of their Repentance for the quitting of their sinne and for their righteousnesse thereby before the Mediator the Man Jesus Christ and before all men And upon this great grace considered It was that the same Father in the Church of Christ saith Our righteousnesse is more in Repentance and Forgivenesse of Sinne then in righteousnesse of deeds and performances Although our worke of the Law and Command bee no righteousnesse before God yet our Worke of the command and our Repentance of the fayling our mercy and forgivenesse is righteousnesse before Men This is Christs Law to Men for the order and Government of his Church upon Earth And this is worke enough for Gods people for righteousnesse before Men to the good and profit of men although they presume not to build up unto Heaven unto God in Heaven which is onely Christs Worke as David said my Goodnesse and Wel-doing Psal 16. 2 3 extendeth not to thee O Lord but to the Saints that are upon the Earth Quest How are repenting Believers upon their repentancy unto satisfaction before Men acquitted from their sinne and transgression of the Law and the penalty thereof before Men when as Sorrow Confession Amendment and Proportionable satisfaction for the Transgression is as much as the Law requireth in the penalty Answ As Repentance before men hath place in the Law of Christ So saith Forgivenesse and Mercy before Men place in the Law of Christ If thy Brother Trespasse against thee and if hee repent forgive him and though hee sinne against thee seaven times in a Day and seaven times in a Day Mat. 17. 3 4. turne againe to thee saying It repenteth mee Thou shalt forgive him And so saith the Law of Christ Hee that confesseth and forsaketh his Sinne shall have Mercy And to whom belongeth Prov. 28. 13. this Forgivenesse and Mercy certainely to the penitent Believers as Christ saith If hee repent forgive him hee that confesseth and forsaketh his Sinne shall have Mercy yea and CHRIST saith further Forgive and it shall bee forgiven you Luke 6. 37. If you doe forgive Men their Trespasses your Heavenly Father will also forgive you And if you forgive not Men no more Mat. 6. 14 15. will your Heavenly Father forgive you And againe Judgement Jam 3. 13. mercilesse shall bee to him that sheweth no Mercy and Mercy rejoyceth against Judgement And if hee that sorroweth godly for his Sinne before Men confesseth ingenuously amendeth righteously and bee willing to satisfie before Men for the Trespasse before Men hath Mercy and Forgivenesse before Men of his Transgression before Men Is not this a sufficient acquittance unto the repenting Believer of his sinne and the penalty thereof before men And againe the Law of Christ bindeth as much to Mercy and Forgivenesse to the penitent before Men As it doth to the penalty of Transgressors thereof and to Repentance before Men. Againe the true penitent Offender is acquitted from the Transgression before Men and the penalty thereof by his true Repentance although hee by hard-hearted and mercilesse Men bee holden to the extreame penalty of the Law for his Transgression contrary to Christs Law of Mercy and Forgivenesse For that hee suffereth hee suffereth willingly and rejoyceth in his Tribulation as the Apostle speaketh now hee that suffereth willingly and rejoyceth in his sufferiâ—g by the comforts of the holy Spirit in him hath not the paine of him that Suffereth unwillingly and forced to suffer for the comforts and joy that hee hath of the Spirit of Christ doth slake quench and take away the Sting of the paine That hee may say O Death where is thy Sting as the Apostle saith of such through which comforts and joy of the Holy Ghost many that have suffered Death in the Lord have dyed rejoycing in the Lord and in appearance to Men without paine Whereby they have manifested themselves acquitted of their transgression and the penalty of the Law in the paine And the Repentance of Believers wrought up in them by Christ doth not onely acquit them of the Sinne and the penalty of the Law before Men But it also testifieth to their owne Soules and to other Men also that they are living Branches in the Vine Christ Jesus For saith Christ The Branch cannot beare Fruit of it selfe except it abide in Joh. 15. 4 the Vine No more can yee except yee abide in Mee No Man can repent except hee be a living Branch abiding in Christ and Christ in him Hypocrites may counterfet Repentance and not repent truly And hee that liveth in Christ and Christ in him by his Spirit hath the witnesse of his Adoption that hee is one of Gods children through Christ and so quitted of all Sinne not onely before Men but also by the performance of Jesus Christ of all Sinne before God So the Apostle saith Wee Joh. 8. 15. 