as free from Condemnation as if they had never sinned and accepted and entitled to eternal Glory as if they had kept the whole Law Rom. 8.1 There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit These are in that State wherein the Curse is restrained from arresting them Yea they are Heirs joynt heirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 the Gospel-Covenant is their Charter of right which is secured by the Death of Christ the Oath of God and Sacramental Seals The Death of Christ is to be considered not only as what purchased the Covenant-Blessings of which I have spoken before but also as what ratifies the Covenant to our Faith by Death its irrevocable as a Testament and it must be sure or the Lord of Glory had never died to secure the ends of it his Death is too great a thing to admit a doubt of the certainty of that Charter by which the Effects of that Death are granted Christians being thus free and thus accepted and entitled proclaims them Righteous Exh. Be comforted notwithstanding your Faults and Weaknesses whilst your Hearts are upright in God's Covenant What is not a just Challenge to the Sincerity of thy Faith ought not to make thee conclude thy self Accursed or quit thy hopes of Glory Failings may cause Mournings that we are so Imperfect when they ought not to perplex us as if we were in a lost Condition The same Mouth that delivered the Curse against Sinners in the Law hath published Forgiveness and applied Redemption to Believers though Sinners by the Gospel Gal. 3.13 14. If your Faults be objected Christ hath answered them If the Weakness of Graces be objected Christ hath made up that If the Greatness of Gospel-Benefits be objected it 's Christ hath purchased them and they are bestowed not for thy Graces but for Christ's Obedience though it be to such as even thou art if a sincere Penitent that they are given for the Gospel-Rule doth only appoint the Persons who receive the Benefits but not ordain us to make the Satisfaction for the Sin to be pardoned or to purchase the Glory to be received Wilt thou not let Christ appoint his own Legatees to his own Bequeathments and rejoyce in the Gifts whilst thou art the Person to whom he declares they belong If he had promised Heaven to a meer Sinner as such thou oughtest as a Sinner to expect it with Joy But he hath promised it to all believing Saints however imperfect and must not thou with Comfort look for it and not quit thy hopes till thou cease to be a believing Saint Yea he hath ministred further to thy Joy That he will influence thy Soul by his Warnings against Apostasie by Sacraments and by constant Supplies so that thou shalt Persevere 10 Pro. Christians become thus Righteous upon believing by the Righteousness of Christ imputed to them in their Justification and by the continuance of this Imputation they remain Righteous Upon our first believing we are justified Rom. 3.29 and there is a constant Imputation of Christ's Righteousness to the Believers for his continued Justification Did Men cease to be Believers God would cease to impute the Righteousness of Christ to them Did God cease to impute Christ's Righteousness Men would cease to be justified and did we cease to be justified we should be subject to Condemnation But blessed be God he will cause the true Believer to persevere in Faith and so he shall remain in a justified State God will preserve the Habit of Faith enable him to frequent Acts of Faith and still prevent damning Infidelity he will keep thee from a prevailing distrust and rejection of Christ as a Saviour Luke 22.32 and from reigning Disobedience to him as thy Lord. I shall explain this great Truth of Justification by the imputed Righteousness of Christ which may be conceived of according to the following Heads 1. There is a making us Righteous as it is a giving a Believer a right to Pardon Absolution from the Curse Adoption and Acceptance which is by imputing the Righteousness of Christ to the Believer We must be made Righteous before a just God can pronounce us so or deal with us as such there must be a right to Pardon e're God will Pardon this right to Pardon is given by God's imputing to us the Righteousness of Christ and the effect of that imputing Act seems to be the first Consideration in the Change made in our State as justified For the better apprehending of this you may remember I have before informed you that Christ's Righteousness may be considered 1 As the full Performance of the Conditions of the Covenant of Redemption which included a full Conformity to the Law of Works yea and morâ— 2 An adjudged Right to the promised Reward for his performance of those Conditions Now both these are imputed to the Believer in this first Consideration Of giving a Believer a right to Pardon c. 1. The Righteousness of Christ as it was the Performance of the Conditions of our Salvation is mediately imputed to the Believer God adjudgeth that what Christ did and suffered for the actual Remission of Sinners was really done and suffered for us it belongs to us we are the designed Objects of that actual Remission to procure which for us that Obedience was rendred Iohn 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting Life Here we see that God gave his Son to do and suffer what he did that Believers thereby might not Perish but eternally Live Now by Grace beinâ— Believers that we may have a right not uâ— Perish but Live we have what the Son â— given did and suffered reckoned and accounteâ— to us God looks on what Christ did as donâ— for us and esteems us Believers them whom his Son did that for and therefore by his gracious Ordination we are the very Persons thaâ— have a right to Pardon of those Sins for whicâ— we were liable to Perish and excluded from Life I say Christ's very Performance of the Conditions is imputed mediately in this manner If one give me my Liberty which he voluntarily purchased for me at a dear Rate he mediately gives me what he paid for my Ransom though immediately I receive my Liberty and a right thereto whereas the redeeming Price was paid to my Detainer in whose hands I was Captive So it was to God that Christ made Satisfaction and yielded the Meriting Price yet it is applied and reckoned so to the Believer that he receives the same Blessings thereby as if himself had rendred it because it was for his Title to those Benefits that it was rendred by Christ. Yea by this Imputation it becomes his Security for all saving Benefits and pleadable with God by him with respect to what is purchased for Believers thereby as if he had endured and performed the things Christ did Since God
