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
variable contingency or differency of mans will but can work upon the will of man and by the will of man what pleaseth him and by second causes whether working freely and contingently or by a naturall necessity can wisely holily and powerfully bring about his own purpose in his set time the dayes come saith he wherein I will make a covenant with the house of Israel Wherein he taketh upon him the effectuall work of covenanting promising not only for his own part but also for the elect of Israel and Judahs part for his promise is that it shall come to passe that by inclining their will unto reconciliation they shall willingly consent unto a covenanting with God for he saith I will make a covenant with them he saith not if they will but absolutely I will make them close a covenant with Me heartily 9. The party to be converted and to enter in covenant is not all men nor every society but the Church Gods own family not every nation but Gods people chosen out of all nations on the whole earth I will make a covenant with the house of Israel as it is also cleared Deut. 7. 6 7 8. 10. The Church of Christ under the Gospel as the Apostle looketh on this place is comprehended under the name of Israel and Iudah partly because Israel hath the priority of all other people in Gods covenant and partly because all the Christian Church of the Jews and Gentiles is comprehended under the name of the house of Iudah which is Christs tribe whereof he came who is the prince and head of all believers and confederat persons reconciled to God and partly because the Israelits or Jews have this prerogative above all other people and nations on the earth that of that race of people the posterity of Abraham Isaac and Iacob there shall be in all ages some elected persons till the great bulk of the now scattered people turn Christians and till the end of the world Rom. 11. 5. 11. No age old nor young no sex man nor woman nor any externall difference of men that can be put between one and another in this life doth exclude any man from the benefit of this covenant or commend a man to God that his person should be respected of God but all and every one whom God shall externally call may safely accept the offer of grace and joyn themselves to Jesus Christ for the grace of God here is extended unto all degrees and sorts of men from the least to the greatest 12. In the mean time God knoweth his own man be man both great and small and with the same love doth embrace them all for the promise is that all those elect who are known to God shall know him from the greatest even to the least 13. The great obstacle which may be supposed to exclude any from coming in to God through Christ is here removed to wit the greatness and multitude of by-gone sins cast up against the in-coming of some when they are called The mercy and grace of Christ the Testator taketh this doubt out of the way saying I will forgive their iniquity and their sins I will no more remember Jer. 31. 34. 14. This promised remission the Lord will not have limited nor abridged neither by the number of sins nor grievousness thereof nor kinds of sins but he purposeth and promiseth to take away all iniquity by forgiveness and to forget their by-gone sins ver 34. And confirmeth this by repeating the promise of not casting them off who shall acknowledge him ver 37. 15. From this promise the Apostle Heb. 10. draweth this consequence that under the Gospel or new covenant there is but one offering for sin which offering cannot be repeated in regard that full remission thereby is purchased For ver 14. he saith by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified and this he proveth from the words of the covenant ver 15 16 17. whence he concludes ver Now where remission of these are there is no more offering for sin 16. If any shall ask for the cause of so rich mercy and grace covenanted he shall find none in man at all The only cause is set down here to wit the will and good pleasure of God I will forgive their iniquity saith the Lord and their sins will I remember no more that is I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy 17. Because the Lord our God and Mediatour is here making his Testament wherein also he taketh upon him to be executor of his own latter will and to perform all that is promised therefore in confirmation he subscribeth and sets down his name Ier. 31. 35. Thus saith the Lord and that his subscription may be of weight with all men he designs himself by his stately stiles or titles taken from his creation and government of the creatures Thus saith the Lord which giveth the sun for a light by day and the ordinances of the moon and of the starrs for a light by night which divideth the Sea when the waves thereof roar the Lord of hosts is his name This he saith least the faith of his people should be shaken by their looking to impediments and difficulties and that they may gather strength and courage to go on in the Lords way constantly when they consider the power of God in the workmanship and government of the world 18. Unto his subscription he addeth both witnesses and pledges of his promises ver 36. If those ordinances depart from before me saith the Lord then the seed of Israel which comprehendeth the seed of Abrahams faith shall cease from being a nation before me forever ver 36. 19. Last of all least any man in the consideration of the grievousness of his sin or of the apparent impossibility of performing these promises should doubt of remission of sins to be granted to the confederat or of the perseverance of the true believer or of the perpetuation of the Church the Lord bids his people that come in to him be confident and quiet ver 37. saying If heaven above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done saith the Lord Now both these are impossible that we can measure the heavens or search the bottom of the earth Therefore it is impossible that this covenant and the promises made therein should fail The maner of dispensing the new covenant outwardly and inwardly AS to the dispensation of this covenant both outwardly and inwardly first this promise of a new covenant is a challenge against the mis believing fathers who slighted the offer of grace and followed after the covenant of works seeking righteousness by works which covenant of works they were not able to perform and it served unto them only for their condemnation This the Apostle doth collect from this place of Ieremiah Heb. 8. 8. He found fault with
