mentis and so it concludeth not the Question 2. It s Antinomian doctrine to make opposition between the Gospel promise and the debt of the promise the debt of works Rom. 4. and Rom. 11. is Law-debt due to the worker as an hireling is worthy of his wages because hee hath done the work perfectly according to a covenant made with his Master In which case no man sayes the wages of the labourer is a free-gift But if whatever the Lord promise to us in the Gospel make God a debter and the thing promised to be debt then let Antinomians speak out for they say The whole letter of Scripture and so of the whole Gospel-promises hold forth a covenant of works contrary to Gal. 4. where there be two covenants one of works another of grace and contrary to the promises of grace in the Gospel Joh. 2.16 Heb. 8.10 11 12. Mat. 11.28 1 Tim. 1.15 2 All the promises of the Gospel must make salvation debt was not Christ promised in the Prophets to the lost world Rom. 1.2 The inheritance is not by Law but by promise Gal. 3.17 18. Rom. 9.8 9. Luk. 1.45 54 55 68 69 70. Is Christ come to save sinners by debt or by grace is salvation debt its promised Is not righteousnesse promised to him that beleeves Rom. 4.5 then righteousnesse must be debt and so not of grace for Cornwell telleth us Pag. 13. The right which a man hath by promise to a worke maketh the assurance of the promise but of debt unto him and then the promise is not sure to him out of grace Then all the promises of an established Kingdome to David and his seed if they should keep Gods commandements all the blessings and salvation promised to beleevers in the Old and New Testament so they bring forth the fruits of a lively faith are mercies of debt not of free-grace I well remember that the Famulists say It is dangerous to close with Christ in a promise And There can be no true closing with Christ in a promise that hath a qualification or condition expressed I rather beleeve the Holy Ghost Ho every one that thirsteth come to the water come buy wine and milke without money and without price Isai. 55.1 And if any man thirst let him come to me and drink Joh. 7.37 And whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely Revel 22.17 Mar. 1.15 If Cornwell can free willing thirsting desiring from working hee hath much divinity Yet the water of life and salvation promised to such cannot be debt but free grace for they are promised to these freely and to be bestowed without money Of the same straine is the fourth Argument of Cornwell Object 5. When sanctification is not evident it cannot be an evidence of justification But when justification is hidden and doubtfull sanctification is not evident Therefore sanctification cannot be our first evidence of justification The Minor is proved Because when faith is hidden and doubtfull sanctification is not evident But when justification is hidden and doubtfull faith is hidden and doubtfull therefore when justification is hidden and doubtfull sanctification is not evident The proofe of the Major is 1. Faith is the evidence of things not seen and so makes all things evident then when faith is hidden what can be cleare 2. Because no sanctification can be pure and sincere but when it is wrought in faith and so it cannot be evident but when it clearely appeareth to be wrought in faith Answ. 1. There is in the Conclusion first the first evidence of justification that is not in the premises against all art The Proposition When sanctification is not evident it cannot be an evidence of justification is weake and weakly proved For there is a twofold evidence one of sense and feeling spirituall another of faith When sanctification wants the evidence of faith that I cannot beleeve salvation from mine owne Christian walking yet may the soule have evidence of feeling and sense that we trust we have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly Heb. 13.18 and wee dare say Lord wee delight to doe thy will and long for thee O Lord as the night-watch watcheth for the morning and whom have wee in heaven but thee c. and can out of sense give a testimony of our selves yea and can place all our delight in the excellent ones Psal. 16.3 119.62 1 Joh. 3.14 so as the heart warmes when we see the Saints and in this case sanctification is evident when remission of sinnes may be under cloud else this Argument does conclude if it have any feet that sanctification ever and at all times is dark when justification is dark and so sanctification is never an evidence of justification but when justification is evident So the wisdome of God is taxed as if hee would never have us to know that wee are translated from death to life because wee love the brethren but when wee evidently know wee are thus translated though wee had no love to the brethren Then the Lord hath provided a candle for his weak ones by this Argument when it is day-light but hath deny'd any candle-light moon-light or star-light when it is darke night 2. The Major is not proved Faith is not so the evidence of all things as that it maketh all things evident to our spirituall sense for Cornwell granteth faith may be hidden then it can evidence nothing when it is is hidden Love to the brethren keeping of his commandements yeeld sensible evidences that wee are justified even when faith is not evident and how many are convinced they have undoubted marks of faith and justification who doubt of their faith and justification And so the Minor and Probation of it is false for it is most false that when faith is hidden and doubtfull sanctification is not evident this is asserted gratis not proved As if yee would say Ever when the Well-head is hidden the streames are not seen when the sap and life of the tree is not seen but hidden the apples leaves and blossomes are not evident This is a begging of the conclusion for then should a man never neither first nor last know that hee is translated from death to life because hee loves the brethren Why Because when translation from death to life or when faith and justification is hidden the love to the brethren and all the works of sanctification are hidden saith this Author 3. The second proofe of the Major is lame Sanctification is never pure and sincere without faith saith hee Ergo It cannot be evident but when it appeareth to be wrought in faith The consequence is null just like this Sweet streames cannot flow but from a sweet spring ergo It cannot be evident and cleare to my taste that the streames are sweet except I taste the water at the fountaine-head and see it with mine eyes and my taste cannot discerne the sweetnesse of the fruit except my senses were
of his own free will not from any mystinesse or intrinsecall darknesse of the object hath cast a covering over the thoughts of mans heart that they are not seen clearly to any other Men or Angels Nor could humane Societies now in the state of sin subsist if but the father could read the heart of the sonne Nor have Angels good or bad any immediate Princedome over free will nor would I say Satan is the Author yea or the immediate Tempter to all sinnes many sinfull thoughts and wicked acts are transacted in this darke chamber of presence the heart of man to which Satan can have no personall accesse neither with his eyes to see nor his hands of power to stirre or move in them The heart is the privie garden weeds grow there without Satans immediate industry he may knock or cast fire-balls over the wall or in at the windowes or send letters and messages in but hee cannot immediatly talke with the heart or act immediatly on the will wee are to keep this virgin-love of the heart to Christ hee can ravish it and none but hee It s the will that maketh the bargaine in sinning With all keeping keep the heart Wee make away the created dominion over free-will that God gave us in our creation 3. Satan hath a Princedome in 1. knowledge naturall 2. in acquired knowledge In naturall because hee is a piece of light a lamp once shining in heaven but now for his sinne smoking and glympsing in hell The naturall intellectualls of the Devill are depraved not removed It s a question if hee can remaine a Spirit if that candle were extinct by which hee beleeveth there is a God but trembleth Jam. 2. The acquired knowledge of the Devill is great hee being an advancing Student and still learning now above five thousand yeares and hee that teacheth others becometh more learned himselfe He is the great Mint-master and Coyner of knowledge in Magicians Wise-men Soothsayers Sorcerers is a carefull Reader in turning over the pages of the book of Nature and the whole works of Creation But still Satan studieth man better then man doth himselfe hee knoweth nature in generall may sin and that corrupt nature must sin hee observeth second inclinations of humour complexion temper of body disposition ere hee tempt as no Sea-man sailes till hee know how the wind bloweth and hee learned that by the Prophets and experience which hee saith Luk. 4.34 I know thee who thou art the holy one of God 4. Hee hath a particular Princedome of Power legally over mankind till Christ set them at liberty as the Executioner hath over the condemned man from the Judge Heb. 2.14 Christ tooke part with the children of flesh and bloud that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devill Vers. 15. And deliver them who through the feare of death were all their life time subject to bondage Satan from mens sins hath a sort of conquered Princedome till the Sonne of God make us free Joh. 8.36 And this Princedome hee keepeth over all the sons of disobedience as their father Joh. 8.44 as the king of the bottomlesse pit And we have no ground to say that Satan at the day of judgement leaveth off to be king because the damned and the Devill and his Angels are said to be tormented together in everlasting fire Mat. 25. for communion in paine maketh not Satan to have no Angels under him or damned men whom hee torments Quest. But how keepeth Satan still power over Job Peter to winnow them and afflict them in this life if Christ have cast him out of his Princedome Answ. 1. It s meere service for the trying of the Saints and mortifying of their lusts not dominion not any legall power such as he hath over the Sonnes of disobedience whom he keepeth captives at his will 2. In relation to Satan it is a meere grant of permission as a Noble-man forfeited for treason and kept some yeares in prison before he dye hath the life-rent of his own Lands for his necessity not by heritage as before but by a grant or gift of grace from the bounty of the Prince and State so hath Sathan not by grace to himselfe but by a grant of meere permission as it were his life-rent to tempt winnow and try the Saints so long as Satan is in the way to his full doome in Hell Now if Christ had not spoiled Satan and dissolved his workes the use of this power had beene as it were heritage to Satan in regard the Law giveth him a sort of right over sinners not made free in Christ. Yet I doe not say it s his proper right because Satan sinneth in tempting any to sinne yet the temptation as it falleth passively on the Sonnes of disobedience is a worke of Divine justice and as it falleth on the Saints an act of spotlesse and holy dispensation for most just reasons known to God 2. Satan is a prince in regard of magnificence called a Prince a Prince of the aire a God for he hath a royall army under him the Devill and his Angels are a great hoast Revel 12.9 The Devill and Satan and his Angels were cast out Vers. 7. The Dragon and his Angels fought with Michael and he hath Legions garisoned in one poore man hee hath kept the fields above these five thousand yeares with a huge and mighty army both by Sea and Land Ephes. 6.12 For wee wrestle not against flesh and bloud but against Principalities and powers against the rulers in the darkenesse of this world against spirituall wickednesse in high places Heere bee great persons in eminent places and they can leade armies against us and have in every single souldier a strong garrison of concupiscence and fleshly lusts that warre against the soule 1 Pet. 2.11 And the flesh is a strong Fort-royall a towre of imaginations which exalt themselves against a strong King the Lord Jesus and cannot bee his captives but by the mighty power of God 2 Cor. 10 5. The Devill is not a despicâ—ble and poore enemy to be despised it is not good warre-wisdome to despise a meane enemy farre more should we not sleepe but watch and be sober When the Peerâ—s of hell and Princes and Rulers in high places who have the vantage of the Mount above us are against us 3. Satans Princedome is especially seene in tempting to sinne which that it may be better cleared I shall shortly shew what a temptation in generall is 2. Open Satans power in tempting To tempt is to take a triall of any to try what is in them therefore the neerest end of tempting is knowledge Now the waies or manner of bringing out this knowledge rendreth the temptation good or ill for God tempteth and Satan tempteth So Temptation is a working upon the senses reason inclinâ—tion affections by which any is or may be moved under the colour of good toward that
amenity and lovelinesse of his nature and all infinite perfections as this pleasantnesse offers it selfe to his owne understanding and the understanding of men and Angels and as bodily beauty satisfies the eies and so acts on the heart to win love to beauty so the truth of the Lords nature and all his Attributes offered to the understanding and mind and drawing from them admiration or wondering and love is the beauty of God David maketh this his one thing Psal. 27.4 That saith he I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and inquire in his Temple See then as white and red excellently contempered maketh pleasure and delectation to the eies and through these windowes to the mind and heart so there ariseth from the nature of God and his Attributes a sweet intelligibility as David desires no other life but to stand beside God and behold with his mind and faiths eyes God in his Nature and Attributes as he reveales himself to the creature The Queen of Sheba came a far journey to see Salomon because of his perfection some common people desire to see the King the Lord is a fair and pleasant object to the understanding 2. There is in beautie a due proportion of members 1. quantity 2. situation 3. stature Let a person have a most pleasant colour yet if the eares and nose be as little as an Ant or as big as an ordinary mans leg he is not beautifull 2. If members be not right seated if the one eye be two inches lower in the face then the other it mars the beautie or if the head be in the breast it is a monster Or 3. if the stature be not due as if the person be the stature of ten men and too big or the stature of an infant or a Dove had he all other things for colour and proportion his beauty is no beauty but an error of nature he is not as he should be now the Lord is beautifull because infinitnesse and sweetnesse of order is so spread over his nature and Attributes nothing can be added to him nothing taken from him and hee is not all mercy only but infinitely just were God infinitely true yet not meek and gracious he should not be beautifull had he all perfections but weak mortall not omnipotent not eternall his beauty should be marâ—ed then one attribute does not over-top out-border or limit another were he infinite in power but finite in mercy the lustre and amenity of God were defaced 3. There is integrity of parts in beauty Were a person fairer then Absolom and wanted a nose or an arme the beauty should be lame The Lord is compleat and absolutely perfect in his blessed nature and attributes 4. All these required in beauty must be naturall and truely and really there Borrowed colours and painting and fair-ding of the face as Jezabel did are not beauty the Lord in all his perfections is truely that which he seemes to bee Now as there is in Roses gardens creatures that are faire something plâ—â—sant that ravisheth eye and heart so there are in God so many faire and pleasant truths to take the minde and God is so capatious and so comprehensive a truth and so lovely such a bottomlesse Sea of wonders and to the understanding that beholds Gods beauty there is an amenity goodlinesse a splendor an irradiation of brightnesse a lovelinesse and drawing sweetnesse of excellencie diffused through the Lords nature Hence heaven is a seeing of God face to face Revel 22.4 Matth. 18.10 Now God hath not a face but the face of a man is the most heavenly visible part in man there is majestie and gravitie in it much of the art and goodlinesse of the creature is in his face To see Gods face is to behold Gods blessed essence so farre as the creature can see God Now as we may be said to see the Sunnes face when we see the Sunne as we are able to behold it but there is beauty and such vehemency of visibility in it as it exceedeth our faculty of seeing so do we see Gods face when we neerely behold him not by heare-say but immediately Let us imagine that millions of Sunnes in the firmament were all massed and framed in one Sunne and that the sense of seeing that is in all men that ever hath been or may be yet this Sun should far excell this faculty of seeing so suppose that the Lord should create an understanding facultie of man or Angels millions of degrees more vigorous and apprehensive then if all the men and Angels that are or possibly may be created were contemperated in one yet could not this understanding so see Gods transcendent and superexcellent beauty but there should remaine unseene treasures of lovelinesse never seene yea it involves an eternall contradiction that the creature can see to the bottome of the Creator All this bounty of God is holden forth to us in Christ. Psal. 45.10 He is fairer then the Sonnes of men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is of a double forme to note a double excellencie Cant. 1.16 Behold thou art faire my beloved yea pleasant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth lovely amiable acceptable The Seventy render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. 146. It is pleasant and sweet 2 Sam. 1.26 Thou wast very pleasant to me Cant. 5.10 He is white and ruddie Vers. 15. His countenance is as Lebanon excellent as the Cedars Rev. 1.16 His countenance as when the Sunne shineth in his 〈◊〉 strength All the beauty of God is put forth in Christ. Esai 33.17 Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty Hebr. 1.3 Christ is the brightnesse of his Fathers glorie The light of the Sunne in the ayre is the accidentall reflection of the Suns beames Christ is the substantiall reflection of the Fathers light and glory for he is God equall with the Father and the same God 3. This beauty to Men and Angels is an high beauty Angels have eyes within and without Revel 4.6 to behold the beautie of the Lord and it takes up their eyes alwayes to behold his face and there is no beautie of truth they desire more to behold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 1.12 as to stoope downe and to looke into a darke and veiled thing with the bowing of the head and bending of the necke the Seventy use for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cant. 2.9 Where Christ is said to stand behind the wall and looke out at the casements with great attention of minde It is to looke downe over a window bending the head Exod. 25.18 19 20. Joh. 20.5 They stooped downe and saw the linnen clothes Luk. 24.12 Angels are not curious but they must see exceeding great beauty and wonder much at the excellency of Christ when they cannot get their eyes pulled off Jesus Christ. 2. There is a beauty of Christ in a communion with God which is a ravishing thing When
Reasons why our prayers are not ever heard at first 120 We are readier to pray then to praise 121 Christ bottomed his prayer on the sweet relation of a Father and a Sonne 121.122 Sonnes onely can pray ibid. The power of Prayer 123.124 Christs houre-sufferings 125 He suffered in value what we should have suffered ibid. Whence commeth the dignity of Christs suffering 126 Christs losse great from his excellency 127 How Christs sufferings were bounded being infinite ibid. Our debt of love to Christ eternall 128 Our sufferings short ibid. We are not too weary for length of time in sufferings 130.131 Christs death soure and blacke to nature and Christ and why 131.132 Christ sensible of paine and death ibid. Gods anger against Christ. ibid. The personall union not dissolved in suffering 133 Christ bare the whole Crosse and we but chips of it 134 Soules of great value with God not so with us 135.136 Strength of Christs love 137 Death sweetned in Christ. ibid. Christs will subordinate to Gods doubts removed 138 1â—9 Gods revealed will not his decree our rule ibid. A conditionall desire though not agreeable to a positive Law no sinne 140 Rules touching our submission to Gods will 141 Nine considerable objections comfortably answered 142.143.144.145 Thirteene considerable Rules touching submission to Providence 144.145.146.147.148.149.150.151 c. Gods wisdome in creating good and ill 146.147 Afflictions proportioned to every mans measure ibid. The Royall prerogative of providence 152.153 It cannot be counter-wrought 154.155 We dote much on the sweet accidents of Christ and love himselfe too little 155.156 Submission to the absence of God 156.157 Christs returne no merit ibid. The worke of Redemption rationall and full of causes and reasons 158 Afflictions are to bee weighed 1. Who. 2. How 3. For what end 159.160 Blind and dumbe Crosses ibid. Christ willing to suffer 160.161 An agent in his suffering 162 Intended his Spouse ibid. To be active for God and submissive 163.164 The Charters of a right intention in serving God 164.165.166 Christs love tooke strength from difficulties ibid. How the Lords glory is to be sought by us 167.168 Six considerations of errours therein 167.168.169.170 Christ ever heard ibid. Our failings in expecting to bee heard in five considerations 171.172.173 All Christs good and ours from heaven ibid. Easie traffiquing with heaven 173.174 God cleareth a good cause though darkned ibid. The scandall of the Crosse removed 175.176 How the Lord was glorified in Christ. 177.178 Omnipotency maketh glory of any thing 178.179 Mans glory vaine 199. The Gospel darke to us 180 Our understanding affections and heart hereticall in Gods will word and works 181.182.183 Sinne and errour broody truth but one 184 Angels kept fast their birthright 185.186 Seven considerations of conviction 186.187.188 Will-heresie 186 Christ a most publike person as all excellent things and good men are 188.189.190 Christs office warranâ—s us to apply him 190.191 The Saints a mystery ibid. Hopes good prophecying 192.193 Five characters of the World 194.195 This world differenced from the other 196 Judged of Christ 3. waies 197.198 What a Prince the Devill is not in three points ibid. What a Prince he is in foure points and what a Godhead he hath 199.200 Twise judged ibid. Sathans power 1. Naturall 2. Acquired 3. Sinnefull 201.202 seq Ill Angels knew not the incarnation before they fell ibid. They have no Princedome in knowing the thoughts or over free will 203.204 Sathans legall power ibid. To tempt 204.205 What temptation is 205.206.207 Sathans outward power over men 208.209 How God onely not Angels knows the heart and why 209.210.211 Sathans power over the Creatures 212 Over senâ—es and soule 213 How Sathan sinneth yet 214 His punishment 215 2â—6 Sathans knowledge hurt and how ibid. His sadnesse ibid. His faith despaire 216. Obduration 217 Christ his Judge and how 217.218.219 Five observable considerations thereof ibid. State-wit against Christ stark folly 220 Familists vaine opinion of the Devill and sinne 221.222 Sinne against light devillish 222 2â—3 Obduration ibid. Tenne motives to the good fight 2â—4 225 Six points concerning drawing 1. The drawing it selfe 2. The drawer 3. The persons drawne 4. To whom 5. The condition 6. The way and manner Of drawing foure points 1. The expression 2. Reasons moving Christ to draw 3. The manner 4. The power 226.227.228 c. No violence in drawing 2â—8 Our indisposition to be drawne 229.230 We naturally hate Christ. 229 2â—0 231 Will not weakenesse the cause why we are not drawn 232.233 The strength greatnesse freenesse of grace in 6. Positions 233 234. c. The place Ezech. 16.8.9 c. opened in 12 Articles of free love 234.235.236 Christ gracious for no bire 237 238.2â—9 Preparations before conversion in a fourefold consideration 240.241 c. How there be and be no preparations before conversion 240.241 c. How a desire to pray and beleeve is prayer and beliefe how not 242.243 A Royall prerogative in conversion 244 Antinomians objections for immediate beleeving without any preparations or breakings of the soule loosed 245.246.247 c. Saltmarsh his experiences in the Method of conversion tryed and found light 249.250.251 The Antinomian faith presumption 249.250 Fifteene Propositions opening our Doctrine touching preparations 251.252.253 Twelve Assertions against Antinomians in the Doctrine of Preparations 239.240 c. largely Dispositions before renewed drawing of converted soules 260.261 The signes thereof Antinomian confession of sinnes refused 257 How the promises of the Gospel are held forth to sinners as sinners 2â—8 Preparations make us nothing lesse sinners then if wee wanted them 259 The doubt of conditionall Gospel-promises discussed against Antinomians 261.262.263 In five positions 264 â—65 c. What conditions we reject and we admit in the Gospel 261.262.263 Obedience in the Law and Gospel the same and how 263.264 How election justification salvation are of grace but differently 265 The decree of God and mans liberty fight not 266.267 Grace inherent in the Saints 268 Bastard preparations 269 Gods Method in deliverances 269.270 Libertines falsely make Justification and Regeneration one 271.272 How Law and love worke in drawing sinners 272.273 The particular manner of drawing not knowne to us 275.276 Drawing Morall and Physicall 277 278 Inspirations without Scripture rejected 270.271 Christs oratory in drawing strong 280.281 His love in drawing 1. Violent 2. Speedy 3. Vehement 4. Reall 5. Lovely 6. Strong 281.282.283 Drawing by love sweeter and stricter then by Law 283.284 Way of loves working ibid. Binding lovelinesse in Christ. 285.286 Drawing power of Christs Kingdome in many particulars 286 287.288.289 Drawing arguments in Christ from beauty 290.291 What beauty 291.292.293.294.295.296 From gaine 296.297 From Honour ibid. A survey of Christ. 298.299.300 Libertines enemies to grace 300.301 Great things reported of the waies of God 301.302.303 Objections removed 303.304 The Lord draweth by proportion by charming 305.306 By condiscention 306 By internall application 307.308 By externall accommodation of word and providence ibid. In regard of meanes
want nothing Mercy be satisfied Peace should kisse righteousnesse and warre goe on in justice against a sinlesse Redeemer Angels bowing and stooping downe to behold the bottome of this depth 1 Pet. 1.12 cannot read the perfect sense of the infinite turnings and foldings of this mysterious love O Love of heaven and fairest of Beloveds the flower of Angels why camest thou so low down as to be-spot and under-rate the spotlesse love of all loves with coming â—igh to black sinners Who could have beleeved that lumps of hell and sinne could be capable of the warmings and sparkles of so high and princely a Love or that there could be place in the brest of the High and lofty One for forlorne and guilty clay But wee may know in whose brest this bred sure none but onely the eternall Love and Delight of the Father could have outed so much love had another done it the wonder had been more But of this more else-where Wee may hence chide our soft nature the Lord Jesus his soule was troubled in our businesse wee start at a troubled body at a scratch in a penny-broad of our hyde First There is in nature a silent impatience if wee be not carried in a chariot of love in Christs bosome to heaven and if wee walk not upon scarlet and purple under our feet wee flinch and murmure Secondly Wee would either have a silken a soft a perfumed crosse sugered and honyed with the consolations of Christ or wee faint and providence must either brew a cup of gall and worm-wood mastered in the mixing with joy and songs else wee cannot be Disciples But Christs Crosse did not smile on him his Crosse was a crosse and his ship sailed in bloud and his blessed soule was sea-sick and heavie even to death Thirdly Wee love to saile in fresh waters within a step to the shoare wee consider not that our Lord though hee afflict not and crush not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from his heart Lam. 3.33 yet hee afflicteth not in sport punishing of sinne is in God a serious grave and reall work no reason the crosse should be a play neither Stoicks nor Christians can laugh it over the Crosse cast a sad glowme upon Christ. Fourthly we forget that bloody and sad mercies are good for us the peace that the Lord bringeth out of the wombe of warre is better then the rotten peace that wee had in the superstitious daies of Prelats What a sweet life what a heaven what a salvation is it we have in Christ and we know the death the grave the soule-trouble of the Lord Jesus travelled in paine to bring forth these to us Heaven is the more heaven that to Christ it was a purchase of blood The Crosse to all the Saints must have a bloody bit and Lyons teeth it was like it selfe to Christ gallie and soure it must be so to us Wee cannot have a Paper-crosse except we would take on us to make a golden providence and put the creation in a new frame and take the world and make it a great leaden vessell melt it in the fire and cast a new mould of it Fiftly the more of God in the Crosse the sweeter as that free grace doth budde out of the black rod of God to the soule that seeth not and yet beleeveth and loveth the Crosse of Christ drops honey and sweetest consolations Wee sigh under stroakes and we beleeve The first Adam killed us and buried us in two deaths and sealed our grave in one peece of an houre he concluded all under wrath Now how much of Christ is in this Omnipotencie infinite wisedome when Angels gave us over and stood aloofe at our miserie as changed lovers free Grace boundlesse love deepest and richest mercy in Jesus Christ opened our graves and raised the dead Christ died and rose againe and brought againe from the dead all his buried brethren Sixtly we can wrestle with the Almighty as if we could discipline and governe our selves better then God can do Murmuring fleeth up against a dispensation of an infinite wisdome because its Gods dispensation not our owne as if God had done the fault but the murmuring man onely can make amends and right the slips of infinite Wisdome Why is it thus with mee Lord saith the Wrestler Why doest thou mis-judge Christ he who findeth fault with what the Creator doth let him be man or Angel undoe it and doe better himselfe and carry it with him Seventhly we judge God with sense with the humor of reason not with reason the oare that God rolleth his vessell withall is broken say we because the end of the oare is in the water Providence halteth say we but what if sense and humour say a straight line is a circle The world judged God in person a Samaritane one that had a devill if we mis-judge his person we may mis-judge his providence and wayes Suspend your sense of Gods wayes while you see his ends that are under ground and instead of judging wonder and adore or then beleeve implicitly that the way of God is equall or doe both and submit and be silent Heart-dialogues and heart-speeches against God that arises as smoake in the Chimney are challengings and summons against our highest Landlord for his owne house and land Secondly If Christ gave a soule for us hee had no choiser thing the Father had no nobler and dearer gift then his only begotten sonne the sonne had no thing dearer then himselfe the man Christ had nothing of value comparable to his soule and that must runne a hazzard for man The Father the Sonne the Man Christ gave the excellentest that was theirs for us In this giving and taking world we are hence obliged to give the best and choisest thing we have for Christ. Should wee make a table of Christs acts of love and free grace to us and of ouâ— sinnes and acts of unthankefulnesse to him this would be more evident as there was 1. before time in the breast of Christ an eternall coale of burning love to the sinner this fire of heaven is everlasting and the flames as hot to day as ever our coale of love to him in time hath scarce any fire or warmenesse all fire is hot Oh we cannot warme Christ with our love but his love to us is hotter then death or as the flames of God Wee were enemies in our minds to him by wicked workes Col. 1.21 Heires of wrath by nature Christ began with love to us we begin with hatred to him 2. The Father gave his onely begotten Sonne for us how many Fathers and Elies will not let fall one tough word to all the sonnes and daughters they have for the Lord God spared not his Sonne but gave him to the death for us all Earthly Fathers spare clap their Sonnes Servants Friends Magistrates flattering Pastors their people in their blasphemies for him 3. Christ gave his soule to trouble and to the horrour of the
