or Vertue in a Mans Conversation towards God or Man is natural as to the Principle for what are Principles of Action in a Man by common Gift of Knowledge or Honest Inclinations are natural Principles Before the Law given to Moses we may find footsteps of all the Ten Commandments for Abel believed in God which is the Duty of the first and Sacrificed which is the Duty of the second and in the third Generation when but very few Families on the Earth and not above three to wit Adam Seth and Enos's that were Worshippers except we Charitably Hope some were Proselites of the Cainitish Race publick worship was established for then Men began to call upon the Name of the Lord This was Obedience both to the second and third Commandment which did suppose Obedience to the fourth to wit a sanctifying some publickly known Time for Worship whose Determination God by Positive Command had fixed though from a natural Reason to wit the Seventh-day in which God had rested from the greatest and best of Works he had yet done in the World The fifth and the seventh Command is manifest in the Practice of Marriage for therein was the Period of Subjection to Parents terminated in leaving Father and Mother and an Aera of faithfulness to the Wife begun express't in cleaving to her and it is probable that last and crowning Duty of Childrens Subjection to their Parents is taxed as broken by these Sons of God who took unto themselves Wives according to their own Choice Gen. 6.7 The sixth and ninth Command were both broke by Cain who murdered his Brother and then not only denied it but denied the Knowledge of such a Fact Gen. 4.8 9. The eighth and tenth Command are thought by some especially the Quietists to have been neither Commands nor broken because there could be no Coveting of enlarging Property but rather of Men to share of the common good and Sin gave occasion to particular Commands though of such a General Nature But we find Adam guilty of both in coveting of a Diety and robbing God of his Property when but one Tree was reserved in all the World for an acknowledgment of Gods having the Primitive Right And we find Gen. 6. that the abounding Lusts of the Heart was the cause of the Deluge and all Lust is coveting The Ordinance of Circumcision was appointed to be a Monument and Conviction of the Lusts of the Heart and the Necessiâ—y of Mortification the Sweat of the Brow and toil of labour were appointed as the means of our Maintenance and the Nimrodical Hunting was a robbing men of what God had blessed their labour in So we find the Moral Law in this Law of Nature The next Enquiry is about the Evangelical Law whether any Prints of that is to be found under it yea or not and taking the natural Law most properly and as here the Apostle explains it in his Discourse for a Sign of Divine Will about our Duty as revealed in Nature or by Creation and Providence we may find footsteps of it here 1. For the Duties of it here are both Faith and Repentance rendred concludable from Divine Forbearance and Goodness Rom. 2.4 Not knowing that the Goodness of God leadeth thee to Repentance but after thy hardness and impenitent Heart c. 2. As there are Evangelical Duties so Evangelical Influence Chap. 1.18 Who hold the Truth in Vnrighteousness here was a Truth preserved alive against their Wills and as Gen. 6.3 the Spirit of the Lord was said to strive with men and 1 Pet. 3.20 Those Souls that are now in Prison had once the Spirit of Christ dealing with them and also Evangelical Acceptance If the Vncircumcision keep the Righteousness of the Law shall not his Vncircumcision be counted for Circumcision for Circumcision is not that which is outward in the Flesh but in the Man whose Praise is of God Therefore the Law of Nature being excluded there is an Evangelical Law excluded which Suarez calls the Con-natural Law and Gratian says Jus naturale est quod in lege Evangelio continetur and Mr. Baxter says It is the first Edition of the Covenant of Grace which two ways was published to all the World 1. By Natural Light discovering God Merciful in his Nature 2. By External Proclamation 1. Once to Adam that there should come a Seed of the Woman who should tread down the Head of the Serpent 2. In Noah and 3. In Christ For altho' none comes to the Father but by the Son and there is no other Name given under Heaven by which men might be saved yet it doth not follow that particular and distinct Knowledge of the Messiah was absolutely Necessary for that many Infants who were saved have not and the Disciples who lived with Christ were doubtful about it yea Peter forbid him to yield to Death when he was very nigh to suffer for it The Third Law excluded is the Moral Law whereof