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
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
cannot submit themselves to the truth yet this doctrine is found to be most true for Christ the Redeemer teacheth us Math. 22. 14. that many are called and few are chosen And the Apostle teacheth us the same for Rom. 9. 15. he citeth Moses to prove the point I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion and ver 18. God hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom â—e will he hardeneth And the Evangelist Ioh. 12. 37 38 39 40. teacheth us that there is a number to whom God hath decreed not to give grace to believe in Christ albeit they shall hear him preached unto them from Isa. 6. 9 10. but to the Elect only ver 13. And chap. 53. 1. he teacheth that few shall believe in Christ yea none save the Elect to whom the arm of the Lord shall be revealed And our Lord Jesus teacheth the same Ioh. 6. 37 44. that all the Elect shall come to him and that no moe then the father shall powerfully draw unto him can come unto him Obj. But there is another forged way of propounding this covenant which sundry learned men hold forth who have made many disciples and followers of their opinion because of the seeming plausibleness of their doctrine wherein they teach that Christ Jesus hath died not only for all sorts of men but also for all and every man as well for them that perish as for them that are saved and that albeit he hath not purchased righteousness and life eternal determinatly to any man yet he hath purchased by this universal redemption power to every mans free-will to believe in Christ and persevere in his obedience without any speciall operation of the holy Spirit in one more then another And this power of mans free-will wherewith every child of Adam they say is born they call by the name of universall grace albeit in effect it is nothing but universall unrenewed nature common to every man Ans. We answer how learned soever the teachers of such doctrine seem to be yet in this doctrine they are not taught of God Over such mens learning and wisdom Christ doth glory Math. 11. 25. saying 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 Therefore of such doctrine we say that it is false and contrair unto Scripture how plausible so ever it seem to proud sinners yea it is a mocking of Christ and an hinderance of mens repentance and conversion unto God 1. Their doctrine is contrair to Scripture because contrair to the covenant of Redemption wherein the Father and the Son Mediatour are agreed upon the persons to be redeemed to wit the elect only given unto the Son to be redeemed and agreed upon the price of their Redemption to wit the obedience of Christ even to the death of the crosse and agreed upon the graces and gifts to be given to the elect to wit all saving graces as faith repentance perseverance and whatsoever belongs to righteousnesse and eternall life and agreed upon the means and way of gathering in the redeemed out of all tongues and kindreds and nations prudently and prosperously as is proven from Scripture Chap. 4. and shall be more confirmed in the next following chapter 2. Their doctrine it mocketh Christ because it chargeth Christ with folly in His making covenant so as neither Gods justice nor mans common wisdom would allow to lay down the price of his blood and not be sure who should be saved by his blood to pay as much for Iudas as for Peter to redeem all and every man and yet put the disposing of the benefit of Redemption and fruit of his death out of his own hand into the hand of mens free-will to make of it something or nothing as they pleased to buy a possibility unto men to save themselves actually without the speciall grace of the holy Ghost and to cut himself off from having the glory of the actuall conversion of sinners as far as he is from the blame of mens remaining in sin and infidelity for they say he hath purchased alike power to all and every mans free-will to beleeve or remain in infidelity as they please if they use it ill bear they the blame if they use it well they have the praise They make him to lay down his life for all and every man and to purchase unto all and every one power to believe in him and yet never to purpose to make offer of the Gospel to the thousand part of men These and many moe blemishes they cast by their doctrine upon the wisdom and power and grace of our Lord Jesus who is infinitely wise and holy in all his doings 3. This doctrine is a great hinderance of mens repentance and conversion unto God and to the exercise of all holy duties for whosoever believeth this their doctrine he cannot renounce nor deny his own wit worth and ability that he may come humbly unto Christ and follow him but he must stand to this conceit of himself which this doctrine teacheth him yea such a man cannot say to God in humble and hearty prayer open mine eyes that I may behold the wonders of thy Law and teach me thy statutes he cannot in earnest say with David incline my heart to thy testimonies and not unto covetousnesse for he hath in his conceit this power of free-will in himself by common gift to every man he cannot heartily thank God if he seem to himself to do any good for giving him both to will and to do of his good pleasure for this he hath in his own hand as this deceitfull doctrine perswadeth him Obj. But some there are who maintain the decree of Redemption and covenant between God and Christ which in substance is one with the decree to be absolute concerning the powerfull and invincible conversion perseverance and salvation of the elect but concerning the rest of the world they tell us of a conditionall decree of saving every one who shall believe in Christ Jesus which doth make some difference from what is said before Ans. There is indeed an offer to be made to all the hearers of the Gospel to whom God in his providence doth send his messengers who are appointed to make offer of peace and reconciliation through Christ upon condition of hearty receiving it even to such as the Lord knoweth will reject the offer altogether against whom his sent messengers are to shake off the dust of their feet for a witnesse against them Matth. 10. 13. 14. 15. which accordingly was done by Paul and Barnabas Acts 13. 46. 51. and our Lord made offer of himself to his covenanted people the Jews who did not receive him Ioh. 1. 11 12. and this is to be done according to one of the articles of the covenant of