16. have received the Spirit of Adoption And the same Spirit witnesseth with our spirits that wee are children of God So that although Repentance acquitteth not of sinne before God as it doth before Men yet it by the Spirit of Christ whereby it is wrought up in Believers witnesseth acquitance before God to the Soules of the penitent yea and holdeth forth great hope and manifestation to others that the same penitent Man is the child of God and is quitted of his sinne before God And even so it is of Obedience Mercy and Forgivenesse wrought up by the Spirit of Christ they also witnesse evidence and testifie the same Quest The Apostle saith of Believers The Body is dead Rom. 8. 10 because of Sinne And Paul saith of himselfe I am carnall sold under Sinne I finde no meanes to performe that which is Rom. 7. 14. Verse 18 Psal 14. Isa 64. 6 good And David saith There is none that doth good no not one And the Prophet I say said of himselfe and other like himselfe All our righteousnes is filthinesse I will bee their God and they shall bee my people I will never forsake them and I will put such a feare into their hearts that they shall never depart from me Jer. 32. 40. Can therefore Believers doe the Commandements of the Law of Christ in singlenesse of Heart before Men and before Christ the Governour of his Church which knoweth all as Râ—penting Forgiving Loving Obeying Praying Praysing Thanksgiving and the rest how it is faithfully done Answ By the same power they did and doe believe in singlenesse of Heart They can and may Repent Forgive Love Obey Pray Praise and give Thankes and the rest in singlenesse of Heart But indeed corrupt and carnall dead Men in Sinne cannot doe these or any of these or the like in singlenesse of Heart whose Heart is corrupt carnall and dead in Sinne sold under Sinne as Paul was as hee saith in his best Estate Indeed Man can Believe Repent Obey Love Pray Praise and give Thankes Carnally and Fainedly by the power of corrupt nature As the
rest noted in the Scriptures to be Gods chosen people A. Yes it was given of Christ to his Church upon Earth in all generations although not so gloriously as when it was written of him to them in tables of stone but it was written in their hearts by Christ or otherwise as he pleased for the Government of his Church was ever upon his shoulders and he as a King governed not without a Law And this his Law and Government among Isal 9. 6. them appeareth plainly in that they brought offerings to the Lord as Abel the best of his flock and for that it is said Noah and Lot preached righteousness repentance mercy and forgiveness upon repentance in that it is said Abraham taught his family Q. Had not the Gentiles which were not Gods chosen people this Law of Christ written in their hearts which he writ in tables of stone to his Church of Israel for the Apostle saith Although they had not the Law written in tables of stone yet they did by nature the things contained therein before men although not all things so shewing the effect of the Law written in their hearts Rom. 2. 14 15. A. The Law and righteousness of the Law of Works made of God to man in power is corruptly remaining in the hearts of the Gentiles being not Gods chosen which is partly in this Law of Christ given to his Church of Gods chosen in grace but as it is the Law of Christ in grace it is not written in the hearts of the Gentiles Therefore David said Neither have the Heathen knowledg of his Ps â—47 â—0 Laws His Law or Commandment of Faith in Christ of Self-denyal of Repentance unto mercy and forgiveness and of mercy and forgiveness one to another upon Repentance was not written in their hearts Q. Do all the chosen people of God having corrupt reason understanding and will left them of doing the Law of Christ as it is outward in appearance to men perform the same in righteousness before men in the power that they have left A. No For first we see recorded in holy Scripture One to have gone beyond another therein Secondly We see recorded in holy Scripture The best in appearance of Gods chosen ones to have transgressed and committed the contrary to that holy Law before men much more we must think omitted the performance thereof in righteousness before men Sometimes we read of Noahs drunkenness of Lots drunkenness and incest of Abrahams teaching his wife Sarah to dissemble to call her self his sister not his wife of Jacobs dissembling with his blinde father Isaac saying that he was Esau the Patriarchs transgression Aarons and Moses and Davids transgression Solomons closing with Idolaters Ezechia's Josia's Manasses transgression yea Peters lying swearing and forswearing all contrary to the Law of Christ in appearance before men and what can we think of our own and the rest the incumbrances ignorance blindness and frailties of the flesh The tempters and temptations to the chosen of God are such and so many that the performance of this holy Law of Christ as it is outward in appearance before men hath been and is in all not without transgression as the Apostle saith in many things we offend all James 3. 