and used and provided for as his own He will not neglect his own and those of his family who will take us to be worse than Infidels if we do so 1 Tim. 5.8 Direct 8. By Faith deliver up your selves to God as your Soveraign Ruler with an absolute Resolution to learn and love and obey his Laws Though I have often and more largely spoken of these duties in other Treatises I must not here totally omit them where I speak of that Faith in God which essentially consisteth in them It is a narrow and foolish and pernicious conceit of Faith which thinketh it hath no object but promises and pardon and that it hath nothing to do with God as our Soveraign Governour And it is too large a description of faith which maketh actual and formal obedience to be a part of it As Marriage is not conjugal fidelity and duty but it is a Covenant which obligeth to it and as the Oath of Allegiance is not a formal obedience to the Laws but it is a covenanting to obey them and as the hiring or covenant of a servant is not doing service but it is an entring into an obligation and state of service So Faith and our first Christianity is not strictly formal obedience to him that we believe in as such But it is an entring of our selves by covenant into an obligation and state of future obedience Faith hath Gods precepts for its objects as truly as his promises But his own Relation as our King or Ruler is its primary object before his precepts Hos 13.10 Psal 2.6 5.2 10.16 24.7 8 10. 47.6 7. 89.18 149.2 Rev. 15.3 1 Timoth. 1.17 Luke 19.27 Direct 9. By Faith acknowledge GOD as your total Benefactor from him you have and must have all that 's worth the having And accordingly live in a dependance on him Faith taketh every good thing as a stream from this inexhausted spring and as a token of love from this unmeasurable Love It knoweth a difference in the means and way of conveyance but no difference as to the fountain for all that we receive is equally from the same original though not sent to us by the same hand Faith should not take or look at any good abstractedly as separated from God but ever see the streams as continued up to the fountain and the fruit as proceeding from the tree and roots Remember still that he doth illuminate you by the Sun and he doth nourish you by your food for you live not by bread only but by his Word and blessing and it is he that doth teach you by his Ministers and protect you by his Magistrates and comfort you by your friends You have that from one which another cannot give you but you have nothing from any creature whatsoever which is not totally from God For though he honour creatures to be his Messengers or Instruments the benefit is equally from him when he useth an Instrument and when he useth none From him we have our Being and our Comforts and all the means and hopes of our well-being and therefore our dependance must be absolutely on him The blessings of this life and of that to come all things which appertain to life and godliness are the gifts of his incomprehensible benignity For it is natural to him who is infinitely good to do good when he doth work ad extra though when to communicate and in what various degrees is free to him 1 Tim. 4.8 Mâ—t. 6.33 2 Pet. 1.3 Psal 145.14 15. 146.7 18.50 1 Tim. 6.17 James 1.5 4.6 Jer. 5.24 25. Direct 10. By Faith set your eye and heart most fixedly and devotedly on GOD as your ultimate end which is your felicity and much more He taketh not God for God indeed who taketh him not as his ultimate end Nay he debaseth God who placing his felicity in any thing else doth cleave to God but as the means to such a felicity But to make God our felicity is lawful and necessary but not to dream that this is the highest respect that we must have to God to be our felicity To love him and to be beloved by him to please him and to be pleased in him is our ultimate end which though it be complex and contain our own felicity yet doth it as infinitely supereminent contain the complacency of God and God as the object of our Love considered in his own infinite perfections For he is the Alpha and Omega the first and the last and of him and through him and to him are all things Rom. 11.36 It is the highest and noblest work of faith to make our own Original to be our End and to set our love entirely upon God and to see that we our selves are but worms and vanity capable of no higher honour than to be means to please and glorifie God and must not take down God so as to love him only for our selves And he only who thus denyeth himself for God doth rightly improve self-love and seek the only exaltation and felicity by carrying up himself to God and adhering to the eternal good 1 Cor. 10.31 Luke 14.33 Mat. 16.25 Mark 8.35 Direct 11. Distinguish these Relations of God but divide them not much less set them in any opposition to each other and remember that the effects of them all are marvelously and harmoniously mixt but undivided The effects of Gods Power are alwaies the effects also of his Wisdom and his Goodness And the effects of his Wisdom are alwaies the effects of his Goodness and his Power And the effects of his Goodness are alwaies the effects of his Power and his Wisdom The effects of his Dominion on his rational subjects are alwaies the effects also of his Government and Love And the effects of his Government are alwaies the effects also of his Dominion and Love And the effects of his Love as Benefactorâ— are alwaies the effects of his Dominion and Government Though some one Principle and some one Relation may more eminently appear in one work as others do in the other works Disposal is the effect of Propriety but it is alwaies a Regular and Lâ—ving disposal of the subjects of his Government Lâ—gislation and Judgement are the effects of his Kingdom Buâ— Dominion and Love have a hand in both till Rebellion turn men from subjection Glorification is the highest effect of Love But it is given â—â—so by our Owner as by one that may do as he list with his own and by our Governour by the way of a Reward Mat. 20.15 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Mat. 25. throughout Direct 12. Especially let Faith unvail to you the face of the Goodness of God and see that your thoughts of it be neither false nor low but equal to your thoughts of his Power and Vnderstanding 1. As our loss by sin is more in the point of Goodness than of Power or Knowledge The Devils having much of the two last who have but little or nothing of
reward of obedience and the beauties of holiness and the merciful conditions of filial obedience when we have a pardon of our infirmities and are accepted in Christ that so we may feel that Christs yoak is easie and his burden light and his Commandments are not grievous Mat. 11.28 29. 1 John 5.3 And when Faith hath taught you to hunger and thirst after righteousness and to delight to do the will of God Love which is the end of Faith will satisfie you Mat. 5.6 Psal 40.8 Direct 5. Take special notice how suitable a holy Law is to the nature of a most holy God and how much he is honoured in that demonstration of his holiness and how odious a thing it would be to wish that the most holy one would have made for us an unholy Law Would you draw the picture of your friend like an Ape or a Monkey or a Monster Or would you have the King pictured like a fool Or would you have his Laws written like the words of a Bedlam or the Laws of Barbarians or Cannibals How much more intollerable were it to wish that an unholy or unrighteous Law should be the product and impress of the most great most wise and holy God This thought should make every Believer exceedingly in love with the Holiness of Gods Commands because they are the Appearance or Image of his Holiness and necessary to his honour as he is the Governour of the world Rom. 7.6 7 12. When Paul confesseth that he could no more perfectly keep the Law without sin than a fettered prisoner can walk at liberty for that is the sense of the text yet doth he give the Law this honour that it is holy just and good and therefore he loveth it and fain would perfectly obey it if he could See Psal 19.7 12. c. 119.72 37.31 1.2 Isa 5.24 c. Direct 6. Remember that both Promises and Threatnings and Gods Mercies and his Judgements are appointed means to bring us to obey the Precepts and therefore obedience which is their end is highly to be esteemed It seemeth a great difficulty whether the Precept be for 〈◊〉 Promise or the Promise for the Precept which is the End and which is the Means whether obedience be a means to attain the reward or the reward be a means to procure obedience And the answer is as pleasant to our consideration viz. that as the works of the Trinity of persons and of Gods Power and Wisdom and Goodness ad extra are undivided so are the effects of the one in Gods Laws the effects also of the other and they are harmoniously and inseparably conjunct so that we must obey the Command that we may attain the blessing of the Promise and be assured of it And we must believe the Promise and the Reward that we may be moved to obey the Precept And when all is done we find that all comes to one and in the end the duty and the reward will be the same when duty cometh to perfection And that the reward which is promised is our perfection in that Holiness and Love and Conformity to the Will of God in which God doth take that complacency which is our ultimate end But if you look at the matter of obedience rather than the form it sometime consisteth in troublesome things as suffering persecution c. which is less desirable than the promised reward which is but pleasing God and obeying him in a more desirable and grateful matter even in perfect Love for ever And therefore the more desirable must be considered to draw us to the less desirable and that consideration of the reward and not the possessing of it is the means to our obedience not for the sake of the ungrateful matter but of the form and end Mat. 5.10 11 12 6.1 4. 10.41 42. 1 Cor. 9.17 18. 1 Tim. 5.18 Heb. 11.6 10.35 11.26 Col. 3.24 Direct 7. Remember how much Christ himself hath condescended to be made a Means or Mediatour to procure our obedience to God And surely that must be an excellent end which Christ himself became a means to He came to save his people from their sins Mat. 1.21 And to call sinners to repentance Luke 5.32 Mat. 9.13 Is Christ the Minister of sin God forbid Gal. 2.17 For this end was he revealed that he might destroy the works of the Devil 1 John 3.8 And he died to redeem and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Titus 2.14 Christ came as much to kill sin as to pardon it Judge therefore of the worth of obedience by the nobleness and dignity of the means Direct 8. Remember still that the same Law which governeth us must judge us Let Faith see the sure and close connexion between obedience and judgement If Faith do but speak aloud to a sluggish soul Thou must be judged by the same word which commandeth thee to watch and pray and to walk in holiness with God it will much awaken the soul to duty And if Faith do but say aloud to a tempted sinner The Judge is at the door and thou must hear of this again and review sin when it will have another countenance it will do much to kill the force of the temptation Rom. 14.12 Phil. 4.17 Heb. 13.17 Mat. 12.36 2 Pet. 3.11 12. Direct 9. Be sure that your heart-subjection to God be fixed that you may live under the sense of his Authority For as Gods Veracity is the formal object of all Faith so Gods Authority is the formal object of all obedience And therefore the deep â—enewed apprehensions of his Majesty his Wisdom and absolute Authority will make us perceive that all things and persons must give place to him and he to none and will be a constant spring within us to move the will to a ready obedience in particular cases Mal. 1.6 Matth. 23.8 10. Jer. 5.22 Direct 10. Keep in memory some plain texts of Scripture for every particular duty and against every particular sin which I would willingly here write down but that the book swelleth too big and it is so plentifully done already in most Catechisms where they confirm all such commands with the texts of Scripture cited to that use As you may see in the Assemblies Catechism with the proofs and more briefly in Mr. Tobias Ellis his English School where a text or more for every Article of Faith and every duty is recited for the use of children Gods Word which is the object and Rule of Faith should be before 〈◊〉 eye of Faith in this great work of causing our obedience Direct 11. Vnderstand well the different nature and use of Scripture examples how some of them have the nature of a divine Revelation and a Law and others are only motives to obedience and others of them are evils to be avoided by us 1. To Moses and the Apostles of Christ a special Commission was granted to one to settle the Tabernacle and its worship
true Believer should come very near such a state of death common reason and the due care of his own soul obligeth him to be suspicious of himself and to fear the worst till he have made sure of better Heb. 6. 3.10 Heb. 4.1 12 13 14. 1 Cor. 10. John 15.2 7 8 c. Direct 14. Let not the perswasion that you are justified make you more secure and bold infinning but more to hate it as contrary to the ends of Justification and to the love which freely justified you It is a great mark of difference between true assurance and blind presumption that the one maketh men hate sin more and more carefully to avoid it and the other causeth men to sin with less reluctancy and remorse because with less feat Direct 15. When the abuse of the Doctrine of Justification by Faith alone and not by Works doth pervert your minds and lives remember that all confess that we shall be judged according to our works as the Covenant of Grace is the Law by which we shall be judged And to be judged is to be justified or condemned I need not recite all those Scriptures to you that say that we shall be judged and shall receive according to what we have done in the body whether it be good or evil And this is all that we desire you to believe and live accordingly Direct 16. Remember still that Faith in Christ is but a means to raise us to the Love of God and that perfect Holiness is higher and more excellent than the pardon of sin And therefore desire faith and use it for the kindling of love and pardon of sin to endear you to God and that you may do so no more And do not sin that you may have the more to be pardoned The end of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned Rom. 6.1 2. Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid How shall they that are dead to sin live any longer therein See Titus 3.5 6 7. Rom. 5.1 4 5 6. Rom. 8.1 4 9 Gal. 4.6 5.24 26. So much for those practical Directions which are needfull for them that love not Controversie CHAP. VIII The pernicious or dangerous Errours detected which hinder the work of Faith about our Justification and the contrary Truths asserted THere is so much dust and controversie raised here to blind the eyes of the weak and to hinder the life of Faith and so much poison served up under the name of Justification and Free Grace that I should be unfaithful if I should not discover it either through fear of offending the guilty or of wearying them that had rather venture upon deceit than upon controversie And we are now so fortified against the Popish and Secinian extreams and those whom I am now directing to live by Faith are so settled against them that I think it more necessary having not leisure for both and having done it heretofore in my Confession to open at this time the method of false doctrine on the other extream which for the most part is it which constituteth Antinomianism though some of them are maintained by others And I will first name each errour and then with it the contrary truth Errour 1. Christs suffering was caused by the sins of none as the assumed meritorious cause or as they usually say as imputed to him or lying on him save only of the Elect that shall be saved Contr. The sins of fallen mankind in general except those rejections of Grace whose pardon is not offered in the conditional Covenant did lye on Christ as the assumed cause of his sufferings See John 1.29 2 Cor. 5.18 19 20. John 3.16 17 18 19. Heb. 2.9 1 Tim. 2.4 5 6. 1 John 2.2 1 Tim. 4.10 2 Pet. 2.2 See Paraeus in his Irenicon Twisse vind alibi passim saying as much and Amyrald Davenant Dallaeus Testarduâ—Vsher c. proving it Errour 2. Christ did both perfectly obey and also make satisfaction for sin by suffering in the person of all the Elect in the sense of the Law or Gods account so that his Righteousness of obedience and perfect holiness and his satisfaction is so imputed to us as the proprietaries as if we our selves had done it and suffered it not by an after donation in the effects but by this strict imputation in it self Contr. The contrary Truth is at large opened before and in my confession Christs satisfaction and the merit of his whole obedience is as effectual for our pardon justification and salvation as if Believers thâ—mselves had performed it and it is imputed to them in that it was done for their sakes and suffered in their stead and the fruits of it by a free Covenant or donation given them But 1. God is not mistaken to judge that we obeyed or suffered when we did not 2. God is no lyar to say we did it when he knoweth that we did it not 3. If we were not the actors and sufferers it is not possible that we should be made the natural subjects of the Accidents of anothers body by any putation estimation or mis-judging whatsoever no nor by any donation neither It is a contradiction and therefore an impossibility that the same individual Actions and Passions of which Christs humane nature was the agent and subject so many hundred years ago and have themselves now no existence should in themselves I say in themselves be made yours now and you be the subject of the same accidents 4. Therefore they can no otherwise be given to us but 1. By a true estimation of the reasons why Christ underwent them viz. for our sakes as aforesaid 2. And by a donation of the effects or fruits of them viz. pardoning and justifying and saving us by them on the terms chosen by the Donor himself and put into his Testament or Covenant as certainly but not in the same manner as if we had done and suffered them our selves 5. If Christ had suffered in our person reputatively in all respects his sufferings would not have redeemed us Because we are finite worms and our suffering for so short a time would not have been accepted instead of Hell sufferings But the person of the Mediator made them valuable 6. God never made any such Covenant with us that he will justifie us and use us just as he would have done if we had our selves perfectly obeyed and satisfied They that take on them to shew such a Promise must see that no wise man examine it 7. God hath both by his Covenant and his Works ever since confuted that opinion and hath not dealt with us as he would have done if we had been the reputed doers and sufferers of it all our selves For he hath made conveyance of the Benefits by a pardoning and justifying Law or Promise and he giveth us additional pardon of renewed sins as we act them and he addeth threatnings in his Law or
denyal of its truth And a true Exposition is better than either The same God who hath given us a Saviour to satisfie legal Justice and to merit our Justification against the charge that we are condemnable by the Law of Works hath thought meet to convey our title to this Christ and Justification by the Instrumentality of a new Covenant Testament or pardoning Act in which though he absolutely give many antecedent mercies yet he giveth these and other Rights by a conditional gift that as the Reward of Glory should have invited man to keep the Law of Nature and his Innocency so the Reward should be a moving means to draw men to believe So that there is a condition to be performed by our selves through grace before we can have the Covenant right to Justification Now when that is performed Christ then is our only Righteousness as aforesaid by which we must answer the charge of breaking the first Law and being condemnable by it But we can lay no claim to this Righteousness of Christ till we first prove that we are our selves inherently righteous against the charge of being impenitent Vnbelievers This false accusation we must be justâ—fied against by our own Faith and Repentance that we may be justified by Christ against the true accusation of sinning against the Law and thereby being condemnable by it Now as to our Legal Righteousness or Pro-legal rather by which this last must be avoided it is only the merits of Christ given to us in its fruits in the New Covenant even the merits of his obedience and sacrifice But our Faith it self is the other Righteousness which must be found in our persons to entitle us to this first And this being it and being all in the sense aforesaid that is made the condition of our pardon by the New Covenant therefore God is said to impute it it self to us for a Righteousness because that condition makeeth it so and to impute it to us for our Righteousness that is as all that now by this Covenant he requireth to be personally done by us who had formerly been under a harder condition even the fulfilling of the Law by innocency or suffering for sin because he that doth not fulfil nor satisfie as is said yet if he believe hath a right to the Justification merited by Christ who did fulfil and satisfie This is easie to be understood as undoubted truth by the willing and the rest will be most contentious where they are most erroneous Errour 37. That sincere obedience and all acts of Love Repentance and Faith save one do justifie us only before men and of that speaketh St. James ch 2. Contr. I must refer the Reader to other Books in which I have fuly confuted this How can men judge of the acts of Repentance Faith Love c. which are in the heart And James plainly speaketh of Gods imputing Righteousness to Abraham James 2.21 23. And how should men justifie Abraham for kâ—lling his only Son And how small a matter is Justification by man when we may be saved without it 2. Sincere Obedience to God in Christ is the condition of the continuance or not losing our Justification here and the secondary part of the condition of our final sentential and executive Justification Errour 38. That our inherent Righteousness before described hath no place of a condition in our Justification in the day of Judgement Contr. The Scriptures fully confuting this I have elsewhere cited All those that say we shall be judged according to our works c. speak against it For to be judged is only to be justified or condemned So Rev. 22.14 Matth. 25 c. Errour 39 That there is no Justification at Judgement to be expected but only a declaration of it Contr. The Decisive sentence and declaration of the Judge is the most proper sense or sort of Justification and the perfection of all that went before If we shall not be then justified then there is no such thing as Justification by Sentence Nay there is no such thing as a day of Judgement or else all men must be condemned For it is most certain that we must be justified or condemned or not-judged Errour 40. That no man ought to believe that the conditional Covenant Act or Gift of Justification belongeth to him as a member of the lost world or as a sinner in Adam because God hath made no such gift or promise to any but to the Elect. Contr. This is confuted on the by before Errour 41. That though it be false that the non-elect are elect and that Christ dyed for them yet they are bound to believe it every man of himself to prove that they are elect Contr. This is confuted on the by before God bindeth or biddeth no man to believe a lye Errour 42. That we must believe Gods Election and our Justification and the special Love of God to us before we can love him with a special Love Because it will not cause in us a special love to believe only a common love of God and such as he hath to the wicked and his enemies Contr. No man can groundedly believe the special Love of God to him nor his own Election or Justification before he hath yea before he find in himself a special love to God Because he that hath no special love to God must believe a lye if he believe that he is justified or that ever God revealed to him that he is elect or specially beloved of God and no man hath any evidence or proof at all of his election and Gods special love till he have this evidence of his special love to God Till he know this he cannot know that any other is sincere 2. They that deny or blâ—spheme Gods common love to fallen man and his universal pardoning Covenant do their worst to keep men from being moved to the special Love of God by his common Love But when they have done their worst it shall stand as a sure obligation Is there not reason enough to bind men to love God above all even as one that yet may be their happiness in his own infinite Goodness and all the revelations of it by Christ and in his so loving the world as to give his only Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And in his giving a free pardon of all sin to mankind and offering life eternal to them so that none but the final refusers shall lose it and intreating them to accept it c Is not all this sufficient in reason to move men to that love of God if the Spirit help them to make use of Reason as he must do what Reasons soever are presented to them unless men think that God doth not oblige them by any kindness which they can possibly reject or by any thing which many others do partake of Yet here note that Gods common love to man I do not mean any which he hath to Reprobates under
