upon mercy peace and grace then wealth and honour and greatness When a man sendeth a token to a friend he would send the best of the kind These are the best mercies if you were to deal with God for your own Souls you can ask no better You may ask temporal things for God loveth the prosperity of his Saints but these special blessings should have the preferment in your wishes and desires of good to them and then you are most likely to speed Our Lord Christ in the 17 of John commendeth the Colledg of the Apostles to the Father and what doth he ask for him dominion and worldly respect Surely no nothing but preservation from evil and sanctification by the Truth these are the chiefest Blessings we should look after as Christians Observe again the aptness of the requests to the persons for whom he prayeth Observat 2. Those that are sanctified and called have still need of mercy peace and love They need mercy because we merit nothing of God neither before grace received nor afterward the very continuance of our glory in Heaven is a fruit of mercy not of merit our obligation to free-grace never ceaseth We need also more peace there are degrees in assurance as well as faith there is a temperate confidence and there are ravishing delights so that peace needs to be multiplyed also And then love that being a grace in us 't is always in progress in Heaven only 't is compleat Take it for love to God there we cleave to him without distraction and weariness or satiety God in communion is always fresh and new to the blessed spirits And take it for love to the Saints it 's only perfect in Heaven where there is no ignorance pride partialities and factions where Luther and Zuinglius Hooper and Ridley joyn in perfect consort Again Observat 3. Observe the aptness of these requests to the times wherein he prayed when Religion was scandalized by loose Christians and carnal doctrines were obtruded upon the Church In times of defection from God and wrong to the Truth there is great need of mercy peace and love Of mercy that we may be kept from the snares of Satan Christians whence is it that any of us stand that we are found faithful 'T is because we have obtained mercy They would decâ—ive if it were possible the very Elect Mar. 24.24 Why is it not possible to deceive the Elect as well as others of what mould are they made wherein do they differ from other men I answer Elective grace and mercy interposeth 't is not for any power in themselves but because Mercy hath singled them out and chosen them for a distinct people unto God And we need peace and inward consolations that we may the better digest the misery of the times and love that we may be of one mind and stand together in the defence of the Truth Again Observat 4. Note the aptness of the blessings to the persons for whom he prayeth Here are three blessings that do more eminently and distinctly suit with every person of the Trinity and I do the rather note it because I find the Apostle elsewhere distinguishing these blessings by their proper fountains as Rom. 1.7 Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ Sort the blessings right there is grace from the Father and peace from Christ So here is mercy from God the Father who is called the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort 2 Cor. 1.3 and peace from the Son for he is our peace Ephes 2.14 and love from the Spirit Rom. 5.5 The love of God is sâ—ed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to us Thus you see every Person concureth to our happiness with his distinct blessing In the next place Observat 5. how aptly these blessings are suited among themselves first mercy then peace and then love mercy doth not differ much from that which is called grace in Pauls Epistles only graee doth more respect the bounty of God as mercy doth our want and need By mercy then is meant the favour and good-will of God to miserable creatures and peace signifieth all blessings inward and outward as the fruits and effects of that favour and good-will more especially calmness and serenity of Conscience or a secure enjoying of the love of God which is the top of spiritual prosperity And then love sometimes signifieth Gods love to us here I should rather take it for our love to God and to the Brethren for Gods sake So that mercy is the rise and spring of all peace is the effect and fruit and love is the return He beginneth with mercy for that is the fountain and beginning of all the good things which we enjoy higher then love and mercy we cannot go for Gods Love is the reason of it self Deut. 7.7 8. Rom. 9.15 Isai 45.15 and we can deserve nothing at Gods hands but wrath and misery and therefore we should still honour Mercy and set the Crown upon Mercy 's head as further anon that which you give to Merit you take from Mercy Now the next thing is peace mark the order still without mercy and grace there can be no true peace Isai 57.21 There is no peace saith my God to the wicked they say Peace peace but my God doth not say so Christ left his peace with his own Disciples John 14.27 and not as worldly and external peace is left in the happiness of which both good and bad are concerned that is general