by the payer no more a satisfaction for that man nor for Devils Is too near to the nature and to being a part of the satisfaction If one pay a summe that fully exhausts the debt of such a broken man upon condition the broken man say Amen to the paying thereof otherwise it shall be as not payed he must take up the summe again if the broken man refuse to say Amen to it for if he take it not up again but it be payed and fully satisfie for and exhaust the debt the mans debt is payed and the Creditor in justice cannot exact one farthing from the broken man Now nothing given to the Justice of God by way of satisfaction for the sins of unbeleevers was ever repeated or taken back again by Christ. Nay but say they the ransome was not payed at all for Judas but only upon condition that he beleeve but he never beleeved and therefore it was never payed for Judas Answ. This is that we say that Christ gave no reall ransome at all for the sins of Judas by way of satisfaction But they say that there is as well a ransome payed for all the sins of Iudas finall unbeleef excepted to free him in justice from eternall stroaks as for all the sins of Peter to free him only it is not accepted of by the Creditor because Judas by faith assented not unto the bargain But assenting or not assenting accepting or not accepting that are posterior to the payment are nothing up or down to the compleatnesse and perfection of the satisfaction made for the exhausting of Justice for Justice receives not two satisfactions or ransomes for Judas one upon the Crosse from Christ another in Hell from Iudas yea and it must follow that reall payment was made to Justice for all the sins of Iudas upon the Crosse and that he suffers for none of them in Hell but for only finall unbeleef which is no sin against the Covenant of Works and the Justice thereof but only and formally against the Covenant of Grace so that as yet satisfying of Divine Justice for sins must be halfed and parted between Christ and Iudas which the Scripture teaches not Also the Father either accepts the ransome of Christ because it is intrinsecally and of it self sufficiently satisfactory or because Iudas does beleeve it is so The latter cannot be said for beleeving adds nothing to the intrinsecall sufficiency of the satisfaction as not believing diminishes nothing from the sufficiency thereof Yea and so the Fathers formall reason of accepting of the satisfaction of Christ must be terminated upon our poor act of believing whereas the formal ground of the acceptation thereof is the intrinsecall excellency and worth of the Sacrifice being an offering of a sweet smelling savour to God Eph. 5.2 And because he offered the ransome of the blood of God-man of the Prince of life Act. 20.28 1 Cor. 2.8 and offered himself to God Eph. 5.25 26. Heb. 9.14 Mat. 20.28 1 Tim. 2.6 Rev. 1.5 nor is there any sufficiency in his death from the worth of beleeving And the reason why he accepts it for Peter not for another is the election of grace It is true the blood is a price refuseable but it is this way refuseable because the Lord might have followed a Law-way with Adam and all his sons and have denyed to give his Son a Ransome for us but it is not refuseable because of any insufficiency in the Ransome Now faith is to satisfaction as the approximation of and the laying on of dry fewell to the fire which is only a condition of burning but the fire is the formall cause of burning Yea if we speak properly faith is not so much as a condition without the which offended Justice is not satisfied nor is it a condition by any Scripture of the world without the which God laid not our iniquities on Christ for whether we beleeve or not God laid our iniquities upon him and made him sin for us Isa. 53.6 2 Cor. 5.21 Therefore by necessity of Justice he must accept that Ransome intrinsecally so sufficient which did restore more glory to God then the sins of all for whom Christ died took from him Nor is it imaginable to say that any act of obedience or beleeving can perfect the satisfaction of Christ and make it sufficient yea or causatively make it ours For God by no necessity of Justice but of his own free pleasure requireth faith as a condition of our actuall reconciliation for beside that he might have required any other act of obedience as love he might have accepted the Ransome without inquiring any act of obedience on our part as the Lord bestowed a calme Sea and deliverance from shipwrack upon the Idolatrous Sea-men upon the very act of casting Ionah in the Sea without the intervention of any saving faith on their part As a gracious Prince may send a pardon to free a condemned Malefactor from death and may command that it be valid in Law for him without the mans knowledge and far more without his acceptance thereof upon his knees especially since by a speciall paction between the Father and the Son he restored abundantly more Glory to God by suffering for all for whom he died then they took from God by their sins and that restitution was made to Justice without the interveening of any act of the creatures obedience But the truth is it is much to be doubted whether they who hold such a satisfaction to be given of God for the sins of all Elect and Reprobate but so as it shall not be valid in Law nor effectuall to quiet Justice but they must all suffer eternall vengeance and perform personall satisfaction in Hell to Justice except there interveen an act of obedience of the creature to make it effectuall do really and sincerely acknowledge against Socinians a reall satisfaction and compensation made to offended Justice by Christ For how is it reall and not rather scenicall and formall which may and should be null and in vain if the creature make it not reall by beleeving And especially if God out of his grace which is absolutely free work in us the condition of beleeving Can God give his Son as a Ransome for us upon condition that we beleeve if he himself absolutely work the condition in us They will not admit this CHAP. V. God intended a Law-dispensation but for a time 2. Adam how he was ordained for a Law-life 3. How predestinated to Glory in Christ how not 4. That the Heathens have no more Universall Grace then Devils 5. No ground for such grace IT is apparent that God intended not a Law-dispensation in Paradise to stand for ever For 1. nothing is spoken of Adam after the fall but of his procreating of children of the Patriarchs of Adams dying and of his actings before the fall the place of Paradice being scarce well known which sayes the Lord had a farther design to lay aside
die in the place and stead of sinners then to die for sinnes must be to die in the place and stead of sinnes Ans. These and the like argue much the vanity of Socinus if this be retorted as justly it may Then as Christs dying for sinners is for the good profite saving beleeving and confirming of the faith establishing the comfort of sinners then by the like Christs dying for sins must be to save sins from hell to bring sins to God that sins should not live to themselves and to establish the faith the consolation of sins whereas Christ died not for sins as for sinners that he might save sins but to dissolve the works of the devill to take away sin 1 Joh. 3.9 Joh. 1.29 Christ dies one way for sins and another way for sinners The Physitian one way cures the disease that it may be rooted out and be no more and another way the diseased person that he may live and be in health CHAP. IV. Now we are iâ— Christ dying and crucified in him 2. A twofold crucifying of us with Christ. 3. A discourse of mortification 4. The actings of the mortified 5. That we are to be mortified in our affections to every thing that is not God c. IT is objected that we was not born nor haâ— we any being when Christ died then we died not in Christ nor could we rise ascend to heaven nor sit in heavenly places with him Ans. But 1. in Physicall actions there is required the reall existence of the worker Not so in legall actions for as we had no being who now beleeve when Christ died so our sins had no being How then could our sins that were not deserve punishment Yet I desire to beleeve that Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2.24 his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree And that he was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities who now live Isai. 53.5 and they cannot deny this who teach that CHRIST died for the sins of the world none excepted And the child in the womb when the father is absolved from treason is really and in Law restored to his fathers inheritance And the sucking child may be Crowned a King and take possession of a Kingdom and take the oath of loyalty of the subjects in the person of another though physically he neither do nor know what is done but sleep in the armes of the nurse So we legally in CHRIST satisfied our nature in Christ was crucified and we though not born did satisfie and suffer satisfactory punishment in Christ. Heb. 1.3 Having by himself purged our sins he sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high Heb. 9.28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many And in him we were legally crucified and dead to the Law As Gal. 2.19 so as Christ once being dead and crucified the head and members whole Mysticall Christ is dead to the Law and Christ can die no more for he cannot satisfie and pay the debt twise And so are we in him dead to hell to wrath to Law-vengeance Sathan raises a discussed plea against the conscience thou art a sinner and under the curse of the Law There is no answer to that but by beleeving I was with Christ crucified and am dead to the Law and died to death first and second For Christ suffered mysticall Christ legally satisfied and so did I in him I speak not now of personall suffering with or for Christ and therefore that is a plea of Sathans forging and taken away And unjust summonds may be answered by non-compearance and by the appeal of faith to Christ who having payed the debt sits Judge upon his own debts which he himself payed and therefore cannot suffer these for whom he died to suffer for his proper debt which once he payed The husband cannot endure the wife to be imprisoned for the debts which he made his own and fully satisfied Obj. 2. All men must die and return to dust and so must sinners as the Law requires therefore Christ died not for thee Ans. Socinus and Crellius object the same which Sathan doth For that death in the hew and collour of Law-wrath is holden before a beleever now and then under doubting as a temptation For we suffer not death such as Christ suffered to wit for sin watered and affected with the curse of the Law nor must we measure death from body or bulk of departing but from the salt and worst of death which is the curse and that being removed we never die Joh. 11.26 Joh. 5.24 no more look upon death in the Law for there it raigns but in Christ and in him death is dead and removed the formall demeriting power is removed when the Law is satisfied And a beleever being dead to the Law is dead to the curse and to the worst of death as Christ is dead to it now Obj. 3. But the conscience of the beleever suppose there were no devill challenges him of sin and therefore that he is under a curse Ans. The conscience may be the factor and deputie of Sathan in that also for it is the deposing of Christ from his Office of Mediator in satisfying and answering by his death all the demands of the Law there is none but Christ when the Law demands blood and the torments of the second death can plead any thing on the contrair Rom. 3.19 We know that what things soever the Law speaks it speaks to these that are under the Law but the Law speaks not then to a beleever for he is under grace and so is not in tearms of treating or parleying with the Law Christ was crucified and the beleever is legally crucified with Christ buried and risen again with Christ. 1. Then the Law is not his judge it spake to Christ and condemned him and put him to death when he was under the Law and condemned you in him now you say Christ is not condemned and crucified when ye enter in a new treatie with the Law to receive a new sentence from it and thus ye undoe what Christ hath perfectly done 2. To hearken to conscience componing and making another paction with the Law then Christ hath made is to take the plea that Christ hath embarked in off his hand ye are to stand still and be silent and beleeve that Christs dying and your dying in him is a closing of a satisfactory bargain with the Law Christ condemned sin in the flesh by taking on his flesh the curse due to us for sin for sin that is for sins cause that it might be taken away he sent his Son to die Rom. 8.3 and judge and condemn sin 3. This is to mistate a question well debated and discussed by Christ for he being the end and perfection of the Law hath silenced and satisfied the Law and to what use can it serve to make a new plea and a bastard controversie with a satisfied party
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
