tampering with comfort from their own Works and not be content with what may be had by that sole sure Rock of Eternal Comfort I shall leave them to meditate upon the terrible sentence of the Lord which shall surely be performed in its season Isa 50.11 Behold all ye that kindle a fire that compass your selves about with sparks walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks that ye have kindled this shall ye have of my hand ye shall lye down in sorrow But saith Mr. G. see how good Hezekiah pleads with the Lord Isa 38.3 Remember me O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Hereupon he was not rejected but received a most gracious Answer ver 5. Go say to Hezekiah thus saith the Lord I have heard thy Prayer I have seen thy Tears Behold I will add unto thy days fifteen years Hereunto I shall not Answer with Luther that in this Prayer Hezekiah manifesteth some spice of that temper he was in when he shewed unto the Ambassadors of the King of Babel all his glorious Treasure although the Event and Answer will not shew the contrary The lying of the Midwives of the Israelites in Aegypt had a prosperous Event and a gracious Answer from the Lord who built them houses yet the Act must not therefore be concluded to be approved of the Lord And indeed this Expression is very singular and hardly to be found in the whole Scripture in the mouth of any of the Servants of God Yet I conceive that it ought rather to be taken notice of as agreeable to the Tenure of that Typical and Subservient Covenant under which he was with the rest of the Fathers of the Old Testament until the Death of Christ In which Covenant they had outward Blessings among which length of days was one Deut. 6.2 according to their upright walking with God in the performance of that Covenant The Covenant is at large expressed in the 27 28 29 Chapters of Deuteronomy wherein all outward Blessings even to the prolonging of their days in that good Land of Canaan flowing unto them with all store and abundance of milk and honey and wherein also all outward Curses were threatned against the Transgressors to the rooting of them out quite out of that good Land and also out of the Land of the Living that they should not prolong their days Hezekiah having therefore walked uprightly before the Lord in that Covenant and restored the Right Worship of the Lord he prayed that the Lord would do unto him according to his Promise in that Covenant which manner of Plea seeing grounded upon that peculiar Administration and Covenant proper to that People it ought not to be urged in the Times of the New Testament where that shadowish Administration even of the Moral Law is done away 2 Cor. 3.11 and abolished ver 13. I have a little explained my self in this before yet that if possible things may not be mistaken I shall add a few words more First Although I say that this Covenant did properly relate unto temporal Blessings and Curses onely yet far be it from me to think that the Faithful then had nothing else but temporal Blessings I confess that by the Ancient Promise from the beginning Gen. 3. renewed Gen. 17. They had all spiritual Blessings in Christ for so I before cited it out of the Apostle that they were Heirs and Lords of all so that accordingly they were by Christ freely and fully blessed and justified and saved Yet Secondly I say that according to this subservient Covenant and Administration as the same Apostle saith they differed nothing at all from Servants They were upon doing their Work and have their Wages they were upon neglect of their Task to be punished or thrust out of doors They had great Rewards of Glorious Prosperity upon performance They had sore Afflictions and Calamities upon the neglect thereof Now Thirdly The Question may be How this subservient Covenant could consist with the promise of all blessing in Christ I Answer very well as the Apostle saith observing the right time namely that the child at the same time whilst he is a child may be Lord of all yet in all administrations towards him he may differ nothing at all from a Servant If indeed you take the Heir when he is come to Age and then make him differ nothing from a Servant then it is apparent you destroy his Heirship and alienate the Inheritance from him But whilst he is a Child saith the Apostle he differeth nothing at all from a Servant though at the same time he be Lord of all Even so was the difference between our Fathers before Christ and Us as the Apostle himself applyeth the Comparison But how can this be conceived may some say Could they be Blessed and Accursed at the same time Could they be perfectly Justified and yet Sin charged upon them at the same time This is the main difficulty at which so many stumble I shall therefore desire the Christian Reader to take notice of what is said and I doubt not but the Lord will afford Light for a solution hereof according to the Analogy of Faith contained in the Holy Scriptures