2 Q. What is the danger of this transgression of Gods chosen people A. Temporal proportionable punishment before men an eye for an eye tooth for tooth breach for breach measure for measure These David call'd troubles and punishments these the Apostles call'd afflictions corrections and chastisements Q. Is there no way provided of Christ for Gods chosen people having so transgressed this his Law to escape the proportionable punishment A. Yes in great grace he hath provided and granted Repentance to be their refuge for mercy and forgiveness before him their Head King and Magistrate or Governor and before one another And therefore he saith At what time soever a sinner repent from the bottom of his heart he will put all his wickedness out of his remembrance Ezek. 18 And again If thy brother sin against thee seven times yea seventy times seven times and saith It repenteth me forgive him Mat. 18 21 22 Q. Is there no difference of the outward performance of this Law of Christ in Gods chosen people and in Hypocrites in appearance to men A. Yes there is much difference in appearance to men For first the chosen of God have the work of the Spirit in their souls and hearts when it pleaseth the Lord Jesus Christ sanctifying and sweetening the outward performance with humbleness meekness and otherwise in appearance to men Secondly They do it simply in submission and obedience to the command accounting the same good and fit to be â—one before men without the command pressed Thirdly They do not think that the doing of the work of this Command of Christ before men reacheth unto God to please God to move and pacifie God as David said My well-doing extendeth not to thee O Lord but to the Saints upon the earth for their good and profit that they seeing the same may glorifie their Father in Heaven Psal 16. 3 before men Fourthly They do it not for their own profit glory and reputation among men as a merit of their worl in their own esteem but they wait and rest upon the promise of the reward in his Law made to the conscionable performers thereof in the gracious judgment of Jesus Christ before men giving Christ the Commander and Law-giver King and Governor of his Church the honor of all their performance But the performance of hypocrites first have not the face of the sanctifying and sweetening Spirit in humbleness and meekness self-denyal and otherwise for although the Pharisee went up into the Temple to pray yet his performance had the face of pride and self-conceit not of true humbleness and self-denyal Secondly They do it but not simply in submission to the Command as good and worthy to be done without the former Command but they do it being commanded for company formality and avoyding of penalty and other danger Thirdly Hypocrites do the work of the Command often zealously herein thinking in their hearts that their performances thereof reach unto God to please God to pacifie and move God thereby to do them and others good which is onely the work of Christ to Gods chosen ones wherein they would convey the honor of Christ to their performances Fourthly Hypocrites are strict and precise in this as it is outward none going beyond theâ—â— therein not for the honor of Christ the Lawgiver but for their own honor and reputation among men for their own ends for their own gain profit and advantages seeking the same often unjustly to the damage of one for the benefit of another to their own praise and glory among men Q. May not Gods chosen people neglect and omit the outward performance of this Law of Christ before men A. No for Christ hath given it to them
corrupt man cannot give a pure heart Psal 51. 6. Prov. 23. 26. Answ Yes it is much benefit and good to men where Christ commandeth and teacheth although they cannot do it themlelves before God but onely outwardly before men and therefore the Apostle saith The Law is good if a man use it lawfully Tim. 1. 8. For although Christ holdeth forth his commandement to shew what all were bound to do before God which he hath undertaken and satisfied God for touching the Elect in him yet he also holdeth the same forth for the benefit and good of his church and people among themselves by his commanding and teaching and that many waies 1. For example and comfort to men although my well doing extendeth not to thee O Lord saith David yet it extendeth to the Saints upon earth and the Apostle adviseth to be carefull to Ps 16. 2. 3. do good works because they are good and profitable to men and therefore Christ said Let your light so shine before men that they seeing your good works may glorifie your Father which is in heaven Maâ— 5. 16. The seeing of good works commanded by Christ done outwardly may move men to praise God before men And if men see others so humble as deny themselves to have any goodnesse to be nothing but sinfull it may be a means to make them smite their breasts and say Lord be mercifull to me a sinner 2. When Christ by his Ministers and Instruments holdeth forth his Word and teaching purely and truly it is a comfortable evidence Mat. 13. 