the Decalogue qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 receives all things is the Summe To take the Moral Law according to common Sentiments there is by it these three things added to the Natural Law 1. A Positive Institution with great Solemnity from Mount Sinai with several Positive Determinations that are not immediately concludable by the Light of Nature 2. The Spiritual Extension of the Moral Law is manifested through Corruption much of the Law of Nature was obscur'd as whether Fornication or Usury were Sins or Thoughts of the Mind before Formal Consent or latent Inclinations to Unlawful Things A third Edition is of Life and Authority to the Sanction men very much Question whether a Man was liable to Eternal Death for evil Inclinations Yea or No but this Law is added because of Transgression that is both to discover it as the Apostle says Rom. 7. I had not known Sin if the Law had not informed me so the Conviction of Sin was weak until the renewed Sanction of the Law has made it more terrible Sin gets many fair Colours Covetousness gets the Name of Frugality until the Spirit discover both the Sin and the Curse doubtful Duties are establish'd weak and faint Notions reviv'd corrupt Thoughts are corrected the need of a Saviour more Manifested and the Jewish State settled in a more perfect Condition than any State in the World Now we find this Law is excluded for Rom. 3.20 For by the Law is the Knowledge of Sin there is no Law discovers Sin so as the Moral The Natural Law discovers Sin but neither so powerfully nor so plainly the express Word of God discovers the Malignity of Sin the Root and Original of Sin and the dreadful Issue and Event of Sin more plainly and clearly and removes all those Fogs and Mists that created many doubts by which we were apt to think great Sins small small Sins none and no Sins so hateful in the sight of God as they are The Ceremonial Law discovers Sin but by Accident its Primitive Intention
has Conditionally died for all and sincere Obedience to this new Law of Faith is the Condition which they say is called Faith from the Facility and Easiness of obeying it because it requires no more Obedience but with a Proportion to our Faith and the Measure of our Faith is the Perspicuity and Assurance of Divine Revelation The Socinian and Arminian deny Merit but that is from the Odium of the Word only for Crellius the Socinian says No Master of Justice and Equity would rob his Servant of a due Reward for a fault or two God would not lay such a snare in the way of Wicked Men to deprive them of Hopes and discourage them from Duty And Poppius the Arminian describes the Christian Religion by those Works that consist in Obedience to the Commands of God and Christ and on respect to which depends the Reward of Eternal Life yea which he is not to have without the Work be Plenè Consummatum intirely and fully Perfect And the Papists mean no more by Merit they do not think their Works merit Heaven by a strict Commutative Justice that is us'd in Bargains nor Distributive in the rigour of the first Covenant but in Justice attemper'd with Equity and tinctur'd with the meriting Blood of Christ a Justice arising between a Foederal Promise and the most mean Condition And the Sincere as well as Learn'd Mr. Baxter says in his Catholick Theology he only differs from them in the Word because offensive and that we ought rather to rejoice the Papists have so much Truth among them than reject the Truth because they hold it But whether he dy'd in this Opinion that our Works gave such a Right to the Reward I doubt for in his little Book against Dr. Crisps Errors he says I formerly believ'd the formal Nature of Faith to lye in Consent as he elsewhere explains it the Marriage Consent that binds to all the Duties of the Married State and so gives Right to all the Priviledges but now says he â— Recant it which he could not do so often as he us'd without great Measures of Humility I believe says he it lies in Trust this makes the Right to lie in the Object for it is I depend on Christ as the Matter or Merit of my Pardon my Life my Crown my Glory But thirdly the Gospel which is the equal Interpretation of the Law in its exactness plainly teaches us that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Equity is to be apply'd to the Subject of the Law and the Law by immutable Justice requir'd Death but there was place for Equity in change of Persons a Sponsor or Surety might be admitted to dye and some way there must be Infiniteness in the Death because an Infinite Majesty offended but the Law left it doubtful whether the Infiniteness must be in the Duration of Suffering or Dignity of the Sufferer and Equity has