory office and that he stood so much the more need of Christs drawing near to him as he was a man convinced of sinfulnesse Another answer we give to this question the afflicted person must not think that he wants altogether the fruits of faith albeit he find them to be short of the
perfection which the Law doth require albeit he find not the fruits whensoever he would exact them albeit he find them not in that measure as he hath found them before For as trees are not to be esteemed dead or barren which bring forth fruits in due season albeit they bear not fruit in winter So faith is not to be esteemed dead which as occasion is offered bringeth forth the fruit at one time of mercy at another time of justice and equity at another time the evidence of zeal at another time of love and other vertues albeit when occasion or opportunity offereth not it doth not exercise such and such vertues yea albeit sometimes when occasion calleth for the evidencing of such and such gracious vertues the convert be somtime found in-laking or short of doing duty or guilty of doing contrary to duty faith must not be counted dead for all that Because it may come to passe that faith may be so wounded and fall sick and languish and fall in a swound that it cannot bring forth fruits till it be recovered of its sicknesse as we may see in Ionah David and Peter whose faith fainted but failed not altogether It is true they suspected they were cut off and gone when they were in hard exercise but after that they did look up to the mercy of God in Christ draw near unto him and did shew themselves alive in the Lord and to be in the state of grace Last of all we answer that the regrate of the humbled soul of its barrennesse and short-coming of bringing forth fruits as it would is no small evidence of life and sense in the inward man And of such a disposition it may be said as it is written Cant. 2. 13. The figtree putteth forth its green figs and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell For he that is fled to Christ and laments his barrennesse is a lover of doing good works and of bringing forth the fruits of the Gospel Quest. V. Q. BUt how can a man maintain his faith in Christ who after examination findeth no evidence at all of his conversion and that all his former life hath been spent in the unfruitfull course of corrupt nature and the mater is so indeed he hath lived after the course of this world a stranger to the life of God and grace Ans. Let such a mans examination and sentence of himself stand being according to the truth but this sentence of himself must not hinder him from believing in Christ or from flying to him for refuge for remission of sin for reconciliation and furniture of grace to bring forth better fruits then he hath brought forth before he hath proven against himself that in time bygone he hath noâ— been a regenerat man hath not been a believer in Christ but he hath not cut off himself from flying to Christ and believing in him for time to come for he must put diâ—ference between these two questions whether I have been of the number of sincere believers in Christ heretofore and whether I must now â—lye to Christ for time to come that I may be found hereaâ—ter and henceforth a true convert believing in Christ His former want of good fruits altogether doth prove him not to have been a believer in Christ for time by-past which is the first question and the same want of all good fruits heretofore doth answer the other question for his present duty and in time to come to wit that now except he will perish he must flye to Christ and believe in him In proving of this assertion that I have heretofore for such a space of time been a true convert I must bring forth the evidence of my faith by my works as the Apostle Iames appointeth shew me thy faith by thy works and I will shew thee my faith by my works But in proving this other assertion to wit I must now flye to Christ while the offer is made to me of reconciliation left I perish it will suffice to produce first my want of good fruits and next the commandment of the Gospel charging me to flye to Christ for refuge in time leâ—t I perish And so a man must maintain the way of believing in Christ Jesus for time to come whether he find he hath been a 〈◊〉 or a barren branch in time by-gone or not Quest. VI. Q. SEing the Apostle 2 Pet. 1. 10. commands us to make our calling and election sure by well-doing how can it be called carnal confidence which in part doth lean upon good works For seing assurance and certainty of our effectual calling is not attained unto but by reasoning from our good works that we are called effectually and are elected how do not our works support the assurance of faith concerning our calling and election and so may be leaned unto Ans. A man may make use of his good works for confirmation of his faith and yet not lean his confidence upon his works but upon the grace of God who hath called him of his free grace and made him imbrace the offer of his free grace and given unto him both to will and to do of his free grace and made him to be Gods workman-ship created of Gods free grace unto good works wherein he hath made him to walk Thus grace is by Gods word and working cleared up to the believer to rest upon without laying too much weight upon the mans work but if a man lay hold on Christ and his free grace only then when he observeth in himself such and such fruits of faith and looseth or slacketh his grips of Christ when he feels deadnesse and indisposition to good works justly we may call this a carnal confidence in his works for when he ought with Paul Rom. 7. 