hear you But that is not all I beseech you to hear it and tremble The Lord at that day will not only neglect a man that hath neglected him but he will also rejoyce at his destruction and laugh when his fear cometh Mark what the Text saith and remember it for ever Prov. 1.24 Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded but yee have set at naught all my counsell and would none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh What a fearfull thing is this that the God of heaven the God of mercy should solace himself in the ruine of all such rebellious wretches as would not hear and imbrace his blessed truth when he delivered and manifested it to them When Christ shall say This is that drunkard that will not part with his cup for all my perswasions and intreaties This is that adulterer that would not part with his lust notwithstanding all my calling upon him and reproving of him Here is a man that loved his ease his pleasure his comforts his worldly contentments more then me Here stands he that hearkned to the advice of his carnall friends and wicked companions and set at nought all my counsels and admonitions Oh my brethren then shall the just judgement of God sink these down to the everlasting pit where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth for ever I say no more but I beseech you hear me now that God may hear you at that day You will have need of a Saviour and of mercy then The soul longs for nothing in the day of death but pitty and pardon O make Christ your friend now hear him now obey him now receive him now that it may go well with you for ever If now the command of God cannot carry you nor these Arguments which I have used draw you to yeeld obedience to this truth yet remember that passage Deut. 5.27 29. with which I will conclude and me thinks if you have any good nature in you it should work much upon you When the people of Israel had said unto Moses after they had heard God speak unto them out of the midst of the thunder and lightning Go thou neer and hear all that the Lord our God shall say and speak thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee and we will hear it and doe it The Lord saith the Text heard the voice of their words the Lord said I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken unto thee they have well said all that they have spoken Oh that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my Commandements alwaies that it might be well with them for ever Mark my brethren it is the Lords own request that there may be an heart in you to hear and obey that so yee may live for ever Oh therefore if a man cannot prevail with you yet let the Lord Jesus Christ beg so much of you You may think it strange that the Lord should desire this at your hands but it is true he desireth it heartily and he will be exceedingly pleased if you satisfie his desire Well now seeing it is the great request that the Lord by me hath made unto you ask your own souls commune with your own hearts and tell me what answer I shall return to the Lord Shall I say you will not hear My brethren it is a grievous and tedious thing for a poor Minister to give up such an answer unto God I would not willingly have this answer from you therefore I beseech you answer again Tell me what shall I say Speak comfortably as they did Whatsoever the Lord our God shall say that will we hear and doe If so then let me conclude with the answer of God O that there were such a heart in you and that you would fear the Lord and keep his Commandements that it might be well with you for ever FINIS THE ACTIVITIE OF FAITH OR ABRAHAM'S IMITATORS By that Reverend Divine THOMAS HOOKER Late Preacher in New England JAM 2.17 Even so faith if it hath not works is dead being alone LONDON Printed by G. D. for Francis Eglesfield and are to be sold at the Sign of the Marigold in Pauls Church-yard 1651. The Activity of Faith OR Abraham's Imitators SERMON V. ROM 4.12 And the Father of Circumcision to them who are not of circumcision onely but also walk in the steps of that Faith of our father Abraham which he had being yet uncircumcised THe blessed Apostle Saint Paul from the 20. verse of the former Chapter to the end disputeth that great question of justification by the free grace of God and after many Arguments alledged to prove that it is by grace and not by works he concludeth in the 28. verse Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by Faith with the works of the Law Having dispatched this and setled his assertion by strength of argument in this fourth Chapter wherein my Text is he laboureth to make the truth yet more clearer and evident by way of example and to the end he setteth it forth in the lively colour of that faith of Abraham giving us an instance of this truth in the example of him who was the father of the faithfull a father not by naturall generation but by imitation the Lord having appointed him to be the coppy to all the Beleevers of succeeding ages that as he beleeved and by faith was saved so they that doe expect to receive salvation must walk in that way if they purpose to partake of that end Now touching this example of Abraham that I may not be long before I come to that which is the principall point I intend to deliver at this time the Apostle doth two things first he layeth