second death for you consult with your heart if you have quit one lust for him Christ laid aside his heaven for you his whole heaven his whole glory for you and his Fathers house are you willing to part with an acre of earth or house and inheritance for him 4. In calling us out of the state of sin to grace and glory oh I must make this sad reckoning with Jesus Christ. Oh Christ turneth his smiling face to mee in calling inviting obtesting praying that I would be reconciled to God I turne my back to him he openeth his breast and heart to us and saith Friends Doves come in and dwell in the holes of this rock and wee lift our heele against him O what guilt is here to scratch Christs breast when he willeth you to come and lay head and heart on his breast this unkindnesse to Christs troubled soule is more then sin sinne is but a transgression of the Law I grant it is an infinite But. But ' its a transgression of both Law and Love to spurne against the warme bowels of Love to spit on grace on tendernesse of infinite Love The white and ruddie the fairest of heaven offereth to kisse Blacke-Moores on earth they will not come neere to him ' Its a heart of Flint and Adamanâ— that spitteth at Evangelike love Law-Love is Love Evangelike love is more then love ' it s the Gold the floure of Christs Wheat and of his finest Love Cant. 5.6 I rose up to open to my beloved but my beloved had withdrawne himselfe and was gone my soule passed away when he spake There be two words here considerable to prove how wounding are sinnes against the love of Christ. 1. My beloved hath withdrawne himselfe the Text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and my beloved had turned about Ari. Mont. circumjâ—rat Pagnin in the Margen verterat se the old Version declinaverat Christ being unwilling to remove and wholly goe away hee onely turned aside as Jer. 31.22 How long wilt thou goe about 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O thou back-sliding daughter This intimateth so much as Christ taketh not a direct journey to goe away and leave his owne children onely hee goeth a little aside from the doore of the soule to testifie hee would gladly with his soule come in Now what ingratitude is it to shut him violently away 2. My soule was gone the old Version is My soule melted at his speaking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my soule passed over or went away to remember his ravishing words it broke my life and made me die so is the word elsewhere used that I remembred a world of love in him when he knocked saying Open to me my sister my love my dove to sinne against so great a bond as Grace must be the sinne of sinnes and amongst highest sinnes as is cleare in these that sinne against the Holy Ghost then it must be impossible to give Grace any thing we but pay our debts to grace wee cannot give the debt of Grace to Grace in the whole summe It cannot then be a sinne intrinsecally and of it selfe to bee troubled in soule if Christ was under soule-trouble for sinnes imputed to him Hence let me stay a little on these two First what a troubled conscience is Secondly what course the troubled in soule are to take in imitation of Christ. A soule troubled for sinne must either be a soule feared and perplexed for the penall displeasure wrath and indignation of God or the eternall punishment of sinne as these come under the apprehension of the evill of punishment or for sinne as it faileth against the love of God or for both In any of these three respects it is no sinne to be soule-troubled for sinne upon these conditions 1. That the soule bee free of faithlesse doubting of Gods love Now Christ was free of this he could not but have a fixed intire and never broken confidence of his Fathers eternall love If we have any sinne in our soule-trouble for sinne it 's from unbeliefe not from soule-trouble if their be mud and clay in the streams it is from the bankes not from the fountaine Or 2. if the soule feare the ill of punishment as the greatest ill and as a greater then the ill of sinne there is more passion then sound light in the feare this could not be in Christ the aversion of the Lords heart from the party in whom there is sinne either by reall inherence Or by free imputation and the in-drawing of rayes and irradiations and out-flowings of divine love is a high-evill in a soule that hath any thing of the nature of a sonne in him now there was as much of a sonne in Christ as a mans nature could be capable of and the more of God that was in Christ as the fulnesse the boundlesse infinite Sea of the God-head overflowed Christ over all the banks then for Christ to be under a cloude in regard of the out-breathings of eternall love was in a sort most violent to Christ as if he had been torne from himselfe and therefore it behoved to be an extreame soule-trouble Christ being deprived in a manner of himselfe and of his onely soules substantiall delight and Paradise And this could not be a sinne but an act of gracious Soule-sorrow that sinne and hell intervened between the Moone and the Sunne the soule of Christ and his Lord the more of Heaven in the soule and the more of God the want of God and of Heaven is the greater Hell Suppose we that the whole light in the bodie of the Sun were utterly extinct and that the Sunne were turned in a body as darke as the outside of a Caldron that should be a greater losse then if an halfe penny candle were deprived of light Christ had more to lose then a world of millions of Angels Imagine a creature of as much Angelike capacity as ten thousand times ten thousand thousand of Angels all contemperated in one if this glorious Angel were filled according to his capacitie with the highest and most pure and refined glory of heaven and againe were immediatly stript naked of all this glory and then plunged into the depth and heart of Holl and of a lake of more then Hells ordinary temper of fire and brimstone or suppose God should adde millions of degrees of more pure and unmixed wrath and curses this Angels soule must be more troubled then wee can easily apprehend yet this is but a comparison below the thing but the Lord Jesus in whole person heaven in the highest degree was carried about with him being throwne down from the top of so high a glory to a sad and fearefull condition an agony and swearing of blood God knowes the cause that shouting and tears of this low condition drew out that saddest complaint My God my God why hast thou forsaken me his losse must be incomparably more then all we can say in these shaddowes This sheweth the cause
bloud of atonement checks and love-terrors or love-feavers that Christs Princely head was wet with the night-raine while hee was kept out of his owne house and suffered to lodge in the streets and feare that the Beloved withdraw himselfe and goe seek his lodging elsewhere as Cant. 5.4 5. Psal. 5.9 10 and that the Lord cover himselfe with a cloud and return to his place and the influence of the rayes and beames of love be suspended are sweet expressions of filiall bowels and tendernesse of love to Christ. Libertines imagine if the hazard and feare of hell be removed there is no more place for feare soule-trouble or confession Therefore they teach that there is no assurance true and right unlesse it be without fear and doubting 2. That to call in question whether God be my deare Father after or upon the commission of some hainous sinnes as murther incest c. doth prove a man to be under the covenant of works 3. That a man must be so farre from being troubled for sin that hee must take no notice of his sin nor of his repentance Yea Dr. Crisp vol. 3. Serm. 1. pag. 20 21 22. saith There was no cause why Paul Rom. 7. should feare sin or a body of death because in that place Paul doth saith hee personate a scrupulous spirit and doth not speak out of his owne present câ—se as it was at this time when hee speaks it but speaks in the person of another yet a beleever and my reason is Paul in respect of his owne person what became of his sin was already resolved Chap. 8.1 There is now no condemnation c. hee knew his sins were pardoned and that they could not hurt him Answ. Observe that Arminius as also of old Pelagius exponed Rom. 7. de semi regenito of a halfe renewed man in whom sense which inclines to veniall sins fights with reason that so the full and perfectly renewed man might seeme to be able to keep the Law and be free of all mortall sin And Crisp doth here manifestly free the justified man of all sin why because hee is pardoned So then there is no battell between the Flesh and the Spirit in the justified man by the Antinomian way to heaven which on the Fleshes part that lusteth against the Spirit deserveth the name of sin or a breach of the Law Onely its Asinus meus qui peccat non ego as the old Libertines in Calvin's time said The flesh does the sin not the man for the man is under no Law and so cannot sin But that Paul Rom. 7. speaks in the person of a scrupulous and troubled conscience not as its the common case of all the regenerate in whom sin dwells is a foule and fleshly untruth 1. To be carnall in part as Vers. 14. to doe which wee allow not to doe what wee would not and what wee hate to doe is the common case not peculiar to a troubled conscience onely but to all the Saints Gal. 5.17 2. Paul speaketh not of beleeving as hee must doe if hee speak onely of a scrupulous and doubting conscience but hee speaketh of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of working vers 15. doing 17 18. willing 15 19. not of beleeving onely or doubting Now it is not like the Apostle does personate a scrupulous soule of whom hee insinuates no such thing 3. A scrupulous and troubled conscience will never yeeld so long as hee is in that condition that hee does any good or that hee belongs to God as is cleare Psal. 88. Psal. 38. Psal. 77.1 2 3 4. c. but Paul in this case yeeldeth hee does good hates evill delights in the Law of the Lord in the inner man hath a desire to doe good hath a law in his mind that resisteth the motions of the flesh 4. Yea the Apostle then had no cause to feare the body of sinne or to judge himself wretched this was his unbeleefe and there was no ground of his feare because hee was pardoned hee knew that he was freed from condemnation It was then Paul's sinne and is the sinfull scrupulosity of unbeleevers to say being once justified Sinne dwells in me and there is a law in my members rebelling against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity unto the law of sinne and I am carnall and sold under sin and I doe evill even that which I hate for all these are lies and speeches of unbeleefe The justified man sinneth not his heart is clean hee doth nothing against a law But I well remember that our Divines and particularly Chemnitius Calvin Beza prove against Papists that concupiscence is sin after baptisme even in the regenerate and it is called eleven or twelve times with the name of sin Rom. c. 6. c. 7. c. 8. and they teach that of Augustine as a truth Inest non ut non sit sed ut non imputetur So we may use all these Arguments against Libertines to prove wee are even being justified such as can sin and doe transgresse the Law and therefore ought to confesse these sins be troubled in conscience for them complaine and sigh in our fetters though wee know that we are justified and freed from the guilt of sin and the obligation to eternall wrath But sin is one thing and the obligation to eternall wrath is another thing Antinomians confound them and so mistake grosly the nature of sinne and of the Law and of Justification Some imprudently goe so farre on that they teach That beleevers are to be troubled in heart for nothing that befalls them either in sinne or in affliction If their meaning were that they should not doubtingly and from the principle of unbeleefe call in question their once sealed Justification wee should not oppose such a tenent but their reasons doe conclude That wee should no more be shaken in mind with sinne then with afflictions and the punishments of sin and that notwithstanding of the highest provocation wee are guilty of wee are alwayes to rejoyce to feast on the consolations of Christ. 1. Because trouble for sin ariseth from ignorance or unbeleefe that beleevers understand not the work of God for them in the three Persons the Fathers everlasting decree about them the Sons union with them and headship to them his merits and intercession the holy Spirits inhabitation in them and his office toward them to work all their works for them till hee make them meet for glory 2. Because such trouble is troublesome to Gods heart as a friend's trouble is to his friends but especially because the Spirit of bondage never returnes againe to the justified Rom. 8.15 But I crave leave to cleare our Doctrine touching soule-trouble for sin in the justified person Asser. 1. No doubting no perplexity of unbeleefe de jure ought to perplexe the soule once justified and pardoned 1. Because the Patent and Writs of an unchangeable purpose to save the elect and the subscribed and resolved
shall enter into joy at last c. Now all this is but a turning of Faith into wantonnesse whereas Faith of all graces moveth with lowest sayles for Faith is not a lofty and crying but a soft moving and humble grace for then Davids being moved and his heart smiting him at the renting of King Sauls garment should be under a covenant of works and so not a man according to Gods owne heart for a smitten heart is a troubled soule David Abraham Rom. 4. and all the Fathers under the Law were justified by the imputed righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by Faith as we are Rom. 4.23 Now it was not written for Abrahams sake onely that it was imputed to him Vers. 24. But for us also c. David ought not to have been troubled in soule for sinne for his sinnes were then pardoned nor could the Spirit of the Lord so highly commend Josiahs heart-melting trouble at the reading and hearing of the Law nor Christ owne the teares and Soule-trouble of the Woman as comming from no other spring but much love to Christ because many sinnes were pardoned if this Soule-trouble for sinne had argued these to bee under the Law and not in Christ nor can it be said that the Saints of old were more under the Law then now under the Gospel in the sense we have now in hand that is that we are to be lesse troubled for sinne then they because our justification is more perfect and the blood of Christ had lesse power to purge the Conscience and to satisfie the demands of the Law before it was shed then now when it is shed or that more of the Law was naturally in the hearts of David Josiah and the Saints of old and so more naturally unbeliefe must be in them then is in us by nature under Gospel manifestations of Christ. Indeed the Law was a severer Pedagogue to awe the Saints then in regard of the outward dispensation of Ceremonies and Legall strictnesse keeping men as malefactors in close prison till Christ should come But imputation of Christs righteousness and blessedness in the pardon of sinne and so freedome from Soule-trouble for eternall wrath and the Lawes demanding the Conscience to pay what debts none were able to pay but the Surety onely was one and the same to them and to us as Psal. 32.1 2. compared with Rom. 4 1 2 3 4 5 6. and Psal. 14. with Rom. 3.9 10 11 12 13 14.19.20 and Gen. 17.9 cap. 22.18 Deut. 27.26 with Gal. 3.10 11 12 13 14. Heb. 6.13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20. Who dare say that the beleeving Jewes dyed under the curse of the Law Deut. 27.26 For so they must perish eternally Gal. 3.10 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse Then there must be none redeemed under the Old Testament nor any justified contrarie to expresse Scriptures Psal. 32.1 â— Rom. 4.1 2 3 4 5 6. Gal. 3.14 Act. 15.11 Acts 11.16 17. Rom. 10.1 2 3. Now Acts 15.11 We beleeve that through the grace of the Lord Jesus we shall be saved as well as they And as they were blessed in that their transgression was forgiven and their sinne covered and that the Lord imputed no iniquity to them Psal. 32.1 2. our blessedness is the same Rom. 4.6 7 8. and Christ as he was made a curse for them so for us that Gal. 3.14 the blessing of Abraham might come on us the Gentiles through Jesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith And God sent forth his Sonne made of a Woman made under the Law for the Jewes who as heires were under Tutors as we are under the Morall Law by nature that we might be redeemed by him That wee who are under the Law might receive the adoption of Sonnes Gal. 4.1 2 3 4. And God gave the like gift to the Gentiles that he gave to the Jewes even repentance unto life Acts 11.16 17. Then the Law could crave them no harder then us and they were no more justiâ—ied by works then we are Yea following righteousnesse they attained it not because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law for they stumbled at the stumbling stone that was layed in Sion Rom. 9.31 32 33. And they being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse and going about to establish their owne righteousnesse have not submitted themselves to the righteousnesse of God Rom. 10.1 2 3. and so came short of justification by Grace so doe we If then to the justified Jewes There was no Law no transgression and so no trouble for sinne all trouble of Conscience arising from the obligement of the Law as it must bee because they were freed from the curse of the Law and justified in Jesus Christ by his Grace as we are then were they under no smiting of heart nor wounding of Conscience more then we are which is manifestly false in David and in Josiah and many of the Saints under the Old Testament Hence what was sinnefull and unbeleeving Soule-trouble for sinne to them must be sinnefull Soule-trouble to us in the same kind The Law did urge the Jewes harder then us in regard of the Mosaicall burden of Ceremonies and bloody Sacrifices that pointed out their guiltinesse except they should flee to Christ 2. In regard of Gods dispensation of the severer punishing of Law-transgression and that with temporarie punishments and rewarding obedience with externall prosperitie 3. In urging this Doctrine more hardly upon the people to cause them not rest on the letter of the law but seeke to the promised Messiah in whom onely was their righteousnesse as young heires and minors are kept under Tutors while their Non-age expire but 1. Who dare say that the Saints under the Old Testament who lived and dyed in the case of remission of sinnes of salvation and of peace with God Gen. 49.18 Psal. 37.37 Psal. 73.25 Prov. 14.32 Isai. 57.1 2. Hebr. 11.13 Psal. 32.1 2. Micha 7.18 19. Isai. 43.25 Jerem. 50.20 Psalm 31.5 and were undoubtedly blessed in Christ as we are Psal. 119.1 2. Psalm 65.4 Psalm 1.1 2 3. Psal. 144.14 15. Psal. 146.5 Job 5.17 Psalm 84.4 5. and dyed not under the curse of God or were in capacity to be delivered by Christ after this life from the wrath to come and the curse of the Law 2. That they were to trust to the merit of their owne works or seeke righteousnesse in themselves more then we 3. Or that they beleeved not or that their Faith was not counted to them for Righteousnesse as it is with us Gen. 15.5 6. Rom. 4.3 4 5 6 7 8. Psal. 32.1 2. 4. Yea they beleeving in the Messiah to come were no more under the Law and the dominion of sinne then wee are Rom. 6.6 7 8 9. Rom. 7.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Rom. 8.1 2. Micha 7.18 19. Isai. 43.25 Jer. 50.20 Psal. 32.1 2. but under grace and pardoned and
saved by Faith as we are Heb. 11.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. Gal. 3.10 13. Acts 11.16 17. Rom. 9.31 32 33. 5. Yea the Law was no lesse a Letter of condemnation to them then to us Rom. 8.3 Rom. 10.3 Deut. 27.26 Gal. 3.10 13. 2 Cor. 3 7 8.13.14 15. 6. They dranke of the same spirituall Rocke with uâ— and the Rocke was Christ 1 Cor. 10.1 2 3 4. Heb. 13.8 and were saved by grace as well as we Acts 15.11 2. It 's true Josiahs tendernesse of heart Davids smiting of heart the Womans weeping even to the washing of Christs fâ—et with teares Peters weeping bitterly for the denying of his Lord as they were woundings and Gospel-affections and commotions of love issuing from the Spirit of adoption of love grace and nothing but the Turtles love-sorrow so it is most false that they were no soule trouble for sinne as if these had beene freed from all Law of God and these soule-commotions were not from any sense of the curse or the Law or any demands of Law to pay what justice may demand of the selfe-condemned sinner yet were they acts of soule-trouble for sin as sin and it shall never follow that the parties were under no transgression and no law because under no obligement to eternall wrath for such an obligation to eternall wrath is no chain which can tye the sons of adoption who are washed justified pardoned and yet if the justified and pardoned say they have no sin and so no reason to complaine under their fetters and sigh as captives in prison as Paul doth Rom. 7.24 nor cause to mourne for in-dwelling of sin they are liars and strangers to their owne heart and doe sleep in deep security as if sin were so fully removed both in guilt and blot as if tears for sin as sin should argue the mourning party to be in the condition of those who weep in hell or that they were no more obliged to weep yea by the contrary to exercise no such affection but joy comfort and perpetuated acts of solace and rejoycing as if Christ had in the threshold of glory with his owne hand wiped all teares from their eyes already 3. Nor see I any reason why any should affirme That the Law is naturally as a party in the soule of the either regenerate and justified or of those who are out of Christ. 1. For the Law 's in-dwelling as a party ingaging by accusing and condemning is not naturally in any sonne of Adam because there is a sleeping conscience both dumbe and silent naturally in the soule and if there be any challenging and accusing in the Gentile-conscience Rom. 2. as stirring is opposed to a silent and dumb conscience that speaketh nothing so the Law-accusing is not naturally in the soule a spirit above nature I doe not meane the Spirit of regeneration must work with the Law else both the Law and sin lie dead in the soule the very law of nature lieth as a dead letter and stirreth not except some wind blow more or lesse on the soule Rom. 7.8 9. 2. That the Law wakeneth any sinner and maketh the drunken and mad sinner see himselfe in the sea and sailing down the river to the chambers of death that hee may but be occasioned to cast an eye on shore on Jesus Christ and wish a landing on Christ is a mercy that no man can father on nature or on himselfe 3. All sense of a sinfull condition to any purpose is a work above nature though it be not ever a fruit of regeneration 4. It s true Christ teacheth a mans soule through the shining of Gospel-light to answer all the enditements of the Law in regard that Christ the Ransomer stops the Law 's mouth with bloud else the sinner can make but a poore and faint advocation for himselfe yet this cannot be made in the conscience without some soule-trouble for sin 5. It s strange that Gods people need more joy after sinne then after affliction and that in some respect they have most joy who have sinned most Sure this is accidentall to sin this joy is not for sin but it s a joy of loving much because much is forgiven Forgivenesse is an act of free grace sin is no work of grace Sin grieves the heart of God as a friend's trouble is trouble to a friend the beleever is made the friend of God Joh. 15.15 and it must be cursed joy that lay in the womb of that which is most against the heart of Christ such as all sin is Yea to be more troubled in soule for sinnes then for afflictions smelleth of a heart that keeps correspondence with the heart and bowels of Christ who wept more for Jerusalems sins then for his owne afflictions and crosse As some ounces of everlasting wrath in the Law with a talent weight of free Gospel-mercy would be contempered together to cure the sinner so is there no rationall way to raise and heighten the price and worth of the soule-Redeemer of sinners and the weight of infinite love so much as to make the sinner know how deep a hell hee was plunged in when the bone aketh exceedingly for that the Gospel-tongue of the Physician Christ should lick the rotten bloud of the soules wound speaketh more then imaginable free-love Nor doe wee say that Gospel-mourning is wrought by the Law 's threatnings then it were servile sorrow but it s wrought by the doctrine of the Law discovering the foulnesse and sinfulnesse of sin and by the doctrine of the Gospel the Spirit of the Gospel shining on both Otherwise sounds breathings letters of either Law or Gospel except the breathings of heaven shine on them and animate them can doâ— no good Asser. 4. Sinnes of youth already pardoned as touching the obligation to eternall wrath may so rise against the childe of God as he hath need to aske the forgivenesse of them as touching the removing of present wrath sense of the want of Gods presence of the influence of his love the cloud of sadnesse and deadnes through the want of the joy of the Holy Ghost and ancient consolations of the dayes of old Psal. 90.7 Wee are consumed in thy wrath and by thy hot displeasure we are terrified Vers. 8. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee and our secret sinne in the light of thy face This was not a motion of the flesh in Moses the man of God Antinomians may so dreame the furie of the Lord waxed hot against his people so saith the Spirit of God nor is this conceit of theirs to be credited against the Text that Moses speaketh in regard of the reprobate party Moses by immediate inspiration doth not pray for the beauty and glory of the Lord in the sense of his love to be manifested on a reprobate partie Antinomian Preachers in our times confesse sinnes in publike but it s the sinnes of the reprobate and carnall multitude that are in