by a Redeemer as we must do They had their too great selfishness Phil. 2.21 They had their pusillanimity and fears of men as Peter and the Apostles They had their sinful controversies as Paul and Barnabas and sinful separations in complyance with the censorious as Peter and Barnabas had Gal. 2.16 17. They had their carnal sidings factions and divisions in the Church 1 Cor. 1. 3. Many a time have they been put to groan O wretched man who shall deliver me from this body of death Rom. 7 c. 11. They had as difficult duties to go through as any of us They were put upon as many tears and troubles watchings and travels fastings and self-denyal as the most laborious and suffering Christians now 12. They had as long delayes of the accomplishment of their desires as any of us 13. And lastly they past through death it self as we must do They lay gasping on their beds of languâ—shing and death broke in upon every part and they underwent that separation of soul and body as we must do Their flesh was turned to rottenness and dust and laid out of the sight of man in darkness and remaineth to this day as common earth All this the Saints in Heaven have undergone This was their case a while ago who are now in glory And this was not only the case of some few but of thousands and millions and that in the most of these particulars even of all that are gone before us unto blessedness It is not we that are tempted first that are persecuted or afflicted first that have sinned first that must die first but all this host hath broke the Ice and are safely past through this Red Sea and are now triumphing in felicity with their Saviour Direct 3. Let Faith next look back and see by what way these Saints have come to this felicity I mean by what means they did overcome and win the Crown And briefly you will find 1. That they all came to Heaven by the Mediation the Sacrifice the meritorious Righteousness of a Redeemer Jesus Christ either as promised or as incarnate none of them were justified by the works of the Law or the Covenant of Innocency 2. That their common way was by Faith Repentance Love and Obedience Not by works of Righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost which he shed oâ— us abundently through Christ Titus 3.5 Even by the triple Image of the Divine perfections Power Love and Wisdom 2 Tim. 1.7 They lived soberly righteously and godly in the world and were zealous of good works looking for the blessed hope which they have attained Titus 2.14 15. Knowing that Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ are the summ of saving doctrine and duty Acts 20.21 And that to fear God and keep his Commandments is the whole duty of man Eccles 12.13 And that the end of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure heart and a good conscience and of faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 and that Love is the fulfilling of the Law 3. They studied the Word of God or such means of knowing him as God afforded them in order to the attaining and maintaining of these graces Psal 1.2 and sought the Lord with all their hearts while he might be found and called upon him while he was near Isa 55.6 10. And did not presumptuously neglect Gods helps and despise his Word while they trusted for his mercy 4. They lived in a continual conflict against the temptations of the Devil the world and the flesh and in the main did conquer as well as strive They made it their work to mortifie those fleshly lusts which others make it their interest and work to please Gal. 5.17.21 22. 6.14 5. They suffered afflictions and persecutions patiently and being reviled they did not revile They loved their enemies and blest those that curse them and prayed for those that despitefully used and persecuted them Matth. 5.44 45. 1 Cor. 4.11 12 13. 2 Cor. 1.6 7. Heb. 11. They would not accept of deliverance from imprisonment torments and death upon sinning terms 6. They endured to the end and did not fall off and forsake the Covenant of their God Rev. 2. 3. 7. Lastly They did all this by the motive of their hopes of Heaven and by a confidence in the promises of it and in a heavenly mind and conversation as knowing that they did not labour or suffer in vain 1 Cor. 15.58 2 Cor. 4.17 1 Tim. 4.10 Rom. 8.18 Matth. 5.11 2 Thes 1.6 7. Heb. 12.2 This was the way by which the Saints have gone to Heaven the only true successful way Direct 4. Consider next what helps and means God gave them for this work and compare our own with them and see whether ours be not as great 1. We have the same natural capacity as they we are intellectual free agents made for another world and capable of all that they attained There is no difference in our natural faculties 2. We have the same God to shew us mercy 1 Cor. 12.5 There are divers operations but the same God Ephes 4.4 5. There is one God one Lord c. even the Lord over all good to all that call upon him Rom. 10.12 The same mercy which called them and waited on them calleth us even a God who hath no respect of persons but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted of him Acts 10.37 Though he be a free benefactor he is a righteous Judge and he is good to all and the Father of every member of his Son 3. They had the same Saviour as we have the same sacrifice for their sins the same Teacher and the same example the same intercessor with the Father For though there be divers administrations there is the same Lord 1 Cor. 12.5 Ephes 4.4 For other foundation can no man lay than him who is the chief corner stone 1 Cor. 3.11 They all did eat of the same spiritual meat and drank of the same rock as we do which is Christ 1 Cor. 10.3 4. It was the reproach of Christ which Moses in Egypt esteemed better than their treasures Heb. 11.26 The same Physician of souls who hath us in cure did cure all them The same Captain who is conducting us to salvation is he that saved them The same Prince of the Covenant and Lord of life who conquered death and all their enemies hath conquered them for us and is preparing us for life with them They had no greater or better High Priest and Mediator with God than we have 4. They had the same Rule to walk by and the same way to go as all we have Gal. 1.7 8. 6.16 Phil. 3.14 15. The same Gospel and Word of God in the main though under various promulgations and administrations Those before the flood were under the Covenant of the promised seed
goodness of Gods Laws Whether the Promise and â—â—eward be the end of Obedience or Obedience the end of the 〈…〉 Reward Of Scripture examples 232 Chap. 5. How to live by faith on Gods Promises What will of God it is according to which they must ask who will receive Of a particular faith in prayer Is the same degree of grace conditionally promised to all Directions for understanding the Promises The true nature of faith or trust in Gods Promises opened at large Affiance is in the understanding will and vital power Whether Faith be Obedience or how related to it Ten acts of the understanding essential to the Christian Faith in the Promises Several acts of the will essential to Faith And in the vital power whether all true Faith have a subjective certainty of the truth of the Word Choice and venturing or forsaking all is the sign of real trust Promises collected for the help of Faith 1. Of Pardon 2. Of Salvation 3. Of Reconciliation and Adoption 4. Of pardon of new sins after conversion 5. Of Sanctification 6. Promises to them that desire and seek 7. To Prayer 8. To groans that want expression 9. Promises of all that we want and that is good for us 10. To the use of Gods Word and Sacraments 11. To the humble meek and lowly 12. To the peaceable 13. To the diligent 14. To the patient 15. To Obedience 16. To the Love of God 17. To them that love the godly and are merciful in good works 18. To the poor 19. To the oppressed 20. To the persecuted 21. In dangers 22. Against temptations 23. To them that overcome and persevere 24. In sickness and at death 25. Of Resurrection final Justification and Glory 26. For children of the godly 27. To the Church 241 Chap. 6. How to exercise faith on Godâ— Threatnings and Judgements How far belief of the threatnings in good necessary and a saving faith How saving faith is a personal application How to perceive true faith 297 Chap. 7. How to live by faith for Pardon and Justification In how many respects and waies Christ justifieth us Of the imputation of Christs Righteousness Twelve reasons to help our belief of pardon How far sin should make us doubt of our Justification 308 Chap. 8. 58 Dangerous Errours detected which hinder the 〈…〉 faith about 〈…〉 and the contrary truthâ—â—ssertedâ— 321 Chap. 9. How to live by faith in the exercise of other graces and duties And 1. Of the doctrinal Directions What Sanctification is How God loveth the unsanctified How 〈◊〉 loveth 〈◊〉 in Christ Of Preaching meer Morality â—61 Chap. 10. The practical Directions to promote Love to God and Holiness 367 Chap. 11. Of the order and harmony of graces and duties which must be taken all together Of the parts that make up the new Creature 1. The intellectual order or a method or scheme of the heads of Divinity 2. The order of Intention and Affection 3. The order of practice Of the various degrees of means to mans ultimate end Of the grace necessary to concur with these various means The circular motion by divine communication to our Receiving Graces and so by our Returning Graces unto God again The frame of the present means of grace and of our returning duties Rules about the order of Christian practice which shew that and how the best is to be preferred and which is best in fifty three Propositions How mans Laws bind conscience and many other cases resolved A lamentation for the great want of order and method and harmony in the understandings wills and lives of Christians Many instances of mens partiality as to truths graces duties sins c. Twenty Reasons why few Christians are compleat and entire but â—ame and partial in their Religion Ten Consectaries Whether all graces be equal in habit Religion not so perfect in us as in the Scriptures which therefore are the Rule to us c. 373 Chap. 12. How to use faith against particular sins 417 Chap. 13. What sins the best are most in danger of and should most carefully avoid And wherein the infirmities of the upright differ from mortal sins 421 Chap. 14. How to live by faith in prosperity The way by which faith doth save us from the world General Directions against the danger of prosperity Twenty marks of worldliness The pretences of worldly minds The greatness of the sin The ill effects 428 Chap. 15. How to be poor in spirit And 1. How to escape the Pride of prosperous men The cleaks of Pride The signs of Pride and 〈…〉 446 Chap. 16. How to escape the 〈…〉 by faith The mischiefe of serving the appetite 〈…〉 465 Chap. 17. How faith must conquer sloth and idleness Who are guilty of this sin Cases resolved The evil of idleness The remedies 474 Chap. 18. Vnmercifulness to the poor to be conquered by faith The remedies 491 Chap. 19. How to live by faith in adversity 493 Chap. 20. How to live by faith in trouble of conscience and doubts of our salvation The difference between true and false repentance How to apply the universal grace to our comfort The danger of casting our part on Christ and of ascribing all melancholy disturbances and thoughts to the spirit Of the trying the spiriâ— and of the witness of the Spirit 503 Chap. 21. How to live by faith in the publick Woshipping of God Overvalue not your own manner of Worship and overvilifie not other mens Of communion with others 519 Chap. 22. How to pray in faith 527 Chap. 23. How to live by faith towards children and other Relations 530 Chap. 24. How by faith to order our affections to publick Societies and to the unconverted world 535 Chap. 25. How to live by faith in the love of one another and to mortifie self-love It is our own interest and gain to love our neighbours as our selves Objections wherein it consisteth What is the sincerity of it Consectaries Loving others as your selves is a duty even as to the degree 539 Chap. 26. How by faith to be followers of the Saints and to look with profit to their examples and their end and to hold communion with the heavenly Society Reasons of the duty The nature of it Negatively what it is not and Affirmatively what it is Wherein they must be imitated 556 Chap. 27. How to receive the sentence of death and how to die by Faith 589 Chap. 28. How by faith to look aright to the coming of Jesus Christ in Glory 594 Reader The first and great Errour of the Printer iâ— that he hath not distinguished the three distinct Parts of the Treatise Therefore you must write Page 1. PART 1. and Pag. 81. PART 2. Chap. 1. and Pag. 168. PART 3. Chap. 1. IN the Preface Page 3. l. 16. put If you would have p. 8. l. 8. put out have p. 31. l. 31. put out out p. 40. l. 22. for that r. the p. 51. l. 37. for yoâ—r r. their p. 54. l. 13. for believe r.
let me begin to plead it with your consciences Are you Believers Do you live the life of Faith or not Do you live upon things that are unseen or upon the present visible baits of sensuality That you may not turn away your ears or hear me with a sluggish sensless mind let me tell you first how nearly it concerneth you to get this Question soundly answered and then that you may not be deceived let me help you toward the true resolution 1. And for the first you may perceive by what is said that saving Faith is not so common as those that know not the nature of it do imagine All men have not faith 2 Thes 3.2 O what abundance do deceive themselves with Names and shews and a dead Opinion and customary Religion and take these for the life of faith 2. Till you have this faith you have no special interest in Christ It is only Believers that are united to him and are his living Members and it is by faith that he dwelleth in our hearts and that we live in him Ephes 3.17 Gal. 2.20 In vain do you boast of Christ if you are not true Believers You have no part or portion in him None of his special Benefits are yours till you have this living working Faith 3. You are still in the state of enmity to God and unreconciled to him while you are unbelievers For you can have no peace with God nor aâ—â—ess unto his favour but by Christ Rom. 5.1 2 3 4. Ephes 2.14 15 17. And therefore you must come by faith to Christ before you can come by Christ unto the Father as those that have a special interest in his love 4. Till you have this Faith you are under the guilt and load of all your sins and under the curse and condemnation of the Law For there is no Justification or forgiveness but by Faith Act. 26.18 Rom. 4 5 c. 5. Till you have this sound Belief of things unseen you will be carnal minded and have a carnal end to all your actions which will make those to be evil that materially are good and those to be fleshly that materially are holy Without Faith it is impossible to please God Rom. 8.5 8 9. Prov. 28.9 Heb. 11.6 6. Lastly Till you have this living Faith you have no right to Heaven nor could be saved if you die this hour Whoever believeth shall not perish but have everlasting life He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not iâ— condemned already He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that bâ—lieveth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abidâ—th on him Joh. 3.16 18 36. You see if you love your selves it concerneth you to try whether you are true Believers Unless you take it for an indifferent thing whether you live for ever in Heaven or Hell it 's best for you to put the question close to your consciences betimes Have you that Faith that serves instead of sight Do you carry within you the evidence of things unseen and the substance of the things which you say you hope for Did you know in what manner this question must be put and determined at judgement and how all your comfort will then depend upon the answer and how near that day is when you must all be sentenced to Heaven or Hell as you are found to be Believers or Vnbelievers it would make you hearken to my counsel and presently try whether you have a saving Faith 2. But lest you be deceived in your trial and lest you mistake me as if I tryed the weak by the measure of the strong and laid all your comfort upon such strong affections and high degrees as fight it self would work within you I shall briefly tell you how you may know whether you have any faith that 's true and saving though in the least degree Though none of us are affected to that height as we should be if we had the sight of all that we do believe yet all that have any saving belief of invisible things will have these four signs of faith within them 1. A sound belief of things unseen will cause a practical estimation of them and that above all earthly things A glimpse of the heavenly glory as in a glass will cause the soul deliberately to say This is the chief desirable felicity this is the Crown the Pearl the Treasure nothing but this can serve my turn It will debase the greatest pleasures or riches or honours of the world in your esteem How contemptible will they seem while you see God stand by and Heaven as it were set open to your view you 'l see there 's little cause to envy the prosperous servants of the world you will pitty them as miserable in their mirth and bound in the fetters of their folly and concupiscence and as strangers to all solid joy and honour You will be moved with some compassion to them in their misery when they are braving it among men and domineering for a little while and you will think alas poor man Is this all thy glory Hast thou no better wealth no higher honour no sweeter pleasures than these husks With such a practical judgement as you value gold above dirt and jewels above common stones you will value Heaven above all the riches and pleasures of this world if you have indeed a living saving faith Phil. 3.7 8 9. 2. A sound belief of the things unseen will habitually incline your wills to embrace them with consent and complacence and resolution above and against those worldly things that would be set above them and preferred before them If you are true believers you have made your choice you have fixâ— your hopes you have taken up your resolutions that God must be your portion or you can have none that 's worth the having that Christ must be your Saviour or you cannot be saved and therefore you are at a point with all things else they may be your Helps but not your Happiness you are resolved on what Rock to build and where to cast anchor and at what port and prize your life shall aim You are resolved what to seek and trust to God or none Heaven or nothing Christ or none is the voice of your rooted stable resolutions Though you are full of fears sometimes whether you shall be accepted and have a part in Christ or no and whether ever you shall attain the Glory which you aim at yet you are off all other hopes having seen an end of all perfections and read vanity and vexation written upon all creatures even on the most flattering state on earth and are unchangeably resolved not to change your Master and your hopes and your holy course for any other life or hopes Whatever come of it you are resolved that here you will venture all Knowing that you have no other game to play at which you are not sure to lose and that you