down the pattern it selfe clearly both in Gods vouchsafing justification to Abraham and also in Gods sealing this by the seale of circumcision and this he doth in the 11. verse And as he hath propounded it thus both in Gods gift and in Gods sealing thereof so in the words of the Text he maketh an application of both applying it to all Abrahams children that shall live to the end of the world whether Jewes or Gentiles and in effect it is as if he had said thus Abraham when he was uncircumcised did beleeve and so was justified therefore they that are uncircumcised may beleeve and be also justified Abraham when he did beleeve was circumcised and that hindered not so those that are circumcised may beleeve and be justified that is the Jewes and the Gentiles have both liberty to come into the Covenant of grace and so also to be happy by that Covenant as Abraham was In the words therefore you have an application of the former patterne to the particular use of every faithfull servant of God that look what good Abraham
as they are under age are put to Tutors and Governours and doe not enjoy so noble a manner of conversation as they enjoy after they come to Age so the Lord served the Church while the Church was in infancie till the coming of Christ she was under the Schoolmaster of the Law of Shadowes and Types and of those Shadows and Types whereby she was nurtured and fitted up in a meaner and lower manner then shee is now being of age But now since the comming of Christ the Church is come of Age and therefore now God doth reveal himself in a more excellent manner than before Why should God thus while his Church was under age keep it under Tutors and Governours The reason was this That he might prepare the Church to receive the Doctrine of Christ and the Gospel for the nature of man is so exceeding opposite to the doctrine of Christ and the Gospel that if it had not been long framed by the tutoring of many hundred yeers by the Law it had never been convinced of the necessitie of salvation by Christ and the Gospel All these things you have laid down to us in Gal. 3. from Verse 19. to the 5th Verse of the fourth Chapter wherin the Apostle openeth these things to us at large Thus briefly you have seen this Point also opened to us That all the favour and priviledges that the people of God enjoy it is all by grace that is by Christ and by his Gospel I will onely make a Use or two of this point in a few words and so passe it over First this Doctrine serveth to check their unthankfulness that doe enjoy the Gospel and are not abundant in thanksgiving to God for it Whatsoever thou hast whatsoever boldness toward God whatever access into his presence whatever hope of pardon whatever victorie over corruption whatever change of nature whatsoever thou hast that bringeth thee or furthereth thee in grace and favour with God all is by Christ and the Gospel Whence is it then that thou art so unmindfull of Christ and so unthankfull for Christ and the Gospel There are three unthankfulnesses and unmindfulnesses which the Scripture marks The first is that of the chief Butlers forgetting the kindness of Joseph The other is that of the King of Egypts forgetting also the kindness of Joseph And the last is that of Joash his forgetting the kindness of Jehojada the high Priest These are branded for their unmindfulness of the great favours they had received But all these put together are not so deeply to be charged with the guilt of unthankfulness and unmindfulness as we are that live under the Gospel and enjoy such great favours by Christ and the Gospel and yet are no more thankfull for them than we are The other Use shall be for an Exhortation to provoke you above all things to prize Christ and the Gospel as you prize life libertie pardon of sin favour of God salvation of souls so prize Christ and the Gospel for by them you have all these Even our outward priviledges my brethren come by the Gospel the Gospel of peace hath brought a great deal of peace to this Land temporall honour prosperitie renown and plenty hath come to us by the Gospel But those things that above all are prize-worthy are the favour of God the peace of conscience the victorie over corruptions c. These things they are all brought to us by Christ and the Gospel Therefore let us prize these above our lives or liberties Great cause have we of this age to fear that Christ and his Gospel are departing from us we cannot but see that there are those things among us that usually cause Christ to depart we have a great deal of intemperancie a world of prophanesse and impietie c. These things are usually fore-runners of Christs going away and carrying his Gospel from a Nation Let us therefore more fear the losse of these then the losse of our own lives We may lose our lives and yet keep the favour of God we may lose our lives and yet injoy all the Priviledges of the people of God but if Christ and the Gospel be taken away so many of us as have not made a sure part for our selves in Christ and in the Gospel we lose all favour with God and all the priviledges of the new Covenant Therefore let us bestir our selves within the bounds of our callings to the uttermost of our abilities both by praying and every way that God hath appointed more then for our lives to preserve among us Christ and