Law of Innocence but of Gospel-Grace Who can doubt this if they consider 1. That the Covenant of Innocency promised Life to nothing below sinless and perfect Obedience 2. The Threatnings of the Covenant of Innocency admitted no Repentance or After-Relief to the Guilty They did fix the Curse irrevocably in case of any Transgression 3. No Overture of Life or Door of Hope or Argument to Conversion with Hopes of Acceptance could be framed out of those legal Threats or Promises to any Man that is a Sinner Turn ye Turn ye why will you die was not the Language of that Covenant No if a Man is once a Sinner the Law could speak no lower than this Thou art undone whether thou turn or no. Things being thus I would intreat thee to consider all the Calls of God in Christ to Men since the Fall VVeigh the Promises and Threats wherewith God strengthneth those Calls See if any one of the Calls to Faith or Repentance or Holiness thus back'd with Promises and Threats be not Evangelical 1. Doth God in those Calls promise Life to nothing below sinless perfect Obedience Or doth he threaten Eternal Death in those Calls against whatever is short of perfect Obedience 2. Do the Threats annexed to those Calls exclude all after-Repentance See Ezek. 18. 21. Is that Gospel or no But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed c. he shall surely live his transgressions shall not be mentioned 3. Are not these Calls with the Promises and Threats directed to Sinners for their Conversion and Recovery Is it not to Sinners God speaks in them and is it not for their healing and Salvation Are not the Promises an Offer of Relief Are not the Threatnings intended to awe and warn Sinners against Refusal of these Offers They be not uttered to bind the Curse but to deliver from it by urging our Compliance with the Commands of a Redeemer To day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts as in the provocation c. Heb. 3. 7 8. 4. 7. Every Threatning used by God as an Argument to Conversion is a Gospel-Threatning 2. What kind of Government can Men assign to Christ if there be no Sanction to his Precepts Dr. Crisp oft tells us That the Sanction of the Law of Works is removed the Curse is gone as to the Elect. This is true if he mean that sinless Obedience is not now the Way of Life and that all below it shall not bind Death upon us so as to hinder our Relief by the Gospel But what then hath the Redeemer no Promises and Threatnings to rule Men by And is their Obedience or Disobedience an indifferent thing as to their Happiness or Misery Must he save all or damn all or else be a Respecter of Persons in his judicial Distributions Is this the Language of God to Sinners since the Fall Did Christ preach at this rate when on Earth Or doth he so speak now from Heaven Heb. 12. 25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven Heb. 2. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvatian which at first began to be spoken by the Lord c. Our Lord assures us Mens Sins are aggravated and their Damnation grows greater by a Rejection of his Call to Sinners through Impenitence and Unbelief Joh. 8. 24. Ye shall die in your sins Heb. 10. 29. Of how much sorer punishment c. It 's a precarious Dominion that Christ exerciseth if he hath neither Rewards nor Punishments to induce Mens regards to his Authority Read the Scriptures or wait the Judgment-day and you 'll find it otherwise 3. How unsuitable is it to the present state of Mankind that Christ should govern us without Promises and Threatnings He is a King and we are his Subjects And we are 1. Subjects in a state of Tryal for another World 2. We have great remains of Sin within us and Temptations without us 3. We have still in our Nature Hope and Fear which are the things which all the methods of Christ's Government suppose and are suited to Each of these would furnish me with Arguments beyond all rational Contradiction for the Proof of this Point whereas the opposite Errour implies That either Men are Machines or Brutes or Infants at best or else the Judgment-day is past already Yea how vain are the Expostulations Warnings Reproofs and Encouragements which the Word is filled with The Divine Being and all the Methods of Grace are strangely exposed by Conceits so sordid He calls us to fear lest we should seem to come short of the Promise Heb. 4. 1. Be not high-minded but fear Rom. 11. 20. Work out your salvation with trembling Phil. 2. 12. He that ploweth should plow in hope 1 Cor. 9. 10. We are saved by hope c. Rom. 8. 