the transient Law-dispensation and to set up Christ. 2. The Lord of purpose gave a positive Law forbidding eating of such a Tree added a threatning thereunto particularly suffered the Serpent to tempt and forsaw what frail nature would do that he might deal with man in a dispensation of free grace Obj. Did not God ordain that Adam should have life and righteousnesse if he should continue in obedience Ans. That was a decree conditionall of things the man that does these things shall live and showes the equitie and holinesse of the Law but it was not a decree of persons by which God predestinated Adam to a Law-glory as the end and to Law-obedience as the effectuall means leading to that end Q. Was not Adam chosen Ans. Adam according to the Lords designe finaliter objectivè was created in the state of predestination to glory and grace in Christ as touching his person but according to his inherent condition he was created in a legall dispensation which was a gracious inlet to Christ And according to his Law-state as he represented all mankinde he was Created as a lubrick and frail Coppie of weak nature Many who are such as are not chosen are Created and live under a Covenant of Works having onely some concomitant favours of the Gospel as the Preaching thereof 2. Common grace inward warnings 3. Protections of providence and forbearance in regard they are mixed with the Elect. The heathen cannot be said to have any inward calling to Grace and Glory because there be some remanents of the Image of God left in them which no more can be called universall Grace then the same sparkles that are left in Devils can be called Gospel Grace for they believe There is one God and confesse the Son of God Jam. 2.19 Luk. 4.34 Mark 1.24 Only if this be called Grace that the nature of man is so capable of Gospel mercy and the nature of the fallen Angels morallie not so 2. The offer is made to them of Christ not so to Devils we shall not contend Reason may seeme to say that all should have a share of Gospel-Grace but it may be replyed to reason why should it seeme to be a part of the goodnesse and bounty of God to will and desire all and every one to be saved and not to institute such a dispensation as all and every one should actuallie be saved 2. How should that stand he hath mercy on whom he will if free-will of the creature absolutely dispose of Salvation and damnation 3. How is it that the Calling Adoption and the offer of mercy is restricted to few and was confined to the Jews only of old But we are more ready to call the Lord to a reckoning for his dispensation of Grace to others then to use our own as becomes us 2. We cannot judge aright of God and of his goodnes except he be God our very way 3. It is a matter of no small difficultie to make right use of the Lords freedome of Grace and for clay humblie to adore Soveraigntie and not to stumble at the highnesse of his wayes who in these points hath wayes and thoughts above ours as the heavens are above the earth Isa. 55. CHAP. VI. It was condescension in the Lord to enter in Covenant with man 2. Temptations in fearing we are not chosen discovered 3. Beings and not beings are debtors to God 4. Self denyall required in sinlesse nature as in sinfull 5. Man considered three wayes WHither was God under an obligation to make a Covenant with man Hardly can any maintain the dominion and Soveraigntie of God and also assert an obligation on the Lords part of working upon the creature The Lord is debtor to neither person nor things He as Lord commands but it is condescension that he commands Covenant-wayes with promise of a reward to the obeyer The Leviathan in strength is far above Job he cannot command him Job 14.4 Will he make Berith a Covenant with thee wilt thou take him for a servant for ever That is the Leviathan will not engadge as a servant to obey Iob as his master A Covenant speaks something of giving and taking work and reward and mutuall engagements betwixt parties though there be something in the Covenant between God and man that is not in the Covenants of men The rationall creatures owe suitable that is rationall obedience to the Creator but God is under no obligation to give life especially so excellent a life as a communion with God in glory yet he does it What a God must he be who will come downe and put himself in a lovely and gaining capacitie to be a Covenanting debtour to our feeble obedience whereas he ows nothing and to make heaven and glory so sure to us that the heavens should sooner break and melt like snow before the Sun then his promise can fail Obj. True but faith is fixed upon the new Covenant-promise if I believe Ans. Yea but faith here is to believe that the condition it self is promised as well as the reward Obj. The condition of a new heart and of faith is promised but not to all not to me but to some few chosen only Ans. There be here a number of errors 1. Unbelief foments proud merite that we are to believe as much of God promised as there is conceived to be worth in self and in me to fulfill the condition But true faith contrare to self-unworthinesse relyes upon the Truth of God the excellencie of Christ and the absolutenesse of the promise 2. Sathan like a Sophist drawes the dispute to the weakest conclusion from the strongest to wit from the promise of God that is surer then heaven to the state against which there is a greater number of Topick Arguments then there can be against the promise of God As 1. What am I 2. Am I chosen or not So Sathan to Christ if thou be the Son of God command these stones to be made bread in point of beleeving its better that faith expatiate in viewing God Christ the Ransome of the blood of God-Man the depth of free grace then upon self and the state in point of repenting and humble down-casting we would read self and our own estate 3. It s Satan and the unbeleeving heart that would have our faiths greatnesse rising from selfs holinesse and goodnesse Whereas the greatest faith that Christ finds Mat. 8.10 looks away from self v. 8. I am not worthy and dwells much upon the Omnipotency of Christ in commanding diseases as a Centurian his Souldiers 4. When unbelief quarrels the Lord as untrue and weak who faints and wearies and one that is not the Creator of the ends of the earth it alledges only and pretends self-guiltinesse to justifie unbelief Yet Isa 40.28 though God be reproached as weak we seem to resolve all in this our own unworthinesse but we cannot get our faith stately enough and the truth is here we quarrell
with God and his decrees under pretence of this what if he have not chosen me and I have no right to Covenant-mercies except I take a Law-way to earne them by fulfilling the condition 5. When we beleeve a conditionall promise if I beleeve I am saved faith relyes not fiducially upon the if I beleeve or upon the condition It s a weak pillar to a sinner to stay his unquiet heart upon to wit his own beleeving but faith rests upon the connexion if thou beleeve thou shalt be saved and it stayes upon the connexion as made sure by the Lord who of grace gives the condition of beleeving and of grace the reward conditioned so that faith binds all the weight upon God only even in conditionall Gospel-promises 1. Man is to be considered as a creature 2. As such a creature to wit endued with reason and the Image of God in either considerations especially in the former all that are created are obliged to do and suffer the will of God though they never sinned It s not enough to say that Sun Moon Trees Herbs Vines Earth Beasts Birds and Fishes cannot suffer the ill of punishment which is relative to the break of a Law for the whole Creation is subject to vanity for our sins Rom. 8.20 21. The Servant is smitten and sickened for the Masters sake and God may take from them what he gave them their lives without sense of pain and dollour for all beings yea defects and privations are debters to the glory declarative of God Prov. 16.4 Rom. 11.36 yea and no beings are under this debt God can serve himself of nothing yea that there are not created Locusts Caterpillars more numerous then that all the fruits of the earth can be food to them Preach the Glory of the Lords goodnesse to man and what are never to be no lesse then all things that have futurition or shall come to passe either absolutely or conditionally are under the positive decree of God else we should not owe thanks to the Lord for many evils that never fall out that the Lord turns away violent death violence of men and wilde beasts and many possible mischiefs contrair to Deut. 28.11 12. Lev. 26.6 Psal. 34.20 Psal. 91.5 6 7 8. And all these beings or no beings owe themselves to God to hold forth the glory of goodnesse wisedome mercy justice c. suppone there had never been sin Far more now who wants matter of meditation or can write a book of all the pains aâ—kings convulsions pests diseases that the Lord decreed to hold off so that every bone joynt lith hair member should write a Psalm Book of praises Psal. 35.10 All my bones shall say Lord Who is like unto thee Nor can any man write his debts of this kind But we are little affected with the negatives of mercies except we read them upon others and little then also Self-pain Preacheth little to us far more the borrowed experience of fallen Angels of Sodom of the old world c. leaves small impression upon stony spirits 2. Complain not that you have not that share of grace another hath if ye you think had it you would be as usefull to glorifie God as they but ye know not your self swell not against him that thou hast no grace O vessell of wrath thou owes that bit clay and all thy wants to glorifie his Justice 3. My sicknesse my pain my bands owe themselves to God and are debtors to his glory I and every one of men should say O that my pain might praise him and my hell and flamings of everlasting fire might be an everlasting Psalm of the Glory of his Justice That my sorrow could sing the Glory of so High a Lord But we love rather that he wanted his praise so we wanted our pain 3. God hath made a sort of naturall Covenant with night and day Jer. 31.35 For all are his servants Psal. 119.91 that they should be faithfull to their own naturall ends to act for him Ier. 5.22 Ier. 31.37 Psal. 104.1 2 3.4 and they are more faithfull to their ends then men Isa. 1.3 Ier. 8.7 The oxe and the asse being more knowing to their owner and the swallow and the cran being more discerning of their times then men are 2. They so keep their line that there is more self-deniall in their actings then in mans way as if fire were not fire and nature in it denied the fire devours not the three Children Dan. 3.27 28 The Sun stands still the Moon moves not Iosh. 10.12 13. The hungry Lions eat not Daniel ch 6.22 When the Lord gives a counter-command to them and that is a clause in the Covenant that the Lord entered with them that they act or no act as he shall be pleased to speak to them John 2.10 Isa. 50.2 Mat. 8.16 It is a most humbling Theame that an asse is more in denying nature and the cran and the fire then man yea then a renued man in some cases 4. But if man be considered as such a man endued with the Image of God and withall the Covenant be considered as such a Covenant as is expressed in the Ten-Commandements in which one of seven is a Sabbath to the Lord it will be found that many positives Morall are in the Covenant of Works that are not in naturall Covenants 5. So man must come under a three-fold consideration 1. As a creature 2. As a reasonable creature 3. As such a creature reasonable endued with the image of God In the first consideration man comes under the Covenant naturall common to all creatures So is Peters body carried above in the water as iron swims 2. As a reasonable creature he owes himself to God to obey so far as the Law written in the heart carries him to love God trust in him fear him But this can hardly bear the name of a Covenant except it be so called in a large sense nor is there any promise of life as a reward of the work of obedience here 3. But man being considered as indued with the Image of God so the Holy God made with him a Covenant of life with Commandements though positive and Morall yet not deduced from the Law of Nature in the strictest sense as to observe such a Sabbath the seventh from the Creation the not eating of the forbidden tree and with a promise of such a life And therefore though Divines as our solid and eminent Rollock call it a Covenant naturall as it is contradistinguished from the supernaturall Covenant of Grace and there is good reason so to call it Yet when it is considered in the positives thereof it is from the free will of God and though it be connaturall to man created according to the Image of God yet the Covenant came so from the Lords wisedom and free-will as he might have casten it in a new and far other frame And it cannot be denyed though it be most
you are debters to keep the whole Law perfectly as the only way to life and by no other Covenant can you be justified and saved now Abraham was not circumcised that way circumcision did bind Abraham to keep the Law as a Ceremonie and Seal of the Covenant of Grace commanded of God But the Law as a Covenant of Works doth command no Ceremonie no Sacrifice no Type of Christ Mediator at all It s true that first Covenant had Moses for its mediator but as he was a Type of Christ so Christ yesterday and the day was the reall Mediator but vailed The New Covenant hath better promises Heb. 8.6 Heb. 7.22 it s a better Covenant Heb. 7.22 hath a better reall not a Typicall suretie a better Priest who offered himself through the eternall Spirit Heb. 9.14 a better Sacrifice because of the plainenesse Iohn 16.29 2 Cor. 3.18 because the reall promises are made out to us because of a larger measure of Grace 2 Cor. 3.1 2 3 4. And the first Covenant is faultie Heb. 8.7 not because there was no Salvation by it the contrare is Heb. 11. but that is comparatively spoken because the blood of beasts therein could not take away sins Heb. 10.1 2 3 4. because forgivenesse of sins is promised darkly in the first Covenant but plainly in the other because Grace is promised sparingly in the former but here abundantly the Law being written in the heart John 7.39 Esa. 54.13 And it is true Gal. 4.22 23 24 c. they seeme to be made contrare Covenants But Paul speaks Gal. 3. of the Law as relative to that people and so it pressed them to Christ and keeps them as young Heires under nonage 2. He speaks of the Law absolutely as contradistinguished from the Gospel Gal. 4.21 so it is a Covenant of Works begetting children to bondage 2. Who come short of righteousnesse and the inheritance and shall not be saved 3. Who are casten out of the Kingdome of Grace 4. Who persecute the Godly the Sons of promise so is the Law as it was in Adams dayes and is now to all the Reprobate so the Godly are not under the Law and the Covenant of Works The Covenant urged upon Believers is to prove them when they stand afar off and tremble Exod. 20.20 Fear not saith Moses God is come to prove you not to damne you and therefore Calvine solidely observeth that Paul 2 Cor. 3. speaks with lesse respect of the Law then the Prophets do for their cause who out of a vain affectation of the Law-Ceremonies gave too much to the Law and darkned the Gospel and sayeth the one was 1. Literall 2. Written in stone 3. A Sermon of death and wrath 4. To be done away and lesse glorious whereas the Gospel is Spirituall 2. Written on the heart 3. The Ministrie of life 4. And glorious and praises put upon the Law agree not to it of its own nature but as it was used by the Lord to prove them Exod. 29.20 and chase them to Christ. The Arminians also especially Episopius make three Covenants 1. One with Abraham in which he requires sincere worship and putting away strange gods Beside 2. Faith and Universall obedience and promised Canaan to his seed and Spirituall blessings darkly 2. One in Mount Sinai in these three Laws Morall Ceremoniall and Judiciall with a promise of Temporall good things but to no sinners promise of life Eternall 3. A Covenant of Grace with a promise of pardon and life to all that believe and repent to all mankind but he denyes 1. All infused habits contrare to Isa. 44.1 2 3. Isa. 59.20 21. Zach 12.10 Joh. 4.14 Joh. 7.37 John 16.7 8. 1 John 3.9 he sayeth that 2. all commands are easie by Grace 3. That the promise of earthly things in their abundance is abolished in that we are called to patient suffering 4. That there is no threatning in this Covenant but that of Hell fire But the Covenant made with Abraham is that of Grace made with all the Seed Deut. 30.6 Deut. 7.5 6 7 12. Lev. 26.40 41. and made with all Believers who are Abrahams children Gal. 3.13 14 18 19. Rom. 4.1 2 3 4. Luke 19.9 yea with the whole race of man without exception 2. The second Covenant which promiseth only blessings is made rather with beasts that well fed then with men contrare to Psal. 73.25 Isa. 57.1.2 3. Psal. 37.37 and it must build some Chalmer in hell where the fathers were before Christ a dreame unknown to Scripture The third Covenant makes the Covenant of Grace a Covenant of Works and holds out life and pardon upon condition that free-will repent and believe and stand on its own feet for there is neither faith nor a new heart nor repentance promised contrare to Deut. 30.6 Ezek. 11.19 20. Ezek. 36.26 27. Isa. 59.19 20 21. Isa. 44.1 2 3 4 5. Zech. 12.10 CHAP. XII 1. All are to try under what Covenant they are 2. Threatnings under the New Testament are more spirituall 3. Desertions under both are compared 4. Considerable differences of such as are under the Covenant of Works and such as are under the Covenant of Grace 5. Of legall terrors 6. Of convictions compelled free legall c. Quest. 1. WHether should not all try under what Covenant they are Answ. Self-searching is a reflect act upon the state and such acts are more spirituall then direct acts and therefore it should be the work of all to try under what reign they are whether of the first or second Adam And whereâ—s Angels cover their faces and their feet with wings Isa. 6. before God and are full of eyes as without so also within Râ—v 4.8 We may hence learn such come nearest to the nature of these pure and heavenly Spirits who have eyes within to see what they are and their blacknesse of face and feet when they compare themselves either with the Holy God or his Holy Law 2. The Carnall man is a beast Psal 49.20 and beasts have no reflect acts upon their own beastly state 3. The more of a spirituall life is in any the more stirring in communing with their own heart the Law makes the more of life that is in the worme when tramped on the more stirring it makes deadnesse and stupiditie in not being versed and well read and skilled in our selves and our own heart argues little of the Spirit and estrangement to a spirituall Covenant nor can any lay hold on the Covenant of Grace in a night dream Quest. Whether are there rarer threatnings of Temporall evils under the New Covenant then under the Old Answ. It cannot be denyed except the threatnings of the Sword Famine Pestilence on Jerusalem and the desolation upon the Jews Math. 23. Math. 24. but in place of all the diseases of Egypt Levit. 26. and the long Roll of dreadfull judgements and curses temporall Deut. 28. denounced against the transgressours of the former