I Answer First That the Blessings and the Curses of the Old Testament were of such a nature as they had reference to this subservient Covenant that the greatest Blessings might have a real Curse under it and the greatest Curse might have a real Blessing under it And so their outward Justification might have a real charge of Sin upon them and their outward charging of Sin might veil a Spiritual real and invisible discharge and justification from sin This will be more easily conceived if we remember Two things 1. That this subservient Covenant was carnal It consisted saith the Apostle in carnal Ordinances Heb. 9.10 serving to the purifying of the Flesh ver 13. It consisted in the rudiments of the World as the Apostle saith elsewhere 2. This subservient Covenant was Typical Things hapned unto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Types 1 Cor. 10. They were shaddows of good things to come but the substance was Christ Heb. 10.1 And shaddows of Heavenly things Heb. 8.5 So then that which in the judgement of the flesh is a Blessing as all the prosperity of the Wicked is may indeed and in truth be a Curse I will Curse their Blessings Mal. 2.2 And also that which is a Curse in the judgment of the flesh being grievous unto it may indeed and in the judgment of Faith be a Blessing and so are all the Afflictions of the Faithful And Secondly A Typical charging of sin will not prove a real charge of sin upon the same subject as upon the scape-goat it did only signifie the real charge of the sin of the Israel of God was to be upon him who was typified by that Scape-goat So
sincere and upright walking towards all men The Apostle comprehendeth both when he saith that he endeavoured always to have a good Conscience towards God and towards men Towards God in the Righteousness of his Son towards men in the Righteousness of a Christian Conversation which is matter of rejoycing amongst men But Mr. G. goes on And hence saith he is St. John's Phrase By this we know that we know him if we keep his Commandements 1 Joh. 2.3 v. 29. Ye know that every one that doth Righteousness is born of God 1. Concerning our estate towards God and consequently our peace with God We believe the fundamental Evidence to be the Testimony of the spirit of God The things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.11 You have an unction from the Holy One and ye know all things 1 Joh. 2.20 And hereby we know that he abideth in us by the spirit which he hath given us The Evidence whereof we conceive not to a Doctrinal Evidence or Revelation besides the Word but the manifestation of that unto us which is contained in the Word It is as I may say Revelatio revelans distinct from the Word but not properly Revelatio revelata as some I think have misconceived of which revealed Evidence we are not now a speaking but onely of that revealing Evidence whereby our hearts are effectually inclined to close with the Word in which kind we believe the spirit of God not onely to be the principal but irresistible and only effectual in his own Power And what light soever the other Evidences besides this have they have it together with their being from this spirit as by the forecited Scriptures is apparent 2. The next Evidence We believe to be Faith laying hold upon the free Promise of God's Grace towards us in Christ This the Apostle desires to be the Evidence or Conviction of things not seen i. e. that whereby we are convinced of our interest in the invisible Treasures of the Gospel which otherwise eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have they entred into the heart of man to conceive And as the spirit of Christ is by Analogy the soul of a Christian namely That whereby all the Members are knit together into one Body for he that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit so Faith is as it were the eye of this soul whereby it is able to discern things not seen And as the eye onely is that which sees bodily and earthly things so faith onely is that which is held forth in the Word as the means to see spiritual things This is held forth not onely in Heb. 11.1 but also in all those Examples which are there mentioned by way of Induction to prove the same And it is also a great part of the meaning of those places in Romans and elsewhere in which we are said to be justified by faith onely or by Faith without Works So the Reverend Prolocutor of the present Assembly affirmeth when he saith That the Righteousness of Christ is said to be imputed to us by Faith because it is not discerned to be imputed to us of God put by Faith contra Armin. lib. 1. part 2. sect 25. 