24. What are all these if our state be in no suspence as to what we shall be or do 4. I hope I need not prove that these Gospel-Promises and Threatnings are the Rule by which Christ dealeth with Men To doubt it would inferr a heavier Charge than any good Man would sustain It 's enough to calm us that he saith Be not deceived God is not mocked that which a man soweth that shall he reap Gal. 6. 7. This is spoken to Believers and true of the Redeemed II. By this Gospel-Constitution persevering Holiness sincere Obedience or good Works are Necessary to Salvation He that made Faith necessary to Justification hath made Obedience necessary to Salvation He hath as well promised Heaven to the Godly Man as Pardon to the Believer And our perseverance in Holiness and Obedience is as truly our Way to Glory as the Scriptures can describe it Nothing of these merit Heaven but he that merited Heaven hath peremptorily appointed these to bring us thither Heb. 6. 10 11 12. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love c. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope to the end that ye be not sloathful but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises Every word is forcible to argue this Truth But I shall offer a few things more 1. Christ in the Gospel declares they shall miss of Heaven and eternally perish who are Apostates Ungodly Disobedient and Unprofitable and that for being such This Doom is not the Doom of the Law of Innocence for it is not denounced against every Backsliding but Apostacy It 's not against every Imperfect degree of Godliness but Ungodliness It 's not against every Defect of Obedience but Disobedience It 's not against every Neglect of Fruitfulness but such Unprofitableness as argues a dead and barren state Reader art thou so unskilful in the Word as not to remember If any
Intercessors as Christ and in the same Sence viz. in the Virtue of Merits made personally ours We have a Righteousness in us which is able to save the World and capable of being imputed to their Justification VVe need no Forgiveness but are saved by the Covenant of VVorks as claiming Life by its Sanction immediately which is inconsistent with all Remission yea or Imputation of Christ's Righteousness which did no way consist in Forgiveness but in a full Satisfaction This would denominate us Saviours from the Moment we were justified if not before VVhereas we still need Pardon and continue justified by the Efficacy of the Righteousness of another and must look to Christ as the only Subject of it all our Days Our justified State is a Continuance of the blessed Effects of he Righteousness of Christ from first to last That Cause is still productive of Supplies as our Guilt returns or Necessities and Capacities renew or grow but our Redemption is ever in Christ Rom. 3. 24. 3. That we are as Righteous as Christ is not a proper or safe Speech It 's true indeed our Pardon and Acceptance is firm and lasting and will no more fail us than the Righteousness of Christ will fail it being the meritorious Cause and Security thereof and the Benefits can abate to none who answer the Gospel-Rule of it's Application But yet we are not as Righteous as Christ We are not so as to Sanctification he being perfectly Holy we being imperfectly so though really Holy And it 's to be noted That Believers are said to be Righteous in the common sence of the Scripture on the account of Sanctification 1 Joh. 3. 7. He that doth righteousness is righteous And to suppose the Elect to be as sanctified as Christ even while they wallow in the mire is a strange Position But suppose the Phrase refers to Justification yet it is not proper For 1. Christ is denominated Righteous on the account of what he personally did and suffered He derived not Righteousness from another but possessed it as Originally his own He is eminently the Righteous 1 Joh. 2. 1. whereas we are reputed righteous for the sake of what Christ did and not for the merit of what we have done Is it not unagreeable to hear a redeemed Sinner say I am as worthy as he that paid the Ransom Or a pardoned Worm say I am as righteous as he who merited my Pardon 2. Christ was so Righteous as to merit the Forgiveness of all his Seed He is so Righteous as to make many Righteous or safe from the Threat and entituled to the Reward according to the Gospel-Rule But we cannot justifie one other Person by our being righteous We are not righteous enough to save a Brother Psal. 49. 7. 