24 25. so much the more to flye in to Christ and his righteousnesse as he findeth the body of death powerfull in him and in-born sin strong to hinder his obedience he doth contrary wayes abate of his confidence languish and decay in his faith and look like a departer from Christ we must say he putteth carnal confidence in his own works Quest. VII Q. BUt seing it is impossible to perswade me of the truth and sincerity of saving faith in me except I do observe in me and can bring forth my good works to prove the reality of faith in me how is it possible that I should not lean weight on my good works seing the proof of my faith is by my works which proof if I have not I am at a stand I cannot prove my self to have been a true believer in Christ I cannot perswade my self that I have been and am a true believer in Christ Ans. 1. The observation of the fruits of faith in me is not the only proof of my believing in Christ for the very act of imbracing the offer of reconciliation made to me in the Gospel and flying unto Christ for a refuge when I am chased by the Law by the
Doctrine and Discipline of Christ. Of which question there is enough written by learned and godly men and and in this place it doth not fall in conveniently to be disputed 2. Concerning the other pretense of being oft-times deceived by sundry such as were unworthy of respect we grant that there are many hypocrits who pretend to be Saints and worthy to be blamed in that respect and it is no wonder that the charity of many wax cold when so many speak vanity every man to his neighbour Ps. 12. 2. for this our Lord foretold Mat. 24. 12. Because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold Yet it is not iustifiable to cut charity short because of mens ill-deserving Rivers of tears saith David run down my eyes because they keep not thy Commands Here is love to Gods glory and pity toward perishing â—ouls such mourners were spared in the day of Gods wrath Ezek. 9. 9. 1. Ob. But some may say the same Psalmist did hate the wicked and profane Ans. 1. But he did so with a perfect hatred not with a carnal and corrupt hatred against their persons but with a spiritual and sincere hatred tending to the abolishing of their vice and safety of their persons for which end the Psalmist presenteth his affections to be examined of God and teacheth men by his example to purifie their hearts in hating sinners 2. 〈◊〉 caâ—e that God did reveal unto the Prophet the reprobation of some enemies of God for whose perdition he prayed in sundry Psalms that the justice of God might be ministered and the Church preserved from their malice This his practice is not to be imiâ—aâ— by them who know not of what spirit â—hey are and cannot justifie before God the integrity of 〈◊〉 â—earts in the particular 2. Ob. But put case saith one that I am a civil Judge shall my charity hinder justice and cutting off malefactors man-slayers or others such-like Ans. Not for charity to the malefactor may stand with the love of Justice and the Common-wealth when the malefactor is adjudged to death For when Ioshua was to destroy Achan he exhorted him to repent and give glory to God that his soul might be saved Ios. 7. 19. Likewayes the Prophets when they denounced the destruction of Cities and Nations had melting hearts in compassion toward them who were condemned by God Is. 16. 11. Ier 48. 36. and Christ our Lord charity it self weeped for the misery of Ierusalem destinat justly to destruction Mat. 23. 37. 3. Obj. But saith he a special regard must be had toward believers in the exercise of charity Gal. 6. 10. Ans. It is true but the Apostles words are As we have opportunity let us do good unto all men especially unto them that are of the housheld of faith Which houshold consisteth of all them who by profession have subjected themselves to the doctrine and discipline of Christ and are members of the visible Church 4. Ob. But saith he as all that are of Israel are not the Israel of God Rom. 9. 6. So all that are in the visible Church are not of the houshold of God Ans. Who hath made thee a Judge either to discern who are elect who not or to discern what shall become of this man or that man whereby thou may abandon charity toward him God hath given to us his Spirit saith the Apostle that we may know what saving grace he hath given to our selves but not to know what he hath bestowed on others 1 Cor. 2. 10 11. God who only searcheth the secrets of all hearts hath reserved the judgements of mens hearts to himself and he alone can discern who is the hypocrit and in whose heart there is no guil 5. Ob. But saith he the judgment of charity iâ— not blind but should be according as the truth is otherwayes I shall esteem a man a true convert who is not regenerat and so deceive my self Ans. The judgment of charity concerning other mens inward estate and condition is not one alwayes with the judgement according to verity for the rule of the judgement of charity is equity and commanded duty reserving the judgment according to verity to God For this distinction the Apostle gives ground Phil. 1. 6 7. in charity judging all the Philippians to be sincere converts he saith his speech and estimation of them was according as was meet for him to think Now equity required that he should judge the best of them all albeit he did not know the hearts of them all as he saith 1. Cor. 13. 7. charity believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things But for the judgment of other mens estate and condition in grace according to verity he doth forbid men to judge before the time 1 Cor. 4. 3. 5. Rom. 14. 4. Iam. 4. 12. And 1 Pet. 5. 