he choosed the Nation to be a peculiar people holy to himself Deut. 7.6 7. but not with another new distinct Covenant but in the same Covenant 8. But because the Lord loved you and would keep the oath that he had sworn to your fathers to wit to Abraham Deut. 10.15 He chose their seed after them even you above all people not above all houses Amos 3.2 You only have I known of all the families of the earth So the externall Church Covenant and Church right to the means of grace is given to a society and made with Nations under the New Testament Isa. 2.1 2 3. Psal. 2.8 9. Psal. 22.27 Psal. 87.2 3 4. Rev. 11.15 Matth. 28.19 20. And not any are baptized in the New Testament except the Eunuch and Saul Acts 8.39 who were baptized firstly but they were baptized as publick men representing a seed also societies are baptized All Judea Mat. 3.3 All the land of Judea Mark 1.5 All the multitude all the people Luke 4.7.21 Sure the fathers were so Christianed and Baptized as their children had right to the same seal So Joh. 3.22 23 26. Cornelius his house and all with him were baptized Acts 10.33 47. Three thousand at once Acts 2.39 40 41. The Jayler and his house Acts 16.33 servants and friends The houshold of Stephanas 1 Cor. 1.16 was Baptized And this 3. is holden forth as the Church as the houshold of Narcissus which are in the Lord Rom. 16.11 Aquila and Priscilla and all the Church at their house v. 5. The Church at the house of Philemon Phil. v. 2. which teacheth that the Covenant holinesse is of societies and houses under the New Testament as in Abrahams house and as Abrahams house was Circumcised so are whole houses under the New Testament Baptized 4. Paul aptly calls it the holinesse of the lump or Nation and the first fruits root-holinesse the holinesse of the root and the branches Of the Olive Tree and the branches Rom. 11.16 17. 5. The speciall intent of God in sending the word of the Covenant must evidence this he sends not the Gospel unto and for the cause of one man to bring him in but to gather a Church and his elect ones by a visibly and audibly Preached Covenant to a society to a City to Samaria Acts 8. To the Gentiles Acts 13. To all Nations Mat. 28.19 20. that they and their children may have right to salvation and to the means thereof and to the Covenant and therefore we are not curiously to inquire whether the faith of the father be real or not if the Gospel be come to the Nation to the House to the Society The Lord in one Abraham in one Cornelius in one Jayler whom he effectually converts as far as we can gather from the Scriptures choises the race house society nation and gives them a Covenant-holinesse the mans being born where the call of God is does the turn as much as the faith of the Parent For by the root is not necessarily meant the Physicall root the father For Abraham was not the Physicall root and father nor Cornelius of all the servants and friends in the house But if a friend be in the house or society and professe the Gospel he and his obtain right to Baptism and the means of salvation But as touching real holinesse it is not derived from a beleeving father to make the son a beleever Scripture and experience say the contrair Nor 2. is internall and effectuall confederacie with God that by which one is a son of promise Rom. 9. and predestinate to life a nationall favour For 1. no man is chosen to life in his father because the father is chosen A chosen father may have a reprobate son 2. Election to life is not of nations or houses or societies but of single persons It is not said before the nation had done good or evill I chosed this nation all and whole not this but I loved this man not this man Q. What is the formall reason and ground that any hath right to Baptism Ans. If we speak of a passive right if the Eunuch beleeve Act. 8. and if such have received the Spirit Acts 10. they may receive baptism The Eunuch moves not the Question whether Philip should sin in baptizing him or not The Eunuch was troubled to make sure his own not Philips Conversion They who bring that Argument 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 8. and that Mark 16. to prove that only such should be baptized who beleeve actually and are come to age They prove that the Church sinneth if they baptize any but such as are predestinated to life and really beleeve For the faith that Philip asked for was reall with all the heart not as the faith of Simon Magus And the faith Mark 16.15 is real saving faith that brings salvation he that beleeves is saved 2. It can not be visible faith only for that is in Simon Magus he doth visibly so beleeve and is baptized Yet upon that faith he was not saved being in the gall of bitternesse 3. He that beleeves not is damned The meaning must be he that beleeves not savingly is damned Or then he that beleeves not visibly as Magus and Judas is damned but this is most false for Peter beleeves not as Judas and yet he is not damned Or then the meaning must be he that beleeveth both really savingly and also professedly and visibly is saved And that is true but it concludes that none are to be baptized but both real and visible believers 4. If it be true that none are to be baptized but Covenanted ones as Acts 2.39 And if none be Covenanted ones under the New Testament but real beleevers and such as are predestinated to life as our Anabaptists teach from Rom. 9. then must the Church without warrant of the Word baptize Magus Demas Judas 5. Then must also all Judea all the Generations of vipers baptized have been both real and visible beleevers for they were all baptized Mat. 3.3 4. Mark 1.5 Luke 1.7.21 Let Independents consider this and what D. Fuilk and Mr. Cartwright Paraeus Calvin Beza and our Divines speak on these places against the auricular confession of all the huge multitude 6. It is a wonder that any man should dream that the Eunuch made a case of conscience Acts 8. whether it was lawfull to Philip to baptize and not whether he himself did beleeve and could worthily receive the seal Act. 8.36 here is water saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7. So none can warrantably baptize any but persons dying in faith and it s not certain these have the faith that is Acts 8.37 Mar. 16.16 But for the formall warrand of such as baptize neither are the aged as the aged nor Infants as Infants to be baptized for so all the aged and all Infants even of Pagans are to be baptized Nor 2. are all in Covenant to be baptized For such as are only really and
34.15 16. 1 King 11.2 Ezra 9.2 12. Nehem. 13.23 Judg. 3.6 7. Judg. 4.2 3. Except there be some middle between a cursed and a blessed seed a seed in the Church and in Covenant and the seed of the Serpent of Heathen without the Covenant 2. A middle between the Kingdom of darknesse of Satan and the Kingdom of God of his dear Son Contrair to Eph. 2.2 3 4. Acts 26.18 Col. 1.13 14. 1 Pet. 2.9 10. Eph. 5.8 which is unknown to Scripture Yea the Covenant is made to Christ and his seed Gal. 3.16 and the same blessings of Abraham comes on us Gentiles Gal. 3.13 14. But he and all his seed were blessed and in grace by the externall call of the Covenant Ezek. 16.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. Deut. 7 7 8. Rom. 10.25 I will call them my people that were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved And this externall calling is of Grace and so Grace no merit as well as predestination to life is grace or for grace For whosoever are called not because Elect but because freely loved of such a God and without merit called Father and Son they are in a state of graceâ— But so are all within the Visible Church If any object by Christs comming all the Nations old and young are not become the Nations of the Lord and of his Christ but only true Believers even by our Doctrine Answ. They are become the Kingdoms of the Lord not only because they are truely converted but because they are the chosen of God in the Office-house of Christ and Christ reigns over them by the Scepter of his Word whom he is to convert And external Covenanting with God is of it self free Grace and a singular favour bestowed of God Psal. 147.19 20. Deut. 5.1 2. Mat. 21.42 43. Luke 14.16.21 2. It is free Grace that God will have hypocrites and real infidels to beget children to him that are internally in Covenant with him and fills up the number of the Elect by Reprobate Parents who are instrumentall to the in-coming in the world and into the Visible Church of many Heirs of Glory and in so doing there is a Church right communicated from Reprobate Parents to their Children that are Heirs of Glory 3. Externall Covenanting goes before internall Covenanting as the means before the end and the cause before the effect For faith comes by hearing of a sent Preacher Rom. 10.14 and the Preaching of the Gospel is a saving means of begeting a new heart and of a new spirit Hence 1. All must be first externally in Covenant before they can be internally and really in Covenant 2. God is a God simply to some and no more but a God to them in regard of outward Church priviledges as the Word Seals Protection Peace Hedge of Discipline his planting and watering by a Ministry But he is to speak so more then a God to others Hos. 2.19 I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse in judgement and in loving kindnesse and in mercy Now the Lord is joyned to back-sliding Israel in an externall marriage Covenant But Jer. 3.14 not in righteousnesse in loving kindnesse and mercy in reference to the rotten party In regard of which he saith v. 2. Plead with your mother plead for she is not my wife neither am I her husband Zech. 8.7 Thus saith the Lord I will save my people from the East Countrey and from the West Countrey 8. And I will bring them and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and they shall be my people and I will be their God in truth and in righteousnesse Then he is not to all a God in truth and righteousnesse fulfilling the first and substantiall promise of ingraving the Law in the heart not that he keeps not Covenant even to external confederatâ— to wit the conditionall Covenant for if they should beleeve they should be saved but he promised not a new heart and faith to them 3. Because he is a God externall to the Elect and that of free Grace therefore he is a God in truth and righteousnesse to ingrave his Law in their heart But externall confederation is not the adequate cause for then he should give a new heart to all with whom he externally Covenants but the adequate cause is confederation external tali modo out of his discriminating love and free grace he is a God to some 4. He is a God to his Elect that he may ingrave his Law in their heart and inward parts so that the promising to be a God tali modo is the cause and the ingraving of a new heart is the effect Jer. 31.33 Jer. 32.38 And they shall be my people and I will be their God That is the cause 39. I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever for the good of them and of their children after them See the same order Ezech. 11.19 20. though the words ly not in that order there and here And Heb. 8.10.5 God is not then a God to any because they have a clean heart and the Law ingraven therein for then they should be in Covenant before they be in Covenant And so this is true because he is our God in truth and righteousnesse therefore we beleeve but this is not true because we beleeve therefore he is our God except we argue from the effect to the cause But to return Calvine on Matth 19.14 We hence gather that the grace of Christ is extended to Infant age for whole mankind had perished Beza Infants are also comprehended in the free Covenant Pareus its unlawfull to â—â—barre these from baptism and the Church whom Christ â—â—ds come to him c. Obj. But Christ commands not they be baptized Answ. Nor doth Christ in this place command the Parents to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord Nor speak the Evangelists of any Parentall duty shall we from that conclude it was not Christs mind that the Parents take care of the fourth fifth Command Pareus saith it was neither time nor place Mat. 28.19 he bids baptize all 3. He who prayed for them blessed them laid his hands upon them invited them to bring Infants to him of all which Infants were as uncapable as of the use and ends of Baptism and of actuall confession of sin and of beleeving judged they ought be Baptized 4. It s never to be found where any are Baptized but the Head of the Family is Baptized And when we read that houses were Baptized 1 Cor. 1.16 Acts 16.33 There is no more ground to say Infants are not Baptized then to say when the Lord saith to Abraham Gen. 12.2 I will blesse thee and make thy name great And 22.17 in blessing I will blesse thee And when the Lord saith Isai. 19.25 blessed be Aegypt my people he should mean he would blesse Abraham