the Gospel Thus much briefly for those generall Observations that lay in our way which I could not well passe over without a short touch I come now to the particular words themselves You are not under the Law but under Grace The Doctrine to passe by other things that the words particularly afford us it is thus much That All they that are in Christ they are not under the Law but under Grace Saith the Apostle You are not under the Law but under Grace who are they In the beginning of this Chapter the third Verse Know you not saith he that so many of us as were baptized into Christ were baptized into his death These are the persons of whom the Apostle speaks You are not under the Law but under Grace You that are baptized into Christ you that are joyned unto Christ you that are one with Christ you are not under the Law but under grace The Doctrine you see is the very expresse words of the Text and it is so clear and evident that I suppose I shall not need to spend time to prove it For the opening of it I will first shew you what is meant by the Law what is meant by being under the Law and then what is meant by grace and by being under grace and so make some brief Uses and conclude First What is meant by the Law By the Law is meant that same perfect rule of obedience which God hath prescribed man by the works thereof to attain life everlasting This Law is that of which Moses was the Mediator when it was delivered to man after his fall therefore it is called the Law of Moses This Law is that which is called the old Covenant because it was made with us before the fall with Adam in Paradise This Law is that which is called the Covenant of works because it promiseth salvation onely on the condition of works This is meant by the Law What is meant by being under the Law I answer by being under the Law is meant a full subjection to the Law in all its properties and in all its qualities Now there are four properties of the Law two of them are direct and two of them are accidentall and occasioned to the Law by our sins There are two properties of the Law that are direct The first is this that it accepteth of nothing but perfect obedience it pardoneth no failings no imperfections This
he was a spirit and not flesh he neither had bloud nor bones nor any body at all but yet for beleevers did Christ dispose of himself so that he might become a man he that was God the second Person in Trinitie the maker of all flesh he did so order it that he gave up himself to Incarnation to become a man This is that you have excellently exprest in Phil. 2. 6 7. Who being in the form of God thought it not robberie to be equall with God that is who was God Gods equall one and the same with God therefore equall with God in majestie in power in glory in all perfection Well though he was God yet he made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likenesse of men Here was the first thing Christ gave himself to he gave himself to become flesh to become a man and all this for beleevers This was a great act for the Creator to become a creature for him that was eternall invisible immortall incorporeall spirituall for him to be of the seed of man that was mortall that was corporeall that was visible and had some proportion with the nature of beasts Nay not only did the Lord Christ give himself to be a man but he gave himself for beleevers to be of the lowest ranke of men therefore the Text saith he tooke upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men There are two things in those words First he was made in the likeness of men the meaning is not that he was like a man and no man as some heretiques would have grounded upon this Text for the Scripture plainly enough sheweth that Christ was a man but by the likeness of men here is meant a likeness to them in all infirmities sin only excepted hee was not only of the nature of man but he gave himself to be like men in this frail and infirm condition wherein they are so that he was subject to the like infirmities that men were only without all sin that is meant by the likenesse of men Christ he might have been a man and have lived without weariness without faintness without hunger and thirst he might have lived without meat and drinke without sleep and rest as he doth now in heaven where he is a man but Christ as he gave himself to be a man for beleevers so he gave himself to be like men in all sinlesse infirmities for beleevers Thus he abased himself below man below man as mans nature was in innociencie below that which was the nature of men he even gave himself to the meanest infirmities of men without sin Another thing in these words is In the form of a servant he did not only give himself to be a man and to be subject as men are to all sinlesse infirmities but he gave himself to be in the lowest ranke of men even to be a servant amongst men He took upon him the form of a servant The Lord Christ might have been in the likeness of men a man subject to all humane infirmities without sin and yet been a great man a Commander a Governour a man of place But for beleevers Christ gave himself to be of the lowest ranke of men to be a servant the Son of man came not to be ministred to but to minister Here is the First thing to which Christ gave himself for beleevers even to become a man subject to all sinlesse infirmities to become of the meanest ranke of men even a servant amongst men 2. The Second thing to which Christ gave himself for beleevers whereto he disposed himself that he might be their ransome it is to the obedience of this Law to the fulfilling of all righteousness This is that which the Scripture plentifully expresseth you may take one place for all Matth. 