a way of Satisfaction Impetration Merit or Intercession it were true but as he words it it may be very Erronious and it is to Scrue an Error he doth thus express it Hence because he finds Repentance and Faith are so necessary to our Salvation he hath in his Pulpit endeavoured to inform Men how Christ repented and that he repented for us and though he doth not-publish it in this Sermon as he did elsewhere That Christ believed for us yet you 'll see presently how much he endeavours to convince us that he did so for if he believed whilst humbled it was for us and it 's imputed to us as he oft in this Book affirms Had I Mr. M's liberty what would I call this Error for though it 's in Christ's Strength and Grace that we Repent Believe turn to God and do good Works yet if we do not these as our Personal Acts Misery will be our Portion If you not I believe not you shall die in you Sins John 8. 24. Except you not I repent you shall all perish saith Christ Luke 13. 3. I say Except your Righteousness not mine exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Matt. 5.20 Had Mr. M. been an Auditor he had not said Lord thou understandest not the Gospel it 's thou art to do these things this is the deep Counsel of God however legally thou speakest He might as well say it 's thou Christ shall perish as thou Christ art to repent 2. Faith is a prime and principal part of our Being conformable to the Image of Christ c. He is the first Pattern and original Copy of Believing P. 62 63. Reply Is Christ's Faith the Pattern of Faith in Christ I remember somewhere Dr. Goodwin speaks of God's trusting Christ till he was Incarnate and of Christ's trusting the Father since the time of his Sufferings Yea we may easily grant that Christ believed God's Promise and as a Man depended and relied on God's Power and Truth But this is no other Faith than Adam in Innocency acted than the Law of Works directed to By this account we may think better of the State of Pagans than most do for without Gospel-Revelation they may believe in God trust him and depend on him But what is this to the account the Scripture gives of Faith in Christ Did Christ come to himself as a Saviour Did he receive himself as a Crucified Redeemer Did he eat his own Flesh and drink his own Blood for Eternal Life Did he plead his own Merits and rely on his own Righteousness for Pardon and restored Peace Did he consent to be married to himself Did he look to himself for Healing Or to use Mr. M's account of Faith in this very Page Did he go out of himself unto himself for all Yea take part of his Description of Faith in Christ p. 39 40.1 The Subject of Faith is the Heart of a convinced broken-hearted Sinner c. The very Nature of Faith and the acting of the Soul in it is such as doth imply and include a Sight and Sense of Sin and Misery and a lively heart-influencing Conviction of utter Helplesness in a Man's self and unworthiness to be helped by God c. Reader Doth Christ's Faith in the Nature of it imply a Sense of utter Helplesness and Unworthiness in himself or of his Sin and Misery The Reason he gives for Justling out such as Abram and setting up Christ for the original Copy of believing in himself is this The Humane Nature of Christ lives and subsists in the second Person leaning on the Eternal Deity of the Son of God it hath its Subsistence in the Bosom of the Godhead c. and hath the Eternal Power of the Deity clasping about it P. 63. The Apostle did not know this Faith when he said that Charity was greater than Faith Well as Sublime as this Reason seems to be I will venture to say This is not that Faith in Christ which the Gospel requires of Sinners 1. I will give you a Reason of Mr. M's which besure is none of the best P. 7. Christ's dwelling in our Nature is no part of the Punishment of Sin for then the Divine Nature only is punished and not the Humane at all nor the Person It 's a bad one for what he brings it since that Assuming the Nature and dwelling in it differ and I have answered it before and it needs a great Allowance to keep it from But if the Sufferings or Acts of only one Nature be not the Sufferings or the Acts of the Person of Christ then the acting of Faith of the one Nature on the other Nature is not acting of Faith upon the Person of Christ and consequently not Gospel-Faith which is to be acted on the Person of Christ here the Humane Nature believes but that is not with him Christ that believes it believes on the Divine Nature and that with him is not Christ who is believed on What now is become of Christ's Believing even by his own Reasoning 2. The Object of Faith in Christ is God-Man Mediator a Crucified Christ c. but the Deity of the Son of God abstractedly considered is not God-Man Mediator c. Truly if our Gospel-Faith is specified by this I see not the need of Christ's Incarnation or Death yea or regard thereto 3. This leaning and especially to the purposes assigned to this Act of Christ's Humane Nature is not all that which is Essential to the Faith in Christ which the Gospel requires But why should I Scribble the little Paper left It 's like the Reasons he gave for Christ's Repenting viz. The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me and he was a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with Grief 3. He plainly discovers his Mind to be that Faith is an Act of the Soul whilst spiritually dead and unregenerate P. 61. He joins with such as say Faith is the means and way of our being made spiritually alive rather than our acting Life as being already brought into a state of Life as the Bodies Clasping hold on the Soul by the animal Spirits which are Corporeal things is rather the means of Life than an act of Life c. P. 62. Suppose that the principle of Grace begotten and created in us in Regeneration contain in it the Habit of Faith which I will not now call in question Yet c. P. 32. All our new Obedience and all the Graces of the Spirit comprized under that one word Love are the Effects and Fruits of our being justified P. 60. In Vnion by Faith which is the cause of this Union we are brought immediately into a state of Spiritual Life first Relative then Qualitative c. Repl. Here with the Arminians he denieth the habit of Faith necessary to the actings of Faith He is contrary to the Assembly of Divines who tell us That God in effectual Vocation takes away
the Heart of Stone and gives a heart of Flesh renewing their Wills and by his power determining them to that which is good and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ Conf. Cap. 10. A. 1. Q. 2. Man is altogether Passive therein until being quickned by the holy Spirit he is thereby enabled to answer this Call and to embrace the Grace offered and conveyed in it Large Cat. A. 73. Faith justifies a sinner in the sight of God not because of those other Graces which do always accompany it or of good Works that are the fruit of it Here we see that there is a quickning regenerating Work and Change on the Heart and Will in order to the Act of Faith and that there is no Faith unaccompanied at any time by other Graces and that by good works they intend not such Graces c. Did not Mr. M. tell us p. 60. that in effecting our Vital Vnion there is a Vital touch as I may say between Christ and us and a Clasping on each other Is there a Vital Touch before Life or a Clasping while we are Dead Doth the Mind see Christ whilst it 's Blind or the Will embrace him whilst it 's morally dead impotent unperswaded and averse Do we consent to Christ and Covenant with him whilst Satan Sin and Enmity Reign in our Faculties or open the Door to Christ whilst these keep the Keys God saith the natural Man receiveth not the things of God because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 but Mr. M. saith yea it 's while they are natural that they see Christ and close with him Here 's a knowledg of an ignorant Mind here 's a coming and receiving without Life Here 's a Faith the Gospel Covenant never promiseth for it 's not included in God's Writing his Laws in the Heart The whole stress of Salvation is laid by him on an Act of a dead unregenerate sinner and Men are justified while the Soul is not turned from darkness to life nor from the power of Satan unto God Acts 26. 