heaven and happinesse whereupon I concluded that I had as yet done no more then they and withall I considered that our Saviour sayth Except your righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees you cannot enter into the Kingdome of God yea and I also considered that the Apostle sayth Hee is not a Jew that is one outward but he that is one within whose praise is not of men but of God Then did I conclude that I was not yet a true Christian for sayd I in my heart I have contented my selfe with the praise of men and so have lost all my labour and pains in performing duties for they have been no better then outside performances and therefore they must all fall down in a moment I have not served God with all my heart and therefore I see I must either goe farther or else I shall never be happie whereupon I set about the keeping of the Law in good earnest and laboured to performe duties not onely outwardly but also inwardly from my heart I heard and read and praid and laboured to bring my heart and force my soule to every duty I called upon the Lord in good earnest and told him that whatsoever hee would have mee to doe I would doe it with all my heart if hee would but save my soule and then I also tooke notice of the inward corruptions of my heart the which I had not formerly done and was carefull to govern my thoughts to modeate my passions and to suppresse the motions and risings of lusts to banish privie pride and speculative wantonnesse and all vain and sinfull desires of my heart and then I thought my selfe not onely an out-side Christian but also an in-side Christian and therefore a true Christian indeed and so I went on comfortably a good while till I considered that the Law of God requires passive obedience as well as active and therefore I must bee a sufferer as well as a doer or else I could not bee a Christian indeed whereupon I began to bee troubled at my impatience under Gods correcting hand and at those inward murmurings and discontents which I found in my spirit in time of any outward calamity that befell mee and then I laboured to bridle my passions and to submit my selfe quietly to the will of God in every condition and then did I also as it were begin to take penance upon my selfe by abstinence fasting and afflicting my soule and made pittifull lamentations in my prayers which were somtimes also accompanied with tears the which I was perswaded the Lord did take notice of and would reward me for it and then I was perswaded that I did keepe the Law in yielding obedience both actively and passively and then was I confident I was a true Christian untill I considered tha◠those Jewes of whom the LORD complaynes Esay 58. did as much as I and that caused mee to feare that all was not right with mee as yet whereupon I went to another Minister and told him that though I had done thus and thus and suffered thus and thus yet I was perswaded that I was in no better a condition then those Jewes ô yes sayd hee you are in a better condition then they for they were Hypocrites and served not GOD with all their hearts as you doe Then I went home contentedly and so went on in my wonted course of doing and suffering and thought all was well with mee untill I bethought my selfe that before the time of my conversion I had beene a transgressour from the wombe yea in the wombe in that I was guilty of Adams transgression so then I considered that although I kept even with GOD for the time present and to come yet that would not free m◠from the guiltinesse of that which wa◠done before whereupon I was much troubled and disquieted in my minde then I went to a third Minister of Gods holy word and told him how the case stood with mee and what I thought of my state and condition he cheered me up bidding mee be of good comfort for howsoever my obedience since my Conversion would not satisfie for my former sinnes yet in as much as at my Conversion I had confessed lamented deplored bewayled and forsaken them God according to his rich mercy and gracious promise had mercifully pardoned and forgiving them Then I returned home to my house againe and went to God by earnest Prayer and supplication and besought him to give mee assurance of the pardon and forgivenesse of my guiltinesse of Adams sinne and all my actuall transgressions before my Conversion and as I had endeavoured my self to be a good servant before so I would still continue in doing my duty most exactly and so being assured that the Lord had granted this my request I fell to my businesse according to my promise I heard I read I prayed I fasted I mourned I sighed and groned and watched over my heart my tongue and wayes in all my doings actions and dealings both with God and man But after a while I growing better acquainted with the spiritualnesse of the Law and with inward corruptions of mine owne heart I perceived that I had deceived my selfe in thinking that I had kept the Law perfectly for doe what I could I found many imperfections in my obedience for I had been and was still subject to sleepinesse drousinesse and heavinesse in prayer and hearing and so in other duties I failed in the manner of performance of them and in the end why I performed them seeking my selfe in every thing I did and my conscience told me I failed in my duty to God in this and in my duty to my neighbour in that and then I was much troubled again for I considered that the Law of God requireth and is not satisfied without an exact and perfect obedience and then I went to the same Minister again and told him how I had purposed promised striven and endeavoured as much as possibly I could to keepe the Law of Ged perfectly and yet by wofull experience I had found that I had and did still transgresse it many ways and therefore I feared hell and damation O! but sayd hee doe not feare for the best Christians have their failings and no man keepeth the Law of God perfectly and therefore goe on and doe as you have done in striving to keepe the Law perfectly in what you cannot doe God will accept the will for the deed and wherein you come short Christ will help you out and this satisfied and contented mee very much so I returned home againe and fell to prayer and told the Lord that now I saw I could not yield a perfect obedience to his Law and yet I would not despaire because I did believe that what I could not doe Christ would doe for mee and then I did certainly conclude that I was a Christian indeede and not before and so have I beene perswaded ever since And thus Sir you see I have dcclared
Ceremonies had a Star-light of Christ yet some of them had the light of the broad day a little before the Sun rising and did expresse him with the circumstances and vertue of his death so plainly as if his passion had been acted upon a Scaffold in so much saith he that I am fully perswaded and cannot but believe that God had shewed Moses the secrets of Christ and the very manner of his death aforehand and therefore no doubt but that they offered their sacrifices by faith in the Messiah as the Apostle testifieth of Abel I say there is no question but every spirituall believing Jew when he brought his Sacrifice to be offeroffered and according to the Lords command laid his hands upon it whilst it was yet alive he did from his heart acknowledge that he himselfe had deserved to â—ie but by the mercy of God he was saved and his desert laid upon the beast and as that beast was to die and bee off red in sacrifice for him so did hee believe that the Messiah should come and die for him upon whom hee put his hands that is laid all his iniquities by the hand of faith So that as Beza saith the Sacrifices were to them holy mysteries in which as in certainâ— glasses they did both see themselves to their own condemnation before God and also beheld the mercy of God in the promised Messiah in time to bee exhibited And therefore saith Calvin the sacrifices and satisfactory offerings were called Ashemoth which word properly signifieth sinne it selfe to shew that Jesus Christ was to come and performe a perfect expiation by giving his owne soule to bee an Asham that is a satisfactory oblation Wherefore you may assure your selfe that as Christ was alwayes set before the fathers in the Old Testament to whom they might direct their faith and as God never put them in hope of any grace or mercy nor never shewed himselfe good unto them without Christ even so the godly in the Old Testament knew Christ by whom they did enjoy these promises of God and were joyned to him And indeed the promise of salvation never stood firm till it came to Christ and there was their comfort in all their troubles and distresses according as it is said of Moses He endured as seeing him who is invisible esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt for he had respect to the recompence of reward And so as Ignatius saith the Prophets were Christs servants who foreseeing him in spirit both waited for him as their Master and looked for him as their Lord and Saviour saying He shall come and save us And so saith Calvin so oft as the Prophets speak of the blessednesse of the faithfull the perfect image that they have painted thereof was such as might ravish mens minds out of the earth and of necessity raise them up to the consideration of the felicity of the life to come so that we may assuredly conclude with Luther that all the Fathers Prophets and holy Kings were righteous and saved by faith in Christ to come and so indeed as Calvin saith were partakers of all one salvation with us Ant. But Sir the Scripture seemes to hold forth as though they were saved one way and we another way for you know the Prophet Jeremie makâ—s mention of a twofold Covenant therefore it is somewhat strange to me that they should be partakers of one way of salvation with us Evan. Indeed it is true the Lord did bequeath unto the Fathers Righteousnesse Life and eternall Salvation in and through Christ the Mediator being not yet come in the flesh but promised And unto us in the New Testament he gives and bequeaths them to us in and through Christ being already come and having actually purchased them for us and the Covenant of grace was before the comming of Christ sealed by his blood in types hâ—d figures and at his death in his flâ—sh it was fully sealed and ratified by his very blood actually and in very deed shed for our sins And the old Covenant in respect of the outward forme and manner of sealing was temporary and changeable and therefore the types ceased and only the substance remaines firme but the seals of the new are unchangeable being commemorative and shall shew the Lords death untill his comming againe And their Covenant did first and chiefly promise earthly blessings and in and under these it did signifie and promise all spirituall blessings and salvation but our Covenant promiseth Christ and his blessings in the first place and after them earhly blessings These and some other circumstantiall differences in regard of administration there was betwixt their way of salvation or covenant of grace and ours which moved the Author to the Hebrews to call theirs old and ours new but in regard of substance they were all one and the very same for in all Covenants this is a certain rule if the subject matter the fruit and the conditions be the same then is the Covenant the same but in these Covenants Jesus Christ is the subject matter of both salvation the fruit of both and faith the condition of both therefore I say though they be called two yet are they but one the which is confirmed by two faithfull witnesses The one is the Apostle Peter who saith Acts 15.11 We believe through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that we shall be saved even as they did meaning the Fathers in the old Testament as is evident in the verse next before The other is the Apostle Paul who saith Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousnesse know yee therefore that they which are of the faith the same are the children of Abraham by which testimonie saith Luther wee may see that the faith of our Fathers in the old Testament and ours in the new â—s all one in substance Ant. But could they that lived so long before Christ apprehend his righteousnesse by faith for their Justification and salvation Evan. Yea indeed for as Master Forbes truely saith It is as eâ—sie for faith to apprehend righteousnesse to come as it is to apprehend righteousnesse that is past wherefore as Christs birth obedience and death were in the old Testament as effectuall to save sinners as now they are so all the faithfull forefathers from the beginning did partake of the same grace with us by believing in the same Iesus Christ and so were justified by his righteousnesse and saved eternally by faith in him it was by vertue of the death of Christ that Enoch was translated that he should not see death and Elias was taken up into heaven by vertue of Christs Resurrection and Ascension so that from the worlds beginning to the end thereof the salvation of sinners is onely by Jesus Christ as it is written Jesus Christ yesterday and to day and the same for ever
