what acceptance it may have with God in such as are invincibly ignorant of the Gospel we are not concerned to inquire But to all them to whom this Gospel is sufficiently revealed the Christian Faith or Faith in Christ is absolutely necessary to render their works pleasing to God And that Faith is undoubtedly the principal◠condition of Justification and Salvation And although other conditions be required to Salvation yet they are subordinate to this Faith as the proper effects and verifications thereof whereby it becomes allowable to God So that the concurrence and efficacie that other Graces and all good Works have unto Salvation is by vertue of Faith from whence they proceed It is Faith in Christ the Saviour that gives us Vnion with him and his Church and that consequently gives the first right to that Salvation which is procured by him and is the onely priviledge of his Church But this Faith must he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Faith unfained which it cannot be unless it be joyned with repentance and worketh by love and so makes a man a new Creature Faith is the prime Article of the New Covenant And in congruity to the design of mans Redemption and Salvation by Christ the principal act of this Faith is to receive him as the Author of this Salvation and to depend upon him and the expiation that he hath made for us by his blood But because he is also propounded to us in the same Gospel as Christ the anoynted of the Lord as well for a Prophet and a King as a Priest and sent by his Father to declare the Minde and Will of God in his Precepts as well as to publish his Grace in the Promises and is invested with all power to rule and govern his people as well as to save them therefore are all Christians that expect to be saved by him equally obliged to receive him as Lord and Christ to observe and keep his Precepts as well as to trust upon his Promises And thus much is included in the notion of their Faith given unto him when they are baptised for his Disciples which is the solemn Rite of ingaging our Faith unto him For that Faith which is professed in our Baptism is undoubtedly the same with that by which we are justified and saved But the Faith which is professed in Baptism is not a bare trust in Christ as a Saviour but a Faith given unto him as our Lord and Master to become his faithful Disciples importing our defire to learn and stipulation to observe his Precepts And therefore as S. Paul saith we are saved by faith Eph. 2.8 So S. Peter saith Baptism doth also save us 1 Pet. 3.21 Interpreting his meaning in the following words Not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer or stipulation of a good conscience And to this purpose it is observable that when our Saviour gave commission to his Apostles to go and make Disciples of all Nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost he adds this as the interpretation of their discipleship teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Implying that their Profession to be his Disciples which is the import of their Baptisin doth signifie their ingagement to observe his Precepts and to live like Christians To believe in Christ is to be a Christian that is a Disciple if Christ which was the first Title of Believers Act. 11.26 But that Title of a Disciple of Christ without respect to his Precepts imports contradiction to believe in Christ therefore and not to observe his Commandments is a plain contradiction As therefore all Christians are obliged to an explicit faith in Christ which is the ground of their Title to that name s◠are they to do all manner of good Works upon the groun◠of this Faith with desire and confidence of pleasin◠God through Christ and not expecting any acceptan◠of their works otherwise than by and through Christ Col. 3.17 Whatsoever ye do in word or deed d◠all in the name of the Lord Jesus 1 Pet. 2.5 The Original of the first transgression by which th◠whole Race of Mankinde fell into a state that neede Salvation was unbelief Eve by the temptation of th◠Devil was first induced to quit her Faith in Go◠Word that had said The day thou eatest there of thou shalt surely dye the death This unbelief was that which made way for the sin of disobed◠ence to the Command For had she not doubted th◠truth of Gods Word she could never have been per◠swaded to taste of that forbidden Fruit. Thus w◠unbelief the prime cause of mans ruine and there◠fore the first step and principle of his restauration an◠Salvation is Faith And as unbelief of the threa◠ning by which the first Law was fortified was th◠cause of our destruction so the belief of the promi◠of the Gospel is the principle of our justification B◠believing the Serpent the Abaddon and Apollyo◠the destroyer we were undon by believing in Jesu◠the Saviour we are saved But as that unbelief became destructive by its effects as a practical infidelity producing disobedience to the Commandment So is our Faith effectual to Salvation then onely when it is sincerely practical reducing us to our duty of obedience to our merciful Saviour If that saying of the Father must stand for a Catholick Axiom bona opera sunt via ad regnum non causa regnandi I must have leave to interpret the latter Clause so as may import no contradiction to the first that