the nature and cause of light and heat the order course and harmony of the universal systeme of the world what joyful acclamations would this produce in the literal studious sort of men what joy then should it be to us to know by Faith the God that made us the Creation of the world the Laws and Promises of our Creatour the Mysteries of Redemption and Regeneration the frame of the new Creature the entertainment of the spirits of the just with Christ the Judgement which all the world must undergo the work and company which we shall have hereafter and the endless joyes which all the sanctified shall possess in the sight and Love of God for ever How blessed an invention would it be if all the world could be brought again to the use of one universal language Or if all the Churches could be perfectly reconciled how joyful would the Author of so great a work be should we not then rejoyce who foresee by Faith a far more perfect union and consent than ever must be expected here on earth Alas the ordinary lowness of our Comforts doth tell us that our Faith is very small I say not so much The sorrows of a doubting heart as the little joy which we have in the fore-thoughts of Heaven when our title seemeth not much doubtful to us For those sorrows shew that such esteem it a joyful place and would rejoyce if their title were but cleared But when we have neither the sorrow or solicitousness of the afflicted soul nor yet the joy which is any whit suitable to the belief of such everlasting joyes we may know what to judge of such an uneffectual belief at best it is very low and feeble It is a joy unspeakable and full of glory which unseen things should cause in a Believer 1 Pet. 1.6 7 8. Because it is an exceeding eternal weight of glory which he believeth 2 Cor. â— 17 18. 8. Finally Learn to Die also as Believers The life of Faith must bring you to the very entrance into glory where one doth end the other begins As our dark life in the womb by nutriment from the Mother continueth till our passage into the open world You would die in the womb if Faith should cease before it bring you to full intuition and fruition Heb. 11.22 By faith Joseph when he died made mention of the departing of the children of Israel Josephs faith did not die before him Heb. 11.3 These all died in faith confessing that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth and declaring that they sought a better Country They that live by faith must die in faith yea and die by faith too Faith must fetch in their dying comforts And O how full and how near a treasure hath it to go to To die to this world is to be born into another Beggars are best when they are abroad The travail of the ungodly is better to them than their home But the Believers home is so much better than his travail that he hath little cause to be afraid of coming to his Journeys end but should rather every step cry out O when shall I be at home with Christ Is it Earth or Heaven that you have prayed for and laboured for and waited and suffered for till now And doth he indeed pray and labour and suffer for Heaven who would not come thither It is Faith which overcometh the world and the flesh which must also overcome the fears of death and can look with boldness into the loathsome grave and can triumph over both as victorious through Christ It is Faith which can say Go forth O my soul depart in peace Thy course is finished Thy warfare is accomplished The day of triumph is now at hand Thy patience hath no longer work Go forth with joy The morning of thy endless joyes is near and the night of fears and darkness at an end Thy terrible dreams are ending in eternal pleasures The glorious light will banish all thy dreadful specters and resolve all those doubts which were bred and cherished in the dark They whose employment is their weariness and toil do take the night of darkness and cessation for their rest But this is thy weariness Defect of action is thy toil and thy most grievous labour is to do too little work And thy uncessant Vision Love and Praise will be thy uncessant ease and pleasure and thy endless work will be thy endless rest Depart O my soul with peace and gladness Thou leavest not a world where Wisdom and Piety Justice and Sobriety Love and Peace and Order do prevail but a world of ignorance and folly of bruitish sensuality and rage of impiety and malignant enmity to good a world of injustice and oppression and of confusion and distracting strifes Thou goest not to a world of darkness and of wrath but of Light and Love From hellish malice to perfect amity from Bedlam rage to perfect wisdom from mad confusion to perfect order to sweetest unity and peace even to the spirits of the just made perfect and to the celestial glorious City of God! Thou goest not from Heaven to Earth from holiness to sin from the sight of God into an infernal dungeon but from Earth to Heaven from sin and imperfection unto perfect holiness and from palpable darkness into the vital splendour of the face of God! Thou goest not amongst enemies but to dearest friends nor amongst meer strangers but to many whom thou hast known by sight and to more whom thou hast known by faith and must know by the sweetest communion for ever Thou goest not to unsatisfied Justice nor to a condemning unreconciled God but to Love it self to infinite Goodness the fountain of all created and communicated good to the Maker Redeemer and Sanctifier of souls to him who prepared Heaven for thee and now hath prepared thee for Heaven Go forth then in triumph and not with terrour O my soul The prize is won Possess the things which thou hast so long prayed for and sought Make haste and enter into thy Masters joy Go view the glory which thou hast so long heard of and take thy place in the heavenly Chore and bear thy part in their celestial melody Sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of God! And receive that which Christ in his Covenant did promise to give thee at the last Go boldly to that blessed God with whom thou hast so powerful a Mediatour and to the Throne of whose grace thou hast had so oft and sweet access If Heaven be thy fear or sorrow what can be thy joy and where wilt thou have refuge if thou fly from God If perfect endless pleasures be thy terrour where then dost thou expect content If grace have taught thee long ago to prefer the heavenly and durable felicity refuse it not now when thou art so near the port if it have taught thee long ago to be as a stranger in this Sodom and to renounce this
done the settling of your faith when once you have found out the soundest evidences and are able to answer all Objections For you must grow still in the fuller discerning and digesting the same evidences which you have discerned For you may hold them so loosely that they may be easily wrested from you And you may see them with so clear and full a knowledge as shall stablish your mind against all ordinary causes of mutation It is one kind or degree rather of knowledge of the same things which the Pupil and another which the Doctor hath I am sure the knowledge which I have now of the evidences of the Christian Verity is much different from what I had thirty years ago when perhaps I could say neer as much as now and used the same Arguments 17. Consider well the great contentions of Philosophers and the great uncertainty of most of those Nations to which the Infidels would reduce our faith or which they would make the test by which to try it They judge Christianity uncertain because it agreeth not with their uncertainties or certain errours 18. Enslave not your Reason to the objects of sense While we are in the body our souls are so imprisoned in flesh and have so much to do with worldly things that most men by averseness and disuse can hardly at all employ their minds about any higher things than sensitive nor go any further than sense conduceth them He that will not use his soul to contemplate things invisible will be as unfit for believing as a Lady is to travel a thousand miles on foot who never went out of her doors but in a Sedan or Coach 19. Where your want of learning or exercise or light doth cause any difficulties which you cannot overcome go to the more wise and experienced Believers and Pastors of the Church to be your helpers For it is their office to be both the preservers and expounders of the sacred Doctrine and to be the helpers of the peoples faith The Priests lips should preserve knowledge and they should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts Mal. 2.7 20. Lastly Faithfully practise with Love and alacrity what you do believe lest God in justice leave you to disbelieve that which you would not love and practise So much to direct you in the method of your endeavours for the getting and strengthening of faith CHAP. III. The Evidences of Faith THese things in the Order of your enquiry being presupposed proceed to the consideration of the Evidences themselves which fully prove the Christian Verity And here omitting the preparatory considerations recited at large in my Reasons of the Christian Religion I shall only set before you the grand Evidence it self with a brief recital of some of those means which bring it down to our notice in these times The great infallible witness of CHRIST is the SPIRIT of GOD or the Holy Ghost Or that divine operation of the Holy Spirit which infallibly proveth the attestation of God himself as interesting him in it as the principal cause As we know the Coin of a Prince by his image and superscription and know his acts by his publick proper Seal And as we know that God is the Creatour of the world by the Seal of his likeness which is upon it Or as we know the Father of a child when he is so like him as no other could beget So know we Christ and Christianity to be of God by his unimitable image or impression The Power Wisdom and Goodness of God are the essentialities which we call the Nature of God These in their proper form and transcendent perfection are incommunicable But when they produce an effect on the creature which for the resemblance may analogically be called by the same names the names are logically communicable though the thing it self which is the Divine Essence or Perfections be still incommunicable But when they only produce effects more heterogeneal or equivocal then we call those effects only the footsteps or demonstrations of their cause So GOD whose Power Wisdom and Goodness in it self is incommunicable hath produced intellectual natures which are so like him that their likeness is called his Image and analogically yet equivocally the created faculties of their Power Intellect and Will are called by such names as we are fain for want of other words to apply to God the things signified being transcendently and unexpressibly in God but the words first used of and applied to the creature But the same God hath so demonstrated his Power and Wisdom and Goodness in the Creation of the material or corporeal parts of the world that they are the â—estigia and infallible proofs of his causation and perfections being such as no other cause without him can produce but yet not so properly called his Image as to his Wisdom and Goodness but only of his Power But no wise man who seeth this world can doubt whether a God of perfect Power Wisdom and Goodness was the maker of it Even so the person and doctrine of Christ or the Christian Religion objectively considered hath so much of the Image and so much of the demonstrative impressions of the Nature of God as may fully assure us that he himself is the approving cause And as the Sun hath a double Light Lux Lumen its essential Light in it self and it s emitted beams or communicated Light so the Spirit and Image of God by which Christ and Christianity are demonstrated are partly that which is essential constitutive and inherent and partly that which is sent and communicated from him to others In the person of Christ there is the most excellent Image of God 1. Wonderful Power by which he wrought miracles and commanded Sea and Land Men and Devils and raised the dead and raised himself and is now the glorious Lord of all things 2. Wonderful Wisdom by which he formed his Laws and Kingdom and by which he knew the hearts of men and prophecied of things to come 3. Most wonderful Love and Goodness by which he healed all diseases and by which he saved miserable souls and procured our happiness at so dear a rate But as the essential Light of the Sun is too glorious to be well observed by us but the emitted Light is it which doth affect our eyes and is the immediate object of our sight at least that we can best endure and use so the Essential Perfections of Jesus Christ are not so immediately and ordinarily fit for our observation and use as the lesser communicated beams which he sent forth And these are either such as were the immediate effects of the Spirit in Christ himself or his personal operations or else the effects of his Spirit in others And that is either such as went before him or such as were present with him or such as followed after him Even as the emitted Light of the Sun is either that which is next to its
and capacities by prayer and such distant means if they can do no more And the Religion which giveth every man so great an interest in the good of all others and engageth all men to do good to one another is evidently good it self 1 Cor. 12. Ephes 4.15 16. 29. And all this good is not destroyed but advantaged and aggravated accidentally by our sin So that where sin abounded there grace did superabound Rom. 5.15 16 17 18 19. Grace hath taken occasion by sin to be Grace indeed and to be the greater manifestation of the goodness of God and the greater obligation for gratitude to the sinner 30. Lastly All this Goodness is beautified by harmony it is all placed in a perfect order One mercy doth not keep us from another nor one grace oppose another nor one duty exclude another As it is the great declaration of Mercy and Justice wonderfully conspiring in God Mercy so used as to magnifie Justice Justice so used as to magnifie Mercy and not only so as to consist so also it worketh answerably on us It setteth not Love against filial fear not joy against necessary sorrow nor faith against repentance nor praise and thanksgiving against penitent confession of sin nor true repentance against the profitable use of the creatures nor the care of our souls against the peace and quiet of our minds nor care for our families against contentedness and trusting God nor our labour against our necessary rest nor self-denyal against the due care of our own welfare nor patience against due sensibility and lawful passion nor mercy to men against true justice nor publick and private good against each nor doth it set the duty of the Soveraign and the Subject the Master and the Servant the Pastor and the Flock nor yet their interest in any contrariety but all parts of Religion know their place and every duty even those which seem most opposite are helpful to each other and all interests are co-ordinate and all doth contribute to the good of the whole and of every part Ephes 4.2 3 15 16. And now peruse all this together but let it have more of your thoughts by far than it hath had of my words and then determine indifferently whether the Christian Religion bear not the lively Image and superscription of GOD the prime essential GOOD But all this will be more manifest when we have considered how POWER hath in the execution brought all this into effect CHAP. VI. The Image of Gods Power III. THE third part of Gods Image and superscription on the Christian Religion is his POWER And as mans own corruption lyeth more in the want of Wisdom and Goodness than of Power therefore he is less capable of discerning God in the impressions of his Wisdom and Goodness than of his Power seeing therefore he is here most capable of conviction and acknowledging the hand of God I shall open this also in the several parts in some degree 1. In the history of the Creation the Omnipotency of God is abundantly set forth which is proved true both by the agreeableness of the history to the effects and by much subsequent evidence of the Writers Veracity 2. The same may be said of Gods drowning the old world and the preserving of Noah and his family in the Ark. 3. And of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire from Heaven 4. The many miracles done by Moses upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians and in the opening of the Red Sea and in the feeding of the Israelites in the wilderness and keeping their cloths from wearing for forty years and the pillar which went before them as a fire by night and a cloud by day for so long time and the darkness and thunder and trembling of the Mount at the giving of the Law with the rest of the Miracles then done not in a corner or before a few but before all the people who were perswaded to receive and obey the Law by the reason of these motives which their eyes had seen And if all this had been false if no plagues had been shewed on Egypt if no Red Sea had opened if no Pillar had gone before them if no such terrible sights and sounds at Mount Sinai had prepared them for the Law such reasons would have been so unfit to have perswaded them to obedience that they would rather with any reasonable creatures have procured scorn And to shew posterity that the history of all this was not forged or to be suspected 1. They had the Law it self then delivered in two Tables of stone to be still seen 2. They had a pot of Manna still preserved 3. They had the miracle-working Rod of Moses and Aaron kept likewise as a monument 4. They had an Ark of purpose to keep these in and that in the most inviolable place of worship 5. They had the brazâ—n Serpent till Hezekiah broke it still to be seen 6. They had the song of their deliverance at the Red Sea for their continued use 7. They had set feasts to keep the chief of all these things in remembrance They had the feast of unleavened bread which all Israel was to observe for seven daies to keep the remembrance of their passing out of Egypt in so great haste that they could not stay to knead up and make their bread but took it as in meal or unready dough They had the feast of the Passeover when every family was to eat of the Paschal Lamb and the door posts to be sprinkled with the blood to keep in remembrance the night when the Egyptians first born were destroyed and the Israelites all preserved And if these had been instituted at that time upon a pretended occasion which they knew to be untrue they would rather have derided than observed them If they had been afterwards instituted in another generation which knew not the story the beginning would have been known and the fiction of the name and institution of Moses would have been apparent to all and the institution would not have been found in the same Law which was given by Moses And it could not have been so expresly said that the Israelites did all observe these feasts and solemnities from the very time of their deliverance but in those times when the forgery began all would have known it to be false 8. And they had many other words and ceremonies among them and even in Gods Publick Worship which were all used to keep up the memory of these things 9. And they had an office of Priesthood constantly among them which saw to the execution and preservation of all these 10. And they had a form of civil Policy then established and and the Rulers were to preserve the memory of these things and the practice of this Law and to learn it themselves and govern by it so that the very form of the Common-wealth and the order of it was a commemoration hereof And the Parents were to teach and tell their children all
the Scripture it self it is evident that the Churches and the Apostles used this day accordingly And it hath most infallible history impossible to be false that the Churches have used it ever to this day as that which they found practised in their times by their appointment And this is not a bare narrative but an uninterrupted matter of publick fact and practice So universal that I remember not in all my reading that ever one enemy questioned it or ever one Christian or Heretick denyed or once scrupled it So that they who tell us that all this is yet but humane testimony do shew their egregious inconsiderations that know not that such humane testimony or history in a matter of publick constant fact may be most certain and all that the nature of the case will allow a sober person to require And they might as well reject the Canon of the Scriptures because humane testimony is it which in point of fact doth certifie us that these are the very unaltered Canonical Books which were delivered at first to the Churches Yea they may reject all the store of historical tradition of Christianity it self which I am here reciting to the shame of their understandings And consider also that the Lords day was settled and constantly used in solemn worship by the Churches many and many years before any part of the New Testament was written and above threescore years before it was finished And when the Churches had so many years been in publick possession of it who would require that the Scriptures should after all make a Law to institute that which was instituted so long ago If you say that it might have declared the institution I answer so it hath as I have shewed there needing no other declaration but 1. Christs commission to the Apostles to order the Church and declare his commands 2. And his promise of infallible guidance therein 3. And the history of the Churches order and practice to shew de facto what they did And that history need not be written in Scripture for the Churches that then were no more than we need a revelation from Heaven to tell us thas the Lords day is kept in England And sure the next Age needed no supernatural testimony of it and therefore neither do we But yet it is occasionally oft intimated or expressed in the Scripture though on the by as that which was no further necessary So that I may well conclude that we have better historical evidence that the Lords day was actually observed by the Churches for their publick worship and profession of the Christian Faith than we have that ever there was such a man as William the Conquerour in England yea or King James much more than that there was a Caesar or Cicero 8. Moreover the very Office of the Pastors of the Church and their continuance from the beginning to this day is a great part of the certain tradition of this Religion For it is most certain that the Churches were constituted and the Assemblies held and the worship performed with them and by their conduct and not without And it is certain by infallible history that their office hath been still the same even to teach men this Christian Religion and to guide them in the practice of it and to read the same Scriptures as the word of truth and to explain it to the people And therefore as the Judicatures and Offices of the Judges is a certain proof that there have been those Laws by which they judge especially if they had been also the weekly publick Readers and Expounders of them and so much more is it in our case 9. And the constant use of the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ hath according to his appointment been an infallible tradition of his Covenant and a means to keep him in remembrance in the Churches For when all the Churches in the world have made this Sacramental Commemoration and renewed covenanting with Christ as dead and risen to be their constant publick practice here is a tradition of that faith and Covenant which cannot be counterfeit or false 10. To this we may add the constant use of Discipline in these Churches it having been their constant law and practice to enquire into the faith and lives of the members and to censure or cast out those that impenitently violated their Religion which sheweth that de facto that Faith and Religion was then received and is a means of delivering it down to us Under which we may mention 1. Their Synods and Officers 2. And their Canons by which this Discipline was exercised 11. Another tradition hath been the published confessions of their Faith and Râ—lâ—gâ—on in those Apologies which persecutions and calumnies have caused them to write 12. And another is all those published Confutations of the many heresies which in every age have risen up and all the controversies which the Churches have had with them and among themselves 13. And another is all the Treatises Sermons and other instructing writings of the Pastors of those times 14 And another way of tradition hath been by the testimony and sufferings of Confessors and Martyrs who have endured either torments or death in the defence and owning of this Religion In all which waies of tradition the doctrine and the matter were joyntly attested by them For the Resurrection of Christ which is part of the matter of fact was one of the Articles of their Creed which they suffered for And all of them received the holy Scriptures which declare the Apostles miracles and they received their faith as delivered by those Apostles with the confirmation of those miracles So that when they professed to believe the doctrine they especially professed to believe the history of the life and death of Christ and of his Apostles And the Religion which they suffered for and daily professed contained both And the historical Books called the Gospels were the chief part of the Scripture which they called The Word of God and the Records of the Christian Religion 15. To this I may add that all the ordinary prayers and praises of the Churches did continue the recital of much of this history and of the Apostles names and acts and were composed much in Scripture phrase which preserved the memory and professed the belief of all those things 16. And the festivals or other dayes which were kept in honourable commemoration of those Apostles and Martyrs was another way of keeping these things in memory Whether it were well done or not is not my present enquiry only I may say I cannot accuse it of any sin till it come to over-doing and ascribing too much to them But certainly it was a way of transmitting the memory of those things to posterity 17. Another hath been by the constant commemoration of the great works of Christ by the dayes or seasons of the year which were annually observed How far here also the Church did well or ill I now meddle