4. 5. 8. to that people that there are some of Gods chosen ones some ordained to eternall life there When the sower went out to sow some of his seed fell upon good ground although some Act. 2. 41. upon bad There was some good ground there otherwise the wise sower would not have gone out to sow When the Apostle preached to those great multitudes at the glorious descending of the Holy Ghost upon them although some wondered some doubted some mocked some railed yet some there were that believed And when Paul preached at Antioch although no doubt Act. 13. 48 many there believed not yet so many there as were ordained to eternall life believed some believed 3. The Law and commandement of Christ is good and beneficiall to men for thereby they come to know sin to know their error which otherwise they could not do So Paul said he knew Rom. 7. 7. not sin but by the Law I had not known lust had been sin saith he if the Law had not said thou shalt not lust and again by the Law came the knowledge of sin It is a great good to a man that is Rom. 3. 20. out of his way to be told that he is out of his way but indeed it is a greater good to him to be told the right way The Law and command of God can tell thee that thou art out of the way but it cannot tell thee the right way But mark thou shalt hear a voice behind thee telling thee this is the way saith Isa 30. 31. the Prophet The Law may tell thee of sin and transgression but the Law cannot tell thee of Christ which is the right way the only way in truth to heaven who saith I am the way and truth and the life no man cometh to the Father but by me saith Christ he that climeth another way is a thief and a robber O take heed ye be be not found as these thieves and robbers It is the voice behind that telleth of Christ the way the right way the gospel the voice of the Son of God in the gospel that came behind after the law that telleth thee of Christ the right way to walk in to the Father in heaven The law now telleth of death but not of life although it was at first ordained unto life for saith Paul that which was ordained unto life is now found to be unto me unto death The letter killeth saith Paul it is the spirit that giveth life The Law that telleth a man his error is a benefit although the gospel be a Rom. 7. 10. much greater good to man that telleth him of Christ the right way to heaven 4. The holding forth of the law and commandement is beneficiall to men Christ in the Scriptures speaketh of his Law and commandements as he doth of afflictions They are say the Prophets as a wall of fire and as an hedg of Zach. 2. 3. Hos 2. 5. 6 7. thorns to keep men from transgressing sinning and going beyond their bounds The curse thunderings and threatnings of the commandement doth scare and feare corrupt man in sinning in evill and mischief And this is much for the good and safety of Gods chosen people which are among the reprobate as sheep among wolves as Christ speaketh I send you as sheep among wolves 5. The holding forth of the commandement is to the great benefit Mat. 10. 16. 17. and comfortable good of believers in Jesus Christ for it hath resemblance to the brazen Serpent that Moses set up in the wildernesse which had the form of the serpent that wounded man and it had the figure of Jesus Christ that healed man So the commandement held forth hath the form of the law that condemned man and it hath the figure of Jesus Christ and his performances that saveth man which is cleerly represented to believers in Jesus Christ therein For it sheweth what Jesus Christ hath done for them the chains they were bound in the curse they were under and their deliverance It sheweth what Jesus Christ hath done for them in himself for their justification and salvation in fulfilling of the hard law and commandement impossible for them to have done or to do before God I came saith he to fulfill the law And it representeth to believers the undertaking of Christ of all these with God the Father of mercies from the beginning for all those chosen in him to do the whole will of God for their justification and salvation in himself and also in them by his spirit sent unto them for manifestation evidence and witnesses to them of all undertaken and done for them to Gods satisfaction and their salvation by Christ as in his own words is held forth where he saith Lo I come to do thy will O God c. Heb. 10. 9. And the Law and Commandement thus held forth as the Apostle saith he usually did for the Gospells sake become a Gospell to believers a witnesse of life and not of death to Believers 1 Cor 9. 23. As in this commandement of self-deniall in the Text if it be holden forth to shew what Christ hath done for his people in himself in denying of himself for them who being in the forme of God and equall with God made himself of no reputation took upon him the â—orm of a servant ana was made like unto men and was