but this is proper confined within the Conscience of him that enjoyeth it and given to the godly 'T is the Lords method to pour in first the oyl of grace and then the oyl of gladness Alas the peace of a wicked man 't is but a frisk or fit of joy whilest Conscience Gods watchman is naping stoln waters and bread eaten in secret Prov. 9.17 The way to true peace is to apply your selves to God for mercy to be accepted in Christ to be renewed according to the Image of Christ otherwise sin and guilt will create fears and troubles Again the last thing is love great priviledges require answerable duty Mercy and peace need another grace and that 's love 'T is Gods gift as well as the rest we have graces from God as well as priviledges and therefore he beggeth love as well as mercy and peace but it must be our act though we have the grace from above We would all have mercy and peace but we are not so zealous to have love kindled in our hearts Mercy peace all this runneth downward and respects our interest but love that mounteth upward and respects God himself Certainly they have no interest in mercy and were never acquainted with true peace that do not find their hearts inflamed with love to God and a zeal for his glory that as he hath ordered all things for our profit so we may order and refer all
beleeve Paul had a righteousness of his own Phil. 3.9 thought he was alive Rom. 7.9 him Christ came to call though in his conceited righteousness because he was elected but before he obtained mercy to beleeve he is made sensible both of the dung and unrighteousness of his own righteousness Phil. 3.7 8. and also of his sin Rom. 7.9 The second Reason is taken from the Ends that this Preparatory Work serves unto Reason 2. First To convince of sin The Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve Gal. 3.22 For God hath concluded all in unbelief that he might have mercy up n ali Rom. 3.19 Secondly To justifie the Law i. e. the Curse The Law is holy and the Commandment holy just and good Rom. 7.12 the Precept holy the Promise good the Curse just Man must acknowledg himself a lawful captive before God will deliver him Shall the prey be taken from the mighty or the lawful captive be delivered Isai 49.24 Before God will justifie man according to the Promise man must justifie God had he proceeded with him according to the Curse We must condemn our selves before God will pardon us Even in this respect God will make his Law honourable Thirdly To teach the Soul the nothingness of all it is and hath without Jesus Christ You see your calling Brethren c. 1 Cor. 1.26 27 28 29. that no flesh should glory in his presence and that not only after they were called but also in the manner of their calling God calleth them that are not Rom. 4.17 Christ is sent to bind up the broken hearted Isai 61.1 His people know him to be the Lord by the manner of his bringing them out of their graves Vt sentiant suam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cal. in Dan. 4.35 37. Nostrum esse nihil alâ—ud est quam subsistere in Deo sumus aliqi id in Dâ—o in nobis auteÌ„ nihil idâ—m ibid. Ezek. 37.13 As God in the Creation brought the creature by his Fiat i.e. Let there be Gen. 1. from its term nothing unto its being So in Vocation by his word Vive I said unto thee Live Ezek. 16.6 He bringeth it from its term of a spiritual nothing unto its spiritual being Which in time past were not a people but now are the people of God which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy 1 Pet. 2.10 1 Cor. 13.2 'T is one of the Attributes of God that those that walk in pride he is able to abase I an 4.37 Job 40.11 14. Fourthly To teach the Soul how to esteem of and magnifie the free mercy of God in Christ Rom. 11.32 For God lath concluded them all in unbelief that he might have mercy up n all See Ez k. 16. ult Isai 30.18 Here God getteth unto himself a Name Rom. 4.17 the Quickner of the dead the Caller of those that are not as if they were the Justifier of the ungodly Hence also the people of God receive their name Isai 62.12 And thou shalt be called Sought out A City not forsaken that they might be called the trees of righteousness the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified Hosea 2.1 Say to your brethren Ammi and to your sisters Ruhamah The third Reason is taken from the season of preparatory Work Reason 3. The fittest season to affect the heart with the sensibleness of sin is between the rest of the Soul in sin and the infusion of faith God works upon man not according to his absolute Power but according to the nature of the subject and fitness of the second cause The fittest time to affect the heart of man with fear is whilest he looketh at the danger as in being not when he looketh at the danger as over If Joseph intend to be an object of fear unto his Brethren he acts this part whilest they look at him as a Judg before he revealeth himself to be a Brother The time between the rest of the Soul in sin and the grace of faith is not only the fittest but the only season to affect the Soul with the spirit of bondage The Soul cannot be affected with the spirit of fear whilest it is at ease in sin to be in fear and