4. Though Christ be perfectly holy yet his Holiness is not so imputed to us as that We are therefore perfectly holy This is evident For 1. Holiness refers to Sanctification and not to Justification 2. Holiness is a Conformity to the Precept as describing what is Sin and Duty But it refers not to the Sanction which determines the Reward and Punishment and so to be Holy and to be Righteous are distinct Conceptions Having premised these it follows 3. That to be Perfect in Holiness while we are in our own Persons Imperfect is impossible ungrounded and absurd 1. It 's Impossible being a Contradiction To be perfectly Holy and not perfectly Holy at the same time are inconsistent If any doubt whether they are imperfect in Holiness they are little acquainted with the Law or with themselves 2. It 's Ungrounded I know that it will be objected That it 's so by Imputation But the Gospel knows no Imputation of this kind we may as well infer That we are Omnipotent and Omniscient because Christ is so I understand that the Promise gives to the imperfectly holy Impunity and Right to Life on the account of Christ's Merits But where hath God said he will esteem the Imperfect to be Perfect as to what he declares them imperfect in Or hath God ever said we are thus perfect He may deal with a sincere Christian who is called Perfect in comparison of others as if he were perfect having provided for his Justice and Honour in doing thus by the Satisfaction of Christ But he cannot account him perfectly Holy The very Union in Marriage doth not transfer habitual Qualifications from Husband to Wife Is a foolish Wife perfectly wise because her Husband is so No though she receives Benefit by his Wisdom 3. It 's Absurd Our restored Holiness is through the Operations of the Spirit and not by Transfusion If the very Holiness of Christ's Person be in us it is his Increated Holiness or Created If his Increated then we are Gods and not Men for there is nothing Increated but God If the Created Holiness of Christ's Humane Nature be in us it must depart from him or cease to be in him as far as it 's derived to us for the same individual Quality cannot be in two Subjects at once though the same for Kind may be If we are as Holy as Christ what hinders us to be entituled to the same degrees of Glory and Honour as he And all this being founded on the Change of Person between Christ and us we may well say we are Christ's even every elect Person severally And if our perfect Holiness should be surmised from the Union between Christ and Believers that indeed would not be a change of Person but the making Christ and us one Natural Person And then on the same grounds as we can say we are as holy as Christ is we may say we are as much Gods as Christ as Wise as Christ as entituled to Worship as Christ we do all that Christ doth in Heaven or Earth and he doth all as we Sinners do we give what he gives and he receives what we receive Distinction of Persons is gone Christ and we do nothing and are nothing as distinct Persons A thousand such things are unavoidable Consequences 4. Can this be reconciled to the scope of the Scriptures wherein Believers are called to grow up in Christ Eph. 4. 15. To perfect Holiness 2 Cor. 5. 1. Grow in Grace The defect of Holiness is bewailed by all the Saints Wretched man that I am saith the Apostle Rom. 7. 24. I press forward c. Phil 3. 12 14. that is Oh that I were as holy as Christ designed to make me and as I shall be at the Resurrection And the want and weakness of Holiness is oft reproved by God even in his own Children 5. The Fifth Head to be proved is That Believers are not as to Holiness without Spot Blemish c. Experience may convince of this But I pass it by as having occasion to speak to it in Chap. 16. Testimonies The Assemlies Large Catec puts this Question What is the Communion in Grace which the Members of the Invisible Church have with Christ They Answer In
Sam. 12. 9. Why hast thou despised the Commandment of the Lord to do this Evil in his Sight It was an Evil it was in God's Sight it 's charged by God on David Psal. 90. 8. Thou hast set our Iniquities before thee I hope Moses was not mistaken All God's Reproofs of his People for Sin all his Calls to Reformation from Sin all his Declarations against them as polluted by Sin are so many Arguments to prove this yea all his Threats all his Anger all his Corrections witness hereto Sure all these are not the Effects of Christ's Sins 2. A Believer ought to charge himself with his own Sins God commands this in all the Calls to Confession Humiliation c. Doth not Paul reprove the Corinthians for neglecting this Did you ever find a Saint in Scripture still refuse to own his Guiltiness before God upon his Falling into Sin Against thee have I sinned and done Evil in thy Sight Psal. 51. 