I his sonne But I hold this Position as evidently deducible out of the Text In the roughest and most bloudy dispensation of God toward Saints neither soule-trouble nor anxiety of spirit can be a sufficient ground to any why they should not beleeve or question their son-ship and relation to God as their Father It s cleare that Christ in his saddest condition beleeved and stood to it that God was his Father The onely question will be If sinfull and fleshly walking be a good warrant To which I answer If any be a servant of sin and walk after the flesh and be given up to a reprobate mind to commit sin with greedinesse such a one hath good warrant to beleeve that God is not his Father and that hee is not in Christ because 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ hee is a new creature If any be risen with Christ he seeketh the things that are above where Christ is at the right hand of God Hee is dead and his life is hid with Christ in God And Hee mortifieth his members on earth Col. 3.1 2 3 4. Hee is redeemed from this present evill world Gal. 1.4 Hee is dead to sinnes and liveth to righteousnesse 1 Pet. 2.24 Hee is redeemed from his vaine conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 Hee is the Temple of the Holy Ghost hee is not his own but bought with a price and is being washed in Christ's bloud a King over his lusts a Priest to offer himselfe to God an holy living and acceptable sacrifice 1 Cor. 6.19 20. Revel 1.5 6. Rom. 12.1 But hee that remaineth the servant of sin and walketh after the flesh and is given up to a reprobate mind c. is no such man ergo such a man hath no claime to God as his Father and upon good grounds may and ought to question his being in Christ. Onely let these cautions be observed 1. It is not safe to argue from the quantity of holy walking for many sound beleevers may find untowardnesse in wel-doing yet must not cast away themselves for that A smoking flaxe is not quenched by Christ for that it hath little heat or little light and therefore ought not by us 2. Beware we lean not too much to the quality of walking holily to inferre I fast twice a weeke I give tithes of all I have then God I thanke him I am not an hypocrite as the Publican and a wicked man Sincerity is a sensible speaking grace it s seldome in the soule without a witnesse Lord thou knowest that I love thee saith Peter hee could answer for sincerity but not for quantity hee durst not answer Christ that hee knew that hee loved him more then these Sincerity is humble and walketh on positives Lord I love thee but dare not adventure on comparatives Lord I love thee more then others 3. There be certain houres when the beleever cannot make strong conclusions to inferre I am holy therefore I am justified because in darknesse wee see neither black nor white and Gods light hides our case from us that wee may be humbled and beleeve 4. Beleeving is surer then too frequent gathering warmnesse from our own hot skin Saltmarsh and other Libertines make three Doubts that persons have as sufficient grounds to question their being in Christ 1. Back-sliding 2. The mans finding no change in the whole man 3. Unbeleefe Give me leave therefore in all meeknesse to offer my thoughts in sifting and scanning this Doctrine This is then saith hee your first doubt that you are not therefore beloved of God or in Christ because you fell backe againe into your sin so as you did Suppose I prove to you that no sin can make one lesse beloved of God or lesse in Christ. Answer Then I shall conclude that sinne cannot hinder the love of God to my soule Question This I prove 1. The mercies of God are sure mercies his love his covenant everlasting Paul was perswaded that neither life nor death c. could separate him from the love of God The Lord changeth not in loving sinners 2. Whom the Lord loveth hee loveth in his Sonne hee accounts him as his Sonne for hee is made to us righteousnesse sanctification and redemption But God loveth his Sonne alwayes alike for hee is the same yesterday and to day and for ever ergo Nothing can make God love us lesse because hee loves us not for our selves or for any thing in our selves c. 3. God is not as man or the sonne of man Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's chosen The foundation of God standeth sure God's love is as himselfe ever the same Answer 1. The thing in question to resolve the sinner whether hee be loved of God from eternity as one chosen to glory is never proved because no sinne can make one lesse beloved from eternity and sin cannot hinder the love of God non concluditur negatum for its true sinne cannot hinder the flowings and emanation of the love of election it being eternall else not any of the race of mankind God seeing them all as guilty sinners could ever have been loved with an eternall love But the consequence is nought ergo back-sliders in heart and servants of sinne have no ground to question whether they be loved with the love of eternall election or not 2. This Physician layes downe the conclusion in question which is to be proved to the resolving of the mans conscience that hee may be cured the thing to be proved to the sick man say hee were a Judas wakened in conscience is that notwithstanding his betraying of Christ yet God loved him with an everlasting love and hee is in Christ. Now hee cureth Judas thus God's love is everlasting his covenant everlasting no sin can hinder God to love Judas or separate a traitor to Christ from the love of Christ. Seperation supposeth an union lesse loving supposeth loving so he healeth the man thus no disease can overcome or hinder the Art of such a skilled Physitian to cure a dying man But what if this skilled Physitian will not undertake to cure the man nor to move his tongue for advice nor to stirre one finger to feel the mans pulse Ergo The man must be cured For if the man be a back-slider in heart and a servant of sinne Christ never touched his pulse He hath as yet sure grounds to question whether he be loved of God or be in Christ or no for except you prove the man to be loved with an everlasting love you can prove nothing And your argument will not conclude any thing for the mans peace except you prove him to be chosen of God which is his onely question But say that hee is loved from everlasting and that hee is in Christ by faith its easie to prove that his sinnes cannot change everlasting love nor make him lesse beloved of God nor separate him from the love of God You must then either remove the
after drawing bloud and cutting a veine more commeth in the place and after a great Feaver and decay of strength in a recovery Nature repaireth it selfe more copiously And often in our sad troubles wee have that complaint of God which he rebuketh his people for Esayâ—0 â—0 27 Why sayest thou O Jaakob and speakest O Israel my way is hid from the Lord and my judgement is passed over from God that is the Lord takes no notice of my affliction and hee forgets to right me as if I were hid out of his sight and David Psal. 31.22 I said in my hast I am cut off from before thine eyes It s not unlike a word which Cain spake with a farre other mind Gen. 4.14 From thy face shall I be hid But this is 1. To judge God to be faint and weake as if hee could doe no more but were expiâ—ing Esay 40. vers 28. He will bee both weake and wearied if he forget his owne and our darkenesse cannot rob the Lord of light and infinite knowledge he cannot forget his office as Redeemer God is not like the Storke that leaves her egges in the Sand and forgets that they may be crushed and broken When Christ goes away hee leaves his heart and love behind in the soule till hee returne againe himselfe if the young creation be in the soule he must come backe to his nest to warme with his wings the young tender birth Asser. 16. Nor is Christ so farre departed at any time but you may know the soule he hath been in yea hee stands at the side of the sicke bed weeping for his pained childe yea your groanes pierceth his bowels Jer. 31.20 For since I spoke against him saith the Lord I doe earnestly remember him it s not the lesse true that the head of a swoning sonne lyeth in the bosome and the two armes of Christ that the weake man beleeveth that he is utterly gone away Asser. 17. Nor will Christ more reckon in a Legall way for the slips mis-judgings and love-rovings of a spirituall distemper then a Father can whip his childe with a rod because he mis-knoweth his Father and uttereth words of folly in the height of a feavor Christ must pardon the fancie and sinnes of sicke love the errors of the love of Christ are almost innocent crimes though unbeliefe make love-lyes of Jesus Christ. There be some over-lovings as it were that foames out rash and hasty jealousies of Christ when acts of fiery and flaming desires doe out-runne acts of faith as hunger hath no reason so the inundations and swellings of the love of Christ flow over their banks that we so strongly desire the Lord to returne that we beleeve he will never returne Asser. 18. Though hid Jewels be no Jewels a losed Christ no Christ to sense yet is their an unvisible and an undiscerned instinct of heaven that hindered the soule to give Christ over Shall we upon all this extend all these Spirituall considerations to all men whether they bee in Christ or not Some teach us this as the great Gospel-secret concerning Faith That none ought to question whether they beleeve God to be their Father Christ their Redeemer or no but are to beleeve till they bee perswaded that they doe beleeve and feele more and more of the truth of their faith or beliefe righteousnesse being revealed from faith to faith The 1. ground of this is Christs command to beleeve now commands of this nature are to be obeyed not disputed But this is so farre from being a Gospel-secret that it is not a Gospel truth and sends poore soules to seeke honey in a nest of Waspes the path-way to presumption For though these who truly beleeve ought not to doubt of their beliefe yet these who have lamps of faith and no oyle ought to question whether there be oyle in their lamps or no and true faith with their profession else the foolish Virgines were not farre out who never questioned their faith till it was out of time to buy oyle and that these Virgines should beleeve they had oyle in their lamps when they had none till they should bee perswaded that empty lamps were full lamps and a bastard faith true faith were to oblige them to feed upon the East-winde till there should be a faith produced in the imagination that the East is the West 2. All the Scriptures that charge us to trie our selves 1 Cor. 11. â—8 To examine our selves whether we be in the faith and to know our selves that Jesus Christ is in us except we be reprobats 2 Cor. 13.5 and to know the things that are freely given us of God 1 Cor. 2.12 and so to know our faith Phil. 1.29 doe evince that wee are to trie and so farre to question whether we beleeve or not as multitudes are obliged to acknowledge their faith is but fancy and that there is a thing like faith which is nothing such and that we are not to deceive our selves with a vaine presumption which looketh like faith and is no faith And James 2. many who beleeve there is a God and imagine they have faith being voide of good works and of love in which the life and efficacie of faith is much seene have no more faith then Devils have Vers. 18 â—9 20. â— It is true that we are to beleeve on the name of his Sonne Jesus Christ without any disputing concerning the equity of the command of beleeving or of our obligation to beleeve For both are most just And to dispute thâ— holy and just will of God is to oppose our carnall reason to the wisdome of God but we are noâ— because wee cannot dispute the holy command of God nor to reason our duty not to examine whether that which wee conceive wee doe as a dutie be a bastard and false conception or a true and genuine dutie nor because I may not reason the precept of beleeving given by Jesus Christ am I therefore to beleeve in any order that I please and to come to Christ whether I bee weary and laden with sinne or not weary and laden Christ commandeth mee to beleeve Ergo remaining in my wickednesse regarding iniquity in my heart without despairing of salvation in my selfe I am to beleeve I shall deny this câ—nsâ—quence It is all one as if Antinomians would argue thus All within the visiblâ— Church are obliged to beleeve and râ—st on Christ for salvation whether they be elect or reprobate whether their whoorish heart be broken with the sense of sinne or whole Ergo they are obliged to presume or to rest on Christ their righteousnesse whether they distrust their owne or not Object 2. Wee find not any in the whole course of Christ's preaching or the Discioles that asked the question whether they beleeved or not or whether their faith were true faith or no. It were a disparagement to the Lord of the feast to aske whether his dainties were reall or delusions The
irrevocable decree but this is it holy wisdome to knocke hard heads with God It s true Pride growes greene and casteth out its golden branches in the fattest soile But Job 9.4 He is wise in heart and mighty in strength who hath hardned himselfe against him and prospered There is infinite wisdome in God and infinite power to bring to pasâ—e his Decrees will clay counterworke Gods infinite counsell The Former of all things makes fire-workes under the earth against sinners can sinners make counter-mines to out-worke the Almighty Sure if he be wise in heart who hath a most eminent holy and just providence in all that falleth out when we heare that the Gospell and the Church of Christ are oppressed in judgement we are to looke on that oppression as on the sinne of other men and as our crosse and to mourne for it In the former consideration and in the latter as it troubles us to judge it good necessary and better then if it had been otherwise The formall reason of goodnesse is the will of God and your judgement is to esteeme that good which is ill to you though it bee sowre and heavie for it hath goodnesse from this and goodnesse to you that the Lord hath decreed it to be sowre and sweet make up a middle taste most pleasant Christ twisteth blacke and white in one web the Jewes sinnes which he willeth not and their sinne is the redemption of man which hee loveth and these two are pleasant to behold and when they are mixed in one and come from the most wise God they have beauty to God farre bee it from mee to judge them blacke or unjust which are faire to him Rule 13. Christ submits his will to the will of God in soule-desertions so should we doe Christs love to his Father is no Critick no knotty Questionist to spinne and forge jealousies against the Lords dispensation in the influence of heaven on his soule He is willing to lay his soule-comforts in the bosome and free-will of his Father and in this he judgeth the Lords will better then his owne will We have too many querelous love-motions against the reality of Christs love when he hides himselfe O but wee are covetous and soule-thirsty after our owne will in the matter of soule-manifestations either I see little here or we Idol comforts and would gladly have a Christ of created grace rather then Christ or his grace and when we are thirsting for Christ it is his comforts the Rings Jewells Bracelets of the Bridegrome wee sick after rather then himselfe it s not an unmixed nor a poore mariage-love to maâ—y the riches and possessions and not the person Math. 22.2 The Kingdome of heaven is like unto a certaine King which made a Mariage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for his Son not for his daughter in law The glory of Gospel-dainties resembled to a Marriage are for the Kings Sonne and the glory of Christ not for our glory but for our grace Christ is the finall end for whom all the Honey-combes the Myrrhe the Spices the Wine and the Milk of the banquet are prepared Cant. 5.1 We have need of Christ to cure even our perfections there be some wild oats some grains of madnesse and will-wit in our best graces 2. You cannot Idolize Christ himselfe love in pounds in talent weights is too little for him his sweet accidents his delights consolations love-embracements are sweet but swel-ling and too fatning and if Christ send these to a beleever in a box of gold or in a case made of a piece of the heaven or of a chip of the noone-day-Sunne and not come himselfe they should not satisfie the soule Cant. 3.1 I sought him whom my soule loved Watchmen saw yee him O it is the beloved himselfe that is a great man in the Spouses bookes his Wine his Spiknard his Myrrhe his Oyntments his Perfume the Savour of his Garments his Apples of love are all in that heavenly song set out for himselfe Love-tokens are nothing duties nothing inherent righteousnesse nothing heaven nothing if separated from Christ but Christ himselfe is all in all Our 2. disease is we forget that hee that created the love of Christ in the heart can onely cure our love when its sicke for Christ As he that created the first World can rule it so he that created the second new world can guide it and all the creatures in it though our faith stagger touching his speciall providence in particulars of either as we are deserted and left to our selves 3. We often thirst after comforts and sense as the people did and Esai 58.5 were reproved for their fast Is it such a Fast as I have chosen And Zach. 7.5 Did yee at all Fast to me even to me So may Christ blame us for the like sinne and say Have ye thirsted to me and for me and not rather for your selves Let us examine delusions and not father them upon Christ except we know he will owne them 4. We desire a never interrupted presence and sense of God whereas Christ submitted to want it for a time when he saw it was Gods will so to doe and though we have not nor can we have positively alway an edge of actuall hunger yet wee negatively can be submissive to want when wee see it is his will we want whereas he is the same Christ with the same immanent and eternall love of election without variation of the Degrees of the altitude and height thereof the same infinite wisdome when he frownes and hides his face and when he shines and smiles in his kingly manifestations Cloudes alters not the Sunne-light coverings changeth not Christ that he cannot love behind the curtaine Except we take a cloud to be the Sunne or created sweetnesse to be Christ were the beame separated from the Sunne what should it be but as good as nothing We dreame that the curtaines and robes of Christs manifestations of love adds somewhat to his excellency then hee must be of more eminency when hee expresseth himselfe in love-embracements to us then when hee was from eternity the floure of his Fathers delight Christs out-side in revealed sweetnesse and in transient manifestations of his beauty must then be more excellent then himselfe this is too selftie a conception of Christ. The Lord Jesus is more within then we can enjoy of him in his love-expressions he loses none of that immanent sweetnesse under his wise withdrawings though you or I or Men or Angels should never feed upon any time-injoyments of sweetest love and manifested glory from his revealed kindenesse 5. It s a great Quere if it be expedient that our motion to heaven should bee as the motion of the Sunne that never rests but moves as swiftly in the night as in the day and if we should ever be on wings I know it s our dutie but even the falling on our owne weight and the conscience of our clay-mould our short
all the Creation but till he found man a creature that he made according to his owne image hee had no Sabbath no rest His willingnesse to die respected his redeemed people whom out of meere mercy he loved and the worth of will and merit respected infinite justice which hee exactly satisfied Hence we learne 1. To imitate and follow our patterne Christ in voluntary obedience delighting to doe Gods will and to suffer Gods will It s said of Christ Hebr. 5.8 Though hee were a Sonne yet learned he obedience through suffering Hee was the excellentest Scholler among all his Schoole-fellowes and yet the rod of God was heaviest and most frequent on him he learned his Lesson beyond them all He was quick in understanding in the feare of the Lord Esai 11.3 He had in him an excellent Spirit The Spirit of Wisdome of Counsell of Knowledge and of the Feare of the Lord And was holy and obedient to the death the death of the Crosse. It s much to learn to be active for God but more to learne to be passive That is a profound science Phil. 4.12 I know how to be abased I am instructed to be hungry and to suffer need It 's the singular art of Grace to know how to love feare and obey God under death paine and hell It is a high lesson to learne the Mystery of that deepe Science of hunger want suffering stripes and torment and death for Christ. This is high Hebr. 10.34 Yee tooke patiently the spoiling of your goods knowing that in heaven ye have a better and more enduring substance They are but accidents wee have heere and these very separable Heaven is all substance Our obedience passive is not willing it s constrained We might by Grace turne clay into gold hell into heaven if we could looke in faith and patience on the persecution and reproaches of men as on the brutish and irrationall motion of a staffe or an axe that beates and cuts us suppose we knew no hand under God that wronged us hee curseth because the Lord hath bidden him For the freedome of Christs kingdome and the right government of his house and for opposing blasphemies and reproaching of Christ his Word Scripture Ordinances We are killed all the day long and counted the off-sâ—ourings of men could wee over-looke unthankfulnesse malice wickednesse persecution from men whom wee with our lives and bloud have redeemed from persecution and behold the highest Mover and first Wheele that moveth all under wheeles as if God onely were our party who humbles us that wee may be humbled then should wee be silent and our hearts should not rise at the exorbitances of men There is too much of nature in our sufferings too little submissive willingnesse The more action of a sanctified will in our sufferings it s the more acceptable and cometh nearest to Christ who did both runne for the Crown and was active and endured the Crosse and was most passive in an heavenly manner Heb. 12. 2. Let us learne of Christ to intend obedience to put a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to our obedience Many heare the word but they intend not to heare many pray and intend not to pray many die in these warres for Christ but intend not to spend their life for Christ The holy and cleane cause of God cometh through many dirty and foule fingers This is the deep art of Providence Quest. What is a right and straight intention in serving God Asser. 1. When the deliberation of a bended will concurres with the intention its right as when there is an heart-conclusion for God Psal. 39.1 I said I will take heed to my wayes that I offend not with my tongue Psal. 31.14 But I trusted in the Lord I said Thou art my God Psal. 102.24 I said O my God take me not away in the midst of my dayes This was an intended prayer Psal. 119.57 I have said that I would keep thy words Asser. 2. The Saints are not so perfect in their intentions as God is their onely end 1. Because a piece of our selfe is mixed with our end there is some crook in our straightest line an angle in our perfectest circle when wee run most swiftly because of the in-dwelling of corruption we halt a little 2. Self-deniall is not perfect in this life Asser. 3. It s good when God is so pre-conceived in the intention as the principall actions and motions both have being and denomination from their predominant element Hony is is hony though not pure from wax A bâ—leever is not a simple element nor all grace and all sincerity Now in bodies carried with a predominant element the predominant is affirmed the subordinate denyed 1 Cor. 15.10 Yet not I but the grace of God with me 2 Cor. 4.5 For wee preach not our selves but Christ Jesus the Lord and our selves your servants for Christs sake Where Christ is the predominant element he is of weight to sway the whole soule in its motion And its right-down sincerity whatever Crispe with Papists say on the contrary though it require some graines of allowance to make it passe Asser. 4. Where Selfe is the predominant the intention is bastard and adulterate Jehu saith Come see my zeale for the Lord but hee onely saith it Hee could have said Come see my zeale for my selfe In the Jewes zeale Rom. 10.1 there 's a pound of selfe-righteousnesse for one halfe graine of Christ and of free-grace therefore it s not the right zeale of God Asser. 5. There be two characters of an intended end which are also here 1. All that the agent doth hee referreth to his end for his end is his God The wretch doth all in reference to gold that is his end And Joab did all for Court and honour for the chiefe end is the mans Master and useth a lord-ship over him Christ is so mighty through God that hee darkens the Scribes and Pharisees light because their end lieth in the fat womb of the world and it is gaine and glory all they doe is to make Christ out of the way So when the beleever sailes all winds rolleth every stone presseth all meanes for Christ as his end and his weight then stirres hee to the right port Christs love hath a dominion over lord-will One Adamant will cut another the sinner is a rock Christs love an Adamant Christs love setting on the wills intention burnes the soule to the bone Mary Magdalen cannot sleep and it s a ticklesome game where the heart is at the stake and Christ shee must have Apostles Angels Christ himselfe shall heare of it ere shee want him And the rougher and harder the meanes be when under-taken for Christ Christ must be a stronger and more love-working end When torment and burning quick are chosen for Christ its like hee is the end for love over-comes a rough and dangerous journey A sweet and desirable home is above a dirty and thorny way
cannot determine the will of an inferiour as hee himselfe can doe Sure my knowledge and will are inferiour powers in comparison of Angels 1 Cor. 13.1 Yet have I greater dominion over my owne understanding and will then thâ— Angels have over my understanding and will and can know my owne actuall thoughts and determine mine owne will by grace which no superiour powers of Angels or any els save the Almighty can doe I rather conceive that the outward and inward senses humors imagination fancie memory bâ—ing naturall agents and Scripture clearely shewing that Angels and Devils can and doe worke upon naturall agents have a power over all our dispositions temperature senses fancie imagination memory therefore what is naturall in the acts of understanding and memory not morall Angels doe and may know What heart-secrets Devils know from the disposition of body palenesse rednesse trembling dejected countenance are good conjectures and surer it may be then wee can apprehend but no certaine knowledge God onely knowes all the thoughts of man and his secrets 1 King 8.39 For thou even thou onely knowest the hearts of all the children of men Prov. 15.11 Hâ—ll and distruction are before the Lord how much more then the hearts of the children of men He that can read hell and destruction and all the secrets of darknesse can also read as a booke opened at noone-day the midnight-thoughts of all the children of men Psal. 44.21 Jerem. 17. Rom. 8.27 1 Thess. 2.4 Rev. 2.23 Acts 1.24 Prov. 17.3 Prov. 21.2 Joh. 2.24 25. Yea to know the present thoughts is propâ—r to God Matth. 19. â— And Jesus knowing their thoughts said wherefore think yee evill in your heart Nor can Angels see the present thoughts come out in action for otherwise the man himselfe knoweth his owne thoughts when he actually thinketh them 1 Cor. 2.11 els he could not be convinced of the sinnefulnâ—sse of them nor comforted in the spiritualnesse and preciousnesse of them It s a fond opinion of some who say Angels can see the thoughts of the heart when they are but not what they are whether they he good or bad love or hatred for that is non-sense to see Morall acts and not bee able to passe any judgement on them or that Angels see our thoughts but not whether they be intense and vehement or cold and remisse for its proper to God as the searcher of hearts to know the secrets of the heart and all the qualities of it that he may accordingly judge them And if Angels see them as Morall acts they must know the vehemencie or slownesse of them the Scripture placeth also the difficultie of knowing the thoughts and the distance and remotenesse of them from the understanding of men or Angels in the thoughts themselves not in the vehemencie or slownesse of the thoughts and it s but an evasion that some have that Angels may know the thoughts and acts of the will in themselves but not know to what end they are directed and that the intention of the minde is the great secret that God hath reserved to himselfe because 1. The Scripture placeth the secrecie of the free acts of will and understanding in the acts themselves and not in the intention for so most of the actions of Men and Angels their speaking this not that their walking to this Citie their eating sleeping now not another time their praying hearing reading shall be secrets known to God onely not to Angels or Men just as the acts of understanding the will are because the particular intention whether wee doe these sincerely for a good or bad end yea often for what end we doe them is amongst the secrets of the heart as farre distant from the understanding of Men or Angels as any secret can be 2. The intention of all our elicite acts that issueth from wâ—ll and understanding are also acts of the heart and reines that fall under the present question and the greatest secrets in man Hebr. 4.12 Neither see I any reason from the disproportion betweene the knowing faculty and the understanding of Angels why Angels may not know the thoughts of my heart aswell as I may know them my selfe nor can the reason bee as Suarez saith Because Angels though they have sufficient power in the facuâ—ty of understanding to know these things yet have not in their understanding the species the babies images and representations of heart-secrets but with his good leave this is Petitio principij For the question is how commeth it to passe that Angels who have the species of higher and more profound things as of the naturall knowledge that there is a God that hee is infinite eternall yet have not the species of an object farre inferiour and yet intelligible to wit of the heart-actions of a man 2. When I aske how commeth it that an Angel or a Man knoweth not this I aske indeed how cometh it to passe that an Angel or a Man wanteth such a species of such a thing so Suarez saith in effect Angels know not heart-secrets because they know not heart-secrets I conceive God hath laid a covering over the hearts of Men and Angels from his own free and wise will and reserved that secret to himselfe For God gave speech to men and a way how Angels should communicate their thoughts to Angels and Men which is Angel-speaking and this gift had bin uselesse if Angels and Men could intuitively read and behold the thoughts of one anothers hearts nor is it usefull for the end of reasonable nature for love and societie that we know the secrets of one anothers hearts for the author of nature giveth not that by nature which with lesse impeachment of love and not without danger of contention and hatred may by industrie be acquired And we should take heed what is written in the booke of our heart when such a searching eye readeth it as God and will one day read out to the hearing of Men and Angels all these secrets Eccles. 12.14 except we bee pardoned in Christ many state-secrets many foule contrivances may come out to our everlasting shame And for this cause we are to blesse the Lord who hath reserved from Satans Princedome and left out of his charter any power to compell our will It s true Satan hath a bordering or as it were some out-land Prince-dome over Sauls will in that he can sit and ride on his melancholie so as he is moved to throw a Javeling at Jonathan and to seeke to kill David yet so as he that is so acted by an evill Spirit is blame-worthy and then it must be presumed he hath some dominion over his will Acts 5.2 Peter saith to Ananias why hath Satan filled thine heart to lye to the holy Ghost Here the Holy Ghost arraigneth not Satan but Ananias for a lye which yet came from the Father of lyes Which is 1. Because there was fewell and powder in the harth before and Satan did but blow the