Christ will accept of me so as to justifie and save me Evan. Alas man in thus saying you doe seem to contradict and gainsay both the Apostle Paul and our Lord Jesus Christ himself and that against your owne soule For whereas the Apostle Paul saith That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners and doth justifie the ungodly Why you seem to hold do in effect say that Christ Jesus came into the world to save the righteous to justifie the godly and wheras our Saviour sayth The whole need not the Physitian but the sick and that hee came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Why you seem to hold and do in effect say That the sick need not the Physitian but the whole and that he came not to call sinners but the righteous to repentance And indeed in so saying you seem to conceive that Christs Spouse must be purified washed and clensed from all her filthines adorned with a rich robe of righteousnesse before he wil accept of her whereas hee himselfe saith unto her As for thy nativity in the day that thou wast born thy navel was not cut neither wast thou washed with water to supple thee thou wast not swadled at all nor salted at all no eye pitied thee to doe any of these things unto thee but when I passed by thee and looked upon thee behold thy time was a time of love and I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakednesse yea and I sware unto thee and entred into covenant with thee and thou becamest mine And I will marry thee unto me for ever yea I will marry thee unto me in righteousnes and in judgment and in mercy and compassion Wherefore I beseech you revoke this your erroneous opinion and contradict the word of truth no longer but conclude for a certainty that it is not the righteous and godly man but the sinfull and ungodly man that Christ came to call justifie and save so that if you were a righteous and godly man you were neyther capable of Calling Justification or Salvation by Christ but being a sinfull and ungodly man I will say unto you as the people sayd unto blinde Bartime Be of good comfort arise he calleth you and will justifie and save you goe then unto him I beseech you and if he come and meet you by the way as his manner is then do not you unadvisedly say with Peter Depart from me for I am a sinfull man O Lord but say in plain terms O come unto me for I am a sinfull man O Lord yea go on further with your speech and say as Luther bids you Most gracious Jesu and sweet Christ I am a miserable poor sinner and therefore do judge my self unworthy of thy grace but yet I having learned from thy word that thy salvation belongeth to such a one therefore do I come unto thee to claime that right which through thy gracious promise belongeth unto me assure your selfe that Jesus Christ requires no portion with his spouse no verily he requires nothing with her but meere poverty the rich he sends empty away but the poore are by him enriched and indeed sayth Luther The more miserable sinfull and distressed a man doth feele himself and judge himself to be the more willing will Christ be to receive him and relieve him so that sayth he In judging thy self unworthy thou doest theredy become truly worthy and so indeed hast gotten a greater occasion of coming unto him Wherefore in the words of the Apostle I do exhort you and beseech you to come boldly unto the throne of grace that you may obtain mercie and finde grace to help in time of need Neo. But truly Sir my heart doth as it were even tremble within mee to thinke of comming unto Christ after such a manner and surely Sir if I should come so boldly to Christ and speake after such a manner it would be but pride and presumption in mee Evan. Indeed if you should be incouraged to come to Christ and speak thus unto him because of any godlinesse righteousnesse or worthinesse that you conceive to be in you that were proud presumption indeed but for you to come to Christ by believing that hee will accept of you justifie and save you freely by his grace according to his own gracious promise this is no proud presumption at all for Christ having tendred it and offered it unto you freely believe it man it is neyther pride nor presumption but true humility of heart to take what Christ offereth you Nom. But by your favour Sir I pray you give mee leave to speake a word by the way I know my Neighbour Neophytus it may be better then you do yet do I not intend to charge him with any sin otherways then by way of supposition as thus Suppose hee hath been guilty of the committing of grosse and grievous sins will Christ accept of him and justifie and save him for all that Evan. Yea indeed for there is no limitation of Gods grace in Jesus Christ except the sin against the holy Ghost Christ stands at the doore and knocks and if any cruell murdering Manasses or any persecuting and blaspheming Saul or any adulterous Magdalen will open unto him he will come in and bring comfort with him and will sup with him seeke from one end of the Heavens to the other sayth Evangelicall Hooker turne all the Bible over and see if the words of Christ be not true him that commeth unto me I will in no wise cast out Nom. Why then Sir it seems you hold that the vilest sinner in the world ought not to be discouraged from believing in Christ because of his sins Evan. Surely if Christ came into the world to seek and call and save sinners and to justifie the ungodly as you have heard and if the more sinfull miserable and distressed a man doth judge himself to be the more willing Christ is to receive him and relieve him then I see no reason why the vilest sinner should be discouraged from believing on the name of Christ because of his sins nay let me say more the greater any mans sins are eyther in number or nature the more hast hee should make to come unto Christ and to say with David for thy name sake ô Lord pardon mine iniquitie for it is great Ant. Surely Sir if my friend Neophytus did rightly consider these things and were assuredly perswaded of the truth of them me thinks hee should not be so backward from comming unto Christ by believing on his name as he is for if the greatnesse of his sins should be so far from hindring his coming to Christ that they should further it then I know not what should hinder him Evan. You speak very truly indeed and therefore I beseech you Neighbour Neophytus consider seriously of it and let neither Satan the accuser of the brethren nor
of it or being at all affected with it so far are wee from comming out of it And if the Lord be pleased by any means to open our eyes to see our misery and we doe thereupon begin to step out of it yet alas wee are prone rather to goe backwards towards the first Adams pure estate in striving and strugling to leave sinne and performe duties and doe good works hoping thereby to make our selves so righteous and holy that God will let us into Paradise againe to eat of the tree of life and live for ever and this we do untill we see the flaming sword at Edens gate turning every way to keepe the way of the tree of life Is it not ordinary when the Lord convinceth a man of his sin eyther by means of his Word or his Rod to cry after this manner O I am a sinfull man for I have lived a very wicked life and therefore surely the Lord is angry with mee and will damne me in hell ô what shall I do to save my soule And is there not at hand some ignorant miserable comforter ready to say yet doe not despayre man but repent of your sins and aske God forgivenesse and reforme your life and doubt not but he will be mercifull unto you for hee hath promised you know that at what time soever a sinner repenteth of his sins hee will forgive him And doth hee not hereupon comfort himself and say in his heart at least ô if the Lord will but spare my life and lengthen out my days I will become a new man I am very sorry that I have lived such a sinfull life but I will never doe as I have done for all the world ô you shall see a great change in me believe it And hereupon he betakes himself to a new course of life and it may be becomes a zealous professour of Religion performing all Christian exercises both publike and private and leaves off his old companions and keeps company with religious men and so it may be goes on till his dying day and thinks himselfe sure of Heaven and eternall happines yet it maybe all this while is ignorant of Christ and his Righteousnes and therefore establisheth his own Where is the man or where is the woman that is truly come to Christ that hath not had some experience in themselves of such a disposition as this if there be any that have reformed their lives and are become Professours of Religion and have not taken notice of this in themselves more or lesse I wish they have gone beyond a legall Professour or one still under the covenant of works Nay where is the man or woman that is truly in Christ that findeth not in themselves an aptnes to withdraw their hearts from Christ and to put some confidence in their owne works and doings if there be any that do not find it I wish their hearts deceive them not Let me confesse ingeniously I was a professour of Religion at least a dozen yeeres before I knew any other way to eternall life then to be sorry for my sins and aske forgivenesse and strive and endeavour to fulfill the Law and keepe the Commandements according as Master Dod and other godly men had expounded them and truly I remember I was in hope I should at last attain to the perfect fulfilling of them and in the mean-time I conceived that God would accept the will for the deed or what I could not doe Christ had done for me And though at last by meanes of conferring with Master Thomas Hooker in private the Lord was pleased to convince me that I was yet but a proud Pharisee and to shew mee the way of faith and salvation by Christ alone and to give mee as I hope a heart in some measure to embrace it yet alas through the weaknesse of my faith I have been and am still apt to turne aside to the covenant of works and therefore have not attained to that joy and peace in believing nor that measure of love to Christ and man for Christs sake as I am confident many of Gods Saints do attain unto in the time of this life the Lord be mercifull unto mee and increase my faith And are there not other though I hope but few who being enlightned to see their misery by reason of the guilt of sin though not by reason of the filth of sinne And hearing of justification freely by grace through the redemption which is in Jesus Christ do applaud and magnifie that doctrine following them that doe most preach and presse the same seeming to be as it were ravished with the hearing thereof out of a conceit that they are by Christ freely justified from the guilt of sin though still they retain the filth of sin these are they that content themselves with a Gospel knowledge with meere notions in the head but not in the heart glorying and rejoycing in free grace and justification by faith alone professing faith in Christ and yet are not possessed of Christ these are they that can talke like believers and yet do not walke like believers these are they that have language like Saints and yet have conversations like Devils these are they that are not obedient to the Law of Christ and therefore are justly called Antinomians Now both these paths leading from Christ have been justly judged as erronious and to my knowledge not onely a matter of 18 or 20 years agoe but also within these three or foure years there hath been much a doe both by preaching writing and disputing both to reduce men out of them and to keep them from them and hot contentious have been on both sides and all I fear me to little purpose for hath not the strict professour according to the Law whilst he hath striven to reduce the loose professour according to the Gospel out of the Antinomian path intangled both himselfe and others the faster in the yoke of bondage and hath not the loose professour according to the Gospel whilst he hath striven to reduce the strict professour according to the Law out of the legall path by promising liberty from the Law taught others and been himselfe the servant of corruption For this cause I though I be nothing have by the grace of God endeavoured in this Dialogue to walk as a middle-man betwixt them both in shewing to each of them his erronious path with the middle path which is Jesus Christ received truly and walked in answerably as a means to bring them both unto him and make them both one in him And oh that the Lord would be pleased so to blesse it to them that it might be a means to produce that effect I have as you may see gathered much of it out of known and approved Authours and yet have therein wronged no man for I have restored it to the right owner again in the margent some part of it my manuscripts have afforded me and of the rest I hope