decreed of God before God for the justification and salvation of the elect before the world That man himself doth not nor can do the work of the holy Law and commandement of God that is good before God and Positi 3. acceptable to God as it is mans work That Christ doth in man all that is done good and righteous before God by his holy Spirit sent to man of grace making his Elect fitted instrements thereof as he pleaseth There are Antipositions made to these namely to the form as followeth First although all times things and acts were present with God before the world yet they were not alike present God seeth things as they are difference of time and circumstance adhering he seeth election before time justification in time and remission of sin after it is commited He seeth not these ab aeterno Answ I take it if all times things and acts were present with God before the world there is neither past nor future time no difference of time and circumstance before God although to man there seemeth difference of time and circumstance as past present and future God seeth and knoweth al things as present to him election justification remission of sin whensoever committed although those and other things are not in mans sight estimation until they are manifested and then as they are manifested Gods will and his acts before himself are together unchangeable The gifts Rom. 11. â—9 and calling of God are without repentance And the gifts which God giveth to the creatures were not unknown and undecreed of God to the creature untill such time as they did appeare manifested to the creature neither is the creature uncalled of God before him until his calling be manifested to man the Apostle Paul maketh it clear to be before God before the world Those saith he which God knew before those also he predestinated to Rom. 8. 19 30. be made like to the image of his Son And whom he predestinated them also he called and whom he called them also he justified and whom he justified them also he glorified The Apostle doth not say that those which God knew before the world he would afterward predestinate he would afterward call afterward justifie afterward glorifie But he saith those which he knew before the world he predestinated called justified and glorified them before himself unchangable although these do not appear and are manifested to the creature till fulnesse of time The second Antiposition is That man not having the Spirit may and can do Morall works yea good Morall works before God and that man having the Spirit can do Morall good works much more yea and spirituall also by the instrumentall assistance of the Spirit Answ I take it the Scribes and Pharisees did Morall good works before men as fair in mans sight as any other then or sithence but I do not find them said to be as good and righteous be orâ— God And I take it if the Spirit be only an instrumentall assistance to them which have the Spirit so Christ is at the will and disposition of man as the instrument is at the disposition of the workman and to be procured by mans art and power to be his instrumentall assistant a great dishonor to Christ Paul called himself Rom. 1. 1. a servant and instrument of Jesus Christ but he never called Christ his instrument or servant The third Antiposition is That man having the Spirit hath inherent sanctification and holinesse in himself and may bring forth and do the works of holinesse as the Agent thereof righteous in the sight of God And this Position they say the words of Christ uphold which say Except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Phraisees ye shall not enter into the Kingdome of heaven Mat. 5. 20. This exceeding righteousnesse to be had to enter into the Kingdome say they is the inherent holinesse and righteousnesse which they have which have the Spirit by the sanctification of the Spirit Answ But I take it the exceeding righteousnesse to be had of those which enter into the Kingdome of heaven spoken of by Christ is the righteousnesse of Christ by imputation to his Elect Believers not the inherent supposed righteousnesse in themselves which they have by the sanctification of the Spirit whereby they say they are inabled to do the works of holinesse and righteousnesse as the Agent thereof before God For the Apostle saith alledging David for a witnesse That man is the blessed man that is to enter into the Kingdom of heaven unto whom the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without works And that further to uphold inherent righteousnesse and holinesse in man by the sanctification of the Spirit do further alledge the Apostle which saith to the believing Corinthians neither unrighteous men nor fornicators idolaters adulterers wantons buggerers thieves covetous drunkards railers nor extortioners shall enter Cor. 6. 9. 