whole and need no Physick 3. Ye loath Christ but knows it not Luke 7.44.45 ye love Christ as a supposed Prophet and loath him as a Redeemer One may deadly hate Christ and not know it 4. Ye cannot compare the two states together the state of nature and the state of Grace as 1 Tim. 1.13 ye idolize your own choise to bear down Achabs Idolatrie but choose not the will of God to oppose Ieroboams Idolatrie 5. Ye want Christ and ye were not born with Christ in the heart 2. Yea ye are eternally lost without him and know neither the one nor the other Quest. 4. Whether or not are beleevers the parties of the Covenant of Grace Ans. These are parties to whom the Covenant-promise is made not these who already have the benefit promised in the Covenant but beleevers must have a new heart and consequently faith already therefore they cannot be parties with whom the Covenant is made As because the Image of God is not promised to Adam in the Covenant of Works but presupposed to be in him by order of nature before God make with him the Covenant of Works else he could not be able to keep that Covenant which we cannot say for God created him right and holy Gen. 1.26 27. Eccles. 7.29 Eph. 4.24 Col. 3.10 Therefore Adam in his pure naturalls as not yet indued with the Image of God cannot be the partie with whom the Covenant of Works is made for then the Image of God must either be a reward which Adam by his pure naturalls and strength thereof must purchase by working which the Scripture and nature of the Covenant cannot admit or then the Image of God must be promised to Adam in the Covenant of Works which is no lesse absurd And if faith be promised in the Gospel the Covenant of Grace must be made with some Israel and Judah as predestinated to life eternall and yet wanting a new heart For God cannot Covenantâ—ways promise a new heart to such as have it but to suchÌ„ as have a stony heart and beleeve not Ezek. 36.26 Deut. 30.6 Ezek 11.19 nor can he promise faith to such as have faith this way Quest. 5. Who are these that have the new heart and so are personally and really within the Covenant of grace Ans. Because the new spirit is given when the new heart is given Ezek. 36.27 Ezek. 18.31 Make you a new heart and a new spirit and many in our times boast of the spirit it shall be fit to speak of the new spirit and who are spirituall Hence these Questions of the new spirit Quest. 1. What is the seed of the new spirit Ans. The word of the Gospel therefore before Adam could have the Gospel-spirit the Lord must reveal the Doctrine of the Gospel the seed of the woman must tread down the head of the serpent Gen. 3. So the word and the spirit are promised together Isa. 59.21 Isa. 30.21 Thy teachers shall not be removed and thine ears shall hear this is the inward teaching a voice behind thee saying this is the way walk ye in it Isa. 51.16 17. Mat. 28.20 Go teach that is the word Loe I am with you to the end of the world that is the Spirit to make it effectuall by my Spirit Joh. 14.16 17. Object But Adam when he heard first the Doctrine of the blessed seed could not try the Doctrine or speaker by any new Doctrine Ans. The first Doctrine can be tryed by no other rule because it was the first rule it self nor can these principalls written in the heart naturally That God is God is just holy c. be tryed by any other truths because they are first truths As the sense of seeing cannot try whether the Sun be the Sun by the light of some other Sun that is before this Sun which is more lightsome For there is not another Sun before this the Gospel it self hath God shining in it to these who are enlightened as Adam was a Rubbie doth speak that is a Rubbie Obj. How then should Adam know what God spake to him and nâ—t to another are we not to try all spirits that speak Ans. There is a word immediatly spoken by the Prophets and Apostles that is to be tryed partly by the first Preaching the Lord made in Paradise partly by the effects that it converteth the soul Psal. 19.7 and smells of that same Majesty and the divine power of another life which is in the first Sermon Gen. 3.15 this is Verbum Dei immediatum But when God himself speaks in his own person to Adam to Abraham Gen. 22. to Moses Isaiah the Apostles that is Verbum Dei immediatissimum the fountain-word neither word nor speaker is to be tryed The Patriarchs and Prophets are never bidden try the visions of God for when God speaks them himself he makes it evident that it is he and only he who speaks and we read not of any in this deceived Angels or men cannot counterfeit God Obj. There have after the Canon of the Scripture is closed been some men who have Prophesied facts to come that fell out as they foretold just as Isaiah Elias and other Prophets then something is to be beleeved that is not written and such may have the Spirit and yet no word of Scripture goes along with it Ans. 1. Such men may have I confesse a Propheticall spirit but first they were eminently holy and sound in the faith and taught that the Catholick Church should beleeve nothing nor practise nothing but what is warranted by the Word Such as boast of Spirit or Prophesie and reject the word are therefore not to be beleeved 2. What these men of God foretold is a particular fact concerning a man what death he should die or a Nation or a particular such a man shall be eternally saved but no dogma fidei nor any truth that lays bands on the Catholick Church to believe that to the end of the world as all Scripturall truths do and a doubt it is if we are to beleeve these in the individuall circumstances of fact sub periculo peccati upon hazard of sinning against God we may I judge without sin suspend belief and yeeld charity to the speaker 3. If any object the Prophets did foretell particular facts concerning the death of Ahab the birth of Josiah which concerned particular persons I but they so were the maters of fact as the crucifying of Christ was a mater of fact as also they did by the intent of the Holy Ghost contain Historicall Morall and dogmatically divine Instructions so that the whole Catholick Church must believe them with certainty of divine faith they being written and spoken for our Instruction and they sin who believe not Quest. 2. What are we to judge of these truths revealed to Professors when they are in much nearnesse to God and the Lord is pleased to shine upon them in some fulness of manifestation of himself to their
by the works of offering Isaac receiving the spies fighting the Lords battels suffering persecution of Saul For Iames if he say any thing for this cause that good works are the formall cause of our righteousnesse our merits and in the very place of the satisfaction of the blood shed by Christ we shall so be formall causes not of the declaratory act of justifying for that may be thought to be the Lord our Justifiers act yet of our own Justification and so should we fight and run for the Crowne of inherent righteousnesse of works as well as for the Crown of Life And what Scripture is there for that 3. A man shall be as just and sinlesse as he may say I have no sin I am just And in order to the Covenant of Grace which forbids no sin as some for this way do teach but finall unbeleef he no more needs forgivenesse of sins and the blood of sprinkling nor pardoning grace then the Elect Angels or Adam in the state of innocency and to that Prov. 20.9 as to that Eccles. 7.20 1 Ioh. 1. Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin The man Evangelically justified can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sinne 4. Noâ— needs such a man pray forgive me my sins as I forgive c. for he is justified from all Law-sins who is inherently holy and Evangelically just And so the Gospel is a new Law which does not forbid all sins that the Law forbids and the man is not under sinne though he sinne against the love of Christ. According to that if ye love me keep my Commandements Joh. 14.15 so he once ere he die beleeve For the Law say the Authors forbids not unbeleef nor any Evangelick unthankfulness against the Law of a ransome-payer which yet I judge the Law of Nature and Nations condemnes The Covenant of Grace forbids no sin but finall unbeleef and the beleever can not be guilty of that except he fall away 5. And it may justly be asked whether the beleever Evangelically justified who needs no grace of pardon of Redemption from sin in order to the Covenant of Grace needs the grace of renovation to keep him to beleeve for he needs no pardon for the weaknesse of his finall beleeving for the smallest weak faith is a fulfilling of the Covenant of Grace To these adde if James mean by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faith alone v. 24. by which he sayes we are not justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no other then the dead faith ver 20. and the faith which cannot save the faith of fair words to the hungry and naked when the vain man gives him nothing necessary for his body 16. the faith without works 17. the faith that cannot be shown to men 18. such a faith as devils 19. and vain hypocrites boast of 20. then sure the conclusion is for us and agreeable to the scope of Iames v. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye see then a man is justified before men and to himself and so really declared before God justified and saved by works as the fruits of saving faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not by faith only which is dead and without works For 1. he cannot exclude saving and lively faith For that beleeving God is counted to Abraham for righteousnesse saith Iames ver 23. for then the conclusion should contradict the premisses and he should say Abraham was justified by sound and lively beleeving Ergo we are not justified by only sound and lively beleeving 2. The Adversaries Socinians and Arminians who by this Text say we are justified by works know no Gospel-faith by which we are justified but faith including essentially new obedience the crucifying of the old man the walking in the Spirit and repentance as else where I cite Therefore when Iames saith we are not justified by faith only he must mean a naked dead assent as in the former verses We are not justified and that is it which we say Iames denies not but sayes that Abraham beleeved Gen. 15. 6. It is only beleeving but lively and not dead not a naked assent which was counted to him for righteousnesse and Gen. 15. Rom. 4. he was thereby justified and therefore Paul and Iames are well reconciled And the faith here excluded must be a dead faith not a lively faith and a true faith as the body without the soul is a true body and hath the nature of a true body though it be no living body So say they the faith that Iames excludes is a true faith when as it is evident it is no more true faith then the faith of Devils and Hypocrites 3. It is false by the Papists way and Arminians also that we are not justified by faith only which is a true and generall assent to the Word of God for they teach that in the first Justification we are justified by faith only without works as Paul proves but in the second Justification when a man of just is made more just say they he is justified by works as saith Iames c. 2. Now by this they are forced to say Iames speaks not of the first Justification but of the second but beside that the Scripture knows not two Justifications Iames must deny that the unconverted hypocrites and Rahab the harlot were justified by only faith as Paul saith and it were most incongruous to teach unconverted ones who never knew the first Justification how they were not justified in the second Justification And if James be speaking of the nature and causes of the same Justification before God only with Paul and not of the effects thereof it were false that James saith with reverence to the holy Lord that we are not justified by faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without works for Paul sayes it and proves it strongly from the Scripture and never insinuates that we are justified in a second Justification by works And sure he should not have denyed all the Jews all the Gentiles all the world Rom. 3 9 19 29 30. David a man according to Gods heart and much in communion with God when he penned the 32. Psalm and Abraham a beleever and effectually called Gen. 12. and justified when he Gen. 15.6 beleeved the promise of the seed Rom. 4. to be justified by works in their second or their Evangelick Justification Yea when James saith we are not justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only he must mean fidem solitariam a faith solitary which hath no works conveying it as man sees not with eyes that are solitary and plucked out of the heart and separated from hearing smelling and the senses though faith if true and properly so called as they say this is must justifie as the eye sees only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the eâ—re onely not the eye hears now this faith hath a causative influence in Justification as well as works if it be proper and true faith as they say
the Church Eph. 1.22 Col. 1.18 And whereas the Head hath merited faith to the Reprobate and that absolutely for a condition is not possible he should bestow it absolutely else there is no seriousnesse in the command of beleeving And since faith is no meritorious cause of right to remission and life eternall nor a cause in part or in whole of our compleat and actuall reconciliation it may well be said that they all are compleatly reconciled pardoned justified washen in Christs blood when nothing is wanting that compleats the nature of remission and justification for faith is only a condition applying not a cause buying nor satisfying for us and no cause giving in part or in whole any new right 3. Conclus Should we by faith have right to the promise of a new heart by beleeving we should have a new heart before we have a new heart for none can beleeve savingly any promise and so neither can he beleeve that promise that God shall give a new heart untill the habit of faith which is a speciall part of the new heart be infused For actuall faith must flow from habituall faith Therefore right to that promise must be absolutely purchased by the death of Christ to the elect before they beleeve Quest. How is it that not only penally but intrinsecally and formally we sinned in Adam and are inherenter sinners in him but we are righteous in Christ only imputativè and why should not Christ be named formally the sinner since he is made by imputation the sinner As Adams sin is ours by imputation and we formally and inherently are sinners in Adam Ans. How we sinned in Adam is a point of greater difficulty For this first sin the tottering and reeling of the specifick common nature in Adam is ours not because he is our father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by nature though that be a ground of the imputation also but because he is such a father by Covenant and Law the Law and Covenant of Works being laid in pawnd in his hand There be three parts of Originall sin A partaking of the first sin of Adam we all sinned in him Rom. 5.12 14 15. 2. The want of the Image of God called the Glory of God Rom. 3.23 3. Concupiscence and a bentnesse of nature to sin Rom. 7.7 14 17 18 23 24. As to the first Adams sin is ours really and truely not so much because it is ours as because it is imputed to be ours by God who so contrived the Law of Works as it should be made with Adam not as a single father but with Adam as a publick person representing all man and having our common nature as a father both by nature and Law which came from the meer free-will of God 1. Who might so have contrived the first Covenant of Works that sin should only have been Adams own sin not the sin of his posterity For by no necessity of nature which is antecedent to the free decree of God are all mankind legally in Adams loins though naturally they be 2. But children are as naturally in their nearest fathers loines as we are all in the loines of Adam and all men are equally of that same specifick nature with their nearest Parents as with their first Parents Yet the sins of the nearest Parents by no necessity are alwayes charged upon the children but now all have sinned in Adam Rom. 5.12 18. 3. Where a sin is inherently and personally there is no need of imputation which is a free Act of God had Christ been inherently and personally the sinner God needed not make him or impute our sins to him as Isai. 53.6 2 Cor. 5.21 and if we had been intrinsecally sinners in Adam his sin had been ours as intrinsecally as it was Adams and as Adam was not the first who sinned by imputation but personally and intrinsecally so neither should Adams sin have been our sin by imputation but intrinsecally and personally now the Scripture saith Rom. 5.19 By one mans disobedience many were made sinners 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then they were not intrinsecally sinners before they were made that is before they were reputed sinners in Adam or before Adams sin was imputed to them as we are not intrinsecally righteous in Christ before we be justified and made or reputed righteous in Christ When therefore our Divines say wee are as guilty of eating the forbidden fruit as if our hands were there and our teeth and we did eat in him the speech cannot be taken physically personally for we were not then born but morally and legally but our nature was legally there But when the Elect does sin Christ is not said to have been in our loines legally but he was made sin he was punished so as if he had been the sinner though there was in Christ no formall guiltinesse no reatus culpae but reatus paenae But we are deprived of the Image of God and inclined to all sin not by imputation as the young Lion and the young Serpent have not the bloody and the stinging nature of the old Lion and the old Serpent by imputation but by naturall and intrinsecall inherencie Now our holie harmlesse and undefiled High Priest hath no sin in him by inherencie 3. A legall satisfaction and paying of a summe yea more then the debter was owing can never take away a morally inherent guiltinesse nor inherently justifie and make innocent the sinner and make him one who hath never borrowed the money and wasted it or one who hath never sinned in Adam and who hath never sinned in his own person Yea the Law of Works standing as it is most spiritual and holy It is 〈◊〉 impossible that he who hath once broken the Law though he be made inherently most holy and perfectly sanctified can be made righteous which requires there shall never be one the least sin committed and what is done cannot be undone 2. The suffering of another as of the Man Christ may well stand for what we should have suffered but cannot remove the inherent blot of sin and remove fundamental guiltinesse The paying a thousand Crowns for him who borrowed five hundreth Crowns and spent them on harlotry and drunkennesse may free the debter from being in Law lyable to pay the five hundreth Crowns but can never free him from being an unjust borrower and a profuse waster 3. The two Covenants of Works and of Grace standing its impossible that the active obedience of Christ can make us actively and inherently righteous or restore to us our lost innocency CHAP. III. How Christ suffered for us in our roome and place 2. He died not for all and every one 3. How many wayes Christ is said to die in our stead 4. The Lords so dying for all makes not all saveable nor the Gospel Preachable to all Nations 5. Christ died in the stead of the Elect. THe Lord Jesus hath a roome in each Covenant of Works and of Grace