dishonoured his Father which was heaven and therefore his dayes were not prolonged in that land which the Lord his God had given him 6. He massacred himselfe and all his posterity 7. From Eve he was a virgin but in eyes and minde he committed spirituall fornication 8. He stole like Achan that which God had set aside not to be medled with and this his stealth is that which troubles all Israel the whole world 9. He bare witnesse against God when he believed the witnesse of the Devill above him 10. He coveted an evill covetousnesse like Amnon which cost him his life and alâ— his progeny Now whosoever considerâ— what a nest of evils here were committed aâ— one blow must needs with Musculus seâ— our case to be such that we be compelled every way to commend the justice of God and to condemn the sin of our first parents saying concerning all mankinde as the Prophet Hosea doth concerning Israel O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self Nom. But Sir had it not been possiblâ— for Adam both to have holpen himself and his posterity out of this misery by renewing the same covenant with God and keeping it for afterwards Eva. O no he covenant of works was a covenant no way capable of renovation when he had once broke it he was gone for ever because it was a covenant between two friends buâ— fâ—llen man was become an enemy And besides it was an impossible thing for Adam to have performed the conditions which now the justice of God did necessarily require at his hands for he was now become liable to the payment of a double debt to wit the debt of satisfaction for his sin committed in time past and the debt of perfect and perpetuall obedience for the time to come and he was utterly unable to pay either of them Nom. Why was he unable to pay the debt of satisfaction for his sin committed in time past Evan. Because his sin in eating the forbidden fruit for that is the sin I mean was committed against an infinite and eternall good and therefore merited an infinite satisfaction which was to be either some temporall punishment equivalent to eternall damnation or eternall damnation it self Now Adam was a finite creature therefore between finite and infinite there could be no proportion so that it was impossible for Adam to have made satisfaction by any temporall punishment and if he had undertaken to have satisfied by an eternall punishment he should alwayes have been satisfying and never have satisfied as is the 〈◊〉 of the damned in hell Nom. And why was he unable to pay the debt of perfect and perpetuall obedience for the time to come Evan. Because his precedent power 〈◊〉 obey was by his fall utterly impaired foâ— thereby his understanding was both feebleâ— and drowned in darknesse and his will was made perverse and utterly deprived of all power to will well and his affections were quite set out of order and all things belonging to the blessed life of the soule were extinguished both in him and us so that he waâ— become impotent yea dead and thereforâ— not able to stand in the lowest terms to perâ—form the meanest condition the very truth is our father Adam falling from God diâ— by his fall so dash himself and us in peeces that there was no whole part left either 〈◊〉 him or us fit to ground such a Covenanâ— upon And this the Apostle witnesseth both when he saith We are of no strength And The Law was made weak because of thâ— flesh Nom. But Sir might not the Lord have pardoned Adams sinne without satisfaction Evan. O no for Justice is essentiall in 〈◊〉 and it is a righteous thing with God 〈◊〉 every transgression receive a just recomâ—â—nce and if recompence be just it is unâ—â—st to pardon sin without satisfaction and â—â—ough the Lord had pardoned and forgiven 〈◊〉 former transgression and so set him in 〈◊〉 former condition of amity and friendâ—â—ip yet having no power to keep the Law â—erfectly he could not have continued â—â—erein Nomista And is it also impossible for 〈◊〉 of his posterity to keep the Law perâ—â—ctly Evan. Yea indeed it is impossible for any â—eer man in the time of this life to keep it â—erfectly yea though he be a regenerate â—an for the Law requireth of man that he â—â—ve the Lord with all his heart soule and â—â—ight and there is not the holiest man that 〈◊〉 but he is flesh as wel as spirit in all parts â—nd faculties of his soule and therefore canâ—ot love the Lord perfectly yea and the â—aw forbiddeth all habituall concupiscence â—ot only saying thou shalt not consent to lust â—ut thou shalt not lust It doth not only â—ommand the binding of lust but forbids â—â—so the beeing of lust And who in this case â—an say my heart is clean Antin Then friend Nomista take notice I pray that as it was altogether impossible for Adam to return unto that holy and happy estate wherein he was created by the same way he went from it so is it for any of his posterity and therefore I remember one saith very wittily the Law was Adams lease when God made him tenant of Eden the conditions of which bond when he kept not he forfeited himself and all us God read a lecture of the Law to him before he fell to be a hedge to him to keep him in Paradise but when Adam would not keep within compasse this Law is now become as the flaming sword at Eden gate to keep him and his posterity out Nom. But Sir you know that when a Covenant is broken the parties that were bound are freed and released from their ingagements and therefore me thinks both Adam and his posterity should have been released from the covenant of works when it was broken especially considering they have no strength to perform the condition of it Evan. Indeed it is true in every Covenant if either party fail in his duty and perform not his condition the other party iâ— thereby freed from his part but the party failing is not freed tiâ—l the other release him and therefore though the Lord be freed from performing his condition that is from giving to man eternall life yet so is not man from his part no though strength to obey be lost yet man having lost it by his own default the obligation to obedience remains still so that Adam and his off-spring are no more discharged of their duties because they have no strength to do them than a debtor is quitted of his bond because he wants money to pay it And thus neighbour Nomista I have according to your desire endeavoured to help you to the true knowledge of the Law of Works Ant. I beseech you Sir proceed to help us to the true knowledge of the Law of Faith Evan. The Law of faith is as much to say as the Covenant of grace or the Gospel which signifieth good merry glad and joyfull
the Citie and wee shall die there and if we sit still here we die also nâ—w therefore come and let us fall into the hands of the Assyrians if they save us we shall live and if they kill us we shall but die even so say I in mine heart if I goe back to the covenant of works to seek justification thereby I shall die there and if I sit still and seek it no way I shall die also now therefore though I be somewhat fearfull yet am I resolved to go unto Christ and if I perish I perish Evan. Why now I tell you truly the match is made Christ is yours and you are his this day is salvation come to your house your soul I mean for what though you have not that power to come so fast unto Christ and to lay such firme hold on him as you desire yet comming with such a resolution to Christ to take him you need take no care for doing it you may be sure that Christ will enable you to do it for is it not said John 1.12 But as many as received him to them hee gave power to become the sonnes of God even to them that believe on his name O then I beseech you stand no longer disputing but be peremptory and resolute in your faith and in casting your selfe upon God in Christ for mercy and let the issue be what it will yet let me tell you to your comfort that such a resolution shall never go to hell nay I will say more if any soule have a roome in Heaven such a soul shall for God cannot finde in his heart to damne such a one I might then with as much true confidence say unto you as John Careless said unto John Bradford Hearken ô ye Heavens and thou ô earth give eare and beare me witnesse at the great day that I do here faithfully and truly the Lords message unto his deare servant and singularly beloved John Bradford saying John Bradford thou man so specially beloved of God I doe pronounce and testifie unto thee in the word and name of the Lord Jehovah that all thy sins whatsoever they be though never so many grievous or great be fully and freely pardoned released and forgiven thee by the mercy of God in Jesus Christ thy onely Lord and sweet Saviour in whom thou dost undoubtedly believe as truly as the Lord liveth he will not have thee die the death but hath verily purposed determined and decreed that thou shalt live with him for ever Neo. O Sir If I have as good warrant to apply this saying to my self as Mr. Bradford had to apply it to himself I am a happy man Evan. I tell you from Christ and under the hand of his spirit that your person is accepted your sins are done away and you shall be saved and if an Angell from Heaven should tell you otherwise let him be accursed therefore you may without doubt conclude that you are a happy man For by means of this your matching with Christ you are become one with him and one in him you dwell in him and he in you Hee is your welbeloved and you are his so that the mariage union betwixt Christ and you is more then a bare notion or apprehension of your mind for it is a spirituall reall union it is an union betwixt the nature of Christ God and man and you it is a knitting and closing not onely of your apprehension with a Saviour but also of your soule with a Saviour whence it must needs follow that you cannot be damned except Christ be damned with you neyther can Christ be saved except you be saved with him And as by means of corporall marriage all things become common betwixt man and wife even so by means of this spirituall marriage all things become common betwixt Christ and you for when Christ hath married his spouse unto himselfe hee passeth over all his estate unto her so that whatsoever Christ is or hath you may boldly challenge as your own He is made unto you of God wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption and surely by vertue of this neer union it is that as Christ is called the Lord our righteousnesse Jer. 23.6 so is the Church called the Lord our righteousnesse Jer. 35.16 You may by vertue of this union confidently take unto your selfe as your own Christ watching abstinence travails prayers persecution slanders his tears his sweat his bloud and all that ever he did and suffered in three and thirty years with his Passion Death Resurrection and Ascention for they are all yours and as Christ passeth over all his estate unto his spouse so doth he require that shee should passe over all unto him wherefore you being now married unto Christ you must give all that you have of your own unto him and truly you have nothing of your own but sin and therefore you must give him that say thou unto Christ without fear I give to thee my dear husband my unbelief my mistrust my pride my arrogancie my ambition my wrath my anger my envie my covetousnesse my evill thoughts affections and desires I make a bundle of these and all my other offences and give them unto thee thus was Christ made sin for us which knew no sin that wee might be made the righteousnesse of God in him now then saith Luther let us compare these things together and we shall finde inestimable treasure Christ is full of all grace life and saving health and the soule is fraught full of all sin death and damnation but let faith come betwixt these two and it shall come to passe that Christ shall bee loaden with sin death and hell and unto the soule shall be imputed grace life and salvation who then saith he is able to value the royalty of this marriage accordingly who is able to comprehend the glorious riches of this grace where this rich and righteous husband Christ doth take unto wife this poore and wicked harlot redeeming her from all evils and garnishing her with all his own jewels so that you as the same Luther saith through the assurednesse of your faith in Christ your husband are delivered from all sins made safe from death guarded from hell and endowed with the everlasting righteousnesse life and saving health of your husband Christ and therefore you are now under the covenant of grace and freed from the Law as it is the covenant of works for as M. ball truly saith at one and the same time a man cannot be under the covenant of works and the covenant of grace Neo. Sir I doe not yet well know how to conceive of this freedome from the Law as it is the covenant of works and therefore I pray you make it as plain to me as you can Evan. For the true and cleer understanding of this point you are to consider that when Jesus Christ the second Adam had in the
justified by faith it is a very needless thing for him to endevour to keep the law and to do good works Evan. I remember Luther sayth that in his time there were some that did reason after the like manner if faith say they do accomplish all things and if faith be onely and alone sufficient unto righteousnesse to what end then are wee commanded to doe good deeds we may go play us then and work no working at all to whom hee makes an answer saying not so ye ungodly not so And there were others that said If the law do not justifie then is it in vaine and of none effect yet is it not therefore true saith he for like as this consequence is nothing worth money doth not justifie or make a man righteous therefore it is unprofitable the eyes doe not justifie therefore they must be plucked out the hands make not a man righteous therefore they must be cut off so is this nought also the law doth not justifie therefore it is unprofitable we do not therefore destroy and condemne the law because wee say it doth not justifie but we say with Paul the law is good if a man do rightly use it and that this is a faithfull saying That they which have believed in God might be carefull to mayntaine good works these things are good and profitable unto men Neo. Truly Sir for mine own part I do much marvell that this my friend Antinomista should be so confident of his faith in Christ and yet so little regard holinesse of life and keeping of Christs commandements as it seemes hee doth for I give the Lord thanks I doe now in some small measure believe that I am by Christ freely and fully justified and acquitted from all my sins and therefore have no need eyther to eschew evill or do good for feare of punishment or hope of reward and yet me thinks I finde my heart more willing and desirous to doe what the Lord commands and to avoid what hee forbids then ever it was before I did thus believe surely Sir I doe perceive that faith in Christ is no hinderance to holinesse of life as I once thought it was Evan. Neighbour Neophytus if our friend Antinomista do content himself with a meere Gospell knowledge in a notionary way and have run out to fetch in notions from Christ and yet is not fetcht in by the power of Christ let us pitty him pray for him and in the mean time I pray you know that true faith in Christ is so far from being a hinderance from holinesse of life and good works that it is the onely furtherance for onely by faith in Christ a man is enabled to exercise all Christian graces a-right and to performe all Christian duties a-right which before he could not As for example before a man believe Gods love to him in Christ though he may have a kind of love to God as he is his creatour and preserver and gives him many good things for this present life yet if God do but open his eyes to see what condition his soul is in that is if he do but let him see that relation that is betwixt God and him according to the tenour of the conant of works then he conceives of him as an angry Judge armed with justice against him and must be pacified by the works of the law whereunto he finds his nature opposite and contrary and therefore hee hates both God and his law and doth secretly wish and desire there were neyther God nor law and though God should now give unto him never so many temporall blessings yet could hee not love him for what malefactour could love that Judge or his law from whom he expects the sentence of condemnation though he should feast him at his table with never so many dainties But after that the kindnesse and love of God his Saviour hath appeared not by works of righteousnesse that he hath done but according to his mercy hee saved him that is when as by the eye of faith he sees himselfe to stand in relation to God according to the tenour of the covenant of grace then he conceives of God as a most mercifull and loving Father to him in Christ that hath freely pardoned â—nd forgiven him all his sins and quite released him from the covenant of works and by this means the love of God is shed abroad in his hart through the Holy Ghost which is given to him and then he loves God because he first loved him for as a man seeth and feeleth by faith the love and favour of God towards him in Christ his Son so doth he love again both God and his law and indeed it is impossible for any man to love God till by faith hee know himself loved of God Secondly though a man before he believe Gods love to him in Christ may have a great measure of legall humiliation compunction sorrow and griefe and be brought down as it were to the very gate of hell and feele the very flashings of hell fire in his conscience for his sins yet is it not because hee hath thereby offended God but rather because he hath thereby offended himself that is because hee hath thereby brought himselfe into the danger of eternal death and condemnation but when once he believes the love of God to him in Christ in pardoning his iniquity and passing by his transgression then he sorrows grieves for the offence of God by the sin reasoning thus with himselfe and is it so indeed hath the Lord given his own Sonne to death for me who hath been such a vile sinfull wretch and hath Christ borne all my sins and was hee wounded for my transgressions ô then the working of his bowels the stirring of his affections the melting and relenting of his repenting heart then he remembers his own evill ways and his doings that were not good and loaths himselfe in his own eyes for all his abominations and looking upon Christ whom he hath pierced he mournes bitterly for him as one mourneth for his onely sonne thus when faith hath bathed a mans heart in the bloud of Christ it is so mollified that it quickly dissolues into the teares of godly sorrow so that if Christ doe but turn and look upon him ô then with Peter hee goes out and weeps bitterly and this is true gospel mourning and this is right evangelicall repenting Thirdly Though before a man doe truly believe in Christ he may so reforme his life and amend his ways that as touching the righteousnesse which is of the Law he may be with the Apostle blamelesse yet being under the covenant of works all the obedience that he yields to the Law all his leaving of sin and performance of duties all his avoyding of what the law forbids and all his doing of what the law commands is begotten by the law of works of Hagar the bond-woman by the force of self-love
and so indeed they are the fruit and works of a bond-servant that is moved and constrained to doe all that heâ— doth for fear of punishment and hope of reward For saith Luther The Law given on mount Sinai which the Arabians call Agar begeteth none but servants and so indeed all that such a man doth is but hypocrisie for he pretends the serving of God whereas indeed hee intends the serving of himselfe and how can hee doe otherwise for whilst he wants faith he wants all things He is an empty vine and therefore must needs bring forth fruit unto himselfe till a man bee served himselfe he will not serve the Lord Christ nay whilst he wants faith he wants the love of Christ and therefore he lives not to Christ but to himselfe because he loved himselfe And hence surely we may conceive it is that Doctor Preston saith all that a man doth and not out of love is out of hypocrisie wheresoever love is not there is nothing but hypocrisie in such a mans heart But when a man through the hearing of faith receives the Spirit of Christ that spirit according to the measure of faith writes the lively law of love in his heart as Tindall sweetly sayth whereby hee is inabled to work freely and of his own accord without the coaction or compulsion of the Law for that love wherewith Christ or God in Christ hath loved him and which by faith is apprehended of him will constrain him to doe so according to that of the Apostle the love of Christ constraineth us that is it will make him to doe so whether he will or no hee cannot choose but doe it I tell you truly answerably as the love of Christ is shed abroad in the heart of any man it is such a strong impulsion that it carries him on to serve and please the Lord in all things according to the saying of an evangelicall man The will and affection of a believer according to the measure of faith and the spirit received sweetly quickens and bends to choose affect and delight in what ever was good and acceptable to God or man the Spirit freely and cheerfully moving and inclining him to keepe the law without feare of hell or hope of heaven for a christian man saith sweet Tindall worketh onely because it is the will of his Father for after that he is overcome with love and kindnesse he seeks to doe the will of God which indeed is a christian mans nature and what he doth hee doth it freely after the example of Christ as a naturall sonne aske him why he doth such a thing why sayth he It is the will of my Father and I doe it that I may please him for indeed love desireth no wages it is wages enough to it selfe it hath sweetnesse enough in it selfe it desires no addition it pays his own vvages and therefore it is the true childe like obedience being begoten by faith of Saraah the free-woman by the force of Gods love and so it is indeed the onely true and syncere obedience for sayth Doctor Preston to doe a thing in love is to doe it in syncerity and indeed there is no other defâ—inition of syncerity that is the best way to know it by Evan. But stay Sir I pray you would