is that good works are the way to the Kingdom not the Cause that is the principle or meritorious Cause of our raigning for a Cause they must needs be that is a moral Cause if they be the way that is the means of our raigning as that signifies not onely the Term or End of this way but the Reward of our walking in it When therefore S. Paul excludes works from justification I take it his onely scope is to secure the freedom and assert the necessity of Divine Grace purchased by Christ and promised by the New Covenant of the Gospel And when he saith a man is not justified by the works of the Law he sometimes means ceremonial works such as was that of Circumcision and the obedience to that whole Law which a man was made a debtor to keep by his Circumcision Gal. 5.3 otherwhiles by the righteousness of works he seems to understand perfect indefective obedience to the whole Law or Will of God upon which account it is impossible for a sinner as he concludes all men to be now Rom. 3.23 Gal. 3.22 to be justified because his being so imports a contradiction to such Works Besides it is observeable that S. Paul doth never say that a man can be saved without Works but that he is justified without them speaking generally of the first
justification or being put into a state of justification by the free pardon Rom. 4.8 2 Cor. 5.19 or not imputing of sinâ— past This Grace he affirms to be obtain'd by a sincere Faith in Christ not onely without respect to Works antecedent to this Faith buâ— also without and before any such works as are duly consequent unto it All those who were converted from Heathenism or Judaism unto the Faith of Christ were by that first act and profession of this Faith brought into a state of justification before and there fore without any such works as remained afterwarâ— to be done by the ingagement of this Faith But because this Faith if it was unfaigned did imply an ingagement of the Believer to all good works of love anâ— obedience to the commands of the Saviour the Lorâ— Jesus therefore this right of justification conferrâ—â— upon the condition of such an ingagement could nâ— be beld without works And consequently Salvation which is nothing else but the final conpletion of this justification unto life Rom. 5.18 〈◊〉 not attainable without them But stiâ— good works have their acceptance and validity unâ— the reward of Salvation by vertue of Faith in Chriâ— the onely Saviour and his Merits So that they 〈◊〉 concurr to Salvation onely as verifications of our since Faith in Christ It is this Faith that must be the plâ— of a sinner for his final justification at the last judgment but this plea can never be made good unless thâ— Faith be found free from any contradiction or 〈◊〉 faisance by the works of a mans life The two Apostles S. Paul and S. James will 〈◊〉 perfectly cleared from all reality of contradiction all or any of these three things shall be found true 1. That they speak not of the same Faith 2. Nor of the same Works 3. Nor of the same Justification 1. Not of the same Faith S. James speaking of an ineffectual dead faith not onely abstracted from works in its notion but being altogether without them Jam. 2.14 What doth it profit my brethren though a man say he hath faith and hath not Works And vers 17. Even so faith if it hath not works is dead being alone And vers 26. Whereas S. Paul speaks of a true and living Faith working by Love Gal. 5.6 such as was the Faith of Abraham that offerd up his onely Son Isaac at the command of God 2. Not of the same works S. James speaking of Evangelical works done in and with the Faith of the Messiah and in obedience to the Gospel Whilst S. Paul speaks of legal works or works of the Law as such Nor thirdly of the same justification S. Paul speaking of the first justification of a sinner upon his sincere believing in Christ before the confirmation of that faith by his works S. James understanding the continued state of justification as appears by his Example of Abraham vers 21. Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar Abraham was justified long before that work yet he is said to be justified thereby not before men but before God Any one of these differences in the Discourses of the two Apostles is sufficient to salve them from any reality of contradiction But the exact disquisition of those particulars not agreeing with the limits of my present undertaking must be left to them that are better able to pursue it It is more than time to relieve the patience of the Reader which shall be done witâ— the addition of this onely request that he will joyn witâ— the Author in his hearty Prayer to the Lord of Glory and the God of our Salvation for such a blessinâ— upon these Discourses as may render them at least iâ— some measure effectual to those blessed Ends tâ— which they are intitled ERRATA REader you are desired to take Notice That the words Part I in the running Titles upon the head of the pages in the latter part of the Book are wholly to be left out And in the first Discourse Page 16. line 9. read as is p. 25. l. 21. dele with p. 41. in the Margent r. je renie dieu maugré de dieu malgrádo de dÃo In the second Discourse Page 10. line 5. read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 36. l. 1. r. as is p. 46. l. 12. r. the work of conversion or repentance to begin in the understanding the ruling faculty c. p. 50. l. 10. r. supposition p. 57. l. 11. dele as p. 73. l. 16. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 91. l. 20. dele by it p. 108. l. 8. r. prevention THE Main Duty of a Christian 1 Cor. 10. 31. Whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God AS the highest Happiness of Man consists in the fruition of God and his favour So the highest Vertue and Perfection of man consists in his being intirely devoted to God by dedicating and Consecrating all that he is and all that he hath and all that he doth to the glory of God according to the precept of this Text which is the most transcendent Rule of Religion the prime fundamental Law of godliness properly so called In Moral and Civil Conversation between man and man that Common Rule of Equity and Charity is fundamental viz. that Eveny Man should do unto others as he would they should do to him In Politicks or publick Acts of Civil State and Government The safety of the People is the supream Law and all things are to be done to that end but in Religion the Canon of the Text is the only fundamental Whether ye eat or drink c. This general Rule is here brought in by the Apostle upon a special and particular occasion viz. by way of Argument to confirm an Admonition given to the Corinthians to beware of the Scandal of Idolatry by Communion with the Heathens in their Sacrificial Feasts celebrated to the honour of their Idols This Admonition the Apostle had begun at the 8th Chap. and after a brief Intermission he resumes it in this v. 14. Where he declares the main Reason why Christians should not partake with Heathens in their Idol Feasts namely because that would be to Communicate with and to be partners in the Idol-sacrifices and so to joyn in the worship of Daemons or Devils to whom those Sacrifices were offered v. 20. and therein to have communion with Devils As in the Christian Feast of the Lords Supper which is also a Sacrificial Feast or a feast upon the Sacrifice oâ— Christ's body and bloud repesented by bread and wine they that are partakers of that Supper are thereby partakers of the Sacrifice viz. of the body and bloud of Christ v. 16 17. And as in the Jewiss Feast upon their Sacrifices they that did eat of the Sacrifices were partakers of the Altar so they that are of the Sacrifices which by the Heathens were offered to Devils v. 7. Fxod 34.15.16
of Good and Evil contained in the nature of some actions antecedent to any positive or express Law of God or man so doth it indispensably oblige to the practical observation thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is that effect of the Law written in the Heart Rom. 2.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which cannot be blotted out by any abrogation without blotting out the reason that is the nature of man That which is in it self Evil cannot without contradiction become indifferent or lawful But that which is not restrained or forbidden by any binding Law must needs be lawful Therefore the opinion of Libertines and Antinomians affirming Christians under the Gospel to be discharged from the duty of Obedience to any Law or Command of God as such is not only false and heretical but also impossible to be true in as much as it imports a repugnancy to the nature both of God and man and all distinction of Good and Evil and withall it evacuates all pardon of sin by concluding an impossibility of committing it For where no Law is there can be no Transgression I conclude therefore that the duty of Obedience to the Moral Law is common to both Covenants And that when Saint Paul saith We are not under the Law but under Grace Rom. 6.15 his meaning cannot be that we are not under any Obligation of the Law but that we are not under the rigorous Exaction of the Law requiring perfect obedience without affording either pardon for any Offences against it or any sufficient aid of Grace to perform it Christians by the Covenant of Grace which now they are under are delivered from that desperate state which the Law leaves them in that are under it being relieved by a double Grace first of pardon of Sin upon Repentance and secondly of ability through the assistance of God's Spirit to yield such obedience to the Law as will be accepted And so to the Objection of the burthen of that Obedience which by the premisses hath been asserted necessary to Salvation I answer That God's accepting by the new Covenant Repentance joyned with Faith in Christ instead of perfect Obedience required in the old is a sufficienu abatement of the intolerableness of the old yoke and as ample a dispensation as could be afforded to Sinners to qualifie them for salvation which will further appear upon these Considerations 1. That Repentance supposing men to be sinners admitted by the Covenant of Grace for the Condition of Salvation affords a remedy for Sin and a capacity of Life to them that by the old Covenant are absolutely excluded from all hopes thereof 2. That Reformation of life and future obedience which Repentance signifies is not the same which the Law exacts that is not absolute and perfect without any manner of defect Not the not-sinning at all but the not wilfully and presumptuously