though we must not with Fanatical persons put first our own interpretation upon Gods works and then expound his Word by them but use his works as the fulfilling of his Word and expound his Providences by his Precepts and his Promises and Threats Direct 7. Mark well Gods inward works of Government upon the soul and you shall find it very agreeable to the Gospel There is a very great evidence of a certain Kingdom of God within us And as he is himself a Spirit so it is with the Spirit that he doth most apparently converse in the work of his moral Government in the world 1. There you shall find a Law of duty or an inward conviction of much of that obedience which you owe to God 2. There you shall find an inward mover striving with you to draw you to perform this duty 3. There you shall find the inward suggestions of an enemy labouring to draw you away from this duty and to make a godly life seem grievous to you and also to draw you to all the sins which Christ forbiddeth 4. There you shall find an inward conviction that God is your Judge and that he will call you to account for your wilful violations of the Laws of Christ 5. There you shall find an inward sentence past upon you according as you do good or evil 6. And there you may find the sorest Judgements of God inflicted which any short of Hell endure You may there find how God for sin doth first afflict the soul that is not quite forsaken with troubles and affrightments and some of the feeling of his displeasure And where that is long despised and men sin on still he useth to with hold his gracious motions and leave the sinner dull and senseless so that he can sin with sinful remorse having no heart or life to any thing that is spiritually good And if yet the sinner think not of his condition to repent he is usually so far forsaken as to be given up to the power of his most bruitish lust and to glory impudently in his shame and to hate and persecute the servants of Christ who would recover him till he hath filled up the measure of his sin and wrath be come upon him to the uttermost Ephes 4.18 19. 1 Thes 2.15 16. being abominable and disobedient and to every good work reprobate Titus 1.15 16. Besides the lesser penal withdrawings of the Spirit which Gods own servants find in themselves after some sins or neglects of grace 7. And there also you may find the Rewards of Love and faithful duty by many tastes of Gods acceptance and many comforts of his Spirit and by his owning the soul and giving out larger assistance of his Spirit and peace of conscience and entertainment in prayer and all approaches of the soul to God and sweeter forecasts of life eternal In a word if we did but note Gods dreadful Judgements on the souls of the ungodly in this age as well as we have noted our plagues and flames and if Gods servants kept as exact observations of their inward rewards and punishments and that in particulars as suited to their particular sins and duties you will see that Christ is King indeed and that there is a real Government according to his Gospel kept up in the consciences or souls of men though not so observable as the rewards and punishments at the last day Direct 8. Dwell not too much on sensual objects and let them not come too near your hearts Three things I here perswade you carefully to avoid 1. That you keep your hearts at a meet distance from all things in this world that they grow not too sweet to you nor too great in your esteem 2. That you gratifie not sense it self too much and live not in the pleasing of your taste or lust 3. That you suffer not your imaginations to run out greedily after things sensitive nor make them the too frequent objects of your thoughts You may ask perhaps what is all this to our faith why the life of faith is exercised upon things that are not seen And if you live upon the things that are seen and imprison your soul in the fetters of your concupiscence and fill your fancies with things of another nature how can you be acquainted with the life of faith Can a bird flye that hath a stone tyed to her foot Can you have a mind full of lust and of God at once Or can that mind that is used to these inordinate sensualities be fit to rellish the things that are spiritual And can it be a lover of earth and fleshly pleasures and also a Believer and lover of Heaven Direct 9. Vse your selves much to think and speak of Heaven and the invisible things of Faith Speaking of Heaven is needful both to express your thoughts and to actuate and preserve them And the often thoughts of Heaven will make the mind familiar there And familiarity will assist and encourage faith For it will much acquaint us with those reasons and inducements of faith which a few strange and distant thoughts will never reach to As he that converseth much with a learned wise or godly man will easilier believe that he is learned wise or godly than he that is a stranger to him and only now and then seeth him afar off So he that thinketh so frequently of God and Heaven till his mind hath contracted a humble acquaintance and familiarity must needs believe the truth of all that excellency which before he doubted of For doubting is the effect of ignorance And he that knoweth most here believeth best Falshood and evil cannot bear the light but the more you think of them and know them the more they are detected and ashamed But truth and goodness love the light and the better you are acquainted with them the more will your belief and love be increased Direct 10. Live not in the guilt of wilful sin For that will many waies hinder your belief 1. It will breed fear and horrour in your minds and make you wish that it were not true that there is a day of Judgement and a Hell for the ungodly and such a God such a Christ and such a life to come as the Gospel doth describe And when you take it for your interest to be an unbeliever you will hearken with desire to all that the Devil and Infidels can say And you will the more easily make your selves believe that the Gospel is not true by how much the more you desire that it should not be true 2. And you will forfeit the grace which should help you to believe both by your wilfull sin and by your unwillingness to believe For who can expect that Christ should give his grace to them who wilfully despise him and abuse it Or that he should make men believe who had rather not believe Indeed he may possibly do both these but these are not the way nor is it a thing which we can expect
agreed whether its acts should be called physical properly or not Nay they cannot tell what doth individuate an act of sense whether when my eye doth at once see many words and letters of my Book every word or letter doth make as many individual acts by being so many objects And if so whether the parts of every letter also do not constitute an individual act and where we shall here stop And must all these trifles be considered in our Faith Assenting to the truths is not one Faith unless when separated from the rest and consenting to the good another act Nor is it one Faith to believe the promise and another to believe the pardon of sin and another to believe salvation and another to believe in God and another to believe in Jesus Christ nor one to believe in Christ as our Ransom and another as our Intercessor and another as our Teacher and another as our King and another to believe in the Holy Ghost c. I deny not but some one of these may be separated from the rest and being so separated may be called Faith but not the Christian Faith but only a material parcel of it which is like the limb of a man or of a tree which cut off from the rest is dead and ceaseth when separated to be a part any otherwise than Logical a part of the description The Faith which hath the promise of salvation and which you must live by hath 1. God for the Principal Revealer and his Veracity for its formal object 2. It hath Christ and Angels and Prophets and Apostles for the sub-revealers 3. It hath the Holy Ghost by the divine attesting operations before described to be the seal and the confirmer 4. It hath the same Holy Ghost for the internal exciter of it 5. It hath all truths of known divine revelation and all good of known divine donation by his Covenant to be the material general object 6. It hath the Covenant of Grace and the holy Scriptures and formerly the voice of Christ and his Apostles or any such sign of the mind of God for the instrumental efficient cause of the object in esse cognito And also the instrumental efficient of the act 7. It hath the pure Deity God himself as he is to be known and loved inceptively here and perfectly in Heaven for the final and most necessary material object 8. It hath the Lord Jesus Christ entirely in all essential to him as God and Man and as our Redeemer or Saviour as our Ransome Intercessor Teacher and Ruler for the most necessary mediate material object 9. It hath the gifts of Pardon Justification the Spirit of Sanctification or Love and all the necessary gifts of the Covenant for the material never-final objects And all this is essential to the Christian Faith even to that Fath which hath the promise of pardon and salvation And no one of these must be totally left out in the definition of it if you would not be deceived It is Heresie and not the Christian Faith if it exclude any one essential part And if it include it not it is Infidelity And indeed there is such a connexion of the objects that there is no part in truth where there is not the whole And it is impiety if any one part of the offered good that is necessary be refused It is no true Faith if it be not a true composition of all these Direct 8. There is no nearer way to know what true Faith is than truly to understand what your Baptismal Covenanting did contain In Scripture phrase to be a Disciple a Believer and a Christian is all one Acts 11.26 Acts 5.14 1 Tim. 4.12 Matth. 10.42 27.57 Luke 14.26 27 33. Acts 21.16 Joh. 9.28 And to be a Believer and to have Belief or Faith is all one and therefore to be a Christian and to have Faith is all one Christianity signifieth either our first entrance into the Christian State or our progress in it As Marriage signifieth either Matrimony or the Conjugal State continued in In the latter sense Christianity signifieth more than Faith for more than Faith is necessary to a Christian But in the former sense as Christianity signifieth but our becoming Christians by our covenanting with God so to have Faith or to be a Believer and internally to become a Christian in Scripture sense is all one and the outward covenanting is but the profession of Faith or Christianity Not that the word Faith is never taken in a narrower sense or that Christianity as it is our heart-covenant or consent containeth nothing but Faith as Faith is so taken in the narrowest sense But when Faith is taken as ordinarily in Scripture for that which is made the condition of Justification and Salvation and opposed to Heathenism Infidelity Judaism or the works of the Law it is commonly taken in this larger sense Faith is well enough described to them that understand what is implyed by the usual shorter description as that it is a believing acceptance of Christ and relying on him as our Saviour or for salvation Or a belief of pardon and the heavenly Glory as procured by the Redemption wrought by Christ and given by God in the Covenant of Grace But the reason is because all the rest is connoted and so to be understood by us as if it were exprest in words But the true and full definition of it is this The Christian Faith which is required at Baptism and then professed and hath the promise of Justification and Glorification is a true Belief of the Gospel and an acceptance of and consent unto the Covenant of Grace Particularly a believing that God is our Creatour our Owner our Ruler and our Chief Good and that Jesus Christ is God and man our Saviour our Ransoms our Teacher and our King and that the Holy Ghost is the Sanctifier of the Church of Christ And it is an understanding serious consent that this God the Father Son and Holy Ghost be my God and reconciled Father in Christ my Saviour and my Sanctifier to justifie me sanctifie me and glorifie me in the perfect knowledge of God and mutual complacence in Heaven which belief and consent wrought in me by the Word and Spirit of Christ is grounded upon the Veracity of God as the chief Revealer and upon his Love and Mercy as the Donor and upon Christ and his Apostles as the Messengers of God and upon the Gospel and specially the Covenant of Grace as the instrumental Revelation and Donation it self And upon the many signal operations of the Holy Ghost as the divine infallible attestation of their truth Learn this definition and understand it throughly and it may prove a more solid useful knowledge to have the true nature of Faith or Christianity thus methodically printed on your minds than to read over a thousand volumes in a rambling and confused way of knowledge If any quarrel at this definition because the foundation is not first
the term from which and the former from the respect to part of the term to which the soul is moving And Faith is oft taken as containing somewhat of Love and Desire in it and he that will without any prejudice and partiality study Paul where he opposeth Faith and Works as to our Justification shall find by his almost constant naming the Works of the Law or by the context and analysis that indeed his chief meaning is to prove that we are justified by the Christian Religion and must be sâ—ved by it and not by the Jewish which the adversaries of Christianity then pleaded for and trusted to Direct 12. Set not the helps of Faith as if they were against Faith but understand their several places and offices and use them accordingly Do not like those ignorant self-conceited Hereticks who cry out It is by Believing and not by Repenting or Reading or Hearing Sermons or by Praying or by forbearing sin or by doing good that we are justified and therefore it is by Faith only that we are saved the same which is sufficient for our Justification being sufficient for our salvation seeing the Justified cannot be condemned and Justification and Salvation are both equally ascribed to Faith without the works of the Law by the Apostle For we are justified only by such a Faith as is caused by Gods Word and maintained and actuated by Hearing Reading Meditation Prayer and Sacraments and as is accompanied by Repentance and worketh by Love and is indeed the beholding of those invisible and glorious motives which may incite our Love and set us on good works and obedience to our Redeemer And he that by negligence omitteth or by errour excludeth any one of these in the Life of Faith will find that he hath erred against his own interest peace and comfort if not against his own salvation And that he might as wisely have disputed that it is his eyes only that must see his way and therefore he may travel without his legs Direct 13. Take heed left a misconceit of the certainty of some common Philosophical Opinions should make you stagger in those Articles of Faith which seem to contradict them Not that indeed any truths can be contrary one to another For that which is true in Philosophy is contrary to no one truth in Theology But Philosophers have deceived themselves and the world with a multitude of uncertainties and falsities and by straining them to subtil niceties and locking them up in uncouth terms have kept the common people from trying them and understanding them and thereby have made it their own prerogative explicitely to erre and the peoples duty not to contradict them but to admire that errour as profound parts of learning which they cannot understand And then their conclusions oft go for principles which must not be gainsayed when they are perhaps either false or non-sense And then when they meet with any thing in Scripture which crosseth their opinions the reputation of humane folly maketh them despise the wisdom of God I have given you elsewhere some instances about the immortality of the soul They know not what Generation is they do not know it nor what are the true principles and elements of mixt bodies nor what is the true dâ—fference between immaterial and material substances with an hundred such like And yet some expect that we should sacrifice the most certain useful truths to their false or uncertain useless suppositions which is the true reason why Paul saith Col. 2.8 9 10. Beware lest any man spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceit not true Philosophy which is the true knowledge of the works of God but the vain models which every Sect of them cryed up after the tradition of men that is the opinions of the Masters of their Sects after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily and ye are compleat in him See Act. 17.18 It is Christ who is the kernel and summary of the Christian Philosophy who is therefore called The Wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1.24 30. both because he is the heavenly Teacher of true Wisdom and because that true Wisdom consisteth in knowing him And indeed even in those times the several Sects of Philosophers accounted much of each others principles to be erroneous and the Philosophers of these times begin to vilifie them all and withall to confess that they have yet little of certainty to substitute in the room of the demolished Idols but they are about their experiments to try if any thing in time may be found out Direct 14. Especially take heed lest you be cheated into Infidelity by the Dominicans Metaphysical Doctrine of the necessity of Gods Physical predetermining promotion as the first total cause to the being of every action natural and free not only in genere actionis but also as respectively and comparatively exercised on this object rather than on that I add this only for the learned who are as much in danger of Infidelity as others and will use it to the greater injury of the truth I will meddle now with no other reasons of my advice but what the subject in hand requireth If God can and do thus premove and predetermine the mind will and tongue of every lyar in the world to every lye or material falshood which ever they did conceive or speak there will be no certainty of the Gospel nor of any Divine Revelation at all Seeing all such certainty is resolved into Gods Veracity that God cannot lye And God speaketh not to us by any but a created voice and if he can thus predetermine others to those words which are a lye rather than to the contrary which are true there would be no certainty but he may do so by Prophets and Apostles and let them tell you what they will of the greater certainty of Inspirations and Miracles than of Predeterminations it will be found upon tryal that no man can prove or make it so much as probable that any inspiration hath more of a Divine Causation than such a premoving predetermination as aforesaid doth amount to much less so much more as will prove that one is more certain than the other This Doctrine therefore which undeniably whatever may be wrangled taketh down Christianity and all belief of God or man is not to be believed meerly upon such a Philosophical conceit that every Action is a Being and therefore must in all its circumstances be caused by God As if God were not able to make a faculty which can determine its own comparative act to this rather than to that by his sustentation and universal precausation and concourse without the said predetermining premotion When as an Action as such is but a modus entis and the comparative exercise of it on this rather than on that is but a modus vel circumstantia modi And they leave no work for gracious determination because that natural determination doth
in or by Christ so that his very Attributes of Wisdom and Love and Holiness and Justice and Mercy c. which Christ came purposely to declare are by some denyed blasphemed or abused on pretence of extolling Christ and our Redemption as if we might sin that grace may abound Rom. 6.1 2. But if while we seek to be justified by Christ we our selves also are found sinners is therefore Christ the Minister of sin God forbid Gal. 2.17 Direct 3. Distinguish between the common and the special benefits of mans Redemption by Christ and see how the latter do suppose the former and set not these parts against each other which God in wisdom hath joyned together To pass by all other the great and notable common benefit is the conditional Covenant of grace or the conditional pardon of sin and gift of eternal life to all without exception John 3.16 Mark 16.15 16. Rom. 10.9 Mat. 6.14 15. Mat. 22.7 8 9. And this general conditional promise must be first preached and the preaching of this is the universal oâ— common call and offer of grace And it must be first believed as is before said But the actual belief of it according to its true intent and meaning doth prove our actual personal title to all the benefits which were before given but conditionally John 3.16 1 John 5.10 11 12. 2 Cor. 5.19 20 21. Direct 4. Accordingly judge how far Redemption is common or special by the common and special benefits procured For no man can deny but it is so far common as the benefits are common that is so far as to procure and give to sinners a common conditional pardon as aforesaid as Dr. Twisse very often taketh notice And no man can affirm that it is common to all so far as absolutely or eventually to give them actual pardon and salvation unless they dream that all are saved But that some eventually and infallibly are saved all confess And we had rather think that Christ and the good pleasure of God is the chief differencing cause than we our selves Direct 5. Set not the several parts of the Office of Christ against each other nor either depress or forget any one part while you magnifie and meditate only on the other It is most ordinary to reduce all the Office of Christ to the Prophetical Priestly and Kingly part For it is more proper to call them three parts of one Office than three Offices But it is hard to reduce his Incarnation or his infant-humiliation and his whole course of obedience and fulfilling the Law to any one or all of these totally Though in some respect as it is his example it is teaching and as it is part of his humiliation it may be called a part of his sacrifice yet as it is meritorious obedience and perfection it belongeth indeed to our High-Priest but not formally to his Priesthood No nor yet as he himself is the sacrifice for sin For it is not an act of Priesthood to be himself a sacrifice But yet I think the common destribution intimateth to us that sense which containeth the truth which we enquire after For the word Priesthood is applyed to Christ in a peculiar notion so as it is never applyed to any other and therefore is taken more comprehensively as including all that good which he doth for us as good by the way of Mediation with the Father and all his acts of Mediation with God as the Prophetical and Kingly parts contain his other acts toward men But yet a more plain and accurate destribution should be made in which it should be manifested also to what heads his many other assumed titles of Relation are to be reduced But this is not a work for this place But that which now I advise you to avoid iâ— the errour of them who look so much at Christs Mediation with God that they scarce observe his work with man And the errour of them who look so much at his work on man that they overlook his Mediation with God And theirs that so observe hâ—s sacrifice as to make light of his continual intercession or that observing both make light of his doctrine and example Or that observe these so much as to make light of his sacrifice and intercession Or that extol his doctrine and example and overlook his giving of the Spirit to all his living members Or that cannot magnifie any one of these without depressing or extenuating some other If Christs Kingdom be not divided Mat. 12.25 sure Christ himself is not divided nor his works 1 Cor. 1.13 Direct 6. Still distinguish between Christs work of Redemption which he hath already wrought on earth to constitute him our Mediatory Head and that which he was further to do for us in that Relation that you may ground your faith on the first as a foundation laid by him and may seek after the second as that which requireth somewhat from your selves to your own participation The first part is commonly called the Impetration the second the Application or rather the Communication As God did first do himself the work of Creation and thence result his Relations of our Owner our Ruler and our Chief Good or our Love or End or Benefactor so Christ first doth the works which make him our Redeemer towards God and then he is also our Owner our Ruler and our communicative Benefactor hereupon And this seemeth intimated by those phrases Heb. 5.8 2.9 10. where he is said to learn obedience by the things which he suffered that is as a subjâ—ct exercised obedience and so learnt to know by experience what obeying is And that the Captain of our salvation was made perfect by sufferings and for suffering death was crowned with glory because his sufferings did constitute him a perfect Captain or Redeemer in performance though before he was perfect in ability As he that undertaketh to redeem some Turkish gally-slaves by conquering their Navy is made a perfect Redeemer or Conquerour when he hath taken the fleet though yet the prisoners are in his power to release them on such terms at seem best to him And as a man is a perfect Chirurgeon when besides his skill he is furnished with all his instruments or salves how costly soever though yet the cure is not done Or as he that hath ransomed prisoners is a perfect Ransomer when he hath paid the price though yet they are not delivered nor have any actual right themselves to claim deliverance by I here mention this because the building upon that foundation which is supposed to be already laid and finished and the seeking of the further salvation which yet we have no possession of nor perhaps any title to are works so very different that he that doth not discern the difference cannot exercise the Christian faith Because it is to be necessarily exercised by two such different acts or different waies of acting and applying our selves to our Redeemer Direct 7. Still think of Christs nearness