10.5 and so it is most false that none are in Covenant under the New Testament but only Believers For Judas Demas Simon Magus and all the externally called for they cannot be baptized but as in Covenant with God Math. 22.10 are by their profession in Covenant externally as the Jews profession sayeth they accepted of and consented unto the Covenant of Grace for 1 Cor. 10.7 Be not ye Idolaters as some of them commit not fornication tempt not Christ murmur not as some of them v. 8.9 thâ—se and the like say we are the same way in Covenant as they were and our Visible Church now and the Visible Church then are of the same constitution Q. And may we not say that the same Covenant of Grace we are under is the same in nature and substance with that Covenant made with Abraham Ans. The same Christ was their Mediator as ours Heb. 13.8 their Rock and our Rock Christ. 1 Cor. 10.1 2 3 4 5 6. Ioh. 8.56 2. We are justified as Abraham and David Rom 4.1 2 3 4 5. Gen. 15.6 Ps. 32.1 2. 3. They were saved by Grace the Gentiles as well as they Acts 15.11 by faith Acts 10.43 Heb. 11.1 2 3 4.13 c. 4. There is no more reason to say it was a civill Covenant made with Abraham because it distinguished Abrahams seed from other Nations and an earthly Covenant because Canaan was promised to them not to us then to say there be two Covenants of Works one made to Adam with a promise of an earthly Paradice and another Covenant of Works to the Jews with an earthly Canaan And a third to these who in the Gospel time are under a Covenant of Works Yea upon the same account the Covenant of Grace made Psal. 89. 2 Sam. 7. with David having a Throne promised to him should be yet another Covenant different from the other two And since a Covenant here is a way of obtaining salvation upon condition of obedience John Baptist should be under another Covenant of Grace then the Apostles For to their faith is promised the working of miracles Mark 16.16 17 18. But John wrought no miracles and many thousands of beleevers work no miracles and they must be under a third Covenant For though Canaan was promised to Abrahams seed there is no reason to call it an earthly Covenant or another different covenant for to all beleevers the blessings of their land are promised Ezek 36.25 26 30 31. Jer. 31.31 compared with 38 39 40 41 42 43. Mat. 6.33 Luke 12.31 1 Tim. 4.8 Heb. 13.5 6. 5. What if we say the Covenant made with Abraham Exod. 3. proves by our Saviours reasoning Maâ— 22.31 32 33. that Infants shall not rise again and be in Angel-state and saved otherwise if Infants and all beleevers in the Saduces time be not under the same Covenant with Abraham no Infants shall have a Covenant-Resurrection nor a Covenant-Salvation Or then there is some other salvation for Infants that are saved to wit some Pagan heaven without the Covenant and without Christ and if Infants be Pagans without the Covenant either none of them are saved and chosen to life Contrair to Christ Mat. 18.2 3 4. Mark 10.13 14 15 16. and the Anabaptists grant Or there is a salvation 1 without a Covenant and so without the New and Old Testament 2. Without the Name of Jesus and the Blood of the Covenant Contrair to Acts 4.12 1 Joh. 1.8 Rev. 1.5 3. they shall be saved without the Visible Church the way that Pagans are saved Q 3. Are they not saved all of them Is not this enough But because the Kingdom of Christ is spirituall the Element of water can do them no good except they beleeve Ans. If his Kingdom be not spirituall because his wisedom hath appointed externall signes then no promise which is but good words shall be made to Children contrair to Acts 2.39 for they can do them no good untill they beleeve 2. Then should there be no Preaching of the Gospel to all Nations as Mat. 28.20 for impossible it is that all Nations can be profited by the Gospel 3. The doubt suppones that it is legall servilitie and Jewish to be under the Gospel Preached and the dispensation of signes and seals even to the aged such as are Baptism the Supper rebukes censures 4. To be a visible member and visibly in Covenant and to be baptized except all be sound beleevers must be Jewish Now certain it is a new Testament Ordinance that Ministers Preach and baptize all nations though the greatest part beleeve not Q. 4. If faith sanctifie as faith then an unbeleeving whore might be sanctified by a beleeving fornicator For faith will do its formall work in every subject Answ. Paul never meant that faith doth sanctifie in every subject but in subjecto capaci Faith sanctifieth not incest and sin they are not capable to be separated to a holy use If fire as fire burn then might all the water in the Ocean be dryed up with the least sparkle of fire If prayer as prayer obtain all things shall it obtain that the sacrificing of your son to God shall be accepted of him as holy and lawfull worship Mr. Baxter saith excellently upon this subject A thing must be first lawfull before it be sanctified God sanctifieth not sin in or to any See the Argument 1 Cor. 7. learnedly and solidely vindicated by him so as the dispute is at an end now Q. 5. What holiness is it that is called federal or Covenant holiness which is in Infants Ans. It is not so much personall holinesse though it may so be called because the person is a Church member separated from the world to God as holinesse of the seed Society Family or Nation which is derived from father to son as if the father be a free man of such a City that priviledge is so personall as it is by the Law hereditarie freedome derived from father to son if the father have jus ad media salutis right to the means of salvation so hath the son Hence this was first domestical God made the CovenaÌ„t with Abraham and his family I will be thy God and the God of thy seed Gen. 17. it was extended to him not as a father only but as to the head of the family the children of Servants born in Abrahams family were to be circumcised and to be instructed as having right to the means of salvation Gen. 17.12 He that is eight dayes old shall be circumcised among you every man-child in your Generations so it is Generation-holinesse he that is born in the house or bought with money of any stranger that is not of thy seed So God showes clearly that in Abraham he chosed the Nation and the house Gen. 18.19 I know Abraham that he will command his children that is too narrow a Church Visible and his houshold after him that they shall keep the way of the Lord. 2. Afterward
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
4.5 Matth. 12.36 37. they are everlastingly punished And if Christ have suffered on the Crosse for all the sinnes of the Reprobate how are they judged and condemned for these sins as the Scripture saith And what Scripture saith they are condemned for the guilt of only unbelief or that Pagans are condemned for Gospel-unbelief where as Sodom Gomorrah Mat. 10.15 the men of Niniveh Mat. 12.41 Tyrus and Sidon Mat. 11.21 and such as have sinned without the Law Rom. 2.12 13 14 15. are freed of Gospel-guiltinesse and condemned for sinnes against the Law and yet this same way saith that there is a Gospel-Covenant made with all even thousands of Pagans who never heard of a Gospel never ingadged themselves by any profession to take the Lord for their God in Christ yet Christ bare their sins on the Tree and made his blood applicable to them by a Gospel-Covenant if they shall beleeve Whence they must all break the Covenant of Grace of which many of them never heard and be condemned for no sins but the last act of Sodomy gluttony parricide for the Gospel threatteneth not death to any sin but to finall unbelief say they There are not any sinnes committed against the Gospel but they are also sinnes against the Law because God incarnate and Immanuel is God and leaves not off to be God consubstantiall with the Father because he assumes the nature of man Then as the first Command oblidgeth Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac when God shall reveal that Command and Moses and the people are by that first Command to believe their deliverance out of Egypt and so if the firâ—â— Command oblidge us to believe and obey all Commands and Promises and Threatnings of God revealed and to be revealed because the Lord is God then must Christ God Redeemer and Immanuel be beleeved by this Command and so finall unbelief and finall despising of Christ God Redeemer is as directly against the first Command and so not a sin only threatned and forbidden in the Gospel as simple unbelief and simple despising of Christ God Redeemer For the believing final believing and unbelief and unbelief continuing to the end differ in the accident of duration not in nature and essence As a Rose that grows for a moneth only and a Rose of the same nature that groweth and flourisheth for three moneths Otherwise Christ could not have pronounced Peter blessed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 16.17 in the present for believing in the present for he should not have been blessed to the end as Solon said of his blessed man And this cannot but subvert our faith crush the peace hope consolation of weak Believers to whom undoubtedly the promise of perseverance iâ—â—bsolutely made Jer. 31.31 35. Jer. 32.39 40. Isai. 54.10 Isai. 59.20 21. Joh. 4.14 Joh. 10.27 28. 2. If there be as formall a transgression of the fiâ—st Command in finall unbelief as in unbelief simply considered and in the other sins of Judas and other Apostates Why but as Christ bare in his body the sins of unbelief and satisfied for them he must so also bear the sins of finall rebellion and unbelief And shall we believe that Christ payed a satisfactory ransone of blood upon the crosse for the yesterdayes unbelief of Judas and not for the dayes unbelief If it be said No man can break the Gospel-Covenant for it is an everlasting Covenant Ans. It s an everlasting Covenant but yet all who sin against the commanding love and authority of our Immanuel especially they so professing to be his do truly break the Covenant but they so break it as it leaves not off to be the Covenant of life both to the breakers if they repent and beleeve and to others for so is the nature of this Covenant and so it is everlasting but the Covenant of Works if once broken ceases to be a Covenant of life for ever because the nature of it is to admit of no repentance at all Obj. Does not the Law command the sinner offending God to mourn and be humbled and confesse Ans. It doth But it injoines not repentance as a way of life with a promise of life to the repenter as the Law or as a Covenant of Works commands to its native and proper Covenanters obedience and every single act of obedience as a way to obtain the reward of a Law-life nor does the Law as a Covenant of Works command justifying faith and reliance upon God Redeemer or Immanuel but rather as the Law of Nature or as the Law of thankfulnesse to a Ransoning and Redeeming God the Law does this Though in a speciall Covenant way the Gospel command faith in Christ. Obj. But finall unbeleef as against God Redeemer and so considered is the only breach of the Covenant of Grace He that beleeves not is condemned as the man that rejects the only remedie of sin Ans. The only breach of the Covenant of Grace is too narrow to be the adequat cause of damnation for many Pagans who never heard of Christ and are under no Covenant but that of Works are condemned not for not beleeving in him of whom they never heard Rom. 10.14 nor for breach of the Covenant of Grace but for breach of the Covenant of Works 2. Unbelief may be called the nearest cause of damnation to such as 〈◊〉 within the Visible Church as the wilfull refusing of medicine which only and infallibly would heal the sick man of such a disease is the cause of his death but is the Morall cause For the disease it self is the Physicall cause or the materiall cause of the mans death And without doubt uncleannesse covetousnesse sorcerie lying idolatrie c. and many the like sinnes beside unbeleef are 1 Cor. 6.9 Eph. 5.5 6. Rev. 21.8 Rev. 22.15 Jud. 6.7 8. 2 Pet. 2.17.10 11 12 13 2 Thes. 2.9 10. 1 Pet. 4.3 4. 2 Pet. 2.2 3 4 5. the causes of the damnation of many visible professours where as this way saith Christ did satisfie upon the Crosse for all thâ—se sins and the damned of visible professours suffer in hell only for finall unbeleef And it seems unjust that both Christ and they should suffer satisfactory punishment for these same sins done against the Law And as strange that Châ—â—st should die for any and not die for their sinnes since the Scripture useth the word of dying for sinnes Rom. 4.25 delivered from our sinnes Christ is a pâ—opitiation for our sinnes and the same way not for ours only but for the sinnes of the whole world he died for sinners Heb. 2.17 that he might make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people that is for the sinfull people or sinners Heb. 9.28 so Christ was once offered to bear the sinnes of many That is to bear the sins of the sinfull many that he died for Heb. 10.12 But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sin sat down on the right hand of God that is after