be ready for new conflicts and assaults from Sathan and not be afraid of being deprived of the peace of God while he by faith in Christ is yoked in battel against sin which he seeth in the world and feeleth in himself CHAP. XII Of the case of a convert taking some acts of justifying faith to be high presumption in his person THis case is like the former Some true converts are who have fled to Christ for remission of sin and delivery from â—erdition and have applyed the promises made for sanctification and consolation and full salvation after this life in such a measure as doth suffice them for encouragment to wrestle with difficulties wherewith with they may meet in their way to heaven But when the highest and most excellent priviledges of the Gospel are presented to them and come to be made use of such as are sitting together with Christ in heavenly places Eâ—hes 2. 6. being co-heirs annexed with Iesus Christ Rom. 8. 17. So esteemed of and loved by Christ that they who touch his Saints do touch the apple of his eye Iudging the world and the damned Angels 1 Cor. 6. 3. and such like other priviledges they are at a stand and dar not apply these priviledges for fear of high presumption 2. Neither must we wonder that a soul should fall in this exercise and yet adhere to Christ as a convert and true believer For when a sinner for fear of perdition is chased to a Saviour and dar not loose his grips lest he fall in the pit he may seem to himself to be in good case if he get in to Christ albeit he do not thrust himself upon such high priviledges and joyn himself with Abraham and the Patriarchs and Prophets Like unto Mephibosheth who judged himself to have found grace enough at Davids hand that his life was spared but trembled when he was priviledg'd to come to the Kings table who in his own eyes was like a dead dog for his unworthinesse as he judged of himself Or like the prodigal in the Gospel who in his own eyes was not worthy to be counted a child of the family but content to be as one of the hired servants in his fathers house And true it is that the wonderfull largenesse of the promises of the Gospel maketh the true convert lately come forth of the slavery of sin and Sathan to stand so astonished that he dar not take to him so glorious titles priviledges and consolations as the Scripture doth allow him yea when he would lift up himself to believe the glory promised he can no more apprehend the infinit love and grace of God propounded and adjudged unto him then he can measure the heaven with his span or comprise in his hand the great Globe and round of heaven and earth From such a consideration was it that Peter did at first utterly refuse to suffer Christ to wash his feet and that Martha in the beginning of her conference with Christ could not think of so great a benefit as the resurrection of her brother Lazarus before the day of judgment 2. The convert in this case doth wrong to himself and to the Word of God and to the liberality and rich grace of God for so long as he suffereth himself to be born down from imbracing as safely he may the rich allowance of God upon a soul reconciled to him by â—aith in Christ he not only cuts himself off from that measure of joy of the holy Ghost which he may have but also giveth occasion and advantage to Sathan to brangle and call in question whether the man hath indeed believed in Christ at all or whether he hath laid hold on Christ for righteousnesse and salvation by faith unâ—ained for if it be presumption for a self-condemned sinner flying unto Christ by faith to lay hold upon the benefits which Christ hath prepared purchased and offered unto him upon this pretended reason that these benefits are so hudgely great and the man so small and unworthy in his own eyes why may not Sathan with as great reason if there were any weight in it call it presumption for such a man to lay claim unto Christ who is greater then all his benefits and so beat him off from faith and confidence in Christ the great gift of God made of God to poor sinners fled unto him wisdom and righteousnesse sanctification and redemption 3. Wherefore to help the convert in this condition let him consider he doth well to be feared for presumption for it is a fearfull evil but let him remember to put due difference between presumption and true faith and confidence for 1 presumption is proud and puâ—t up with self-conceit but we pre-suppose the convert to be humble and laid low in his own eyes in this condition we are speaking of 2. Presumption is secure and negligent in the discharge of commanded duties but the convert we speak of is about the use of the means and in some measure diligent in discharging commanded duties in his calling 3. Presumption layeth hold upon promises not made to the presumptuous and troubleth not it self with precepts and threatnings but the convert in this condition we are speaking of regardeth both precepts and threatnings and is so far from putting forth his hand without a warrant unto promises that he stands aloof from laying hold on moe promises then he conceiveth necessar to save his soul from hell 4. The presumptuous promiseth to himself felicity albeit he walk in his own wayes and turneth the grace of God into lasciviousnesse incouraging himself to sin because God is mercifull but this convertâ— sheweth sin and followeth the way which may lead him to the possession of all promises Therefore 1. let the convert in this condition remember that Christ and all his benefits are so joyned together in the grant of grace that he may confidently say with the Apostle Rom. 8. 32. that seing Christ is given to the believer flying unto him it cannot be but God with him will give all things also 2. Let him consider that it is a dangerous mater not to give credit unto Gods faithfull Word holden forth in one promise as well as in another For seing he is worthy to be believed in the first promise of receiving into favour a sinner flying to Christ why shall he not have the glory of truth and grace in the rest of the promises which belong to the accomplishing of the full glorification of the man reconciled 3. And last of all let the convert in this condition consider how near he draweth to a popish error in this practice for Papists do measure the gifts of God unto men by the mans merit and well-deserving and not by meer grace only and upon this ground do reckon it presumption for any ordinar Christians to be assured in this life that God will guide them with his counsel and at their departure out of this life immediatly receive them into glory For if the