not to be in fear in the same respect is a contradiction Neither can the spirit of bondage be in a Beleever Ye have not received the spirit of bondage to fear again Rom. 8.15 This fear is the work of the Spirit of God in the working whereof the Spirit doth two things 1. It threatens the Soul with the Curse as justly due to and impending over it in that estate 2. It causeth the Soul to fear this wrath Now the Spirit cannot cause this fear in a Beleever to whom there is no condemnation Rom. 8.1 for in so doing he should affirm and cause the Soul to beleeve and to be affected with an untruth which vvere blasphemy to think besides the spirit of servile fear and the spirit of Adoption are opposite either then there is no spirit of bondage or it is betvveen the rest of the Soul in sin and faith in Christ Jesus Obj. Fear of eternal Wrath may be caused by the Spirit in a Beleever Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye Ans 'T is a threatening of them in respect of their Way not in respect of their Estate 2. 'T is a filial fear not a servile that the Spirit works hereby The fear of punishment for sin is so a means to awe them from sin as they yet fear sin more then the punishment for sin The last Head of Argument Examples is taken from Experiences of the Saints who being asked will bear witness unto this truth The Parable of the Prodigals return unto his Fathers house Senior filius Typum gerit PharisaeoruÌ„ ScribaruÌ„ quemadmodum junior Types est publicanoruÌ„ peccatorum in genere omnium qui ad Christum consugiunt Aret. in loc is propounded as a pattern of a sinners being brought home unto Christ Jesus In him we may see the conscience of sin Thâ—neâ—ar sea mighty famine in that Land ver 14. The sence of this perishing condition under sin And I perish with hunger ver 17. The experience of his lost estate He fain would have filled his belly with the husks the swine did eat And no man gave unto him ver 16. This my Son was lest ver 32. His sight of his need of Christ and seeking after him And when he came to himself he said How many hired servants in my Fathers house have bread enough and to spare I will arise and go to my Father c. ver 17 18. Hereunto may be added many instances recorded in the Scripture Matthew the Publican before he was effectually called was sick of sin as may be well gathered from Mat. 9. ver 9.12 13. Zacheus confesseth his sin Luke 19.8 felt himself lost
implyed in a personal and certain promise of Salvation should be before him without him and so applyed unto the Soul where he is not and not rather suspended and waiting upon his presence as an honour to his actual coming and a peculiar favour to Beleevers that have received him That Proposition which is repugnant to part of the scope of the Gospel Argum. 2. which is to make Christ as acting in the way of his special grace to be all in matter of Salvation and man without Christ however qualified to be nothing in that respect is unsound But this Proposition asserting some saving qualifications before faith is such Ergo. If it be said The Asserters of such qualifications acknowledg them to be from Grace and from Christ I answer That is not enough to acknowledg such qualifications to be from God or Christ or Grace except it be in such a way namely of his peculiar grace viz. from God according to Election from Christ as Mediator and the designed Head of his Church and consequently from his special grace The Reason is because all things and all grace common and saving are from God and Christ but not in the same way The not distinguishing of Grace into common and special or saving troubles the understanding of the friends of Grace obscures the Doctrine of Grace and advantageth the Enemies of Grace Without it Pelagians Semi-Pelagians Arminians Papists and Orthodox are all confounded together for all acknowledg Grace To the Papist apologizing for himself Perkins Gal. 6.3 that he ascribes all to the praise of God Perkins answereth So did the Pharisee Luke 18.11 We deceive our selves in thinking we ascribe unto God if we do not ascribe unto him in his own way This one thing I desire the cordial Reader would weigh viz that the Satisfaction of Christ undertaken for us sinners could not have availed if there had not been some foregoing conjunction between us and Christ namely such whereby he was designed of God that he should be the Head of the Body whereof we are member Dr Ames Hoc unum perpendat venim cordatus Lector Ames Coron art 2. cap. 3. sat factionem illaÌ„ Christi proâ—nobis nocentâ—bus susceptam valere non potuisse nisi aliqua antecedente inter nos Christum conjunctione tali scilicet quâ designatus erat a Deo ut caput esset c rporis cujus nos sumus membra All saving blessings are said to be communicated unto us from Christ as in an Head Dr Ames Omnia salutari nobis dicuntur communicari a Christo ut in Capite Medulla lib. 1. cap. 24. num 6. Jun. Collat. ratio 8. Cain saith Junius was not partaker of a Saviour as a Saviour neither is any ungodly man partaker of him Cain servatorâ—s non fuit particeps â—ut servatoris nec particeps ejus est impius quisquam Man is no partaker of a Saviour but of the works of a Saviour but the faithful are not only partakers of his works but also of the Saviour himself Junius Homo non est particeps Servatoris Idem ibid. rat 24. sed operum a Servatore fideles auteÌ„ non solum participes operum sed ipsius Servatoris sunt If it now be said for else I see nothing here that can be said that these saving qualifications before faith are effects of Election and from Christ as acting in the way of his special grace that Reply shall receive its Answer in the next Argument Unto the person in whom there is no other qualification but that which is common viz. such as may be found in a Reprobate Faith and Salvation cannot be ascertained Argum. 