sinning and abiding therein impenitently after the receiving * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the knowledge or acknowledgment of the truth Heb. 10.26 A sincere desire and faithful indeavour of obedience is accepted for Repentance which may consist with some such things as the Law condemns as sins of ignorance not affected sins of Infirmity and surreption Imperfection in the performance of duty sincerely indeavoured with many frailties which a Christian labours under and against but cannot perfectly overcome Such things as these although as transgressions of the pure and perfect Law of God they have the nature of sin yet by the tenor of the new Covenant and through the mercy of God in Christ the Mediator thereof they shall not be imputed to the penitent sinner that by a true Faith layes hold upon that Mediator So that there be some sins which do not make void the effect and benefit of Repentance but are consistent with the truth of it and a regenerate state But because it is difficult to determine precisely and exclusively what they are it concerns every true penitent to take as much heed as he can of all sin and not to presume of any indulgence for the least that can be avoided by him And whiles it is said that some kinds of sin are consistent with such a Repentance as is available to salvation it is implyed that others are not so and such are all gross wilful and presumptuous sins But 3. Neither do such sins as these after a man hath once truly repented exclude a sinner from the benefit of the Gospel But are still capable of the same remedie which is allowed for all sorts of sin which a man is found guilty of before his first Conversion Although such sins do evacuate the benefit of his former repentance so far as to render him uncapable of expecting or claiming the Remission of them thereby suspending his pardon for the present till he hath renewed his repentance or repaired the breach of it Herein consists the abundance of Gospel-grace and the benefit of repentance that it is never out-dated not being restrained to one general pardon as the Novatians heretically taught nor limited to any number of Repetitions There is no sin at any time unpardonable under the Condition of Repentance For that against the Holy Ghost is supposed to be so upon this account only that it excludes that Grace by which a man should be inabled to repent These three things relating to the doctrine of Repentance duly considered I conceive to be sufficient to answer the Objection before suggested Especially if that be added which I take to be agreeable to the doctrine of the Gospel viz That whosoever imbraceth this second Covenant shall be sufficiently inabled by the grace thereof that is by the Spirit of Christ that helps him though not to keep the whole Law exactly and perfectly without sin yet to do all things which by that Covenant are required of him to work out his own salvation This sufficiency of Grace I take to be supposed in the Exhortation of my Text and confirmed by the Reason that follows after it For it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure Of which afterward Thus far we have proceeded towards the resolution of that great Question What is to be done by him that desires to work out his own salvation from the distinct Answer of our blessed Saviour and two of his Apostles to the same Question Believe in the Lord Jesus saith Saint Paul Repent saith St. Peter Keep the Commandments saith our Saviour These three Answers comprehending whatever is required of a Christian in order to his salvation might suffice for a complete Answer to that Question But considering the infinite weight and moment of the Question some further Enlargement of the Answer from 3. or 4. selected Texts is not to be counted superfluous And the first of these additional Texts shall be that of the Apostle St. Peter urging the same Exhortation with that in our Text in other words 2 Pet. 1.5 And besides this giving all diligence add
brought to understand or believe there can be any true felicity or pleasure in any thing which is not carnal and sensual But this is not only an infallible Symptom of Infidelity but a degree of Sottishness beneath that of the better sort of Epicureans There is yet one branch of Reprehension remaining and that belongs to the presumptuous The persons I have hitherto been speaking of are such as do either obstinately oppose or wretchedly neglect this duty as not having it in design to work out their own Salvation and so are most directly peccant against the matter of this precept But there are others no less to be reproved for their deficiency in the manner of performing it Being such as do indeed project and expect to be saved but are extreamly far from any such thing as that fear and trembling which the Text requires But instead of that they are transported with presumptuous confidences and vain hopes built upon the sands of their own Imaginations promising themselves to be saved upon far easier terms than those which from the Gospel have been declared As upon a meer idle fruitless faith that is either an historical dogmatical beleif of the truth of the Gospel of Christ that indeed there was and yet is such a Person as Jesus Christ and that he was a true Prophet