all threatnings and promises we are not to believe that though we sin we shall actually quoad eventum die and though we obey and beleeve wee are not to beleeve that GOD shall fulfill his promise and that our salvation shall come to passe only we are to believe jure that we deserve to die and that we shall have eternall life jure promissionis but not actually and according to the event Answ. Something is to be said of the threatnings then of the promises As touching the sense we are to beleeve In the threatnings conditionall as yet fourty days and Nineveh shall be destroyed and in that day thou eats thou shalt surely die in thy person and all thine the first and second death we are not to believe the event nor is it carnall security not to beleeve such an event we are only to have a godly fear and to tremble at the dreadfuâ—l deserving of such threatnings legall as alway are to be exponed and beleeved by all within the Visible Church with an Evangelick exception of repentance If therefore Adam did beleeve that he and all his should in their own persons actually suffer the first and second death and that irrecoverably he had no warrand for any such belief and the like may be said of Nineveh For when the Lord said in the day that thou eats thou shalt die the first and second death thou and all thy children personally His meaning was except I provide an Evangelick remedy and a Saviour Godly fear trembles more at the darkning of the glory of the Lord in a broken Law then at the event of inflicted wrath were it even Hells fire Obj. Adam was to beleeve no such exception Answ. True Because it was not revealed nor was he to beleeve the contrary that he should irrecoverably and eternally perish because that was not revealed But the threatning of the Law doth not deny the Evangelick remedy as it neither doth affirme it Obj. Then was Adam to believe it was true which the Serpent said ye shall not surely die quoad eventum but ye shall be as Gods living and knowing good and evill Ans. Neither doth that follow for in the meaning of the liar it was not true that they should not die either by deserving for Satan brangles the equity and righteousness of the Law and threatning or actually and in the event for both were false and neither revealed and faith is not to go beyond what is revealed of God And Sathan disputed against both the equity of the threatning as if it had been unjust in Law and against the event as a fiction and a thing that should not come to passe in the event which indeed did not come to passe but not according to the Serpents lying and false principles Obj. Was then Adam to despair and to beleeve nothing of a Saviour Ans. He was not obliged to despaire but to rely by vertue of the first Commandement of the Decalogue upon God infinitly powerfull mercifull gracious and wise to save for that was revealed and written in his heart and that is far from despairing But in the intervall between the fall and the Lords publishing the blessed Gospel and news of the seed to come he was so to trust in God for possible deliverance in generall as the Law of Nature requireth but he was to beleeve nothing of unrevealed particulars far lesse of the mystery of the Gospel which was kept secret since the world began Rom. 16.25 Obj. Then may also the damned in Hell who are not loosed from their obligation to the Law of Nature and the first Command be obliged to rely on an infinite and Almighty God for their deliverance for they are not obliged to despair nor is there an obligation to any sin Ans. There is not the like reason for though the damned be not loosed from the Law of Nature but are to rely upon God in his whole al-sufficiency yet with exception of his revealed Justice and Truth Now he hes expresly revealed that their worm never dieth and their fire never goeth out And to believe that is not to despaire Obj. What are then such Heathens to beleeve as touching that threatning who never heard of the Gospel Ans. They are under the Law of Nature and to beleeve that sin deserves wrath according to the infinitnesse of the Majesty against whom it is committed and to obey the Law of Nature and read the Book of the Creation carefully But and if the news and rumor of a Saviour come to their ears their sin cannot but be Evangelick in not pursuing the reality and truth of such a soveraign remedy Yet it is not to be thought that though the Gospel be come to all Nations Rom. 16.26 that that is to be meant 1. Of every Generation of all Nations Or 2. of the individuall persons either young or come to age of every Nation under Heaven experience and Scripture speaketh against both Obj. But is not the Covenant of Grace contrary to the Law and Covenant of Works Answ. A diversity there is but contrary wills in the holy Lord cannot be asserted Yea the Gospel may be proven out of the Law and from the first Commandement of the Decalogue if any act of the Lords free will and infinite wisedome shall be added to prove the Assumption So If the first Command teach that God is infinitely wise mercifull gracious just and able to save then if so it please him he shall save But the first Command teacheth the former And the Gospel revealing the unsearchable riches of Christ Eph. 3.8 expresly saith so much Ergo. As to the promises they contain not only the jus equity and goodnesse of the thing promised but also that the Lord shall actually perform yea and intends to perform what he hath promised upon condition that we perform the required condition And in this the promises differ not a little from these threatnings that are only threatnings of what God may do in Law but not from these threatnings which are both threatnings and also Propheticall predictions of what shall come to passe therefore must we here difference betwixt threatnings and such and such threatnings The promises are considered as they are Preached and anunciated to all within the Visible Church and as they are made in the intention of God with the Elect and Sons of the promise The same way the threatnings admit of a two-fold consideration The promises to the Elect as intended of God reveal that both the Lord minds to give the blessing promised and the condition that is grace to perform the condition and so they are promises Evangelick both in the matter and in the intention of the Lord But as proponed to the reprobate who are alwayes from their birth to their death under a Covenant of Works really as touching the LORDS holy Decree they are materially Evangelick promises but formally and in the Lords intention legall as every dispensation to
that Christ is the Son of God Luke 4.34 and so doeth the carnall Jew teach that it is not lawfull to steal to commit adultery Rom. 2.21 22. But in the Old and New Testament Devils never accuse themselves of sin but tempt to it and challenge the Law and God Gen. 3.4 5. of unjustice never themselves Divels are most properly under the Covenant of Works and by no command is the Gospel Preached to them and next to them are such as are found in the letter of the Gospel but never convinced of sin Such are most under the Law as have least Law-work and Law-condemnation upon their Spirits these that are under the Law most as touching their state are most under the letter least under the Spirit as touching any penall awaking To be under Law-bondage is a more punishment to Divels and men under a Law state for legall terrors are upon Divels Math. 8.29 Jam. 2.19 and Cain Gen. 4.14 punishment as such neither maketh nor denominateth any gracious it is but accidentall to prepare any for Christ many tormented with the Law have believed such a case to be the pain of the second birth when it was but a meer Law-feaver and have returned to their vomit and become more loose and profane 1. Because the Law as the Law can convert none 2. Wrestling with Law-bondage without any Gospel-Grace is but a contradicting of God and his justice and God recompenceth opposing and blaspheming of him in hell with more sinfull loosenesse 3. Law-light under legall terrors shines more clearly and the guiltinesse in not making use of rods of that nature is so much the more grievous Ye that have been scadded and burnt in this furnace and are come back from hell are taught by sense to believe there is a hell and though hell torment can convert no man yet it renders men more unexcusable Humbling wakning and sanctifying Law-bondage is more then a work of the Law when it brings forth confessing praying believing humble submitting to God in Job David Hâ—zekiah Heman and what a Physician is Christ who can heal us with burning and coals of hell 3. A man under a Law-work may give a legall and dead assent to both the truth and goodnesse of the promises liberally conceived as temporaries doe and Simon Magus wonders but Saul Acts 9. the Jaylor trembles Acts 16. but that is in regard of the conviction not of the mind only but of the conviction of affection and the yeelding to what shall I do But Foelix trimbleth but only in regard of literall conviction on the mind but neither he nor Magus comes to what shall I doe they differ as the burning light of a fire which both casts light and with it shiâ—ing heat also and the light that precious stones cast in the night which is both little and hath no heat Fyrie and piercing convictions are good there is a dead conviction of the letter that doth not profite 4. There is a strong Law-conviction that vengeance followeth the scaddings of Sodomie and the killing of parents because naturall instinct kindles and fires the soul with Law-apprehensions when the minde hath engraven sharpnesse to discerne undenyable principles but the conscience is more dull in apprehending that spirituall vengeance followeth such spirituall sins as unbelief because untill there be some supernaturall revelation we are dead to the Gospel truths and Gospel sins but when a common Grace hightens the soul to a supernaturall assent that Christ is a Teacher sent of God Joh. 7.28 Joh. 3.2 the conviction is more strong But because it is more supernaturall and in stead of kindly affection of love which it wants it is mixed with hatred and anger and so degeners into fierie indignation against the Holy Ghost as Joh. 15.24 compared with Math. 12.15 26.31 cleareth 5. Conviction which is no more but conviction is no godly principle nor makes any heart change yea it goes dangerously on to wonder and despise except it send down coals of fire to the affections 6. He who is under the Covenant of Grace findes a threefold sweetnesse in obedience 1. An inbred sweetnesse in the command 2. In the strength by which he acts 3. An inbred sweetnesse in a communion with God No man is any other way under the Law then under a yoak what is only written seems the oldnesse of the letter Rom. 7. and is dead of it self and layes on a burden but gives no back to bear He that is under Grace findes sweetnesse of delight in a positive Law though the thing commanded be as hard to flesh and blood as to be crucified Joh. 10.18 yet it obtains a sweetnesse of holinesse from Gods will Psal. 40.8 I delight to do thy will O God even to be made a curse and crucified Thy Law is within my heart and he would but fulfill all righteousnesse even that which seems to be the outside of the Gospel to be sprinkled with water Math. 3.15 and this Christ would doe as under the Covenant of Grace 2. The stirrings and breathings of the Spirit makes the work sweet hearing brings burning of heart Luke 24.32 willing gladnesse Acts 2.41 and some sweetnesse of stirred bowells comes from the Lords putting in his hand through the Key-hole of the door of the heart Cant. 5.4 where as to an naturall man under the Law to lift up a Prayer is to carie a milstone on his back every syllabe of a word is a stone weight which he cannot bear 3. Were there no more in praying but a communion with God how sweet is it when Christ prayeth the fashion of his countenance is changed Luke 9.29 There is a heaven in the bosome of Prayer though there were never a granting of the sute sure there is a sin in making heaven a hire and in making duty a relative thing a horse for a journey a ship for a voyage to fetch home gold where as there is heaven in praising God before the Throne such as is both work and wages and so in spirituall duties here 7. Suppose there were no letter of a command because there is suteablenesse between the Law ingraven in the heart and the spirituall matter commanded a childe of Grace under Grace sets about duties so that in a maner there is no need to say to David Get thee to Jerusalem and to the house of God for he sayeth Psal. 122.1 I was glad when they said let us go to the house of the Lord. As there needs no command that the Father love the child nor is there need to exhort the Sea to ebbe and flow or the Sun to shine nor are many arguments usefull to presse the mother to give suck to the child nature stands for a Law here the strength of the ingraven Law in the heart overpowreth the letter So the new nature the indwelling anointing as a new instinct putteth the child of Grace to act But here we are to bewar that we
invisibly in Covenant and do make no profession of Christ at all are not warrantably by the Church to be baptized Only these whether old or young that are tali modo visibili federati such as professedly and visibly in Covenant and called Acts 2.39 are warrantably baptized Hence they must be so in Covenant as they be called by the word of the Covenant for they cannot be baptized against their will Luke 7.29.30 Q. What warrand is there Act. 2.39 for Infant Baptisme Ans. I shall not contend for the actuall baptizing of them at that instant But every one of you be baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 father and sons Why the promise is to you and to your children break the Text into an hundred pieces and blood it as men please the Genuine Thesis which cannot be neglected is These to whom the promise of the Covenant does belong these should be baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the promise of the Covenant is to you and to your children Ergo you and your children should be baptized The assumption is the expresse words of Peter and the Proposition is Peters Every one of you be baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for to you is the promise of the Covenant Calvin Bullinger Brentius Gualther clear it 2. Who they are who are in the nearest capacity to be baptized he explaines when he showeth that the Covenant promise is made to these who are far off to the Gentiles whom the Lord shall call then all that are under the call and offer of Christ in the Preached Gospel as Prov. 9.1 2 3 4. Math. 22 bid them come to the wedding Luke 14.16 17 18. c. are externally in Covenant and such to whom the Covenant is made and should be baptized it s presumed they give some professed consent to the call and do not right down deny to come else they should be baptized against their will 3. Calvine showes Acts 2.39 that the Anabaptists in his time said the promise was made to Believers only but the Text saith it is made to you and to your children to infants to the children of the Prophets and of the Covenant made with the fathers Acts 3.25 Now what ground doe Anabaptists give that all infants believe or that some believe since to them their children were as Pagans without Christ without the Covenant if to the children when they come to age and shall believe but what need to adde and to your believing Children for these are not children but men of age their fathers and they both being believers Now Peter sets down two ranks the aged who heard the word with gladnesse and were pricked in heart v. 37.41 and the children and to both the promise is made and what ground is their to exclude sucking children for the word Acts 2.39 is Math. 2.18 1 Cor. 7.14 where sure the word is taken for sucking children of whose actuall faith the Scripture speaks not 2. The promise is to you and to your children can have no other sense then the promise and word of the Covenant is preached to you and to your children in you and this is to be externally in Covenant both under the Old and New Testament If it have another sense it must be this the Lord hath internally Covenanted with you the 3000. who have heard the word and with your children and you are the spirituall seed and sons of promise predestinate to life eternall as Rom. 9. they expone the seed in Covenant But 1. Were all the 3000. Ananias and Saphiâ—a and their children the spirituall and chosen seed for he commands all whom he exhorts to repent to be baptized And 2. Now to Simon Magus and Demas and numbers of such Peter could not have said the promise is made to you and to your children if it be only made to reall and actuall believers as they say Peter therefore must owne them all whom he exhorts to repent as the chosen seed But if the former sense be intended as how can it be denyed to wit the word of the Covenant is preached to you an offer of Christ is made in the preached Gospel to you Then it cannot be denyed but the promise is to all the Reprobate in the Visible Church whether they believe or not for Christ is preached and promises of the Covenant are preached to Simon Magus to Judas and all the Hypocrites who stumble at the Word to all the Pharisees as is clear Math. 13.20 21 22 23. Acts 13.44 45. Acts 18.5 6. Math. 21.43 1 Pet. 2.7 8. 