3. Works of sanctification may be conceived to evidence 1. To others 2. To our selves First to others So are ordinarily to be conceived of when they are spoken of in the nature of Evidences Shew me thy Faith by thy Works Jam. 2.18 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye love one another Joh. 13.35 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good Works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Mat. 5.16 In this way they are onely Evidences unto the judgment of Charity which judgment is sufficient for one man to have towards another reserving the judgment of certainty to an higher or more concerned Tribunal Secondly to our selves So they may be considered two ways 1. Barely as they are Works squared out according to such a rule and to be judged of accordingly So the Law of God being the Rule and thereby the Evidence of the goodness of Works no Work in the Moral Nature of a Work can be judged good which is not every way consonant thereunto for it curseth and thereby utterly disalloweth the Action and thereby the Actor wherein there is the least dissonancy or aberration therefrom No Action therefore of Man having any other goodness but its consonancy to this Rule and no other Evidence thereof but the approbation of this Rule can be judged to be truly good so as to give evidence to the Conscience that things are well with it For the curse which hangs over the imperfection of the doing is of far more efficacy to scare the heart out of all its peace than any pretended goodness can be to pacifie it For as Calvin saith A man must not deceive himself gathering that therefore his work is not altogether evil because it is imperfect and that therefore that good which is in it is nevertheless accepted of God Instit lib. 3. c. 2. sect 4. Whosoever therefore judgeth of himself by that inherent goodness of his work either he hath no peace or deceives himself as Calvin here saith and that which he hath is false and groundless For the law or the testimony thereof unto our works barely considered it is impossible it should speak peace unless it can first speak or evidence Righteousness For peace is the fruit of Righteousness not simply and abstracted considered but as it is evidenced Now the Apostle saith That the Righteousness of God wherein we are accepted is manifested without the Law Rom. 3.21 And therefore as the Papists and others destroy all peace with God and assurance of his favour Doctrinally and in downright terms so they which have all their peace this way destroy all peace and assurance of Gods favour by consequence and in effect 2. As they are the effects of Faith and in which it is evidenced so we confess that not only in the pure and prime act of Faith there is an evidence but also in all the acts of Christian Love even to our selves But how Not by discovering an inherent legal goodness in them for that we rejected in the last but only as true Christian faith is active and evidenced in them For otherwise my Prayers though they be never so zealous my Love if it be never so vehement if Faith be not evidenced in them can appear to be no more than the prayers and love of an Unbeliever But if Faith to wit the assurance of Gods favour be manifested in them then there is not only in them an evidence of Goodness unto them but also of Peace unto them by this Faith which is manifested in them As for Example I Love my Neighbour Why What is it that sets me about this work which kindles this Love in me It is because I know God in Christ hath loved me
them in dishonouring the Lord before their own hearts or the eyes of others and so making the way of the Lord to be evil spoken of then which nothing goes more to the quick even to the heart of the truly faithfull in most serious compunction In this accidental consideration I say affliction may have some relation unto sin 1. Taking out of the way Earthly and Visible things and thereby 2. Making way for faith to look upon the invisible things of the Gospel By the activity and power whereof we are at least in some measure freed from that thorn in the flesh which before did more infest us So the Lord makes all things work for the best to them that are the called according to his purpose Rom. 8.28 4. We say that in regard that Kingdomes Congregations and Churches are mixt assemblies at least before God consisting of persons that are in several states and conditions Spiritually though things may generally be spoken in reference to such collective bodies yet ought they to be particularly applyed and understood properly only to relate unto such a party and such persons in that collective body in regard of whom such things are attributed unto such a general body so Rom. 11.15,18 where the Jews are said to be cast away and broken off Calvin observeth and it is clear enough in the Text that it ought to be understood of such as had not a real but only a seeming union unto the true Olive according to that of our Saviour from him shall be taken away even that which he seemeth to have Luke 8.18 And Paraeus but Gal. 5.4 Ye are fallen from Grace Answereth That the Apostle after the manner of the Scripture attributes that to all which belonged but to a part to the whole body of the Church which belonged but to a few members So that