conscience yea too many goe on against supernaturall illumination and wee will but leap the damned Devils unhappy leap we know not that victory over one graine weight of light leaveth behind it pound weights of disposition and bentnesse to farther provoking of the Lord a daring boldnesse to looke God in the face and sin turneth quickely in the very sinne as neere in kinne to the Devols sinne as can be and rendreth its Devilish stonpe and fall downe before the light of a shining command as the Elect Angels doe who receive Gods commands with wings and flee upon obedience as ministring Spirits Vse 4. Hearden not your hearts be not obstinate in evill that is the plague of Devils also men render themselves Devils with their owne hands they open hell and goe in and lay the Devils chaines and fetters on their own will and mind when they resolutely and deliberately resist God and God in a deepe judgement in them bindeth them and they cry not he is deservedly a captive who twists his owne coards and chaines about himselfe Selfe-induration is a selfe-hell and a selfe-bondage How affraid should we bee to keepe loose watch over the heart or to give the raines to our owne will to goe on against God For he 1. needs doe no more but loose an Army and a strong armed Garison of sinfull thoughts as so many Spirits of hell that are within the towne already and they can destroy us 2. The Devill is neere by to put in our heart all wickednesse he hath the command of the out-workes the humours fancie disposition the spies and Posts that goe in and out the Senâ—â—s we have need to lay the bands of a covenant on the eye and if the devil be master of all the Forts and Sconces witâ—ouâ— the walls we are in no small danger Vse 5. From Satans power and opposition against us wee want not both motives and incouragements to watch For 1. Satan is a great partie hee is a Prince Ephes. 2. And 2. a Prince above us the Prince of the ayre 3. He hath large territories the Text saith He is the Prince of this World 4. He is not a common Prince he is Prince of Kings many of the Kings of the earth give their power and strength to him and so he is a Principalitie 5. Not that onely but he is a great army Principalities Powers Rulers Potentates we have a mighty army of Lords and Kings to fight against 6. The more Spirituall the enemy be and the more subtile to come in at closed iron gates and through strong walls the more dangerous Satan for all your keyes and locks will be at the inner doore of the heart ere ever yee know of it You watch and he is at your elbow and covenanting with your watches on the walls to corrupt them 7. When the enemy is strong if he be wicked so much the worse Now Ephes. 6.12 we fight against wickednesse it selfe against spirituall wickednesse the more wicked the enemy is he hath a greater minde to fire and destroy 8. The more active the worse is the enemy Satan hath no office but to bee the butcherer and executioner of justice and hath no distractions to withdraw him he may attend upon blouds and soule-murthers and walketh in a circle compassing the earth too and fro and goeth about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devoure 9. Hee hath friends within us every Saint is a devided party 2. The Quarrell is not Money civill Liberties Lawes Houses Lands nor corruptible things yet wee runne and strive for pence and pounds but here peace of Conscience an incorruptible Crowne 1 Cor. 9.25 the Lords glory is the garland at the stake 3. We have noble Witnesses The Father the Lord Jesus the Spirit of glory the glorious Angels are beholding us 4. The battle will not last for Centuries nor for many scores of yeares the issue will bee quickly death will end the controversie 5. We have Christ on our side he hath spoiled Principalities and powers the Lord the master of the game hath promised us his might his strength all his forces grace wisdome power his Angels that are stronger then ill Angels here Angels against Angels God ingaged against hell 6. We fight but with a broken and overcommed Devill both spoiled Coloss. 2.15 and disarmed Hebr. 2.14 1 Cor. 15.55.56 7. There is little required of us to the victory but a strong negative consent not render not treat not with the enemy though he fire and kill 8. The losse is the greatest of all eternall misery once fully ende close and make a covenant with the enemy and yee can hardly be everable to rebell or make head against your conquerour but once a slave and eternally a slave 9. The Garland is faire and glorious The tree of life that is in the midst of the paradise of God Revel 2.7 The hidden Manna the white stone and the new name Vers. 17. Power over the nations and the morning starre Vers. 26.27.28 To be clothed in white and his name confessed before Christs Father and his holy Angels Revel 3.5 And hee is made a pillar in the house of God and on him is written the name of Christs God and the name of the citie of Christs God Jerusalem that commeth downe out of heaven and Christs new name Vers. 12. And he sits with Christ on a throne and with the Father of Christ vers 21. 10. The victory is certaine and ours by promise all which should arme us with sobriety a drunken warriour is seldome victorious worldly pleasures and lusts are above our head and strength and to put on the whole armour of God and watch and pray is wisdome Vse 6. Let us thankfully acknowledge our obligation to Jesus Christ who hath cast out this Prince of this world What service owe we to Jesus Christ who hath ransomed us from such an enemy Sure wee are his debtors for ever the captives whole service is little enough for his ransome-payer And 1. we cannot be the servants of the World if Christ have ransomed us from this present evill world Galat. 1.4 and from the Prince thereof It is base to bee the vassall of the tyrant from whose hands wee are redeemed the World is but Satans vassall 2. He is a Spirit who hath redeemed us from a cruell Spirit Christ-God is a Spirit out-side-service cannot please him When corruption like poyson strikes into the heart and the hands are pretty cleane it s most dangerous 3. Redemption argueth not freedome from infirmities but from such sinnes as are called the pollutions of the world There is sinne in all but in the redeemed sinne desileth the actions not the person because he is washed in the Hypocrite it blacketh both person and actions 4. Wee cannot serve our ransome-prayer in the strength of false principles or naturall gifts but of his owne grace 5. Glorifie God by shewing forth his glory for yee can adde nothing
not wearied thee with incense Jer. 2.5 What iniquity have your fathers found in me Micah 6.3 O my people what have I done unto thee and wherein have I wearied thee testifie against me It is strange that sinners can see a black spot on the Lords faire face or that their will that is nearer of kin to reason then the affections that are in beasts should be averse to God yet it is said of wicked men that they are haters of God Rom. 1.30 His citizens hated him Luk. 19.14 Joh. 15.24 And especially these speeches carry allusion to Ps. 81.11 Israel would have none of me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Israel had no liking of me no will of me So that weakenesse simply is not the nearest cause of our not comming to Christ but wilfull weaknesse or rather weak-wilfulnesse 1. Because in agents that cannot worke there impotencie or lownesse of nature is the cause as the reason why a horse cannot discourse as a man is because his nature is inferiour to the reasonable nature of a man and not because the Horse will not but because he cannot discourse The cause why a lump of clay casts not such light in the night as a candle or a starre in the firmament is the basenesse and opacitie of the nature of clay to produce such an action as to give light there is not such a thing as will in the clay which intervenes between its nature and the no-giving light in the night But men hearing the Gospell doe not beleeve not only because they cannot for beasts cannot beleeve but because as Christ saith They will not beleeve Joh. 5.40 They will have none of Christ. Psal. 81.11 They will not have Christ to reigne over them Luk. 19.14 And will intervenes betweene the impotencie of their will and their disobedience 2. Because that hatred of God and of Christ ascribed to unregenerate men Rom. 1.30 Luk. 19.14 Joh. 15.24 is the birth that lay in the wombe of Will and comes from Will as Will and not onely from Will as weake so mens delighting and their loving to be estranged from Christ and to satisfie themselves with other lovers beside Christ are high bended acts of the Will Which argueth that not onely weaknesse but wilfulnesse hath influence in mens unbeliefe 3. The Lord chargeth men with this Matth. 23.37 I would yee would not 4. Conscience taketh it on its will and fathers disobedience on the will 1. Sam. 8.19 Nay but we shall or we will have a King Jer. 44.16 The people avow their will and peremptory resolution is we will not hearken to thee 6. But for the ground reason and cause on Christs part of drawing it is free grace and only free grace which are holden forth in these Positions Pos. 1. As there is no merit good deserving worke or hire in the miserable sinner dying in his bloud dead in sinnes out of his wit and disobedient deceived and serving divers Lusts Ezech. 16.4 5 6 7 8. Ephes. 2.1 2 3 4. Tit. 3.3 4. So there is as much love mankindnesse and free grace in heaven in the breast of Christ as would save all in hell or out of hell I speake this in regard not of the Lords intention as if he did beare all and every one of mankind a good will purposing to save them But because their lyes and flowes such a Sea and Ocean of infinite love about the heart and in the bowels of Jesus Christ as would over-save and out-love infinite worlds of sinners so all could come and draw and drinke and suck the breasts of overflowings of Christs free grace in regard of the intrinsecall weight and magnitude of this love that if you appoint banks to channell or marches to bound this free love God should not bee God nor the Redeemer the Redeemer Pos. 2. Could any created eye of Men or Angels reach or compasse the thousand thousand part of this love with one look such an act of adoration and admiration must follow thereupon as should breake the soule and breast of this creature in a thousand pieces but Christ in heaven and out of heaven is hid Infinitenesse is a secret that Angels or Men never did never shall comprehensively know there is a secret of love seene in heaven but never seene how little of the Sea doe our naturall eyes behold Onely the superfice We see but a little part of the skinne or hide of the visible heavens with our bodily eyes but so much as is seene is of exceeding beauty No eye bodily can see the bottome of the Seas or the large in-fields in the visible heavens If the infinite lumpe of the boundlesse love of Christ were seene at once what a heavens wonder what a worlds miracle would Christ appeare to bee But as much of Christ is seene as vessels of glory though wide enough can comprehend But if Angels and glorified Saints see much of Christ and so accordingly as they see and know doe praise him and yet cannot over-praise and out-sing so much as they see and if the in-side of infinitenesse of love free grace mercy majesty dominion be an everlasting Mystery Angels and Men are below merit even in heaven and Angels and Saints must be ashamed of and blush at the imagination of merits for an infinite lovely Majesty seen and not praised nor loved in any measure of equality or commensuration to his dignity and worth must lay infinite though sinlesse debt for eternity on all the Citizens of glory whether home-borne or natives of that Countrey as elect Angels or adopted strangers as glorified Saints Pos. 3. The manner of graces working on Saints is gracious and so essentially free as is evident in our first drawing to Christ when many sins are forgiven and so the soule loves much and the sweetest burden in heaven or out of heaven is a burden of the love of Christ All debt must be a burden to an ingenuous spirit but the debt of free grace that lieth from eternity on Angels and Men is a lovely and a desireable paine That men before they were men and had being and before all eternity were in the bosome of Christ the ingaged debters of the Lambe in the purpose of free grace loved with an everlasting love is a deepe thought of love and that being was gratious being before actuall being speaketh and cryeth much love and it s the floure the glory the crowne of free grace that Gods free love in Christ casteth forth the warming rayes and beames of the Redeemers kind heart on men who are enemies darkenesse haters of God dead in sinne dying in blood and pollution And how broad how warme and how ranckly must the faire and large skirts of Christs love smell of admirable grace when they are spred over the bleeding the loathsome the blacke and unwashen sinner is not every word a heaven Ez. 16.8 Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee behold thy time was
Libertines doe us from which wee are as farre as the East from the West Propos. â— It is not our doctrine but the weakenesse of sinners and of the flesh that we should be shie to Christ and stand aloofe from the Physitian because of the desperate condition of our disease This is as if one should say it is not fit for the naked to goe to him who offereth white linnen to cloath him nor that the poore should goe to him who would be glad you would take his fine gold off his hand or to say set not a young plant but let it lye above earth till you see if it beare fruit Unworthinesse in the court of justice is a good plea why Christ should cast us off but unworthynesse felt though not savingly is as good a ground to cast your selfe on Christ as poverty want and weakenesse in place of a Statute and act of Parliament to beg though the letter of the Law forbid any to beg Propos. 4. Acting and doing thouâ—h neither savingly nor soundly is not merit of grace yet not contrary to grace to obey the law of nature to give almes is not against grace Libertines should not reject this though it be not all but a most poore All to engage Christ. Propos. 5. Faith is a morall condition of life eternall and wrought in us by the free grace of God I never saw a contradiction between a condition wrought by irresistible grace and the gift or free grace of life eternall for life eternall given in the law and Adams doing and performing by the irresistible acting and assisting of God are not contrary yet the former was never merit but grace the latter was Legall doing Propos. 6. We doe receive the promise of willing and doing wrought immediatly in us according to the good will and most free grace of Christ and yet we are agents and worke under Christ. Propos. 7. Luther for I could fill a booke with citations Calvine and all our Protestant Divines are for qualifications voyd of merit or promise before conversion and for gracious conditions after conversion under the Gospel Antinomians belie Luther Propos. 8. Antinomians yeeld the preaching of the Law and preparations before conversion and conditions after and peace from signes of sanctification c. yet they are to be reputed enemies to grace and holinesse and turne all sanctification in their imaginary faith and justification of which they are utterly ignorant Never Antinomian knew rightly what free justification is Propos. 9. Immediate resting on Christ for all wee doe and drawing of comfort from the testimony of a good conscience are not contrary Propos. 10. Holinesse idolized or trusted in is to make Christ the alone Saviour no Saviour Propos. 11. God is not provoked to reprobate whom hee elected from eternity by new sins yet is hee displeased with Davids adultery so farre as to correct him for it and Solomon for his back-sliding with the rod of men Propos. 12. Works before justification please not God but it followes not that God keeps not such an order as sense of sin though not saving should goe before pardon and conversion no more then because Adams sin pleased not God therefore it should not goe before the Sons taking on our flesh If we are not to doe nor act any thing before conversion neither to heaâ—e conferre know our sinfull condition nor be humbled for sin despaire of salvation in our selves because these are not merits before conversion nor can they procure conversion to us neither are wee after conversion to beleeve for beleeving cannot merit righteousnessâ— and lâ—fe eternall nor are we to heare pray be patient rejoyce in trâ—â—â—lation for not any of these can procure life eternall to us And why is not the doing of the one as wâ—ll as the other a seeking righteousnesse in our selves Propos. 13. The promise of Christs comming in the flesh 2. and of giving a new heart are absolute promises the former requireth no order of providence but that sin goe before redemption the latter requireth an order of providence not of any Gospel-promise or merit in any sort there nâ—ver was never can be merit betwâ—en a meere creature and God Propos. 14. There is no faith no act of Christs coyn or of the right stamp before justification Propos. 15. Wee are justified in Christ virtually as in the publike Head when hee rose again and was justified in the Spirit 2. In Christ as hâ—s merits are 〈◊〉 cause of our justification 3. In Christ apprehended by faâ—th formâ—lly in the Scriptures sense in the Epistle to the Romanes and Galathians not that faith is the formall cause or any merit in justification but because it layâ—s â—old on impâ—ted riâ—â—â—eoâ—snesse which is the formall cause of our justiâ—â—caâ—ion 4. We are justified in our own sense and feeling not by faith 〈◊〉 because wee may beleeve and neither know that wee bâ—lâ—eve nor be sensible of our justification but as wee know that wee beleeve whether this knowledge result from the lighâ— of faith or from signes as meanes of our knowledge 5. Juâ—â—iâ—ication by way of declaration to others is not so infallible as that the Scripture calls it justification properly so named Object 8. I was sixthly in hearing the word shined upon by a sweet witnessing of the Spirit But O how I did strive against this work I was called upon but I put away all promises of mercy from me I may justly say The Lord saved me whether I would or no. Sometimes I was dead and could not pray sometimes so quickened that me thought that I could have spent a whole night in prayer to God Answ. 1. If the faith of the eternall love of free election was his first conversion no wonder hee was shined upon with light But it was not Scripture-light but wild-fire for the method of Christs drawing in the Scripture is not Enthusiasticall up at secret election at first There is no doubt wee put Christ away from us after conversion Cant. 5.1 and that so Christ saves us against our will That the principle of saving is free grace 2. that free will is neither free nor willing till Christ first draw us till hee renew and work upon the will But I feare Antinomians will have free will a block to doe nothing at all If Christ will let me sinne say they let him look to it upon his honour be it And Faith justifies an unbeleever that is that faith that is in Christ justifieth me who have no faith in my selfe And It is legall to say wee act in the strength of Christ. And To take delight in the holy service of God is to goe a whoring from God And A man may not be exhorted to any duty because hee hath no power to doe it And The Spirit acts most in the Saints when they endeavour least And In the conversion of a sinner the faculties of the soule and working thereof are
the soule comes to Christ he seeth a beauty of holynesse and Christ is taken with this beauty Psalm 110.3 So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty Psalm 45.11 Thou hast ravished my heart saith Christ to his Spouse Cant. 4.9 my sister my Spouse Vers. 10. How faire is thy love my Sister my Spouse how much better is thy love then wine and the smell of thine oyntments then all spices Vers. 11. Thy lips O my Spouse drop as the honey-combe honey and milke are under thy tongue and the smell of thy garments is as the smell of Lebanon Sion is the perfection of beauty Psal. 50.2 All this beauty and sweetnesse commeth from Christ there is no such thing in the people of God as they are sinnefull men considered in their naturall condition and therefore it must be fountaine-beauty in him as in the cause and originall of beauty 2. There is a delâ—ctâ—tlon in a communion with God This is one generall Prov. 3.17 All Wisdomes waies are waies of pleasure to the spirituall soule every step to heaven is a paradice 1. What sweetnesse is in the sense of the love of Christ to delight all the spirituall senses 1. The smell of Christs Spicknurd his Myrrhe Aloes and Cassia his Yvorie chambers smâ—ll of heaven the oyntment of his garments bring God to the Sense Psalm 45.8 All thy garments smell of myrrhe aloes and cassia out of the yvorie palaces there have they made thâ—e glad Cant. 1.13 A bundle of myrrhe is my beloved to me he shall lye all night between my breasts 2. To the sight Christ is a delightfull thing To behold God in Christ is a changing sight 2 Cor. 3.18 But wee all with open face-beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the spirit of the Lord Ephes. 1.17 Math. 16.17 1 Joh. 2.37 To see the King in his beautie is a thing full of ravishing delight 3. It taketh the third spirituall sense of hearing the Spouse Cant. 2.8 is so taken with the sweetnesse of Christs tongue that for joy she can but speake broken and unperfect words The voyce of my beloved It is not a perfect speech but for joy she can speake no more It s the voice of joy and gladnesse that with the very sound can heale broken bones Psal. 51.8 and which David desired to heare O if you heard Christ speake Cant. 5.13 His lips are like Lilies dropping sweet smelling Myrrhe Heavens musick the honey of the new Land is in his tongue the Church cheereth her soule with tâ—is Cant. 2.10 My beloved spake and said unto mee Rise up my love my faire one and come away Christs piping in the joyfull Gospel-tiding Vers. 5. should make us dance Matth. 11.17 Christ harping and singing sinners with joyfull promises out of heâ—l to heaven must have a drawing sweetnesse to move stones if the sinner have eares to heare and what heat and warmnesse of love must it bring when Christ is heard say Esai 54.11 O thou afflicted tossed with tempest and not comforted behold I will lay thy stones with faire colours and lay thy foundations with Saphirs He doubles his words hee desires Jerusalems eares may owne this cry Esai 40.1 Comfort yee comfort yee my people saith the Lord speake to the heart of Jerusalem 4. Christ is sweet to the spirituall taste Cant. 2.3 I sate downe under his shaddow with great delight and his fruit was sweet in my mouth Psal. 34.8 O taste and see that the Lord is good Christ is a curious banquet the Wine the Milk the Honey and the fatted calfe killed are all but shaddowes to Christs excellent Gospel-dainties 5. The sense of touching which is the most spirituall is the heavenly feelings sense and experience of Gods consolations and this sense is fed with the kisses of Christs mouth Cant. 1.3 With the hid Manna the White stone the new Name 3. Joy is a drawing delight Psal. 16.11 In his face there is fulnesse of joy Look how farre Gods face casts downe from heaven sparkles of joy on us as farre goes our joy and wee are said in beleeving 1 Pet. 1.8 to rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious 4. There is particularly delectation Psal. 36.8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatnesse of thy house and thou shalt make them drinke of the rivers of thy pleasures Should not this draw men to Christ And there must be abundance of pleasures where there is a river of pleasures as Psalm 46.4 There is a river the streames whereof make glad the City of God What a Sea of Seas must God himselfe bee His full and bright face his white throne his harpers and heavenly troopes that surround the throne the Lambe the heaven of heavens it selfe the tree of life eternally greene eternally adorned both at once with soule-delighting blossomes and loaden with twelve manner of fruit every month Peace of conscience from the sense of reconciliation the first fruits of Emmanuels land that lyes beyond Time and Death must all be above expression There is a second drawing motive in Christ and this is from gaine which is eminently in Christ. 1. The drawne soule hath bread by the covenant of grace his yearely rent is written in the New Testament Christ is his rentall booke and heritage Esai 33.16 He shall dwell on high his place of defence shall be the munition of Rocks for his lodging he shall not lye in the fields Bread shall be given him his waters shall be sure or faithfull bread and drinke are unfaithfull uncertaine and winged to naturall men 1 Tim. 6.17 Riches hath an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an uncertainty like Ghosts or Spirits that yee see but they evanish out of your sight and disappeare or like cloudes or fire-lightnings in the ayre that come and goe suddenly but bread is faithfull and sure to the soule drawn to Christ when the covenanted people are so drawn that they receive a new heart then God saith Ezech. 36.29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesse What then And I will call for the corne and will increase it and lay no famine upon you Vers. 34. And the land shall be tilled Does the New Testament provide for the plowing of your land Yea it doth Yea know Wisdoms attendants and allacays Prâ— 3.16 On her right hand is length of dayes and on her left hand riches and honour Eternity hath the honour and the right hand Riches is the left hand blessing of wisdome 2. It should draw us in the owne kind to Christ in regard Christ is more then gain Pro. 3.14 Wisdomes merchandise is better then silver and her gaine then fine gold Vers. 15. Shee is more precious then Rubies 2 Job 28.1 Wisdome cannot bee gotten for gold 3 Is there not some worth in Gold Vers. 16. Wisdome cannot be valued with the gold of Ophyre with the precious Onix with
his strength When John saw him thus he was so over-gloried with the beauty and brightnesse of his Majestie that whereas he was wont to leane on his bosome in the daies of his flesh now he is not able to stand and endure one glance of his highest glory but saith he Ver. 17. And when I saw him I fell down at his feet as dead And there was much lovely and tender affection lapped up in this glory when poore John fell a swouning at his feet Christ for all his glory holds his head in his swoune And he laid his right hand on my head saying unto me feare not I am the first and the last I am good for swouning and dying sinners Why I am he that liveth and was dead And behold I live for evermore Would sinners but draw neere and come and see this King Salomon in his chariot of love behold his beautie the uncreated white and red in his countenâ—nce hee would draw soules to him there is omnipotencie of love in his countenance all that is said of him here are but created shadowes aâ— words are short to expresse his nature person office lovelynesse desirablenesse What a broad and beautifull face must hee have who with one smile and one turning of his countenance lookes upon all in heaven and all in the earth and casts a heaven of burning love East and West South and North through heaven and earth and filles them all Suppose omnipotencie would inlarge the globe of the world and the heaven of heavens and cause it to swell to the quantity and number of millions of millions of worlds and make it so huge and capacious a vessell and fill it with so many millions of elect Men and Angels and then fill them and all this wide circle with love it would no more come neere to take in Christs lovely beauty then a spoon can containe all the Seas or then a childe can hide in his hand the globe of the world Yea suppose all the cornes of sand in all the earth and shores all the floures all the herbes and all the leaves all the twigs of trees in woods and forrests since the creation all the drops of dew and raine that ever the cloudes send downe all the starres in heaven all the lithes joynts drops of blood haires of all the elect on earth that are have beene or shall be were all rationall creatures and had the wisdome and tongues of Angels to speake of the lovelinesse beauty vertues of Jesus Christ they would in all their expressions stay millions of miles on this side of Christ and his lovelinesse and beauty It is the wicked fleshly disposition of Libertines who turne all the beauty excellency freenesse of grace in Christ to a cloake of licentiousnesse and a liberty of all Religions they highly under-value free-grace as any Hereticks that ever the Church of Christ law who turne all sanctification all the grace of Christ that should be expressed in strict precise accurate walking with God but as farre from merit as grace and and debt as Christs free grace and the condemning Law into a notionall speculative apprehension or rather a presumptuous imagination or Antinomian faith that Christ hath obeyed mortified the lusts of the flesh for the sinner that no Law no commandement of God no letter of the Word obligeth us to walke with God onely an immediate Enthiasticall unwarrantable inspiration of a Spirit without the Word or blasts of love when they come and not but when they come ingageth beleevers to keepe any commandement of God Never Pelagian Jesuit Arminian were such disgracefull enemies to Jesus Christ to free justification and the grace of the Gospel as Antinomians for they make the Law of God and the love of God in commanding holy walking opposite all the doctrine of the New Testament that teacheth and commandeth to deny ungodlinesse all the Old Testament and particularly the 119. Psalme reconcileth the Law commanding to keep the Lords wayes and testimonies and the love of Christ sweetning with delight and joy holy walking as one and the same way of God Vse 2. Again nothing more lesseneth Christ then the heightning of the world in the hearts of men Haman had the scum of the pleasures of 127. Kingdomes yet there was a bone wrong in his foot anger and malice to see Mordecai is a hell to him it s a sweeter burthen to bear the fire and coals of the love of Christ in the heart then the hell of envy in the soule Nay say that all the damned in hell were brought up with their burning and fiery chaines of eternall wrath to the outermost doore of heaven and strike up a window and let them look in and behold the Throne and the Lamb and the troups of glorified ones clothed in white with crowns of gold on their head and palms in their hands shewing their Kingly and victorious condition and let them through a window in heaven hear the musick of the new Song the eternall praises of the conquering King and Redeemer they should not only be sweetned in their paine but convinced of their foolish choise that they hunted with much sweating after carnall delights and lost the fulnesse of joy and pleasures that lasts for evermore in the Lords face Would we beleeve the Spies that have been visiting the new Land that Immanuel God with us is Lord of hear for Moses he was in that Land and he saith Deut. 33.29 Happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee O people saved by the Lord the shield of thy helpe and who is the sword of thy excellencie David was there a landed man and what saith he of that new Land that Christ hath found out Psal. 16. Canaan at its best is but a wildernesse to it Vers. 6. The lines are fallen to me in pleasant things or places Then there must be multitudes of pleasures not one only in God My heritage is pleasant above me above my thoughts or I have a goodly heritage Solomon was a messenger who saw both lands and he saith Eccles. 2.13 Then I saw that wisedome excelled folly as far as light exceedeth darknesse And the Spouse saith Cant. 1.12 When the King sitteth at his table my Spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof 13. A bundle of Myrrhe is my beloved he shall lie all night between my breasts Cant. 2.4 He brought me to the banquetting house and his banner over me was love All the Song reporteth great things of the Kingdome of Grace Ask of Isaiah What saw ye there he answereth c. 25.6 It is a feast of fat things a feast of wines on the lees of fat things full of marrow And Ezekiel saith That there shall be a brave summer in that land Chap. 47.12 By the river upon the banke thereof on this side and on that side shall grow all trees for meat whose leafe shall not fade neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed it shall bring forth new