12. the Apostle speaking in charity of Sylvanus saith he is a faithfull brother as I suppose 2. If we see it our duty to show charity to our neighbour whatsoever he be our charity is not blind but clear-sighted 6. Ob. But saith he mens profanity wickednesse and atheisme may clearly be seen for the Psalmist saith The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart that there is no fear of God before his eyes Ps. 36. 1. and Christ speaking of false Prophets Mat. 7. 16. saith Ye shall know them by their fruits Ans. What the Prophet saith by the Spirit and what Christ saith is true and we grant that mens ill deeds and corrupt doctrine do be wray their naughty inward disposition but what serveth this to justifie thy rash judgment of thy brother that there is no saving work of grace in him because they cannot perceive the evident signes thereof in him in whom possibly thou cannot find any reigning vice or open out-breaking scandals What doth this serve to hinder expressions and fruits of charity toward open sinners so long as God waiteth patiently on their repentance It is one thing to be wary lest we be infected with the contagion of mens ill maners or corrupt doctrine another thing to cut them off from being the objects of our charity 7. Ob. But we are forbidden saith he to have fellowship with sinners who may intise us to sin Pro. 1. 11. and to make friendship with an angry man Pro. 22. 24. Ans. This warinesse may consist with charity for albeit we cannot be partakers with evil workers or enter in needlesse familiarity with those with whom we cannot converse and be free of damnage from them yet we may not exclude them from the object of our charity or carry our selves so toward them as they can take no good from our hand for so long as we live in the world we must follow peace with all men and holinesse Heb. 12 14. 1 Cor. 5. 10 8. Obj. Albeit it be true that we must in common duties of civility and humanity prudently behave our selves yet we must carry otherwayes to professed Christians if their conversation
in their calling and that as they find the imperfections of their service so they are forced to renounce all confidence in their own righteousnesse and to flye to the righteousnesse of Christ as the only true garment able to hide their nakednesse yet they are for the most part heavy in their spirit seldom they rejoyce but many times they weep and howsoever they maintain confidence in Christ for the state they stand into yet when they consider their ordinar heavinesse of heart they doubt what to think of this their sad condition Ans. This condition if well considered is very usefull albeit not alwayes comfortable for the Lords dispensation toward such a person thus exercised is well tempered and wisely mixed for he neither suffereth the heavy in heart to cast away his confidence in Christ nor to be idle and unfruitfull in his vocation nor to glory in his own works or put confidence in them but so keepeth him up to the duty of more and more esteeming of Christs righteousnesse and drawing of strength from him by faith that he goeth on in his course uprightly albeit not fed as he would be by the consolations of the holy Ghost 2. For remedy whereof let him quiet his mind for after examination of his own natural inclination he shall find the reason of the Lords dispensation toward him sparingly giving unto him such measure of consolation as he would have to be this least he should abuse the same and lean more to the sensible feeling thereof then to the word of faith and therefore however he find heavinesse of heart through manyfold tentations let him hold on his way in the obedience of faith he shall after a whiles patience and wrestling meet with as much peace and consolation as may suffice a pilgrim walking from strength to strength till he appear before God in heaven where all tears shall be wiped away from his eyes Mean time let this ground be holden fast that God mixeth the cup of his own children as he findeth it fit for their edification The third question is concerning the converts who for not looking on their originall sin and the out breakings thereof are in doubt what to think of their former condition SOme converts are who after a quiet possession of peace injoyed in a blamelesse conversation among men and in the exercises of religion uprightly before God after examination of their condition more narrowly do find that the conscience for a long time hath been silent and hath not changed for the motions of original sin but suffered them to go on securely under the guiltinesse of the daily sprouting forth thereof In this case as they dare not cast away their confidence in Christ nor their holy purpose of walking uprightly before God So they cannot justifie the silence of their conscience which hath suffered the motions of sin although not consented unto to go away without challenge or reckoning made for them and here they are in straits and doubt what to judge of their own condition Ans. In this case the silence of the conscience is not to be excused And the peace of the convert albeit it may be sound in order to the converts state in grace yet the condition wherein he is is not good but mixed with much security for to make the condition of a convert to be good it is not only required that his conscience be keeped free from grosse pollutions but also that he be daily aiming at mortifying of sin and that to this end he daily give an account unto God of his wandering and vanity and of the observed out-sproutings of the bitter root of original sin that he may after his best behaviour perceive a necessity of that prayer taught us by our Lord for daily remission of sins and so may daily have the answer of God from the Evangel saying Son be of good cheer thy sins are forgiven unto thee For there is a twofold absolution of the convert one is in order to his person which Christ calleth the washing of the whole man the other is in order to his daily imperfections and blemishes of his conversation which Christ doth call the washing of the feet By vertue of the first sort of absolution the child of God flying to Christ is judicially declared free from condemnation by the other the believer making use of the fountain opened up in Christ is exeemed from his acknowledged uncleannesse This is clear from Christs words Ioh. 13. 