although punishments or chastisements for sin may be applyed to the Churches of God in general as to that of Corinth or Sardis c. it may not thence be inferred that those sufferings for sin had a particular relation to the truly Faithful in those Churches but rather the manner of the Scripture phrase as Paraeus saith is to be considered which is to attribute to the whole that which may not be attributed to every Member And therefore the suffering of collective Bodies and Churches is impertinent unto the present Question But the true state of the Question is Whether true Believers in particular under the time and state of the New Testament may be said any way either typically or really to bear the merit or just desert of their sin either in whole or in part This we utterly deny because the Affirmative is 1. Against the Promise of God Luk. 1.72,74 2. Against the Oath of God Esay 54.9 3. Against the New and Everlasting Covenant of God Your sins and iniquities will I remember no more Heb. 8.12 4. Against the full satisfaction of Christ Heb. 10.14 5. Against that perfect Reconciliation we have with God our Father 2 Cor. 5.19 6. Against our compleat Justification Rom. 5.8 7. Against that necessary Distinction of the Two Testaments in their Administrations Gal. 4.1,2,3,4,5 Now let us weigh Mr. G's Arguments to the contrary First He grants us They are not properly Punishments Howbeit we have it preached here by some of no small Note That God punisheth his own Children soonest sorest and longest through a wilful shall I say Neglect of the searching into the difference of the Testaments which Calvin well observed when he makes it the Priviledge of the New Testament that in it there is no more remembrance of sin upon Heb. 10.18 whereas in the Old Testament there was often a fresh remembrance of sin not in their sacrifices onely but also in their sufferings as appears largely in the Examples of Moses David Jehosaphat and others But if still saith Calvin Instit lib. 3. cap. 4. Sect. 30. we are punished for our sins what I pray you had Christ performed for us Where also he following the foot-steps of the Holy Ghost makes Punishments and Chastisements and Corrections if they be for sin all one neither is there any ground in Scripture to distinguish them This same viz. that we are not punished for sin saith Calvin Esay declareth when he saith That the Chastisements or Correction of our Peace was upon him What is the Correction of our Peace but the Punishment due to our sins which was to have been suffered by us before we could be reconciled to God unless he had taken our Turns Behold thou seest plainly that Christ suffered the punishment of sins that he might free his from them But Mr. G. to prove that the Chastisements of Gods Children are for sin urgeth Rev. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten But because he finds not for sin here he fetcheth it out of Psal 39.11 When thou with rebukes dost chasten man for sin thou makest his beauty to consume away I Answer These places do not well suit together 1. The one speaks of Gods beloved Ones as many as I love the other mentions onely man when thou with rebukes dost chasten man Which Expression doth not necessarily include the Faithful Secondly The one belongs to the Old Administration the other to the New Thirdly The one speaks of Rebukes of Love the other of consuming Rebukes which Mr. G. in Sect. 2. of this Sermon grants not to be fatherly these Texts therefore ought not to be so jumbled together as if they had both one Matter in hand His second Scripture is that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.30,32 Where he saith For this cause many are weak and sickly among you c. Even among them that are judged of the Lord that they might not be condemned with the World This place I confess is the onely one in appearance in the whole Scripture Yet is not the evidence of it such that it can be able to shake the Faith of that which hath been before established upon such firm and fundamental Grounds of the full satisfaction and propitiation by the blood of Christ expressed in such legible and clear Characters in the free and new Covenant of Grace Your sins and iniquities will I remember no more For the right understanding therefore of this Text I refer the Reader to that which I have said before in the fourth Conclusion concerning mixt assemblies wherein although things be spoken in general of all both good and bad as they stand in relation to such an Assemble yet as they are considered absolutely in their own particular Persons without the consideration of such a Relation so such an Attribution hath no reference unto them If an English-man should be put to death in a National Quarrel it is therein the suffering of the whole Nation as injury and disgrace of the whole Nation yea and every particular person in the Nation as they are considered in that link and Union National with all and every particular