as Gods free will thinks good he is Tutor and Lord of his own hope and consolation Christ cannot help him to determine his will if so be he be a bad husband of his own nilling and willing let him see to it 4. It must be in him that willeth and runneth and deserveth well as on the separating cause that saveth or damneth not in God that sheweth mercy by this vain arguing of fast and loose free will doing and undoing all at its pleasure let Christ doe his best Arg. 4. Whom God predestinateth them he also calleth and glorifieth as all the predestinated are indeclinably called and glorified Rom. 8.30 Acts 13.48 1 Pet. 1.2 Now by this multitudes should be predestinate who are never called and glorified if they have it in their free and independent choyce to resist the drawing of Christ. Arg. 5. God as Augustine saith hath a greater dominion over our wils then we have over them our selves as he is more Master of the beings so of the operations that are created beings then the creature is and so he must use the creatures operations at his owne pleasure otherwise he hath made a creature free-will which is without the Sphear of his owne power whereas the freest will of a King the most Soveraigne and Independent on earth must run in his channell Pro. 21.1 Arg. 6. Christs Lordship and Princedome through his resurrection is in turning of hearts Acts 5.31 Rom. 11.23 Grace is stronger then Devils sin hell and death Rom. 14.4 Ephes. 3.20 Jude 24.1 John 2.14 1 John 4.4 Arg. 7. If it must lye at our doore more then Christs to apply the purchased Redemption and actually to be saved then we share more if not large equally with Christ in the work of our salvation nor can the Church pray Draw me we shall run why should we pray for that which is in our owne power saith Augustine for we are drawn and may not run 2. Why should Peter give thanks rather then Judas or another Peter both were equally drawne free will lost the day to the one and wins it to the other 3. Christ must but play an after-game and can doe nothing though with his soule he would save but as free will hath first done so must it bee 4. Nor am I to trust to omnipotency of grace for conversion for if I husband well natures hability the crop is my own 5. I may ingage the influence of free grace to follow mee and grace leades not drawes not my will I draw free grace Arg. 8. If free will bee Lord carver of the sinners being drawne to Christ then the making good of the Articles of the bargaine and covenant between the father and the Sonne must depend on mans free will Now 1. know the covenant betweene the Father and the Sonne is expressed first by simple prophesie or promise The Father passeth the word of a King Christ shall be his first borne the floure of the Family an Ensigne of the people nothing can stand good if the free will of Gentiles refuse to come under this Princes Royall Standart The Father prophecieth and promiseth Psalm 72.8 Christ shall have dominion from Sea to Sea and from the river to the ends of the earth Psal. 89.25 The Lord shall set his hand in the Sea and his right hand in the Rivers hee shall call God his Father his God the Rocke of his salvation Now there must be a condition in this Royall charter in Christs Magnâ Chartâ nothing can be done even when Christ goes up to a mountaine and lifts up his Royall Ensigne and Standart of love and cryes all mine come hither and when the people flocke in about him except free will as independent as God say Amen and yet it farre rather may say Nay and refuse the bargaine 2. The Father bargaineth by asking and giving Psalm 2.8 Aske of me and I will give thee Christ must be an heire by mans will not by his Fathers goodnesse if Christs sutes and demands Father give me the ends of the earth and Britaine for my inheritance Depend upon such an absolute ay and no of mans free will as may cast the bargaine whereas our consent was not sought nor were wee called to the counsell when the Father bargained to make us over to his Sonne 3. The Father bargaines by way of worke and hire or wages to give a seed to his Sonne Esai 53.10 When he shall make his soule an offering for sinne he shall see his seed this is not a bare sight of his seed but it s an injoying of them hee shall see his seed he shall prolong his daies the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand We cannot say it depends on men that Christ speed well in having a numerous seed and that wages be payed to Christ for his sore work of laying downe his life to save his people except we be more play-maker then God in this covenant Arg. 9. The Scripture right downe determineth this Controversie Rom. 9. No man hath resisted his will and It is not in him that willeth Augustine useth three Adverbs in the Lords manner of turning the heart Omnipotenter Indeclinabiliter Insuperabiliter Omnipotently Indeclinably and without short-coming Vse 1. O how sweet and strong is the grace of Christ It is a conquering thing Col. 1.11 Strengthned with all might according to his glorious power 2 Cor. 10.4 The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God Were they mighty through Angels and Men that were but one creature storming another But when Christ besiegeth a soule who can raise the siege Vers. 5. We bring downe every height 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They goe not to a counsell of warre to advise upon quarters 2. They cannot flee For every thought is brought captive to the obedience of Christ. Christ riding on his horse of the Gospel and strength of free grace is swift and speedy and hath excellent successe Revel 6. He went out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both conquering and that he might conquer Christ shoots not at the rovers to come short or beside the marke his arrowes of love are sharp and conquering The Spouse is out of her owne element and sicke and pained with love when she wants his presence and cannot dissemble nor hide it nor command her selfe Cant. 3. no more then a sicke person can master death or a swouning Cant. 5.6 My soule departed out of me drinke once of this strong wine of his love O death the Lyons teeth burning quicke all these torments are nothing to the love of Christ. O Christ wee cannot forsake Davids key is strong to open all hearts to open hell and bring in a new heaven of love to the soule Naturall habits and powers are strong fire cannot but cast our heat Lyons cannot but prey upon lambes wicked habits are strong Devils and cannot chuse but be destroying Devils The coales of the fire of Christs love burne not
with all the fulnesse of God Of this fulness 1. A word of the measure of it 2. Of the meanes of it 3. Of the sufficiency of it in the kind and nature Randall in his Epistle before the Treatise called The Bright Star I have therefore observed the ever to be bewailed Non-proficiency of many ingenious Spirits who through the policy of others and the too too much modesty and temerity of themselves have precluded the way of progresse to the top and pitch of rest and perfection against themselves as being altogether unattainable and have shortned the cut with a Non datur ultra and are become such who are ever learning and never come to the knowledge of the truth But for the measure sure it is not as Antinomians and Familists dream compleat and full in this life 1. Because according to the manner and measure of the manifestation of Christ and knowledge so is love and the perfection of beleevers This is a truth in it self undeniable and granted by the Author of the Bright Star cap. 5. p. 52. For Christs excellency and drawing beauty in love goeth in to the soul by the port and eye of knowledge But 1 Cor. 13.9 We know in part and we prophesie in part 2. Paul disclaimeth perfection as being but in the way and journeying toward it Phil. 3.12 Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Jesus Christ. Now this perfection which Paul professeth he wanteth is opposed v. 13.14 To his pressing toward the garland For the price of the high calling of God in Iesus Christ Heb. 11 40. 3. Perfection such as wee expect in heaven is in no capacity to receive any farther addition or accession of grace or glory nor is there a growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ enjoyned us there as is expresly here in the way to our Countrey 2 Pet. 3.14 and to runne our race to the end Heb. 12.1 and be carried on to perfection Heb. 6.1 It s true our good works are washed in the Fountaine opened for Davids house in which our persons are washed but that washing removeth the sinfull guilt and Law-obligation from them but not the inherent blot and sinfull imperfection of our works to make them perfect for then might wee be justified by our good workes if Christs bloud make them to leave off to be sins but that bloud hindereth them to be imputed to us only but removeth not their sinfull imperfections as Antinomians say that so they may make us perfect in this life nor doth that bloud as Papists say adde a meriting dignity and vertue to them by which wee are justified by workes made white and meritorious in Christs bloud and merits God hath so portraicted and chalked the way to heaven that all the most supernaturall acts even those that have immediate bordering with the vision of glory should need a passe of pardoning grace and to beleeve that Christs grace shall work in us acts voyd of sin is not faith Therefore wee are to beleeve the pardon of such ere they have being and not sanctifying grace to eschew them It seemeth to me unbeleeving murmuring to be cast down at these sins in such a way as to imagine wee can eschew them or that grace sanctifying is wanting to us in these for grace is not due to sinlesse acts Nor doth the growing in grace which lieth on us by an obligation of a command stop the way to the journeying toward perfection and heaven nor shorten the cut to heaven because heaven is not attainable in this life but by the contrary if perfection were attainable in this life the man that attaineth it might sit down rest there and goe not one step farther for except hee should goe beyond the crown and to the other side of heaven and over-journey Christ at the right hand of God whither should hee goe And those that are ever learning and never come to the knowledge of the truth are 2 Tim. 3.5 lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God such as wee are to turne away from as have a forme of godlinesse and have denyed the power thereof and are led away with divers lusts and are never entered into one onely degree or step of the way of the saving knowledge of the truth of which Paul speaketh and not the truly regenerate who beleeve witâ— Paul and the Scriptures that our greatâ—st perfection is to sweat and contend for the highest pitch of perfection even that which is beyond time 4. Those that are perfected as wee hope we shall be in heaven feed not with the Beloved among the lillies till the day breake and the shadowes fly away but the perfectest the Spouse of Christ so feedeth on Church-ordinances Cant. 2.17 The perfect ones have the fullest pitch of the noon-day Sun of glory it shall never be after-noon nor the evening or twy-light sky with them nor shall any night-shaddow nor cloud goe over their Sun 5. In the Kingdome of perfect on there shall be no in-dwelling of a body of sin no sin no uncleannesse of heart no turning of the love and liking of the soule off God but the perfectest in this life sin and carry an in-dwelling body of sin with them Pro. 20.9 Eccles. 7.20 Job saith chap. 14.4 The perfectest that beget children are unclean Rom. 7.17 18 19 20 21 2 23. 1 Joh. 1.8 9 10. 1 Joh. 2.1 All that have need of an High Priest at the right hand of God to intercede for thâ—m have sin and in so far are imperfect as all the Saints are Hâ—â— 7.25 4.15 1.17 18. 8.1 2 â— 9.23 24 25 26. And 1 Cor. 13.8 Love never faileth 〈…〉 abundantly and is filled to satisfaction that tâ—e 〈◊〉 I can containe no more of God and is transformed in 〈…〉 of transcendent light and highest love as it were lâ—st in the deep fountaine of universall and immensurable love and light and the creatures soule and love liveth and breatheth resteth in the bosome in the heart in the bowels of him who is an infinite masse of love is wrapped in the sugared flouds in the honey-brooks and over-flowing waves and rivers of pure and unmixed joy sleepeth and solaceth it selfe in the innocent embracings of the glory that shineth rayeth and darteth world without end out of Christ exalted farre above all heavens all principalities and powers the soules there are sweetned more then sweetned over-solaced with the noone-day-light of the Bridegromes glory having in it the sweetest perfections of the Morning-Sun they flee with Doves-wings of beauty after the Lambe they never want the actuall breathings of the Spirit of gloâ—y they can never have enough of the chast fruition of the glorious Prince Immanuâ—l and they never want his inmost prâ—sâ—nce to the full thâ—y â—uck the honey the flouds of milke of eternaâ—l consolations
saved yet the Lambe of God taketh away the sinnes of the world So Esai 6.7 Thine iniquity is taken away and thy sinne purged this is no halfe pardon such as Esaiah had before the Lord touched his lips 1 Joh. 3.5 And yee know that he was manifested to take away our sinnes Iohn speaketh of the taking away of the sinnes of us Iohn and the Saints who were loved Vers. 1. with a wonderfull love to bee called the Sonnes of God us whom the World knoweth not vers 2. us who shall be like Christ when he appeareth Arminians are obliged to give us parallel places where the redemption of all and every man and Christs naked power and desire to be friends with all men and to make any covenant of grace or works as he pleaseth is called the taking away the sinnes of the world and yet the whole world may possibly dye in their sinnes and not a man be saved the taking away of the worlds sinnes to us is the compleat pardoning of them Remission of sinnes in his bloud Ephes. 1.7 Col. 1.14 Blotting out of transgressions Esai 4â— 25 as a thicke cloud Esai 44.23 a not remembring of sinnes Isai 43.25 Ier. 31. â—4 Such a taking away of sinnes as is promised in the covenant of grace to the house of Iudah to the Church under the Messiah that heareth the Gospel Ier. 31.34 Hebr. 8.8 9 10 11 12. Rom. 11.26 27. Esai 59.20 This is the taking away of the sinnes of the world a new world in whose inner parts the Lord writeth his Law and with whom the Lord maketh an everlasting covenant never to turne away from them Jer. 31.33 34 5 36 37. in whom the Lord putteth his Spirit and in whose mouth he puteth his Word and in the mouth of their seed and their seeds seede Esai 59.20 21. The Arminian taking away of sins is of all and every one of Adams seed of such as never heard of a Covenant of a Word of a Spirit of a Seed a holy Seed of a new heart Finally the taking away of the sinnes of the world is the removing of them as farre from us as the East is from the West Psal. 103.12 bestowed on these that feare the Lord vers 11. and are pitied of the Lord as the Father pitieth the Sonne and the subduing of our iniquities and the casting of our sinnes in the depths of the Sea Mich. 7.19 â—0 a mercy bestowed only on the remnant of the Lords inheritance The Arminian taking away of sins is a broad pardon of sins to all the world let them shew Scripture for theirs as we doe for ours and cary it with them Object 15. Though Reconciliation bee purchased to all and every one yet it is not necessary that it bee preached to all and every one but onely it is required that God bee willing it bee preached to all now it is free to God before he be willing to make offer of the purchased reconciliation to all to require afore hand such acts of obedience and dueties which being performed hee may publish the Gospel to them or being not performed hee may bee unwilling to publish the Gospel to them Yea though reconciliation be purchased to all yet its free to God to communicate the benefits of his death upon what termes hee thinketh good And Christ died saith Master Moore to obtaine a lordship over all and a power to save beleevers and destroy such as will not have him to raigne over them as wee heard before Answ. 1. We have in this Doctrin that Argument yeelded God commanded to preach to all and every one Ergo Christ died for all and every one For 1. The consequence is true absolutely by the Arminians doctrine Christ absolutely died for all and every one without prescribing any condition to those for whom he dies he saith not my sonne dieth to purchase reconciliation to all upon condition all beleeve or perform some other dutie but beleeve they or beleeve they not the 〈◊〉 is payed and salvation purchased for all without exception but the antecedent is not true but upon condition God is not willing the Gospel bee preached to all but to such as perform such conditions 2. If they perform not the condition Christ should have said preach not the Gospel to all nations nor to every creature but onely to such as yee finde fit hearers of the Gospel and have performed such acts of obedience as I require for conditionall threatnings are set downe in the Gospel as well as conditionall promises he that beleeveth shall be saved he that beleeveth not shall bee damned But in Old or New Testament Arminians never shew us where the preaching of the word of Grace is referred to our free will Doe this O Ammonits O Indians and the glad tyding shall come to you if yee doe not this ye shall never heare the Gospel Arminians say God sendeth his Grace and Gospel both genti minus dignae indigniori negat to the unworthy Nation and denyeth both to the worthier 3. Arminians say in Script Synod Dordr pag. 6. Lex non lata aut non intellecta cum intelligi non possit non obligat a law not made or not understood when it cannot be understood doth not oblige then God cannot deny a salvation and the benefit of a preached Gospel to Indians though both were purchased in Christ if they never heard as hundreths of Nations could by no rumor heare or dreame of Christ and the Gospel of Christ. 4. How can God with the same naturall and half-will equally will that all bee saved when hee absolutly without merit or condition willeth the meanes of salvation to some and denyeth the meanes of salvation to the farre largest part of mankinde for want of a condition unpossible because it neither was nor could be known to them 5. By the Arminian way sinne originall is no sin it bringeth wrath and condemnation on no man God beginneth upon a new score and the reckoning of the covenant of Grace to count with all men and God is so reconciled to all mortall men and transacteth with them in such a way of free grace that hee will punish no man for any new breach except committed actually by such as are come to age as have the use of reason and are obliged to beleeve in Christ. pag. 285 286 287. Dordr scrip Synod Yet hath God decreed never to reveale any such gracious transactions to millions of men that better deserve to heare these secrets of grace then thousands to whom they are proclaimed in their ears ere they can discerne the right hand by the left This Arminians say was Gods dispensation Matth. 11. with Capernaum and Tyrus and Sidon But it will bee found that Arminians deny the prescience and foreknowledge of God 6. Most abominable and comfortlesse must the doctrine of the death of our Lord Iesus be if Christ died onely to bee a Lord and such a Lord as hee might have power without
that differenceth the loved of God from all others Psal. 87.2 Psal. 1.6.8 otherwise all the world should in regard of this generall and antecedent and conditionall love of God bee so the beloved of God as Christ in the song of Solomon esteemeth the Spouse his love his welbeloved It s a love better then life Psal. 6â— 3 and the dowrie Christ bestoweth on his spouse Hos. 2.19 now the Scripture no where speaketh of that conditionall love which the Lord beareth to Heathens Reprobates and to all Men and Angels 5. Such as the Lord so loved as hee hath redeemed them from perishing he hath redeemed them from sinne and Gentilisme to wit from this present evill world Gal. 1.4 yea the blood of the Lambe unspoted and undefiled hath bought them from their vaine conversation received by tradition from their fathers 1 Pet. 1.18 yea from fornication that they should bee members of Christ temples of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6.20 yea Christ bare their sinnes in his owne body on the tree that they should live to righteousnesse Now all and every one of mankinde Heathen and Turks are not thus bought with a price and delivâ—â—â—d from idolatry blasphemy killing of childâ—â—â— to thâ—ir god from the world of Gentilisme 1. Thâ—y livâ— in these sinnes as serving God in them the Gospel nevâ—â— forbade thâ—m any such siâ—nâ—s in regard thâ—y never heard the Gospel 2 They cannot sinne on a nâ—w score or a new reckning these being to them no sinnes against the Gospel but against the law written in their heart 3. There is a pâ—ice then given for all the reprobate vice reproborum it is 〈…〉 as they had payed the price to redeeme them from sinne and unbeliefe yea from finall impenitencie against the Gospel If this bee a sinne as it is the sinne of sinnes Christ must beare it on the tree 1 Pet. 1.24 The lambe of God must take it away Ioh. 1.29 Except it were possible finall unbeliefe were pardonable without shedding of blood Heb. 10. Now here the ransome payed but the captive is never delivered for the reprobate die in their sinnes Ioh. 8.21 There bee some say there is a ransome given for these Gospel-sinnes of the reprobate conditionally so they beleeve Anâ—w That is they are freed from finall impenitencie so they bee freed from finall impenitencie is this a wife bargain 2. Where is there is all the Word a warrant that Christ layd downe his life for his sheep conditionally so he foresaw they would be his sheep so they would beleeve and repent Now this hee could not doe for Christ out of deliberation and his Fathers eternall counsell absolutely gratis freely diâ—d for these he died not for those that he foresaw would never fulfill the condition nunquam positâ conditione nunquam ponitur conditionatum 6. Christ bought by his blood of the eternall Covenant all the Jewels of the Covenant all things that belong to life and goâ—linesse and all spirituall blessings 2 Pet. 1.3 Ephes. 1.3 A new heart and a new Spirit Ezech. 36.26 Jer. 31.33 34 35 36. Ezek. 11 19 20. He bought all that God giveth to us then he must have purchased faith Phil. 1.29 Joh. 6.29 and if he was made a Prince to give repentance and remission then to give faith for it is a grace above nature and out of this fountain we have grace for grace Ioh. 1.14 Now this is not given to all men 7. All these graces are particular 1. Election to glory is particular Few are chosen Mat. 22.14 Joh. 10.26.29 Ephes. 1.4 Rom. 9.11 The promise is particular to the sons of the promise Rom. 9.8 9. made to Christ and his seed only Gal. 3.16 17 18. Gal. 4.22 23 c. the calling particular Isai. 55.1 2. Matth. 11.27 28. Acts 2.39 the Covenant particular and takes in only the House of Judah the elect and such as cannot fall away Ier. 31.34 35 c. and 32.39 40. Isai. 54.10 and 59.19 20. The surety of the Covenant Christ Heb. 7.22 promised to be King over the House of David over his people only the intention of God particular to a foreknown people only Rom. 11.1 The circumference and extent of Grace then cannot be so wide as to take in all nor can Redemption be universall because conditionall For 1. Arminians make Election conditionall but they deny it in words to be universall further glorification is conditionall justification conditionall upon condition of Faith but because the condition never is all men have not faâ—th therefore glorification and justification is particular and redemption on the same ground must be particular none are actually redeemed but the beleevers so as glorification actuall the decree of glorifying is another thing and absolute and Election to glory are commensurable the one not larger then the other Rom. 8.29 30. how can Redemption which is a mid-linke between both be of a wider Sphear to take in all for 1 Thes. 5.9 Gods counsell set us on Christ as Redeemer and gives us to Christ. 8. These two Christ redeemeth all and Christ intendeth to redeem all are most different Now Gods intention to redeem all if they beleeve suspendeth either redemption or the intention of God to redeem If the former be said redemption of all is no Redemption except all beleeve but all doe not beleeve If the latter God must wave and hang by his intention in millions of soules and cannot fixe his foot to be peremptory in his intentions except they beleeve and he seeth they shall never beleeve for he knoweth what is in man and beholdeth the thoughts a far off Yea as I said elsewhere if we speak properly in reference to God the very promises of the Gospel are not conditionall because both the condition and the thing that falls under the condition depend on his owne absolute will and free gift if a father promise to his child an inheritance upon condition the child pay him ten thousand crowns and the Father only do give and can give the child these ten thousand crownes we cannot say this is a bargain between the father and the son that leans upon conditions especially if we suppose as the case is between God and the creature that this father can and doth indeclinably determine the will of his son to consent and to give back againe to his father this sum of money and to consent to the bargain there is here no condition relating to the father but he does all freely Beleeving is a condition and life eternall is conditionatum a thing that falleth under promise but both dâ—pend upon the absolute free and irresistible will of the Lord as there is no condition here properly so called either laid upon the will or limiting the externall action of God 9. Hence the promises of the Gospel are indefinite not universall and in the Lords purpose and intention made with the Elect onely not with the Reprobate at all for when God saith if Iudas Cain Pharaoh