you not have believers to eschew evill and doe good for feare of hell or hope of heaven Evan. No indeed I would not have any believer to doe either the one or the other for so far forth as they doe so their obedience is but slavish and therefore though when they were first awaked convinced of their misery and set foot forward to goe on in the way of life they with the prodigall would be hired servants yet when by the eye of faith they see the mercie and indulgence of their heavenly Father in Christ running to meete them and embrace them I would have them with him to talke no more of being hired servants I would have them so to wrastle against doubting and so to exercise their faith as to believe that they are by Christ delivered from the hands of all their â—nemies both the Law sin wrath death â—he devill and hell that they may serve the Lord without feare in holinesse and righteâ—usnesse all the dayes of their lives I would â—ave them so to believe Gods love to them â— Christ as that thereby they may be conâ—trained to obedience Nom. But Sir you know that our Saâ—iour sayth Feare him that is able to destroy â—oth soule and body in hell And the Apostle â—yth We shall receive of the Lord the reward 〈◊〉 the inheritance is it not sayd that Moses â—ad respect unto the recompence of reward Evan. Surely the intent of our blessed â—aviour in that first Scripture is to teach all â—elievers that when God commands one 〈◊〉 and man another they should obey â—od and not man rather then to exhort â—â—em to eschew evill for feare of Hell And as for those other Scriptures by you alâ—â—aged if you mean reward and the means 〈◊〉 obtayn that reward in the Scripture sense 〈◊〉 it is another matter but I had thought 〈◊〉 had meant in our common sense and not 〈◊〉 the Scripture sense Nom. Why Sir I pray you what diffeâ—â—nce is there betwixt reward and the means to obteyn the reward in our common sense and in the Scripture sence Evan. Why reward in our common sence is that which is conceived to come from God or to be given by God which is a fancying of Heaven under carnall notions beholding it as a place where there is freedome from all misery and fulnesse of all pleasures and happinesse and to be obteyned by our own works and doings But reward in the Scripture sence is not so much that which comes from God or is given by God as that which lyes in God even the full fruition of God himselfe in Christ. I am sayth God to Abraham thy shield and thy exceeding great reward And whom have I in heaven but thee sayth David And there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee and I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likenesse And the means to obteyne this reward is not by doing but by believing even by drawing neere with a true heart in the full assurance of faith and so indeed it is given freely And therefore you are not to conceive of that reward which the Scripture speaks of as if it were the wages of a servant but as it is the inheritance of sons and when the Scripture seemeth to induce believers to obedience by promising this reward you are to conceive that the Lord speaketh to believers as a father doth to his young son doe this or that and then I will love thee whereas we know that the father loveth the sonne first and so doth God and therefore this is the voice of believers Wee love him because
and apprehend him by faith as blessed be God you see our Neighbour Neophytus hath done and then shall you finde the like loathing of sin and love to the law of Christ as he now doth yea then shall you finde your corruptions dying and decaying daily more and more as I am confident hee shall Neo. I but Sir shall I not have power quite to overcome all my corruptions and to yield perfect obedience to the law of Christ as the Lord knows I much desire Evan. If you could believe perfectly then should it be even according to to your desire according to that of Luther If wee can perfectly apprehend Christ then should wee be free from sin But alas whilest we are here wee know but in part and so believe but in part and so receive Christ but in part and so consequently are holy but in part witnesse James the just including himselfe when he sayth In many things we sin all and John the faithfull and loving Disciple when he sayth If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us yea and witnesse Luther when he sayth a Christian man hath a body in whose members as Paul sayth sin dwelleth and warreth and albeit he fall not into outward and grosse sins as murther adultery theft and such like yet is hee not free from impatience and murmuring against God yea sayth hee I feele in my selfe coveteousnesse lust anger pride and arrogancie also the feare of death heaviness hatred murmuring impenitencie so that you must not looke to bee quite without sin whilst thou remain in this life yet this I dare promise you that as you grow from faith to faith so shall you grow from strength to strength in all other graces wherefore sayth godly Hooker strengthen this grace of faith and strengthen all nourish this and nourish all so that if you can attain to a great measure of faith you shall bee sure to attain to a great measure of holinesse according to the saying of Doctor Preston hee that hath the strongest faith hee that believeth in the greatest degree the promise of pardon and remission of sins I dare boldly say he hath the holiest heart and the holiest life And therefore I beseech you labour to grow strong in the faith of the Gospell Neo. O Sir I desire it with all my heart and therefore I pray you tell me what you would have me to doe that I may grow more strong Evan. Why surely the best advice and counsell that I can give you is to exercise that faith which you have and wrastle against doubtings and be earnest with God in prayer for the increase of it forasmuch sayth Luther as this gift is in the hands of God onely who bestoweth it when and on whom he pleaseth thou must resort unto him by prayer and say with the Apostles Lord increase our faith and you must also be diligent in hearing the word preached for as faith commeth by hearing so is it also increased by hearing and you must also read the word and meditate upon the free and gracious promises of God for the promise is the immortall seed whereby the spirit of Christ begets and increaseth faith in the hearts of all his and lastly you must frequent the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and receive it as often as conveniently you can Ant. But by your favour Sir if faith be the gift of God and he give it when and to whom he pleaseth then I conceive that mans using such means will not procure any greater measure of it then God is pleased to give Evan. I confesse it is not the means that will either beget or increase faith but it is the Spirit of God in the use of the means that doth it so that as the means will not doe it without the Spirit neither will the Spirit doe it without the means where the means may be had wherefore I pray you doe not you hinder him from using the means Neo. Sir for mine own part let him say what he will I am resolved by the assistance of God to be carefull and diligent in the use of these means which you have now prescribed that so by the increasing of my faith I may be the better inabled to subject to the will of the Lord and so walk as that I may please him but yet I doe perceive that in regard of the imperfection of my faith I shall not be able perfectly to apprehend Christ and so consequently shall not be able to live without sin therefore I pray you Sir tell me how you would have mee to be affected when I shall hereafter through frailty commit any sin Evan. Before I can give you a true and full satisfactory answer to this your necessary question I must intreat you to consider with me First that in Rom. 6.14 it is sayd concerning believers Yee are not under the Law but under grace And in like manner Rom. 1.6 it is sayd But now we are delivered from the Law And yet it is said concerning a believer 1 Cor. 9.21 Being not without Law to God but under the Law to Christ And in like manner Rom. 3.31 it is sayd Doe wee then make voyd the Law through faith God for bid yea by faith we establish the Law Secondly That in 1 John 3.6 It is sayd That whosoeuer abideth in Christ sinneth not and in like manner ver 9. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin And yet it is sayd concerning such 1 John 1.8 If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us and in like manner Jam. 3.2 In many things we offend all Thirdly That in Numb 23.21 It is sayd concerning believers Hee that is to say God hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob neither hath he seen perversnesse in Israell in like manner Cant. 4.7 It is sayd behold thou art all faire my love and there is no spot in thee And yet it is sayd Prov. 5.21 as well concerning believers as others that the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord and hee pondereth all his goings and in like manner Heb. 4.13 All things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to doe Fourthly That in Isai. 27.4 the Lord sayth concerning believers Anger is not in me and in like manner Isai. 54.9 it is sayd As I have sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more goe over the earth so have I sworn that I would no more be wrath with thee nor rebuke thee and yet it is sayd Psal. 10.40 That because the people went a whoring after their own inventions therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against this people insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance And in Deut. 13.1 Moses a true believer sayth The Lord was angry with him Fifthly That in Isai. 40.2 The Lord sayth concerning believers Speake yee
comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished that her iniquity is pardoned for indeed Christ paid God till hee sayd hee had enough hee was fully satisfied fully contented and therefore in Jer. 50.20 it is sayd that in those dayes and at that time the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sinnes of Judah and they shall not be found for by Christs death Satan sinne and Death were conquered and taken captive and whatsoever might bee brought against us was taken away as the least bill or scroule and yet it is sayd concerning the seed and children of Jesus Christ Psal. 89.30 If they forsake my Law and walke not in my judgements then will I visit your transgressions with the rod and their iniquities with stripes and in like manner 1 Cor. 11.30 it is sayd concerning believers For this cause many are weak and sickly amongst you and many sleepe Now though all these Scriptures speake contrary one to another yet they all speake truth for they bee all of them the words of truth and that it may appeare to you that they doe so I pray you take notice that where believers are sayd not to bee under the Law and freed from the Law it is to be understood of the Law as it is the covenant of works and where it is sayd that believers are under the Law and that faith establisheth the Law it is to bee understood of the Law as it is the law of Christ now if believers be not under but are freed from the law of works or covenant of works then though they doe transgresse the law yet they doe not transgresse the Covenant of works and if they transgresse not the covenant of works then cannot God see any transgression of theirs as a transgression against that Covenant And if he see it not then can ye neither be angry with them nor yet chastise them for it But if believers be under the Law and faith doe establish the Law as it is the Law of Christ then if they transgresse any of the ten Commandements they transgresse the Law of Christ and if they transgresse the Law of Christ then doth Christ see it and if Christ see it he will be both angry with them and chastise them for it Now then neighbour Neophytus to apply these things to you and so to give you a particular answer to your question you are to know that you are not now under the Law but are by Christ freed from it as it is the Law