more right to us because he hath the right of justice then we have to our selves for its free-graces title which we have to our selves for we gave no ransone for our selves and we gave no ransone for eternall life and therefore all the doubtings and acts of unbeleef in order to the Surety of the Covenant do resolve upon some apprehended breach between the Father and the Son that either the one or the other or both have failed to each other and have broken the Articles of the Covenant which is a reproaching of both the Father and the Son So that nothing is more necessary then to beleeve firmly the Covenant-faithfulnesse of God 3. What strong bands of beleeving and holy living have we from this Surety Covenant When 1. good-will and freegrace is become the ingadger of the faithfulnesse of God as he is true God and with a Covenant-tye to keep sure our salvation as he will be true to his Son and so to himself and to his own Holy Nature that we shall be saved yea and not that only but by Office as King and High Priest he hath laid bands upon himself and made it the duty of his Office to save us So that any good man thinks his office of a King and a Prophet or a Priest lays bands upon him to acquit himself faithfully in the charge So that Christs sworn Office of High Priest lays bands upon him to compassionate as a feeling head all his own and to be touched with their infirmities then must unbeleef in these particulars say we judge that Christ will not do his duty in his Office and that he shall break his faith of Suretyship and fail under his band of Suretyship How needfull then must the firm perswasion of compleat qualifications and fulnesse of anointing of Christ for the compleat discharge of his duty be O! beleeve him to be the faithfull High Priest who expiats and heals you in all the measure kinds degrees circumstances of time place of the particular transgressions you are guilty of Psal. 103.3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases And if a man judge himself ingaged to go about such duties as his surety and ransone-payer in his name hath promised far more are we to walk as the redeemed of the Lord since there was an eternall Covenant-undertaking between Jehovah and the Son of God that we should fulfill the undertaking And sure it is Law-faith or beleeving of Law-threatnings cannot have such influence upon our spirits to cause us obey the Law as the motives of a concluded act of suretyship and closed compact between the Father and the Son that we shall obey him And indeed it is a meditation that morally and spiritually should obtain from us that we be holy as he is holy and strongly melt the rocky heart When we remembred that JEHOVAH as a designed Surety gave band for the heart of a sinner from eternity and enters himself Cautioner for our rebellious will it should put us to beleeve so much and morally lay bands on our will Q. How are we to conceive of the act of Suretyship A. Jehovah from eternity decrees that the Son be the designed person who shall take on our nature and lay down his life for sinners The Lord promises he shall have a redeemed seed for a reward In this offer Jehovah ingadges that we shall be Christs seed and so shall be by the immortall seed born again and shall beleeve and be gifted to Christ as saved here Jehovah undertakes that we shall beleeve 2. Christ agrees to the designed person It is written of me and so decreed of God from eternity I delight to do thy will I shall lay down my life for these given to me And here the other party Jesus Christ coming by his own consent to die does also undertake 1. In dying to ransone us from hell and merit life to us and make us his purchase So 2. he being a Saviour by merit he by his death purchaseth the Spirit and meriteth the new heart and so undertakes for us in this regard both parties undertake for us And the Spirit being the same very God with the Father and the Son also is by his own consent designed comforter and actor in his way by the anointing without measure that he puts on the Man Christ and the grace given to his members But the only formall parties in the compact are the Lord Jehovah and the Son party consenting before time and his Manhood in time becoming one who imbraces the Covenant of Suretyship and calls the Lord his God Ps. 22.1 Joh. 20.17 Rev. 3.12 Isa. 55.5 Hence if we imploy faith and hold out to the Lord the undertaking for us in the Covenant there is an answer framed to all our temptations from our own frailty As Adam and the Angels fell and how can we stand But God said never of them as Psal. 89.19 I have laid strength upon one that is mighty and Christ was no designed undertaker for Adam nor was Adam to beleeve such a thing Therefore it is fit to observe that not only the Head Christ and the body changes names as the body is called Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 and Christ called David Isai. 53.3 Ezek. 34. Ezek. 37.14 David my servant shall be King over them So also many things in one Psalm are spoken of David both in an Historicall and Typicall truth as Psal. 22. But there are some things Psal. 16. so spoken of David that they are true only Typically of Christ and spoken Prophetically as David saith Ps. 16.10 Thou will not leave my soul in grave neither will suffer thine Holy One to see corruption And the Apostle Peter denies that this can be exponed of David for Acts 2.26 27 28 29 30. and Paul Acts 13.34 35. And as concerning that God raised him from the dead now no more to return to corruption he said on this wise I will give you the sure mercies of David Wherefore he saith also in another place thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption 35. But David after he had served his own Generation by the will of God fell on sleep and was laid unto his fathers and saw corruption And it is not to be doubted that the Prophecie Psal. 22. They divided my garments they pierced my hands and my feet is only a Prophecie of Christs being crucified Nor was ever David crucified To say in another case David was crucified will not help for it might be said in another case David saw no corruption for all beleevers are delivered from the dominion curse and sting of death Hence it may well be said that same Psal. 89. must prove both the Covenant of Suretyship and the Covenant of Grace v. 3. I have made a Covenant with my chosen I have sworn unto David my servant thy seed will I establish for ever and build up thy Throne to all Generations Though it be
called Davids Throne here Luk. 1.32 yet we may freely speak of Davids Throne as of Davids body both saw corruption there is an end of Davids Throne temporall But sure the Scripture calls it the Throne of Christ Heb. 1.8 But unto the Son he saith thy Throne O God is for ever and ever Luk. 1.33 And he shall raign over the house of Jacob and of his Kingdom there shal be no end Dan. 7.14 And there was given him Dominion and Glory and a Kingdome that all Nations and Languages should serve him His Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which shall not passe away and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed Isai. 9.7 Of the increase of his Government and peace there shall be no end upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdome to order it and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever Obj. But this Covenant is made to and with David that Solomon and one of Davids line shall sit upon Davids Throne untill the Messiah the true beloved shall be born 2 Sam. 7.12 13. Ans. It s true and although these of Davids line sinned yet by vertue of this Covenant for Davids sake God gave a Throne temporall to him 1 King 11.32 34. 2 King 8.19 2 King 19.34 But it is as true that this also to wit Christs everlasting Throne is here meant I will build up thy Throne to all generations for Davids Throne is not builded to all generations nor can it be said of Davids Throne which is said of this Throne Heb. 1.8 But unto the Son he saith thy Throne O God is for ever and ever Therefore this oath and promise is made to Christ as well as to David except we say that an everlasting Throne is moâ—â— properly the Throne of David then the Throne of Christ. 2. 19. I have laid help upon one that is mighty I have exalted one chosen out of the people 18. I have found David my servant Most grave Divines and it may be they gathered it from v. 38 39 c. think that the Psalm was composed upon the occasion of the ten Tribes division from Davids house as composed by Ethan 1 King 4.31 Others that Ethan lived in the captivity of Babylon after Davids death But the calamity seems greater then the division of the ten Tribes Philo refers it to the time of Jehoiakim Ambrose maketh the mighty to be Christ So Eusebius and Hieronimus expound the whole Psalm And our Divines say that the verity must be in Christ for the help and deliverance of the new afflicted and captive people for the like of this publickâ—desolation as v. 38 39 40 c. never befell David after he was King can not be laid on a dead man And though he were now alive the help of Davids fallen glory v. 42 43 44 c. must be the Messiah Hence the Covenant must be with him whose Throne is built for ever and shall not fall v. 3 4. and upon whom as upon a mighty one is laid the help of his fallen Church This is not David only though he be not excluded but Christ principally 3. With him the Covenant must be made in his way as with Surety Head and Redeemer upon whom the enemy shall not exact whose enemies shall be plagued v. 22 23. and whose enemies shall be made his foot-stool Ps. 110.1 2. and that is Christ as well as David 4. With him must the Covenant of Redemption be made in his way of whom God saith v. 25. I will set his hand also in the sea and his right hand in the rivers The Chalde Paraphrase expounds his hand to be his power and command which is to Euphrates as is promised Exod. 23.31 Num. 34.3 but fulfilled in David and Solomon 1 King 4.8 Solomon raigned from the sea of Sodom the red sea to the Mediterran sea and west and from Euphrates to the utmost of Canaan North and South but specially in Christ who hath all Nations Gentiles and Jews for his own Psal. 2.8 9. Psal. 22.27 Psal. 72.8 9 10 11. Isai. 2.1 2. Rev. 11.15 Christ Jesus not David Zech. 9.10 shall speak peace to the Heathen and his Dominion shall be even from sea to sea and from the river even to the ends of the earth The Angel and Creator of Angels who set his right foot upon the sea and his left foot upon the earth Rev. 10.2 is this great Conquerour 5. With him this Covenant must stand of whom the Lord v. 26. saith He shall cry unto me Thou art my Father my God and the Rock of my salvation 27. I also will make him my first-born higher then the Kings of the earth Now this cannot well agree to David at least most coldly as Calvine saith should the Apostle reason and conclude that Christ were above the Angels when he citeth this place Heb. 1.4 5. For unto which of the Angels said he at any time Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee And again I will be to him a Father and he shal be to me a Son In the literall sense it is meant of Solomon 2 Sam. 7.14 1 Chron. 22.10 and is meant here of David Athanasius proves him hence to be God the first begotten of many Brethren Cyprian Cyrillus Augustine Hieronimus contend against the Jews that this is necessary to be understood of Christ not of Solomon not of David who cannot bear the Name of the Lords first-born but must be so named as the Type of him who is the first-born of every creature c. Col. 1.15 6. So my mercy will I keep for him for evermore and my Covenant shall stand fast with him â—9 His seed also will I make to endure for ever and his Throne as the days of Heaven If the Covenant be made with him who hath an eternall seed then sure principally with Christ Without whom saith Calvine who otherwise much loves to follow the letter of the word this Prophecie hath no effect for eternity is only in Christ not in David Ver. 30. If his children forsake my Law c. a pre-occupation if an eternall seed be promised to Christ then although Christ and his Children sin no matter the hazard is not great He Answers the danger is not to be despised I will visite the sons of Solomon and others 2 Sam. 7.14 with the rod of men 15. But my mercy of the Covenant of Redemption and of Reconciliation I will not take from him as I took it from Saul This is not spoken of Christ for he cannot sin but of Christs seed his spirituall seed and the businesse is so contrived as the seed of Christ and his children shall not sin unpunished but yet there is a difference between the sins of the reprobate Saul and such like and of the spirituall seed of Christ. So he takes his mercy Covenant-mercy but offered conditionally utterly away from reprobats when they sin
we are gifted with a life of more worth then many acres of Vineyards They declare therefore that there is much of the first Adam in them little of the second Who would conquesse again the many lands that our first father Adam sold and joyn house to house and lay field to field till there be no place and disinherit all others as if they were bastard heirs and themselves the only righteous heirs of Adam that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth Isa. 5.8 And the more spiritual any be the more are they above the nothing world Mortality may be called supernaturall to the earthie part of Adam since it is not naturally due to a body of earth to claim life for ever Though immortality be due to whole Adam consisting of soul and body and endued with the image of God For the soul cannot die But if we speak of such a life to wit of a heavenly communion with God as Adam was a comprehensor or one who is supposed now to have runne well and won the Gold and the Crown such a life was due to Adam not by nature but by promise Adam in his first state was not predestinate to a law glory and to influences of God to carry him on to persevere Nor could he blesse God that he was chosen before the foundation of the world to be Law holy as Eph. 1.3 What Was not then Adam predestinated to life eternall through Jesus Christ He was But not as a publick person representing all his sons but as another single person as Abraham or Jacob for Gospel predestination is not of the nature but of this or that person Therefore were we not predestinat to life eternall in him but in Christ Rom. 8.29 30. Therefore Adam fell from the state of Law-life both totally and finally but not from the state of Gospel election to glory For the Lord â—ad in the Law-dispensation a love designe to set up a Theatre and stage of free grace And that the way of works should be a time-dispensation like a summer-house to be demolished again As if the Lord had an aime that works and nature should be a transient but no standing Court for righteousnesse Hence it is now the reliques of an old standing Court and the Law is a day of assyse for condemning of malefactors who will acknowledge no Tribunall of grace but only of works And it is a just Court to terrifie robbers to awe borderers and loose men but to beleevers it is now a Court for a far other end CHAP. III. What is the intent and sense of the threatning Gen. 2.17 In the