10 11. into the Kingdome of heaven and such were some of you but ye are washed ye are sanctified ye are justified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God He saith they were now washed sanctified and justified by the Spirit Answ But I take it this doth not prove although these believing Corinthians were washed now sanctified and justified now in their own knowledge and light in the name of Jesus and in the Spirit of our God when God gave the light to them that they were not washed sanctified and justified before this in the sight of God by Jesus Christ the Lamb slain from the beginning Nor doth it prove that they had now inherent holinesse and righteousnesse in themselves to do the works of holinesse and righteousnesse before God at that time I take it Believers have still inherent corruption and sin in themselves which corruption is in every part and parcell of soul and body as the Apostle of Christ saith A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump 1 Cor. 5. 6 If they had inherent holinesse and righteousnesse in themselves in every part of soul and body the same would expell them from corruption and so there should be no corruption and sin in Believers for two contraries are not in one subject together at the same time if it be light it is not dark if it be cold there is not heat inherent When a stronger then the strong man cometh saith Christ he taketh away the strong mans armor dispossesseth him and divideth the spoils Luke 11. 21 22. But of the operation of the Spirit in Believers and of the mortification and sanctification of the Spirit it is said more afterward We find it recorded in Scripture that Moses Lot Reuben and the rest of the Patriarches Iob Moses Aaron David Peter c. after they had the Spirit had corruption which brought forth sin mentioned and no doubt but other sin not mentioned in them And I take it Doctrine of inherent holinesse and righteousness in man by the sanctification
every and Robbery in the highest And is not this Idolatry to set themselves and their performances up in the place of Christ to please God themselves to obtaine of God to be justified through their owne Faith and Performances before God to account goodnesse holinesse and righteousnesse in themselves and in their own wills workes and performances Is this to deny themselves Is not this to set up the Idoll in their Hearts Haba 1. 16 Deut. 29. 19 Ezek. 14. 7 Is not this to Sacrifice to their own Nets Is not this to blesse a Mans selfe and yet to walke in the imagination of his own heart Is not this to kisse the Calves to kisse the workes of his own hands to make Idols according to their own undertaking Babes keepe your selves from Idols Oh that Gods People might not be hindered to know that Hosee 13. 2 their own weldoing of the command of Christ is nothing unto God as David did That they might deny themselves That they might ever honour praise and be thankfull for the Love Mercy and Free-grace of God the Father to them And the undertaking of Jesus Christ his Sonne and his performance for them to the full satisfaction of the Justice of God for their eternall and temporall good and that all things shall worke together for the best to them that love God And that the performances of the Commandements of Jesus Christ being the Fruits of his Spirit in them whereof as hee pleaseth of grace hee maketh them his Branches to beare and instruments of his Word thereof might witnesse evidence and assure to them all these of God and Christ unto them that they are Gods children as the Apostle saith the spirit witnesseth Object I conceive that you teach that although God did foreknow in his Eternity that mankinde would transgresse fall and become the children of wrath and had power of his grace and mercy to save all fallen in Justice through the redemption and performance of Jesus Christ his Sonne Yet it was his Will and good pleasure to choose onely some of them in Christ of his Love grace and mercy towards them to be his holy ones and blamelesse ones in Christ to be his children adopted through Christ to bee ordained to eternall Life to bee Predestinated Called Justified and Glorified in Gods Sight before the World unchangeably How is it and what is the true meaning that our God saith in his Testament That hee would not the Death of him Ezek. 18. 32 that Dieth that he will that all men shall be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth and in many like places of Scripture and 1 Tim. 2. 4. that our God holdeth forth in the Scripture of his Testament that it lieth and consisteth in the will and the deed of man to have the Salvation of God and all good at Gods hand hee willeth not the death of any man and would have all men be saved if they seeke it labour for it and come unto Christ and doe his Commandement And therefore so Christ saith If any man will come after me let him deny himselfe and take up his Crosse and follow Luke 9. 23. Rev. 22. 17 me Let whosoever will take of the water of life Freely If any man will doe his will hee shall know the truth Will a man rob his God Jos 7. 