of works and therefore whensoever you shall hereafter through frailty transgresse any of the ten Commandements you are not to thinke you have thereby transgressed the Covenant of works neither are you to conceive that God either sees your transgressions or is angry with you or doth chastise you for them as they are any way a transgression of that Covenant for you being freed from that Covenant and so consequently from sinning against it must needs likewise be freed from all wrath anger miseries calamities and afflictions as fruits and effects of any transgression against that Covenant But yet whilst you live you are to conceive that you are under the Law of Christ and therefore whensoever you doe swerve or goe away from the rule of any of the ten Commandements you must perswade your selfe that you have thereby transgressed the Law of Christ and that hee sees it and is displeased with you for it and if you be not grieved for it and doe not reforme it Christ will chastise you for it either by hiding his face and withdrawing the light of his countenance from you and so by depriving you of peace and comfort in him for a time or else by some outward losse or crosse in this World for that is the penalty of the Law of Christ so that if you or any believer else doe transgresse the Law of Christ if need be you shall bee as sure of temporall corrections as an unbeliever that transgresseth the covenant of works shall be of eternall damnation in hell wherefore I beseech you according to my exhortation and your resolution first be carefull to exercise your faith and use all meanes to increase it that so it may become effectuall working by love for according to the measure of your faith will be your true love to Christ and to his will and commandements and according to the measure of your love to them will be your delight in them and your aptnesse and readinesse to doe them and hence it is that Christ sayth If ye love me keep my commandements and hence it is that the believing soule according to the measure of its faith sayth with the Psalmist I delight to doe thy will ô my God yea thy law is within my heart for this is the love of God sayth that loving Disciple that we keep his commandements and his commandements are not grievous nay the very truth is nothing will be more grievous to your soule then that you cannot keep them as you would ô this love of God being truly rooted in your heart will make you say with godly Joseph in case you be tempted as he was How can I doe this great wickednesse and so sinne against God how can I doe that which I know will displease so gracious a Father and so mercifull a Saviour no I will not doe it no I cannot doe it Secondly If in case you be at any time by reason of the weaknesse of your faith strength of your tentation drawn aside and prevailed with to transgresse any of Christs Comandements then beware that you do not thereupon take occasion to call Christs love to you into question but believe as firmly that he loves you as dearly as he did before you thus transgressed for this is a certain truth as no good in you or done by you did move or can move Christ to love you the more so no evill in you or done by you can move him to love you the lesse no assure your selfe that as he first loved you freely so will he hereafter heal your backsliding and still love you freely Hosea 14.4 yee hee will love you unto the end John 13.1 And therefore as you must be nothing in your selfe in case of your most exact obedience so must you be all in Christ in case of your most imperfect and defective obedience the which if you be why then the love of Christ will constrain you to mourn with an evangelicall or Gospell mourning reasoning with your self after this manner and is it so indeed though I have thus sinned yet will the Lord love me never the lesse for all that and am I as much in his favour now and as sure of erernall happinesse with Christ as I was before I thus sinned ô what a loving Father is this ô what a gracious Saviour is this ô what a wretched man am I to sin against such
be perswaded to it before this day nor indeed should not have been perswaded to it now had not you so plainly and fully handled this threefold law and truly Sir I doe now unfainedly desire to renounce my self and all that ever I have done and by faith to adhere onely to Jesus Christ for now I see that hee is all in all ô that the Lord would enable me so to do and I beseech you Sir pray for me Ant. And truly Sir I must needs confesse that I have erred as much on the other hand for I have been so far from seeking to be justified by the works of the law that I have neyther regarded law nor works but now I see mine errour I purpose God willing to reform it Evan. The Lord grant that you may but how do you neighbour Neophytus for me thinks you look very heavily Neo. Truly Sir I was thinking of that place of Scripture where the Apostle exhorts us to examine our selves whether we be in the faith or no whereby it seems to mee that a man may think he is in the faith when he is not therefore Sir I would gladly heare how I may be sure that I am in the faith Evan I would not have you to make any question of it since you have grounded your faith upon such a firme foundation as will never fail you for the promise of God in Christ is of a tried truth and never yet failed any man nor never will therefore I would have you to close with Christ in the promise without making any question whether you are in the faith or no for there is an assurance which ariseth from the exercise of faith by a direct act and that is when a man by faith directly layes hold upon Christ and concludes assurance from thence Neo. Sir I know that the foundation whereon I am to ground my faith remayneth sure and I think I have already built thereon but yet because I conceive a man may thinke hee hath done so when hee hath not therefore would I fain know how I may be assured that I have done so Eva. Wel now I understand you what you mean it seems you do not want a ground for your believing but for your believing that you have believed Neo. Yea indeed that is the thing I want Evan. Why the next way to finde out and know this is to looke backe and reflect upon your own heart consider what actions have passed through there for indeed this is the benefit that a reasonable soul hath that it is able to returne upon it selfe to see what it hath done which the soul of a beast cannot do Consider then I pray you whether the free and full promise of God in Christ hath not beene so cleered unto you that you had nothing to object why it did not belong particularly to you and whether you have not seen a readinesse and willingnesse in Christ to receive and embrace you as his beloved Spouse And whether you have not thereupon consented and resolved to take Christ and to give up yourselfe to him and whether you have not since that found in your heart a love to Christ and his law and a readinesse and willingnes to doe your duty to God as a childe to his father freely without feare of hell or hope of Heaven now tell me I pray you truly whether you have not found these things in you Neo. Yea indeed I hope I have in some measure Evan. Why then I may say with the Apostle John You are of the truth and may assure or perswade your heart before God Wherefore sayth Christ to you I say unto thee that thy many sins are forgiven thee for thou lovest much Ant. But Sir shall he not in so doing turne back from the Covenant of grace to the covenant of works and from Christ to himselfe Evan. Indeed if he should looke upon these things in himselfe and thereupon conclude that because he hath done thus God hath accepted of him and justified him and will save him and so make them the ground of his believing this were to turn back from the Covenant of grace to the Covenant of works and from Christ to himselfe But if he look upon these things in himselfe and thereupon conclude that because these things are in his heart Christ dwels there by faith and therefore he is accepted of God and justified and shall certainly be saved and so make them an evidence of his believing or the ground of his believing that he hath believed this is neither to turn back from the Covenant of grace to the Covenant of works nor from Christ to himselfe so that these things in his heart being the daughters of faith and the of-spring of Christ though they cannot at first produce or bring forth their mother yet may they in time of need nourish her Nom. But I pray you Sir are there not other things besides these that he sayth hee finds in himselfe that a man may looke upon as evidences of his believing or as you call them as grounds of his believing that hee hath believed Evan. Yea indeed besides these inward qualifications that are in the heart there are outward qualifications in the life as having respect unto all Christs Commandements which a man may look upon as an evidence provided that hee be sure it flow from those within Nom. But Sir how should a man know that Evan. The sure and best way to know this is for a man to examine himselfe whether he did first believe in Christ and then reforme his life and so made his faith the cause of the change of his life or whether he did first reforme his life and then believe and so made his reformation of life the cause of his faith if he be sure he did the former then may he be sure that his outward qualifications proceeded from his inward and so are right and true but if hee did the latter then may he be sure that they are wrong and false evidences Nom. Then truly Sir I have not as yet any right and true evidences of faith Evan. If you have not then as I tell you it is time to believe that so you may have them that are right and true Neo. But Sir I pray you let me ask you one question more touching this point and that is suppose that hereafter I should see no outward evidences and question whether I had ever any true inward evidences and so whether I did ever truly believe or no What must I do then Evan. Indeed it is possible you may come to such a condition and therefore you doe well to provide aforehand for it Now then if ever it shall please the Lord to give you over to such a condition first let mee warn you to take heed of forcing and constraining your selfe to yield obedience to Gods Commandements to the end you may so get an evidence of faith again or a ground to lay