3. But in an elect person yet not a Beleever there is no other qualification then what may be found in a Reprobate To make good this Argument let us 1. Shew the ground of the distinction of special or saving and common grace 2. Clear the terms 3. Confirm the Minor viz. that in an elect person yet not a Beleever there is no other qualification then what is the effect of common grace The term Grace is used for common grace Rom. 12.3 6. Ephes 3.8 1 Pet. 4.10 for saving grace Ephes 2.8 and elsewhere frequently upon which places and texts equivalent besides the general consent of Orthodox and learned Writers that distinction is sufficiently founded Common grace is that which those that are not elected may be and often are made partakers of Special or saving grace is that which floweth from Election as an effect and argument of Election and proper to the Elect. No effect of Election is before effectual Vocation of the very form whereof is the grace of faith Where is no life there is yet no effect of Election therefore no other but common grace But where there is no faith by which the Soul receiveth the Son 1 John 5.12 there is no life Therefore where there is no faith there is no other then common grace The person who notvvithstanding any qualification vvrought in him is yet nothing in point of Salvation is partaker of no other then common grace But every Soul hovvever qualified before faith is nothing in point of Salvation because the Soul that is vvithout faith is vvithout love and the Soul that hath not love hovvever qualified is nothing 1 Cor. 13.2 Until faith the Elect are children of Wrath even as others Ephes 2.3 Vocation is the first act of Election which springeth up or is exercised in man himself whence also it is that Vocation and Election are sometimes taken in the Scripture in the same sence altogether Ames Vocatio est primus actus Electionis qui in homine ipso exoritur Medul li. 1. cap. 26. nuÌ„ 5. vel exercetur unde etiam est quod Vocatio Electio aliquando in Scripturis eodeÌ„ planè sensu accipiuntur 1 Cor. 1.26 27 28. Calling is the first act of divine Mercy conversant about miserable men Dr Twisse Vocatio est primus actus misericordiae divinae Twiss de Praedest l. 1. p. 1. digres 9. Rhetorf de Gratia exercit 2. cap. 3. Cham. Tom. 3. l. 8. cap. 3. num 23. circa miseros versantis Effectual Calling is the first Mercy Mr Rutherford Vocatio efficax est prima misericordia Before Vocation all are said not to have obtained mercy This is to be understood of effectual Vocation whereby in time Paul was made another man Chamier Ante Vocationem omnes dicuntur misericordim non consecuti Hoc intelligi debet de Vocatione efficaci per quaem intempore factus est Paulus alius That Proposition which will not stand with Christs method of preaching the Gospel is not good Argum. 4. But this Proposition ascertaining Salvation before faith will not stand with Christs method of preaching the Gospel Mark 16.16 Therefore That very Proposition which the Holy Ghost calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Gospel viz. Whosoever beleeveth shall be saved is formally an indefinite Proposition offering
Electionem quamvis in Dei arcano decreto sunt signati homines determinati nominatim specialissimè attamen nulla est specialis determinatio in Scripturis nusquam enim scriptum est Hoc fac efficacitèr vocaberis Beleevers only are bound to gather the intention of God Idem ex 2. c. 2. and the eternal Decree concerning them by name Soli credentes tenentur Dei intentionem aeternum decretum circa se nominatìm colligere There is no consolation unto the Elect before faith Idem ex 1. c. 2. Mr Rutherford Electo nulla consolatio ante fidem The Promise saith Dr Preston is made to the coming Dr Preston Ser. 3. of effectual faith Idem Ser. 1. on Rom. 1.17 of Faith and not to the preparation Elsewhere the same Author mentions parting withall to use his own words amongst the afterclap conditions that is such conditions as are required of the Soul after the match is now made that is after faith as you may see plainly in the place Obj. 1. To be dead to the Law is a saving qualification But Rom. 7.4 we are said to be dead to the Law that we may be married unto Christ Ergo. There seemeth to be some saving qualification before faith Answ This Text in that it seemeth to occasion the most considerable Objection calleth for the more diligence in the clearing of it The Apostle in answer to an Objection made in the person of the beleeving Romans against the great service of yeilding