is chosen to salvation from eternity so Election is neither precept nor promise but a truth of Gods gracious good will and pleasure hid in Gods mind till he be pleased to reveal it by the fruits thereof There can bee no such imaginable double dealing in the world as Arminians lay upon God For they make the Lord to say thus as imagine a King should speak to twenty thousand captives I have a good will purpose hearty intention and earnest desire to make you all and every one free Princes and pray wish obtest and beseech you subscribe such a Writ of grace for that end but I only can lead your hand at the Pen and give you eyes to see and a willing heart to consent to your own happinesse and if you refuse to signe the Bill of grace you shall be tormented for ever and ever in a river of fire and brimstone Again I have a like good will to my own justice and purpose so to carry on the designe as that sixteen thousand of you shall not have the benefit of my hand or of one finger to lead your hand at the pen nor any efficacious motion to act upon your will to obtain your consent to subscribe the Writ yea by the contrary though I of exceeding great free love will intend decree and purpose you bee all Princes of glory yet I purpose that these sixtâ—eâ— thousand whose salvation and happinesse I extreamly desire shall for their former rebellion which I with the like desire of spirit could and I only might have removed never be moâ—od to consent to this Bill of grace Now were not this the outside of a good will aâ—d should not this Prince bee said rather to will and desire the destruction of these sixteen thousand and not their honour and happinesse Asser. 3. This is the mystery of the Gospel in which I must professe ignorance and that the Lords thoughts are not as our thoughts nor his wayes as ourwayes he hath by the preaching of the gospel ingaged thousand thousands within the visible Church to the duty of their fidutiall adherence and heart resting on Christ as they would be saved and yet hath the Lord never purposâ—d to work their hearts and he only can do it to this heart-resting on Christ by faith nor hath he purchased either remission of sinnes or pardon for them If any object how can Christ in equitie judge and condemne them for not beleeving pardon and salvation in his blood when as neither pardon nor salvation are purchased in this blood to them nor purposeth he to give them faith Yet we may plead for the Lord we conceive of the decree of God as of a deep policie and a stratagem and snare laid for us whereas the Lord lies not in wait for our ruine nor carries he on a secret designe in the gospel to destroy men If Christ should say in the Gospel-precepts promises or threatnings I decree purpose and intend to redeeme all and every man but I purpose to carry on the designs so as the far greatest part of mankinde inevitably shall be lost it should be a stratagem but the gospel as the gospel revealeth not any decree or intention of God touching the salvation or damnation of men intended from eternitie Indeed the gospel as obeyed or disâ—beyed reveals Gods intentions and decrees the gospel revealeth nothing but the Lords complacencie approbation and good-liking of the sweet connexion between faith and salvation the just concatenation between unbeliefe disobedience and eternall damnation so the gospel reveals duties but not the persons saved or damned the Lords working with the gospel or the efficacie of the gospel which is a far other thing reveals the persons Now the difficulty is how the Lord can command the reprobate to beleeve life and salvation in Christ when there is no life and salvation either intended to them or purchased for them To which I answer 1. God gave a law to all the angels created in the truth If ye abide in the truth ye shall be eternally happy ye cannot say that the devils in that instant were to beleeve that God intended and decâ—eed them for eternall happines and to give them â—fficacious grace by which they should abide in the truth as their fellow-Angels did Gods command and promise did reveal no such intention of God So the Lord said to Adam and to all his seed If ye keep the law perfectly ye shall have life eternall according to that Do this and live yet was not Adam then far lesse these that are now under the Law to beleeve that God ordained them from eternitie to eternall life legally purchased or that any flesh should be justified by the works of the Law Arminians tell us that there be numbers judicially blinded and hardned within the visible Church who cannot beleeve and whom the Lord hath destined for destruction yet the word is preached to them they hear and read the promises of the gospel and the precepts Whither are they to beleeve that God intended from eternitie to them salvation and grace to beleeve I think not For they teach that Christ neither prayeth for nor intendeth to die for the unbeleeving and obstinate world as such nor decreed their salvation and except men may fancie sences on the words of Gods Spirit where learned they to expound the word World when it makes for them for all and every one of mankinde and when it makes against them for the least part of mankinde and that eâ—ther within the visible Church only or yet without the visible Church for in both Satans world of disobedient ones is the far greatest part sâ—eing the whole world lyes in sinne as John saith Let it be also remembred when Arminians say the Lamb of God taketh away the sinnes of the world that is of all and every mortall man they mean Christ takes not away nor sheddeth he his blood for the sinnes of the rebellious world so the worlds rebellion contuâ—â—acie and infidelitie against Christ must be pardoned without shedding of blood and if Christ did bear all the sinnes of the world on the crosse conditionally and none of them absolutely â—hen our act of beleeving must be the onely neerest cause of satisfaction for sinnes but why then if Christ satisfied on the crosse for the finall impenitencie and unbeliâ—fe of the rebellious world conditionally so they beleeve and be not rebellious but Arminians should say right downe Christ died for the rebellious and contumatious world and he prayes for the contumacious world as such but conditionally for he prays and dieth for the not rebellious world of all mortall men not absolutelie but conditionally so they beleeve in Christ if they beleeve not neither the prayers of Christ nor his death are more effectuall for them then for Devils To all these wee may adde that the Lord in commanding reprobates to rest on Christ for salvation though no salvation be purchased for them
5.43 44 45 46 47 48. nor doth God miscarry in this love he desires the eternall being of damned Angels and Men he sends the Gospel to many Reprobates and invites them to repentance and with longanimity and forebearance suffereth pieces of froward dust to fill the measure of their iniquity yet does not the Lords generall love fall short of what he willeth ro them 3. There is a love of speciall election to glory far lesse can God come short in the end of this love For 1. the work of redemption prospereth in the hands of Christ even to the satisfaction of his soule saving of sinneâ—s all glory to the Lamb is a thriving work and successefull in Christs hands Esa. 53.10 11. He shall see of the travell â—f his soule and be satisfied 2. Christ cannot shoot at the rovers and misse his marke I should desire no more but to be once in Christs chariot paved with love Cant. 3. Were I once assured I am within the circle and compasse of that love of Election I should not be affrayd that the chariot can be broken or â—urned off its Wheels Christs charâ—ot can goe through the red Sea though not dryed up hee shoots arrows of love and cannot misse he râ—dâ—s through hell and the grave and makes the dead his living captives and prisoners 3. This love is natively of it self active Ezechiah saith in his sâ—ng Esai 38.17 Behold for peace I had bitternesse but thou hast in love to my soule delivered me from the pit of corruption but in hebrew it is thou hast loved my â—oule out off the pit of corruption because thou hast cast all my sinnes behind thy back he speaketh of Gods love as if it were a living man with flesh and bones armes hands and feet went down to the pit and lifted up Ezechiahs soul out of the pit so has the love of Christ loved us out of hell or loved hell away to hell and loved death down to the grave and loved sinne away and loved us out of the armes of the Devill Christs love is a persuing and a conqâ—ering thing I shall never believe that this love of redemption stands so many hundreth miles aloof on the shoare and the bank of the river aâ—d lake of fire and brimstone and â—â—yes afar off and wisheth all mankinde may come to land shoaâ— and casâ—eth to them being so many hundreth miles from them wordâ— of milk wine and honey out of the Gospel and cryeth that Christ loveth all and every one to salvation and if wishes could make men happy Christ earnestly wâ—shes and desires if all men were alike well minded to their own salvation that all and every one might be saved that there were not a Hell but he will not put the top of his little finger in their â—earâ— to â—ow and incline their will and Christ cryeth to the whole world perishing in sin I have shed my blood for you all and wish you much happinesse but if ye will not come to me to believe I purpose not to passe over the line of Arminian decency or Iesuiticall congruity nor can I come to you to draw your hearts by way of efficacious determination if yee will do for your selves and your own salvation the greatest part of the work which is to apply redemption by your own free-will though I know you cannot be masters of your selves of one good thought and are dead in sinnes as I have done the other lesser part purchased salvation for you or made you all reconciliable and savablâ— it s well oâ—herwise I love the salvations of you and every one but I will not procure it but leave that to your free-will chose fire or water heaven or hell as the counsels of your own heart shall lead you and I have done with you Oh such a love as this could nâ—ver save me If the young heire had wisedom he should pray that the wise Tutor lay not the falling or the standing of the house on his green head and raw glassie and weather-cock free will we shall cast down our crowns at the feet of him that sitteth on the Throne because he has redeemed us out of all nations tongues and languages and lâ—ft these nations to peâ—ish in their own wicked way sure in heaven I shal have no Arminianâ—houghts â—houghts as now I have through corruption of nature I shall not then divide the song of free Redemption between the Lamb and free-will and give the largâ—st share to free-will my soule enter not into their counsels or secrets who thus black Christ anâ— shame that faire spotlesse and excellent grace of God Vse 3. Here is excellent ground of encouragements to the Elect to the believe for the feare of reprobation from eternity is no ground that thou shouldst not believe Object 1. I fear that I am a reprobate Answ. If thou wilt know the neede that a Reprobate man has of that saving Saviour Iesus Christ thou wouldst upon any termes cast thy soule upon Christ which if thou doe now thou hast answered the question and removed the fear that thou art a reprobate for a reprobate cannot believe Object 2. But sinne and unworthinesse inclines more to reprobation then to be loved eternally of God Answ. Not a whit except the Lord had revealed reprobation to thee sinfull clay nothing but the great Potter may wash the clay and frame thee a vessell of honour Objct. 3. But sinne continued in such as my sinne is is the first morning dawning of reprobation as faith and sorrow for sin is the first opening of election to glory Answ. Sinne finally and obstinately continued in is a sign of reproâ—ation but say you had obstinately gone on in sinne as I love not to cuâ—e spirituall wounds by smoothing and lessening them yet your duty lies on you in a sence of your need of Christ to come to Christ the event is Christs you may say It s fitting Lord I be a râ—probâ—te but many thousands of bad deserving as I am are singing the praises of free-grace before the Throne Objct. 4. But if my sinne evidence to me reprobation it s a cold comfort to goe to Christ and believe for sure I have obstinately gone on against Christ and reâ—sted his call Answ. Though we are not to lessen the sins of any yet a Physitian may say it s not so desperate a disease as yee say it is so may we say it s a strong disease that overcomes the art of Christ though it falls seldom out never to my observing that any finally obstinate can attaine to wide broad and auxious wishes to enjoy Christ with some seene and acknowledged need of Christ. Object 5. But what encouraging comfort have I to believe since I have gone farther on in obstinacy then any Answ. There cannot be such an encouraging comfort in a non-convert as is satisfactory no work can be in a non-convert of that straine with sâ—ch as are in converts
hadst rather he should fall into a swoone in the streets as open to him and lodge him and hast had open back doores for harlot lovers O bee ashamed of sleighting free love 2 Dispised love turneth into a flame of Goâ—pel-vengeance a Gospel-hell is a hotter furnance then a law-hell No man spinn hell to himself out of the wool of unbeleeving dispair If Christ be so willing to redeeme and draw his own all and can goe as neer hell as seven devils Have noble and broad thoughts of the sufficiency of Iesus to save 1. Consider and say with feeling and warmnesse of bowels to Christ all the redeemed familie that are standing up before the throne now in white and are fair and clean and without spot were once as Black mores on earth as I am now some of them were stables of uncleannesse to Sathan now they aâ—e chaâ—t virgins who defiled nâ—t themselves with women before the Lamb the mouâ—hs â—hat sometimes blasphemed are now singing the new song of the Lamb of Moses the servant of the Lord. 2 What love is that that there is a hole in the rock for ravens of hell to fly into as doves of heaven and a chalmer of love in the heart of Christ for pieces of sinfull clay 3. Fair Iesus Christ can love the black daughter of Pharoah he has found in his heart to melt in love and tender compassion toward a forlorne Amorite a poluted Hittite it breaks his heart to see the naked foundling cast out into the open fields dying in goared blood Christ can love where all do loath It s much hee can love a sinner thou art but a sinner hee has not blotted thy name out of the New Testament imagine thou heard him say sinner come to me Lost man suffer me to love thee and to cast my skirt of love over thee Doâ— but give him an hearty â—ay Lord consâ—nt and take him at his word Never rest till thou be at such a nick of the way to heaven as no backslider can attaine to We are too soon satisfied with our own Godlinesse and goe not one steppe beyond these that has cast out of themsâ—lves one Devil and the next day take in seven new fâ—esh devils and the end of these men is worse then their beginning they are redemned and bought and washen in profession and righteous in themselves those that have no more must fall away a Sheep in the eyes of men and a Sow at the heart must to the mire again sit not down till ye come 1. to bee willing to sell all and buy the pearle 2. Till ye attain to some reall and personall mortification that is a subduing of lusts a bringing under the body of sinne a heart-deadnesse to the world from this because your Lord died for you and has crucified the old man I mean not a morall mortification of Antinomians to beleeve Christ has crucified your lusts for you as if you were obliged by command of the letter of Law and Gospel to no personall mortification that ye may be saved never think ye are redeemed till yee bee redeemed from the walking in the wayes of the present evil world from all iniquitie from your vain conversation draw not breath rest not till ye come to this as ye would not turne back sliders in heart Redemption beleeved maketh men crown Christ as their King and such to whom Christ is made redemption must assert and confesse Christ a perfect Redâ—emer the King of his Church Those that are unpatient of his yoak of Government would set another king over Christ a Magistrate who by office ruleth not by the woâ—d but by civil Laws testifie they are unwilling to have Chriâ—t their Lord in their life who will not have him theiâ— Lord in the Church and his ordinances the great controversie that God has with England is sleighting of Religion the not building the Temple the increase of blasphemies and heresies fear that Christ reigne over them 33. If I be lifted up from the earth I will draw all men unto me The fourth considerable article in the drawing is the terminus ad quâ—m the person to whom all mâ—n are drawn It is saith Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to me This is not a word which might have been spared as there is no redundancie nothing more then enough in the Gospel so Christ is no person who may bee spared but who ever bee one Christ must be the first peâ—son take away Christ out of the Gospel and there remaineth nothing but words and remove him from the work of redemption â—t is but an empty shadow Yea remove Christ out of heaven I should not seek to be there this is a noble and divine to me I will draw all men to mee 1. It concernâ—th us much what weâ— leave If wee leave the earth it is but a clay foot-stool and a mortall pâ—rishing stage and the house of sorrow and my dying fellow-creature if we leave sinne we leave hell the worm that never dieth vâ—ngeance and eternall vengeance is in the womb oâ— sâ—nne to leave father and mother and all the idols of a fancied happinesse is nothing But to whom we go to Christ or not to such an one as God the substantiall and eternall delight of God O that is of hâ—gh concernment 2. This to me coming out of the mouth of Iesus Christ is all and all its heaven its glory its salvation its new paradise it s the new city iâ—s the new life it s the new precious elect stone laid on Zion the new glory the new kingdome There is a greater emphasis an edge and marrow of words and things in this to me then in all the scâ—ipture in all earth and heaven and all possible and imaginable heavens 1. Why is Israel loosed hear the cause Psal. 81.11 Israel would none of mee Why drink they â—otten waters and Ciâ—terns of hell Oh here is the cause Ier 2â— 1â— Be astonished O heavens why for my people have committed two evils Ah these two are hundreds and millionâ— they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters Is not Christ crying in all the Gospel who will have me who will receive me is not this the Gospel-quarrell Iohn 5.40 Ye will not come to me that yee might have life it s no sport to die in sinne its a sad fall to fall into hell Ioh. 8.21 Then said Iesus again unto them I go my way and ye shall seek me and shall die in your sinnes whither I goe ye cannot come 3. If ye look to any other it cannot save you but one look on him would make you eternally happy and you have iâ— Esa. 45.22 Look unto me and be saved all the ends of the Earth for I am God and there is none else come and have heaven for one look for one turning of your eye and when destruction commeth that the Church shall be like two or three olive berries lefâ— and
that high love discendeth the sweeter and the more drawing and the greatest guiltinesse not to be drawn Christ came down from a Godhead and emptied himself for us to be a worme and no man Psal. 22.6 The last of men Esa. 53.3 a doubt it was if he were in the number of men so the word importeth and he dwelt in the bush he made not his nest amongst Cedars but in the bush 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bush whence commeth Sinah or a desert and wildernesse such as was in Arabia Christ taketh it hard and weepeth for it Matth. 23.37 Luk 19.42 that he came down as a hen in the bush O but Christ has broad wings farre above the Eagle and would have made sinners in Ierusalem his young ones to nourish them with heat from his own bosome and heart but they would not be drawn And when he appeareth in a time of captivity Zach. 1. to save his people out of captivity many would not be saved he is seene ver 8. amongst the myrtle trees in the bottome It is true the myrtle tree is farâ—e above the bryâ—r and the thorn Esai 55.13 yet it s as much aâ— Christ dwels amongst the bushes and came down to the lowest plants for the Myrtle is a bush rather then a tree and growes in Vallies Deserts in the Sea-shoar Christ is a young low Plaâ—â— and a root out of a dry ground it s a matter of challenge that none believed his report and few were drawn by the Lord Iesus who is Gods arm all the strength of God and the drawing power of grace being in Christ and in Christ who came down so low in his love to us low-stooping love refused is a great deal of guiltinesse salvation it selfe cannot save when love submitting it selfe to hell to death to shame to the grave cannot save you think little to let a love song of the Gospel foure times a week passe by you but you know not what a guiltinesse it is 4. The greater the happinesse you are drawn to the higher is the sinne should Christ dâ—aw you to the Mount burning with fire to the Law-curses to the terrible sight of the fiery indignation of God men would say it were lesse sinne to refuse him but he drawes you Heb. 12.22 To Mount Sion to the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels to the generall assembly and Church of the first born which are written in Heaven and to God the Iugde of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect And to Iesus the Mediator of the new Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling and he addeth dispise not this he is a Speaker from heaven It s but ene house one family which is in earth and heaven they differ but as elder and younger brethren Paul Rom. 16.7 putteth a note of respect on Andronicus and Junia Who saith he also were in Christ before me There is morâ— honour put on them that are in glory before us then on us as the first born of naâ—ure and grace so the first born of glory are honoured before us we should not weep for our friends crown and honour when they die yet they be all one house then to be drawn to Christ is to be drawn to heaven he should deservedly weep for ever and gnash his teâ—â—h in hell who in right down termes refuseth to be drawn to heaven There is another ground of shewing what a high provocation it is to resist the Gospâ—l-drawings of Christs arme and it is the way of resisting the operation of grace Interpreters say on the Text that Christ's drawing when he is lifted upon the crosse is a clear allusion to the manner of Christs crucifying for he with his two armes stretched out holdeth out his breast openeth his bosome and heart cryeth who will come and lodge in Châ—â—st's heart And againe favours profered by a great friend in his death ought not to be refused and the sourâ— tree of the Crosse was Christs dead bed here he made his last will and which no dying friend doth Christ dying left his heart and bowels of tender love to his dear friends he dyed drawing and pulling in sinners to his heart What a sinne must it be to meet his love with hatred and disdaine 2. Grace moveth in a circle of life the spring and fountaine is the heart of Christ and it reflecteth back to Chriâ—ts heart he resteth not with stretched out-armes to pull while he have his friends and Church in at his heart 3. The motion of free-grace is a subduing and a conquering thing and strong to captivate our love when yee see Christ dying and leaping for joy to die for you and when yee see him set to his head a cup of thick wrath of death and hell and see him smile and sing and sigh and drink hell and death for you it layeth bands of love on the heart What yron bowels must he have who would break the cup on his face and despise his love Grace applyed to the heart maketh it ingenuous free thankfull how can the sinner with-hold his love without the greatest guiltinesse that ever Devils committed for they cannot resist Christs drawing love O what sweetnesse of strongest and captivating love to see Christ and the tear in his eye and his face foule with weeping and his visage more marred then any of the sonnes of men Esai 52.14 and a flood of blood on his body Luk. 22.44 and yet good-will and joy and delight to doe and suffer Gods will for us sitting on his browes Psal. 40.6.7 8. Heb. 10.5 6 7. Now when Christ is burnt up with love and sick of tender kindnesse to cast water on this love by resisting it is the highest Gospel-sinne that can be except despiting of the holy Ghost and a third ground of aggravating to the full this sinne of resisting Christs drawing I take from the judgement and the plague and Gospel-vengeance on such as Christ draweth and they will not be drawn and is the sinne of the times I referre these to two heads 1. This Gospel despising of Christ now reigning in the Age and Kingdoms that we live in commeth neare to the borders of the sin against the holy Ghost for the more men be convinced and enlightned if they be not drawn to Christ they are the nearer to this sinne Heb. 6.4.5 chap. 10.26.27 now may we not think hardly of these who are convinced of many Gospel-truths and yet oppose them doth not Christs love come neare them and they flye from iâ— now but to neighbour or border on the coasts of a sinne like to the sin against the holy Ghost may cost men as deare as the lossâ— of their soule and the next furnace for torment and paine to these that sinne against the holy Gâ—oâ—t 2. The â—â—mporall pâ—ague thaâ— commâ—th nearest to eternall is the judgement oâ— God on the Iewes that refused and resisted
Christ see what expâ—â—ssion is put on the last judgement that same is on the judgemâ—nt of Ierusalems destruction for resisting Christ For 1. It s hell-like when mothers shall wish their children had never been born and when they shall as damned in the day of judgement pray Mountaines fall on us and Hils cover us Luk. 23.29.30 Vse 2. If Christ draw all men to him then they are farre wide who think that free-will and morall honesty can bring men to heaven there be no Moralists in heaven who were pure Moralists on Earth and had nothing of the Gospel-drawing and of supernaturall work in them civill Saints can never be glorified Saints thousands are deceived with this they think their lamp can shew them light to know the Bride-grooms chamber-doore but taâ—e these for marks of deluded men 1. Such men will shoot and cry at adultery as he that took Abrahams Wife from him and a Cain may be madded with murthering his brother but was Cain touched for Gospel sins is Judas wakened in conscience for that which is the speciall condemning gospel-sinne the cause of condemnation and dying in sin Ioh. 3.36 Ioh. 16.9 chap. 8.24 No but for murthering his Master it s the light of the Spirit that seeth spirituall sins spiritually 2. Profession looketh like Paradise and the raine-Bow its big in its own eyes and the fairest for variety of coulors but it s a self-plague and doth carry millions of souls to hell without din and noise of feet its Christ acting judicially on the hypocrite within pistoll shot of a besieged soule making fire-works under the earth and when all within are sleeping Christ springeth a powder-Mine and burneth up all forward Gospel-fire-works maketh more then ordinary fury in the soule open open to Christ multiplyed fastings and taking Christs crown from him are dreadfull 3. They had never a sick-night for the want of Christ Gospel profession is a light to let men see to sinne a candle to let men see to goe to hell and lye down in sorrow with art Ah what comfort is it that I goe to hell no man seeing me and by stealth and my back to the Pit What a poore comfort to goe to eternall perdition fasting and praying monthly multiplying dayes of thanksgiving and withall plundering Christ of his Royall Crown following the sinnes of Prelates whom God cast out before us exercising rapine and unjustice giving new lawes to Christ and planting plants which God will root out The manner of perishing is a poor accâ—dâ—nt of death O but heart-boyling of love a faint pulse a pale and a lean sinner dying for the absence of Christ no man but the Spirit and Physitian knowing what ails hâ—m are sweet diseases let the love of Christ absâ—nt be in the mans soule a deep river how sweet were it to be drowned in â—hat river and to die an hundreth deaths in one day because he whom the soule loves is gone away O watchmen know you not where he is O daughters of Ierusalem can you tel him that I am sick of love O shepheards where is Christs Tent where dwels he what is profession to this a shadow a straw nothing vanity 4 What a decitfull thing is it make free-will the great Idoll and to hire an house in heaven for the income and rent of merit can it be imagined that the love of Christ can be hired so much as it should have of hire so much it should want of free-love how can the heart of God be taken with the merit of man grace is the floure and the freenesse of grace like the beautifull bloome of the floure and this freenesse is so taking that it layes bands and chaines on the heart were there a good deserving in the man to buy grace the cord should be as a single and untwisted thred Vse 3. Christ so drawes all men to him that drawn mans will is not forced as we have seene and therefore Libertines erre fouly who make the drawn partie blocks and stones and meere patients hence these positions of Familists and Libertines 1. In the saving and gracious conversion of a sinner thâ— faculties of the soule and working thereof in things pertaining to God are destroyed and made to cease 2. And instead of these the holy Ghost doth come and take place and doth all the works of these naturall faculties as tâ—e faculties of the humane nature of Christ doe 3. The new creature or the new man mentioned in scripture is not meant of grace but of Christ. 4. Christ worketh in the regenerate as in those that are dead and not as in those that are alive or the regenerate after conversion are altogether dead to spirituall acts 5. There is no inherent righteousnâ—sse in the Saints or grace or graces are not in the soules of beleevers but grace is Christ himselfe working in us who are meere patients in all supernaturall works 6. Faith repentance new obedience are gifts not graces all the elect are saved and receive the Kingdome as little children doe their fathers inheritance passively Mr Towne saith in Sanctification as well as in justification we are meere patients and can doe nothing at all Assertion of grace p. 11.68 7. The Spirit doth not work in Hypocrites by gifts and graces but in Gods children immediatly 8. We may not pray for gifts and graces but onely for Christ. 9. The efficacy of Chirsts death is to kill all activity of Graces in his members that he might act all in all 10. All the activity of a beleever is to act sinne 11. We are not bound to keep a constant course of prayer in our families or privately unlesse the Spirit stirre us thereunto 12. If Christ will let me sinne let him look to it upon his honour be it 13. The new heart and the walking in Gods commandements are no conditions of the Covenant of Grace where is there one word that God saith to man thou shâ—ll doe this if God had put man upon these things then they were conditions indeed but when God takes all upon himselfe where are then the conditions on mans part If there be a condition he that vndertaketh all things in the covenant must needs be in the fault if the Lord work not in us a cleane heart and cause us not walk in his commandements it s then the Lords fault absâ—t blasphemia if we sinne against the covenant 14. The blessednesse of a man is onely passive not active in his holy and unblameable walking To the end that these errors may the more fully bee discovered we are to enquire in these Assertions what activitie wee have in works of grace Asser. 1. In the first moment of our conversion called actus primus conversionis we are meer patients 1. Because the infusion of the new heart Ezech. 36.26 the pouring of the Spirit of Grace and supplication on the familie of David Zach.