day thou eats thou shalt die And Gen. 3.20 Dust thou art c. WE must distinguish between the intent of the threatner and the intent and sense of the threatning Law-threatnings may be well exponed by the execution of them upon persons against whom they are denounced As 1 King 11.30 compared with 1 King 12.15 16. Ten Tribes are taken from Davids house according to the Word of the Lord. Because therefore the threatning of death was executed upon Christ 1 Pet. 3.18 Gal. 3.10 11 12 13 14. then must the threatning Gen. 2.17 Deut. 27.26 have been intended against the Man Christ and because beleevers die as all do Heb. 9.27 the threatning must have been intended against them also for that they sinned in Adam and because it is out of question that the reprobate die the first and second death the threatning must also have been intended against them And therefore in the intent of the threatner the threatning was mixed partly Legall partly Evangelick According to the respective persons that the Lord had in his eye He had therefore in his heart both Law and Gospel It is therefore to no purpose to aske what kind of death and whether purely legall which the Lord threatned to Adam For the Question supposeth that the Covenant of Works was to stand and that the Lord was to deny a Saviour to fallen man But we may say what death the Lord actually inflicts that death he intended to inflict nor did the Lord decree to inflict a meerly legall death personall first and second upon Adam and all his race Obj. Adam was to believe he should certainly die For so was the threatning Gen. 2.17 if he should sin or then we must say that Adam was to beleeve he should not actually die the latter cannot be said for then he was to believe the contradicent of the Lords true threatning which was the lie of the Serpent Gen. 3. Ans. He was to beleeve neither of the twain according to the event for there are two sort of threatnings some pure and only threatnings which reveal to us what God may in Law do but not what he hath decreed and intended actu secundo quoad eventum to do and bring to passe These threatnings contain some condition either expressed in other Scripture or then reserved in the mind of the Lord. 1. Because the Lord so threatned Adam as he remained free and absolute either to inflict the punishment or to provide an Evangelick remedy even as Solomon 1 King 2.37 saith to Shimei in the day thou passest over the brook Kidron thou shalt surely die that is thou shalt be guilty of death reus mortis Yet it cannot be denyed but Solomon reserved his own Kingly power either to pardon Shimei or to soften or change the sentence 2. The words of the Law do reveal what the Magistrate may do jure and what the guilty deserves by the Law but do not â—eveal the intention and absolute decree of the Law-giver and what punishment actually quoad eventum shall be inflicted upon the guilty and what shall come to pass as a thing decreed of the Lord So Gen. 9.6 the Murtherer shall die by the Sword of the Magistrate and Exod. 22.18 19 20. the Witch the man that lyes with a beast he that sacrifices to a strange god shall die the death jure merito and by Law-deserving but it followeth not but such as commit these abominations do live as is clear in the Kings of Assyria Chaldaea and many of Israel who were not put to death but lived quoad eventum though contrary to the Word of God 3. The expresse Precepts of the Decalogue Thou shalt have no other gods before me c. Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steal c. do shew what in Law we ought not to do but not what actually shall come to passe For there be not a few who do actually quoad eventum worship strange gods kill and steal But there are other threatnings which are both threatnings and also Prophesies and these reveal both the Law and the fact and what the Law-giver may jure and in Law inflict and what shall actually come to passe upon the transgressours if they continue in impenitency Rom. 2.1.2 3 Rom. 1.18 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Obj. Then in
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
the Lord had followed Adams obedience with no reward at all For man as a creature owes himself to God and as sweetly and pithily Anselme saith as a redeemed one I owe my self and more then my self to thee because thou gave thy self who art so farre more then my self for me and thou promises thy self to me Now God who is more and greater then Adam promised himself to be enjoyed by Adam if he should continue in obedience For what can the highest goodnesse sayeth he give to one that loves it but it self 3. If God of justice give Adam life Adam might compell God to pay what he oweth him else he should be unjust But the creature can lay no necessitie on the Creator either to work without himself nor can he cause him to will 4. The proper work of merite saith great Bradwardine and of him that works must go before the wages in time or in order of nature And if the worker receive its operation and working for wadge from God first and by his vertue and help continue in operation and working he cannot condignely merit at the hand of God but is rather more in Gods debt after his working then before his working because he bountifullie receives more good from God then before especially because he gives nothing proper of his own to God but gives to God his own good But no man first acts for God for God is the first actor and mover in every action and motion As that saith Who gave first to the Lord and it shall be recompensed him 5. If this was yesterday just that life eternall is due to Adam for his work before God made it just and due then from Eternitie and before any decree of God it was just and due Certainlie God upon the same reason was debtour to make such a Covenant that was just before he made it just And this is no Covenant of God for God not making the justice of the Covenant and the juâ—t connexion between work and wadge he cannot be the Author of the Covenant But neither is Adam the Author of the justice nor of the just Covenant Upon the same ground it was then an everlasting justice without and before God from Eternitie Non datur justum prius primo justo 6. If God did more for Adam then he can recompence God for it as the Father hath done to the Son then he could not merit at the hand of God But God did more to Adam in giving to him being faculties mind will affections power habites his blessed Image then Adam can never be in a condition in which he can recompence God or give him more annuall and usurie in his acting of obedience then the stock was he received in proportion As the Son can never give the Father in recompence so much or the captive ransomed from death can never give to his ransome payer who bought him so much as the one and the other shall no more be under an obligation and debt of love and service to father and ransomer then to a stranger that they never knew Nor could Adam thus be freed of God so as he should be owing nothing to him If any say God may freely forgive all this obligation and debt To which Bradwardine Answers well 1. The forgiving of the debt when the debtor hath nothing to pay is a greater debt taken on 2. God saith he may forgive so in regard of actuall obligation that he is not oblidged ad aliquid faciendum sub poena peccati to do any thing under the pain or punishment of sin as the hireling is obleiged to work when he hath made a Covenant to work and so we are not oblidged to do as much as we can for God But in regard of habituall obligation God cannot forgive the debt that the reasonable creature owes to God for so he might dispence with this that the reasonable creature owe no obedience to God suppose he should command it which is impossible They seeme therefore with eyes of flesh to look upon God who say that God by necessitie of justice must punish sin yea that the most High cannot be God except he punish sin and that he should not be God if all his Lawes imposed upon men were only promissorie and void of all threatnings What could not God have said eat not of the tree of knowledge for if ye eat not your obedience shall be rewarded with life eternall and no more might he not have laid aside all threatning What Scripture or reason teacheth to say that God if he create a reasonable creature and under a morall dependencie which it hath and must have of God then must God by necessitie of nature punish the sinner yea so as if he punish not he should not be God nor just but must fall from his naturall dominion except he make penall laws and so he should not be God except he say to Adam if thou eat thou shalt die or shalt be punished for eating but this is not proven by one word except this the reasonable creature is not nor cannot be subject to God Creator except God punish the sinner But that is denyed Adam should have had a Morall dependance upon God and God should have been God and essentially just if sin had never come into the World and if God had kept Adam under a Morall Law as he did the Elect Angels who never felt or knew the fruit of a Morall Law broken and transgressed And God if he imposed any penall Law upon the Elect Angels as penall which shall be an hard work to prove yet had a naturall dominion over the Elect Angels and suppose no Law but only a rewarding and remunerative Law had been over their heads should God be no God in that case and if any deny that God hath a perfect dominion over the Elect Angels he is not worthy to be refuted 2. Shew me in all the Old or New Testament any penall Law of active obediencâ— as penall imposed upon the man Christ or where is it written If the Man Christ sin he shall eternally die I tremble at such expressions Is the Lord therefore not the Lord and hath the Lord fallen from his naturall dominion over his Son the Man Christ Or 3 will any man deny but the Lord might justly have laid upon all men and upon the Elect Angels a Law only remunerative not penall at all a Law only with the promise of a reward and void of all threatning of death first or second or any other punishment and yet he should have been the Lord and had a naturall dominion over Angels the Man Christ and all mankind 3 Suppose the Lord had never imposed the Law penall forbidding the sin against the Holy Ghost upon the Elect beleevers nor any other penall Law but by vertue of the most sufficient ransome of the Blood of God payed for man he had made them now after the fall as the
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
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
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
1. The nature of obeence 2. The worth and excellencie of obedience The more the obedience be from our selves the more it partakes of the nature of obedience Hence four kinds of obedience are to be considered 1. Christs obedience was the most legall obedience and also the most perfect for he obeyed most of his own of any from his own will purely Ioh. 10.18 Mat. 26. â—9 42 44. His own blood Hebr. 9.14 Rev. 1.5 My blood saith he Matth. 26.28 He gave his life a ransome Matth. 20.28 He gave himself a ransome 1 Tim. 2.6 By himself he purged our sins Heb. 1.3 Gave himself for his Church Eph. 5.25 Offered himself Heb. 9.14 And therefore the satisfaction that he made was properly his own It s true the life flesh and blood which he offered to God as common to the three Persons was equally the life flesh blood of God by way of Creation and efficiency For God as God created His Man-hood and gave him a body but that Man-hood in abstracto was not the offering but all these in concreto and the self including the value and the dignitie was not the Fatâ—ers not the Spirits but most properly his own and the Sons only by way of personall termination and subsistence 1. There are contradictory tearms affirmed of this holy self the Son and of the Spirit and the Father The Son was God incarnate 2. The son offered himself his own life his own blood to God for our sins Neither the Father nor the Spirit at all is God incarnate neither Father nor Spirit offered his own life his own blood to God Neither the Father nor the Spirit hath to speak so a personall or terminative dominion over the flesh and blood of Christ. 2. Christ was in no sort oblidged to empty himself and cannot be under a jus or obligation to the Creator or the creature Of free love and his own will he became Mediâ—â—â—â— God Man and being creaâ—ed man and having said here am I to do thy will having stricâ—en hands with God as Surety of the Covenant none more oblidged being holy and true And therefore though Christ-Man was most strictly tyed to give the Father obedience yet he was not oblidged to give him such and such obedience so noble so excellent from a personall Union for Christ God cannot properly come under any obligation Hence the obedience of Christ is most meritorious because maximè indebita in regard of the God-head most undebtfull and yet obedience most debtfull in regard of the Man Christ. 