18. it were worth asking hâ—m whose Act this Act of Faith is It 's not a Humane Act unless you can suppose the Mind and Will can Act without any Vital Principle yea against it's own prevailing Principle Here then must be a force and unactiveness too in our very acting and it 's a strange Clasping of what we hate and abhor I doubt here may come in again Christ's believing for us However he must think 1. That our Faith after we are alive is either a Faith specifically distinct from that which justified us or it 's still an Act not effected by a regenerate Principle but is somewhat either below Life or above Man even when he is spiritualized he seems to bid at both His Simile is for the first the Spirits which he saith are Corporeal Clasp about the Soul for Life so it seems our Faith is a dead thing always never made Life or Living any more than those Spirits are made Soul otherwise it loseth its Clasping meetness as they would do in ceasing to be Corporeal Yet other times he makes it look like a Divinity Clasp about us 2. I do now see a little why the Man is so against God's giving us any saving Benefit in any way of Reward though not of Debt It 's because Faith is the only thing ordained not required as a Physical means on our part and this is so low a thing that a dead sinner may act or so sublime as not to be a Humane Act. 3. Again I see why he doth still confine our Justification to the end to the first Act of Faith yea and deny the immediate influence of Faith on our Justification for if you should bring it among Duties or to be under the Notion of a Duty all is spoiled No it must be a meer Physical Band of Union not enjoined by God as our Ruler but appointed as the Corporeal Spirits for Ligaments I dare not touch the Philosophy part of that lest if I name Embrio he should Curse me anew 4. I know now at last why he thought me a Pelegian the selfish reason why he writ it to London I knew long since because I in a Printed Sermon put the Act of Faith after spiritual Life it seems I should have said with him That in Vnion with Christ as one mystical Person which is by the efficient causality of Faith we are brought into a state of Spiritual Life Relative in our Iustification and Adoption and then and thereupon Qualitative c. p. 60. His Proofs for Faith before Life because Christ promiseth Life upon believing are contemptible as if further spiritual Life and Pardon and Eternal Glory be not Life as well as Hell is Death ' and some sinners twice dead 4. The Faith he so much insists on hath not all the Essentials of a saving Faith I know many Worthy Men distinguish between Faith quae justificat and qua justificat and no doubt the Soul hath an especial respect to Christ as Priest and his Righteousness in order to Justification But our Discourse is of the Faith quae justificat What that Faith is he tells us p. 62. Faith is a going out of our selves unto Christ for all And p. 40. The Hearts acting towards this Object in its believing is most properly in a way of trust and dependance and affiance Rep. 1. We have just seen it wants a Vital Principle as it is the Act of an unregenerate dead Soul Now this brings it in the Judgment of most Divines to be no saving act at all no saving Faith because the Act of a Natural and Dead Sinner 2. I need not mention that it is no obediential Act And note That when our Divines deny that Faith is not Imputed as an Act of Believing or as an Evangelical Act of Obedience they say it 's not as such imputed as our justifying Righteousness which I grant But they positively affirm that the Faith by which Christ's Righteousness becomes imputed is an Act of evangelical Obedience Confess Chap. 11. A. 1. Again 3. I will not insist how far the Assent of this Faith is limited as to its Object as well as its Nature 4. I do grant That by Gospel-faith we trust in and depend on Christ as our only Saviour and that by it we go out of our selves to Christ for all Attonement Merit Causality of Acceptance of all we do and Strength and Grace to enable us to all 5. Yet see how much more the Assembly includes in saving Faith Confess Chap. 14. A. 2 By this Grace Faith a Christian believeth to be true whaever is revealed in the Word for the Authority of God himself speaking therein and acteth differently upon that which each particular Passage thereof containeth yielding Obedience to the Commands Trembling at the Threatnings and embracing the Promises of God for this Life and that which is to come but the principal Acts of saving Faith are accepting receiving and restin
Man made Righteous BY Christ's Obedience Being two SERMONS AT Pinners-Hall With Enlargements c. Also some REMARKS ON Mr. Mather's Postscript c. By DANIEL WILLIAMS LONDON Printed for I. Dunton at the Raven in the Poultry 1694. IN a Paper signed by G. Griffith T. Cole N. Mather I. Chancy R. Trail Ri. Taylor and since Printed by Mr. Chancy Neonom Vnmask'd pa. 3.p.96 they Charge me He teacheth That the Righteousness of Christ is imputed only as to effects with a purchase of a Conditional Grant viz. this Proposition He that believeth shall be saved Gospel-truth p. 39. My words there are these The difference is not 4. Whether Christ by his Righteousness merited for all the Elect that they should in his time and way be certainly partakers of its saving Effects and did not only purchase a Conditional Grant of those Effects viz. that Proposition He that believeth shall be saved 5. Nor whether besides those Effects being made ours the very Righteousness of Christ is imputed to True Believers as what was always undertaken and designed for their Salvation and is now as effectual to their actual Pardon and Acceptance to Life yea is pleadable by them as their Security and is as useful to their Happiness as if themselves did and suffered what Christ did All these I affirm p. 39 40. Can any thing be more contrary They say I affirm what I do expresly deny and that I deny what I expresly affirm Mr. M. saith my damning Error is He is one that makes Vnion to Christ our having this Righteousness upon us and our being justified by it to be given us in way of Reward of something done by us My only words to which he twice refers are these Gospel-benefits are no reward of Debt and yet they are given in a way of Reward the Benefits are given not for our Faith yet upon Believing not upon it as a meriting Consideration yet upon it as that the presence whereof is made necessary by the Gospel this having required Faith and confined the Benefit to him that Believes Defence of Gospel-Truth p. 25. These and other Imputations I have spoke to You see I say only Benefits indefinitely the thing done by us here is only Believing In way of Reward is only a performance of a Gospel-promise made to encourage and move Sinners to Believe To the READER It is fit that God whose we are should use us to his own Purposes however unagreeable to our