be mans but it must be which I abhorre to writ or speak the Lords 3. God takes all upon himselfe in genere causae gratiosae Liberrimae independentis primae non obligatae ad agendum ex ullae lege in the kind of a cause that worketh by meer grace freely Indepdenently without any Law above him to obliege him to doe otherwise with his own then he freely willeth decreeth promiseth for men carnally divide Gods decree which is most free from his promise which is as free as his decreeâ— but it followeth in no sort as Arminians and Jesuites object to us therefore men who doe not believe pray walk holily are not in the fault being under a Law to obey for sinnefull inability to obey can ransome no man from the obligation of obedience and most blasphemous it is that because God undertaketh in the Covenant that we shall walk in his commandements as he doth promise Ezech. 36.27 and that we shall feare him Ier. 32.39.40 That God should therefore be in the fault and we free of all fault when in many particulars we offend all Iam. 3.2 and we fear not God in this or this sinne as is possible and may be gathered from Iosephs speech to his brethren who sayes he would not wrong them for he feared God and Iobs word that he durst not dispise the cause of his servant because he was affraid of God Yet God promiseth that he will keep Ioseph Iob and all the elect in the way of Gods Commandements that they shall not fully fall away from him God never by promise covenant oath or word undertaketh o keep his elect from this or this particular breach and act of unbeliefe against the Covenant of grace 4. The fault against the Gospel or any sin in a believer must justly be imputed to him because he is tyed by the Evangelick Law not to sinne in any thing the Gospel granteth pardons but not dispensations in any sins and it can in no sort bee imputed to God because if any believer fall in a particulaâ— sin or act of unbeliefe against the covenant of grace the Lord neither decreed nor did ever undertake by Covenant or promise to keep him by his effectuall grace from falling in that sinne for the Lord would then certainly have keeped him as he did Peter and doth all the Elect that are effectually called that in mighty temptations their faith faile them noâ— Nor is the act of believâ—ng that is wanting in that particular fall such a condition of the Covenant as Christ either promised to work or the necessary condition of the Covenant of Grace or such a condition the want whereof doth annull and make voyde the eternall Covenant of grace 5. I here smell in Antinomians that God must bee in fault as the author of our unbelief our stony hearts our walking in our fleshly wayes because God hath promised to give us faith and a heart of flesh to walk in his wayes as the old Libertines said God was the principall and chief cause of sin and that God did all things both good and ill the Creatures did nothing So Calvine in insâ—itut adversus Libertines chap. 14. in opus pag. 446. Mr. Archer down right saith God is the authour of sin what end is there of erâ—ing if God leave us It is true the tie and all the tie of giving a new heart and the Spirit of grace and supplication lieth on the Lord who promised so to do Deut. 30.6 Ezech. 11.19.20 chap. â—6 26.27 Ier. 31.33 34.35.36 But yet so that we are under the obligation of divine precepts to doe our part Ezech. 18.31 make you a new heart and a new Spirit for why will ye die O house of Israel Ier. 4.4 Circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the fore-skinne of your heart Ephes. 4.23 be renewed in the Spirit of your mind Rom. 12.2 Rom. 13.14 and 1 Thessal 5.17 pray without ceasing Psal. 50.15 Call upon mee Matth. 26.41 Watch and pray Therefore all the tie and obligation of what ever kâ—nd cannot so free us from sinfull omissions nor can the tye ly on God evangelick commandments are accompanied with grace to obey grace layeth a tie on us also to yeeld obedience 6. It s a foule and ignorant mistake in Crispe to make the Covenant nothing but that love of God to man which hee cast on man before the Children had done good or evill Rom. 9.1 That love is eternall and hath no respect to faith as to a condition but it s not the covenant it selfe because it is the cause of the covenant 2. To the love of election there is no love no work no act of beleeving required on our part Yea no mediator no shedding of blood wee are loved with an everlasting love before all these but the covenant though as decreed of God it be everlasting as all the works of creation and divine providence which fall out in time and have beginning and end are so everlasting for God decreed from eternity that they should be yet it is not in being formally while it bee preached to Adam after his fall and there is required faith on all the Saints part to lay hold on the Covenant Esai 56.4 and to make it a covenant of peace to the Saints in particular 2. Faith is the condition of the covenant 3. Christ the mediator of it 4. Christs blood the seal of it 5. The Spirit must write it in our heart But the love of election is a compleat free full love before our faith or shedding of blood or a mediator be at all Object We are not saved nor justified nor taken in Covenant by faith as a work saith Crispe for then we should not bee saved by grace and grace should not be grace but wee are justified by faith that is by that Christ which faith knoweth according to that by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many therefore faith is no condition of this covenant Answ. The contrary rather followeth 1. Seeing Crisp doth say none under heaven can bee saved till they have believed We are not taken in covenant by faith neither wee nor scripture speak so taking us in covenant is before wee can beleeve but we lay hold on Christ and righteousnes by faith not as a work but a necessary condition required of us 2. I leave it to the consideration of the Godly if beleeving in him who justâ—fieth the ungodlâ— be no condition a work justifying I do not think it but onely I beleeve and know that Christ justified me before I beleeved from eternity as some say when I was conceived in the womb â—s Crispe saiâ—h and that the threatning he that believeth not iâ— condemned already carries this sence he that believeth not that he is not condemâ—â—d hee is already condemned Who can believe such toyes 2. Beleeving is a receiving of Christ Ioh. 〈…〉 Christs dwelling in the heart Ephes. 3.17 Then to 〈◊〉 must bee to
of our own 3. Wee are to beleeve in the generall we being within the covenant the Lord will keep his promise Deut. â—0 6 And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heaâ—t and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule that thou mayest live Ezech. 11.19 And I will give them one heart and I will put a new Spirit within you 20. that they may walke in my Statutes Ezech. 36.27 then are we so to set to these duties of waâ—king in the Lords way as wee are to beleeve he will nor deny actuall grace necessary for our perseverance because it is his expresse promise Ier. 31.33.34.35.36 Ier. 32.39 â—0 Esai 59.19 20 21. Esai 54 10.11 Ezech. 36.26.27 1 Ioh 2.1.2 Matth. 16.18 Luk. 2â— 3â—.32 though in acts not fundamentall and simply nâ—cessary for our being in the state of grace the Lord hath reserved a latitude of independent Sovâ—raigntie to act the soule in these and these particular aâ—ts as seemeth good to him that every new breathing of the Spirit of â—esus may bee a new debt and obligation of free grace to Christ. We are absolutely to pâ—ay for the breathings of Christs Spirit to goe aâ—ong wiâ—h us in all the particular acts of a gracious and spirituall walking but we know the Lords absolute good pleasure is his rule hee walks by so here our desires may bee absolute in seeking where the Lord gives upon condition of â—is owne good will nor are our desiâ—es in prayer to bee conformable to Gods decree or free pleasure but to his revealed will Grace is the culours of the inhabitants and citizâ—ns of the house of the lower and higher roomes of the new Ierusalem all the way and all the home the Sainâ—s walk in this white Christ keeps not his Spouse in a close chamber it is not one great act of free grace onely when all were in one day redeemed on the crosse but dayly Christ weareth his Church as a bracelet about his neck as a seal on his heart as his Royall diadem and a crowne of glory on his â—ead as his love-ring on his hand this day grace to morrow new and fresh supply of grace the next houre grace hee has strowed all the way to heaven with new grace every day new wine new Spiknard new peâ—fume new ointments When will Christ grow old and gray-haired Never Will his heart evâ—r grow cold of love No Will hee tyre of love will he weare out of delight in the Spouse that lyeth for eternity betweene his breasts No no The love of â—hrist is alwaies greenâ— as young-like as fair and white today as from eternity this rose is not altered a whit Who knowes how grace and love in Christs breast solaced themselves in these infinite revolutions of ages before the creation how Christs heart was cheering it selfe and rejoycing to have the first day of the creation dawning that he might enjoy the love of the sonnes of men not then created Proverb 8 3â—.31 as if grace and love had thought long to finde a channell with wide banks to flow in as if Christ having infinite love within him in that long long age to borrow that expression should say when shall time begin and sinfull men and my mysticall body and desired spouse my Church have being in the world that I may out that grâ—ce on her I have love within me and lying beside me I rejoyce to have a lover as if grace in Chriâ—t hâ—d been in too naâ—row banks in the inâ—â—nite acts of the infinite minde of God and the heart of Christ and longed to have Men and Angels to give a vent to his love And that long avum the ages that were before the world was brought it green to us that long long endlesse and vast duration when time shall bee no more cannot make Christs love change the colour or grow lesse or root one Saint out of his heart When God leaveth off to bee God â—râ—ce will leave off to bee Grace Make Christ repent of Grace if you can as Christ has washen his Spouse and in regard of the guilt of sin has made her all fair and spotlesse so doth he dayly lick and purge and cleanse her in regard of the inherent bâ—ot while shee bee faire as the Sunne and all a new heaven Asser. 7. In the third consideration from this suspension of divine influence cometh our sinne as a necessary consequent and result yet so as the Lords suspension and our transgression fall both in the bosome of divine providence The Lord knoweth why be withdraweth his grace that we mâ—ght know how weighty a thiâ—g grâ—at heaven is laid upon our poor shoulders and that we would make foule woâ—k out of all wee have received and the flock the second Adam has given is if we had not Christ to stirre the ship to lead the minors to heaven to keepe the inheritance to the little heirs of Christ should evanish to nothing Poâ—tion 9. If wee consider the Lords denyall of Christ from wicked men they câ—nnot turne to God but that impotency lay in the womb of will it is not weaknesse onely but also wilfulnesse Matth. 23. verse 37. I would have gathered you saith Christ yee would not Ioh. 5.6 Christ saith to the sick man wilt thou bee made whole Then there was a stop in his will as well as in his weaknesse er 44.16 As for the word that thou hast spoken to us in the Name of the Lord we will not heaâ—ken to thee 2. Love and delight to do ill is from the strength and marrow of the will not from weaknes only the seruant that would not leave his master because he loved him is a slave for ever through love to slavery rather then through impotency to bee free In those that dâ—light to doe eâ—il Will hath a strong influence in the evil they doe every sinner esteemes his prison of hell a heaven hiâ— fetters of sinne on his legs as a gold chain about his neck 3. It is a journey of a hundreth miles to Christ it is unpossible to the naturall man to compasse it yet he may walk two of these hundreth miles though not as a part of the way he will not so much as cast a sad look after Christ the will not bestow one sigh after Christ nor know his own weaknesse nor dâ—spair of his own hability nor lie at the water-side and câ—y Lord Iesus come carry me over he positively hates Christ were it possible that the unrenewed man had the two eyes of a renewed man to see the beauty and high excellenâ—y of Iesus though he had still his own lame legs he would weep out his eyes for a Chariot to carry him to Christ hee would send sad love-challenges after Christ could these that ' are scortched in hell-fire and hear the howling of their fellow prisoners and see the ugly Devils the bloody Scorpions with which
Not to minde Mr Town that else-where he meaneth by the Law that we are not under not the Morall Law only but the Ceremoniall also if we be freed from all authority of the Law then hath the sixth command no authority from God to teach that murthering of our brother 〈◊〉 sinne that Idolatry is contrary to the second command 〈◊〉 acts of holinesse and worship performed by 〈…〉 wil-service and wil-worship for if 〈…〉 and direct us what is holy walking 〈…〉 by the Antinomian way doth not teach any such thing in the letter then it s all unwritten wil-walking that a believer doth this is licence not holinesse wee are called unto 2. Then is it not the Lawes office to reveale sinne to us Paul saith contrary Rom. 3.20 for by the Law is the knowledge of sinne Rom. 7.7 I had not known lust except the Law had said thou shalt not covet free a believer from all the offices of the Law Then the believer when he lies and whores and murthers is not obliged to know or open his eyes and see from the light of the Law that these be sins for Mr Town looseth him from all the offices of the Law Paul mis-judged himself when in his believing condition he saith Rom. 7.14.15 for we know that the Law is spirituallâ— but I am carnall sold under sinne 3. From the Lawes teaching of believers to inferre that the Law lordeth it over a beliver is a great fallacy 4. If the enemy sinne be spoyled of all power even of indwelling and lusting against the Spirit then the believer cannot faile against a Law then he may say he has no sin which Iohn saith is a lie 5. If Christ communicate abundant effectuall grace of sanctification then is sanctification perfect but the Scripture saith the contrary in many things we offend all and we are not perfect in this life nor are we more then Conquerours in every act of sanctâ—fication nor is that Pauls meaning Rom. 8. that we are never foiled and that lusts in some particular acts have not the better of us too often but that finally in the strength of Christ the Saints are so farre forth more then Conquerors that nothing can work the Apostacy and separation of the Saints from the love God in Christ. Mr Towne 's assertion of Grace Pag. 4.5 Mark three grounds of mistakes 1. That justification and sanctification are separable if not in the person yet in regard of time and word of Ministration as if the Gospel revealed justification the Law were now become an effectuall instrument of sanctification 2. That to ease men of the Laws yoak is to suffer them to range after the course of the world and 〈…〉 luâ—s not considering that the righteousnâ—sse of 〈…〉 to Christ their Lord head and Governour that they may be led by his free Spirit and swayd by the Scepter of his Kingdome 3. That all zealous and strict conformity to the Law of works though but in the letter is right sanctification Answ. 1. Not any of these are owned by Protestant Divines they are Mr. Townes forged calumnies to the first I cannot see that sanctification is any thing at all by Antinomian grounds but meere justification and that he is an Antinomian saint that believeth Christ satisfied and performed the Law for him but no letter of Law or Gospel layeth any obligation on him to walk in holinesse But the Gospel only revealeth engraffting of the branch in Christ the Vine-tree and stock of life and the bringing forth fruits by the faith of Christ to be the only true sanctification but if the apples be not of the right seed conforme to the derecting rule of all righteousnesse the Law of God they are but wilde grapes we never made the Law the effectuall instrument of sanctification a help it is being preached with the Gospel but neither is the Gospel of it selfe the effectuall instrument of sanctification except the spirit of grace accompany it nor the law of it selfe 2. The second is a calumny also But we would desire to know how Antinomians can free themselves of it for the righteousnesse of faith doth not so unite believers to Christ as to their Governour so as Christ governeth them by the Spirit and the Word for the letter of the whole Word both Law and Gospel say they holdeth forth nothing but a covenant of works to search the Scripture either Law or Gospel is not a sure way of searching and finding of Christ and Mr Towne passeth in silence all guidance of the Saints by commandements of either Law or Gospel and tells us of a leading by a free Spirit only So that by Antinomians we are no more under the Gospel as a directing and commanding rule then we are under the Law what hindereth then but Antinomian justification bids us live as we list we think the Gospel commandeth every duty and forbiddeth every sin as the Law doth under damnation what is sinne to the one is to the other But the Gospel forbiddeth nothing to a justified believer under the paine of damnation more then to Iesus Christ. 2. A dead lâ—râ—er forbiddeth no sinne commandeth no duty but the Gospel of it selfe without the Spirit is a dead letter as well as the Law the major is the Antinomian doctrine the assumption is undeniable 3. Pharisaicall conformity to the Law we disclaime but if any could be strictly and perfectly conforme to the Law of works as Christ was we should think such a man perfectly sanctified but through the weaknesse of the flesh that is unpossible I know not what Mr Towne meanes by a conformity to the Law though but in the Letter if he meanes that the literall meaning and sense of the Law requireth no spirituall inwardâ— and compleatly perfect obedience he is no good Doctor of the Law and if it be not such an obedience it is not zealous and strict obedience but its ordinary to Antinomians now to tearm these whom the Prelaticall party of late called Puritans and strict Precisians because they strove to walk closely with God Pharisies and out-side Professors who think to be justified and saved by their own righteousnesse so farre are they at odds with sanctification if by conformity to the Law in the Letter Mr Towne meanes externall obedience without faith in Iesus Christ or union with him he knows Protestant Divines acknowledge no â—ound sanctification but that which is the naturall issue and fruit of justification and flowes from faith which purifieth the heart and such strict conformity to the Law as floweth from saving faith we hold to be true sanctification though all enemies to holy walking cry out against it such as mockers of all religion the Prelaticall and Antinomian party who mock strict walking and long prayer and humble confession of sinnes and smiting of conscience for sinne Towne Page 5. Blinde and sinister suspition and causeless fear inclined Doctor Taylor to this exposition to say our Apostle
looseth no Christian from obedience and rule of the Law but he dares not trust a believer to walk without his keeper as if he judged no otherwise of him then of a Malector of New-gate who would runne away rob kill and play his former Pranks if the jaylor or his man be not with him when he is abroad Answ. 1. There is a twofold keeping in of sinners one meerely legall such as that of wicked men Psal. 32.9 Who are like the horse or mule and have no understanding whose mouth must be held in with bite and bridle least they come neare unto you The Law hath not power over wicked men ever with terrors of hell and the curse of God because often they bee given up to a hard heart and what cared Pharoah who was under the Law for this keeper and to a reprobate minde and to any that commit sin with greedinesse having the conscience burnt with a hot Iron and being passed feeling Rom. 1.28.29 Eâ—hes 4.17 18 19. 1 Tim. 4.2 The Law is no keeper they care no more for Mr Towns goale that a Lyon doth for the crying of a shepheard he will not abase himselfe for it all the restraint that Law layes on a naturall man is when the conscience is wakened or some great plague is on Pharaoh then he dare not keep the people captive but Antinomians have a good opinion of slaves of Satan who judge them to be civill and externally honest Devils and make lims of hell of a good sweet calme nature who stand naturally in awe of Gods Law but Rom. 3.9 10 11. among the whole Tribe and race of mankinde Iewes and Gentiles see what they care for the Antinomian Goaler the law they believe not one word of the Law saith ver 11. there is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh God ver 12. They are all gone out of the way where is the keeper now and his sword and speare they are altogether become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one ver 13. their throat is an open grave with their tongues they have used deceit the poyson of Asps is under their lips c. The law layeth not naturally a bridle on the outer man but observe that the conscience be restrained and awed by the Law and under any naturall remorse for sinne committed or to bee committed is a sinfull bondage that Christ must deliver us us from 1. Then stupefaction and deadnesse of conscience not to care for the law of God more then a prisoner who has broken goale and now is in hedges and high-wayes robbing and murthering cares for his old keeper is to Antinomians mortification and a crucifying of old Adam 2. So Iobs not daring to lift his arme against the fatherlesse chap. 31. must be the power of old Adam in him Davids bones broken for his adultery and murther must be the power of old lusts in him 3. Then the lesse tendernesse of conscience and feare for sinne as sinne the more mortification of lust 4. Grace as grace stupifieth and deadeth conscience so Antinomians must teach 2. Men naturally doe more good for the prayse of men and are more affraid to doe ill for the Axe and the Gibbet of the Magistrate then for any feare of Hell or Iudgement of the Law of God Towne cannot speak of this keeper there is a second restraint that the Law mixt with the love of Christ layeth on the godly and believer and he has need of this keeper so Ioseph saith Gen. 42 18. this doe and live for I feare God There was a keeper over Iob that he durst not lift up his hand against the Fatherlesse cap. 31. why ver 27. For destruction from God was a terrour to me and by reason of his highnesse I could not endure and this keeper in the conscience smites Davids heart when he renteth but the lap of Sauls garment and keeps him that hee dare not kill him this was not legall bondage for Christ commandeth Math. 10.28 29. Luk. 12 5. us to feare him that can cast both soule and body in Hell rather ere we deny him before men who can but kill the body 1 Pet. 2.17 Col. 3.22 Act. 9.31 Act. 13.16 it is commanded to us I grant the object of this feare is not so much Hell as the offending of God but it is commanded in the Law of God but Mr Town will have the believer so free so perfect as the Law needeth not to teach and direct him in one step he doth all without a keeper or one letter of a command by the free impulsion of a Spirit separated from Scripture that is right down a believer is neither under Law nor Gospel but a Spirit separated from the Gospel and all letter of it and from the Law guides him Towne Pag. 5.6 But I muse why you omit to show what it is to be under graâ—e which is the member opposite to being under the Law Paul treatâ—th of sanctification and yet maketh this contrariety of being under the Law and under grace the Law must be â—aken comprehensively with all his offices and authority and that the reason is firme that sinne shall not have dominion over him who liveth under the grace of the Gospel because it hath a sanctifying vâ—rtue and power in it to subdue sinne Answ. Dr Taylor did not omit to expound what it is to be under grace if you had not omitted to read his words he is cleare to any unpartiall Reader but let your exposion stand sin shall have no dominion over you for yee are not under the Law as teaching directing regulating believers in the way of righteousnesse but under grace that is under the Gospel which giveth power to subdue sinne without any ruling teaching or directing power of the Law but what is the power of subduing sinne to Antinomions I pray you not sanctification as in words they say but justification that is a power to believe Christ by doing and suffering has fulfilled and obeyed the Law for you but yee are under no command to walk according to the rule of righteousnesse in the Law so that to be under the Law is just contrary to personall and reall sanctification and walking in love and in Evangelick duties even as to be under the Law and to be under grace are opposed by the Apostle then as we are obliged not to be under the Law but under grace so are we obliged to no personall sanctification or holy walking but to objective and imputative sanctification only that is only to believe in Christ as made our righteousnesse and sanctification now as we are not obliged to bee inherently righteous so are we not obliged to be inherently and personally sanctified and holy for that is to be under the Law as the rule of righteousnesse now we are freed from the Law as our rule of righteousnesse and from the Law with all its offices and authority saith Mr Towne and to remaine