10. Mean time we confesse that the motions of sin in our mortal bodies are so innumerable that no man can overtake them yet must they be counted for an heap at least as David doth teach us Ps. 19. 12. Who knoweth the errors of his life cleanse me from my secret sins And this same lesson doth the Apostle teach us Rom. 7. 24. Wretched man that I am saith he who shall deliver me from the body of this death I thank God through Iesus Christ. Wherefore let the convert go on in his formet godly and righteous behaviour and conversation not mis-regarding the sproutings of original sin but giving account thereof unto Christ as said is that he may glorifie that righteousnesse of Christ by faith and injoy peace with God not only in order to his state but also in order to his condition daily The fourth question is how the convert may know and be certain of his justification VVHen the true convert heareth the different opinions of Theologues concerning the act of justification of a believer some saying that it is an act of God immanent whereby he willeth the absolution of the believer some saying that it is an act of God emanent and transient from God upon the spirit of the believer some saying it is the sentence of the Judge absolving the believing sinner from the curse of the law The believer here possibly is at a stand and knoweth not how to answer the question till his doubt be loosed For the satisfaction of the convert first we may safely say that it is not material whether the convert be able to take up the quiddity and formal notion of the act of iustification provided he be a believer in Christ and know that the believer in Christ is justified before God and that being justified by faith he hath peace with God and can apply these truths unto himself in the exercise of repentance and new obedience But if possibly the convert cannot be satisfied till his doubt be answered let him consider that he must distinguish between justification actively taken as it proceedeth from God and justification passively taken as it is terminat on the justified man as it is taken actively these four things are to be distinguished 1. Gods eternal will and decree to absolve from sin and wrath every believer in Christ. 2. Gods actual revealing in time this his gracious pleasure in the Gospel 3. Gods judicial application of this general sentence to the believer in the point of his conversion
private when he finds an indisposition of mind unto it SUndry converts when they perceive the unfitnesse of their spirits to offer immediat worship to God in prayer praises or thanksgiving especially in private do fall in doubt with themselves whether it be better to delay the offer of their worship till they find themselves well disposed for it or to go on as they may albeit they apprehend their lips polluted and their hearts far away from God Their fear on the one hand is lest they should pollute the worship and take Gods name in vain on the other hand they fear lest they fall in the guiltinesse of omitâ—ing a prescribed duty The question shall be what the doubting convert should determine and do 2. For answer this case is spoken unto before 2. Book Chap. 17. in as far as the convert determineth not and doth not what is right but goeth wrong and pleaseth himself in his bad condition But here we speak to this case as the convert is in doubt only and desireth to be keeped from deceiving himself In which case we say that as it is the converts doubt so we must confesse that this case of indisposition and unâ—itnesse for spiritual exercises is very frequent and is ordinarily and oft-times a chastisement of us drawn on by our selves because we do not watch unto prayer we do not study to keep our hearts in the fear of the Lord all the day long we do not foster that tendernesse of conscience which might furnish us mater of humiliation and of thanksgiving to God upon observation of our faults against God and of Gods favours daily and hourly remarkably running toward us Hence it is when our ordinar time of secret worship doth come we find our vaiging minds hardly called home from their wandering our conscience challenging us for our loose and uncircumspect walking our affections dull and dead and all the powers of our souls taken as with a palsie that we cannot bestir our selves in worship as we should and would Therefore in this case let the convert be humbled and confesse his fault and take with this chastisement and â—â—ye unto Christ who heareth and taketh away the iniquity of our pollution of holy things and let him nor defer his worship till another occasion but wrestle against all impediments and follow out the work in hand blessing God for his pointing out unto him his wants and weaknesse his wandering and vanity of mind his slipping and sliding in his wayes and for opening unto him a â—ountain in Christ for washing his pollutions and healing his wounds And that the convert may be encouraged to aim at and follow on this way let him consider that the converts worship may be pleasant and acceptable to God when the convert is much displeased with himself in the discharge of it for there is a worshiping of God in faith without sense and feeling of the hearts inlargement and there is a worshiping of God with felt enlargement of heart The worshiping of God in faith is pleasant unto God albeit the worshiper in perplexity and wrestling with temptations and corruptions be much displeased with himself The worshiping of God with inlargement of heart is pleasant both unto God and to the worshiper also as Ps. 119. 