3. The promise I will be your God and ye shall be my people must be one way expounded in the Old Testament to wit you are externally only in Covenant with God But in the New Testament it must have this meaning I wil be your God 2 Cor. 6.16 that is you are all predestinate to life and the sons by promise and the spirituall seed to whom I say I will be your God But so it may well be said there were no internall Covenanters in the Old Testament and there be none but only internall Covenanters in the New Testament so that when the Lord sayeth Rev. 11.15 The Kingdomes of the earth are mine and my sons He must say the Kingdomes Egypt Assyria Tyrus Ethiopia c. are chosen and the spirituall seed and these Covenanted Nations and the Kingdomes of the Gentiles are all internally and effectually called and there are no Visible Churches in the New Test. but only all invisible and saved 4. If these words The promise is to you and to your children be limited to as many as the Lord shall effectually call either fathers or children But Mr. Stev Marshel judiciouslie observes there is no more a Covenant-favour holden forth to their children then to the children of Pagans for the children of Pagans if God effectually call them have the promises made to them 5. It s clear that externall Covenant-holinesse is to these men ceremoniall holiness now out of date and then externall calling the only means of internall and effectuall calling Math. 22.14 1 Cor. 1.18.23 24. Luke 15.1 2. and the fixed Church-hearing of the Preached Gospel is a ceremony 2. That God should be the God of Infants of the seed of the Jews a mercie to fathers and sons coming from free love Deut. 10.15 Gen. 17.7 Deut. 7.6.7.8 and Prophesied as a mercy to the Gentiles by all the Prophets was a ceremony removed now in Christ. Yea 3. externall Covenanting and adopting and choising of Israel is no mercy except that a Pedagogie of the Law is a mercy for a time 4. The promise is to you and to your children must be in a contradictorie way expounded to wit the promise is no more made to your children so long as they are Infants then to Devils Yea fathers and children not beleeving though chosen to life are excommunicated from Visible adoption calling hearing the Gospel promises for there is no Covenanting now under
externally within the Covenant are not really indeed within the Covenant of Grace Ans. The Adverbe really relates to the reall fruit of the fulfilled Covenant and so such as are only externally within the Covenant are not really within the Covenant for God never directed nor intended to bestow the blessing Covenanted nor grace to perform the condition of the Covenant upon them But they are really Covenanted and engadged by their consented profession to fulfill the Covenant And as the commands and threatnings of the Covenant of Grace lay on a reall obligation upon such as are only externally in Covenant either to obey or suffer so the promise of the Covenant imposes an ingagement and obligation upon such to beleeve the promise but some times we say the promises of the Covenant of Grace are not really made to the Reprobate within the Visible Church because God intends and decrees to and for them neither the blessing promised nor the saving grace to fulfill the condition or to beleeve And therefore these words are figurative Heb. 8.10 This is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel I will write my Law in their minds c. that is this is the speciall and principall Covenanted blessing I will give them a new heart which must not be called a simple prediction though a prediction it is but it is also a real promise made absolutely to the elect which the Lord fulfills in them And this is called the Covenant Because 1. they are no better then non-Covenanters upon whom the Lord bestowes not this part and blessing of the Covenant 2. The truth is the promise of a new heart is not made to the Visible Church which is only Visible but to the Elect and Invisible Church And if Anabaptists shall expone these words Acts 2.39 The promise of a new heart is made to you and to your children upon condition that you and your children beleeve which they cannot do untill first they have a new heart it s as good as Peter had said God promiseth to you and to your children grace to beleeve and a new heart to obey him upon condition that you first beleeve And that is Gods promise to you to beleeve upon condition that ye beleeve which is ridiculous and therefore we cannot say that this promise of a new heart is made to all that are commanded to beleeve and repent and be baptized For Elect and Reprobate and all are under these commands if they be members of the Visible Church But the promise of a new heart is not made to all within the Visible Church Quest. How then Must the promise of a new heart be here excluded And shall nothing be meant in the Word but a promise of forgivenesse and life is made to you and your Children Ans. I should judge it hard to say that were the only promise here made the promise of a new heart is made to you all therefore repent and be baptized The Antecedent is not true 2. Therefore because Peter speaks unto and of a mixed multitude Fathers Children Elect and Reprobate who must first understand the promise of life and forgivenesse is made to you Ergo all come to age repent and be baptized And because the promise is made to your children therefore let them be baptized And 3. the promise of new heart is not to be excluded because there were in the company to whom and of whom the Apostle Peter speaks many Elect in whom the old Prophesie Jer. 31. Ezek. 11. was to be fulfilled For he saith The promise is made to as many as the Lord shall call to the Gentiles it were a sense too narrow to exclude that promise and therefore as the great promise I will be thy God and the God of thy seed which chiefly is meant Acts 2.39 requires not the same condition in fathers and infants nor the same condition in fathers wives hewers of wood Officers and Commanders litle ones and such as were not born Deu. 29. with whom the Covenant is made For the same faith in fath is and in infants and faith working in the same duties cannot be required of husbands wives Magistrates and hewers of wood so neither is the promise made the same way to fathers children Jews near hand and Gentiles farre off to Elect and Reprobate Q. How can the promise of the Covenant to write the Law in the heart be made absolutely and not to the Reprobate but to the Elect only For the Elect are only these to whom that promise is made and yet the Reprobate are really in the Covenant of Grace and the promise is made to them as hath been said Answ. It is no inconvenient that the Reprobate in the Visible Church be so under the Covenant of Grace as some promises are made to them and some mercies promised to them conditionally and some reserved speciall promises of a new heart and of perseverance belong not to them For all the promises belong not the same way to the parties visibly and externally and to the parties internally and personally in Covenant with God So the Lord promiseth life and forgivenesse shall be given to these who are externally in the Covenant providing they beleeve but the Lord promiseth not a new heart and grace to beleeve to these that are only externally in Covenant And yet he promiseth both to the Elect. Hence the Covenant must be considered two ways in abstracto and formally in the letter as a simple way of saving sinners so they believe so all within the Visible Church are in the Covenant of Grace and so it contains only the will of precept 2. In the concret as the Lord caries on the Covenant in such and such a way commensurably with the decrees of Election and Reprobation As the Lord not only promises but acts and ingraves the Law in the heart commensurably with his decree of Election so the Elect only are under the Covenant of Grace The word tells of no condition or work or act to be performed by any which if he do he shall have a new heart and therefore the promise of the ingraven Law in the heart is not a simple promise made to the Covenanters as Covenanters for so it should be a promise to all visible Covenanters for visible Covenanters are essentially Covenanters but it is both a promise and a prediction yea a reall execution or an efficacious way of fulfilling the decree of Election to such and such chosen and specially loved of God Covenanters 2. A new heart hath a twofold consideration one as a duety commanded 2. As a blessing promised as to the former Ezech. 18.31 make you a new heart and a new spirit Jer. 4.4 Circumcise your heart to the Lord take away the foreskin of your heart ye men of Judah Eph. 4.23 be renued in the Spirit of your minde Eph. 4.14 Awake thou that sleeps and rise from the dead these are either
bare commands without any Gospel strength given to obey and so they are legall commands in the letter oboblidging all visible Covenanters to obedience and so all Letter all Law no Gospel strength to performe speaks poor unmixed Law In this case God repeats and craves back again from broken men a sound heart which they sinfully lost in Adam and may justly seek heart conformitie to his holy Law from all men Or then these commands are backed with Gospel strength to obey and so they are both commands and blessings promised as Jer. 31.33 This my Covenant a Covenant and something more shall bee I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts 34. Ezech. 11.19 Ezech. 36.26 Heb. 8.6 10 11.12 so the more strength promised the more Gospel Neither is there any inconvenience to say that the Reprobate visible Covenanters are not thus as touching the speciall promises of a new heart and perseverance of the Saints really in the Covenant of Grace Q. Who are they who are to believe God shall give them a new heart Ans. No man is positively to believe it while God work it in him for no man is to believe that he is predestinated to Glorie while he first have the effects thereof in him the hid Manna the white Stone the new Name But no man is to despare or to create fatall inferences that he is Reprobate since God begins kindly with him with a Gospel call CHAP. XIIII Considerations of the Arguments from Gen. 17. Mark 10.15 16. Luke 18. Math. 19. Rom. 11. for Infant Baptisme IF God be the God of Abraham and of his seed Gen. 17. therefore every male child shall be entered in the Covenant by the initiall seal of Circumcision and so women also who eat the Passeover which the uncircumcised might not do and Peter was sent to the Circumcision that is to all the Jews men and women and so the women is some way in the men and they might be circumcised in them upon the same gound because the same promise is made to fathers and to children must infants be baptized Acts 2.39 1. This is the Lords own Argument Gen. 17.7 there were multitudes of differences between Circumcision and Baptisme as we grant but in the substance nature and Theologicall essence and in the formall effects they are the same We grant that Christ revealed in Types Sacrifices to come darkly offered may differ from Christ as clearly offered Preached without these already abolished shaddows and who is now come Yet he is the same Saviour to them who believed in him then and now Act. 10.43 Act. 15.11 And we 2. argue not simply from the letter of the Covenant I am your God Ergo be baptized for one might reply I am your God Ergo offer such beasts to me it shall not follow But I am your God and the God of your seed offering to you the same Christ and righteousnesse that was offered to Abraham in the same Covenant Ergo all of you be baptized who are under the same Covenant For 1. Circumcision of the flesh was a seal of the Circumcision of the heart promised in the Covenant of Grace Deut. 30.6 and of the cutting of the foreskin thereof Jer. 4.4 Jer. 9.26 Ezech. 36.26 27. and baptisme is the same Col. 2.11 12. Tit. 3.5 2. Circumcision is a seal of the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 4.11 so is baptisme as 1 Pet. 3.21 Rom. 4.24 3. Circumcision is a seal of the Covenant and by a metonymie called the Covenant of God in the flesh Gen. 17.7 13. so is baptisme a solemn installing of all Samaria Acts 8. in the Christian Covenant and so Acts 2.39 4. Circumcision is a solemne way of instituting any in the Church of Israel so we are by one Spirit baptized into one body 1 Cor. 12.12 13. 1. The command of Circumcising is as large as Covenanting but that is with Abrabam the father and his seed Acts 2.39 make the command of being Baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every one of you be Baptized as large as the promise of the Christian Covenant and call For the promise is to you and to your children and to as many as the Lord shall call 2. The command supposes that all the Circumcised the males of eight dayes old understand not the promise of the Covenant the nature use signification and end of the seal and the command to be baptized supposeth that the children to whom the Covenant promise is made do not understand the same as touching baptisme and the Covenant promise Acts 2.39 3. If the positive command be generall that all these in Covenant should be marked with the initiatorie seal of the Covenant As Gen. 17.7 8. I am thy God and the God of thy seed Therefore old and young be Circumcised then there was no other command in particular to baptize old or young but the institution of Baptism in place of Circumcision needfull As touching the application of it to persons old or young except the ground of externall Covenanting stand as warranting to administrate the seal to all so Covenanted Yea and if there be a positive command and warrand in the New Testament to tender the Seal of Baptism to none but to the aged that can give an account of their faith and do actually beleeve then should there be an expresse command in the New Testament concerning Baptism as concerning the Lords Supper that every one before they be Baptized try and examine themselves whether they savingly beleeve or not before they be Baptized otherwise they receive their own damnation as in the Lords Supper for self judging and self examination if actuall beleeving and being internally in Covenant as these in whose heart and inward part the Law of Grace must be ingraven be the necessary condition required in all these to whom the Church can warrantably tender Baptism as the seal of the Covenant And we require a positive command in the New Testament see that ye Baptize none though they professe they be in Covenant except such as can try and examine whether they savingly beleeve or not and here Anabaptists must flee to the consequences of the Word and reasons drawn from the Covenant of Grace as well as we and an express command they cannot flee unto nor is it in Old or New Testament It should not move us that Infants understand neither command nor seal nor Covenant for the Argument is against the Holy Ghost and they are oblidged to answer it for Infants are as ignorant of the promises the speciall mysteries of the Gospel as of Precepts of the Gospel And yet the promises of the Covenant of Grace are expresly to Infants of the New Testaments Acts 2.39 promise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Gospel promise made to Abraham Gal. 3.16 The Gospel and promise of righteousnesse of the Spirit of Life Gal. 3.17 18 22 29.23.28 Gal. 6.2 Rom. 4.13.16.20 Rom. 9.8 1 Tim. 4.8 Heb. 4.1 Heb.