3.13 14 15. Christ there cometh to John to be baptized of him Baptism was an Ordinance of God appointed to men by the Law of God Christ hee cometh and putteth himself under the obedience of this Law in this particular John knowing what Christ was that he was God he refuseth to baptize him he knew Christ had no need to obey the Law in this or any other particular the Law was but the counterpain of that righteousness which is in the nature of Christ as he is God therefore what need he come to put himself under the Law that was above the Law of whose holinesse and righteousnesse the Law was but a Coppie Now what is our Saviours Answer Jesus said unto him Suffer it to be so for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousnesse As if he should have said John indeed I know it is true if you look upon strict terms there is no need I should obey the Law yet notwithstanding though I need not Let it be so for it becommeth me to fulfill all righteousnesse I have given up my self to this work to fulfill the Law for them that to the worlds end shall beleeve in me Here then is the second thing Christ gave himself to the obedience of the Law to the working of all righteousnesse therefore it is that he is often described in the Scripture to be that just one that holy one of God one in whose mouth there is no guil all which are but expressions of his obedience to the Law This Christ did in both his Natures not onely as he was man but even as he was God for in all the actions of Christ you must not separate the Deitie from the Humanitie I pray observe it there is no action of Christ would be of efficacie and vertue sufficient for beleevers if it were separated from the concurrence of the Deitie Therefore Christ as he was the second person in the Trinitie did give up himself to the obedience of the Law thereupon is that that it is called the righteousnesse of God Rom. 3.21 But now saith the Text the righteousnesse of God without the Law is manifested by the Law What is meant by the righteousnesse of God There is nothing meant but the obedience of Christ to the Law Christ his perfect obedience to the Law is the righteousness of God Why is it called the righteousnesse of God not only because God found it out but because God wrought it this white linnen garment of Christs righteousnesse it is woven by no other then by God himself it was the second Person in Trinitie that wrought this righteousnesse therefore it is called the righteousnesse of God Not that the second Person in Trinitie in himself obeyeth the Law of God for that is impossible but it is said to be the righteousnesse of God and so that God did obey the Law because the second Person in Trinitie did fulfill all righteousnesse and obey the Law that nature which was the nature of the second Person wherein the second Person in Trinitie did subsist that nature I say obeying the Law the second Person may
discouragement which of all others is the greatest hinderer of our endeavours after holinesse and might happily dis-hearten these Romans from yeelding obedience to this exhortation for they might think with themselves that it was impossible for them to keep sin from reigning in them and therefore it was in vain for them to indeavour to doe what he had exhorted them unto To prevent this discouragement the Apostle in this Verse that I have read unto you annexeth a promise to that his Exhortation and in the name of God asâ—ureth them that they shall attain to that which he had commanded them to labour for He had exhorted them that they should not let sin reign in them and here he promiseth that sin shall not reign over them Before I come to speak of the words as they stand alone by themselves let me observe one thing briefly from the coherence of them with the words going before and that shall be onely this That God commandeth his children to doe nothing but he promiseth to make them able to perform it Whatsoever God hath bid his people doe he hath promised that his people shall doe it It is a Point clear and evident from the Text the Lord here commandeth them that they should not let sin reign in them and here he also promiseth that sin shall not reign over them It is as evident in other places of Scripture I might give you divers instances thereof but that I onely purpose to touch this Point and no more because you see I gather it from the Coherence yet I will name you one or two for the fuller clearing thereof God commandeth his people to fear his name as you have it often in the Scripture and in Jer. 32.39 he promiseth to give them a heart to fear him I will give them saith he there one heart that they may fear me for ever for the good of them and their children after them The Lord commandeth his people to love him to set their hearts upon him My son give me thy heart as you have it in the Proverbs And the Lord promiseth that he will make them set their hearts upon him Hosea 2.14 