3. Most from his own will personally considered the affection love the bended will highest delight to obey lay personally near to the heart and holy will of Christ God With desire have I desired to eat this Passeover He went foremost in the journey to Ierusalem when he was to suffer Much of the internall propension of the will makes much and as it were heightens and intends the nature of obedience so that Christs and our obedience have scarce an univocall definition 4. He gave and restored more glory to offended justice by such a noble incomparably excellent death then Adam and all his Sons took of glory from God therefore against impure Socinus it is a most reall satisfaction and compensation where glory by obeying and suffering is restored in liew of the glory taken away All that Socinians say that God cannot be a loser and needs not glory and nothing can be taken from him and nothing can be given to him proves nothing but that it is not such a satisfaction as one creature performs to another nor is it a satisfaction that brings profite to God For can a man be profitable to the Almightie Nor such a satisfaction as eases a disquieted minde Which proves not Christ to be a Saviour painted in a meer coppy to us and only a godly Martyr who saveth onely by preaching and witnessing and not by a most reall and eminently clear satisfaction 2. The Elect Angels next to Christ gave obedience in their Law course but not so properly of their own as Christ for some discriminating and strengthning grace they had from Christ Mediator their head Col. 2.10 that they should not fall and something from the Election of Grace which do not necessarily agree to the Covenant of Works which they performed without sin and the more extrinsecall help from grace the lesse merit so farre is grace from being as Jesuites say the essentiall requisite of merit that the work is lesse ours and so the lesse meritorious that it hath grace Let not any say then Christs obedience that came from the fulnesse of the Spirit without measure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must so be lesse meritorious which is absurd for the reason why grace in Angels and men who are meer creatures diminishes the nature of merit is because grace is not their own nor their proper due but supernaturall or preternaturall and so hurts the nature of the merit but to the meriting person Christ-God-Man nothing is supernaturall nothing extrinsecall nothing not his own Grace is his own as it were by a sort of personall dominion not to say that the Man Christ as man did not merit yet as man he was born sinless and with the full Image of God 3. Adam gave more faintly obedience more indeed of his own but it was lesse obedience and lesse will in it then the obedience of Angels and had he continued his obedience had been proper obedience but this is to be observed none did ever actu secundo and by the only help of simple nature attain Justification and Salvation by the simple Covenant of Works but men and evill Angels fell under both though that was a possible Covenant and holy and spirituall yet God set it up to be an inlet to pure Justice in the reprobate Angels and so to free grace in elect men 4. The obedience of faith or Gospel-obedience in the fourth place hath lesse of the nature of obedience then that of Adam or of the Elect Angels or that of Christs It s true we are called obedient Children and they are called the Commandements of Christ and Christ hath taken the Morall Law and made use of it in an Evangelick way yet we are more as it were patients in obeying Gospel-Commands not that we are meer patients as Libertines teach for grace makes us willing but we have both supernaturall habits and influences of grace furnished to us from the Grace of Christ who hath merited both to us and so in Gospel-obedience we offer more of the Lords own and lesse of our own because he both commands and gives us grace to obey And so to the elect beleever the Law is turned in Gospel he by his Grace fulfilling as it were the righteousnesse of the Law in us by begun new obedience Rom. 8.4 and to the reprobate the Law remains the Law and the Gospel is turned in the Law for all conditionall
It is sinfull doctrine to say that CHRIST takes away this sense of sin For 1. this is the very true tendernesse and gracious smitings of heart under any guiltinesse As 1 Sam. 24.5 2 Sam. 24.10 Davids heart smote him after he had cut off the lap of Sauls garment and numbred the people 1 Joh. 3.20 Job 27.6 And in some it is the naturall conscience accusing and challenging after sin is committed now CHRIST came not to extirpate conscience nor the power of feeling and discerning the obligation to wrath that the conscience apprehendeth after sin is committed nor the legall evill deserving of sin nor the contrariety between it and the Law 2. Christ by his death gives repentance and mourning for sin Acts 5.31 Eze. 12.10 11. 3. Christ commends this Jer. 31.18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself 2 King 22.19 Because thine heart was tender and thou hast weept before me I have also heard thee saith the Lord. Luk. 7.44 She hath washed my feet with tears 4. If Christ by his death should remove this hee should bring on by his death a heart passed feeling and burnt with a hot iron which is condemned Eph. 4.19 1 Tim. 4.2 5. It speaks a gracelesse rockinesse of heart to sin and not care for it Act. 18.17 18. Pro. 30.20 Far lesse would the Lord have us to dream that a Christan is annihilated and melted into God where they leave off to know will desire feel act or do any thing but God is all and all in this life and that to the eye of faith though not to the eye of reason all sense of sin is destroyed this is a destroying and overturning of all of Law Gospel of all humble walking with God and removes all necessity of fearing hoping believing praying hearing and changes us over into blocks PART II. Of the Mediatour of the Covenant CHAP. I. Q. WHat room or place hath Christ the Mediator in the Covenants A. He hath place in the Covenant of Works as a satisfier for us 2. As a doer and an obedient fulfiller thereof in all points And he is Mediator and Surety of the Covenant of Grace 2. The first Adam marres all the second ADAM who makes all things new mends all The first Adam was a publick sort of stirresman to whom was committed the standing and falling of all mankind and in reference to man the standing of Heaven Earth and Creatures in their perfection and he spoiled all put all things a-reeling The second ADAM received in his arms the whole Creation that was a-falling for in him all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stand fast Col. 1.17 And he bears up all by his mighty word Heb. 1 3. He satisfied for our sins and for our breach of the Covenant of Works 2. He is a full doer and fulfiller of the Covenant of Works most perfectly by doing 1 Joh. 3.7 He who does righteousnesse is righteous As he who suffers for the broken Law fulfills the Law Rom. 6.7 He that is dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is freed justified from sin in the obligation of it to punishment So Paul vers 8. If wee be dead with Christ we beleeve that we shall live with him This dying is to beleeve that he died for us at least it excludes not that And if we keep the Law we are not oblidged to suffer for the Law does not oblidge man in absolute sense both to perfect doing and to perfect suffering copulatively but to one of them But if we be legally dead with Christ as his death so excellent doth exhaust sins punishment and is a perfect satisfaction therefore we are freed or justified from sin not to suffer or satisfie by suffering for it as Rom. 8.3 For what the Law could not do so that it was weak by accident not of it self through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likenesse of sinfull flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the righteousnesse of the Law the passive righteousnesse in suffering for the breach of the Law might be fulfilled in us 2 Cor. 5.2 And Isai. 53.5 But he was wounded for our transgressions c. 6. The Lord laid upon him the iniquity of us all But though some suffer as the reprobate do and suffer in this life the beginning of satisfactory judgement yet are they not loosed from active obedience to the Law as the Law though they cannot having once sinned be under the Law as a Covenant of Justification and life nor is any flesh under that Covenant now Q. What place hath Christs righteousnesse here Ans. Pareus with some others distinguish between the Righteousnesse of Christs person which contains his essentiall Righteousnesse as God the habituall and actuall conformity of the Man Christ and the perfect holinesse of the Man Christ. Such a High Priest became us as is holy harmlesse c. Heb. 7.26 And The righteousnesse of his merit in the satisfaction of his suffering the satisfaction is the formall cause of our Justification which is counted ours this latter righteousnesse is acquired the former is essentiall Now the active obediēce of Christ falls under a twofold consideration 1. As the Man Christs perfect conformity to the Law of God so as man he was oblidged to do and suffer all that he did and suffered even to lay down his life for man But had he been only man his righteousnesse had neither been by condignity meritorious no◠yet satisfactory for us But 2. The whole course of Christs obedience from his birth to the grave by doing and suffering is to be considered as the doing and suffering of so excellent a person his being born his praying preaching dying coming from a Person God-Man Now the Law required not praying preaching of God-man the blood of God or the dying of him who was God-Man And so all these being both so excellent and then so undue have respect of satisfaction to God 2. The active obedience of Christ all that Christ did and suffered were performed by him in his state of humiliation In which he was poor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 8.9 for us so also by the same ground a weeping man hungry thirsty weary for us made lower then the Angels by the suffering of death Heb. 2.9 Humbled by partaking of flesh and blood because of the children Heb. 2.14 Emptied himself for us Ph. 2. This was as Pareus well saith perpetua quaedam passio paena peccatorum nostrorum fuit tota vita Christi All these have a respect of punishment and suffering For since Christ was both a viator and a comprehensor and such a holy sinlesse person he ought to have had the actuall possession of the Crown of Glory from the womb and so should have been free of weeping hunger thirst wearinesse groaning sighing sadnesse persecution reproaches c. all which adhered to all his active holinesse and therefore in that his actions were
satisfactory passions For satisfaction is defined a voluntary restoring of the equivalent and as good in the place of what is taken away and the good restored must be 1. Undue 2. The proper good of the restorer which agrees to the active and passive obedience of Christ. Obj. Then Christs very weeping and praying being the weeping and praying of God-Man might have been a perfect satisfaction for our sins for Christ was God-Man in all his holy actions in the state of humiliation as in his being crucified and in his suffering Ans. This doth not follow Because the punishment of the breach of the Law and not that only but such a speciall punishment by dying the first and second death according to the threatening of the Law Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thou shalt surely die was required in the Law and except the threatening of the Law be fulfilled the Law is not fulfilled And Paul Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us for it is written cursed be every oâ—e that hangeth on a tree Now Christs suffering the death of the crosse the cursed death is that which makes him under the Law Ergo there is a Law-righteousnesse in suffering death So Gal. 4.4 God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law For what end 5. To redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of sons How are we redeemed from under the Law By blood purchasing to us Justification Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his Grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sins past And redemption from the curse of the Law and remission is ever ascribed to the blood of Christ dying Rom. 3.24 25. Ye are bought with a price 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called a ransome of Christs blood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 20.28 1 Tim. 2.6 Eph. 1.1.7 In whom we have redemption in his blood the forgivenesse of sins Col. 1.14 In whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgivenesse of sins Rom. 5.9 Being justified by his blood 1 Pet. 1.18 Being redeemed by the blood of the Lamb unspotted and undefided 1 â—oh 1.8 The blood of Jesus Christ purgeth us from all sin Rev. 5.9 And they sang a new song to wit the four Beasts and the four and twenty Elders for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood 1 Pet. 1.18 By his stripes which he suffered in his death Isa. 5.3 we are healed Rev. 1.5 To him that hath loved us and washen us from our sins in his blood For though all Christs actions of God-man from the worth of the infinite person be meritorious yet are they refuseable yea a satisfaction by Covenant which was the death of God-Man must be also 2. The word also never speaks of Christs dying for all but it mentions Justification in his blood Ro. 3.24 25. Rom. 5.9 Yea the Scripture adds another end of Christs death to wit forgivenesse Col. 1.14 Eph. 1.7 intercession at the right hand of GOD 1 Joh. 2.1 that we may receive the Adoption of sons Gal. 4.5 To make us Kings and Priests to God Rev. 1.16 dying to sin living to him 1 Pet. 2.24 That he might bring us to God 1 Pet. 3.18 The glorifying of God in our bodies 1 Cor. 6.19 20. Redeeming us from our vain conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 From this present evill world Gal. 1.4 Sanctifying the people Heb. 13.12 Heb. 10.8 9 10. All which the Lord must intend in Christs death to Pagans old and young to all and every one of mankind to whom the Gospel could not come And what authority have men to devise a redemption generall universall from hell and not from sin 2. For life eternall and not for the giving of the Spirit and for redemption from a vain conversation and for sanctifying of the people also 3. A redemption in Christs blood but no forgivenesse of sins in his blood not any non-imputation of sin nor reconciliation of the world 2 Cor. 5.15 18 4. A dying of the just for the unjust but not to bring them to God a redeeming of them but not a redeeming of them out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation for these People Nations and Tongues were redeemed by this way as well as they and a washing of them in his blood but no making of them Kings and Priests to God a dying for all but no living to him contrair to 1 Pet. 1.18 Rev. 5.9 Rev. 1.5.5 6. 