be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Prov. 8.17 I love them that love me John 14.15 If ye love me keep my Commandments and I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever John 16.27 The Father himself loveth you because ye have loved me and believed 17. Promises to them that love the godly and that are merciful and do the works of love John 13.35 By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one to another Gal. 5.6 13 22. In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love By love serve one another for all the Law is fulfilled in one word in this Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self The fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness Against such there is no Law Heb. 6.10 God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love 1 John 3.14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren 18. My little children lâ—t us not love in word nor tongue but in deed and in truth And hereby we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him 1 John 4.7 Beloved let us love one another for love is of God and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God v. 16. God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him v. 12. If we love one another God dwelleth in us and his love is perfected in us 2 Cor. 9.7 God loveth a chearful giver v. 6. He that soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully Mat. 5.7 Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy Matth. 10.41 42. He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous mans reward And whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a Disciple verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose his reward Matth. 25.34 40 46. Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom Verily I say unto you in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me The righteous shall go into life eternal Heb. 13.16 But to do good and to communicate forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased Phil. 4.17 I desire fruit which may abound to your account 2 Cor. 9.9 As it is written He hath dispersed abroad he hath given to the poor his righteousness remaineth for ever 18. Promises to the poor and needy Christians Matth. 6.30 32 33. If God so clothe the grass of the field which to day is and to morrow is cast into the Oven 〈◊〉 he not much more clothe 〈◊〉 O ye of little faith Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to you Heb. 13.5 Let your conversations be without covetousness and be content with such things as ye have for he hath said I will never fail thee nor forsake thee James 2.5 Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom Psal 34.10 They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing Psal 23.1 The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want Psal 4.19 My God shall supply all your need Phil. 4.11 12 13 I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need Psal 9.18 The needy shall not alway be forgotten the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever 19. Promises to the oppressed and wronged Christian Psal 12.5 6 7. For the oppression of the poor and for the sighing of the needy now will I arise saith the Lord I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him Thou shalt keep them O Lord thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever Psal 35.10 All my bones shall say Lord who is like unto thee which deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him yea the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him Psal 40.17 But I am poor and needy yet the Lord thinketh on me thou art my helper and deliverer Psal 42.2 4 12 13. He shall judge thy people with righteousness and thy poor with judgement He shall judge the poor of the people he shall save the children of the needy and shall break in pieces the oppressor For he shall deliver the needy when he cryeth the poor also and him that hath no helper He shall spare the poor and needy and shall save the souls of the needy He shall redeem their souls from deceit and violence and precious â—â—all their blood be in his sight Psal 113.7 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill See Isa 25.3 4 5. 14.30 Zech. 9.8 Isa 51.13 Eccles 5.8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor and violent perverting of judgement and justice in a Province marvel not at the matter for he that is higher than the highest regardeth and there be higher than they 20. Promises to the persecuted who suffer for righteousness Matth. 5.10 11 12. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you Matth. 10.28 29 30 31 32. Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul Are not two Sparrows sold for a farthing and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father But the very hairs of your head are all numbered Fear you not therefore ye are of more value than many Sparrows Whosoever shall confess me before men him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven v. 39. He that loseth his life for my sake shall find it Matth. 19.29 And every one that hath forsaken houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my Names sake shall receive an hundred-fold and shall inherit everlasting life 2 Thes 1.4 5 6. Your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations which ye suffer is a manifest token of the righteous judgement of God that ye may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God for which ye
also suffer seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest with us when Christ shall come to be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that believe Acts 9.4 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Read Rom. 8.28 to the end Rev. 2. 3d. Heb. 11. 12. 1 Cor. 10.13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it 2 Tim. 2.9 10 11 12. I suffer trouble as an evil doer unto bonds but the Word of God is not bound I endure all things for the Elects sake It is a faithful saying For if we be dead with him we shall also live with him If we suffer we shall also reign with him Rom. 8.17 18. If so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory ready to be revealed on us 2 Cor. 4.17 For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding eternal weight of glory 1 Pet. 3.14 15. But if ye suffer for righteousness sake happy are ye and be not afraid of their terrour neither be troubled Read 1 Pet. 4.12 13 14 15 16 18 19. Rom. 5.1 2 3 4. 1 Pet. 5.10 The God of all grace who hath called us to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus after ye have suffered a while make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you 21. Promises to the faithful in dangers daily and ordinary or extraordinary Psal 34.7 The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them v. 17. The righteous cry and the Lord heareth and delivereth them out of all their troubles v. 19 20 22. Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all He keepeth all his bones nor one of them is broken The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate Psal 91.1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the tabernacle of the Almighty v. 2 3. I will say to the Lord He is my refuge and my fortress my God in him will I trust Surely he will deliver thee from the snare of the fowler and from the noisome Pestilence v. 5. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terrour by night v. 11 12 For he shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy waies They shall bear thee up in their hands lest thou dash thy foot against a stone Read the whole Psal 121.2 3 4 5 6 7 8. My help cometh from the Lord which made Heaven and Earth He will not suffer thy foot to be moved he that keepeth thee will not slumber The Lord is thy keeper the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil he shall preserve thy soul The Loâ—d shall preserve thy going out and coming in from this time forth and even for ever more Psal 145.20 The Lord preserveth all them that love him Psal 31.23 97.10 116.6 Prov. 2.8 Isa 43.2 When thou passest thorow the waters I will be with thee 1 Pet. 5.7 Casting all your care on him for he careth for you 22. Promises fâ—r help against Temptations to believers 1 Cor. 10.13 before cited 2 Pet. 2.9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations Compare Matth. 4. where Christ was tempted even to worship the Devil c. with Heb. 4.15 2.18 For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are without sin Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things God-ward for us For in that he himself hath suffered bâ—ing tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted James 1.2 My Brethren count it all ioy when ye fall into divers temptations that is by sufferings for Christ v. 12. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tryed he shall receive the Crown of life 2 Cor. 12.9 My grace is sufficient for thee My strength is made perfect in weakness Phil. 4.13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me 1 Pet. 5.9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith with v. 10. James 4.7 Resist the Devil and he will flee from you Eph. 6.10 11 c. Rom. 6.14 For sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace John 16.33 Be of good cheer I have overcome the world 1 John 5.4 This is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith 23. Promises to them that overcome and persevere Rev. 2.7 To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God V. 11. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death V. 17. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna and will give him a white stone c. V. 10. Be faithful unto death and I will give thee a Crown of life V. 26 28 He that overcometh and keepeth my words unto the end to him will I give power over the Nations and he shall rule them with a Rod of Iron Even as I received of my Father and I will give him the morning star Rev. 3 5. He that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white rayment and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life but I will confess his name before my Father and before his Angels V. 12. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the Temple of my God and he shall go no more out And I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the City of my God New Jerusalem which cometh down out of Heaven from my God and my new name V. 21. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit down with me on my Throne even as I overcame and am set down with my Father on his Throne John 8.31 If ye continue in my word then are ye my Disciples indeed and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free Col. 1.22 23. To present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel John 15.7 If ye abide in me and my words abide in you ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you Matth. 10.22 He that endureth to the end shall be
28.19 20. Go and Disciple all Nations baptizing them c. Rom. 4.16 That the promise might be sure to all the seed And 9.8 The children of the Promise are counted for the seed Matth. 19.13 14. Jesus said suffer little children and forbid them not to come unto me for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven 27. Promises to the Church of its increase and preservation and perfection Rev. 11.15 The Kingdoms of the world are become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ Luke 1.33 He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end Matth. 13.31 33. The Kingdom of Heaven is like to a grain of Mustard-seed which a man took and sowed in his field which is indeed the least of all seeds but when it is grown it is the greatest among herbs and becometh a tree so that the birds of the air lodge in the branches of it The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto leven which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till the whole was levened John 12.32 And I if I be lifted up will draw all men unto me Dan. 2.44 In the daies of these Kings shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed and the Kingdom shall not be left to other people but it shall break in pieces and consume all these Kingdoms and it shall stand for ever Matth. 16.18 Upon this Rock will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it Ephes 4.12 16. For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ that henceforth we may be no more children tossed to and fro and carryed about with every wind of Doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lye in wait to deceive but speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things who is the head Christ from whom the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the body to the edifying of it self in Love Ephes 5.25 26 27. Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish Read Rev. 21 22. Matth. 28.20 Lo I am with you to the end of the world Matth. 24.14 And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness to all Nations and then shall the end come Matth. 21.44 Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken but on whomsoever it shall fall it will grind him to powder The obscure Prophetick passages I pass by So much for living by Faith on the Promises of God CHAP. VI. How Faith must be exercised on Gods Threatnings and Judgments THE exercise of Faith upon Gods Threatnings and Judgments must be guided by such rules and helps as these Direct 1. Think not either that Christ hath no Threatning penal Laws or that there are none which are made for the use of Believers If there were no penalties or penal Laws there were no distinguishing Government of the world This Antinomian fancy destroyeth Religion And if there be threats or penal Laws none can be expected to make so much use of them as true Believers 1. Because he that most believeth them must needs be most affected with them 2. Because all things are for them and for their benefit and it is they that must be moved by them to the fear of God and an escaping of the punishment And therefore they that object that Believers are passed already from death to life and there is no condemnation to them and they are already justified and therefore have no use of threats or fears do contradâ—ct themselves For it wâ—ll rather follow Therefore they and they only do and will faithfully use the threatnings in godly fears For 1. Though they are justified and passed from death to life they have ever faith in order of nature before their Justification and he that believeth not Gods threatnings with fear hath no true Faith And 2. They have ever inherent Righteousness or Sanctification with their Justification And this Faith is part of that holiness and of the life of grace which they are passed into For this is life eternal to know the only true God and Jesus Christ John 17.3 And he knoweth not God who knoweth him not to be true And this is part of our knowledge of Christ also to know him as the infallible Author of our Faith that is of the Gospel which saith not only He that believeth and is baptiz'd shall be saved but also He that believeth not shall be damned Mark 16.16 And this is the record which God gave of his Son which he that believeth not maketh him a lyar that God hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 John 5.12 Yea as he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life so he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him John 3.36 And therefore 3. The reason why there is no condemnation to us is because believing not part only but all this Word of Christ we fly from sin and wrath and are in Christ Jesus as giving up our selves to him and walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit being moved so to do both by the promises and threats of God This is plain English and plain and necessary truth the greater is the pitty that many honest well-meaning Antinomians should fight against it on an ignorant conceit of vindicating Free Grace If the plain Word of God were not through partiality over-lookt by them they might see enough to end the controversie in many and full expressions of Scripture I will cite but three more Matth. 10.28 and Luke 12.5 But fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell or when he hath killed hath power to cast into Hell yea I say unto you fear him Doth Christ thus iterate that it is he that saith it and saith it to his Disciples and yet shall a Christian say it must not be preached to Disciples as the Word of Christ to them Hâ—b 4.1 Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest any of you should seem to come short of it Heb. 11.7 By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet that is of the deluge
moved with fear prepared an Ark to the saving of his house by the which be condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith Note here how much the belief of Gods threatnings doth to the constitution of that faith which is justifying and saving Direct 2. Judge not of Gods threatnings by the evil which is threatned but by the obedience to which the threatnings should drive us and the evil from which they would preserve us and the order of the world which they preserve and the wisdom and holiness and justice of God which they demonstrate When men think how dreadful a misery Hell is they are ready to think hardly of God both for his threatning and execution as if it were long of him and not of themselves that they are miserable And as it is a very hard thing to think of the punishment it self with approbation so is it also to think of the threatning or Law which binds men over to it or of the Judgement which will pass the sentence on them But think of the true nature use and benefits of these threats or penaâ— Laws and true reason and faith will not only be reconciled to them but see that they are to be loved and honoured as well as feared 1. They are of great use to drive us to obedience And it is easier to see the amiableness of Gods commands than of his threats And obedience to these commands is the holy rectitude health and beauty of the soul And therefore that which is a suitable and needful means to promote obedience is amiable and beneficial to us Though Love must be the principle or chief spring of our obedience yet he that knoweth not that Fear must drive as Love must draw and is necessary in its place to joyn with Love or to do that which the weaknesses of Love leave undone doth neither know what a man is nor what Gods Word is nor what his Government is nor what either Magistracy or any civil or domestical Government is and therefore should spend many years at School before he turneth a disputer 2. They are of use to keep up order in the world which could not be expected if it were not for Gods threatnings If the world be so full of wickedness rapine and oppressions notwithstanding all the threatnings of Hell what could we expect it should be if there were none such but even as the suburbs of Hell it self When Princes and Lords and Rich men and all those thieves and rebels that can but get strength enough to defend themselves and all that can but hide their faults would be under no restraints considerable but would do all the evil that they have a mind to do Men would be worse to one another than Bears and Tygers 3. Gods threatnings in their primary intention or use are made to keep us from the punishment threatned Punishment is naturally due to evil doers And God declareth it to give us warning that we may take heed avoid it and escape 4. That which doth so clearly demonstrate the Holiness of God in his righteous Government his Wisdom and his Justice is certainly good and amiable in it self But we must not expect that the same thing should be good and amiable to the wicked who run themselves into it which is good to the world or to the just about them or to the honour of God Assizes Prisons and Gallows are good to the Country and to all the innocent to preserve their peace and to the honour of the King and his Government but not to murderers thieves or rebels Isa 26.7 8 9. Psal 48.11 9.16 89.14 97.2 149.9 146.7 37.6 28. Jude 6. 15. Rev. 4.7 15.4 16.7 19.2 Eccles 12.14 Direct 3. Judge of the severity of Gods threatnings partly by the greatness of himself whom we offend and partly by the necessity of them for the Government of the world 1. Remember that sinning wilfully against the infinite Majesty of Heaven and refusing his healing mercy to the last deserveth worse than any thing against a man can do 1 Sam. 2.25 2. And remember that even the threatning of Hell doth not serve turn with most of the world to keep them from sinning and despising God and therefore you cannot say that they are too great For that plaister draweth not too strongly which will not draw out the thorn If Hell be not terrible enough to perswade you from sin it is not too terrible to be threatned and executed He that should say Why will God make so terrible a Law and withall should say As terrible as it is I will venture on it rather than leave my pleasures and rather than live a holy life doth contradict himself and telleth us that the Law is not terrible enough to attain its chief and primary end with such as he that will not be moved by it from the most sordid base or bruitish pleasure Direct 4. Remember how Christ himself even when he came to deliver us from Gods Law did yet come to verifie his threatning in the matter of it and to be a sacrifice for sin and publick demonstration of Gods Justice For this end was Christ manifested to destroy the works of the Devil 1 John 3.5 8. And the first and great work of the Devil was to represent God as a lyar and to perswade Eve not to believe his threatnings and to tell her that though she sinned she should not die And though God so far dispensed with it as to forgive man the greatest part of the penalty it was by laying it on his Redeemer and making him a sacrifice to his Justice that his Cross might openly confute the Tempter and assure the world that God is just and that the wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23 though eternal life be the gift of God through Jesus Christ And he that well considereth this that the Son of God would rather stoop to sufferings and death than the Dâ—vils reproach of Gods threatnings should be made true and than the Justice of God against sin should not be manifested will sure never think that this Justice is any dishonour to the Almighty Direct 5. Let this be your use of the threatnings of God to drive you from sin to more careful obedience and to help you against the defects of love and to set them against every temptation when you are assaulted by it When a tempting bait is set before you set Hell against it as well as Heaven and say Can I take this cup this whore this preferment this gain of Judas with Hell for my part instead of Heaven If men threaten death imprisonment or any other penalty or if losses or reproaches be like by men to be made your reward remember that God threatneth Hell and ask whether this be not the most intollerable suffering And if any Antinomian revile you for thus doing and say You should set only Free Grace before you to keep you