32. David gives us to understand I will run the way of thy Commandments saith he when thou shalt enlarge my heart But when this inlargement by sensible assistance of the holy Ghost is not perceived the Psalmist is but a dead man in his own estimation yet he doth not forbear or delay to worship God as well in bonds as in freedom Quicken me saith he according to thy loving kindnesse Therefore let the convert in this case 1. follow the example of the Psalmist who Ps. 5. 3. resolveth to call on God with his voice that is to follow the work of prayer externally pre-suppose his spiritual powers were bound up and he unable to back his peâ—itions with suteable affections My voice saith he shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up And Ps. 27. 7. Hear me when I cry with my voice have mercy also upon me and answer me 2. For his incouragement in this case to go on in his worship let him confesse unto God the truth as it is presenâ—ed unto him by his conscience and say O Lord my God these are my sins which I ought to acknowledge before thee with tears which for the present are dryed up c. These are thy favours and benefits wherewith I am loadenâ—d which I should acknowledge with joy and sense of thy goodnesse c. but thou Lord delights in truth in the inward parts Ps. 51. 8. This will be found our reasonable service which the Apostle calleth for Rom. 12. 1 2. The eight question is how to satisfie the convert doubting what is the sin which God pursueth by long-lasting affliction IT falleth forth oft-times when a true convert being a long time pressed under some lasting crosse or calamity doth inquire after the special causes of his affliction and when he cannot be clear what to determine doth doubt what to think of his condition for he acknowledgeth his sins common to him and other converts to be innummerable but apprehendeth that it is some special sin pursued by God which is the cause of his affliction which because he cannot condescend upon he is at a stand and doubteth what to think or do 2. For answer we say 1. such a case is more troublesom then dangerous for so long as he is observing his sins common to him and other converts and in the exercise of repentance is daily humbled before God for his known sins he must not be anxious albeit he know not the particular sin pursued as he apprehendeth for albeit the Lord afflict no man but such as have sin in them yet he doth not alwayes in afflicting of his children pursue unknown sin in them For sometime he afflicteth his child to preveen his sinning hedging up his way with thornes lest he should follow after beloved lusts Sometime he doth afflict him to try his faith to teach him patience meeknesse temperance and other virtues such as are dying to the world seeking after things spiritual compassion toward others in affliction 2. When the afflicted hath composed his mind to reverence Gods dispensation whatsoever it is or shall be then let him yet again look upon his affliction and it may be he shall read in the rod what is the Lords quarrel 3. Whether he shall find the special cause of his affliction or not let him turn all his indignation zeal and hatred against the body of death the bitter root and bulk of actual sins and watch diligently over the motions of original sin or concupiscence in himself 4. And let his whole exercise stir him up to have Christ in greater estimation to make use of Christs righteousnesse imputed to believers and
from the body of this death and while he searcheth how it cometh to passe that such a body of death lodgeth in the children of God and so powerfull relicts of sin remain in the justified man he cannot satisfie himself considering that God doth hate sin and maketh the new creature hate it also which God could easily take away in a moment in the day of the converts reconciliation and justification 2. For answer to this question if a reason of Gods permission of the relicts of sin to remain in the Saints all the dayes of their life be asked after a reason superiour to the most holy will of God to permit it can none be given nor should it be sought after But to quiet our minds in this case these following considerations may suffice 1. it is the will of the Lord our God our wise and loving Physician to renew and restore his image in his children piece and piece till it be brought to perfection in all the lineaments parts and degrees thereof and to heal our sinfull sicknesses and infirmities not in an instant but by little and little as he seeth fit this way of bringing his work to perfection by degrees he keeped in the creation of the world which he did not perfect in a moment but in six dayes So also the seed that is casten in the ground every year he doth not bring forth to maturity for mens use in lesse time then some moneths He doth not form infants in the womb and bring them up to their appointed stature and strength in lesse time then a number of years And for the relicts of sin how odious and loathsome soever they are in themselves yet he can in his deep wisdom make use thereof in a most holy way for the good of penitent converts for as it was fitting that a difference should be put between the militant Church on earth and the triumphant in heaven So it