4. I have sinned against Heaven and before thee Luk. 15. 21. Read Ezra's Nehemiah's and Daniel's Confessions 3. New Transgressions need renewed Pardon and all Sins are not pardoned at once To say nothing how impossible it is I believe Christ would never teach his own People to pray daily for Pardon if they did not need it and it could not be repeated Mat. 6. 12. Forgive us our Debts How oft do we find the Servants of God renew their Prayers for Remission They oft beg God would blot out Sin as a Debt Psal. 51. 9. Wash it away as a Stain remit it as a Fault remember it not as a Crime binding to Punishment the Church complains we have rebelled and thou hast not pardoned Lam. 3. 42. So Job 7. 21. 4. Humiliation Confession Sorrow of Heart new Resolutions and looking to Christ for Healing are the Duties of Saints upon new Faults and the Work God hath appointed them in order to his repeated Acts of Forgiveness though these do not forgive us yet it 's this way God declareth he will forgive Jer. 36. 3. It may be the House of Judah will hear c. and return every one from his evil Way that I may forgive their Iniquity and their Sin 1 Joh. 1. 9. If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins The Apostle includes himself and calls the best a Liar that disowns his Sins and thinks he needs no Pardon Confession is what should be repeated as Sin returns and this so qualifies for Pardon according to the Promise that Forgiveness upon it is an Act of Faithfulness in God 1 Cor. 11. 31. If we would judge our selves we should not be judged VVhich the Apostle speaks to Believers guilty of undue Approaches to the Lord's Table Read the Scriptures and wilt thou not find Saints repenting and acting Faith in order to Pardon and God pressing them thereto for that very purpose and continuing a Controversie with them while these are neglected If a Man were thrice stung must not he thrice look to the brazen Serpent for Healing See Solomon's Prayer in a Type of Christ's Intercession as it respected the Temple there thou wilt find who were pardoned 1 Kings 8. 33 34 35 38 39 48 49. 5. Believers ought to be more assured of Pardon and joyful after renewed Acts of Repentance and Faith then assoon as they have grosly sinned and before these Acts. It 's otherwise against that wise Order which God hath stated for a due Reverence to him and for Caution to Man who is so prone to offend Num. 12. 14. If her Father had spit in her Face should she not be ashamed seven days Let her be shut out of the Camp seven Days The People of God have had those sad Fits which the Doctor condemns and when Sin greatly breaks out they do well become them Paul calls the contrary Frame under Guilt a being puffed up and Calls to Mourning 1 Cor. 5. 2. and commends their Carefulness Indignation Fear Zeal Revenge and godly Sorrow 2 Cor. 7. 8 9 11. And till there was much of this in the incestuous Person he was not restored And indeed considering God remits or binds in Heaven according to what his Church doth justly on Earth either the Pardon of the not repenting Offender is suspended or Censures are vain Need I give you David's Experience Psal. 32. 3 5. When I kept Silence my Bones waxed old through my roaring all the Day long for Day and Night thy Hand was heavy upon me I acknowleged my Sin unto thee I said I will confess my Transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the Iniquity of my Sin Here 's great Darkness and Trouble before Confession here 's Forgiveness upon it and it 's the Iniquity of his Sin is pardoned not the Action separated from its Filthiness And V. 6. This Practice of his was to be a teaching Instance to all Saints in the like Case For this shall every one that 's godly pray unto thee c. TESTIMONIES The Assembly and Congregational Elders Chap 11. a. 5. do both declare God doth continue to forgive the Sins of those that are justified and although they can never fall from the State of Justification yet they may by their Sins fall under God's fatherly Displeasure and in that Condition they have not usually the Light of his Countenance restored to them until they humble themselves confess their Sins beg Pardon and renew their Faith and Repentance And Chap. 15. a. 6. As every Man is bound to make private Confession of his Sins to God praying for the Pardon thereof upon which and the forsaking thereof he shall find Mercy c. The Provincial Synod of London P. 16. Condemn this as one of Doctor Crisp's Errors The Lord hath not one Sin to charge upon any elect Person c. Another