from sinning and not hell and damnation Tell him that it is Christ the Mediatour of Free Grace which hath set Hell before you in the Scripture and not you And that you do but consider of that which Christ hath set there before you to be considered of Ask them whether it be not God that prepared hell for the Devil and his Angels and Christ himself that will adjudge all impenitent sinners to it Matth. 25. And ask them why Christ doth so often talk of it in the Gospel Matth. 13. of the worm that never dyeth and the fire that never shall be quenched Luke 19.27 Mark 16.16 John 3.36 2 Thes 1.8 9. c. And whether they know why Fear was given to man and whether Christ mistook in all such commands Luke 12.4 Heb. 11.7 Heb. 4.1 And whether God hath made any part of his Laws in vain If they say that the Law was not made for a righteous man 1 Tim. 1.9 Tell them that the words are expounded Gal. 5.23 Against such there is no Law The Law was not made to condemn and punish a righteous man because he feared the threatning of it and so fell not under the condemnation If you speak of the Law of Christ or any Law which supposeth the subject righteous There is no Law can be pleaded against such to their damnation That there is no Law against them is but as Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them And we grant also that in that measure as mens souls are habituated with love to God and duty and hatred of sin they need no Law to urge and threaten them no more than a loving wife need to have a Law to forbid her murdernig her husband or abusing him But withall we know that no man on earth is perfect in the degrees of Love and therefore all need Laws and fear Use all Gods penal Laws to the ends that he appointed them to quicken you in your obedience and restrain you from yielding to temptations and from sinning and then your own benefit will reconcile you to the Wisdom Holiness and Justice of the Laws Direct 6. Remember that all Christians have solemnly professed their own consent to the threats and punishments of the Gospel Though God will punish sinners whether they consent or not and though none consent to the execution upon themselves when it comes to it yet all that profess Christianity do profess their consent to the condemning as well as to the justifying part of Gods Word For every Christian professeth his consent to be governed by Christ and therefore he professeth his consent to be governed by Christs Laws For if Christ be a King he must have Laws and if he govern us at all he governeth us by Laws And this is Christs Law He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned Mark 16.16 He that professeth to be governed by Christ professeth his consent to be governed by this very Law and therefore he professeth his consent to be damned if he believe not Christ told you that you must consent to both parts or to neither and will you grudge at the severity of that Law which you have professed your consent to The curses of the Covenant Deut. 29.21 were to be repeated to the people of Israel and they were expresly to say Amen to each of them For life and death were set before them blessings and cursings Deut. 30.1 19. and not life and blessings alone And so the Gospel which we are to believe containeth though principally and eminently the Promises yet secondarily also the threatnings of Hell to impenitent unbelievers And our consent doth speak our approbation Direct 7. Observe that the belief of Christs threatnings of damnation to impenitent unbelievers is a real part of the Christian saving Faith and that when ever it is joyned with a true love and desire after holiness it certainly proveth that the Promises also are believed though the party think that he doth not believe them Note here 1. That I do not say that all belief or fear of Gods threatnings is saving Faith But 2. That all saving Faith containeth such a belief of the threatnings 3. And that many times poor Christians who believe and tremble at the threatnings do truly believe the Promises and yet mistake and verily think that they do not believe them 4. But their mistake may certainly be manifested if their Faith do but work by a love and desire after holiness and the fruition of God For 1. It is evident that the same Gospel which saith He that believeth shall be saved doth say He that believeth not shall be damned Therefore the same faith believeth both 2. It is plain that the same formal object of faith which is Gods Veracity will bring a man to believe one as well as the other if he equally know it to be a divine revelation He that believeth that All that God saith is true and then believeth that God saith that All true Believers shall be saved must needs believe that this Promise is true And he that understandeth that Christ saith Vnbelievers shall be damned cannot but find also that he saith True Believers shall be saved And if he believe the one because it is the word of Christ he doth sure believe the other because it is the word of Christ 3. Yea it is in many respects harder to believe Gods threatnings than his promises partly because sinners are more unwilling that they should be true and they have more enmity to the threatning than to the promise and partly because they commonly feign God to be such as they would have him be Psal 50. Thou thoughtest I was such a one as thy self c. And partly because Gods Goodness being known to be his very essence and all men being apt to judge of Goodness by the measure of their own interest it is far more obvious and facil to mans understanding to conclude that some are saved than that some are damned and that the penitent believers are saved than that the impenitent unbelievers are damned We hear daily how easily almost all men are brought to believe that God is merciful and how hard it is to perswade them of his damning Justice and severity Therefore he that can do the harder is not unlike to do the easier And indeed it is meer ignorance of the true nature of faith which maketh those whom I am now describing to think that they do not believe Gods Promises when they believe his Threatnings They think that because they believe not that they themselves are pardoned justified and shall be saved that therefore they believe not the promise of God But this is not the reason but it is because you find not the condition of the promise yet in your selves and therefore think that you have no part in the benefits But its one thing to doubt of your own sincerity and another thing to doubt whether the promise of God be
and the everlasting miseries of the damned in Hell being the due effects or punishment of sin are the second cause of our necessity of pardon And therefore these also must be thought on seriously by him that will seriously believe in Christ 4. The Law of God which we have broken maketh this punishment our due Rom. 3. 5. 7. And the Justice of God is engaged to secure his own honour in the honour of his Law and Government Direct 2. Vnderstand well what Christ is and doth for the Justification of a sinner and how not one only but all the parts of his office are exercised hereunto In the dignity of his person and perfect original holiness of his natures divine and humane he is fitly qualified for his work of our Justification and Salvation His undertaking which is but the Divine Decree did from eternity lay the foundation of all but did not actually justifie any His Promise Gen. 3.15 and his new Relation to mâ—â— thereupon did that to the Fathers in some degree which his after-incarnation and performance and his Relation thereupon doth now to us His perfect Obedience to the Law yea to that Law of Mediation also peculiar to himself which he performed neither as Priest or Prophet or King but as a subject was the meritorious cause of that Covenant and Grace which justifieth us and so of our Justification And that which is the meritorious cause here is also usually called the material as it is that matter or thing which meriteth our Justification and so is called Our Righteousness it self As he was a sacrifice for sin he answered the ends of the Law which we violated and which condemned us as well as if we had been all punished according to the sense of the Law And therefore did thereby satisfie the Law-giver and thereby also merited our pardon and Justification so that his Obedience as such and his Sacrifice or whole humiliation as satisfactory by answering the ends of the Law are conjunctly the meritorious cause of our Justification His New Covenant which in Baptism is made mutual by our expressed consent is a general gift or act of oblivion or pardon given freely to all mankind on condition they will believe and consent to it or accept it so that it is Gods pardoning and adopting instrument And all are pardoned by it conditionally and every penitent Believer actually and really And this Covenant or Gift is the effect of the foresaid merit of Christ both founded and sealed by his blood As he merited this as a mediating subject and sacrifice so as our High Priest he offered this sacrifice of himself to God And as our King he being the Law-giver to the Church did make this Covenant as his Law of grace describing the terms of life and death And being the Judge of the world doth by his sentence justifie and condemn men as believers or unbelievers according to this Covenant And also executeth his sentence accordingly partly in this life but fully in the life to come As our Teacher and the Prophet or Angel of the Covenant he doth declare it as the Fathers will and promulgate and proclaim this Covenant and conditional Pardon and Justification to the world and send out his Embassadours with it to beseech men in his Name to be reconciled to God and to declare yea and by sacramental investiture to seal and deliver a Pardon and actual Justification to Believers when they consent And as our Mediating High Priest now in the Heavens he presenteth our necessity and his own righteousnesses and sacrifice as his meritâ— for the continual communication of all this grace by himself as the Head of the Church and Administrator of the Covenant So that Christ doth justifie us both as a subject meriting as a sacrifice meriting as a Priest offering that sacrifice as a King actually making the Justifying Law or enacting a general Pardon as a King sententially and executively justifying as a Prophet or Angel of the Covenant promulgating it as King and Prophet and Priest delivering a sealed Pardon by his Messengers And as the Priest Head and Administrator communicating this with the rest of his benefits By which you may see in what respects Christ must be believed in to Justification if Justifying Faith were as it is not only the receiving him as our Justifier It would not be the receiving him as in one part of his office only Direct 3. Vnderstand rightly how far it is that the righteousness of Christ himself is made ours or imputed to us and how far not There are most vehement controversies to this day about the Imputation of Christs Righteousness in which I know not well which of the extreams are in the greater errour those that plead for it in the mistaken sense or those that plead against it in the sober and right sense But I make no doubt but they are both of them damnable as plainly subverting the foundation of our faith And yet I do not think that they will prove actually damning to the Authors because I believe that they misunderstand their adversaries and do not well understand themselves and that they digest not and practise not what they plead for but digest and practise that truth which they doctrinally subvert not knowing the contrariety which if they knew they would renounce the errour and not the truth And I think that many a one that thus contradicteth fundamentals may be saved Some there be besides the Antinomians that hold that Christ did perfectly obey and satisfie not in the natural but in the civil or legal person of each sinner that is elect representing and bearing as many distinct persons as are elect so fully as that God doth repute every Elect person or say others every Believer to be one that in Law sense did perfectly obey and satisfie Justice himself and so imputeth Christs Righteousness and satisfaction to us as that which was reputatively or legally of our own performance and so is ours not only in its effects but in it self Others seeing the pernicious consequences of this opinion deny all imputed Righteousness of Christ to us and write many reproachful volumes against it as you may see in Thorndikes last works and Dr. Gell and Parker against the Assembly and abundance more The truth is Christ merited and satisfied for us in the person of a Mediator But this Mediator was the Head and Root of all Believers and the second Adam the fountain of spiritual life and the Surety of the New Covenant Heb. 7.22 1 Cor. 15.22 45. and did all this in the nature of man and for the sake and benefit of man suffering that we might not suffer damnation but not obeying that we might not obey but suffering and obeying that our sinful imperfection of obedience might not be our ruine and our perfect obedience might not be necessary to our own Justification or Salvation but that God might for the sake and merit of this his perfect obedience and
for us Errour 6. That the Elect are justified from eternity say some or from Christs death before they were born say others or before they believed say others Against this I have said enough in many Volumes heretofore Errour 7. That Faith justifieth only in the Court of our own Consciences by making us to know that we were justified before Against this also I have said enough elsewhere Errour 8. That sins to come not yet committed are pardoned in our first Justification Contr. Sins to come are no sins and no sins have no actual pardon but only the certain remedy is provided which will pardon their sins as soon as they are capable Errour 9. Justification is not a making us just but a sentence pronouncing us just Contr. Justification is a word of so many significations that he that doth not first tell what he meaneth by it will not be capable of giving or receiving satisfaction And here once for all I must intreat the Reader that loveth not confusion and errour to distinguish of these several sorts of Justification as the chief which we are to note Justification is either publick by a Governour or private by an equal or meer Discerner Justification is by God or by Man Justification by God is either as he is Law-giver and above Laws or as he is Judge according to his Laws In the first way God maketh us just by his Act of Oblivion or pardoning Law or Covenant of Grace In the second respect God doth two waies justifie and forgive 1. As a determining Judge 2. As the Executioner of his Judgement In the former respect God doth two waies justifie us 1. By esteeming us just 2. By publick sentencing us just As Executioner he useth us as just and as so judged I pass by here purposely all Christs Justification of us by way of apology or plea and all Justification by witnesses and evidences c. and all the constitutive causes of our Righteousness lest I hinder them whom I would help by using more distinctions than they are willing to learn But these few are necessary 1. It is one thing for God to make us Righteous by forgiving all our sins of commission and omission for the sake of Christs satisfaction and obedience 2. It is another thing for God to esteem us to be so Righteous when he hath first made us so 3. It is another for God to sentence us Righteous as the Publick Judge by Jesus Christ 4. And it is another thing for God to take off all penalties and evils and to give us all the good which belong to the Righteous and so to execute his own Laws and Sentence And he that will not distinguish of these senses or sorts of Justification shall not dispute with me And while I am upon this I will give the Reader these two remarks and counsels 1. That he will not in disputing about Justification with any sect begin the dispute of the Thing till he hath first determined and agreed of their sense of the Word And that he will not confound the Controversies de nomine about the word with those de re about the matter And that he will remember in citing texts of Scripture that Beza and many of our best Expositors do grant to the Papists as I heard Bishop Vsher also do that some texts of Scripture do take the word Justifie as they do for Pardon and Sanctification conjunctly As Titus 3.7 1 Cor. 6.11 Rom. 8.30 three famous texts of which see Le Blank at large in his Thes de nom Justific If the controversie be only of the sense of a Text handle it accordingly If of the matter turn it not to words 2. Note this Observation that Sanctification it self or the giving us the Spirit is a great act though I say not the only of executive Justification The with-holding of the Spirit is the greatest punishment inflicted in this life and therefore the giving of the Spirit is the removal or executive remiting of the greatest penalty So that if pardon were only as Dr. Twisse thought a non-punire a not punishing then this were the most proper as well as plenary pardon in this life But the truth is that our Pardon and Justification in Right goeth first which God effecteth by his Covenant-gift And then God esteemeth us just or pardoned when by pardon he hath made us just and if there be any sentence or any thing equivalent before the day of Judgement or death he next sentenceth us Just and lastly he useth us as just that is as pardoned all sins of omission and commission which is by taking off all punishment both of pain or sense and loss of which part the giving of his Spirit is the chief act on this side our Glorification Note therefore that thus far no Protestant can deny to the Papists nor will do that Sanctification and Justification are all one that is that God having pardoned us de jure doth pardon us executively by giving us his forfeited Spirit and Grace and by all the communion which we have after with him and the comfort which we have from him And further let it be well noted that the nature of this executive Pardon or Justification of which read Mr. Hotchkis at large is far better known to us than the nature of Gods sentential Pardon and Justification and therefore there is less controversie about it For what it is to forbear or take off a punishment is easily understood But though most Protestants say that Justification is a sentence of God they are not agreed what that sentence is Some think truly that our first Justification by Faith is but a virtual sentence of the Law of Grace by which we must be judged Others say that by a sentence is meant Gods secret mental estimation Others say that as Angels are his executioners so it is before them where joy is said to be for a sinners conversion Luke 15. that doth declare and sentence us pardoned and just Others think that there is no sentence but Gods notification of pardon to our consciences or giving us the sense or knowledge of it Others think that there is no sentence till death or publick Judgment Others say that God doth sentence us just though we know not where nor how And Mr. Lawson noteth that as all confess that God hath no voice but a created voice and therefore useth not words as we unless what Christ as man may do in that we know not so his sentence is nothing but his declaration that he esteemeth us pardoned and just in title which is principally if not only by his execution and taking off all penalties of sense and loss and using us as pardoned in title and so that the giving of his Spirit is his very sentence of Justification in this life as it is his declaration as aforesaid And doubtless executive pardon is the most perfect and compleat as being the end and perfection of all the rest Therefore God maketh
his due And that every good man and every good action deserveth praise that is to be esteemed such as it is And that there is also a comparative merit and a not meriting evil As a Believer may be said not to deserve damnation by the Covenant of Grace but only by or according to the Law of Nature or Works But to pass from the word merit which I had rather were quite disused because the danger is greater than the benefit the thing signified thus by it is past all dispute viz. that whatever duty God hath promised a Reward to that duty or work is Rewardable according to the tenour of that promise And they that deny this deny Gods Laws and Government and Judgement and his Covenant of Grace and leave not themselves one promise for faith to rest upon So certainly would all these persons be damned if God in mercy did not keep them from digesting their own errours and bringing them into practice Errour 47. God is pleased with us only for the righteousness of Christ and not for any thing in our selves Contr. This is sufficiently answered before He blasphemeth God who thinketh that he is no better pleased with holiness than with wickedness with well doing than with ill doing They that are in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8.6 7. but the spiritual and obedient may Without faith it is impossible to please him because unbelievers think not that he is a Rewarder and therefore will not seek his reward aright But they that will please him must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11.6 They forget not to do good and distribute because with such sacrifices God is well pleased Heb. 13. And in a word it is the work of all their lives to labour that whether living or dying they may be accepted of him 2 Cor. 5.8 9. and to 〈◊〉 â—uch and to do those things as are pleasing in his sight Nay 〈◊〉 add that as the glory of God that is the glorious demonstâ—â—â—ion or appearance of himself in his works is materially the ultimate end of man so the pleasing of himself in this his glory shining in his Image and Works is the very apex or highest formal notion of this ultimate end of God and of man as far as is within our reach No mans works please God out of Christ both because they are unsound and bad in the spring and end and because their faultiness is not pardoned But in Christ the persons and duties of the godly are pleasing to God because they have his Image and are sincerely good and because their former sins and present imperfections are forgiven for the sake of Christ who never reconciled God to wickedness Errour 48. It is mâ—rcenary to work for a reward and legal to set men on doing for salvation Contr. It is legal or foolish to think of working for any reward by such meritorious works as make the reward to be not of grace but of debt Rom. 4.4 But he that maketh God himself and his everlasting love to be his reward and trusteth in Christ the only reconciler as knowing his guilt and enmity by sin and laboureth for the food which perisheth not but endureth to everlasting life and layeth up a treasure in Heaven and maketh himself friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness and layeth up a good foundation for the time to come laying hold upon eternal life and striverh to enter in at the strait gate and fighteth a good fight and finisheth his course for the Crown of Righteousness and suffereth persecution for a reward in Heaven and prayeth in secret that God may reward him and alwaies aboundeth in the work of the Lord because his labour is not in vain in the Lord and endureth to the end that he may be saved and is faithful to the death and overcometh that he may receive the Crown of Life this man taketh Gods way and the only way to Heaven and they that thus seek not the reward being at the use of reason are never like to have it Errour 49. It is not lawful for the justified to pray for the pardon of any penalties but temporal Contr. The ground of this is before overthrown Errour 50. It is not lawful to pray twice for the pardon of the same sin because it implieth unbelief as if it were not pardoned already Contr. It is a duty to pray oft and continuedly for the pardon of former sins 1. Because pardon once granted must be continued and therefore the continuance must be prayed for If you say It is certain to be continued I answer then it is as certain that you will continue to pray for it and to live a holy life 2. Because the evils deserved are such as we are not perfectly delivered from and are in danger of more daily And therefore we must pray for daily executive pardon that is impunity and that God will give us more of his Spirit and save us from the fruit of former sin Because our right to future impunity is given before all the impunity it self 3 And the compleat Justification from all past sins is yet to come at the day of Judgement And all this besides that some that have pardon know it not may and must be daily prayed for Errour 51. The Justified must not pray again for the pardon of the sins before conversion Contr. What was last said confuteth this Errour 52. No man at all may pray for pardon but only for assurance For the sins of the Elect are all pardoned before they were born and the non-elect have no satisfaction made for their sins and therefore their pardon is impossible Contr. Matth. 6. Forgive us our trespasses c. These consequences do but shew the falshood of the antecedents Errour 53. No man can know that he is under the guilt of any sin because no man can know but that he is elect and consequently justified already Contr. No infidel or impenitent person is justified Errour 54. Christ only is covenanted with by the Father and he is the only Promiser as for us and not we for our selves Contr. Christ only hath undertaken to do the work of Christ but man must undertake and promise and covenant even to Christ himself that by the help of his grace he will do his own part Or else no man should be baptized What a Baptism and Sacramental Communion do these men make He that doth not covenant with the Father Son and Holy Spirit hath no right to the benefits of Gods part of the Covenant And no man at age can be saved that doth not both promise and perform Errour 55. We are not only freed from the condemning sentence of the Law but freed also from its commands Contr. We are not under Moses Judaical Law which was proper to their Nation and their Proselites Nor are we under a necessity or duty of labouring after perfect obedience in our selves as the condition of our