is the Lords wise will to exercise his militant children in conflicting against sin and misery in this life that the next life and triumph over sin death and hell may be the sweeter when it cometh and more desired till it come 2. Secondly as the Lord after sub-duing of the Canaanites did not forthwith cast them altogether out of the holy land but suffered a multitude of them to live for the exercise of the Israelites with warfare and for teaching his people by their own experience that the victory which they had obtained over the Canaanites was not purchased by their sword or bow but was given unto them from the Lord of hostes who led forth their armies and prospered them So doth he not abolish the relicts of sin in his Saints in this life after their conversion that they may know that the victory which they have received over the devil the world and the flesh in their conversion is not to be ascribed to the power of their own free-will but unto God only For if the renewed convert cannot over-come the relicts of the broken forces of his spiritual adversaries within him which his renewed will would most earnestly expell how can he give the glory of his victory over the devil and the world in his conversion unto the power of his corrupt and unrenewed free-will 3. Thirdly it is required of all that come unto Christ that they deny themselves take up their crosse daily and follow him and to make them so do strong motives are daily furnished from the feeling of the relicts of sin in our selves for how can a renewed convert look upon his own ignorance errors folly and vanity of his mind perversenesse of his will impotency to good and propension unto all sin and not loath himself and so be forced to flye to Christ the Redeemer for relief 4. The remainder of sin being an adversary to all vertues doth furnish work to all the habits infused by God for the daily exercise thereof according as inborn sin doth put forth it self to the hinderance of faith love hope patience temperance c. but in special it serves to bear down pride and to foster humility for this doth the experience of the Apostle shew 2 Cor. 12. 7. Least I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelation there was given to me a thorn in the flesh 5. Nothing doth more manifest the infirmity of the strongest souldiers of Christ then the power of inborn sin brought forth in the conflict against the new creature No sharper spur to prayer and imploring of Gods help then the felt power of the remainder of sin this also doth the experience of the Apostle teach us 2 Cor. 12. 8. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me 6. How much the endurance of this conflict with the remainder of sin doth serve to manifest the greatnesse of the Lords power and largenesse of his grace towards his weak souldiers whom he upholdeth and comforteth in this conflict the answer which the Lord giveth to the Apostles prayer maketh manifest 2 Cor. 12. 9. And he said unto me my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weaknesse 7. We are slow to believe dull to apprehend and learn that which the Word of God tells us of the uglinesse of the body of sin the perverse wickednesse of corrupt nature the filthinesse of the flesh the wiles and deceitfulnesse of the old man and the enmity of our corrupt nature against God Therefore in and by the frequent and renewed conflicts now with one lust then with another we are forced by experience to learn the lesson more and more solidly and believe the truth of the Lords Word speaking of sin that is in us and to ingage our selves to prosecute the mortification of sin unto the death 8. The renewed experience of the power of sin in our flesh should make us so much the more vigilant against it and daily to put on the whole armour of God Because we must fight not only with the flesh but also with principalities powers and spiritual wickednesse which take advantage of the sin that naturally dwelleth in us Ephes. 6. 11. 12. Put on the whole armour of God for we wrestle not with flesh and blood to wit only 9. The conscience of the remainder of sin dwelling in us serveth to move us to pity and to have compassion on the children of Adam and meekly to restore our weak brethren who are overtaken in any offence as the Apostle doth teach us Tit. 3. 2. Shewing all meeknesse to all men For we our selves also were sometime foolish disobedient deceived c. Gal. 6. 1. Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meeknesse considering thy self lest thou also be tempted 10. Last of all the permission of the reliques or sin to remain in true converts all the dayes of their life doth serve to decide the great controversie between
and not from the special operation and impulsion of the holy Spirit 322 18. Wherein is solved the true converts doubt whether he be regenerat because he findeth not self-denyal in the measure which is requisit in converts 326 19. Wherein is solved the doubt of the true convert whether he be indeed converted arising from this that he knoweth no child of God so hardly exercised as he is 329 20. Wherein is solved the converts doubt whether he be converted because he doth not find in himself the infallible marks of regeneration 331 21. Wherein is solved the doubt of the true convert whether he be indeed converted because he cannot confidently apply to himself the promises of the Gospel 335 22. Wherein is solved the doubt of the true convert concerning his conversion arising from the observation in himself of presumption and security in his prosperity and of his misbelief in adversity 341 23. Wherein is solved the doubt of a true converts regeneration arising from some false rule