Inclinations the Work is or Mysterious the Design of Providence be at present I am sure Peace is my delightful pursuit though unreasonable Men force me to Debates as part of my Employ The several Books written and Sermons studiously preached for Antinomianism had not engaged my Pen at first if the Leaven had not spread to the open Censure of the usefulest Ministry as legal the Hazard of the Souls and Peace of our Congregations and the common Reproach of the Dissenters When a Testimony by Gospel-Truth stated was published I resolved to cease any further Progress in this Affair being assured it was sufficient to inform such as were not given up to those Delusions against which only it was designed But Mr. Chancy's Notorious Misrepresentation of my Principles necessitated my Defence of Gospel-Truth when his Billingsgate Language would have been wholly slighted Since then he hath published three Books unworthy of my regard being he was resolved to persist in mistaking the Matters in Debate and must argue in a way I was sure the Iudicious would Contemn and only such Simple ones be confirmed thereby who had no List or Patience to read an Answer He was followed by one Mr. Edwards a Man even of far less Iudgment and equal Violence two Pages of whose Book assured me that reading furthâ— was only to view an Emblem of Hell viz. Hot Fire and thick Darkness His Name-sake the Learned Author of Crispianism Unmask'd treated his Answer thereto with the same due Pity as I have done The War among the Angels also was written with an Air of such Falshood and Profaneness as cautioned any from answering it who had not the like Freedom to form an Antinomian Prayer That Vnchristian Spirit all these Men discover is convictive that Christ employs them not The Fury and Arts of the Promoters and Abetters of their new Gospel without Precepts or Threatnings appearing a publick Damage as they unseasonably divided the Nonconformists rendred me Industrious to allay the Heats but I soon found that such as opposed the Union at first would not quit the occasion they had framed to keep up a Faction opposite thereto Hence though we got them to Subscribe with us an Agreement in Doctrines and therein we mutually engaged to be at Peace and not expose each other it was not three Weeks e'er new Books were published and their Pulpits without any Provocation on our parts filled with the former Railings reckoning it seems themselves at Liberty because they judged we thought our selves obliged by our Subscriptions to be silent I for the Publick Good connived at this and at Mr. Cole's violent Censures and Misrepresentations of our Iudgment at Pinners-Hall near twelve Months without the least return till at last in a Sermon there he proclaimed That Gospel-Truth stated was just the Case of the Parable of the Pharisee I thought it my Duty to shew in my next Turn in the calmest words that Gospel-Truth stated agreed in nothing with the Pharisee and was quarrelled with only because it urged the Imitation of the Publican in his Penitent Humiliation as necessary to Forgiveness which that Brother constantly exclaims against and I urged the Necessity of an end to Contentions I medled not again and forbore exposing his Mysterious Nonsence which his Books as well as Sermons ministred sufficient Advantage for though alas he and his Party I know not why judge once Vindicating our selves from false Aspersions is an intolerable Crime in me when his frequent and weak as well as passionate Outcries are very Iustifiable even though he still Imputes to us what we Abhor For some time we were quiet and it was my hope we should continue so but Mr. Mather the great Enemy to the Union finding he could no longer instigate others to blow the Flames finds an occasion to get into Pinners-Hall upon the Sickness of one of the six Lecturers and there as he owneth in his Preface studiously and of purpose renews the Debate Mr. B. and I were oft as good as named by him and the very Body of our Ministers arraigned as Socinians and by him charged as holding Soul-destroying Errors if there be orâ— ever were any in the World Enemies to Christ's Righteousness at Heart worse than Papists with the like envenomed Reproaches And with the rest of his Stuff he under the Pain of Damnation required the People to believe that Christ's Incarnation was no part of his Humiliation and every Believer was as Righteous as Christ in Equality and not in Similitude
of ours to any of these Purposes and this is all they pretend But if it prove that Christ never intended his Righteousness to be instead of true Faith and Repentance Sincere Love to God and Men and Perseverance in True Holiness and Fruitfulness And that Christ will judge us according to these as things he required to our actual enjoying of promised Benefits in his Righteousness They who pursue and by Grace have these will be safer than such as neglect them yea Mr. M. owneth P. 67. Such are thy bounden Duties and God will Damn thee for neglecting them It were easie to shew how these Men contradict each other as well as themselves but I forbear exposing them That the Faâ—her of Light and Love would guide all of us into the way of Truth and Peace is the unfeigned Prayer of Thy Servant in the Kingdom and Patience of Christ Daniel Williams THE Errata's are such as may easily be Corrected Any who consider what Men I have to deal with will excuse my frequent Repetitions and sometimes less accurate words as object for subject when I would most plainly distinguish between Justifying Righteousness with its Causes and the Person partaker of it SERMON I. Of Christ's Obedience Rom. 5. the last part of the 19th Verse So by the Obedience of One shall many be made Righteous THE Text represents to us First A saving Priviledge and Dignity Made Righteous It supposes us Unrighteous ere we are made Righteous and so subject to the Curse till we are Absolved as well as Disobedient to the Gospel while Unconverted The Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oft though not always denotes an act of Authority as Mat. 25.21 Luk. 12.14 42. Act. 6.3 c. thus it s properly enough applicable to the Matter before us We are constituted Righteous Juridically and all other Benefits included here in the term Righteous are Authoritatively Conferred and this according to a Divine enacted Constitution of which hereafter Secondly The sole procuring Cause of our being made Righteous It s by the Obedience of One This One is the Lord Jesus He alone was capable to make fallen Men Righteous by his Obedience and it s by his Obedience that Sinners are constituted Righteous Mercy prompted the recovery of miserable Man Wisdom contrived this as a way sufficient effectual and congruous to that End God as our Judge and Ruler admitted and accepted this and in his adjusted way applies it for our Pardon and Adoption Faith is the Moral Instrument or Condition of that Application the Gospel Promise is the express Sign of the Divine Will or the Instrument whereby God doth apply it But the different Interest of each of these prevents not the appropriation of all the Causal Merit to this Obedience God justifies regenerates and saves but it s with an Eye to this as the only procuring Cause Thirdly The Subject