Justification or Salvation but to renounce all such expectations Nor will the Law of Works it self ever justifie us as some affirm as having perfectly fulfilled it by another But we are justified against its charge and not by it by the Covenant of Grace and not of Works But perfect obedience to all the Law of Nature and all the Commands of Christ is still our duty and sincere obedience is necessary to our salvation All our duty is not supererrogation Errour 56. When a man doubteth whether he be a Believer or penitent he must believe that Christ repented and believed for him Contr. Christ never had sin to repent of and it is not proper to say one repenteth of anothers sin Christ believed his Father but had no use for that faith in a Mediatour which we must have He that repenteth not and believeth not himself shall be damned Therefore you may see how Christ repented and believed for us Errour 57. A man that trusteth to be justified at the day of Judgement against the charge of unbelief impenitency and hypocrisie by his own faith repentance and sincerity as his particular subordinate Righteousness and not by Christs Righteousness imputed only sinneth against free grace Contr. Christs Righteousness is imputed or given to none nor shall justifie any that are true Vnbelievers Impenitent or Hypocrites Therefore if any such person trust to be justified by Christ he deceiveth him If the 〈◊〉 be Thou art an Infidel or impenitent it is frivolous to say But Christ obeyed suffered or believed or repented for me But he that will then be justified against that charge must say and say truly I truly believed repented and obeyed Errour 58. There is no use for a Justification against any such false accusation before God who knoweth all mens hearts Contr. 1. You might as well say There is no use of judging men according to what they have done when God knoweth what they have done already 2. We are to be justified by God before men and Angels that Christ may be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that believe because the Gospel was believed by them 2 Thes 1.10 11. And not only the mouth of iniquity may be stopped and open false accusations confuted but that the prejudices and heart-slanders of the wicked may be refelled and our righteousness be brought forth as the light and our judgement as the noon day That all the false judgements and reproaches of the wicked against the just may be confounded and they may answer for all their ungodly sayings and hard speeches as Henoch prophesied against the godly and that they that speak evil of us because we run not with them to all excess of riot may give an account to him who is ready to judge the quick and the dead 1 Pet. 4.4 5. And that all may be set straight which men made crooked and hidden things be all brought to light 3. And we must be better acquainted with the ingenuity of the great accuser of the Brethren before we can be sure that he who belyed God to man will not bely man to God seeing he is the Father of lyes and did so by Job c. 4. But we mâ—st not think of the day of Judgement as a day of talk between God and Satan and Man but as a day of DECISIVE LIGHT or manifestation And so the case is out of doubt The Faith Repentance and Sincerity of the just will be there manifest against all former or latter real or vertual calumnies of men or devils to the contrary 5. But above all let it be marked that nothing else can be matter of controversie to be decided That Christ hath obeyed and suffered and satisfied for Believers sins and made a testament or covenant to paâ—â—â—n all true Believers will be known to the accuser and past all doubt The day of Judgement is not to try Christs obedience and sufferings nor to decide the case whether he fulfilled the Law and satisfied for sin or made a pardoning Covenant to Believers But whether we have part in him or not and so are to be justified by the Gospel-Covenant through his merits against the Legal Covenant And whether we have fulfilled the conditions of the pardoning Covenant or not This is all that can be then made a Controversie this is the secrets of mens heart and case that must be opened before the world by God However we doubt not but the glory of all will redound to Christ whose merits are unquestioned 6. Note also that Christ will be the Judge on supposition of his merits and not the party to be tryed and judged 7. Note also that we are to be judged by the New Covenant or Law of Liberty and therefore it is the condition of that Covenant as made with us which is to be enquired after 8. Note also that Christ himself in Matth. 25. and every where when he describeth the day of Judgement doth not at all speak of any decision of such a controversie as whether he was the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world or whether he did his part or not but only whether men did their parts or not and shewed the sincerity of their love to God and him by venturing all for him and owning him in his servants to their cost and hazard And the fruit of Christs part is only mentioned as a presupposed thing Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you For I was hungry c. The Preparation in Gods Decree and Christs merits is unquestioned and so is the donation to all true Believers therefore it is the case of their Title to this gift and of the condition or evidence of their title which is here tryed and decided Lastly Note that upon the decision in respect of both together Christs Merits and Covenant as supposed and their own true Faith and Love as manifested decisively they are called Righteous v. 46. The Righteous into life eternal So much to take the stumbling-blocks out of the way of Faith about Free-Grace and Justification which the weakness of many well meaning erroneous men hath laid there of late times to the great danger or impediment of weak Believers Isa 57.14 Take up the stumbling-block out of the way of my people Levit. 19.14 Thou shalt not put a stumbling-block before the blind but shalt fear thy God CHAP. IX How to live by Faith in order to the exercise of other graces and duties of Sanctification and Obedience to God And first of the Doctrinal Directions WE cannot by Faith promote Sanctification unless we understand the nature and reasons of Sanctification This therefore must be our first endeavour The word Sanctified doth signifie that which is separated to God from common uses And this separation is either by God himself as he hath sanctified the Lords day c. or by mans dedication either of persons to a holy office and so the Ministers of Christ are sanctified
Image of God It s essence is a Living Spirit It s essential faculties are 1. A Vital Activity or Power 2. An Vnderstanding 3. A Will. 13. His Rectitude which is Gods Moral Image on him consisteth 1. In the promptitude and fortitude of his Active Power 2. In the Wisdom of his Vnderstanding 3. In the Moral Goodness of his Will which is its Inclination to its End and Readiness for its Duty 14. Being created such a creature by a meer resultancy from his Nature and his Creator he is related to him as his Creature and in that Unity is the subsequent Trinity of Relations 1. As we are Gods Propriety or his Own 2. His Subjects 3. His Beneficiaries and Lovers all comprized in the one title of his children And at once with these Relations of man to God it is that God is as before related to man as his Creator and as his Owner Ruler and Chief Good 15. Man is also related to his fellow creatures below him 1. As their Owner 2. Their Ruler 3. Their End under God which is Gods Dominative or Honorary Image upon man and is called commonly our Dominion over the creatures So that by meer Creation and the Nature of the creatures there is constituted a state of communion between God and Man which is 1. A Dominion 2. A Kingdom 3. A Family or Paternity And the whole is sometime called by one of these names and sometime by the other still implying the rest 16. Gods Kingdom being thus constituted his Attributes appropriate to these his Relations follow 1. His Absoluteness as our Owner 2. His Holiness Truth and Justice as our Ruler 3. And his Kindness Benignity and Mercy as our Father or Benefactor 17. And then the Works of God as in these three Relations follow which are 1. To Dispose of us at his pleasure as our Owner 2. To govern us as our King 3. To love us and do us good and make us perfectly happy as our Benefactor and our end 18. And here more particularly is to be considered 1. How God disposed of Adam when he had new made him 2. How he began his Government of him And 3. What Benefits he gave him and what he further offered or promised him 19. And as to the second we must 1. Consider the Antecedent part of Gods Government which is Legislation and then herafter the consequent part which is 1. Judgment 2. Execution And Gods Legislation is 1. By making our Natures such as compared with objects Duty shall result from this Nature so related 2. Or else by Precept or Revelation from himself besides our Natures 1. The Law of Nature is fundamental and radical in our foresaid Relations to God themselves in which it is made our natural duty 1. To submit our selves wholly to God and his disposal as his own 2. To obey his commands 3. And to receive his mercies and thankfully to return them and to love him But though as Gods essential principles and his foresaid Relations are admirably conjunct in their operations ad extra so our Relative obligations are conjunct yet are they so far distinguishable that we may say that these which conjunctly make our Moral duty yet are not all the results of our Relation to a Governour as such but the second only and therefore that only is to be called the Radical Law in the strict sense the other two being the Moral results of our Rectitude The duty of subjection and obedience in general arising from our Natures related to our Creator is the radical governing Law of God in us But yet the same submission and gratitude and love which are primarily our duty from their proper foundations are secondarily made also the matter of our subjective duty because they are also commanded of God 2. The particular Laws of Nature are 1. Of our particular duties to God or of Piety 2. Or of our duties to our selves and others 1. Acts of Justice 2. And of Charity These Laws of Nature are 1. Vnalterable and that is where the nature of our persons and of the objects which are the foundations of them are unalterable or still the same 2. Or mutable when the Nature of the things which are its foundation is mutable As it is the immutable Law of immutable nature that we love God as God and that we do all the good we can c. because the foundation of it is immutable But e. g. the Law against Incest was mutable in nature For nature bound Adams children to marry each other and nature bindeth us since ordinarily to the contrary 2. The revealed Law to Adam was superinduced The parts of Gods Law must also here be considered 1. The introductive Teaching part for Gods teaching us is part of his ruling us and that is Doctrines History and Prophecy 2. The Imperative part commands to do and not to do 3. And the sanctions or motive parts in Law and execution which are 1. Promises of Beneficial Rewards 2. Threatnings of hurtful penalties 20. Gods Laws being thus described in general and those made to Adam thus in particular the next thing to be considered is mans behaviour in breaking those Laws which must be considered in the Causes and the Nature of it and the immediate effects and consequents 21. And next must be considered Gods consequent part of Government as to Adam viz. his judging him according to his Law 22. And here cometh in the Promise or the first edition of the New Covenant or Law of Grace which must be opened in its parts original and end 23. And then must be considered Gods execution of his sentence on Adam so far as he was unpardoned and so upon the world till the end 24. And next must be considered Gods enlargements and explications of his Covenant of Grace till Christs Incarnation 25. And next mens behaviour under that explained Covenant 26. And Gods sentence and execution upon them thereupon 27. Then we come to the fulness of time and to explain the work of Redemption distinctly And 1. It s Original the God of Nature giving the world a Physician or a Saviour 2. The Ends 3. The constitutive Causes Where 1. Of the Person of the Redeemer in his Essence as God and Man and in his perfections both essential and modal and accidental 28. And 2. Of the fundamental works of our Redemption such as Creation was to the first Administration viz. his first Vndertaking Interposition and Incarnation being all presupposed 1. His perfect Resignation of himself to his Father and submission to his disposing Will 2. His perfect subjection and obedience to his Coverning Will 3. His perfect Love to him 4. And the suffering by which he exprest all these The three first meriting of themselves and the last meriting as a satisfactory Sacrifice not for it self but for its usefulness to its proper ends 29. From this Offering once made to God Christ acquired the perfecter title of a Saviour or Redeemer or Mediatour which one contained
other The Fanaticks or Enthusiasts who raâ—l against us for trying the Spirit by the Scriptures when as the Spirit was the Author of the Scriptures do but rave in the dark and know not what they say For the Essence of the Spirit is every where and it is the effects of the Spirit in both which we must compare The Spirit is never contrary to it self And seeing it is the Sunshine which we here call the Sun the question is but where it shineth most whether in the Scripture or in our hearts The Spirit in the Apostles indited the Scriptures to be the Rule of our faith and life unto the end The Spirit in us doth teach and help us to understand and to obey those Scriptures Was not the Spirit in a greater measure in the Apostles than in us Did it not work more compleatly and unto more infallibility in their writing the Scriptures than it doth in our Vnderstanding and obeying them Is not the seal perfect when the impression is oft imperfect Doth not the Master write his Copy more perfectly than his Scholars imitation is though he teach him yea and hold his hand He that knoweth not the Religious distractions of this age will blame me for troubling the Reader with the confutation of such dreams But so will not they that have seen and tasted their effects 4. Hence we may learn that he that would know what the Christian Religion is indeed to the honour of God or their own just information must rather look into the Scripture to know it than into Believers For though in Believers it be more discernable in the kind as mens lives are more conspicuous than Laws and Precepts and the impress than the seal c. yet it is in the Laws or Scriptures more compleat and perfect when in the best of Christians much more in the most it is broken maimed and confused 5. This telleth us the reason why it is unsafe to make any men Popes or Councils or the holiest Pastors or strictest people the Rule either of our faith or lives Because they are all imperfect and discordant when the Scripture is concordant and compleat He that is led by them may erre when as the Scripture hath no errour And yet it is certain that even the imperfect knowledge and grace of faithful Pastors and companions is of great use to those that are more imperfect than they to teach them the Scriptures which are more perfect than they all 6. Hence we see why it is that Religion bringeth so much trouble and so little comfort to the most or too many that are in part Religious Because it is lame and confused in them Is it any wonder that a dâ—splaced bone is painful or that a disordered body is sick and hath no great pleasure in life or that a disordered or maimed watch or clock doth not go right O what a life of pleasure should we live if we were but such as the Scripture doth require and the Religion in our hearts and lives were fully agreeable with the Religion described in the Word of God 7. And hence we see why most true Christians are so querulous and have alwaies somewhat to complain of and lament which the sensless or self-justifying hypocrites overlook in themselves No wonder if such diseased souls complain 8. And hence we see why there is such diversity and divisions among Believers and such abundance of Sects and Parties and Contentions and so little Unity Peace and Concord And why all attempts for Unity take so little in the Church Because they have all such weakness and distempers and lameness and confusedness and great disproportions in their Religion Do you wonder why he liveth not in peace and concord and quietness with others who hath no better agreement in himself and no more composedness and true peace rt home Mens grace and parts are much unequal 9. And hence we see why there are so many scandals among Christians to the great dishonour of true Christianity and the great hinderance of the conversion of the Infidel Heathen and ungodly world What wonder if some disorder falshood and confusion appear without in words and deeds when there is so much ever dwelling in the mind 10. Lastly Hence we may learn what to expect from particular persons and what to look for also publickly in the Church and in the world He that knoweth what man is and what godly men are but as well as I do will hardly expect a concordant uniform building to be made of such discordant and uneven materials or that a set of strings which are all or almost all out of tune should make any harmonious melody or that a number of Infants should constitute an Army of valiant men or that a company that can scarce spell or read should constitute a learned Academy God must make a change upon individual persons if ever he will make a great change in the Church They must be more wise and charitable and peaceable Christians who must make up that happy Church state and settle that amiable peace and serve God in that concordant harmony as all of us desire and some expect CHAP. XII How to use Faith against particular sins THE most that I have to say of this is to be gathered from what went before about Sanctification in the general And because I have been so much longer than I intended you must bear with my necessary brevity in the rest Direct 1. When temptation setteth actual sin before you or inward sin keeps up within look well on God and sin together Let Faith see Gods Holiness and Justice and all that Wisdom Goodness and Power which sin despiseth And one such believing sight of God is enough to make you look at sin as at the Devil himself as the most ugly thing Direct 2. Set sin and the Law of God together and then it will appear to be exceeding sinful and to be the crooked fruit of the tempting Serpent You cannot know sin but by the Law Rom. 7.14 c. Direct 3. Set sin before the Cross of Christ Let Faith sprinkle his blood upon it and it will die and wither See it still as that which killed your Lord and that which pierced his side and hanged him up in such contempt and put the gall and vinegar to his mouth Direct 4. Forget not the sorrows and fears of your conversion if you are indeed converted Or if not at least the sorrows and fears which you must feel if ever you be converted God doth purposely cast us into grief and terrours for our former sins that it may make us the more careful to sin no more lest worse befall us If the pangs of the new birth were sharp and grâ—â—vous to you why will you again renew the cause and drink of those bitter waters Râ—member what a mad and sad condition you were in while you lived according to the flesh and how plainly you saw it when your eyes were opened And