Errour is If a Man know himself to be in a State of Grace though he be drunk or commit Murther God sees no Sin in him The New-England Synod confute this as Errour 64. A man must take no notice of his Sin nor of his Repentance for it Doctor Owen Of Justif. P. 202 203 205 207. at large asserts That Sins are not actually pardoned before they are committed that there is Guilt contracted by new Sins that the Conscience of a Believer is pressed and he is humbled and required to repent and must renew Acts of Faith for the Pardon of new Sins New-England Synod condemns that as Errour 20. To call in question whether God be my dear Father upon the Commission of hainous Sins as Murther Incest c. doth prove a Man to be in the Covenant of Works The Ground of the Doctor 's Mistake Because our Sins were laid on Christ that God might to his Glory forgive them in his appointed way therefore they are actually forgiven before God forgives them in that way or that way be complied with Because God doth blot out and wash throughly away and not remember the pardoned Sins of penitent Believers
any holy Qualification or Endeavour Proved that this is Dr. Crisp 's Opinion Page 159. The more the Light and Glory of he Gospel shineth in the true Intention of God tohis People the more should they have Joy and Gladness Why may not then a Believer say The Lord hath been bountiful to me God hath done every thing in Christ and taken away all things that can disturb my Peace and Comfort P. 186. Here is first Deliverance then Service is the Fruit of Deliverance not Deliverance the Fruit of Service The Tenour of the Law runs thus First do then live The Gospel saith First live then do c. Do not think God gives Christ upon Condition P. 554. Man will be mincing of this Truth and tell you if you will keep close to God and if you refrain from Sin especially from gross Sins God will love you and then you may apply these and these Promises unto your selves but God speaks plainly before they had done Good or Evil Jacob have I loved the Grace of God is passed over to Men as they are ungodly c. This is the Grace of God revealed and he hath exhibited it thus freely to Men Hath the Lord given us Commission to preach this Gospel P. 124. The Free-man of Christ hath this Freedom Christ doth all his Work for him as well as in him c. Christ doth all for them that God requires to be done See more in the next Chapter But most of these Heads I have proved to be his Opinion in several Chapters at large Wherein the Difference is not 1. It is not whether we must reveal Christ in his Person Natures Offices Sufferings Intercession and whatever describes his Glory Suitableness Use c. 2. Nor that we must teach that Christ hath purchased all saving Benefits and that Men must look to him as the Author of Salvation and Giver of that Grace whereby we obey the Terms of Life 3. Nor that we must declare the free Grace of God in giving his Son for us and his Spirit to call us and all Benefits we do receive on our Obedience to that Call 4. Nor that we must describe Salvation in all the Parts of it for the Comfort of Saints and Persuading of Sinners 5. Nor that we must make Offers of Christ and his Benefits to the worst of Sinners on Gospel-Terms assuring them nothing shall hinder their happiness by him but their refusal to accept of him in all his Offices 6. Nor whether we should inform them that God hath elected a certain Number whose Obedience to the Terms of Life our Lord hath undertaken for and so the Gospel shall not be in vain to all But yet that the Case of no Hearer is made so desperate by this Election of some as that if he do repent and believe he shall not be saved for God will judge all of us by his revealed Will and not by his Decrees 7. Nor That we must teach the best Man to renounce all the Grace he hath and Good he performs as if being the least Atonement for Sin or least Purchase of Life or any Addition of Merit to a Christ or sharing in what is peculiar to him All these I affirm The Real Difference 1. Whether the Gospel requires any Grace or Duty in order to our actual Interest in saving Benefits This the Doctor denies and I affirm and have proved in several Chapters 2. Whether it 's Gospel-Preaching to tell Men that they had the same Interest in Christ Pardon and Life while most wicked as any godly Man hath and that their Happiness doth not at all depend on what Grace they act or sin they commit This the Doctor affirms and I deny being assured whoever preacheth thus opposeth the Gospel of Christ and the plain Truth as I have proved at large Chap. 1. 