actually partaker of this Blessing Many they are Men and not Devils Fallen Men and not Innocent Many and not simply few nor yet all though it s for final Impenitency and Unbelief that any of the Sons of Men remain Condemned These many are equal to the number of Godly Believers in all Ages Fourthly The futurity and certainty of many being made Righteous both which the Future Tense imports Shall be made Righteous it notes Futurity With respect to the effect of Adam's Sin it 's said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were made Sinners That Guilt is entailed on all his Seed and Filth derived to them as soon as they subsist yea its true they were all Offenders and Corrupted in Adam as being Seminally in him But by Christs Obedience it s affirmed many shall be made Righteous i. e. when it is applied and not before The Elect since Christs time remain Unrighteous whilst Unbelievers notwithstanding that Christs Obedience is long since finished as well as all Believers before Christs coming were made Righteous by this Obedience tho' it was not then actually performed Heb. 11.14 15. The Reason of both is the same viz. That we are made Righteous not immediately in the moment of Christs Obeying nor meerly on the Acts done but upon Gods applying this to us by the Word of his Gospel and Work of his Spirit Therefore believing Abraham was made Righteous many Ages before Christ Obeyed Rom. 4.22 And the Elect Corinthians were unjustified all the time of their Infidelity though Christ had finished his Work before 1 Cor. 6.11 The Gospel Promise confers Righteousness for Justification on all Believers and none but Believers tho' Christs Obedience be that for which alone when they believe any are justified This Righteousness is offered to all Hearers on the terms of the Gospel Its designed Infallibly for all the Elect but neither offer nor design constitutes any Man Righteous There must be another act even imputation and that terminates on no other object but the Believer 2. The Words denote certainty q. d. many shall eventually be made Righteous by it A may be made Righteous if they will believe is a Mercy to Mankind above Devils But a meer may be is too low a reward for Christ and incongruous to an Obedience so Astonishing Strange were it that the Lord of Life should Die for Sinners and it remain contingent whether any of them should Eternally speak his Praises or be happy by his Merits But my Text is an unerring Prediction which will be still accomplishing till Christs shall Judge the World His Seed he shall see whom by his knowledge he will justifie Is. 53.11 He will not violate the Gospel Constitution by justifying the Unbelievers because he is Elected but the Elect shall believe that they may be justified by his Obedience The Eternal Counsel shall be executed in the way enacted by Governing Grace 5. The Redditive Note which refers to the first clause in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So The Apostle had said As by the Disobedience of one many were made Vnrighteous So c. He principally intends hereby to affirm That by Christs Obedience all his Regenerate Seed shall as certainly be made Righteous as Adam's Natural Seed were made Sinners by his Disobedience Christs Obedience is as effectual to the one as Adam's Disobedience was to the other Adam is said to be the Figure of Christ v. 14. They were two publick Persons in this respect All Men were made Sinners by Adams fall all Men that ever are made Righteous are made so by Christ's Obedience This is the main scope of the Apostles reasoning in the Parellel between the First and Second Adam but he intends not to infer a Similitude in all things between Christ and Adam who in so many things differ Nay in this Chapter you have sundry instances of that difference given Doct. By the Obedience of Iesus Christ GodMan our Redeemer many shall be made Righteous Good News to a lost World that thô we are undone as Adam's Posterity yet help is laid on Christ who is mighty to save Psa.
Heaven is another Christ doth not in Heaven assume our Nature Denovo but remains United to that Nature which he assumed in the Womb And the state of this Nature is now Glorious whereas he took our Flesh when it was Inglorious A Prince may humble himself in marrying an ignoble deformed sickly Beggar and yet it will not follow he humbleth himself still because he lives with her as a Wife especially if he hath ennobled beautified healed and enriched her 2. Saying That Christ's Humane Nature is exalted in Heaven is an acknowledgment that Christ was humbled in taking our Nature in the manner and condition he assumed it in Would Christ's Body be in an exalted State if it were in the form it had in its first Conception Yet so it was in the moment of Incarnation Were it exalted if still to be Born Yet so it was Would he be in an exalted State if still an Infant or Child Yet this was necessary from the manner of Christ's Incarnation Would this Nature be exalted if still subject to Weariness Pain Grief Hunger Shame Temptation and Death Yet such was the frame and habit of it when he assumed it This vast difference in the state of Christ's Body in Heaven and when he became Incarnate may convince us that Christ humbled himself in assuming it unless you will suppose it was first a Glorious Body i. e. when he took it and after he assumed it it was deprived of that Glory and humbled and then again exalted But such Conceits I pass by 3. I might add Thô the exalted Body of Christ be now a more fitted Medium whereby the Divine Glory is exerted and manifest and also the Glorious Purposes attained by the Hypostatical Union continued do compensate it Nevertheless the Human Nature is in a sense at present some Vail upon the Glory of Christ as the Eternal Word notwithstanding the Exaltation of the Humane Nature 1 Cor. 15.28 But these things are so beyond our comprehension that an humble Reverence doth best set Limits to our Thoughts But what hath been insisted on without enlarging on this may suffice to give us juster Thoughts of our selves as Men at least so as not to furmise it was no Act of Humiliation in the Lord of Glory to become Man by being Conceived and Born for him to be a Child to assume Flesh subject to Weariness Pain Sorrow Faintness Temptation Death c. for the Creator of the World to assume to a Personal Union with himself the lowest sort of intelligent Creatures and for the Lord of Glory to become a Subject and Servant I shall conclude this Point by giving you the Westminster Assemblies Judgment Less Catech. Q 27. Wherein did Christ's Humiliation consist A. Christ's Humiliation consisted in his being born and that in a low condition made under the Law c. You see that they thought Christ's being boâ—â— was a part of his Humiliation And not only the Miseries that followed his being born nor the Low Condition wherein he was born 〈◊〉 tech. Q. 46. The Estate of Christ's Humiliation was that low condition wherein he for our sakes emptying himself of his Glory took upon him the form of a Servant in his Conception and Birth Life Death and after his Death till his Resurrection Q. 47. Christ humbled himself in his Conception in that being from all Eternity the Son of God in the Bosom of the Father he was