would you be in the same condition again Would you be unsanctified and unjustified and unpardoned and unsaved Every wilful sin is a turning backward toward the state of your former captivity and misery Direct 5. When Satan sets the bait before you let Faith alwaies set Heaven and Hell before you and take all together the end with the beginning And think when you are tempted to lye to steal to deceive to lust to pride to gulosity or drunkenness c. what men are now suffering for these same sins and what all that are in Hell and in Heaven do think of them Suppose a man offered you a cup of wine and a friend telleth you I saw him put poison into it and therefore take heed what you do If the offerer were an enemy you would hardly take it The world and the flâ—sh and the devil are enemies when they offer you the delights of sin hear Faith and it will tell you there is poison in it there is sin and hell and Gods displeasure in it Direct 6. Let Faith keep you under the continual apprehensions of the Divine Authority and Rule that as a child a servant a scholar a subject doth still know that he is not masterless but one that must be ruled by the will or Law of his superiour so may you alwaies live with the yoâ—k of Christ upon your necks and his bridle in your mouths Remembring also that you are still in your Masters eye Direct 7. Remember still that it is the work of Faith to overcome the world and the flesh and to over-rule your sense and appetite and to make nothing of all that would stand up against your heavenly interest and to crucifie it by the Cross of Christ Gal. 6.14 5.24 Rom. 8.1 9 10 13. Set Faith therefore upon its proper work and when you live by Faith and walk after the Spirit you will not live by sight nor walk after the flesh 2 Cor. 5.7 Direct 8. It is also the work of Faith to take off all the masks of sin and open its nakedness and shame and cast by all shifts pretences and excuses When Satan saith It is a little one and the danger is not great and it will serve thy pleasure profit or preferment Faith should say Doth not God forbid it There is no dallying with the fire of God Be not deceived man God will not be mocked Whatsoever a man soweth that shall be also reap If you sow to the flesh of the flâ—sh you shall reap corruption Gal 6. When Satan saith Ye shall not die and when the sinner with Adam hideth himself Faith will call him out to Judgment and say What hast thou done Hast thou eaten of the fruit which God forbade Direct 9. Let Faith still keep you busied in your Masters work Nothing breedeth and feedeth sin so much as idleness of mind and life Sins of omission have this double mischief that they are the first part of Satans game themselves and they also bring in sins of commission When men are not taken up with good they are at leisure for temptations to intice them and they set open their doors to the tempter and tell him he may speak with then when he will Wanton thoughts and covetous thoughts may dwell there when better thoughts are absent But when you are so wholly taken up with your duty spiritual or corporal and so constantly and industriously busie in your proper work sin cannot enter nor Satan find you at leisure for his service Direct 10. Let Faith make Gods service pleasant to you and lose not your delight in Gâ—d and godliness and then you will not rellish sinful pleasures You will find no need of such base delights when you live on the foretast of Angelical pleasures You will not be easily drawn to steal a morsel of dung or poison from the Devils table while you daily feast your souls on Christ or to steal the Onions of Egypt when you dwell in a Land that floweth with milk and hony But while you keep your selves in the wilderness you will be tempted to look back again to Egypt The great cause of mens sinning and yielding to the temptations of forbidden pleasures is because they are negligent to live upon the pleasures of Believers Direct 11. Take heed of the beginnings if ever you would escape the sin No man becometh stark nought at the first step He that beginneth to take one pleasing unprofitable cup or bit intendeth not drunkenness and gluttony in the grossest sense But he hath set fire in the thatch though he did not intend to burn his house and it will be harder to quench it than to have forborn at first He that beginneth but with lascivious dalliance speeches or embraces thinketh not to proceed to filthy fornication But he might better have secured his conscience if he had never medled so far with sin Few ruinating damning sins began any otherwise than with such small approaches as seemed to have little harm or danger Direct 12. If ever you will scape sin keep off from strong temptations and opportunities He that will be still neer the fire or water may be burnt or drowned at last No man is long safe in the midst of danger and at the next step to ruine He that liveth in a Tavern or Ale-house had need to be very averse to tipling And he that sitteth at Dives table had need to be very averse to gulosity And he that is in the least danger of the fire of lust must keep at a sufficient distance not only from the bed and from immodest actions but from secret company and opportunities of sin and from a licentious ungoverned eye and imagination This caused Christ to say How hard it is for the Rich to be saved because they have a stronger fleshly interest to keep them from Christ and godliness which must be denyed and because their sin hath plentiful provision and the fire of concupiscence wanteth no fewel and it is a very easie thing to them still to sin and alwaies a hard thing to avoid it And mans sluggish nature will hardly long either hold on in that which is hardly done or forbear that which is still hard to forbear Good must be made sweet and easie to us or else we shall never be constant in it Direct 13. If you find any difficulty in forsaking any disgraceful sin cherish it not by secrecy but 1. Plainly confess it to your bosom friend And 2. If that will not serve to others also that you may have the greater engagements to forbear I know wisdom must be used in such confessions and they must be avoided when the hurt will prove greater than the good But fleshly wisdom must be no councellor and fleshly interest must not prevail Secrecy is the nest of sin where it is kept warm and hidden from disgrace Turn it out of this nest and it will thd sooner perish Gods eye and knowledge should serve turn but when it
made universally to mankind in Adam Those after the flood were under the same Covenant renewed universally to mankind in Noah The Israelites were under the same Covenant renewed to them specially in Abraham with special additions and after under that Covenant seconded with the Law which was given to Moses And all Christians after Christs Resurrection are under the perfected Covenant of Grace and have the same word of salvation for their rule even the Gospel of Christ which is the power of God to the salvation of every one that believeth Rom. 1.16 5. They had but the same Promises in this Covenant to believe and to assure them of the salvation which they now possess They had no other charter from God to shew nor any but this universal act of oblivion to trust to for the pardon of all their sins which we have to trust to for the pardon of ours John 3.16.18 Mark 16.16 The promise which was made to the Jews and to their children was made also to them that are afar off and to as many as the Lord shall call Acts 2.39 For the promise that he should be heir of the world was not to Abraham or his seed through the Law but through the righteousness of faith Rom. 4.13 And therefore it was of faith that it might be by grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed not only to that which is of the Law but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham who is the father of us all v. 16. That it might appear that God justified not Abraham for any peculiar carnal priviledge but as a Believer which is a reason common to him with all Believers To whom also their faith shall be imputed for righteousness v. 24. Godliness still is profitable to all things having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Yea what difference there is in both these forementioned respects it is to our advantage we have the most perfected Rule and the fullest Promises and we have many Promises fulfilled to us which were not fulfilled to them in their daies Heb. 11. last And we are nearer the final accomplishment of all the promises 6. They had the same Motives to faith and patience and godliness as we have They could have no greater happiness offered them nor any greater punishment threatned to drive them from sin by fear They could have no higher ends than ours nor any nobler reasons to be religious The same reasons and ends did bring them through all temptations and difficulties to everlasting life which we have also to satisfie us and to carry us on 2 Tim. 4.8 7. The same spirit did illuminate sanctifie and quicken them which is illuminating sanctifying and quickening us All the most excellent and heavenly endowments and workings of their souls were wrought by the same operator who is still at work in all the Saints Rom. 8.9 There are diversities of gifts but the same Spirit 1 Cor. 12.4 We have the same Spirit of Faith 2 Cor. 4.13 All that are Sons have the same Spirit of the Son even the Spirit of Adoption Gal. 4.6 Rom. 8.16.26 which is the Spirit of Power of Love and of a sound mind 2 Tim. 1.7 We have the same Almighty Power within us to destroy our sins to raise up our sluggish hearts to God to keep us in his Love to overcome the flesh which did all these excellent works in them We are sealed with the same seal and are known by the same mark 1 John 3.24 and are actuated by the same heavenly principle as they were 8. We are members of the same universal Church which is the body of Christ For there is but one body whatever diversity of the members there be Ephes 4.4 5 6 7 12. 1 Cor. 12. We are members of the same City and Family of God Ephes 2.19 We are in the same Ship which conveyed them to the Haven We are Disciples in the same School where they learnt the way to life eternal We are workmen in the same Vineyard where they procured their reward 9. They had the same work to do as we have the same God to love and serve the same Christ to believe in the same Spirit to obey the same things to believe in the main the same things to desire and pray for the same things to love and the same to hate the same things in the main which are sin to us were sin to them and the same life of holiness temperance and righteousness which is commanded us was commanded them They had the same temptations to resist and the same fleshly mind to overcome and the same senses and appetites and passions to rule the same enemies to overcome and the same or greater sufferings to bear as is said before 10. They had but the same means and helps as we have except some Prophets and Apostles and extraordinary persons in one age And what they received of the Lord they have delivered unto us 1 Cor. 11.23 We have the same Gospel to to teach us the same Sacraments to initiate and confirm us the same Pastors and Teachers for office to instruct us Ephes 4.12 13 14 16. Matth. 28.20 Fasting and Prayer and Thanksgiving and Church-communion and mutual Exhortation which are our helps and means were theirs 11. The same method of Providence which carryed them on is still on foot for all the Saints Psal 145.9 18. 86.5 He broke them and bound them up he cast them down and raised them as he doth us now He made them contrite and then did comfort them He led them through as rude a wilderness and they had as many wild beasts to assault them and as many dangers round about them as we have They had seasons of adversity and seasons of prosperity their stormy and their sunshine daies their troubles which quickened their cryes to God and the gracious answer of those cryes and were led to Heaven in the same course of providence as we are 12. And to conclude the same Heaven is prepared for us and offered yea given to us which they possess It is ours in right though our title be not absolutely perfect till we have finally presevered and overcome We are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ having his seal and earnest if so be that we suffer with him that we may be glorified with him Rom. 15.16.17 The Kingdom is prepared for all them that love him Christ prayed for all that the Father had given him and for all that should believe by his Word John 17.2 20 27. even that they may have eternal life and may be with him where he is to see his glory Whosoever believeth shall not perish but have everlasting life John 3.16 In all this you may see how like their condition in this world was unto ours and that our way is the same which all those have gone that are now past all these snares and dangers
this Treatise are so unlike understand 1. That they are for various uses The first Part to make men willing by awakening perswasions and the rest to direct them in the exercises of Faith who are first made willing 2. That I write not to win thy praise of an artificial comely Structure but to help souls to Holiness and Heaven and to these ends I labour to suit the means 3. That the first Sermon was published long ago and the Bookseller desiring me to give him some additions to it I thought meet first to make up the exciting part in the same style and then to add a Directory for the practice of judicious Believers 2. And if it offend thee that the second Part containeth but such matter as I have already published in my Reasons of the Christian Religion understand 1. That I perceived that that Treatise was neglected by the more unlearned sort of Christians as not descending enough to their capacities and that it would be useful to the confirmation of their Faith to draw forth some of the most obvious Arguments in as plain a manner and as briefly as I could that length nor obscurity might not deprive them of the benefit who are too slothfull or too dull to make use of more copious and accurate discourse 2. And I knew not how to write a Treatise of the Uses of Faith which should wholly leave out the Confirmations of Faith without much reluctancy of my Reason 3. And again I say I can bear the dispraise of Repetition if I may but further mens Faith and Salvation 3. And if it offend thee that I am so dull in all the Directive part I cannot well do both works at once awaken the Affections and accurately direct the mind for practice Or at least if I had spoken all those Directions in a copious applicatory Sermon style it would have swelled the Book to a very tedious costly volume And Affection must not too much interpose when the Judgment is about its proper work And being done in the beginning it may be the better spared afterward 4. If it offend you that I open the Life of Faith in somewhat an unusual manner I answer for my self that if it be Methodical true and apt for use I do that which I intend And on a subject so frequently and fully handled it were but an injury to the Church to say but the same which is said already Mr. John Ball Mr. Ezekiel Culverwell and Mr. Samuel Ward in a narrower room have done exceeding well upon this subject If you have nothing more than they have said read their Books only and let this alone 5. If it offend you that the Directions are many of them difficult and the style requireth a slow considerate Reader I answer the nature of the subject requireth it and without voluminous tediousness it cannot be avoided Blame therefore your unprepared ignorant minds and while you are yet dull of hearing and so make things hard to be uttered to your understanding because you have still need of Milk and cannot digest strong meat but must again be taught the principles of the oracles of God Heb. 5.11 12 13 14. think not to gâ—t knowledge without hard study and patient learning by hearing nothing but what you know already or can understand by one hasty reading over lest you discover a conjunction of slothfulness with an ignorant and unhumbled mind Or at least if you must learn at so cheap a rate or else stick still in your Milk and your Beginnings be not offended if others out-go you and think knowledge worthy of much greater diligence and if leaving the principles we go on towards perfection as long as we take them along with us and make them the life of all that followeth while we seem to leave them And this we will do if God permit Heb. 6.1 3. R. B. Feb. 3. 1669. The Contents of the first Part. The SERMON WHat Faith is page 2. The Text opened p. 4. The grounds of the certaâ—nty of Faith briefly intimated p. 5 c. Why God will have us live by Faith and not by sight p. 1â— c. Use 1. To inform us what a Christian or Believer is described p. 15 Use 2. The Reason why Believers are more serious in matters of Religion than unbelievers are Use 3. Of Examination p. 29 The misery of unbelievers p. 30 Marks of a true Faith p. 32 Use 4. Exhortation to the serious exercise of Faith p. 37 Some assisting suppositions p. 38 How those will live who thus believe opened in certain Questions p 4â— Motives to live by a foreseeing Faith on things not seen p. 45 The Conclusion 1. Exhorting to live by Faith 2. And to promote this life in others p. 46. The Additions Cap. 1. The conviction and reproof of Hypocrites Who live contrary to the Faith which they profess 48 Cap. 2. A general Exhortation to live as Believers 56 Cap. 3. An exhortation to the particular duties of Believers 63 The Contents of the Second Part. Chap. 1. The Believers Directory must shew him I. How to strengthen Faith 2. How to use it And I. For the first the order of the presupposed Natural Verities is briefly mentioned 8â— Chap. 2. The true Method of enquiry into the supernatural evidences of Faith and the Rules therein to be observed 87 Chap. 3. The proper Evidence of Faith The SPIRIT and the Image of God himself 97 Chap. 4. The Image of Gods Wisdom on the Christian Religion It 's wonderful Method opened in thirty instances Six more instances 99 Chap. 5. The Image of Gods Goodness and Holiness on the Christian Religion in thirty instances 108 Chap. 6. The Image of Gods Power upon the Christian Religion in twenty instances 115 Chap. 7. The means of making known all this to us infallibly How the first witnesses knew it How the next Age and Churches knew it How we know it Twenty special historical Traditions of Christianity and matters of fact What the Spirits Witness to Christianity is 125 Chap. 8. Twelve further Directions to confirm our Faith 136 Chap. 9. Twenty General Directions how to use Faith or to live by it when it iâ— confirmed What Christian Faith is Errours about it 148 The Contents of the third Part. Chap. 1. How to live by Faith on God 168 Chap. 2. How to live by Faith on Jesus Christ 188 Abuses of the Doctrine of Redemption The extent of it Of Christs Office His Merits and Sacrifice Example c. Chap. 3. How to live by Faith on the Holy Ghost Of the Trinity Several doubts resolved about believing in the Holy Ghost Of giving the Spirit His operations Whether Love to God or Faith in Christ go first exactly answered And consequently whether Faith or Repentance be first Of the Spirit in Christ and the Apostles Of sufficient Grace How Faith procureth the Spirit Whether desires of grace be grace 20â— Chap. 4. How to live by faith as to Gods Commandâ— The admirable
and to the other to settle the orders of the Gospel Church Christ sent them to teach all things whatsoever he commanded Mat. 28.20 And he promised to be with them and to send them the Spirit to lead them into all truth and to bring all things to their remembrance Accordingly they did obey this Commission and settled the Gospel Churches according to the will of Christ and this many years before any of the New Testament was written Therefore these acts of theirs have the nature and use of a divine Revelation and a Law For if they were fallible in this Christ must break the foresaid Promise 2. But all the Acts of the Apostles which were either about indifferent things or which were about forecommanded duties and not in the execution of the foresaid Commission for which they had the promise of infallibility have no such force or interpretation For 1. Their holy actions of obedience to former Laws are not properly Laws to us but motives to obey Gods Laws And this is the common use of all other good examples of the Saints in Scripture Their examples are to be tryed by the Law and followed as secondary copies or motives and not as the Law it self 1 Cor. 11.1 Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ Heb. 6.12 Be followers of them who through faith and patience do inherit the promise 1 Cor. 4.16 Phil. 3.17 1 Thes 1.6 2.16 3.7 9. Heb. 13.7 2. And the evil examples even of Apostles are to be avoided as all other evil examples recorded in the Scriptures are such as Peters denial of his Lord and the Disciples all forsaking him and Peters sinful separation and dissimulation and Barnabas's with him Gal. â— And the falling out of Paul and Barnabas c. 3. And the history of indifferent actions or those which were the performance but of a temporary duty are instructing to us but not examples which we must imitate It is no divine Faith which forgeth an object or rule to it self Whatsoever example we will prove to be obligatory to us to imitate we must either prove 1. That it was an execution of Gods own commission which had a promise of infallible guidance Or 2 That it was done according to some former Law of God which is common to them and us As the first must be the revealing of some duty extended to this age as well as that Direct 12. Faith must make great use of Scripture examples both for motive and comfort when we find their case to be the same with ours We cannot conclude that we must imitate them in extraordinary circumstances nor can we conclude that God will give every extraordinary mercy to us which he gave to them as that he will make all Kings as he did David or all Apostles or raise all as he did Lâ—zarus now c. nor that every Believer shall have the same outward things or shall have just the same degrees of grace c. But we may conclude that we shall have all Gods promises fulfilled to us as they had to them and shall have all that is suitable to our condition As David was pardoned upon repentance so may others I confessed and thou forgavest For this shall every one that is godly pray to thee Psal 32.5 6. Hath God pardoned a Manasseh a Peter a Paul c. upon repentance so is he ready to do to us Hath he helped the distressed hath he heard and pittied even the weak in faith so we may hope he will do by us Isa 38.10 11. Psal 116.3 Acts 27.20 Jonah 2.4 We have the same God the same Christ the same Promise if we have the same Faith and pray with the same Spirit Rom. 8.26 Heb. 4 15. Though we may not have just the same case or the same manner of deliverance Therefore it is a mercy that the Scripture is written historically And therefore we should remember such particular examples as suit our own case CHAP. V. Directions how to live by Faith upon Gods Promises THis part of the work of Faith is the more noble because the eminent part of the Gospel is the Promises or Covenant of Grace and it is the more necessary because our lapsed miserable state hath made the Promises so necessary to our use The helps to be used herein are these Direct 1. Consider that every Promise of God is the expression of his immutable will and counsel It is a great dispute among the Schoolmen whether God be properly obliged to us by his Promises When the word obligation it self is but a metaphor which must be cast away or explained before the question can be answered God cannot be bound as man is who transferreth a propriety to another from himself or maketh himself a proper debter in point of communicative Justice or may be sued at Law and made to perform against his will But it is a higher obligation than all this which lyeth upon God His Power Wisdom and Goodness which are himself do constitute his Veracity And his very Nature is immutable and just and therefore his Nature and Being is the infallible cause of the fulfilling of his Promises He freely made them but he necessarily performeth them And therefore the Apostle saith that God that cannot lye hath promised eternal life before the world began which is either promised according to his counsel which he had before the world began or from the beginning of the world Titus 1.2 Or as the word also signifieth many ages ago And Heb. 6.17 18. Wherefore God willing more abundantly to shew to the heirs of Promise the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an oath that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have a strong consolation who have flâ—d for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us which hope we have as an Anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast And therefore when the Apostle meaneth that Christ will not be unfaithful to us his phrase is He cannot deny himself 2 Tim. 2.13 As if his very Nature and Being consisted more in his truth and fidelity than any mortal mans can do Direct 2. Vnderstand the Nature and Reasons of Fidelity among men viz. 1. To make them conformable to God And 2. To maintain all Justice Order and Virtue in the world And when you have pondered these two you will see that it is impossible for God to be unfaithful For 1. If it be a vice in the Copy what would it be in the Original Nay would not falshood and perfidiousness become our perfection to make us like God 2. And if all the world would be like a company of enemies Bedlams bruits or worse if it were not for the remnants of fidelity it is impossible that the Nature or Will of God should be the pattern or original of so great evil Direct 3. Consider what a foundation of his Promises God hath laid in Jesus Christ and what a seal