3 4 7 8 10 11 12 13 15. 3. Whether Christ doth do all for a Believer that God requires of a Believer This the Doctor affirms and I deny though I grant he works all in us or enables us to do what God requires 4. Whether the main Scope of Gospel-preaching is in Christ's Name to perswade and with Authority require Sinners to seek and act those Graces which saving Benefits are promised to assuring them of Salvation if they comply and declaring that it is impossible they can be saved yea that their Condemnation shall be aggravated if they refuse This I affirm and the Doctor Denies The Truth Confirmed 1. Christ doth not do all for a Believer as well as in him He doth not repent for us nor obey the Gospel Terms for us nor accept of or rely on himself as a Saviour for us He never is said to do so we are enabled and required to do these as our own personal Acts or perish It is impossible Christ should do these things as being inconsistent with his Person Can he change his Mind come to himself and turn to God whom he had left alter his Purposes and reform his Life all which are included in Repenting Christ will save none meerly as Christ but as Christ believed on Joh. 6. 52 53 54. Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood ye have no Life in you Whoso eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood hath eternal Life But can Christ thus eat his own Flesh Doth he mean If I be not thus fed on by Men they shall dye That is If I do not feed on my self Christ will be saved for them while themselves are damned who trust to let Christ believe for them whiles they continue in Unbelief He doth all for us which belongs to him as Redeemer but we must do all in his Strength which he requires of the Redeemed 2. Gospel-preaching is what I have described and because the most Exception will lye against what I have said of the Conditional Proposals of Benefits on Terms of Duty I shall prove that it 's Gospel-preaching to call Men to believe and repent and tell them if they do so God will for Christ's Sake forgive them if they do not so their Sin will remain And also to perswade them to love fear and obey God in true Holiness when in a State of Pardon and profess the Faith And if they persevere in doing so they shall be saved by Christ and if they do the contrary they shall be miserable I have proved that these are Gospel-Truths and therefore to preach them is to preach the Gospel Some one part of the Gospel being Gospel doth not argue that other Parts are not so too But I shall annex a few more Reasons 1. Thus Christ and his Apostles appointed the Gospel to be preached That the Spirit of Christ thus directed the Prophets in the Old Testament to preach none can deny that use to read the Bible Christ on Earth prescribed this way Mar. 16. 15. And he said unto them Go ye into all the World and preach the Gospel to every Creature he
that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned And as this Grace under this Sanction of Life and Death was to be urged so it 's added Mat. 28. 20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Among which no doubt is included what he told the Apostles when first commissioned Mat. 10. 14 15. Whosoever shall not receive you and hear your Words when you depart out of that House or City shake off the Dust off your Feet Verily It shall be more tolerable for the Land of Sodom and Gomorrah in that Day of Judgment than for that City Ver. 32 33. Whosoever shall Confess me before Men him will I confess before my Father which is in Heaven But whosoever shall deny me before Men him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven Ver. 37. He that hath loved Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me 38. He that taketh not his Cross and followeth me is not worthy of me 41. He That receiveth a righteous Man in the Name of a righteous Man shall receive a righteous Man's Reward These are part of Christ's Speech to his Apostles when he first sent them to preach and so from Heaven he taught Paul to preach Act. 26. 18. See how Paul instructs Timothy to preach 1. He enumerates very many Duties which he was to urge and exhort 2. He frequently requires him to back these Exhortations with Promises in case of Obedience and Threatnings in case of Disobedience I shall instance a few 1 Tim. 4. 8 9. Godliness is profitable unto all things having the Promises of this Life and that which is to come This is a faithful Saying and worthy of all Acceptation What are the Promises of the Life to come to Godliness Yea though it 's now with some no true Saying Ver. 16. Take heed to thy self and thy Doctrine for in doing this thou shalt both save thy self and them that hears thee Here 's pressing to doing with a Promise of Life 1 Tim. 6. 