I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness and speak comfortably to her the word is I will speak to her heart as it is in some of the Margents of your Bibles It is a metaphor alluding to the manner of a man that having a desire to have the conjugall affection of such a maid doth so set himself to allure her and draw her as to bring her heart for to love him so faith the Lord as I have commanded my people to give me their heart I will allure them and speak to their heart so as I will make them set their hearts upon me I need not give you any further instances you see the point is cleare and directly issueth from the coherence of the Text with the foregoing words and by these places and the like you may see the truth of the Doctrine viz. Gods gracious manner of dealing with his Children that he pmiseth to make them able to doe whatsoever it is that he commandeth them to doe And this my brethren is the difference between the Covenant of workes and of grace between the Law and the Gospel In the Law which is the Covenant of workes the Lord commandeth many things but promiseth to helpe them in nothing In the Covenant of grace which is the Gospel the Lord commandeth nothing but he promiseth to make them able to doe it If you aske me the ground or reason of Gods dealing thus with his Children I answer there is a double reason of it The first is Because it is Gods purpose that his children shall obey in some measure all his Commandements It is the purpose of God he hath decreed it from all eternity that his people shall obey his Law not perfectly for that they have done onely in Christ their Head their Husband their Undertaker not legally for that is impossible considering their infirmities but evangelically in uprightnesse though not in perfection In truth though not in measure and degree This the Lord hath decreed from all eternity that his people shall keep his Commandements as you see it promised in Ezek. 36.17 They shall walk in my statutes and keepe my judgements and doe them Now Gods promises they are nothing else but the expression of his eternall purpose to his children so that whatsoever God hath promised to his children that he hath from all eternity purposed to his children God therefore having purposed this that his children shall keep his Commandements in an Evangelicall manner he must make them able to doe it for except God helpe them to performe what he requireth it is not in their power to doe it In regard of obedience to Gods Commandements Gods children are as the world was before it was made when it was nothing there was no power in the world to have a Sunne or Moone to have a Sea or Firmament to have men or beasts because the world was nothing So there is no power in Gods children to obey any Commandement for in regard of obedience to God they are as nothing they are dead in trespasses and sinnes therefore they are said to be created of God unto good workes implying that before they were nothing If therefore God will have it done God must give them a power to doe it Indeed it is true they ought to doe it though they cannot for they had a power once in Adam therefore God may justly require it of them yet they cannot doe it for they are nothing Here is then the first Reason why God hath promised to enable him to doe all that he hath commanded because he hath purposed and resolved that they shall obey him and without his ability they cannot obey him for they are dead in sinnes and trespasses The second Reason is Because God hath for divers wise ends decreed that all the obedience of his children shall come from Christ and by Faith This is expresse in the Scripture to the end that no man might glory in himselfe but that all glorying might be in Christ God hath decreed this that no obedience shall be wrought by any that is acceptable but what shall come from Christ by Faith Now if it come from Christ by Faith then it must come by a promise for there is nothing the object of faith but a promise and a divine promise To the end therefore they may have a promise God hath promised to enable them to all he commandeth that so they by faith resting upon this promise they might come to this obedience by faith and so may have nothing to glory in themselves Here are the two Reasons of the point And so you see the observation cleare that God commandeth his people nothing but he promiseth to make them able to performe it There is onely this caution to be added that howsoever God promiseth to enable his people
to keep sinne from reigning over thee thou shalt be sure to have the victory in the end fall on thy side Thus much for the first part of the verse the promise that the Apostle makes to the people of God Sinne shall not have dominion over you Let us now come as breifly as we can to the second part of the verse and that is the ground and reason of this promise For you are not under the Law but under Grace Give me leave in a word to observe something in the generall before we come to the words themselves The Apostle had exprest a great deale of sweet incouragement to these Beleevers in that he promiseth in the name of God that sinne should not have dominion over them the ground and reason of all this is because they were not under the Law but under Grace This teacheth us thus much and I will note it in a word by