wils and desires it in whom thou hast sayd thou art well pleased yea here is the person that hath paid the debt and discharged the bond for all my sins and therefore ô Lord now it standeth with thy justice to forgive me and thus if you doe why then you may bee assured that Christ executes his Priestly office in you Neo. I pray you Sir in the third place shew me how a man may know that Christ executes his kingly office in him Evan. Why so far forth as any man hears and knows That all prwer is given unto Christ both in heaven and in earth both to vanquish and overcome all the lusts and corruptions of believers and to write his law in their hearts hereupon takes occasion to goe unto Christ for the doing of both in him I say so far forth as he doth this why Christ executes his kingly office in him Neo. Why then Sir it seems that the place where Christ executes his kingly office is in the hearts of believers Evan. It is true indeed for Christs Kingdome is not temporall or secular over the naturall lives or civill negotiations of men but his Kingdome is spirituall and heavenly over the souls of men to awe and over-rule the hearts to captivate the affections to bring into obedience the thoughts and to subdue and pul down strong holds for when our father Adam transgressed he and we all of us forsooke God and chose the devill for ou◠lord king so that every mothers child of 〈◊〉 are by nature under the government of Satan and he rules over us till Christ come into our hearts and disposseseth him according to the saying of Christ himself Luk. 11.21 22. When a strong man armed keeps the Palace his goods are in peace that is sayth Calvin Satan holdeth them that are in subjection to him in such bonds and quiet possession that he rules over them without resistance But when Christ comes to dwell in any mans heart by faith according to the measure nf faith hee dispossesseth him seats himself in the heart and roots out and puls down all that withstands his government there and as a valiant Captain he stands upon his guard enables the soule to gather together all its forces and powers to resist and withstand all its and his enemies and to set it selfe in good earnest against them when they at any time offer to return again and he doth especially enable the soule to resist and set it selfe against the principall enemie even that which doth most oppose Christ in his government so that whatsoever lust or corruption is in a believers heart or soule as most predominant CHRIST doth inable him to take that into his minde and to have most revengefull thoughts against it and to make complaints to him against it and to desire power and strength from him against it and all because it most withstands the government of Christ and is the rankest traitor to Christ so that hee useth all the means he can to bring it before the judgement seat of Christ and there hee calls for justice against it saying O Lord Jesus Christ here is a rebell and a traitor that doth withstand thy government in me wherfore I pray thee come and execute thy Kingly office in me and subdue it yea vanquish and overcome it whereupon Christ gives the same answer that he did to the Centurion goe thy way and as thou hast believed so be it done unto thee And as Christ doth thus suppresse all other governours but himselfe in the heart of a believer so doth he race out and deface all other laws and writes his own there according to his promise Jer. 31.33 and makes them plyable and willing to doe and suffer his will and that because it is his will so that the minde and will of Christ laid down in his Word and manifested in his Works is not onely the rule of a believers obedience but also the reason of it As I once heard a godly Minister say in the Pulpit So that he doth not onely doe that which is Christs will but he doth it because it is his will O that man which hath the law of Christ written in his heart according to the measure of it he reads he hears he prayes and receives the Sacrament and doth all the duties required in the first table of the Law and that because he knows it is the minde and will of Christ he should doe so yea he doth not onely doe the duty of the first table but of the second also by vertue of Christs command ô that husband parent master or Magistrate that hath the Law of Christ written in his heart hee doth his duty to his wife childe servant and subject and that because Christ commands it and so that wife childe servant or subject that hath the law of Christ written in their hearts doe their duties to their husband parent master or governour and that because Christ requires it And now when you finde these things in your heart why answerably you may conclude that Christ executes his kingly office in you Neo. Well Sir now I doe plainly see that it is no marvail though my heart hath been hitherto restlesse sith I have sought rest for it where it is not to be found Evan. My occasions doe now begin to call me away from you neverthelesse you having begun to speake of the hearts rest I shall by the Lords assistance now at our parting as a conclusion of this our discourse speake somwhat of the soules rest if you will be pleased to heare me Neo. Withall my heart Sir but first I would intreat you to tell me why you call the hearts rest the soules rest Evan. Because heart and soule are put oftentimes the one for the other for indeed the heart is the soules chare of state wherein it keeps it residencie But to come to the point I would intreat you to consider with me that when God at first gave man an elementish body he did also infuse into him an immortall soule of a spirituall substance and though he gave his soule a locall being in his body yet he gave it a spirituall wel-being in himselfe so that the soule was in the body by location and at rest in God by union and communication and this being of the soule in God at first was mans true being and his true happinesse now man falling from God God in his justice left man so that the actuall union and communion that the soule of man had with God at first is broken off God and mans soule are parted and it is in a restlesse condition howbeit the Lord having seated in mans soule a certain character of himselfe the soule is thereby made to re-aspire towards that summum bonum that chief good even God himselfe and can finde no rest no where till it come to him Nom. But stay Sir I pray you how can it be sayd that
content with what is most repugnant to its desire as with hunger cold nakednesse yea and with death it self such is the wonderfull working of the hearts quiet and rest in God So that although such a mans senses be still exerâ—ised in and upon their proper objects yet is not his life sensuall for his heart taketh no contentment from any such exercise but is still for the most part exercised in a more transcendent communion even with God in Christ so that he useth the world and the things of the world as though hee used them not and receiveth no cordiall contentment from any sensuall exercise whatsoever and that because his heart is withdrawne from them which withdrawing of the heart is not unaptly pointed at in the speech of the Spouse Cant. 5.2 I sleep sayth she but my heart waketh so that it may be sayd that such a man he is sleeping looking hearing tasting eating drinking feasting c. but his heart is withdrawne and is rejoycing in God his Saviour and his soul is magnifying the Lord so that in the midst of all sensuall delights his heart and secretly sayth I but my happinesse is not here Nom. But Sir I pray you why do you call rationall and religious exercises a wildernesse Evan. For two reasons first because that as the children of Israel when they were got out of Egypt did yet wander many yeers in the wildernesse before they came into the land of Canaan even so doe many men wander long in rationall and religious exercises after they have left a sensuall life before they come to rest in God whereof the land of Canaan was a type Secondly because as in a wildernesse men often lose themselves and can finde no way out but supposing after long travell that they are neere the place whither they would goe are in truth further off even so fareth it with many yea with all such as walk in the way of reason they lose themselves in the woods and bushes of their works and doings so that the longer they travell the further they are from God and true rest in him Nom. But Sir you know that the Lord hath endued us with reasonable souls would you not then have us to make use of our reason Evan. I pray you doe not mistake mee I do not contemn nor despise the use of reason onely I would not have you to establish it to the chief good but I would have you to keep it under so that if with Hagar it attempt to beare rule and Lord it over your faith then would I have you in the wisdome of God like Sarah to cast it out from having dominion in few words I would have you more strong in desire than curious in speculation and to long more to feele communion with God then to be able to dispute of the genus or species of any question eyther humane or divine And presse hard to know God by powerfull experience and though your knowledge be great and your obedience surpassing many yet would I have you to be truly nullified anihilated and made nothing and become fools in all fleshly wisdome and glory in nothing but only in the Lord and I would have you with the eye of faith sweetly to behold all things extracted out of one thing in one to see al in a word I would have in you a most profound silence contemning all curious questions and discourses and to ponder much in your heart but prate little with your tongue Be swift to heare but slow to speake and slow to wrath as the Apostle James adviseth you and by this meanes will your reason be subdued and become one with your faith for then is reason one with faith when it is subjugated unto faith and then will reason keepe its true lists and limits and you will become ten times more reasonable then you were before so that I hope you now see that the hearts farewell from the sensuall and rationall life is not to be considered absolutely but respectively it doth not consist in a going out of either but in a right use of both And now for a conclusion let mee tell you when any of your souls shall thus forget her own people and her fathers house Christ her King shall so desire her beauty and be so much in love with her that like a Load-stone this love of his shall draw the soule in pure desire to him again and then as the Hart panteth after the rivers of water so will your souls pant after God yea then will your souls be so ravished with desire and so sick of love that it will bee manifest by your seeking him whom your soul loveth and so shall your soule come to have a reall rest in God and according to the measure of your faith be filled with joy unspeakable and glorious and how can it bee otherwise when your soule shall really communicate with God and by faith have a true taste and by the Spirit have a sure earnest of all heavenly preferments having as it were one foot in heaven whilst you live upon earth ô then what an Eucharisticall love will arise from your thankfull heart extending it selfe first towards God and then towards man for Gods sake because his everlasting love in his Christ is made known to your soule so that then according to the measure of your faith you shall not need to frame and force your selfe to love and doe good duties but being so assured of Gods love to you in his CHRIST your soule will stand bound ever more to love God and according to the measure thereof you will stand bound to the keeping of all his Commandements and this love of God in the heart will cut down selfe love so that now you will be for God and it will be your meat and drinke to doe his will whilst you live on earth and much more when you come to heaven the place of perfect and everlasting rest whither our Lord JESUS CHRIST bring us all in his due time Amen And now Brethren I commend you to GOD and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified Neo. Well Sir at this time I will say no more but that it was a happie houre wherein I came to you and a happie conference that wee have had together surely Sir I never knew Christ before this day ô what cause have I to thanke the Lord for my comming hither and my two friends as a means of it and Sir for the payns that you have taken with me I pray the Lord to requite you and so beseeching you to pray the Lord to increase my faith and to helpe mine unbeliefe I humbly take my leave of you praying the God of love and peace to be with you Nom. And truly Sir I doe believe that I have cause to speake as much in that case as you have for