of themselves unto God by obedience whereunto they were exhorted taken from the fear of the dominion of sin Chap. 6. vers 14. having encouraged them with an unanswerable and assuring Argument taken from their present condition 1. Negatively for you are not under the Law 2. Affirmatively but under grace in the same vers He having also in the following part of the Chapter provided against the abuse of the latter part of his Answer by removing an abominable Inference erroneously gathered therefrom vers 15. in the beginning of the seventh Chapt. resumeth the first that is the negative part of his Answer concerning their not being under the Law illustrating and carrying on his argumentation by way of comparison fetched from the example of marriage obliging the wife unto her husband during the term of his life and no longer In this Comparison the Law that is the dominion of the Law is compared to the husband the Soul unto the wife it s two parts you have thus The first part of the Comparison or Proposition The wife freed from the dead husband she being freed is marryed unto another being marryed she bringeth forth fruit The second part of the Comparison or Reddition The Soul dead to the Law that is as much as freed from her dead husband the Soul freed is marryed unto Christ the Soul marryed unto Christ bringeth forth fruit unto him Where observe the Apostle notwithstanding the matter in framing the Comparison rather led him to say the Law being dead as appears upon the comparing the first fourth and sixth verses yet the sence remaining the same he rather useth this phrase we being dead to the Law the better to decline as judicious Interpreters conceive the offence of the Jews who being over-addicted unto the Law would more difficulty have endured that phrase of the Law being dead From the two first members of the Reddition the Objection ariseth thus If in the order of our spiritual Marriage the Soul is dead unto the Law before it be marryed to Christ then there is a parting with all a cutting off from or dying unto sin and consequently a saving qualification before faith But so it is in order of our spiritual Marriage Rom. 7.4 Therefore Thus we have the Objection with its rise for the further and full satisfaction whereof Consider 1. By the Law in this place we are to understand the dominion of the Law over a sinner hence it is compared to a hard and cruel Master Rom. 6.14 to a hard or cruel husband Rom. 7. beg 2. The dominion of the Law hath divers acceptions in the Scripture and is taken sometimes for that power of the Law whereby as an occasion it provoketh and stirreth up the corruption of the heart in the irregenerate Rom. 7.8 But sin taking occasion by the Commandment wrought in me all manner of concupiscence Sometimes for the accusing and damnatory sentence of the Law Sometimes for the rigor whereby it exacteth perfect personal and constant obedience by virtue of that principle wherein we were created after the Image of God and that for our Justification 3. That the dominion of the Law in the first sence namely that power of the Law occasionally and by accident to provoke and stir up sin in the irregenerate is the dominion intended in this place is manifest Rom. 7.5 8 9. and Chap. 6.14 15. from the joynt consent of Interpreters that the Law is to be taken in the same sence in both these places It cannot be interpreted of the dominion of the Law in either of the two last sences That dominion of sin which death unto the Law here mentioned freeth us from is the dominion of the Law here intended But the death unto the Law here mentioned freeth us from the dominion of the Law in the first sence as we saw in the Texts last cited but not from the dominion of the Law in the two last sences because the death unto the Law here mentioned precedeth union dead unto the Law that we should be married unto another and union precedeth Justification But freedom from the dominion of sin in the two last sences follow union the first of them supposing the second presupposing Justification Hic vero agitur de mortisicatione peccati justitia nobis per Christi Spiritum inchoata neque hic spectatur deminatio peccatorum quatenus imputantur vel non imputantur sed quatenus corruptio viget aut non viget in nobis Beza in Rom. 6.14 But in this place 't is spoken of the mortification of sin and righteousness inchoated in us by the Spirit of Christ Neither is the dominion of sin here looked at as it is imputed or not imputed but so far forth as corruption beareth or doth not bear sway in us 4. To be dead to the Law in the first sence is for lust to be so mortified that it cannot take occasion to sin from the restraint of the Law it is to be freed from the raigning power of sin Rom. 6.7 which grace is given in Vocation and is called habitual Mortification we dye to the Law in the two last sences in Justification That Text Gal. 2.19 signifieth Mori legi Rom. 6. significabat mori peccato per regâ—nerationis gratiam hic paulo aliter morilegi est idem quod renumiare justitiae legis Pareus in Gal. 2.19 saith Pareus a little otherwise viz. to renounce the righteousness of the Law This Text then rightly understood affirmeth