interpreted it of the latter As if a Father was permitted to suffer for a Son or a Summe should be paid in Gold which the Words of the Law required to be paid in Silver or Copper For Equity is saith Aristotle a Correction of the Law wherein it is deficient in Words by reason of its Universality Or I think better an Explication of the Words of the Law according to the Will of the Law-giver in an extraordinary emergent Case Or as Crellius says it is a Justice mixt with Mercy or a Virtue mitigating the Acrimony of the Law from Consideration of Circumstances as St. James says The Wisdom that is from above is Pure Peaceable Gentle and Easie to be entreated full of Mercy and good Fruits the Fruit of Righteousness is sown in Peace And thus generally Protestants expound the Equity of the Law to be Gods admitting yea giving Christ as a Surety for us he was made under the Law as a subsequent Surety The first Covenant did not say Thou Adam either first or second Adam shalt die for then the first Covenant had been the Covenant of Grace still there was no need of another Covenant as the Reverend Mr. Baxter doth strenuously prove but when we were under the Curse of the Law he came in and took our Room and became a Curse to redeem us from it and the Law as fulfilled by him for us is to us truly a Law of Faith according to the Text For farther Explication and Confirmation of which I shall propose these four Heads First That all the Functions and Offices of our Lord Jesus Christ all he said and did or suffered was in Obedience to a Law Secondly I shall a little explain the Nature of this Law and its Righteousness Thirdly That Law he did fulfill for us in our Room and Stead Fourthly That Law and its Righteousness is to us a Law of Faith and consequently the Law here mentioned in the Text it is not proposed to us as a Rule of our Obedience but as a matter of our Faith yea our Faith Interests us in it and makes its Righteousness effectively ours For the Proof of the first We find by Eternal Compact between the Father and the Son in the Mediatorial Covenant the Son came under a Mediatorial Law Psal 40.6 7 8 9. In that Emphatical Account of it we may make these Observations 1. There was a Compact by which he calls God his God O my God 2. By Vertue of that Covenant which was recorded in the Volume of the Book his place was to become a Servant Lo I come I am ready to obey 3. His Service was to fulfill the Divine Will I delight to do thy Will 4. This Will was a Legal Will Thy Law is within my Heart for Law is a just act of a Superiors Will. 5. The Law required him to be a Sacrifice Heb. 10.10 By the which Will we are sanctified through the Offering of the Body of Jesus Christ once for all 6. That no other Sacrifice either pleased God without this or but this Sacrifice and Offerings thou didst not desire 2. By Vertue of this undertaking the Son became under an Obligation to obâ—y this Law Heb. 2.17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his Brethren And Luke 24.46 And thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the Dead Yea this Obligation did extend to the most Minute Particles of his Life John 4.4 He must needs go through Samaria 3. In an answerableness to this Obligation he did all he undertook Hence is it said of him He did all things well and John 8.28 29. I do nothing of my self but as my Father hath taught me I do always those things that please him And Chap. 4.34 My Meat is to do the Will of him that sent me and to finish his Work Psal 69.4 5. Then I restored that which I took not away O God thou knowest my foolishness and my Sins are not hid from thee John 15. It is applied to Christ and Theod. in Lat. Graec. expounds it thus It is
and ten Years after Christ oh the 12th Chap. 3. he cites Deuteronomy 29.1 These are the Words of the Covenant and thus expounds it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Covenant is nothing else but a Law and the Midrash on Leviticus distinguishes thus between Statutes Judgments and Laws in Chap. 26.46 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Law is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doctrine Learning and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Statutes are Midrashoth Glosses Expositions and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Judgments are Hadaenin Decisions of Cases in Law and Aben Ezra on psal 19.8 gives this Etymon of it the Law is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Law because it shows the Right way and Converts Souls by taking away their Doubts and Fears But since they mean by Doctrine of Faith the Gospel and the Gospel being regulated by this Mediatorial Law Law of Faith and Doctrine of