pleased in the fulness of Time to become the Son of Man made of a Woman of a low Estate and to be born of her with divers Circumstances of more than ordinary Abasement You see his very becoming the Son of Man and his Conception whereby he was Incarnate were Parts of Christ's Humiliation 3. Enq. Did Christ by his Death and Sufferings merit any thing and that for us A. Christ by his Death and Sufferings merited yea even saving Blessings for us I shall 1. Premise somewhat that may tend to clear this 2. I shall prove the Thing I affirm 1. Let this be premised Christ's Death and Sufferings may be conceived of first as Satisfactory and then Meritorious On the other hand Christ's active Obedience is to be conceived as first fit to be Meritorious and then Satisfactory The reason of the former is this Had not Christ's Death and Sufferings been for to make satisfaction God had not admitted them or delighted therein as the merit of any Benefits nay God would have looked at them with dislike in stead of accounting them a meet Price of Blessings The reason for the later is That had not Christ's Active Obedience been perfect and so fit to merit it could not satisfie or be a recompense for Man's Disobedience by vindicating the injured Glory of God's righteous Government Imperfect Obedience had tempted Creatures to offend instead of atoning God for the Offence 2. I shall prove that Christ's Death and Sufferings did merit greatly and that for us Short Hints will suffice to confirm a Position to plain 1. R. That for which Christ was rewarded both as to himself and as to us did truly merit and that for us But Christ was rewarded both as to himself and us for his Death and Sufferings That Christ was rewarded for his Death and Sufferings as to himself is past Question Phil. 2.9 Wherefore God hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every name The Covenant of Redemption adjusteth this Christ claimeth this oft as of Right and the Father is oft said to perform it as of Justice That Christ was for his Death and Sufferings rewarded as to us is as evident All the saving Benefits we receive are part of Christ's Reward and dispensed as such Isa. 53.11 12. He shall see of the travel of his soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoil with the strong because he hath poured out his soul untâ— death c. I shall presently instance the Saving Blessings which we receive for the Sufferings of Christ as the procuring Caâ—se thereof 2. That which is the Price of our Redemption did merit for us but Christ's Death and Sufferings were the Price of our Redemption c. 1 Cor. 6.20 For ye are bought with a price 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things but with the precious blood of Christ c. Acts 20.28 To feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood You cannot doubt but that by which we are redeemed and bought did merit the just God was a detainer of us as guilty Offenders until Christ by Death made reparation to his Glory 3. That which is part of the Righteousness of Christ for which we are justified did merit for us But Christ's Death and Sufferings are part at least of the Righteousness of Christ for which we are justified c. Rom. 5.9 We are
Righteousness who chuse that word They think that because a Principal may be said in Law to pay to the Creditor the very same Money as the Surety pays and in Law equally with the Surety therefore all Sinners for whom Christ Died and Obeyed did then Equally Die and Obey as Christ himself or as others wheâ— they believe God doth account that they Died and Obeyed Equally with Christ and in Law Sense they fully answered the Law of Works and they are Justified by that very Law being truly and legally Innocent by the Satisfaction they have made and Obedience they as one Legal Person with Christ yielded And so they are Righteous as Christ not in Similitude but in Equality But though I grant that the Righteousness of Christ's for which we are Justified be a Righteousness adequate to the Law yea supra-legal as well as in substance truly Legal yet I deny that to be a Suretiship Righteousness in a sense that can infer us Equally Righteous as Christ. 1 R. I have fully proved that Christ was not a Money-Surety with Sinners or Believers in the Law of Works though he Died in their stead and his Death secured their Release and Happiness because the Law-giver in the Covenant of Redemption admitted and promised this and the Gospel doth proclaim this and assure Christians that they shall be treated as Believers yea and as if themselves had Obeyed and Satisfied viz. As to all the Blessings promised to Believers But all this doth not infer that we paid the Price of Heaven that we Legally endured the Wrath of God there 's no Suretiship that amounts to this and therefore no Suretiship Righteousness that connotes it Christ was not our Money-Surety in the Law of Works in performing the Law of Redemption and therefore we cannot be said to do and suffer what Christ did Equally with him nor consequently to be as Righteous as he in Equality Obj. Christ was made under the Law to Redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons Gal. 4.4 5. Ans. 1. I might shew how the Context doth confine to the following sense viz. Christ was made under the Jewish Law as delivered Four Hundred Years after the Promise which could not give Life nor the Spirit under which Law the Jewish Believers were shut up and it their Schoolmaster and they as Servants in Bondage under the Elements of this World i. e. The Ceremonies and far from the designed Liberty of adopted Sons But Christ was made under this Law to Redeem and Rescue those Jewish Believers from this Bondage and to bring the Gentiles as well as they and at one instant with them to the Gospel Freedom and Liberty called the adoption of Sons even a Liberty from the Jewish Yoak and Bondage which many were still fond of Consult Chap. 3. and 4. In this sense it 's not the Law of Innocency as a proper Covenant of Works that 's meant by the Law under which Christ was made The Law of Innocency or Works had not in it these Ceremonies Ordinances and the like 2. I grant that Christ in taking our Nature became a Servant and subject to the Law of Innocency to its Precepts and its Punishments as a Mediator according to the Terms adjusted in the Covenant of Redemption 3. But how follows it that because he obliged himself in the Covenant of Redemption that he would be in our Nature subject to the Law for our Redemption that therefore he was such a Surety in what he did as that we Legally did what he did and that in the Estimate and Sentence of that Law as a Law of Works It 's so far from concluding this that it concludes the contrary we did it not because he did it he did it to Redeem us we were to do it to prevent the need of Redemption and had we done it there had been no room for his doing of it And Obeying alone would have serv'd our turn before Sin and neither our obeying nor suffering have served the turn after Sin Further 4. Christ did not then become a Surety or Undertaker to Die for us by being made under the Law but he was made under the Law because he had undertaken to Die for us His very being made under the Law of Works was but a performance of a previous