17 c. Who so will do the will of my Father which is in Heaven the same Mat. 12. 50. is my Brother Sister and Mother Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome Mat. 7. 21 of Heaven but hee that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven This do and thou shalt live Luke 10. 28 Aske and you shall have seeke and yee shall finde labour for that which indureth to eternall Life Strive to enter in at the strait Mat. 7. 7. Joh. 6. 27 Luke 13. 24 1 Cor. 9. 24 Gas 6. 9 Gate runne that yee may obteine in due time yee shall reape if yee faint not and many like Scriptures God chooseth none nor refuseth any that will Againe you teach that God did choose in Christ some onely unto Life Eternall some onely to be his children to be justified and glorified before the World before they were borne and that Eph. 14. 5 6 unchangeably And that the Death Redemption and Performance of Christ was onely for those chosen of God in him for Rom 9. 11 satisfaction of the Justice of God which was the undertaking of Christ to doe the Will of God Esa 53. Notwithstanding our God saith in his Testament that he would all men should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth That Christ died for all Men That Christ died for the ungodly being 1 Tim. 2. 4 yet sinners That Christ gave himselfe a ransome for all Men That Rom. 5. 6. 8 1 Tim 2. 6 God was in Christ and reconcile unto the World to himselfe not imputing their sinnes to them and hath committed to us the word of Reconciliation That he is a Reconcileation not for our sinnes onely 2 Cor. 5. 19 but for the sinnes of the whole World And notwithstanding our God 1 Joh. 2. 2 saith in his Testament Hee that walketh in my Statutes and keepeth my Commandements and deale truly he is just and shall surely live And if he hath a Sonne that is a Theife a Murtherer an Oppressor Ez. 18. 5 c. and Adulterer an Idolater c. he shall not live he shall die the death his bloud shall be upon him The righteousnesse of the righteous shall be upon him and the wickednesse of the wicked shall be upon himselfe But if the wicked shall returne from all his sinnes and keepe my Statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right hee shall live and not die all his transgressions that hee hath done shall not be mentioned unto him but in his righteousnesse that he hath done hee shall live When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousnesse and continueth in iniquity hee shall die for the same Againe when a wicked man turneth from his wickednesse that hee hath committed and doth that which is lawfull and right because hee considereth and turneth hee shall surely live and not die I will justifie every man according to his wayes saith our God therefore returne O house of Israel so iniquity shall not be your destruction I desire not that the wicked should die saith the Lord and the Apostle saith God willeth all to repent Acts 17. 30 Take heed saith the Apostle that no man fall away from the Heb. 12. 15. 17 grace of God as prophane Esau that sold his birthright for a Messe of pottage A man cannot fall away from grace but hee must have grace be under grace therefore a man that hath grace and righteousnesse unto Life may fall away and be in the state of wickednesse and death and may repent and
take his whole Debt of Christ for the poore Elect ones not able to pay a Farthing of that they ought him and yet to keepe them in Bonds still to require that Debt of them still which was fully paid and did acknowledge himselfe fully satisfied Men will abhorre that Man for an unjust oppressor That having a poore Man bound to pay him a great Debt utterly unable to pay any thing if his Friend have paid him all the Debt to the full will notwithstanding keepe the poore Mans Bond hold the poore Man bound still and require some or what hee lost of the poore man still to bee paid of him not able to pay any thing And how great is the dishonour and injury unto Christ the Wise Gracious and Mercifull Saviour Undertaker and Redeemer of his Elect Believers to charge him with regardlesnesse carelesnesse and indiscretion to undertake to pay and pay the whole Debt to God for the poore Elect Believers and not to make their peace not to take out their Bond and have them acquitted of the Debt satisfied but to leave them still in Bond The Debt still to be required of them not able to pay the least mite thereof When as Christ our gracious Undertaker saith by his Apostle Hee hath put out the Hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us Hee hath taken it out of the way and fastned it upon His Coloss 2. 14 Crosse And whereas they say the penalty of Transgression is taken away by Christ but the Law and Bond remaine still Whereby the Elect Believers are still bound to doe the Righteousnesse of the Morall Law before God That is I take it ambition without Law or Reason For as the Apostle saith when there is no Law there is no Rom. 5. 