upon the name of the Lord and shall be saved He not only yeelds that the Israelites have heard but he confirms it from Psal. 19. Yea their sound c. It is an argument à minore from the lesse to the more The whole world hath heard of God either by the preaching of the creatures from the beginning or by the Apostles in the revealed Gospel far more then the Jewes to whom the Oracles of God were committed and to whom first the Gospel must be preached have heard And therefore not all that hear do believe though faith come by hearing nor do all call upon God and are saved So Pet. Martyr so Calvin Hyperius Faius It 's not strange that the Gospel is preached to the Gentiles for God spake to them by the knowledge of the creature Pareus observes that Paul cites not the place Psal. 19. and saith not As it is written but alludes to it only Spanhemius If it be well said that the sound of the heavens is gone to the end of the world that may be said truly of the Preaching of the Gospel Junius to that sense But 1. the place saith not that God called with a will to save the Gentiles The Scripture saith he winked at them and called them not Acts 14.16 But now God commandeth all men every where to repent Acts 17.30 and he revealed not his Testimonies to them Now was not the same Gospel-book in the Pages of the works of Creation as legible to the Gentiles before as after the coming of Christ in the flesh Nor can the Gospel which never came to the ears of many Indians and millions of people it being to them a non ens and an un-heard of Doctrine explain the book of Creation as the thing that shadows out Christ as the New Testament clears the Types of the Old Nor doth the Scripture any where tell us what work of Creation or Providence expresseth Christs dying for our sins rising for our righteousnesse Nor doth the Scripture tell us of an Embleme in nature of God Incarnate of the Man Christ in glory pleading at the right hand of God for us And no doubt the Lords naturall desires of saving all calling and inviting all to Repentance of Christs dying for all his naturall willingnesse that all and every one should obey do not ebbe and waxe and decrease as the Sea and Moon do and therefore his taking such a course with all the Gentiles that no word of the Covenant comes to their ears so that then at that time they were without Christ being aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenant of promise having no hope and without God in the world Eph. 2.12 And in time past were no people in Covenant and had not obtained mercy 1 Pet. 2.9 10. and were far off Acts 2.39 must evince that the sense of the Gospel was not written in Sunne and Moon and the book of Creation is not the Gospel and therefore he hath been shewing that the Gentiles were not in Covenant before the Incarnation and since no word of the Gospel comes to millions now they are yet not in Covenant And this is a Gospel-truth now that stands after the Incarnation as before Rom. 9.18 He hath therefore mercy upon whom he will and hardens whom he will And he said it in the Old Testament Exod. 33.19 and repeateth it to us Rom. 9.15 I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion upon whom I will have compassion And if any man say that he hath the like antecedent naturall good-will to save eternally all these whom he calleth and moveth finally to obey and the greatest part of mankind whom he so moveth and calleth as he knoweth they shall never obey whereas he can move all finally to obey without straining their naturall liberty He speaks things that cannot consist with both the wisedom and liberty of God And if amongst these to whom the word of the Covenant comes some are externally only and never saved Matth. 22.14 Rom. 9.6 7. Others internally personally and really in Covenant and saved why but some may be neither wayes in Covenant if they never heard the word of the Covenant and if the Heathen and Americans were under the Covenant of Grace Preached to them in that sound that goes to the end of the world Why but Moab Ammon and Assyrians Philistines Chaldeans Persians are the Israel of God his chosen people his Sion and must not the principall promise of the Covenant be made to them and are we not to beleeve that God will write his Law in the hearts of Cain Pharaoh Saul Doeg Ahab Judas Magus and of Moabites Ammonites Aegyptians and of all and every one of mankinde if they be in Covenant with him Contrair to Psa. 147.19 20. Hos. 8.12 Exo. 20.1 Neither can it be said that all mankind have received a subjective power to beleeve and receive Christ holden forth in the Gospel to us Printed to be read and heard in the book of Creation called the objective Gospel as Adam had power to fulfill the first Covenant for Adam had the Image of God concreated in his soul by which he was able to fulfill the Law then must they give us a Scripture to prove that all Adams sons are converted and restored to the Image of God born over again for by no other power but by a new heart and the actings of God can men beleeve the Gospel objective or come to Christ and do good works Evangelicall by which they are justified and if it be a remote power that may grow it is not the like power which Adam had to keep the Law 2. This power is either naturall or supernaturall Naturall it cannot be for then flesh and blood might beleeve and the wisedom of the flesh might be subject to the Law of God which the Scripture denies Mat. 16.16 17. Rom. 8.7 2. There should be no need that Christ die except only to satisfie for our breach of the Law not to purchase new grace to us by his merits and such a power should be no grace of Christ. If it be a supernaturall grace merited by Christ then have Pagans and all the Heathen that supernaturall inherent grace to beleeve in the Son of God and yet the object thereof the Gospel is not revealed to them which is an incongruous dispensation not warranted by the Scripture that the Lord should give a supernaturall power to beleeve they know not what 2. A supernaturall power to beleeve is saving grace and a power to love Christ and can saving grace be in Pagans or in any and they know not of it 3. Yea sins of Pagans for which they are condemned must be the Gospel-sins for they cannot be Law-sins for if all mankind be under the Covenant of grace there can none at all be under the Law For there can be none under the Covenant
souls especially in particular facts Answ. There is a wide difference betwixt revelations which speak what is lawfull or unlawfull agreeable unto or repugnant to the Word And what is good in jure and what in facto shall come to passe or not come to passe what ever is given to revelations of the former sort is taken from the Scripture whose peculiar perfection it is to show what is good and just what not Therefore to say that revelations now do guide us in disobeying higher Powers or killing men c. is a wronging of the Word especially of the first second and sixth Commands As to the other God may and doth lead his owne especially when they are near glory under fewest prejudices touching time and eternity to speak what shall be but it is not our rule It 's an Argument of nought Such a thing was mightily born in upon my spirit as lawfull and as certainly to come to passe when I was most near to GOD in a full manifestation of himself therefore such a way is right or such a way shall come to passe For not to say 1. that this is a wronging of the perfection of Scripture and 2. That there is a bastard Logick in the affections where God and nature hath seated discursive power And we often prophesie because we love not because we see the visions of God 3. Peter might the same way reason I saw the glory of heaven at the transfiguration and the Peers of the higher house Moses and Elias and this was then mightily born in upon my spirit It is good for us to be here let us build three Tabernacles therefore this is true It is good for us to be here But the Conclusion is a dream who should preach the Gospel as witnesses and suffer for it and write Canonick Scripture if these Disciples should be for ever there And if they should be separated from the whole glorified body and make up a Church eternally glorified in that Mount of only six persons And the word saith Peter being drunk with glory Mark 9.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knew not what he said and the Disciples were sleeping not prophecying Luke 9.32 which saith they were in heaven but cloathed with bodies of sin and not led by Scripture-light as that good Prophecie of Peter was contrair to the Gospel of suffering and dying that Christ prophesied was abiding himself and all his Math. 16.21 22. we should reel and sin for there may be no connexion between the present nearnesse to God and the thing suggested in the spirit and they cohere by accident So one in prayer is near God in respect of sweetnesse of accesse and yet the individuall favour which ye pray for conditionally never granted Ye may be saved and God more glorified in the sufficiency of his grace without granting it to you as is clear 2 Cor. 12.9 Sorrow and desire can suggest such an answer to the fasting of Israel as they may say and think they shall be victorious now over the children of Benjamin and yet they are deceived The heart would be silent and let God speak here The sight may be dazled in nearnesse to God and we take our marks by the Moon And the liberty of praying is terminated upon the fiduciall acts and we think it is fastened upon the particular thing we seek And here the Antecedent is true as heaven and the Consequence folly and darknesse So John Rev. 19. and cap. 22. seeth Heaven opened and behold a white horse and him who sate on him and he heard the voice of many saying Halelujah and saw the pure river of water of life the tree of life the Throne and Him that sate thereupon c. But he did not rightly infer that he might therefore fall down and worship a created Angel All which saith they vainly boast of the Spirit who reject the light of Scripture which is a surer day-star then the light of glory for our direction The light of glory is for our perfection of happinesse in seeing and enjoying the last end but not for our instruction in leading to the end and the means The Candle-light and Sun-light in the City comes not without the City to direct us in the way the lights and torches in Jerusalem and the new City serve not to guide the way to these Cities 2. The spirituall man judgeth all things but by the word In one particular Samuel in another Tertullian dottes upon Montanus some of the prime fathers otherwise Godly are blacked with Platoes purgatory and some of them with invocation of Saints yet speaking to them doubtingly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the spirit may be where some particular errours are but if the judgement be rotten and unsound in the matters of God rottennesse in the one side of the Apple creeps through the whole and so doth corruption from the minde sink down to the heart A godly heretick I cannot know 3. Any bone or hurt member in walking actually pains and breedeth aiking if there be a piercing and a graving conviction in a Christian motion that untowardnesse and opposition from the flesh pains the spirit and new man and hinders the stirrings of the Spirit it saith the Spirit is there as water cast upon fire speaketh there is fire Rom. 7.15 16 23 24. It were good to try the untowardnesse to spirituall duties and severall kinds of delight whether it be borrowed delight from the literall facilitie of the gift from gaine and glory adhereing to the office and calling or from the inbred sweetnesse in honouring God crooking and pain in walking is a token of life-walking 4. It s a spirituall disposition in the Church Cant. 2. in a particular soul to know and be able to give an exact account of all the motions goings and comings of Christ where he lyeth as a bundle of myrrhe all the night even betwixt the breasts Cant. 1.13 when the King brings you into his house of new wine Cant. 1.4 Cant. 2.4 when he speaks Cant. 2.8 10. My beloved spake and said to me arise my love my fair one and come away when he knocks know ye his knock to tell over again his words open to me my sister c. where he is Cant. 2.8 Behold he cometh leaping upon the mountains skipping upon the hills where he is in his dispensation to his Ancient Church Cant. 2.9 Behold he standeth behind our wall he looketh forth at the windows 16. He feedeth among the Lillies when and how he imbraceth Cant. 2.6 His left hand is under my head his right hand doth imbrace me when he withdrawes Cant. 5.6 and is not to be found I sought him but I found him not I called him but he answered me not Cant. 5.6 Cant. 3.1 2. how hard he is to be found and how easie he is to be found Cant. 3.1 2.3 4. what spirituall stirrings he makes in the heart Cant. 5 4. My beloved put in his hand
an essence that consists in indivisibili and cannot be parted 3. A new heart is a fixed and established heart by Grace it 's a new state not a new transient flash a new heart Deut. 5.27 All that the Lord our God will speak unto thee we will hear but the Lord saith verse 19. O! that there were such a heart in them but it is not in them 4. 1 Sam. 10.9 God gave Saul an other heart then a changed heart is not a new heart a new spirit or a new gift in Jehu is not a new heart It 's not newnesse that makes the heart new but Gods new ingraving Jer. 31.33 5. A heart keeped with all keeping is a new heart Prov. 4.23 both the words note exact diligence in keeping as watchmen and sheepherds with all keeping at all times Psal. 119.119 some pull their hearts to pray and hear but not while the sabbath or under a storme of conscience and the heart is a word in some company not at other times and in other company 6. The heart is new where the affections are all faith as it were and all sanctified reason and zeal is a lump of angry reason and fear a masse of shining reverence and love only soul sicknesse and pure adherence to God the instinct of faith wholly on God as the last and only end 2. The heart is new when the affections are equivocally or at least at the second hand set upon the creature but as nothing can be seen but what either is colour or affected with colour so nothing is fixedly sought after but God he onely feared and served Mat. 4.10 Deut. 10.20 only desired Psal. 73.25 only loved Deut. 10.12 Cant. 3.2 3. the soul sick of love for only only Christ Cant. 2.5 Cant. 5.8 he only trusted in Jer. 17.5 7. Psal. 62.5 1. Nothing is all good and all desirable but God and God in Christ Mat. 19.17 Cant. 5.16 the shadow of the Sun in the fountain is not the reall Sun the stirrings of the pulse of the affections towards the shadowed good of the creature should be lent and like the beating of the pulse of a dying man with a godly contradiction loving and not loving joying and not joying 1 Cor. 7.29 30. mourning and not mourning CHAP. XIX 1. The place of Evangelick works in the New Covenant 2. Possession of glory and right to glory considerably different 3. A twofold right to life 4. We are not justified by Works 5. The place of declarative justification by Works Jam. 2. discussed 6. Faith and Works different 7. Possession of life and right to life cleared 8. Faith and finall believing both commanded in the Law finall unbelief not the sin forbidden in the Gospel onely 9. How life is promised to works Evangelick IT 's a grave and weighty Question to rid marches between the two Covenants in their conditions the one requiring the obedience of Works the other Faith It 's not to be said that for fifeteen hundred years no man did doubt of the necessitie of good Works Paul propones the objections of the Antinomians Shall we sin and continue in sin that Grace may abound Rom. 6.1 this they spake through the occasion of what he taught chap. 5. some have said they are hurtfull because we abuse them some arbitrarie and indifferent because they are not necessary to justification O! what pronnesse in us to suck out of the doctrine of free Grace poyson how kindly to desire there were no Law against treason because the Prince pardons All sin is virtually Atheisme to wish the existence of a Law and so of a just holy and unchangeable God were not and we can hardly believe this And 2. what rising of heart and carnall reason is there against the first acts of providence why and what necessity was there to make a Law to forbid the eating of an Aple God foreseeing that thence should come the ruine and endlesse damnation of all It had been good God had never created such a Tree 2. That the eating thereof had never been forbidden 3. That it had never had such a name as the the tree of knowledge for it deceived Evah 4. That God had not given free-will to Adam 5. That he had given him confirming grace in the first moment of Creation But Observe 1. Satan started first the dispute concerning the equity of the Law and that we are Disciples of and apprâ—ntises to Satan when we tosse and rackot arguments in our carnall heart-Logick against the holy Law of God Gen. 3.2 and make the heart a ferrie boat to cary messengers and divellish thoughts hither and yonder in questioning the goodnesse of the Law and the acts of providence and therefore it is speaking Grace to close with the sweetnesse not only of the Law written in the heart and these inbred principles of honesty and truth to hurt none to obey God for Satan raised not the first dispute about these but with all the judgements and testimonies of God as David Psal. 119.127 128. vers 86. All thy commandements are faithfull 1 Sam. 12.7 Stand still that I may reason with you of all the righteous acts of the Lord. It s a mind like Christs that hath an heart prejudice at no one command by an other and is sweetly friended with all that God commands Math. 3.15 It becomes us to fulfill all rightenesse and O! how sweet to have no heart quarrell but a sweet stouping of soul unto and an adoring of God in all providences and acts or decrees he hath concluded or done in time or from Eternitie These draw deep in the decree of Reprobation God had an hatefull designe against me 2. The Gospel is an untrue and fabulous dispensation What a spirit is Galaenus who reproacheth Moses because he teacheth not that God works ever and by necessity of nature what is most good for the creature And that Prince who said that if he had been Counsellour to God in the time of the Creation many things should have been created ordinatius melius in a better order and state then they were Let the man be remembred who called the Gospel a fable and the spirits who reproach the Scripture as inkie wisedom 1. A bare dead forme bare flesh c. and weak ones under desertion who feed upon reports and lying news from Satan God hated me before time and carries on a design of eternall ruine to me therefore I have no right to hear to pray to eat to sleep 2. Yet the necessity of good works is asserted by Luther the Augustine Confess and Apol. Arti. 20. docent nostri c. Evangelick works are necessarie not to merite but by the will and commandement of God Calvin calleth them inferiour causes of the possession of our salvation The dispute began upon occasion of the book called Interim Anno M.DLXVIII and in Colloquie at Altenburge Melanthone and the Divines of Wittenberge assented