Engagement to to the Law-giver this being one Article in the Covenant of Redemption That he should take our Nature be a Servant under the Law and make his Soul an Offering for Sin Heb. 10.9 Isa. 53. Can any infer then that because Christ was made under the Law in performance of his Prior Engagement to Redeem lost Sinners to which Engagement these Sinners were never obliged that therefore these Sinners did truly do and suffer whatever Christ did and suffered to Redeem and Save them It 's true but for Sinners and the Law and Divine Justice Christ needed not to enter into any Obligation that he would be under the Law and Die for Sinners and Obey to make the Law Honourable But what is this to make us Principals in that Bond whereby hâ— became obliged to come under the Law and Die for us The Law is Honoured and Justice Satisfied but not by us though for us because he stood alone obliged by his Bond to Honour the Law and Satisfie Justice It was not from any Obligation the Law of Works had upon him that he become obliged to be a Subject or if he became a Subject that he must Die whilst he was an Innocent Person Nor was it the Law of Works that gave him a right to his Reward if he should Obey and Die this Law never promised his Death would be a Ransom for all and he be Glorious as a Redeemer the Law of Works hath nothing of this Christ had to do with a higher Law before he submitted to this A Law wherein he was Principal transacting without us though for our Recovery I 'll give you an instance There is a Law made that he that Commits High Treason shall Die a Thousand Persons Commit High Treason in various degrees and are Condemned But the Law-giver or absolute Supreme Ruler makes a Law that if such a great Monarch will become his Subject and Die to Expiate this Treason those Condemn'd Traitors shall be forgiven and released in such a time and way as is agreed between the Law-giver and this Monarch This Monarch becomes a Subject and Dieth to Expiate the Treason and deliver the Traitors Now here the Law-giver is satisfied the End of the Law is answered the Monarch Dies in the stead and place of the Traitors and they in a fit time and way are released But yet they cannot be said to Die nor pay a Ransom for their Lives much less to say that they paid as much as the Monarch 2 R. We did not equally with Christ perform the Legal Conditions of Redemption otherwise we equally vindicated the Honour of Divine Justice as Christ did
are so strong That the Image of God is so little restored God so much dishonoured and offended still by us c. will this reasoning perswade you Because I shall be kept by Christ's Righteousness out of Hell therefore I am as righteous as Christ though still subject to many Penal Effects of Sin and know not how much greater I may yet be subject to 5. Doth the Plea formed in this Objection fit the Mouth of any true Believer Lord I do not now need thy Forgiving me any thing nor ever was indebted to thee for abating me ought I bore the Punishment legally before I offended and paid the Debt before I contracted it Be but just towards me and I fear no Advantage thou canst have against me Let me be and do what I will or can I am out of thy reach I have in the eye of thy Law suffered what can be inflicted nay I am as righteous as Christ himself and that in equality therefore thou mayest as well and as much be offended with him as with me yea may'st as justly deny him the Reward of his Obedience as deny me any part of that Reward for I performed the Conditions in the Eye of the Law as much as he and have a right equal to his I am equally righteous with him Are these the Apprehensions of an humble broken Heart These things are as unreasonable as if Millions of Persons were liable to die for Robbery and the King and his only Son should agree that the Son should die in the room of these Millions of Criminals that they owning humbly his Kindness might be released and honoured and the Son to have the Glory of being their Redeemer and have Homage done him as such Would it not appear strange if one of these should after his escape by the Prince's Death say to the King I owe you nothing for my Life I paid you in your Son 's dying for me And to say to the Son I have done and â—uffered as much in the Eye of the Law to â—ave my Life as you did and deserved it as much as you and have as much Honour due â—o me for dying in you as you have for dying for us Millions the King and the Law look on me and all should judge me as Just a Man as your self I doubt such a Man might forâ—eit his Claim to Freedom for want of humble Thankfulness and for denying the King's Son â—he Glory of being his Redeemer Exh. With Sobriety of Mind keep an humâ—le Sense of your distance from Christ under â—he highest Privileges he advanceth you to â—dore his Grace that through his Blood you â—re Righteous as pardoned Believers but â—read comparing with him He will and it's 〈◊〉 he should In all things have the Preheminence Col. 1.18 and sure to be more righteous than us in all respects is one of those things What can be a tenderer part of his â—rerogative 11 Pro. Neither Faith nor any Work of Believers are any Righteousness that have any Share or Place with Christ's Righteousness in Justification as this is before described Our Graces do neither make Atonement nor merit Pardon of the least Sin or the conferring of the lowest Benefit No Acts of ours are a jot of our Righteousness or right to Pardon or Glory in a way of Justice Justice could not allow them that place they being Imperfect and the Actions of Sinners God hath no Eye to our Works as any procuring cause of his imputing Christ's Righteousness or of his Pardoning Absolving or Accepting us Reader Because my Enlargement on this Head is long that it may be better comprehended I shall divide it into several Heads 1. I have already told you that Justification is that Act of God whereby he imputes Christ's Righteousness to a Believer and thereupon Pardons Absolves from Condemnation Accepts and Adopts him whereby he hath a right to Glory and sentenceth him one free from Condemnation as if he had not sinned and an Heir of Glory as if he had obeyed the whole Law This is to make us Righteous as in Justification 2. In Justification thus considered the Righteousness of Christ is that which is regarded by God and influential into all as the only Merit and procuring cause his Obedience Active and Passive is the only legal Consideration on which God Pardons Absolves Adopts or gives a right to Glory yea it is Christ's very Right wherein God doth Pardon Absolve c. 3. Justification as including these Benefits stands entire as to its causes antecedently to a Believer's Interest therein it 's a Blessing purchased by Christ it 's offered to Sinners and included in the Promise a Justifying Righteousness wherein or whereby a Sinner is to be pardoned and entitled to Glory is not to be wrought out by Men it 's already fulfilled by Christ and these Effects of it are lodged in the Gospel as Christ's Deed of Gift with his Title To be applied to all that are made Partakers thereof 4. To be Justified Actually is to be made Actual Partakers of a Gospel-right to these Immunities and Privileges in Christ's Righteousness as it is imputed