2 Cor. 5.15 5. Christs blood did something and it is not any thing to make all saveable to pacifie Justice satisfie the Law to merite Heaven but did nothing to soften the heart mortifie and sanctifie the will mind affections to remove unbeleef to renew the mind But it is sure the Lord had not intended to commit heaven and hell any more to a sanctified will but mutable and lubrick in Adam but to commit all to Christ to a better Covenant better promises to a way of free-grace not of nature Yet these men commit the salvation and damnation of all and every one to an unsanctified corrupt rebellious will Gen. 6.5 Gen. 8.21 1 Cor. 2.14 Joh. 6.44 Job 14 4. Psal. 51.5 Jer. 17.9 10 c. except they say Pagans and all mankind are regenerated sanctified justified yea to a worse Covenant then that Covenant of Works to an universall Covenant of Grace That 1. never came to their ears 2. By which they are in a worse condition then Adam was who had the Image of God in his soul and a full power to stand and a clearly revealed Covenant But all mankind for whom Christ is supposed to die are born heirs of wrath but they are born in more miserie in the bondage of sin of a blind heart of a corrupt will their chains heavier their furnace hoter in hell helps fewer And yet the absolutenesse of Soveraignty under the freedom of the Grace of Christ by this way of Vniversalists shines no more now nay not so much now as in Adams state for more is laid upon free-will and lesse help to heal the will then was in the Covenant of Works And if all die in Adam and the Second Adam die for all he must die to loose the works of Satan in all Now if a weaker course be taken to destroy Sathans kingdom now then in Adams state and all be laid upon a weaker will Sathan is stronger now then before And if Christ do not purchase by his death grace to bow indeclinably the will of all these for whom he dyed to cause them live to him die to sin to make them Kings and Priests to God c. but leave their will in a more weak and wicked condition then it was under in the first Covenant Sathan is in this stronger
want of money mortifies a man to drunkennesse he drinks not excessively not because the heart will not dare to sin but because he cannot The Word backed with influences from the death of Christ strongly mortifies to all sins 8. And the soul is not easily deadned to an office or place of a Prince a Ruler a Master a Prophet a Teacher Abishai 2 Sam. 16.9 Why should this dead dog curse my lord the King Let me go over I pray thee and take off his head David standeth not much upon cursing the lord the King He is so mortified to that stile as he forgets it and v. 10. he saith Let him curse because the Lord hath said unto him Curse David He saith not the Lord hath bidden him curse the lord King David Answers thou the high Priest so It s a great word Christ was the Messiah that is a great office of King Priest and Prophet but he was willing to forget his office by way of taking much on him that he might fulfill his office by way of suffering As Rulers and such as are in place must so far be dead to their office and place as they must be willing to bear in their bosome the reproaches of all the mighty people and to have their footsteps even as Rulers reproached Psal. 89. v. 50 51. Places and office too often have an influence and strong enough on our unmortified hearts But there are some providentiall sufferings that befall Rulers as Rulers against which they should be hardned knowing that the Lord suffers in them 9. It should be our work to be deadned to pleasure I have married a wife and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I can not come This is the most lively lust There is a mortified eye Job 31.1 I have made a covenant with mine eye why then should I look on a maid Mortified eye-looks call for mortified heart-looks It s an old sin Gen. 3.6 And when the woman saw the tree that it was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes she did eat Mortified Joseph saw sin ingraven on pleasure Gen. 39.9 How then can I do this great wickednesse and sin against God 10. There must be a deadned heart to all the three to the world 1 Joh. 2.15 Love not the world nor the things of the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him 16. For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world Jam. 4.4 There is some life between the friends of the world and the world and James doubteth not to call that enimity with God and the three great Idols of the world gain glory and pleasure cannot make any happy which Heathens Plutarch Cicero Seneca saw and therefore they pressed a contempt of the world For strength is the glory of the Elephant or the Bull rather then of man and plucked away by age and time And beauty is no lesse uncertain being made up of quantity and colour and the Rose and the Lilly hath more of it then man Riches have wings and render not the owner happy Nobility is a borrowed good and the Parents glory not ours And honour is the opinion and esteem of men and we yet cannot be dead to nothings to shadows to emptinesse and to vanity and fair buildings are well ordered dead stones 11. They are not rightly mortified who are not deadned to creature-comforts to father and mother for they forsake and the mother may forget the fruit of her own womb but the Lord cannot forget his own Psal. 27.10 Isa. 49.15 My friends Job 19.19 2. All my friends 3. All my inward and dearest friends 4. Abhorre me Forsaking is hard but abhorring is most sad Yea even in the Cause of God Paul is put to this 2 Tim. 4.16 At my first answer no man stood with me but all men forsook me 2. So must the Church be dead to forraign forces Hos. 14.3 Ashur shall not save us we will not ride upon horses and the people must be dead and sit still from help from Egypt Isai. 30.7 For the Egyptians shall help in vain and to no purpose therefore have I cryed concerning this Your strength is to sit still Sitting still is a ceasing from relying upon the Chariots and strength of Egypt as being dead to them For thus saith the Lord the holy One of Israel in returning and rest shall ye be saved in quietnesse and in confidence shall be your strength and ye would not And 4. his people must cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils for wherein is he to be accounted of Isai. 2.22 and be dead to multitude for Psal. 33.16 No King is saved by an host a mighty man is not delivered by much strength 17. An horse is a vain thing for safety The help of the creature substitute in the room of God having the lustre of blue and purple or cloathed in scarlet riding upon horses Young men of desire Ezek. 23.23 doe easily dazle our eyes and when we are not renewed in the spirit of our mind unsanctified hearts are weak in apprehending and more weak in discerning of things 5. So must there be a deadning of the husband to the wife Job 19.17 to servants Job 15.16 to sons 2 Sam. 16. v. 11. of the mother to the daughter of the daughter in law to the mother in law Mic. 7.6 to blood-friends 12. All the godly and zealous Prophets said Amen to the word of the Lord even Christ with sighs and tears to the extream desolation and ruine of Jerusalem Luk. 19.41 Math. 23.37 38. and Jeremiah Ezekiel Isaiah Micah Hosea c. to the plowing of Zion as a field to the sword captivity to the laying wast of the land without inhabitants Isa. 5.9 Isa. 6.10 11 12. Jer. 9.1 2 3 4. Jer. 16.1 2 3. c. Mic. 3.12 Hos. 4.3 Hos. 5.6 9 c. There must be a deadning to our Country and Mother-Church that the glory of justice may shine yea to our fathers grave our own bed our own fireside 13. The Lord will have Isaiah and the godly dead to Lawes and Government to vision and prophecying when Judge and Prophet shall be taken away Isa. 3.2 and children shall be their Princes and babes shall rule over them v. 4. and the vineyard broken and the hedge spoiled And he will have the godly dead to King and Priest and Law 2 Chron. 15.3 Now for a long season Israel had been without the true GOD and without a teaching Priest and without law Hos. 3.4 Hos. 10.3 And now shall they say We have no King because we feared not the Lord what shall then a King do to us Hence we must be mortified to every thing created which the Lord may take from us 14. And upon this account there is required a deadning of our hearts to shipping and trading
salvation upon their own Socinian faith that is their indifferent relying upon the Saviour Jesus and their own holiness watchfulnesse obedience love to God Sure the comfort joy peace assurance subjective that they have in their conscience can be no stronger then the objective and fundamentall certitude of standing persevering overcoming flowing from free-will which is woefully free and indifferent to persevere and stand or not to persevere not to stand but to fall away It s a stronger consolation and the strongest should be the Christians choise that is founded upon the Fathers giving and the Sons receiving of sinners and the faith of salvation to me which relies and leans upon Christs undertaking for me that I shall not be lost nor casten out then upon my undertaking for my self The fifth Argument is from Christs receiving the Seals Who so receives in his body the Seals of the Covenant of Grace Circumcision and Baptism and yet needs no putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh by Circumcision and needs no forgivenesse of sin no regeneration no burying with Christ in Baptism as Col. 2.11 12. Rom. 6.3 4 5. and eats the Passeover and needs not that the Lamb of God take away his sins as Joh. 1.29 since he is holy and without sin he must be under the Covenant and God must be his God in some other Covenant then sinners are for these seals are proper to a Covenanted people strangers and Pagans might not receive them but these in Covenant only Gen. 17.7 Exod. 12.48 Matth. 28.20 Col. 2.11 12. and Christ must have received Seals for other uses and ends then sinners received them to wit to testifie that he was the God of both Jews and Gentiles and that he was the undertaker for us in a Covenant of suretyship for us to perfect a higher command then any mortall man was under to wit to lay down his life for sinners Joh. 10.18 and beside that for our cause he was made under the Law to fulfill all righteousness and so was Circumcised Luk. 2.21 Baptized Matth. 3.13 16 17. did eat the Passeover with the Disciples Mat. 26.18 19 20. Mar. 14.18 Luk. 22.13 14. he in coming under that state in which he must because a man fulfill the Law and be under even Gospel commands so far as they were suteable to his holy Nature testifieth in obeying all commands even of the Morall Law and as the Son of God he was under no such obligation that he was under a speciall ingagement and compact to God for the work of Redemption And we are taught to feel what imbred delight and sweetnesse of peace is in duties when Christ Covenants with God to come under the Law and under the hardest of commands to lay down his life for sinners because it was a Law and command by Covenant that hath most of obedience which hath most of a Law Q. Was Christ such an one as needed seals to his speciall Covenant with the Father Ans. He needed no seals at all to strengthen his faith of dependency for there was no sinfull weaknesse in his faith yet he was capable of growing Luk. 2.52 For the Law requires not the like physicall intention and bendednesse of acts of obedience from the young as from the aged 2. In that the receiving of the seals proves Christ to be Surety of the Covenant of Grace it makes good that he was under the other Covenant and to perform the obedience due to the speciall command of dying as to a command of Covenant 6. Argument is from the Lords libertie If God might in justice have prosecuted the Covenant of Works and Adam and his might justly have suffered eternall death for sin for the Law is holy and just and the threatning Gen. 2.17 just except the Lord had of grace made another Covenant then must the Lord send or not send a Saviour to suffer and be a suffering Redeemer and Surety as pleased him or not pleased him and if Christ may refuse to undertake or willingly agree as pleased him and Christ being Godâ—consubstantiall with the Father might have stood to the Law-way of works For who or what could have hindered him to follow a course of justice against all men then if both agreed to dispense with that Law-way to save man Here is Covenant-condiscension between JEHOVAH and the Son of quieting Law and pitching on a milde Gospel-way 7. Argument from the promises made to Christ He to whom the promises are made as to the seed so as in him they are yea and Amen and he who is eminently the chief heir of the promises as ingaged to make good the promises on the Lords part to give forgivenesse Jer. 31.34 Heb. 8.12 perseverance Jer. 32.39 40. Isa. 54.10 Isa. 59.21 peace Ezek. 34.25 Lev. 26.6.11 12. yea and a new heart Jer. 31.33 Ezek. 11.19 Heb. 8.10 life eternall Joh. 10.28 and to make good the promises upon our part by fulfilling the condition and giving habituall grace Jer. 31.33 Ezek. 36.26 and actuall influences Jer. 31.34 to know the Lord Ier. 32.39 40. Ezek 36.27 to and with him God must strike a Covenant of suretyship that he shall have the anointing in its fulnesse above his fellows without measure to make good all these promises as Mediatour for it is not simply grace and life that the Lord bestows upon his people but grace out of the store-house of the Mediatour God-Man Now this must be given to Christ by promise Gal. 3.16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made he saith not and to seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seed which is Christ He cannot well mean mysticall Christ that is Christ and all his for they are indeed many and numerous as Isai. 2.1 2. Isai. 60.1 2 3 4 5 6. Psal. 22.27 compared with Rev. 5.11 Rev. 7.9 for the promises are made to Christ-God-Man eminently not formally For 2 Cor. 1.20 All the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen For the promise is made to us for Christ and through his grace then the promise is made first to him and more eminently and to us for him Propter quod unumquodqueâ—ale id ipsum magis tale 2. The promises are fulfilled and made good not because we fulfill the condition but for Christ in whom and by whose merit both the grace promised and the grace habituall and actuall to perform the condition be it faith repentance humility c. is freely given to us 3. Christ is he who makes the Covenant and all the promises Act. 7.32 Who said to Moses I am the God of thy fathers the God of Abraham 34. I bave seen I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Aegypt and I have heard their groaning and am come down to deliver them And now come I will send thee unto Aegypt And v. 35. Moses is made a Ruler and a deliverer by the hands of the Angel that appeared to