6 9. Godliness with Content is great Gain But they that will be Rich fall into Temptation and a Snare and into many foolish and hurtful Lusts which drown Men in Destruction and Perdition Ver. 17. 18. Charge c. that they do Good willing to Communicate laying up in store for themselves a good Foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal Life 2 Tim. 2. 11 12. It is a faithful Saying for if we be dead with him we shall also live with him if we suffer we shall also regin with him if we deny him he will also deny us Can any Man think we ought not to plead with Men and Preach as Christ and his Spirit charge us Or would he appoint us to preach what is not his own Will or Gospel 2. In this manner did Christ and his Apostles preach the Gospel Read Christ's Sermon on the Mount Mat. 5. Are not Graces urged by promised Blessings and denounced Threatnings the first none can doubt the last is as evident Ver. 13. Good for nothing but to be cast out 19. Least in the Kingdom of Heaven Ver. 20. Except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Ver. 22. In danger of Hell-Fire 26. Thou shalt not come out thence 30. If thy Right Eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee for it 's profitable for thee that one of thy Members should perish and not that thy whole Body should be cast into Hell See the Parable of the Seed of the Talents Virgins Marriage Supper Was it not he that declared He that believeth not the Wrath of God abideth on him If you believe not you shall dye in your Sins If you repent not you shall all likewise perish Vain World that think they can out-preach Christ or that theirs is Gospel which obstructs the very things that his Ministry was designed to He that knew the Scheme of Truths used his Satisfaction as the great Motive to Obedience but not as what made it needless in its own place The Apostles obeyed and imitated Christ. The first Sermon of Peter includes this Act. 2. 38. 40. Repent and be baptized every one of you for the Remission of Sins c. for the Promise is to you and to your Children and as many as the Lord shall call And with many other Words did he testifie and exhort saying Save your selves from this untoward Generation Read his Epistles and see how he moves by Threatnings and Promises and preacheth Duties The Apostle Paul giveth the Sum of his Ministry to the Ephesians c. Act. 20. 21. Testifying both to the Jews and Greeks repentance towards God and faith towards the Lord Jesus ver 26 27. I am pure from the blood of all men for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God It 's he that saith If any man love not the Lord Jesus let him be an Anathema Maranatha What a man soweth that shall he reap He will come in flaming fire to take vengeance on all that know not God and obey not the Gospel What he saith of FreeGrace and Christ's Righteousness in Opposition to Man's Merits doth not clash with what he saith of the Necessity of Graces and Duties as the required Terms of such Blessings as God promiseth to them The Apostle James is as express as can be read his Epistle and Doubt and it seems to be written against some Libertines who perverted the Doctrine of Grace delivered by Paul And Peter expresly speaks of these Mens wresting Pauls Epistles in this very Point as I could fully prove 2 Pet. 3. 16. Read the Epistle of Jude and he agrees with the rest in arguing for Holiness from Threats and Promises 3. When the Gospel is said to be preached you 'll find that then Graces and Duties were preached under a Gospel Sanction Act. 15. 7. The Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the Gospel What this was see Act. 10. from ver 34. to 44. Of a truth I perceive that God is no Respecter of Persons but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him The Word which God sent unto the Children of Israel Preaching Peace by Jesus Christ He is Lord of all c. he commanded us to preach unto the People and to testifie That it is he which was ordained of God to be Judge of Quick and Dead To him gave all the Prophets witness That through his Name whoever believeth in him shall have remission of sins Rev. 14. 6 7. I saw another Angel in the midst of Heaven having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them c. saying with a loud Voice Fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his indignation is come and worship him that made Heaven and Earth So Act. 147 15 17. There