they will bee guided by the word of truth and all seeme to bring Scripture which indeed is but one as God is but one yet by reason of their severall constructions and interpretations of Scripture and conceits of their own humane wisdome they are many And are there not others of this sort of men that are readie to embrace any new way of worship especially if it come under the cloake of Scripture learning and have a shew of truth founded upon the letter of the Bible and seeme to bee more zealous and devout then their former way specially if the teacher of that new way can but frame a sad and demure countenance and with a grace lift up his head and his eyes towards heaven with some strong groane in declaring of his newly conceived opinion and that hee frequently use this phrase of the glory of GOD ô then these men are by and by of another opinion supposing to themselves that God hath made known some farther truth to them for by reason of the blindnesse of their understanding they are not able to reach any supernaturall truth although they doe by literall Learning and Clerklike cunning dive never so deepe into the Scriptures and therefore they are ready to entertaine any forme of Religious Exercise as shall bee suggested unto them And are there not a third sort much like to these men that are excessive and mutable in the performance of Religious Exercises Surely Saint PAUL did perceive that this was the very GOD of some men in his time and therefore hee willeth TIMOTHY to instruct others that bodily exercise profiteth little or as some read it nothing at all and doth oppose thereunto godlinesse as being another thing then bodily exercise and sayth that it is profitable c. And doe not you thinke there are some men at this day that know none other good then bodily exercise and can hardly distinguish betwixt it and godlinesse Now these bodily exercises are mutable and variable according to their conceits and opinions for all Sects have their severall services as they call them yet all bodily and for the most part onely bodily the which they performe to establish a rest to their soules because they want rest in God and hence it is that their peace and rest is up and down according to their working better or worse so many Chapters must be read and so many Sermons must bee heard and so many times must pray in one day and so many dayes in the weeke or in the yeare they must fast c. or else their soules can have no rest but mistake mee not I pray in imagining that I speake against the doing of these things for I doe them all my selfe but against resting in the doing of them the which I desire not to doe And thus you see that mans blinde understanding doth not onely present unto the sensuall appetite sensuall objects but also to the rationall appetites rationall objects so that mans poore soule is not onely kept from rest in God by means of sensuality but also by means of formality if Satan cannot keep us from seeking rest in God by feedeing our senses with our mother Evahs apple then he sets us to seeke him in away where wee shall never finde him if he cannot doe it more grosely then hee attempts to doe it more closely Nom. But Sir I am perswaded that many men that are so religiously exercised and doe performe such duties as you have mentioned doe finde true rest for their souls in God Evan. Ineeed I am perswaded there are some men that are carefull to performe such duties in obedience to the will of God in Christ as conceiving them to be the way wherein he is accustomed to meete his people and give them an extraordinary visit as also conceiving them to be the meanes whereby hee doth ordinarily beget and increase faith whereby they are enabled to draw neer to God in Christ and so to have peace and rest in him and therefore if they doe omit any of these duties when they conceive that God calls them thereunto they are troubled in their mindes and vexed at themselves for being disobedient to the will of God and for missing his kinde visit and omitting the meanes of increasing their faith now such men as these may and doubtlesse doe finde true rest to their soules in God in the performance of Religious Exercises But alas I feare me that the most part of such men as are so religiously exercised and are of such dispositions as I have shewed doe rather conceive that as they have offended and displeased God by their former disobedience so they must pacifie and please him by their future obedience and therefore they are carefull to exercise themselves in this way of duty and that way of worship and all to that end yea and they conceiving that they have corrupted defiled and polluted themselves by their falling into sin they must also purge clense and purifie themselves by rising out of sin and walking in new obedience and so all the good they doe and all the evill they eschew is to pacifie God and appease their own consciences and if they seeke rest to their soules this way why it is the way of the Covenant of works where they shall never be able to reach God nay it is the way to come to God out of Christ where they shall never be able to come neere him he being a consuming fire Neo. Then Sir it seemeth to me that God in Christ apprehended by faith is the onely true rest for mans soule Evan. I there is the true rest indeed there is that rest which David invites his soule unto when he sayth Returne unto thy rest ô my soule for we which have believed have entred into his rest saith the Authour to the Hebrews And come unto me sayth Christ all yee that labour and are heavie laden and I will give you rest And truly my neighbours and friends believe it wee shall never finde a hearts happinesse and a true soules rest untill we finde it here for howsoever a man may thinke if hee had this mans wit and that mans wealth this mans honour and that mans pleasure this wife or that husband such children and such servants his heart would be satisfied and his soule would be contented yet which of us hath not by our own experience found the contrary for not long after that we have obtained the thing we did so much desire and wherein we promised our selves so much happinesse rest and content we have found nothing but vanity and emptinesse in it Let a man but deale plainly with his own heart and hee shall finde that notwithstanding he hath many things yet there is ever one thing wanting for indeed mans soule cannot be satisfied with any creature no not with a world of creatures And the reason is because the desires of mans soule are infinite according to that infinite goodnesse which it once
lost in losing God yea and mans soul is a spirit and therefore cannot communicate with any corporall thing so that all creatures not being that infinite and spirituall fulnesse which our hearts have lost and towards the which they do still re-aspire they cannot give it full contentment Nay let mee say more howsoever a man may in the midst of his sensuall fulnesse be convinced in his conscience that he is at enmity with God and therefore in danger of his wrath and eternall damnation and be thereupon moved to reforme his life and amend his ways and endevour to seek peace and rest to his soul yet this being in the way of works it is impossible that he should finde it for his conscience wil ever be accusing him that this good duty hee ought to have done and hath not done it and this evill he ought to have forborne and yet hee hath done it and in the performance of this duty he was remisse and in that duty very defective and many such wayes will his soul be disquieted But when a man once comes to believe that all his sins both past present and to come are freely and fully pardoned and God in Christ graciously reconciled unto him the Lord doth hereupon so reveale his fatherly face unto him in Christ and so make known that incredible union betwixt him and the believing soul that his heart becomes quietly contented in God who is the proper element of its being for hereupon there come◠into the soule such peace flowing from the God of peace that it fils the emptinesse of the soule with true fulnesse in the fulnesse of God so that now the heart ceaseth to molest the understanding and reason in seeking eyther variety of objects or augmentation of degrees in any comprehensible thing And that because the restlesse longing of the minde which did before cause unquietnesse and disorder both in the variety of mentall projects and also in the sensuall and beastly exercises of the corporall and externall members is satisfied and truly quieted for when a mans heart is at peace in God and is become truly full in that peace and joy passing understanding then the Devill hath not that hope to prevaile against our souls as hee had before hee knows right well that it is in vaine to beat his hooke with profits pleasures honour or any other such like seeming good to catch such a soule that is thus at quiet in God for he hath all fulnesse in God and what can be added to fulnesse but it runneth over indeed empty hearts like empty hogsheads are fit to receive any matter which shall be put into them but the heart of the believer being filled with joy and peace in believing doth abhorre all such base allurements for that it hath no roome in it selfe to receive any such seeming contentments so that to speak as the truth is there is nothing that doth truly and unfainedly root wickednesse out of the heart of man but only the true tranquility of the minde or the rest of the soul in God and to say as the thing is this is such a peace and such a rest to the creature in the Creatour that according to the measure of its establishment by faith no created comprehensible thing can eyther adde to it or detract from it the increase of a Kingdome cannot augment it the greatest losses and crosses in worldly things cannot diminish it a believers good works doe all flow from it and ought not to return to it neyther ought humane frailties to molest it howver this is most certain neyther sin nor Satan law nor conscience hell nor grave can quite extinguish it for it is the Lord alone that gives and mayntains it Whom have I in heaven but thee sayth David and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee it is the pleasant face of God in Christ that puts gladnesse into his heart Psal. 4.7 and when that face is hid then he is troubled Psal. 30.7 But to speake more plainly though the peace and joy of true believers may be extenuated or diminished yet doth the testimony of their being in nature remayne so strong that they could skill to say yea even when they have felt God to be withdrawing himselfe from them My God my God why hast thou forsaken me yea and in the night of GODS absence to remayne confident that though sorrow be over night yet joy will come in the morning Nay though the Lord should seeme to kill them with wickednesse yet will they put their trust in him knowing that for all this their Redeemer liveth so strong is the joy of their Lord these are the people that are kept in perfect peace because their minds are stayed in the Lord. Wherfore my deare friends and loving neighbours I beseech you take heed of deeming any estate happy until you come to find this true peace and rest to your souls in God ô beware lest any of you doe content your selves with a peace rather of speculation then of power ô be not satisfied with such a peace as consisteth eyther in the act of oblivion or neglect of examination nor yet in any brain-sick supposition of knowledge theologicall and divine so frame rationall conclusions to protract time and stil the cryes of an accusing conscience but let your hearts take their last farewell of all false felicities wherewith they have been all of them more or lesse detained and kept from their true rest ô be strong in resolution and bid them all farewell and neyther stay in Egypt by the flesh-pots of Sensuality nor yet in the wildernesse of religious and rationall formality but strip your selfe of all putten on contentments eyther in sensuall honours profits or pleasures or religious exercises and become truly poore miserable and naked Nom. But stay Sir I pray you would you have our senses to be no longer exercised about any of their objects would you have us no longer to take comfort in the good things of this life Evan. I pray you doe not mistake mee I would not have you Stoically to refuse the lawfull use of any the Lords good creatures which he shall be pleased to afford you for I right well know that the minde of man hath a naturall motion towards its own delight and recreation in these things and that this motion still remains in the minde of him that is the most mortified and hath taken his truest farewell of them but yet in such a man that motion which before was violent from the cry of the heart is now restrained so that his appetite is not so forcible nor so unruly as it was before the unrulinesse thereof being subdued in the peace of the heart and and brought into a very comely decorum and order so that now the sensuall appetite can with much more easiness and contentednesse be denyed the object of its desire yea the sensuall appetite can in a good measure be