Faith are the same things and it is usual in Scripture to use a Law and its Works of Righteousness promiscuously Hence without the Law and without Works are the same and so the Law of Faith and the Doctrine of Faith are the same for it 's a Doctrine of what was done in Conformity to this Law Thirdly The Opposition between the two Members in this Text doth Confirm it for Law of Faith cannot be here understood a Law requiring Evangelical Faith as a specifical distinct Duty from the Works the other Law did require For first Faith it self is a Work 2 Thes 1.11 The Work of Faith with Power 1 Thes 1.3 Remembring your Work of Faith and in John To Work the Work of God is to Believe For thus there would be no Distinction betwixt the Law of Works and Law of Faith for the Moral Law required Faith in God and the Ceremonial Law required Faith in him that was Typified by their Sacrifices But to come nigher to this Opposition as it is explained by the Socinians and Arminians it must either lie in the Object or in the Precept or Duty but in none of them As to the Object God and Christ there is no Essential difference there for either it must be between the Persons and then there must be three Faiths specifically distinct Or it must be between the Office and Nature and we cannot say there is any greater Distinction there between God and Mediator than between God and Creator God and Preserver or Governor or Sanctifier all which are Incitements and Motives of our Faith or Love or as Mr. Durham calls it Objectum Considerationis or as Cloppenburgh Objectum Formale sub qua but not Ratio formalis quae vel propter quam and such distinct Formalities make no distinct Worship or Faith We see the Lords bringing the People out of Egypt is set down as an Incitement to their Observation of the Moral Law I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt it is far from making a new Law distinct from the Moral so Gods becoming our Redeemer and delivering us out of the Regions of Darkness and Prisons of Bondage is the strongest Motive that ever was and this Sinning against such a Motive which is a Sin against the Gospel is the greatest Sin and as there is no specifically distinct Object in the first Table so there is none in the second to render our Evangelical Obedience to it distinct from our Moral For the Sympathizing with our Neighbour under Adversity as it s said Bear you one anothers Burdens and so fulfill the Law of Christ it is no farther remote from Loving our Brother being only Charity denominated from his Condition than not stealing of his goods from him killing of him bearing false Witness against him or those other Precepts are but it 's called the Law of Christ because that kind of Love was the Spring of all his Obedience to the Mediatorial Law the principal part of his Work was to bear our Burden but the Socinians are in a greater difficulty here than others who deny the Deity of Christ and yet do Religiously Worship him Their Work should be how to find out a new Table not how to find out a new Law to place a kind of Obedience in that is neither proper to God nor Man nor are they altogether free of this Task who thô they own the Mediator to be God yet as such talk of a specifical distinct Law of Duties to him from what we owe to God as to Repentance the Ability to perform it and the Acceptance of it being interrupted and imperfect Duty flows from the Gospel yet there is a Necessity that the Law it is regulated by be the same Law that was broken It was Mans Duty to Love God to fear him to have Faith in him and to obey him he has now by Sin omitted these Duties what is else the Essence of his Repentance but the repeating and renewing of it again that he that broke the Law now keep it If he observe not the Law he did violate it is no Repentance Repentance and Primitive Obedience differ no more than the Image of God that Man was created in and Regeneration which is a renewing of him to the same likeness of Knowledge Righteousness and Holiness as the Divine Nature is the rule of this Image both in one and the other else it were no Image so that Holy and perfect Law of God founded on what is his due from what he has been and is to the Creature called the Moral Law is the same Rule to our Actions distinct Formalities in Objects make distinct Sciences and Arts and may occasion distinct Precepts or Acts for it is an imperfect Law if it reach not to every Condition of the Subject Hence Suarez says The Law of Nature before and after the fall differ only as the Acts of the same Law in Time of Peace and War The Law says one thing to a Married Man and another to an Unmarried it has distinct Statutes to every Condition but the Law is one A