to the necessitie of good works but the followers of Flaccius Illyricus dissented The Authors of the book of Concord condemne these of Flaccius their way and deny a necessity of efficiency in works to deserve salvation but yeeld a necessity of their presence that the work of salvation be not hindered 3. These distinctions are necessary 1. There is a jus and right to Gospel life eternall And 2. there is actuall possession of life eternall 2. There is a twofold jus One by the purchase of merit and the payed ransome of blood There is a right secundary by promise every promise giveth a right in a manner but its unproper 3. There is promise of life formally federall 2. There is a promis◠of life consequentèr federall 4. There is an order of things one going before the other as the Antecedent and the Consequent and in order of cause and effect 5. Law-obedience doth much differ from Gospel-obedience as Law-commands from Gospel-commands 6. GOD sent his Sonne to justifie persons but not to justifie works not to make inherent obedience perfect or our righteousnesse before God Asser. 1. If the new Covenant be considered strictly and formally in its essence he that beleeveth whether his faith be weake or strong is justified and saved Joh 3.18 36. Joh. 5.24 Act. 15.9 10 11. Rom. 3.16 Rom. 4.1 2 3 4 5. Rom. 5.1 for faith justifieth as lively faith and not as great or small Otherwise none should be justified and saved but the strong beleever whereas Christ died for the weak in the faith Rom. 14. Hence Mr. Sibs excellently Know that in the Covenant of Grace God requires the truth of Grace not any certain measure and a spark of fire is aswell fire as the whole element thereof we must look to Grace in the sparkle aswell as the whole flame all have not the like strong yet the like precious faith whereby they lay hold and put on the perfect righteousnesse of Christ a weak hand may receive a rich Jewell a few grapes will shew that the plant is a vine not a thorne There is a roome in heaven for thee who judges thy self for the number of lambes and babes weak in the faith in this Kingdome do far exceed the number of the strong and aged in Christ for the Scripture names the whole flock little ones babes his sheep they are not a flock of fathers and strong ones Asser. 2. There is a right to life by promise he that beleeves shall be saved Promissio facit jus creat debitum Godlinesse hath the promise of this life and of that which is to come And because a promise as a promise cannot create an equality betwixt the work and the wages as is proven this is an unproper right and not proper debt and takes not away the nature of a free gift This is no consequence at all the performing of the condition of the Covenant of Works doth justifie Adam by Law-works so as he is no sinner hath fulfilled the Law hath right to life eternall Ergo to beleeve to the end and fulfill to the end and fulfill the condition of the Covenant of Grace doth justifie the beleever by Evangelick works make him no sinner but a perfect fulfiller of the Covenant of Grace and one who hath due right by working to life eternall Certainly then 1. doing Evangelick gives us as good right to eternall life without the price and ransome of blood as doing legall gives to the same life 2. When we sin and fall in atrocious offences Adulteries Paricide Robbing we have as good right to Justification by works and life eternall by Evangelick works suppose he be a robber all his life as was the repenting theef as Adam suppose he had perfectly fulfilled the Law Now though believing be the condition of the Covenant of Grace it is of a farre other nature then perfect doing to the end and constant fulfilling of the whole Law in thought word and deed with all the heart and the soul and mind and all the strength For there is no sin here and so no place for punishing justice or wrath none can so believe but he sins and so deserves everlasting wrath If it be said that by the Covenant of Works he doeth deserve it but not by the Covenant of Grace for Christ hath merited to him life eternall Ans. 1. We speak now of the right that a Believer hath by Evangelick works to justification and life as contradistinguished from the merits of Christ this opinion saith that a man is justified by Evangelick doing because God hath made the like promise and the like jus and right by promise to doing Evangelick that he made to Law-doing if Christs merits be added to qualifie Evangelick works to adde to them the worth that they have then Christs merits must give life eternall by way of merit or a vertue of meriting condignly to our Evangelick doing as Papists say and so Christ hath made us saviours and redeemers of our selves and this is a right to life ex condigno more then Adams most perfite Law-obedience had 2. The Covenant of Grace commanding faith doeth by this opinion command all that the Law of Works doeth but in an Evangelick way that they be done sincerely Ergo it must forbid all sin which the Law forbids But the Law forbids not only unbelief finall unbelief but all the works of the flesh Also Christ must come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to louse and dissolve the Law which he denyes Math. 5. for if the Covenant of Grace condemne nothing but finall unbelief Christ in this Covenant must dissolve the Law but Christ sayeth he that breaks or teacheth men to break these is the least of the Kingdome of God But there is an other jus and right to life eternall by which Christ dying hath satisfied the Law expiated our sins restored as much and more glory to God by passive obedience by his sufferings as we had taken glory from God by our evill doing and so merited to us life eternall If any say abusing that place Rev. 22. 14. that we obtain this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and right to the Tree of Life and to Christ our life and everlasting glory which is our only right the only Charter of blood by keeping the Commandements Evangelically he must say that we first may keep the Commandements Evangelically before we have right to life to Christ and so before we beleeve 2. That we merit Christs right or merite by doing and that by Evangelick works we buy right to Christ and Christs merits and so Christ hath not merited to us a jus and right and title to life everlasting by dying and grace and a gracious right to do his Commandements by his death but that we by doing his Commandements do earne and sweat for a right to Heaven which is to say that we by doing merite and deserve the price of Redemption and that we merite Christ to our selves
For there be maâ—y Nations who never heard of Christ and understand not writing or any of the commonest Latine and Greek and there is not any such decree revealed in the word and we can not but know such gifts of Tongues are not bestowed on men and without this it is physically impossible to communicate the Gospel It shall not help to say that Christians should travell to all Countreys and learn their Tongues that so they may communicate the Gospel and it is their sin they do not so And therefore God hath decreed that the Gospel may be offered and Christ applicable Ans. 1. What shall become of the aged and of multitudes for whom Christ died who must die in Paganism before Christians can be so mixed and learn the Tongues of all Nations under Heaven 2. Did ever the Apostles to whom the Lord gave the gift of the tongues go to this Nation and not to this but by the call of the Spirit to Macedonia not to Bythinia Act. 16 Is there no call of God now required for spreading of the Gospel Some Nations would kill them some would persecute Christians to death and not receive them in the mean time many for whom Christ died perish 3. Show from Scripture that it is the duty of Christians to mix themselves with all Nations and to learn their Language and that they sin in not doing so Nor let it be said into what Nâ—tion soever I come I may say if thou beleeve in Christ thou shalt be saved Ans. 1. You can not say that except you Pâ—each the Gospel to them For they are not oblidged to believe upon one sentence and if you Preach the Gospel to the Nation God â—â—th some chosen ones there and it is no more a Pagan Nation 〈◊〉 Yoâ— are to say to any one by your way thou art oblidged â—o beleeve that Christ satisfied for all thy sins and for the sins of the whole world but that is a lie which you teach Pagans as a principle of the Gospel 3. It s false that I may say and Preach truely such a thing to every Nation and all in it 4. Nor is it physically possible that Christians can so speak to all and every old and young Also all is indeed referred to the free-will except the Authors say that God doth insuperably determine the will of the Elect to beleeve and the places speak of thâ—â—fficacious redemption of the Elect only But so God had two intentions in Christs dying one generall to render all mankind saveable another speciall actually to save the Elect. But 1. who can beleeve multiplied intentions in God of half redemption from wrath and of whole redemption from both vain conversation and â—â—ath upon their bare word when the Scripture saith Christ in suffeâ—ing without the Camp suffered for the world of Jew and Gentiles that he might sanctifie them he died for 2. What warrand to separate these two conjoined by God to wit that CHRIST should bear on the Crosse the sins of reprobate and not intend that they should die to sin and be redeemed but not from all iniquity be loved and washen and not made Kings and Priests to God That Christ should be wounded for the transgressions of many and yet the chastisement of his peace not be upon them 3. The dying for all and every one cannot be conditionall in so far as the condition is referred to dying to wit if they believe for so believing must go before dying either really which is manifestly false for multitudes for whom Christ dyed had neithâ—r being nor believing when he dyed for them Or in the prescience of God and that destroyes their principles for so Christ cannot have died for all and every one foreseeing that all and every one would believe for he never foresaw that the Reprobate should believe Then must the condition of dying or Redeeming or of paying the ransone of His blood these being all one be referred to Gods accepting of Christs death for so many or for all if they should believe And the same way the Argument is as formerly For God accepteth the payed ransome for all and every one if they all really believe or if they all and every one be foreseen of God to believe befâ—re the Lords accepting of them Both are false as is evidâ—â—t 〈…〉 they say in the issue what we say and contradict themselves to wit that believers and only believers are these for whom Christ died We before said the promises are conditionally to all within the Visible Church but so as the condition relates only to the benefite promised we shall have remission and life if we believe but not otherwise But now the Covenant-promise which is accepted of and assented unto by Professors in their very profession in themselves or their pâ—â—â—nts is absolutely made to all within the Visible Church and they are Covenant-wayes ingadged and say and professe they are the Lords people and they take him and no other for thâ—â—r God whether they obey and believe or no for a people not right in heart may bind themselves in Covenant with God Deâ—â— 29.10 11 12 13 14. compared with 21 22 23. Deut. 31.27 Jâ—sh 24.22 compared with Judg. 2.12 13. So God absolutely intends to save all for whom Christ dies and by his death intends to give a price to redeem them from hell and from unbelief or their vain conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 from all iniquitie Tit. 2.14 from this present evill world Gal. 1.14 Ergo from finall unbeleef the greatest iniquity of a present evill world But here the case widely varies upon no condition that we can read in holy Scripture gave Christ a price a ransome of blood to redeem men from unbeleef and from all iniquitie this price must be absolutely given and grace purchased to all whose sins Christ did â—ear in the Crosse that they may beleâ—ve that they may be sanctified Heb. 13.12 1 Pet. 2.24 2. Sinnes of Thomas refusing to beleeve the resurrection of Christ and of Peter denying the Lord before men and the Gospel-sinnes of beleevers after they are justified and are inlightened must be sins against the Covenant of Grace as well as against the Law And the denying of Christ before men hath a sad threatning of everlasting death Matth. 10.32 Mar. 8.38 annexed to it if they repent not And shall these within the Visible Church who receive not Christ be in a harder condition then Sodom and Gomorrah Matth. 10.14 15. if no sins against the Gospel be punished with eternall death but only unbelief Yea the Scripture saith such as live in the Visible Church and are in Covenant with God not only for finall unbelief are condemned but because they are unrighteous fornicators idolaters adulterers 1 Cor. 6.9 whoremongers unclean covetous persons Eph. 5.5 6. murtherers sorcerers dogs liers Rev. 21.8 Rev. 22.15 for all their ungodly deeds and hard spâ—eches Jude v. 15. 2 Pet. 2.17 for all disobedience 1 Cor.
and not two 1 Joh. 5.11 And this is the witnesse that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath given us life eternall and this is in the Son 12. He that hath the Son hath life He that beleeveth hath the Son dwelling in his heart by faith Eph. 3.17 2. Faith before it come to seed and full harvest brings solid peace and comfort and saveth So Christ to the blind man Luke 18.42 thy faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath saved thee not a bare miraculous faith but that which apprehends remission of sinnes as he speaks to the woman who did wash his feet with tears Luke 7.50 and to the paralytick man Mat. 9.2 seeing their faith be of good cheer go in peace thy sins are forgiven If they be but forgiven conditionally so they beleeve to the end whereas they may fall away 1. What comfort and good cheer 2. What peace being justified by faith Rom. 5.1 3. What glory in tribulation Rom. 5. have they more then Judas the son of perdition What Covenant of life and of peace are we in What difference between our Religion and the Religion of Cicero Seneca and of all Pagans if Christ furnish not to us solid unshaken help and consolation And what a trembling hope have they that they be and are to fear they shall be in the condition of Apostate Angels to morrw What saith then Christ Mat. 9.22 Mark 5.34 Mark 10.52 Luk. 8.58 Luk. 5.20 24. Mark 5.34 Mark 9.24 yea and much more saith the Holy Ghost of our case even of everlasting consolation 2 Thessal 2.16 strong consolation Hebr. 6.18 all comfort 2 Cor. 1.4 lively hope 1 Pet. 1.4 Heb. 6.18 19. then Heathens can say Nay otherwise not so much for they promise not so much 3. Our lively faith is to believe our perseverance in lively faith as promised to us Jer. 32.39 40. Isai. 54.10 Isai. 59.20 21. Joh. 10.27 28. Joh. 4.14 1 Pet. 1.3 4 5. Joh. 11.26 27. As we believe life eternall and that purchased by the merite of Christs death the one as well as the other then faith as finall cannot be the condition And who can think that God commands faith in God Immanuel in the Covenant of Works But faith in God Immanuel to the end is not commanded in the Covenant of Works but only in the Covenant of Grace 4. Faith justifies and saves as sincere be it great or small but if it justifie not and save not but as it endures to the end then no man is compleatly justified and saved and united to Christ untill he die Since faith as all other graces in a child of God is imperfect and still growing 2 Pet. 3.18 and we are to pray Lord increase our faith none shall be justified and saved but he that hath the greatest faith if faith only which endures to the end be the condition of the Covenant and such a faith as groweth and indures to the end For take one who for twenty years believeth the first two years he being united to Christ hath right to Christ Joh. 15.1 2 3 4 5. Joh. 17.21 22. Joh. 14.16 Joh. 16.7 8 13. Joh. 4.14 Joh. 7.37 38 39. he shall not be judged not condemned hath passed from death to life shall never die Joh. 3.36 1 Joh. 5.11 12. Joh. 4.24 Joh. 11.25 26. then should he die the end of the first year of his believing by the Scripture he must be saved else he must be damned who yet died in true faith and yet never fell away which were strange But by this opinion either the remnant sound believing should be no condition of justification and salvation because the man is justified and saved without it and the faith of one or two years gave him right to Christ and saved him Ergo the remnant faith is not a condition of the Covenant but a persevering by grace promised and a persevering in that faith as also by their way who make persevering faith the only condition of the Covenant of Grace 1. Faith and works are confounded whereas to be saved by faith is to be saved before and to be justified before we can do good works and the jus or title to righteousnesse and salvation coming only from the price and Redemption that is in Jesus Christ is not more or lesse and growes not more then the worth of the ransone of the blood called the blood of God Acts 20.28 does grow and it is to be justified by grace and by faith and then works come in as the fruit of our justification and salvation Eph. 2. Ye are not saved by works lest any man should boast in a righteousnesse of his own coming from no merite of Christ which buyeth determinating grace and indeclinably leads and bows the will Otherwise we may boast that is glory in the Lord who worketh all-our works for us Psal. 34.2 Isa. 41.16 Isa. 26.12 The salvation and righteousnesse is the gift of God What then shall be the room of works He answers No room at all as causes of justification and salvation by an excellent antanaclasis as learned Trochrig for he answers We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus to good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Then by grace we have the full right to righteousnesse and salvation by the ransome of blood which is Christs Papists and Arminians dare not bring in Evangelick works or faith as an Evangelick work here though they be too hold 2. Being once made the creation of God in Christ and having obtained right by the blood of Christ to salvation we walk by his grace in good works as leading us to the possession of the purchased inheritance 3. The Authors of this stand for the Apostasie of the Saints and they cannot eschew it who make this finall faith that takes in in its essence good works as the soul of it or charity as Papists say as the form of it the only condition of the Covenant Quest. But is not life eternall given and promised only to faith which continues to the end Ans. Faith is considered two wayes In its nature 2. In its duration and existence As to the former saving faith is of that nature that it is apt to endure it hath a sort of immortality so the promise in titulo jure is made to that faith only which is of that nature that it must endure to the end and the promise of life and remission is not made to a saving faith under the accident of enduring to the end or for the years suppon thirty or fourty years or eight hundred years or above that Adam or the Patriarchs lived in the state of beleeving for a faith of some hours only shall save the repenting thief as well as a faith of many years And 2. life eternall in the possession is promised and given only to the faith that continues to the end not because of the duration because a longer enduring faith hath merit but that is