13 Sinne so when there is no penalty there is no Law no penalty no Law binding for it is the penalty that is the Bond of the Law It is the penalty that maketh the binding law No Man will take upon him to command without a power to punish the Delinquent and Transgression of his Commandement much lesse will the great and wise God doe so when as his power of penalty is gone If Christ have taken away the penalty for not doing the righteousnesse of the Law from Believers then Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousnesse before God to Believers although the Law for righteousnesse before Men remaine still to Believers in the Hand of the Mediatour the Man Jesus Christ The Prophet David saith A thousand yeares in thy Sight are as yesterdy when it is past and as a watch in the Night Psal 90. 4. FRom hence and other like Scriptures I collect That all times howsoever the same different to Men past present and future as present to God as Eternall And that all times so accounted of Man diverse are not onely present to God but also all Deeds and things in the World done and being in time diverse and different before Men in Gods Sight and to God wee present ab eterno For if all times past present and future in Mans account wee present to God before the World Then it must needs follow that all Deedes and things done and being in times by Mens account were present with God to God and before God ab Eterno before the World And also that the Will and Decrees of God unchangeable were Acts together of God before the World And this further the said Prophet David confirmeth in diverse places As the Lord in Heaven doth whatsoever hee pleases saith Psal 115. 3. hee what hee Pleaseth and Willeth hee doth in present Psal 135. 6. And againe Whatsoever the Lord pleased that did hee in Heaven in Earth in the Sea and all Deepes when hee pleased hee Willed and did it in present although not in manifestation to the creature till appointed and fulnesse of time And the Apostle saith As many as were Ordained to Eternall Acts 13. 48. Life believed which sheweth that Gods Ordination was of all and unto all things that hee pleased to bee after and before the World And also to confirme this The Apostle Paul saith Those that hee knew before them also hee Predestinated to bee made like to the Image of his Sonne And whom hee Predestinate them also hee called whom hee called them also Rom. 8. 29 30 hee Justified whom hee Justified them also hee Glorified when hee did Predestinate them which hee knew before saith the Apostle hee then called them justified them and also Glorified them in his owne Sight before Himselfe although not in manifestation to the Creatures untill appointed and fulnesse of Time Which also the comfortable Words of the Apostle to the Ephesians confirmeth Blessed bee GOD the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which hath blessed us with all spirituall blessing in Heavenly things in Eph. 1. 3 4 5 6. Christ As hee hath chosen us in him before the Foundations of the World that wee should bee Holy and without blame before him in Love who hath predestinate us to bee adopted through Jesus Christ unto Himselfe according to the good pleasure of his Will To the praise of the glory of his Grace wherewith hee hath made us accepted in his Beloved The Apostle speaketh all the Acts of God to bee in the time perfectly past not in the time imperfectly past or to come and that to bee done before the Foundations of the World Hee hath blessed us Hee hath chosen us in Christ Hee hath predestinate us to bee adopted through Christ Hee hath made us accepted in his Beloved and these hath also noted to bee before the Foundation of the World The Apostle speaking of Iacob and Esau saith Yer the Children were borne that is before they were conceived Rom. 9. 11. by their Naturall Parents and when they had neither done Good nor Evill that is before Men for both Iacob and Esau had done evill before God in Adam as the Apostle saith By the Offence of one the Fault came on all Men Rom. 5. 18. to condemnation And Paul saith of himselfe Iacob and all the Elect wee were all by Nature that is the corruption of Nature by the first transgression the children of wrath and hatred as well as others Eph. 2. 3. And that saith the Apostle the purpose of God might remaine according to Election not by Workes but by him Rom. 9. 13. Malac. 1. 2. that calleth It is written I have loved Jacob and hated Esau God loved not Iacob before hee was borne for any works or good that God did see done of Iacob but of purpose according to the good pleasure of his Will manifested in his Election and the rest And God saith hee hated Esau before hee was borne that is left him still the child of wrath as hee was in the first Transgression To shew that hee is bound to none That hee hath Mercy on whom hee will and whom hee will hee hardneth that is Rom.