Law meets with many changes and yet remains the same as a Man doth and is yet the same Man in Essence 1. In Use it may serve for directing the Obedient convincing and condemning the Guilty and be the same Law still So the Moral Law was that we were to be justified or condemn'd by in the Primitive State that use of it ceases when the Soveraign Prince Pardons then the Dignity of the Intercessor or his own Bowels of Mercy is his Measure So God now proceeds with us according to what our Mediator has done for us that is the Law of Faith not according to what we have done It is strange to say Faith in a Mediator will justifie and not Faith in God or that Faith in God belongs not to the Moral Law or that it s now having a Pardon for its Object and before a Reward brings it under another Law the Angels have many a new Duty and new Object of Faith but their Law remains the same 2. The
either in Matter or Manner The Use I shall make of this is of Refutation for since none can pretend to be justified by any Works but such as are good and acceptable in the sight of God and none are such that want the foremention'd Qualifications all the distinctions of Adversaries about the Kinds of Works are to no purpose That this may be more evident I shall rank them under these four Kinds 1. The Socinians who say that the Apostle means Works in their Perfection that are excluded from a divine condescendency to our Impotency he will not require what we cannot perform but will justifie us for what we can Resp 1. If we did and always had perfectly fulfill'd the Law we should have been justifi'd by its Works Rom. 2.13 The doers of the Law shall be justified 2 Tit. 3.7 Not by works of righteousness which we have done 2. It would heinously reflect on the Holiness of God as a Law-giver or Judge to make an Imperfect Law or to Judge a Man just for Imperfect Performance of a Perfect Law Gal. 3.10 Cursed is he that continues not in all things c. The Second Opinion is of them who exclude the Mosaical Law and these of two and may be more sorts 1. Some exclude only Ceremonies and indeed the Controversie began about them Act. 15. the Instances by Paul most mention'd are of that kind Gal. 2.14 16. and by their resemblance of a Remedying Nature the Jews mistook them for the thing it self Thus Lombard and the Schoolmen Alphons a Cast Dom. a Soto But the Law the Apostle speaks of as the Rule of the Works he excludes cannot be Confin'd so narrowly for Rom. 2.15 it 's a Law that the Gentiles had Rom. 3.20 28. a Law that bound all Flesh a Law by which the Knowledge of sin Rom. 4.14 a Law that worketh Wrath. 2. By others the whole Works of the Mosaical Law are excluded in the Pharisaical Sense of them that is as separated from the Essential Duties of the Covenant as given to Adam Noah and Abraham Respon 1. I grant that the Pharisees did mistake the Law in its Extent and Intent too the former Christ corrects Mat. 5. but it 's very reasonable to think that they who had now embraced Christ to whom the Apostle writes had forsaken that Error for the Apostle's Dispute is of another kind not what was their Duty or Work but what place this Work or Duty had with respect to its Reward Whether or not it was truly Meriting and his Business is to prove that let their Works be what they would they could never serve for this Use and the Apostle tells them Rom. 10.4 5. that they did not know Christ compleatly viz. that he was the End of the Law who would put such a Value on their own Works Sir Nor. Knat Observes on Rom. 2.14 that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Work of the Law signifies the Office of the Law this was to Convince a Man of Sin that he might fly to Christ as Galat. 3. 't is called a School-master to bring us to Christ The Law is the Mean He is the End The Moral Law was a Mean to make them sensible of their Need of Christ and the Ceremonial was a Mean to represent him as the End of the other as One who was a Sacrifice and gave satisfaction for their Breach of the Law 2. The Apostle gives no Countenance to this Opinion in his Phrase for Galat. 