sent from God and the Messiah the Son of God and that which is written of him in the Gospel is no fable but real truth Some of which things are as well believed by Turks and all by the Devil more effectually than by them for the Devils believe and tremble Or else nothing but a certain fiducial confidence in Christ as a Saviour only without regarding him as a Lord or having any respect to his precepts as of any necessity to Salvation Hereupon they never doubt of their Salvation or if they do against their wills they account it their greatest sin as if it were indeed no less than the doubting the truth of Gods promises This hath been taught by many to be the only true justifying saving Faith And no wonder that men have been apt to entertain such an easie Doctrine and that having entertained it they are carried away with presumption to think nothing else of necessity required to qualifie them for Salvation Certainly flesh and blood cannot wish an easier way to Heaven than this is But this error in them that can and do read or hear the Scriptures of the New Testament as well as the Old can be no other than willfully affected There being so many hundred Texts of the same Scriptures altogether as clear and positive as any that can seem to favour this Doctrin that require other conditions and qualifications for Salvation than that of Faith besides many that do sufficiently declare that this is not the Faith to which Salvation is any where promised I say hundreds of Texts are found in Scripture which do as plainly and as positively as is possible declare that Repentance Holiness of Life Mortification of fleshly Lusts with all Duties of Piety and Love to God and our Neighbour are Conditions of Salvation no less necessary and indispensable than Faith is And many Texts before alledged that do clearly shew the true justifying Faith to be no other than such as works all these things in the unfeigned Believer and therefore comprehends them all in those Texts where it is made the sole Condition of Salvation Faith that purifies the heart that overcomes the World that is obedient to Christ If these Texts be as good Gospel and as Authentick as any of those which make mention of Faith alone without any additions or interpretations what can it be but wilful presumption to expect Salvation upon such a Faith as is not joyned with these Conditions Others there are who do quit themselves of all this fear and trembling all the sollicitude which the Text requires upon a summary Consideration and Confidence of God's mercy Let their Lives be what they will God is merciful they are sure especially to such as trust in him and that they are resolved to do whatever Duty else they neglect And though they do not deny his Justice yet they will hope in his Mercy even against Hope And why may not the Devil do so too if he could Doth not he know that God is merciful O but he knows He will not be so to him And how doth he know that Hath he any greater assurance of it than this Revelation of his Will And is not his Word so Yet they will never believe that God will be so severe in his Last Judgment as he seems to be in his Threatnings but that his tender Mercies Psal 145.9 are above all his Word as well as his Works That he is more merciful than not to save his own Creature though he saith the contrary He that made them will not have mercy on them and he that formed them Isai 27.11 will shew them no favour more merciful than just or true or holy more merciful in his Deeds than true in his Words That he doth not mean as he saith though he swear to it when he threatens damnation to men Heb. 3.11.18 19. and that they shall never enter into his Rest Divers other grounds there are of Presumption whereby wretchless Souls in favour of the Flesh to ease themselves of the Yoke as well of the Gospel as of the Law are wilfully deceived Such are all single Instances of partial Vertue as Temperance Continence just Dealing some Works of pretended Charity some particular practices of External Piety an outward Profession of Religion siding with Parties Forms of Godliness without the power thereof Freedom from some kinds of gross Vices that others live in The Pharisee's plea They are not as other men are Extortioners Vnjust Adulterers c. they are no Murtherers Thieves common Drunkards no Hereticks nor Schismaticks nor Rebels c And what then Why without doubt if they say true they shall not be damned for any of these Vices And therefore they shall be saved They Fast and give Tithes and Alms too yet have no Charity 1 Cor. 13.3 as did the Pharisee And shall not they be saved No surely if our Saviour must be the Judge and will keep to his Word For I say unto you saith he that except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 5.20 But I shall conclude my Application with a serious endeavour to give force and efficacy to the Exhortation of my Text first by some powerful Arguments Secondly by some general Directions for the practice of this so important a Duty I shall begin with the Arguments or Motives whereof the first is to be drawn from the Consideration of the infinite Concernment of this Business The infinite weight worth and moment of this End hath been already declared in the beginning of this Discourse in answer to the