applyed without reason to himself 344 24. Wherein is solved the converts doubt of his own conversion because he hath found the deceitfulnesse of his own heart and dare not trust it any more 347 25. Wherein is solved the doubt of the true converts conversion arising from his breach of the covenant of Grace as he conceiveth 351 26. Wherein is solved the true converts doubt whether he be regenerat because he findeth himself not only far from the measure of holinesse which he observeth to have been in the Saints commended in Scripture but also short of the measure which some of his acquaintance have attained unto 355 27. Wherein is solved the true converts doubt whether he be in the blessed state of grace because he findeth himself frequently in an evil condition 358 28. Wherein is solved the doubt of the true convert concerning his regeneration because he findeth the power of the body of death in the pollution of the imaginations of his heart vigorous and powerfull 362 29. Shewing how to quench the fiery darts of Sathan and resist his sinfull suggestions whether of shorter endurance or of longer continuance 364 30. Wherein are some mixed cases spoken of whereunto the true convert is subject and so may fall to doubt of his conversion or interest in Christ. 369 BOOK III. 1. COncerning some premises 376 2. Wherein is handled the case of such as are fallen from their first love and are well pleased in this case 383 3. Concerning the converts sinfull conniving at and tolerating of the errors and transgressions of others 387 4. Concerning the case of the true convert falling asleep in carnal security under guiltinesse of fleshly pollutions and dreaming himself to be in no ill condition 390 5. Concerning the converts pleasing himself in his luke-warm condition 393 6. Concerning such converts as lean unto the props of carnal confidence and please themselves in this condition 395 7. Concerning the case of the convert in some point of doctrine deluded and pleasing himself in this condition 410 8. Concerning the converts conscience mistaking vice for vertue and pleasing himself in this condition 425 9. Of the case of conscience dealing treacherously under preâ—ense of liberty of conscience 431 10. Of such as do please themselves in a condition not pleasing God because they conceive they can pray well under any condition 439 11. Of the converts esteeming the peace of God to be but a carnal security 442 12. Of the case of a convert taking some acts of justifying faith to be high presumption in his person 445 13. Of the condition of the convert fearing that the joy of the holy Ghost which he hath felt be found only to be either the joy of speculation common to temporal believers or a meer delusion 449 14. Of the converts suspecting that his zeal for God and against the sins of others hath been fleshly severity and imprudent temerity 454 15. Of the converts suspecting his aiming at circumspect walking shall be found in him scrupulosity 456 16. Concerning the converts suspicion that his softness of heart is nothing but a natural disposition to weep upon any occasion 459 17. Concerning the converts suspicion that all his devotion is but lip-labour which is not joyned with a tender and melting heart and with Gods sensible approbation 461 18. Concerning the converts looking upon the fight of his faith as if it were the failing of his faiâ—h 466 19. Concerning the converts straitning his charity toward others more then he did at the first time of his conversion conceiving his former larger charity was unwarrantable folly 469 20. Concerning the converts mistaking his condition because of fâ—lt in-lake in his charity and love to God and men 474 21. Concerning the converts despising of his own exercises of religion because of his felt vanity of mind therein 476 22. Corcerning the converts discouragement for felt want of ability to do the duties commanded whereunto his renewed will is very beut 479 23. Concerning the converts imprudent censure of himself for felt ingratitude 480 24. Concerning the converts imprudent censure of himself for his felt impatiency in bearing lesser troubles after his patient bearing of greater troubles 484 25. Concerning the converts mistaking his case for want of such a submission unto Gods exercising of him as he would have 485 26. Concerning the converts mistaking of his condition because of temptations 487 27. Coucerning the converts mistaking his condition when he doth observe some degrees of Gods deserting him 491 28. Concerning cases wherein the convert is in doubt what to determine about his condition 493 To the Reader BE pleased to take notice that Book 3. Chap. 2. Page 383. these words The first rank shall be of some Cases wherein the Conscience c. should be joyned with the words following and of the same Character with them as being the beginning of the said Chapter and no part of the title thereof Likewise in numbering the Pages thou wilt find after 256. in the next Page 235 for 257. Any other mistakes that occur as in the mis-placing changing defect or superfluity of Letters Figures or Notes of distinction be pleased to pardon seing there will be few or none of any moment FINIS