3.21 If there had been a Law given c. There is an Impossibility in any Law or its Works prescribed to Adam Noah or Abraham since Man was a Sinner to Merit in any sense Justification at the Hand of God 3. Romans 3.20 21 22. The Apostle calls the Works he excludes Works of the Law not in any abstracted sense but Works that the Law required and the Mosaical Law comprehended all the former Laws under it as Joh. 7.32 Ye received Circumcision of Moses not that it was of him but of the Fathers And when the Mâ—saical and the Christian Constitution are opposed Mosâ—ical comprehends the whole Old Testament State 4. The Righteousnesses that are in this Epistle opposed are God's and Mâ—n's not Adam's essential Duties in the first Edition of the Naked Covenant and Moses his in the Political Administration of it Rom. 3.22 The Syriac renders it thus The Righteousness of God by the hand of Faith on that Jesus Christ Not a Righteousness that is God's Gift and is acceptable to God by Virtue of his prescribing it as the Condition he required a Righteousness that lay in the Fruits of Faith or in the Nature of Faith from its Conformity to the Law of the Covenant but a Righteousness that Faith as a Hand takes hold of 5. This Law the Apostle speaks of comprehends all inward Obedience all Righteousness Vid. Ch. 3. and 7. of this Epistle nay the Pharisee Mat. 22. did conclude Love to God to be the great Duty of the Law 3. The third Opinion is of Grotius who if the Writings that go under his Name and have so much Corrupted the Age be his own he was both a Papist and Apostate or if Mr. Baxter's Grotian Errors and that other Book called Grotius Papizans or Walleus in N. T. Preface be to be Credited indeed his Doctrine on this very Point of Justification is a very great Proof it as his Comments on the Epistles doth testifie especially this for tho' they are as Corrupt as he in their Disputes yet rarely in their Expositions are any Papists so Corrupt His Doctrine is thus 1. Works that are only External Civil deserving Praise of Men and by Humane Strength performable are excluded from an Interest in Justification 2. Faith of God is an Esteem of his Attributes and Faith of Christ is the Knowledge of him and his Doctrine 3. To Justifie is to Purifie to Cleanse from Vice so the Works are hypocritical the Faith historical and that which Devils has the Justification papistical Resp 1. It 's very improbable that the Apostle should Dispute so Nervously that a Man cannot be Internally Sanctified by External Works and as improbable that any should be so absurd to maintain it that a Man may become Just by Hypocritical Performances that external Civility is internal Holiness 2. That Law Rom. 7.7 14. requir'd more than external Works 3. Abraham had better Works than External and Paul when he knew nothing by himself yet not thereby Justified did not mean only External 4. They were what Works the Law requir'd and the God that searcheth Hearts nevâ—r made a meer External Law to Judge Men by 4. The fourth Opinion is that which is common among Papists 1. Works before Faith are excluded but not after Faith Sorrow for Sin without the Aids of Grace doth not Merit Preparatory Works to Grace doth not Merit though some and that generally allow a Congruity and Fitness to them others as Becanus deny it This is no more true
saying She had tried them which said they were Apostles and found them liars she was molested with them not corrupted From the Third of Philippians we find that Church was corrupted by 'em for he calls such Teachers Dogs evil Workers the Concision and from his own Experience tells 'em he was once such an one that trusted in the Flesh but now solely in Christ and his Righteousness It is against both these Parties that the Apostle here disputes but principally against these latter sort as we may see by the state of the Question Ver. 28. Justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law His Disputes with the former were of another Kind viz. To convince the Gentiles that Christ was the and the only Mediator against the Jews that Jesus was the Promised Messias But here the Question is If we be justified by Faith mixt with the Deeds of the Law or without it And therefore we may conclude That whatever Truth the unconverted Pharisees held these Converts much more held and that they did not plead these Works of the Law intentionally to exclude Christ or his Righteousness whom they had embraced Partly from the Scripture and partly from their own Writings I find this Account of their Doctrine of the Law 1. They were very zealous and laborious in all External Worship they kept the Sabbath to a height of Superstition and their Prayers were very long Matt. 23.14 2. In Justice between Man and Man they were so exact as to tythe Mint Annise and Cummin 3. And tho Christ in every thing blames them for Hypocrisie yet he owns their Charity and Alms but their Hypocrisie was more in Practice than Profession For 4. In Mat. 22.37 they owned Love to God and their Neighbour with all their Heart Soul and Mind to be the first and great Commandment Which includes a 5th That Sincerity was in great value with them as Sephar Ikkarim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God has greatest respect to the Intention of the Heart as David says Create in me a clean