is not the same Covenant that is made with Christ and that which is made with sinners 1. They differ in the subject or the parties contracting In this of suretyship the Parties are Jehovah God as common to all the three on the one part and on the other the only Son of God the second Person undertaking the work of Redemption In the Covenant of Reconciliation the Parties are God the Father Son and Spirit out of free love pittying us and lost sinners who had broken the Covenant of Works 2. Hence the Covenant of Suretyship is the cause of the stability and firmnesse of the Covenant of Grace It s true Psal. 89.19 David is meant when he sayes I have laid help upon one that is mighty I have exalted one chosen out of the people 20. I have found David my servant For the grace of election made David mighty in the Lord and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and made him mighty to execute his office But this is so to be understood saith Mollerus and others of David as it is also to be referred to Christ upon whom the strength of our salvation is laid and the strength laid Covenant-wayes upon Christ is the cause why David and his seed stand sure in an everlasting Covenant of reconciliation Though the Covenants of Suretyship and of Reconciliation differ yet must they not be separated but faith principally must be fixed upon the most binding Covenant-relation between JEHOVAH and the Son of GOD. Eye Christ alwayes in the Covenant else it s but the sheath or scabbard of a Covenant and a letter to us 3. There be two parts as it were of the Covenant of Redemption 1. A Covenant of Designation 2. Of actuall Redemption The former is eternall for the Lord does not begin in time to dâ—signe Covenant-wayes the Son to be the Consenter to be our Surety nor doth the Son in time begin to consent But the Covenant-consent in 1. Designing of one Person the Son and no other Of 2. Decreeing and fore-ordaining of Him 3. Of mutuall delighting in love and in eternall thoughts in the sons of men to be redeemed 1 Pet. 1.20 Prov. 30.31 Was closed and concluded in an ended bargain from everlasting for the Parties were coexistent and together and rejoicing in one another and in the common work to borrow that expression thinking long till the day of marrying of God and man and untill Immanuels day should dawn Joh. 8. Abraham rejoiced to see my day But as touching the other part the Man Christ untill he should be Man and have a mans will he could not in two wills close with the Covenant of actuall Redemption But the Covenant of Reconciliation is no more eternall then the creation which is eternall in the Decree of God as are all things that fall out in time But this Covenant was made in Paradice though it was decreed from everlasting yet it had no being as a Covenant nor could have any so long as the Covenant of Works did stand But it came in due time the physick and the Physitian Christ the blessed seed not few hours after Adam was fallen came to his sick-bed or rather to his death-bed Blessed be his love who redeemed us in our low condition for Adam had no faith to receive nor hope of a Redeemer Christ came not sought for not sent for not so much as desired by us For how could we desire a thing impossible to our knowledge Or could we thirst for a ransome of the blood of God unknown to Angels or Men This is preveening grace indeed 4. They differ in the subject matter The Covenant of Redemption is 1. who shall be the surety of Redemption to undertake for man Here am I saith the Son thy fellow Zech. 13.7 2. What shall be his work What shall be his wage He shall lay down his life that shall be his work he shall be obedient to his Father to the death even the death of the crosse And his wage shall be He shall see his seed and God shall give him a name above every name But no such work is laid on us nor such a reward to be expected by us in the Covenant of Reconciliation Only here life and forgivenesse is promised to us upon condition of beleeving in Christ and fit it is that Christ be alone none under such a Commandement as He Joh. 10.18 5. The Covenant of Redemption hath different commands 2. Promises 3. And conditions from the Covenant of Reconciliation The Commands of the Covenant of Suretyship are of two sorts 1. Some common 2. Some proper and peculiar The former is that Christ fulfill all righteousnesse Matth. 3.15 obey the whole Law being made under the Law Now the command of being under the Law is two wayes considered 1. As laid upon the Son of God so it is no command but a voluntary desire And so his consenting to take on our nature is a consenting to empty himself and to be under the Law but no act of obedience because he was under no commanding obligation to take on him ouâ— nature But 2. as it is laid upon him now God-Man and the Word made flesh he is under a necessity to give perfect obedience Heb. 10.5 Therefore coming into the world The Son being to enter into the world and to take on our nature speaketh to the Father thus Sacrifice and offerings thou desirest not as expiations to take away sin for they cannot expiate sin A body thou hast framed to me which is the only one sacrifice of the true Lamb of God which taketh away sin Joh. 1.29 and that once for all And there are not any sacrifices ever to come after Heb. 9.26 28. And perfect obedience with all the heart was tendered by Christ from a holy nature he being full of the Holy Ghost from his Mothers womb so as none could accuse him of sin Heb. 4.15 Heb. 7.26 Joh. 8.46 and this obedience had influence in Christs obedience To the 2. to wit to that proper and peculiar command of suretyship that never man was under but only Christ. Joh. 10.18 This Commandement to lay down my life for sinners received I and I only from my Father Psal. 40.6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire mine ears thou hast opened 8. I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart Now thus we are not either wayes under the commands of the Covenant of Grace Who in heaven and earth but Christ could have come under baile and an act of suretyship for us 2. There were promises of an higher nature made to Christ in his Covenant then are made to us in our Covenant of reconciliation to wit dominion from sea to sea A Throne at the right hand of God is not made to Angels Heb. 1.8 13. nor to us nor is there remission and pardon promised to him as to us of this hereafter 3. The
be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead That was a judiciall declaration Acts 2.24 Having loosed the pains of death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a King by authority and judicially looses a prisoner from his fetters having no more to say against him Psa. 105.20 The King sent and loosed him Isa. 50.8 He is near that justifies me who is he that contends with me in judgement Rom. 6.9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more death shall no more have Lordship or Lordly dominion over him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the word Luk. 22.25 The Kings of the Gentiles bear dominion over them Rom. 14.9 Death had some Kingly dominion in Justice and by Law over him But Christ by Law of satisfactory payment who was also the mighty Son of God wrought himself out of the grips and fetters of death So in Christ death hath lost Law-dominion over the beleever It is against Justice and the just Covenant between Jehovah and Christ that we should be for ever among the worms and not at length be loosed from the sting and victory of the grace O death thou shalt thou must let the captives go free 1 Cor. 15.55 Hos. 13. the prison must be a free Jayle when iron gates and fetters are broken We have in Christ a good cause the cause and action of Law is win and carried on our favours 2. There is a promise of heavenly influences made to Christ Isa. 50.4 He wakeneth morning by morning he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned 5. The Lord hath opened mine ear and I was not rebellious Some great Divines say Christ had no sleepy nor closed ear he must there speak of Isaiah But so there was no sinfull drynesse in Christ Was He not therefore anointed Isa. 42.1 I will put my Spirit upon him Then all influences are promised also Isa. 11.2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him 3. And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord and he shal not judge after the sight of his eyes c. 2. Christ was assured he could not sin and so of influences to duties Joh. 5.30 Joh. 8.26 27 38 50 55. Joh. 10.38 though he wanted influences at a time as touching consolation and the felt fruition of God being forsaken for a time Psal. 22.1 Luk. 22.44 Math 27.45 But Adam as he was not to beleeve perseverance nor yet sinfully to fear falling so neither was he to beleeve influences to all acts of obedience they not being promised to him Yet was not Adam to beleeve his own reprobation for it was neither true nor a revealed truth Then the only nearest way against deadnesse and drynesse is to have recourse to the fountain and fulnesse of life that is in Christ. Literall quickning of our selves miskenning Christ out of whose fulnesse we receive produceth but literall fardinesse 3. The speciall and cardinall promise I will be his God Psal. 89.26 and he shall cry to me Thou art my Father my God and the rock of my salvation is bound up with Christ in the Covenant of Suretyship and is the key and corner stone of the frame and building of the Covenant of Grace Joh. 20.17 Go to my Brethren saith Christ to Magdalen and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and to your Father and to my God and your God It s comfortable talking that Christ saith to us I and you Beleevers are the Children of the same Father and have one Covenant-relation to one God though as is said Christ bear the relation of a Surety-Covenant to God and we of a Covenant of Mediation and notwithstanding of the differences yet it may be said that Christ and Beleevers are in one writ and one letter of acquittance dischargeth both from condemnation Christ from condemnation of punishment us from condemnation of inherent guiltinesse and punishment Blessed we to be unite to him every way and to joine our Amen and consent to the Covenant yea and in regard of profession we should subâ—cribe and write our names to it Isa. 44.1 2 3. Our maimed and broken and half consent proclaims an overly and cold Covenanting It s true parties are but once married once Covenanting by oath is as good as twenty but frequent and multiplied acts of marriage-love adde a great deal of firmnesse and of strength to the Marriage band they are confirmations of our first subscription Renewed acts of faith to take Christ for Jesus and Redeemer and renewed acts of love do more and more ingadge the heart to Christ as Lord and King Little conversing with Christ deadens marriage-love Rare visits and thin bring on worn out acquaintance We are apt to complain he visits us seldome that is because we have not the childish hire of consolation and feeling we refuse to work and yet we should look at comfort for the duty and not on the duty for the comfort when it s a duty to our Father And who looks upon the comfort both as a comfort and a duty 1 Thes. 4.18 Comfort one another with these words and so must they comfort themselves Comfort is mainly for beleeving Colos. 2.2 Heb. 6.18 and there is a feast and a fill of joy in beleeving Rom. 15.13 We seek but a comfort and a joy of chearing and solacing our selves and that is all 4. There is promised to Christ a seed Isa. 53.10 When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed Heb. 2.13 Behold I and the children that God hath given me Jacob by Covenant served for Rachel Christ also served suffered and died of love for his Spouse Eph. 5.25 26. Isa. 53. he shall be satisfied A Redeemed seed was his end and we endure hard labour for a desired end and we are sick till we get the great end we aim at It s true the honour of God was the speciall end Joh. 12.28 c. 17.1 yet it was heart satisfaction to Christ to have all his off-spring and children with him Joh. 17.24 How should Christ not be our end See if ye do all and suffer all to fetch this shoar Phil. 3.8 9. Examine comparative ends by-ends self ends It s impossible a man can be ignorant of his last and main end so strong an impulsion it hath upon his heart 5. There 's not onely a seed but a rich conquest the heathen promised and the ends of the earth Psal. 2.8 9. Dominion from sea to sea Zech. 9.10 Psal. 72.8 Dan. 7.14 and both this and the former satisfies Christ. There is not a sight so desirable to the eye of Christ as to see all his Redeemed ones conquering and last in the fields and fairly landed on the shoar passed Gun-shot and reach of all temptations We satisfy our unbeleeving hearts too much Ah! who can stand temptations are so strong But as JEHOVAH fully satisfies Christs soul his hope his aim and intended