the free Spirit is sin and to obey for the letter of the command to Antinomians is to controule the free Spirit but its blasphemy to say that there is a contraiety between the letter of the Lords command either in Law or Gospel and the free impulsion of the Spirit working â—in us by grace to will doe and obey the command â—or to obey the voyce of the Lord in his Prophets and Apostles and to obey the Lord himselfe are all one in the word but this is the error of old Anabaptists and Enthysiasts to reject the word and all teaching by men and the word and to leane to the only immediate inspirations and free motions of the Holy Ghost and to doe or obey for any other teaching is the way of legall and law-men led by the letter not by the Spirit If any obey or doe Gods will out of by respects or for feare of punishment or hope of reward they doe not Gods will nor obey they from the power of an outward command nor doe they controule the free Spirit because the very letter and outward commandement enjoyneth inward spiriâ—uall sincere obedience farre from hypocrisie and forbiddeth in the sense of the letter of it all servile respects and service of God for hire Antinomians believe that the Law as the law doth ommand men to obey for fear of hell as a servant for beating obeyeth his Master or that it commandeth perfect obedience for hire of life eternall I doâ—bt not to say this is not far from blasphemy for the Law is spirituall and holy and good and most just it s a cleane and undefiled Law Psal. 119. Rom. 7. is the expresse and image of thâ— good acceptable and perfect will of God Rom. 12.2 then the Law as the Law can command no finer hypocrisie no servile no mercenary obedience for hire for the Law cannot command sin its true Luther saith that the Law compelleth men to obey God but he speaketh of the accidental operation fruit of the Law because of our sinfull disposition and of the condemning Law as it works on our corruption the holy Law commandeth no man to obey God wickedly 2. The letter of the Gospel carrieth to us and holdeth forth free grace openeth the bowels and heart of Christ calleth on the weary and loaden to come to Christ speaketh heaven glory and the promise in the wombe of it though it be but the foolishnesse of preaching of men yet it s the power oâ— God to salvation and there is such a Majesty so much of heaven in the womb and bowels of the word that as I never read or heard the like of it so I shall hate that Religion that joyns with popery to call it Ink-divinity and a letter and a legall servile thing so did the Libertines in Calvines time 3. All tendeth to this that we despise prophecying neglect the word commands promises covenant of grace and all these inferiour meanes and so praying experience conference hearing reading Sacraments because without the Spirit these are livelesse and dead for saith Towne the meanes are passive shall be also many restraints laid on the free Spirit of God But so we should not saile nor traffiâ—k we should not plew nor eare we should not watch the City nor build houses because all these are fruitlesse without the influence of a blessing from heaven if their meaning be that we are not to trust or rest on the meanes the word promises covenant of grace but to seek Christ himsâ—lfe in all these its good but then to seek Christ in his own way is not to controule his spirit as Mr Town phancieth Now what Town doth meane in saying that the Spirit freely conformeth the heart and life to the outward rule of the law without the help of the Law is heard to conjecture for â—f the meaning be that the Spirit needeth the heâ—p of the Law to make us know our sinnes to humble us and chase us to him who is the end of the Law then surely the Spirit by the help of the Law worketh these in us as God maketh cornes to grow by husbandry raine good soile and by nature his handmaide no man can say God works here without the help of the Law if the meaning be that the law of it selfe cannot convert a man to God Antinomians father most falsely such a dream on us nay the Gospel of it selfe cannot effectuate this without the Spirit But if the Spirit conforme us to the outward rule of the law then must the law be yet a rule of our obedience how are we then freed from the law as a rule of our obedience if the Spirit led us back to this rule And Rom. 3. Rom. 7. Gal. 3. 2 Cor. 3. where the Apostle speaketh of our freedome from the law he ever speaketh of our freedome from the law as it condemneth as it worketh wrath as it involveth us in a curse as it can justifie us or give life never as it doth regulate direct teach and lead us in the way of righteousnesse Mr Towne Pag. 9. What freeth a believer from the curse but because he is a new creature in Christ and is made personally perfectly and everlastingly righteous and the principall debt is obedience the failing wherein bindeth â—ver to the curse and death Answ. That new creature is sanctification not justificatification 2 Cor. 5.17 If any man be in Christ that is if he be justified hâ— is a new creature that is he is sanctified else by the Antinomian glosse the meaning must be if any man be justified in Christ he is justified in Christ Paul speaketh not so non sense 2. It is true we owe active obedience to the law as a debt but that is the dâ—bt of absoluteâ—y perfect obâ—dience how shall it follow that Christ has loosed us from all debt of active obedience because he has loosed us from a necessity of perfect active obedience under the paine of damnation but the Law as in the hand of Iesus the Mediator or the law 〈◊〉 spiritualized and lustered with Gospel law and free-grace and drawn downe to a Covenant of free-grace reqâ—ireth not exact perfect obedience under paine of losing salvation yea it requireth obedience as the poore man is able to give it by the grace of God that the man enter in the possession of life eternall but that he may have ransome-right by merit and conquest to heaven or to free justification in Christ the law cannot crave either legall or Evangelick obedience This then is no more a good consequence then to say Christ has by his death freed us from death and suffering as they are caused by the Law and satisfactory to justice therefore Christ hath freed us from death and sufferings in any respect Yea Paul showeth what Law it is that we are freed from Rom. 8.2 it is the Law condemning and killing called the law of sinne and death and he saith expressely Christ dyed for
the law ruling and directing and this law-ruling of it selfe giveth no grace to obey buâ— this is a calumnious consequence the promises of the Gospel in the letter giveth no grace to obey the Spirit bloweth when and wheâ—e â—e listeth and giveth grace freely to the gospel preached yet we reach not that any can beleeve and obey the gospel without the grace of Christ. 3. The law so is passive of it selfe to Christ to Adam in the sâ—ate of innocency in this sence that the law as the law commandeth obedience to both but containeth not any legall promise of giving grace to obey to either Adam or Christ As the Gospel containeth a promise of bestowing grace to beleeve in all the elect Now if this be the cause why the justified are freed from the law as a rule of Righteousnesse because there is no legall promise made to them by which they aâ—e inabled to keep the law then was Christ Ieâ—us and Adam in his innocency freed from the law as a rule of Râ—ghteousnâ—sse which is most absurd for the law as the law commanded Christ to fuâ—fill all righteousnesse Matth. 3.15 but so did it Adam â—uâ— show a legall promise made to Christ by the law that he should have grace to obey the law indeed the Lord promâ—sed hiâ— the Spirit above measure but this was no law-promise So God created Adam according to his own image with perfect concâ—eated strength and power to keep the law but the law as the law made no promise to Adam that hâ—e should be kâ—pt in obedience But if this be called action or activitie in the law to rule guide direct and command obedience as a rule then the law is no wise passive it s more then the Kings high-way No way cryeth to the conscience of the traveler this is the way no Kings way showeth the traveller his errour as the law in its directing ruling and teaching power breaketh in upon the conscience and declareth to the justified man the way he should walk in and convinceth him of his unrighteousnesse and dayly faults Towne pag. 10. The Law wrappeth every man in sinne for the least transgression so that while a man remaineth a sinner hee necessarily abideth under this fearfull curse Answ. Still Antinomians bewray their engine If wee say even being justified we have no sinne we lye and who can say I have cleansed my heart I am pure from sinne and There is not a just man on earth that sinneth not 1 Ioh. 1.10 Prov. 20.9 Eccles. 7.20 Then there cannot bee a man on earth but he is under the curse of God but Antinomians say and that truly that the justified persons are freed from the curse then they have no sinne nay they cannot sinne by their arguing for they will have the curse essentially and unseparably to follow sinne which is most false sinne dwelleth in all the justified so long as they are here but they are here delivered from the curse Our deliverance from misery and the bondage of the law is two fold as our misery is twofold 1. There is a guilt of sin or our obligation to eternall wrath and all the punishments of sinne according to the order of justice by the law of God The other misery is the blot of internall guilt of sin by which sin dwelleth in us by nature as a King and lord Tyrant awing us by the law of sinne In regard of the former Christ is our Saviour meritò by the merrit of his death in regard of the latter Christ is our Saviour efficacia by giving us the holy Ghost and faith to lay hold on Righteousnesse in Christ and grace to walk holily before him In regard of the former wee are freely and perfectly justified and pardoned at once from all sinnes in our person and state through the sence of this and in regard of deliverance from temporall judgements and doubtings and fears of eternall wrath eveâ—y day while we seeke dayly bread we desâ—â—e â—hat our sinnes may be forgiven nor is this prayer a temporâ—rie pattern that perished with Christ as some perveâ—sly 〈◊〉 for Peter aâ—ter the Lords ascention saith to Simoâ— Magus Act. 8.22 pray God if perhaps the thought of thine heart may â—e forgiven thâ—â— In regard 〈…〉 are saâ—ctified by dâ—gâ—ees nâ—ver 〈…〉 sin is removed in 〈…〉 thâ—reof in justification only sin â—welleâ—h in us while we aâ—â— here In regard of the â—ormer miserie faith in Christ is the only 〈◊〉 and way to gâ—t out of our bondage and misery in â—egaâ—d of the â—â—â—ter Râ—pentance and the whole trace of our new obedience are the the means to escape out of this miserie nor do we make acts of sanctification compartners and joynt causes or conditions in the work of justification for this is from Christ alone solely immediately as by looking on the brazen serpent onely the stung Israelites were cured Nor doth weeping or acts of mens obedience move the Lord to wash justifie and pardon our sinnes but repentance and new obedience are means tending to our escaping out of the latter bondage as the rising of the sunne is a way to the full noone-light day though we can attaine to no Meridian nor full noone day of sanctifications while the body of sin keepeth lodging in us in this life but the Law of works is not so enwrapt and entwined together as Mr. Towne dreameth that if a man lay hands on any even the least linke he inevitably pulleth the whole chaine on himselfe as hee that is circumcised Gal. 5. made himselfe debter to the whole Law For circumcision not only in the matter of justification but also of sanctification is now unlawfull So to repent and love the brethren to obey our parents as looking thereby for remission of sinnes should be unlawfull and a falling from Christ but in the matter of Sanctification and of testifying our thankfullnesse to Christ for the work of our redemption and as the way to the possession of the kingdome they are noâ— unlawfull but commanded as necessary duties by which an entrance is ministered to us into the heavenly kingdome Yea our holy walking since it is no merit but a fruit of grace and a condition required in such as are saved and have opportunitie to honour Christ that wâ—y taketh not away the freedome of Grace for where the Scripture saith wee are sâ—ved by Grace without works as Tit. 3 Ephes. 2. salvation is spoken of there in regard of the title right jus or claim the Saints have to heaven excluding all merits of works our obedience is not full compleat and perfect only they are counted so and accepted in Christ Phil. 4.18 Heb. 13.15 16. Col. 3.17 Mr Towne answereth with other Antinomians The just and wise God who accepteth every thing by due weight and measure as it is found to bee hee doth not nay cannot account that which is but inchoat and partiall for full and compleat obedience nor can it stand with justice
to accept any thing which is not first perfect seeing that perfection and absolutenesse is the ground of acceptance both of our persons and performances yee must make both the tree and the fruit perfectly good before God 2. What God saith he hath manifested to be detestable and accursed that he cannot accept but hee hath manifested by scripture that what ever is not absolutely perfect is detestable and accursed Gal. 3.10 Hab. 1.13 Rom. 1.18 The proposition is grounded on the immutablenesse of Gods nature who cannot deny himselfe Iam. 1.18 and his exact justice who will not suffer the losse of the least title of his righteousnesse Mat. 5.18 God is no respecter of persons his Law inviolable and can suffer no abatement Answ. God in justification accounts us righteous in Christ and positively guiltlesse as freed from obligation to eternall wrath and cloathed with Christs righteousnesse but hee accounts not us non-sinnets and free from indwelling sâ—nne that should be an unjust account for wee are not so but God accounteth our works perfect only negatively that is such they are before God as he will not enter in judgement with us for them but graciously pardoneth the sinnes of thâ—se works but God doth not account these works positively worthy of life eternall even in Christ as he accounteth our persons far lesse doth he judge them meritorious hence there is a twofold accâ—eptation one of Good will to our persons in Christ that is that Good will of free election by which he renderâ—â—h us accepted in his beloved there is another acceptance of complacencie according to which God is said to love and reward our good works even to a cup of cold water Ioh. 14.21.23 Matth. 10.42 2. Thess. 1.7 Heb. 6.10 and that of free-grace they are called perfect as perfection is opposed to hypocriticall but not perfect simply Phil. 3.12 but the acceptance of our works in Christ is an acceptance inferior to the acceptance of our persons in justification hence God takes pleasure in thâ—se that feare him because they feare him not as though his love quoad affectum in it selfe had a cause in the creature or can wax or encrease or can admit of a change but because he bestoweth the fruits of his love out of free-grace and a gratious promise to our sincere walking and this is rather the fruit of his love amor quoad effectum then Gods love it selfe all this proceedeth from a grosse mistake of the nature of justification I answer 2. to that That which is inchoat sinfully defective and imcompleat that the righteous and unchangeable God cannot account perfect and compleat or that which is sinfully defective or that which is sinfull God cannot account not sinfull It is true it were an erroneous and unjust account now the proposition is true but the assumption most false the good works of the regenerate and justified are sinfull But Gods accounting of them perfect putteth no contradiction on them to account them not sinfull God accounts not Davids adultery to bee an act of chastity This is the Papists argument against the imputed righteousnesse of Christ which Antinomians being utterly ignorant of the nature of justification bring against us the other part of the distinction is That which is sinfull and defective in it selfe and inherently or really and physically that God cannot account perfect that is God cannot account it and the doer legally free from obligation to eternall wrath for the satisfaction of another the surety of sinners who has payd and suffered for it that is most false and should destroy the Protestant justification when we say God accounteth the good works of believers good and perfect so as the imperfection and sinne of them is removed we meane not by removing of the sinne of these works the totall annihilation of sinne in its essence root and branch it dwelleth in us in its compleat essence while we are here Rom. 7.17.23 Prov. 20.9 1 Ioh. 1.8.10 only the dominion by sanctification is abated and the guilt or obligation to eternall wrath is removed in justification and this Argument may well be retorted Who ever is a sinner the righteous and immutable God whose judgâ—ment is acâ—ording to verity and cannot suffer the losse of the least titlâ— of his righteousnesse Matth. 5.18 cannot esteeme him just and perfectly righteous But all men even the regenerate are sinners No answer no distinction can be accommodated to this Argument which may not be applyed to their argument for God is no lesse just righteous immutable true no respecter of persons and his Law inviolable in his accounting of persons righteous and perfect then in accounting of works righteous and perfect Now that the fruits and the tree are both good and simply perfect and all the works of the justified perfect in Christ is a point of new divinity very contrary first to Scripture which saith Iam. 3.2 in many things we offend all 1 Ioh. 1.8 If we say wee have no sinne we deceive our selves ver 10. If we say we have not sinned we make him a lyar and his word is not in us Antinomians say Iohn speaking of a mixt multitude is to bee meant to speak of the unregenerate mixed with the justified Answ. 1. Iohn takes in himselfe 2. He speaketh of such as confesse their sinnes and are pardoned ver 9. 2 of such as have an Advocate in heaven if they sinne chap. 2.1 and these are the justified and regenerate and Prov. 20.9 Who can say I have made my heart cleane I am pure from my sinne hee speaks not there of a mixed multitude but sendeth a Law-defiance to all mankinde justified or not justified yea Eccles. 7.20 There is not a just man on earth that doth good and sinneth no these words are so wisely framed that they exclude not the justified in Christ who undoubtly do good but they do not so good saith Salomon but they sinne so Paul complaineth of sinne dwelling in him Rom. 7. 2 Sinne originall after justification to Antinomians must be no sinne as to Papists its no sinne after baptisme 3 If our works bee perfect in the sight of God then wee may be justified by our works for Antinomians say if Christ esteeme our works perfect he may account us righteous for them and we may bee said to be justified both by works and by grace because its free grace that the Lord accounts our works Righteous 4 Wee constantly deny that Christ by his death hath given to our good works a power of meriting heaven but if God in Christ count then simply perfect there is no reason to deny this because our works are simply perfect by Antinomians way this is more Pharisaicall then Popish justification FINIS Psâ—â— 53 8. Town asser of 〈◊〉 pag. 76 77.78 Eaton Honey combe of justifiâ—atiâ—n ca 11 pag. 338.339.340.341 c. Saltmarsh Free grace pag. 140. Luther in an Epistle to D. Guttel against the Antinomians Zach. 13.7 Opening of the words It s
punishment The ill Angels created good as the elect Aâ—gels Ill angels saw God before their fall as did the elect The ill Angels before their fall knew nothing of the incarnation of Christ. Satan knoweth not the thoughts of the heart Satan hath no immediate power over free-will nor tempteth he to aâ—l sins that are committed in the in-most Court of the heart Satans knowledge naturall and acquired Satan hath a lâ—gall power over man It s not certain by Scripture that Beelzebub loseth the Princedome over his fellow-Angels at the last judgement How Satan keepeth still and exerciseth his power of tempting though he hath lost his Princedom by Christs death Satan a prince for his power over other Satan an enâ—mie not to be dâ—spised for his lownesse What it is to tempt and how Satans power is put forth in tempting Gâ—l Paâ—isiens tâ—act 〈◊〉 Chaâ—twright Catâ—â—h c. 4â— Satan can not fire the wil against our will Every tempted creâ—ture is a sufferer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perforo tento It s good to know when we are tempted and what God and Satan ayme at Every temptation cometh under the vaâ—â— of good Things are â—ligiblâ— ratâ—er because lawfull and honest then because good and pleasant How temptations teâ—d to sinne Satans power on the outward man It s no good argument we can dâ—e and all this on our selves therefore Satan can doe it We have a greater power over our owne uâ—dâ—â—standiâ—g and will then â—iâ—her good or bad Angels can have Devils have power over our naturals â—â—t our morals God onâ—ly knoweth the â—eart and thoughts and acts thereof considerable gâ—ounds thereof The true reason why God onely knoweth the hâ—art the reason of Suarez refused Suarez tom de Dâ—o Angelâ—s lib 2 de potentia inteâ—lectiâ—a Angeloâ—um natura câ—p 23. n 17. Satan hath no power over our â—ill but whâ—t leaveth guiltinesse on us Satans power over the creatures Satan acteth at one time on sense and on reâ—son Saâ—an worketh on the soul throâ—gh the body and on the body throâ—gh the soule A double sin and a double punishment of Satan Climbing men-like the devil Satan first marâ—ed the comâ—ly order of creation Satanâ— second sin and how hee is yet in acting his first sinne Satans sin the sâ—nne in nature with the sin against the holy Ghost Punishments inflâ—cted on Satan What sadnesse is in Satan Satans naturall knowledge hurt his practicall knowledge that was found is lost The devill a foole Satan hath no infused grace What faith Satan hath Satans despair without all hope Satans obduration Christ is Satans Judge and caster out Christ Satans Iudge and how Satan foiled man as a tempter a Man destroyeth Satan as a Iudge Viâ—â—oâ—y over the Dâ—vils by thâ— man Chrâ—st mâ—râ— gloriâ—us thâ—n â—f Gâ—od aâ—soâ—utâ—ly haâ— sâ—bdueâ— hâ—m Hâ—â—ven not cuâ—â—ered by a surprisall or wilâ—s but â—y open warrâ— 5. Vse 1. The Lords knowing the hearts should teach us sâ—ncerity Vse 2. State-wit against Christ jolly Vse 3. Theolog. Germanica chap. 2 p. 5. Vse 4. It s to jâ—â—low the Devill to sinne against light Vse 4. Oâ—dâ—ration Vse 5. The good fight The reall expressions of our obligation to the conqueror of Devils â—ix considerable points touching Christs drawing of sinners Foure considerable points touching drawing Drawing is by either violence wiles or persâ—asion He draweâ—â— No proper violence in drawing the will How there is no violence in being drawn and yet a necessity from new principles A twofold consideration of dispâ—sitions going before conversion Men have reason why they will perish Hen tam dulce est perire Will the nearest cause not weaknesse only why men are not drawn to Christ. We naturally hate Christ but we see it not Men naturally hate Christ more then the Saints Men have no stirrings of desires for a life above them No similitude between the naturall mans dâ—sires and Christ. The place Ioh. 6.44 No mâ—n can come to me c. opened Will most averse to Christ. Will not weakenesse the nearest câ—â—se of our not comming to Christ. Free grace the strong and only cause why men are drawn Christs love can over-save and out-live the world The magnitude of free grace The way of Graces working gratious and free The place Ezech 16.8 And when I passed by thee c. Opened Articles of free love Thâ—t Christ is gratious for hire is an abasing of Christ. Christ superlative How like free gracâ— is to God The wonder of grace in heaven Whâ— grace in Christ now glorified Grace the onely birth of heaven What preparations goe before conversion A fourefold consideration of preparations before conversion No preparations from nature No preparations can have effective influence in our being drawne to Christ. Preparations before conversion no formall part of conversion There be no Moâ—all precepts before conversion to which any promise iâ— annexed No promises out of Christ. (a) Saltmâ—rsh â—ree-grace c. 2. pag 1â— 18. (b) M Denne Coâ—fâ—renâ—e â—etwâ—eâ—e the Sick man and a 〈◊〉 p 3. In what seâ—se a desire to pray and to bâ—leeve is prayer and faith Materiall 〈◊〉 so more in some 〈…〉 Dispositions 〈…〉 conversion God may use a prerogativâ— Royall in coâ—verting without dispâ—sâ—tions or in working them most swiftly Not any Protestants ever taught that Evangelike Repentance is a previous preparation to conversion Antinomians salumniate us in this Antinomians yeeld preparations which is refuted a Saltmarsh Free grace cap. 2. pag. 16. b Eaton Honey-combe â—a 2. pag. 7.8 True and lively feeling of sin 〈◊〉 not goe before but must so low after conversion Objections of Antinomians especially of Saltmarsh Free grace c. â— pag. 1 20. c. removed To doe duties without relying on them is not to seeke righteousnesse in our selves They are coâ—mandâ—ed to 〈…〉 have nâ—t the Spiriâ— without which they cannot pray Dispairing of salvâ—tion in our selfe no part of such but wâ—â—ught by the Law in â—â—ry never converted Christ take us in our 〈◊〉 before we â—eleeve Saltmarsh Christ onely 〈…〉 to 〈…〉 Crisp Vol. â— Ser. 1 130.1â—1.132.1â—3.134.135 Wrath is to be preached to bâ—leevers and how A namâ—lâ—sse pamphlet of Antinomian answered â—y N. Hiâ—de Saltmarsh Saltmarsh Sâ—lâ—marâ—hes owne experience Thâ—â—zspanâ— prâ—sumpption aâ—d to beleeve a lye Faith is not formally the apprehension of Gods eternall love of election A contradiction in Salâ—marsh All come to Christ with foule faces that ordinarily come Notâ—ing in our selves can â—itâ—y 〈…〉 â—or 〈◊〉 No waâ—t of qualifications should binder us to come to Christ. The order of redemption and of drawiâ—g sinners to Christ not one How many wayes we are justified Antinomians make the Saints blocks in all the good they â—oe (a) Râ—se reign and 〈…〉 4 pag 19. (b) Er. 6â— pag. 13. (c) Er. 52. pag 10. (d) Er. 57.11 (e) Er. 59. (f) Er. 43. (g) Er. 1. Er. 2. (i) Saltmarsh Free grâ—câ— cap 4â— p. â—79 (k) Rise reign c. er 49. pag. 9. What place we give to preparations before conversion Divers flâ—sâ—ly