the way That All the incouragement we have from God it is all of Grace It is not by workes for then it would come by the Law but it is by Grace that is of Gods free mercy of his free gift This is it that the Papists and the old Pelagians and divers other Heretiques will not give to God that all that we have for matter of incouragement is of Grace Again we may also observe another thing the ground of mercy which the Apostle here had exprest to the people of God he makes it come by Grace and not by the Law But how commeth this grace to them It commeth by Christ and by the Gospell The Lord Jesus Christ he is the meritorious cause of all this grace the Gospel that is the Revealer the Preacher of this grace the Instrument whereby God doth make known and communicate it to us In as much then as the Apostle makes the ground of all the mercy that beleevers have to be by grace and that grace commeth by Christ and the Gospel you may learn in the next place in the generall this instruction also That All the priviledges and mercies that we do enjoy they all come to us by Christ and by his Gospel So much is here included in the word Grace by Christ and by the Gospel come we to injoy all the favour and mercy from God that we doe injoy I will shew you a little in brief how that by Christ we come to injoy all the grace and favour we doe injoy See first that place in Rom. 5.18 19 20. there the Text plainly sheweth that as all our misery and all the displeasure of God came on us by one man that is by Adam so all the mercy and the favour of God with all the comforts and priviledges that we doe injoy they come to us by the second man that is by Jesus Christ you may read the place at your leasure you shall find it expresse in the Text. This is it also you shall see as plainly exprest in the first Verse of that Chapter Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also wee have access by faith into the grace wherein we stand Observe peace with God it cometh by Christ access to that grace with God wherein we stand is all by Jesus Christ And as it is thus for Christ so it is also for the Gospel whatsoever priviledges or favours from God we enjoy they are all through the Gospel 2 Thes 2.14 Whereunto he called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ All our glorie cometh by Christ all this glory of Christ is partaked of us through the Gospel And hence also is that in 2 Tim. 1.10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel Still you see the Gospel is made the means whereby we come to injoy those favours and priviledges from God that we doe injoy But you may object if so be all the grace and favour Gods people have had with God come by Christ and by his Gospel then how came they to enjoy it that lived before the coming of Christ and the preaching of the Gospel the Patriarchs and Fathers from Adam to Christ To this I answer that as they so many of them as were beleevers had the same grace and favour with God that we have so they also had the same Christ and the Gospel that we have Christ and the Gospel was as well made known to them as to us and by Christ and the Gospel they came to enjoy that grace with God which they had as well as we doe Hercupon it is that Christ professeth that Moses and the writings of the Prophets did bear witness of him as he speaks in Joh. 5.46 And the Apostle Saint Paul speaking of the unbeleeving Jewes layeth down the cause therof not to be a want of the revelation of Christ in the writings of Moses and the Prophets But saith he 2 Cor. 3.14 their minds were blinded for untill this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament and even unto this day when Moses is read the vail is upon their heart Christ and the Gospel are revealed in the Old Testament as well as in the New onely here is the difference there was a vail put over their minds that they could not see this Christ and this Gospel that was revealed in the Old Testament And therefore the same Apostle in 1 Cor. 10.3 professeth that the beleeving Jews of the Old Church did eat of the same spirituall meat and did all drinke the same spirituall drink For saith he they dranke of that spirituall rock that followed them and that rock was Christ They were partakers of the same Christ and of the same Gospel that we are The difference is onely this They that were before the coming of Christ they had the Law in a greater plentie and they had the Gospel in a greater scarcitie than we have They had more of the Law and lesse of the Gospel we have lesse of the Law and more of Christ and the Gospel They had not onely the Morall Law but the Judiciall Law and the Ceremoniall Law whereas we are delivered from the Judicial and Ceremoniall Law onely so far as there was in any of them a Morall Equitie And as they had more of the Law so they had lesse of the Gospel Christ indeed was preached to them but it was in Types and Figures but to us Christ is preached nakedly the Gospel indeed was revealed to them but very darkly very obscurely but now to us it is preached in an open and full manner But you will say what is the reason that God put this difference between the people of God before Christ and since I answer The Reason was this Because that before Christ the Church was in his infancie in his childhood therefore as great Heires so long