spirituall Arguments upon a renewed man as an Argument from a painted feather works upon a child more then an Argument from an inheritance which no doubt will work upon a man come to age and yet neither the one nor the other works upon a renewed mind to remove him off Christ his rock Hence it is 3. that Acts of Omnipotency are used as Morall Arguments also God works in you to will and to do therefore work out your salvation And choosing redeeming calling justifying quickening converting are brought in as causes in Scripture both reall and morall but they work morally on reason where there is an impression of faith and principle of life The Gospel works on an unrenewed man to perswade him almost to be a Christian Ye may perswade a youth to a course and get his word consent and write but because reason is green and young he falls off it again but a man of judgement shall stand to it yet if he be not renewed reason is also green and raw before a spirituall temptation Quest. What are the actings of a mortified man Ans. No actings 2. Slow actings and lent 3. Actings indifferent 4. Closing with contrair providences reproaches work not on mortification to fire the man Psal. 35.12 They speak mischievous things 13. But I as a deaf man heard not David feared to be the reproach of the foolish Such a case though from God would raise a cry in a child of this world Psal. 39.9 I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou did it A mortified man is dead to the voice of men-singers and women-singers and musicall instruments of all sorts Eccles. 2.8 and houses gardens vineyards orchards great possessions cattell treasures gold silver are all as musick to a dead man and repenting Solomon now mortified looks on them as a wise man upon experienced vanitie and vexation of spirit Will he sing and dance at a shadow Except a mad man none will do that 2. If any thing without a child of God work upon him they move him not much Psal. 131.2 Surely I have behaved and quieted my self as a child that is weaned of his mother my soul is even as a weaned child Acts 20.24 None of these things move me I make not much reckoning of bands Peter 1 Pet. 4.12 will have the saints not to think burning quick strange graces motions are quiet slow modest there is not much fire in the spirit of a weaned child A mortified soul is as a sea that hath no winds nor low ebbings nor high spring tides Grace stirres leasurely and lentely toward all things except to God were there ten Paradices offered to it it cryes not a dying mans pulse beats weakly Grace shouts at nothing wonders at and admires nothing weeps slowly laughs slowly sings weakly eats slowly drinks not wantonly feasts and yet trembles and fears whether it be the outward or the inward man David sayes it well Ps. 62.2 He only is my Rock I shall not greatly be moved The beleevers sings and yet he is not wanton and weeps and yet is not sad dies and yet lives is fervent in the cause of God and yet stayed and composed in spirit 3. The actings of mortification are indifferent not fixedly bent upon any thing but God no not upon the Ark and spirituall comforts Weeping David 2 Sam. 16.25 saith to Zadok carry back the Ark of God into the City better I want my comfort then the Ark be taken if I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me again and shew me both it and his habitation 26. But if he say I have no delight in thee here am I let him do to me as seemeth good unto him O how sweet when for God Moses can lay down his personall satisfaction in a share of life eternall What if he tramp upon my eternall Crown I should lay it down at his feet and is not this mortification Should he hide his face for eternity from me and I never see him in his manifestations so his glory shine in my everlasting sad desertion there is required an indifferency to all created things without no peremptory and absolute fixednesse of the affection to any good God excepted is good the contrair of this is an ingadging of the heart more then is right to any thing give me children or then I die there should be a contented living without children if God so will love the creature as if ye loved not the Lord would have us hungring for the creature and yet not eagerly desiring and thirsting and yet have a lent and well ordered appetite to drink love the child but let the heart cleave leasurely to the child Plowing and no heart-labouring buying and selling and no heart-ingadging to the bargain is best here 1 Cor. 7. They that have wives should be as if they had none 30. And they that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoice as though they rejoiced not and they that buy as though they possessed not In the acting of affections toward the things of this life as father mother husband wife children houses gain beauty honour and new bought farme there would be a godly distance of the heart from the thing ye do Loving and no loving rejoicing and no rejoicing weeping and no weeping speaks most mortification We cannot do here except sinfully we over-doe and the out-goings of the heart to the creature must be fierie which is childish whereas mortification is a gracious well composed grave temper of the aged in Christ. There is a fire-edge and a fervour or feaver of affections even to spirituall objects that are created at the first conversion for mortification does not so soon begin as the new heart As for God love as one that loves desire and desire and when he hides himself weep as if you weeped so the weeping be terminated upon God not upon his dispensations to quarrell at and censure his wayes but let the out-goings of the heart to God and to Christ loved and longed for be with fire and full strength Cant. 3.1 2 3 4. Cant. 2.5 Ps. 42.1 2 3. Ps. 84.1 2. Joh. 20.13 Luk. 7.38 Rev. 1.17 4. It s mortification to have a heart closing with all providences Phil. 1.21 To me to live is Christ and to die is gain To live is good to die is good because the Lord so wills the Lords giving is to Job praising and the Lords taking away is to Job praising Phil. 4.12 I know both how to be abased and how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need If I die it is good if I live it is good if I be full and rich it is good if I be hungry and poor it is good if David be on the Throne it is good and he sings Psalms if he be chased barefooted and ashes on his
Covenant-resurrection nor any Covenant-salvation can be given or promised if they be not in Covenant The New Test. Kingdome of CHRIST is spirituall though there be in it external signes and seals How faith does sanctifie the unbelieving wife to the beleeving husband Mr. Rich. Baxter plain Scripture proof for Infant Baptism 4 Arg. on â— Cor. 7. p. â—8 99. Of federall holinesse The Covenant external is made with a society or visible Church that out of them God may gather heirs of glory What federal holines is The being born where the Gospel sounds of that nation race is the ground of Covenant-holines as well as the faith of the nearest parents The faith required of these to be baptized Act. 8.37 Mar. 16.16 is real saving faith not visible only The formal grouÌ„d of baptizing These to whom the promise is made should be baptized But the promise is made to children Act. 2. The sense of the words the promise is to you and to your children If all be really believers that are in Covenant with God under the New Testament al the Kingdomes of the world which are the Lords and Christs Rev. 11.15 must be believers internally in Covenant with God How these words and to your chilâ—dren are not limited Externall Covenanting the blessing of the Gospel Preached to the Nation is but a Ceremony to the opposers of Infant baptism contrair to all ancient Prophesies Isa. c. 2. c 19 Jer. 23. Isa 11 c. If there be no Covenanting under the N. T. but that of real beleevers there can be no Covenant obligation upon the non-converted to hear to beleeve the Gospel to receive the seals A conditional Covenant hath the compleat essence nature of a Covenant and they are truly in Covenant that are under it Anabaptists provide no sâ—lvation by Law or Gospel or by JESUS CHRIST for the saving of Infants born of beleeving parents more then for saving of Pagans and their Infants It s false that the promise is made to infants to the aged only upon condition of believing How visible professors are really within the Covenant not really within it The new heart is not promised to all who ought to repent and to be baptized What is promised Act. 2.39 whether a new heart be therein promised or excluded Mercies of the Covenant are not alike and the same way promised to the Parents in covenant to wit Elect and Reprobate The Covenant of Grace is considered two ways in abstracto in concâ—â—to The new heart is promised to such special Covenanters not to Covenanters in general and as Covenanters The new heart is considered as a duty commanded And 2. as a blessing freely promised The Reprobate are not in the Covenant of Grace as touching some speciall promise How the Lords Argument for Circumcision fits us for Baptisme A comparing of the command of Circumcision and of the command of baptism in three If actuall faith be required in all to be baptized there shuld be a command of self-examining in the N. T. of all before they be baptized How many wicked absurdities must follow the excluding of Infants from the Covenant of Grace Remonstrant Scrip. Synod ar 1. p. 2. Thes. 9 10. Infants not predestinate to life in CHRIST not redeemed in CHRIST Infants neither capable of heaven or hell by this way Infants saved without Christ not capable of Grace of remission justification Of the children brought to Christ. Of infants as infants the Kingdome of God is not Hyeronymus increpant non quia nollent iis salvatoris manu voce benedici sed quod non dum habentes plenissimam fidem putarent eum in similitudinem aliorum hominum importunitate lassari Chryso Hom. discipuli expellebant pueros causa dignitatis Christi Christs taking in his armes the children blessing them did not act mere resemblances and Emblems The efficacy of Christs blessing the children They came that hee should pray for them Christs blessing of the children not as when the elements are consecrate His blessing either a Law blessing or a blessing of the Covenant of Grace A Covenanted seed is prophecied to be added to the Iews under the New Testament There is Covenanted visible seed prophesied to be under the N. T. Calv. in loc Haec promissio Abrahae data ad totum populi corpus spectabat The Covenant promise is prophesied to belong to such a certain seed If there be not a Covenanted seed under the New Test. the children of beleevers under the New Test. must be a cursed seed It s a state of coÌ„mon grace to be within the Visible Church It s grace that Reprobats are instrumentall to the in-coming to the world and to the Visible Church of the heirs of glory God is a God in truth to some and how to others The cause why we believe is because God is thus and thus in Covenant with us Calvin unde Colligimus ad hanc quoque aetatem extendi ejus gratiam Quid vero ilâ—is precatus est nisi ut reciperentur inter Dei filios Beza Ipsi quoque Infantes in gratuito Dei foedere comprehenduntur The Covenant blessing of the house is the Covenant blessing of the seed The place Rom. 11.16 if the root be holy so is the branches opened The Jews to be born are intentionally holy in the root and when they are born they shall be actually holy The same Covenant in the substantialls is in the Old and New Test. The one Covenant of Grace is called the Covenant of the Lord by way of excellency in the Old and New Test. A short opening of Ro. 11. to v. 17 By the holy root cannot be meant the predestinate to glory only Paul Rom. 11. speaks of a visible not an invisible body Infants of the Jewes are cut off with the root and shal be re-ingraffed with the root The seed are in Covenant not by birth as birth but by such a birth so so graciously priviledged Covenant-holinesse externall is not the adequat and compleat cause of ingraffing really in Christ. Considerable differences between externall and internall Covenanters Personal Covenanters cannot fall away but Nationall conditionall and visible Covenanters may The Covenant of grace is not made with all and every one of mankinde Psal. 147.19 20. There is no universall revealing of CHRIST to Americans and to all mankind which is either subjective by a power or universall grace given to all or which is objective by the light of nature in the works of CreatioÌ„ pointing out Christ as the place Psal. 19 4. mistaken is cited The place Psal 1â— 4 vindicated Carol. Fermaeus in Analys ad Romanos c. 10. p. 205. The true Exposition of the place Psal. 19 4. by our Interpreters P. Martyr in loc Deus ut inquit Psalmâ—s voluit notitiam suam naturalem per creaturas coelestes publicari in universum orbem Ergo Euangelium curavit identidem evulgari Quomodo igitur potestis dicere
Eze. 11 c. Crispe Christ exalted Ser. 6 pag. 159. The mistake of Antinomians as touching these places Jer. 31. Eze. 11. cap. 36.26 Isa. 59 c. For they own no Covenant of grace but that 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 doth all we are meer patients The Antinomians confound the efficient cause of obedience with the objective cause and rule of obedience in either Law or Gospel free men from all duties when the actuall influences of the Spirit cease The beleever is confirmed so as he cannot but beleeve and beleeve to the end being under the speciall promises made to the chosen although he have not the confirming grace of the elect Angels The doubtings unbeleef of the justified renders not the Covenant of Grace null so as it should not be a possible way of life to them as the least sin against the Covenant of Works renders the Covenant null so that it can never be a possible way of salvation again to those that once sin The Lord speaks not Jer. 31. Heb. 8. of the whole Covenant of Grace as preached to all in the Visible Church as many suppose The scope of the Epistle to the Hebrews is not to treat of the Covenant Preached in his nature parties promises precepts conditions but to treat of the excellency of Christ above Angels Moses Priests Sacrifices and in acting of the Covenant upon the heart of the elect especially Christ excells all Justification promised to Christ and that twofold Christ judicially loosed from death came out and we in him A promise of heavenly influences is made to Christ. Christ was assured of influences Adam was not to beleeve he should have influences nor yet to beleeve his own reprobation The great promise I will be his God made to Christ. Christ and beleevers are in one writ VVeare to make firmer our marriage-love with Christ. Our mistake touching comforts and duties A seed is promised to Christ seed was much in the heart of Christ. Christsâ—nd â—nd is satisfied by the Lord therefore are we not to fear Because victory is promised to Christ in temptations we may flee to the Covenant as Christ and the Saints have done A promise of glory is made to Christ. Rods in mercy are Covenanted to us An headship is promised to Christ. The creatures in the Covenant of works are now broken out when that Covenant is broken but now in Christ they are taken in again restored as under-Covenanters Christ being Man required that he should be under a Covenant No such condition is required of Christ as of Adam or of us nor was he under any threatning but had coÌ„firming grace from the womb The paying of the price of blood and dying for man was the formal condition of the Covenant of suretyship Law-holinesse in Christ did not exclude grace The holy actings of Christs affections Christs wisedome Christ his undaÌ„toned boldnes of faith His hope His holy sagacitie His righteousnesse His meeknesse His tendernesse to the weak His compassion to sinners His humility His painfull way of gaining of souls His faithfull free teaching His mortification A patern of love Of obedience to God and to all to whom obedience is due Christ hath all these qualifications as the grace of head-ship to be communicated to us not as the grace of his person to be personall and private induements for himself only We too much affect bastard graces and 〈◊〉 little the grace that is Chriâ—â— which hath a 〈◊〉 desirablenesse to cause us follow theâ—â— graces because they lodge in God Immanuel The graces in Christ are more forceable paterns to us to follow in some sense then the Scripture it self 1. The freedom of the Covenant of suretyship The grace in the Covenant of suretyship The more grace that is shown to us the more should we serve not with a servile but with a godly fear The godly fear and the other fear differenced In Respons ad Quaestio The Son 's being subject to the Father how it is to be expounded 1 Cor. 15 Augustine Ambrose their mind touching Christ his being subject to the Father Christ his not exercising of some second acts of a Mediatory Head and King after the last JudgemeÌ„t proves not but he is a Mediatory King even then That Christs Kingdome is eternall only because it is not destroyed as worldly Kingdomâ— are by external violence â—s said by some Illius imperii princeps desiit regnare Christ is ever even after the universall Judgment a Mediatory Head King and Lord. There is a twofold Mediation Christ acts not as a sacrificing Priest for us in heaven How Christ appears for us now in heaven as just as wel as merciful Christ stands in our nature our Mediatory Head and King after the last Judgement Christ stands eternally wel pleased and in love with his redeemed ones God stands eternally well pleased with what Christ hath done and suffered the once given Throne stands never empty Christs Mediatory triumph is eternall The Throne of the Lamb is eternal