is clear because the mercy of God the grace of God the good-will of God is put in Scripture for the only motive and impulsive cause of Redemption Ephes. 1. 7. 8. 9. In whom we have Redemption through his blood even the forgivenesse of sins according to the riches of his grace wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he had purposed in himself 3. The Scripture sheweth us that there is an innumerable multitude of redeemed persons and a sort of universality of them extended unto all nations and ages and states of men so that this hudge multitude for whose redemption Christs blood was shed Matth. 26. 29. is justly called by the name of a world an elect world Ioh. 3. 16. to be called out of that reprobat world for which Christ refuseth to interceed Ioh. 17. 9. the truth of this mater the redeemed do acknowledge in their worshiping Christ their Mediatour Rev. 5. 9. and they sang a new song saying Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kinred and tongue and people and nation These are the all men whom God will have saved and doth save 1 Tim. 2. 4. these are the all men of whom the Apostle speaks 2 Pet. 3. 9. God is patient toward us to wit his elect not willing that any of us should perish but that we all should come to repentance And this the Apostle giveth for a reason of the Lords deferring his coming till all the elect should be brought in of whom many were not yet converted in the Apostles time and many were not yet born and if Christ should not delay his coming till they were born and brought in to reconciliation with God the number of the elect should be cut short 4. In no place of Scripture is it said that all and every man are elect or every man is given to Christ or every man is predestinat unto life in no place of Scripture is it said that Christ hath made paction with the Father for all and every man without exception But by the contrary it is sure from Scripture that Christ hath merited and procured salvation for all them for whom he entered himself Surety Their sins only were laid on Christ and in him condemned satisfied for and expiat Isa. 53. for these and in their place he offered himself to satisfie Justice for them he prayed them only he justifieth and glorifieth for the sentence of the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. 15. standeth firm in Christ all are dead to the law for whom and in whose room Christ did die And therefore for these his people the law is satisfied from these the curse is taken away to them heaven and all things necessary to salvation are purchased and shall infallibly in due time yea invincibly be applied Christ hath not sanctified consecrat and perfected all and every one Heb. 10. 14. only for his sheep predestinat he laid down his life Iohn 10. 15. 16. 26. he did not buy with his blood all and every one but his Church called out and severed from the world Acts 20. 28. he saveth not all and every man from their sins but his own people only to wit whom he hath bought with his blood to be his own Matth. 1. 21. whom he hath purchased to be his own peculiar whom he doth purifie and kindle with a servent desire to bring forth good works Tit. 2. 14. Such as Christ hath redeemed he loveth them infinitly and counted them dearer to him then his life But many shall be found to whom Christ shall say I never knew you to wit with approbation and affection Matth. 7. 23. They for whom Christ hath died shall sometime glory against all condemnation but so shall not every man be able to glory Rom. 8. 34. 35. Christ never purposed to lay down his life for those whom going to die he refuseth to pray for only for those who are given to him out of the world will he pray and die and rise and will raise them to eternall life Ioh. 17. 9. So far is it from Gods purpose and Christs to redeem all and every man that he hath not decreed to give every nation so much as the externall necessary means for conversion and salvation Psal. 147. 19. 20. He sheweth his word unto Iacob his statutes and his judgements unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any nation and as for his judgements they have not known them And for this wise and holy course of hiding the mystery of salvation from many even wise men in the world Christ Jesus glorifieth and thanketh the Father Matth. 11. 25. I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight The second article AS to the second article of the Covenant of Redemption concerning the price of Redemption and the sitting of the Redeemer for accomplishing the work of Redemption God would not have silver or gold or any corruptible thing 1 Pet. 1. 18. He refuseth all ransome that can come from a meer man Psal. 49. 8. But He would have His own co-eternall and only begotten Son to become a man to take on the yoke of the law and to do all His will that He alone might redeem the elect who by nature are under the curse of the law He would have Him the second Adam to be obedient even to the death of the crosse that by His obedience many might be justified Rom. 5. 19. This is clearly confirmed by the Apostle Heb. 10. 5. 6. 7. 10. commenting upon the 7. and 8. verses of Psal. 40. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure then said Christ coming into the world Lo I come in the volumne of the book it is written of Me to do thy will O God by the which will we are sanctified by the offering up of the blood of Iesus once for all 2. By Christs obedience we understand not only that which some call his active obedience nor that only which some call his passive obedience for his active and passive obedience are but two notions of one thing for his incarnation subjection to the law and the whole course of his life was a continued course of suffering and in all his suffering he was a free and voluntary agent fulfilling all which he had undertaken unto the Father for making out the promised price of Redemption and accomplishing what the Father had given him command to do His obedience even to the death of the crosse did begin in his emptying himself to take on our nature and the shape of a servant and did run on till his resurrection and ascension As for these his sufferings in