Heart So the Lawyer Luk. 10.28 Sir thou hast answered right and St. Paul Act. 23.1 lived in all good Conscience 6. Their own Writings speak much of the Excellency and Vertue of Faith the Author of Nitzakon says He that believes not as he ought his Circumcision makes him not a Jew but he that believes as he ought he is a Jew And in Michlaz Jophi Abram said to be the Father of all Men that followed him in his Faith The Talmud says When Abram was Father of the Syrians only he was called Abram but when he shall be the Father of all the World he is called Abraham The former Nitzakon says Faith consists not in Circumcision but in the Heart And the Author of Sepher Ikkarim says Faith is the Cause of Blessedness and therefore of Life Eternal And again in the same 1 Lib. and 21 Chap. Abraham is praised for his Faith as the Scripture says Abraham believed God and 't was imputed to him for Righteousness And Mat. 23. they were accused by Christ for neglecting Judgment Mercy and Faith It was their practical Omission was reprehended not their Ignorance for these are called the weightier Matters of the Law Since they who did not own Christ speak so much of the Commendation of Faith in Gods Mercy for that was the Object of their Faith as we may see from Sepher Ikkarim on those words in Daniel 9.18 Not for our Righteousness but thy great Mercy The Mercies of the Blessed God are upon all his Creatures from pure Grace not Merit for which the Author further cites Job thus Whâ— hath given to me that it may be repayed Much more must we conceive â—hem to say of Faith and Faith in Christ who own Christ for their only propitiatory Sacrifice and Saviour and such were they against whom Paul disputes And tho the others believed not Jesus to be the Messias yet they believed the Messias to be the Redeemer from Death and Hell by the Merit of his Sufferings as may be seen at large in Raymundus Pugio Fidei Jos Voisin Theologia Judaica Porchet Galatinus Pseiferus and their own Midrashes on the Prophetical Texts of the Messias 7. They highly praise the Confâ—ssion of Sin their Writers on Isaiah 45.22 Vnto Me every Knee shall bow and every Tongue confess say That a four-â—old Confession is to be made to God A Confession with the Mouth a Conâ—ession in Works a Confession with the Heart and with all together and they call the 100 Psalm Mizmor Letodah a Psalm of Confession Bereshet Ketannah says They who overcome their Lusts and confess their Deeds are worthy of the Future Age but he that confesses not is Cursed as Cain who denyed and hid his Sin but Achan Josh 7.29 tho he was troubled in this World he was not in the other because he confessed his Sin From which they gathered a Necessity of particular Confession And in the Conclusion of Reschet Chocme All that dye let them Confess if they cannot let them say Let my Death be an Expiation of my Crimes They own we may see not only a Confession but joyn'd with Forsaking a Mortification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Original Lust that begins as they say in our first Formation 8. Repentance is a Duty of great Esteem Midrash Shirhâ—shirim 5. 2. Open to me my Sister my Love says thus Open to me one Crevice of Repentance and I will open the wide Gates of Glory to thee Psal 46.10 Be still and know that I am God that is Cease to do evil and let thy Repentance be but as the Twinkling of an Eye and thou shalt know me if Israel could but repent one day they would be immediately redeemed and the Son of David would come On Zach. 9.1 The Burden of the Word of the Lord in the Land of Hadrach It 's askt what 's Hadrach And answer'd It is the Messias who is to bring all the World to the Face of God by Repentance for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies who and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Way or to lead he leads by the Way of Repentance Others thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies sharp and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tender for the Lord is bitter to the Impenitent but tender and Mercifull to the Penitent The Talmud on Psal 25.8 Therefore will he teach sinners in the way that is the way of Repentance for poena peccatoris est poenitentia about which there is a hard Expression of theirs on the 14th of Hosea That they say In two things the Mercy of God exceeds man One is He will be pleased with Words so not Man Another is when All have offended he is reconciled with the Repentance of One. So that all Christs Sufferings by them are called Repentance Lam. 3.43 v. The Midrash Tillim says The Gates of Prayer are sometimes shut but the Gates of Repentance never Repentance is like the Sea that any at any time may go in to wash