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
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
promises to the Reprobate though in teaâ—ms Evangelick yet are Law to them if Cain do well he shall be saved if Judas beleeve he shall be saved because God by Grace fulfills not the promise in them Obj. 1. Then shall Gospel-obedience be of lesse worth then Law-obedience which floweth not from Grace which Christ hath merited by his death Ans. It s not denyed but it is obedience so the Scripture Heb. 5.9 Rom. 1.5 Rom. 6.17 Rom. 16.19 2 Cor. 10.5 1 Pet. 1 5. Act. 6.9 Act. 5.32 37. But 2. It hath lesse of the nature of obedience but more excellency Who would say Peter labouring in the Vineyard of John for wages does properly obey if we suppon that Peter hath from John not only soul will body arms and legs but the inward infused principle of willingnesse the habite and art of dressing Vines the nearest propension and determination of will to work so have we in the Gospel but in the Law though the Lord who gives being does also give his Image to Adam and his influence to obey yet the Image of God is concreated and Adams own grace especially merited by Christ is supervenient and a meer stranger to us and the influence though it did predetermine Adams will yet it is connaturall as it were naturae debita not merited by Christs death and so we give more of our own when we give the fruit of Creation which God hath bestowed on the Pismire and the Worm then when we give the obedience of Grace 2. The obedience of Adam though rationall and perswasive there being a lamp of light in the mind yet came from the feared authority of the Law-giver under the pain of damnation the Gospel-obedience is by the word Act. 2.37 is by way of perswasion Christ saith not Peter thou art afraid of hell feed my Lambs but Peter loves thou me feed my Lambs For a Law-obeyer is not to beleeve life eternall but in so far as he shall keep the Law perfectly the Gospel obeyer so obeyes as he beleeves deliverance from wrath and life eternall but his beleeving is not reckoned to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Law-debt but of love and Grace-debt See Rom. 4.4 Matth. 6.12 these promises 1 Tim. 4.8 Luk. 12.31 Matth. 19.29 are exponed by the promises made to the overcomer Rev. 2. Rev. 3. which is by faith 1 Joh. 5.4 5. 3. But it is most true Gospel-obedience hath these excellencies 1. It is a plant of a more noble Vine coming from the merit of blood yet is not our obedience comparable to Christs for a work of Law or Gospel Grace hath a necessary reference to no wages of its own nature but only by the interveening of the free pleasure of God But Christs obedience intrinsecally from the excellent dignity of the person hath a meriting vertue 2. It works more eminently then nature It is a pillar to support sowning nature and acts in more excellent subjects in CHRIST in the Elect Angels in the Redeemed ones and makes them stones of another nature and this is the handie-work of CHRIST Isai. 54.11 I will lay thy stones with fair colours and lay thy foundations with Saphires v. 12. I will make thy windows of Agats and thy gates of Carbuncles and all thy borders of pleasant stones What do morall men that work on clay and make clay pots all their life and know nothing of the actings of saving Grace Fairest civility is but roustie iron the basest of Mettals and they sweat and hammer upon Law-works being strangers to Christ and his gold O! what a difference between praying and hearing out of discretion and by necessity of the office and praying in the Holy Ghost and hearing in faith CHAP. XXIII Q. VVHat sort of doing the Law requireth The Scripture is clear that consumate and continued in doing to the end is required by the Law Paul interpreting Moses Deut. 26.27 Gal. 3.10 Cursed be every one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who continueth not in all that are written in the Law to do them Deut. 26.27 Cursed is he who shall not confirm It is a word they use in inacting of Laws when we say Be it statuted and ordained the word in Piel is three times in the Book of Esther to ordain by a Law Which clearly saith that the Covenant of Works was a work of justice and such a time God set to Adam so as to the end he was to run it out but how long he was a viator or traveller in his course of obedience no man knows CHAP. XXIII Whether faith as lively and true or faith as continuing to the end be the condition of the Covenant of Grace THese who in all points as in this make this new Covenant a Covenant of Works contend that faith as enduring to the end must be the condition of the new Covenant 1. Because the promise of the reward 2. The reward is given to him that endures to the end And this faith say they is the adequat and compleat-condition of the Covenant of Grace as full and consumate obedience to the end in degrees and parts 2. But faith as lively and sincere is the condition of the Covenant the nature and essence of this faith is to continue to the end but continuance to the end is an accident all condition of this onely essentiall condition of the Covenant faith quae which endures to the end but not quâ aut quatenus as it endures to the end is that which saves us and justifies us as the condition of the Covenant 1. Faith as lively units us to Christ and justifies whether it be come to the full perfection or not Otherwise 1. no man should be ingrafted in Christ as brâ—nches in the Vine Tree no man partakers of the Divine nature no man quickened but he that dies in finall beleeving Whereâ—s Joh. 5.24 he that beleeveth before his finall continuâ—nce to the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath passed from death to life and shall never come to condemnation And in this is the difference of the condition of the Covenant of Works that Adam had no right to life by one or two the most sincere acts and highest in measure except he continue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Law saith Deut. 26.27 Gal. 3.10 to the end otherwise at the first act of obedience perfect in degrees and parts God behoved by Covenant except the Lord should break the first Covenant himself before man sin which is blasphemous to have given him confirming grace and the reward of life but the condition of the Covenant of Grace is that He that beleeves Joh. 3.36 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not condemned yea is freed from all condemnation Rom. 8.1 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath life being really unâ—ted as the member to the head as the branch to the tree mystically as the wife to the husband legally as the debter and the surety becomes one person in Law the summe one
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
cast out 2. It is to question the perseverance of the Saints to say that God shall not confirm them into the day of the Lord as he promiseth 1 Cor. 1.8 Phil. 1.6 1 Pet. 1.4 5. 3. Our daily doubtings of unbeleef will not prove that we so break the Covenant as our fails and daily slips of unbeleef should render the Covenant void and null so as it should leave off to be an everlasting Covenant for such failings are indeed sins against the love of the Redeemer and Surety of the Covenant for his love should constrain us to beleeve at all times and to hope to the end Nor does the eternity of the Covenant depend upon our beleeving but upon his grace who gives us to beleeve but it s otherwayes in the Covenant of Works D. Crispe pag. 162. in Jer. 31. Ezek. 36. Heb. 8. and other passages where the Tenor of the Covenant is contained there is no word of a tie pag. 163 164. there is not one word that God saith to man thou must do this But God takes all upon himself and saith he will do this Yea if faith were the condition of the Covenant the fault of the broken Covenant should be his who works not faith in us Ans. Here is the mistake of many who imagine that Jer. 31. Ezek. 36. Heb. 8. the Holy Ghost setteth down the whole intire summe and tenor of the new Covenant which he doth not For 1. he speaketh nothing of the whole parties of the Preached Covenant which is all within the Visible Church these he speaks of here are only beleevers in whom he works a new heart 2. He speaks nothing of Covenant Commandements nothing of Covenant duties directly 3. Nothing of the condition required of us 2. He speaks not of the Covenant under the reduplication as Preached or as a treatie offered to elect and reprobate as Math. 2â— 31 32. Luk. 1.72 Act. 2.39 and as every where holden out as a visiâ—le Covenant made with Abraham and his seed in both Old and New Testament according to the approving will of God But he speaks only of the fulfilling of some speciall promises of the Covenant heart teaching and the efficacy of the Covenant 2. Only upon the elect who shall persevere to the end Jer. 31.35 Jer. 32.40 Isa. 59.20 21. 3. Only according to the Lords decree and will of pleasure not what we ought to do but what the Lord by his powerfull grace will do in us As 1. I will ingrave my Law in their heart 2. I will be their God 3. They shall be my people to wit effectually as gifted with a new heart and such as shall never be casten off but shall persevere to the end v. 35 36 37. Jer. 32.40 otherwise by externall calling all the carnall and stiffe-hearted Jews were his people in Covenant Isai. 1.3 Isa. 5.25 Ps. 81.8 Ps. 50.7 Deut. 7.7 as is in every page almost of the Old Testament 4. They shall be taught of God 31 34. 5. I will forgive their iniquitie v. 34. 6. I will give them perseverance and never cast them off v. 35 36 37. so that the Covenant is a metonymie This is my Covenant that I will make with them that is these are effects fruits and blessings of the Covenant which I shall by my effectuall and mighty grace work in them 4. The Apostle to the Hebrews hath no purpose to expone the Covenant of Grace made with Abraham that Covenant saith he they break Yea it is contrair to the scope of the Apostle to set down the Doctrine of the Covenant of Grace He purposes in the Epistle to the Hebrews to exalt Christ above the Angels ch 1 above Moses ch 3. above all the Priests the High Priest and above all the Sacrifices Bullocks Lambs Goats c. he through the eternall Spirit once offered himself to God And ch 8. he proves Christ to be a more excellent High Priest a Minister of a more excellent Tabernacle and a more excellent Ministry Because he is Mediator of a better Covenant he is a days-man who layes his hands upon both parties at variance both upon God and man to bring them together See Job 9.32 33. that is a Mediatour of a Covenant So that here he saith Christ is ingadged to the Father in a more spirituall and heavenly Covenant None could ingrave the Law of God in the heart but Christ one might say was not the Law ingraven in the heart of some and their sins pardoned Were not Moses Aaron and many of the people of God sanctified pardoned and justified according to that Covenant Ans. They were justified and sanctified but not by the letter of the Covenant of Grace nor by sacrifices shadows conditionall promises threattens but by Christ I the Lord Redeemer will write my Law in their heart c. It is then contrair to the Apostles scope Heb. 8. to enter the discourse of the Doctrine of the literall Law-Covenant or the conditionall Covenant of Grace it strongly concludes his point to speak but of the half though the choisest half of the Covenant as fulfilled in the elect and that exalts Christ and his Ministry that he hath a Ministry upon the heart Now it is a shame to lay the blame of our not beleeving on Christ be it a condition of the Covenant or be it none Christ works all our works in us and by this reason it must he his fault hallowed be his Name that we sin at all because he works not in us contrair acts of obedience But to whom is the Soveraign Lord debter And therefore this Antinomian way must be refused CHAP. XI Of the promises made to Christ in the Covenant of Mediation not to Christ-God but to Christ God and Man the Mediator and these of twelve sorts TO Christ-God promises of reward cannot be made nor can Christ-God suffer but they are made to the Person God-Man for the incouraging of the Man Christ and he incourages himself therewith Isa. 50.7 8. Christ-Man lived the life of faith by depending upon God for the joy set before him and therefore did run Heb. 1â— our life should be sweeter should we fetch all our comforts and actings from his influences by the faith of daily dependency Faith here promises to it self good Isa. 26.12 Is. 30.31 Ps. 118.10 11. Ps. 16.9 10 11. If the kinds of promises made to Christ be asked for Then 1. no such promise as remission of sin can be made to him but a twofold Justification must be promised to him A Law-Justification this do and live For the promise was made to the first Adam to wit that he should be justified and live if he give consumate and perfect obedience to the Law now this Christ did in al things 2. There is a Justification of Christ from the band of suretyship he having compleatly satisfied for our debts this was due to him and promised 1 Tim. 3.16 Justified in the Spirit Rom. 1.4 Declared to