to us by God in the Applicatory Sentence of the Gospel-Promise We have for Christ's Obedience a right to Pardon c. given us and thereupon are pardoned and to be dealt with and defended as such 5. God in and by the Gospel hath described and determined who shall be thus actually Justified and this by descriptive Qualifications they are Sinners condemnable by the Law hence called Ungodly Rom. 4.5 but not Unbelieving Impenitent Sinners for God Justifies none but whom by the Gospel he promiseth to Justifie Now if the Gospel promised Justification to all Sinners as such or to all Impenitent Unbelieving Sinners then all Sinners all Impenitent Unbelieving Sinners would be Justified as soon as they are such and cease to be Justified when they cease to be Unbelieving Impenitent Sinners But God by his Word hath positively declared that such he will not Justifie whilst they are such but leaves them under Condemnation and the Wrath of God abides on them Iohn 3.38 God's purpose of a better State for any doth not prevent their being at present in this worser State it is his Justifying Act that changeth their Condition from a liableness to Condemnation to a Right to Impunity from destructive Evils As it was his condemning Act which altered their State from a Right to Impunity to an Obnoxiousness to ruin this Condemning Act was by the Law that Absolving Act is by the Gospel 6. Therefore whatever God by his Gospel makes necessary in a Person whom he promiseth to Justifie all that and nothing but that is absolutely necessary in the Person who shall be Justified I do not speak of what is necessary in a Person after he is Justified but what is necessary in him on whom God's Justifying Act doth terminate We may judge what is made necessary in the Person to be Justified Thus Whoever God promiseth
Obedience as the Security of his Pardon and Glory and he hath the Gospel to plead as what gives him upon his believing a Right to use that Plea What Christ hath done answers all the Benefits Christ's Gospel applies what Christ hath so done and gives the Benefits for it Faith is the Condition of the Person to whom the Gospel applies Christ's Righteousness and gives the Benefits But is not that for which any thing is given or by which it 's purchased It determineth the Legatees in Christ's Testamentary Absolution and Gifts which he bequeaths to Believers and confines to them therein Exh. 1. Be watchful that you set no Grace Duty or Work of yours into the Place of Christ's Righteousness Do not think any thing you do answers the LAw of Works or any way proportioned to governing Justice Dread a Thought that any thing is due to thy best Duty as of Debt Rom. 4.4 5. Whatever seem to be good Works are wholly vain highly provoking to God affronting to Christ and Snares to your selves if you think they are a Christ or instead of a Christ to you And this you are guilty of if you think you hereby attone for your Sins or merit Glory at the Hand of governing Justice will you rob Christ of his Glory who satisfied for all your Sins and purchased all Blessings alone and who freely gives you but the Fruits of his own Purchase whatever Terms he insists on for the dispensing of his Gifts in a Way most honourable to himself and profitable to you Exh. 2. Yet do not thrust your Graces or Duties out of the Place where Christ by the Gospel Promises hath set them He knew what was consistent with his Honour and that it would not be injurious thereto to insist upon Terms of the Application of his Righteousness and the Communication of the Fruits thereof in a way of governing Grace though as Sovereign Proprietor he gave the Power to perform those Terms He thinks not himself debased by giving out his Acquests as a Priest upon his Throne or erecting a Gospel Kingdom as a Redeemer of lost Man which the Gospel Dispensation is generally called as if of purpose to secure the Gospel Law Mat. 4.23 1 Cor. 15.24 Search carefully whether the Spirit of God hath wrought in you the Conditions of the Benefits of the Gospel Covenant These are necessary to your actual obtaining of any Benefit promised to them respectively and you expect those Benefits without God's Promise yea against God's Word if you neglect to act the Grace the Promise is made to On the other hand you distrust God's Promise in not assuredly expecting the Benefit for Christ's Sake when you have the Graces to which the Promise is made The Gospel doth not deceive us when it encourageth to Duty by Benefits as Rev. 22.14 Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have Right to the Tree of Life Rom. 10.9 If thou confess with thy Mouth and believe with thy Heart thou shalt be saved Be thou faithful unto Death and I will give thee a Crown of Life Will Christ fail to do what his Mouth hath uttered though he display his Grace in giving us that Assurance upon such Duties Christ's Righteousness will be applied in making good every Gospel Promise How unsavory then is it for any one to say that all your Obedience avails no more to justifie you than your worst Sins It 's true no Duty is our Righteousness for which we are justified but it 's as true that the Obedience and great Duty of Faith signifies more to our Justification than that worst Sin of Unbelief for Christ's Righteousness will never be applied to us for our Justification unless we believe and if we believe we shall certainly be justified by Christ's Righteousness Oh Sirs Woe to us at the last Day if we are found to have nothing but the vilest Sins and no Graces or Duties for then will God judge us by the Gospel whether we are believers or unbelievers Obedient or Disobedient to the Gospel Godly or Wicked Precious or Vile see Rom. 2.6 to 13. And Be not deceived God is not mocked whatsoever a Man soweth that shall he reap Gal. 6.7 We may have Boldness in the Day of Iudgment because as he is so are we in this World 1 Joh. 4.17 Little Children let no Man deceive you He that doth Righteousness is Righteous 1 Joh. 3.7 whatever Christ by his Gospel promiseth upon any Duty we follow after that in being earnest with God in Christ for Ability to do that Duty and if by Grace we are enabled thereto we may rejoyce in God's Truth and be sure that in the Righteousness of Christ he will perform that Promise to us whereas if we neglect the Duty we wickedly presume to expect that Blessing and abuse and prophane the Name of Christ and his Righteousness in thinking that we may have that Blessing by his Righteousness though we impenitently persist in our Neglects The Reason is this Christ in his Gospel-promises hath declared how the Effects of his Righteousness shall be dispensed to Men and designeth thereby to govern our Hopes and Fears now and to judge us at the last Day 2. The second Sense wherein we are made Righteous by Christ's Obedience I should now insist on but I have already declared what may inform you somewhat thereof nor have I room to pursue it only let me hint 1. That Faith Repentance Holiness c. are a Real Righteousness they are oft called so by the Holy Ghost and Men are denominated Righteous thereby Nay these are called Righteousness and Men said to be Righteous with respect to those abundantly oftner than on the account of the imputed Righteousness of Christ 1 Iohn 3.7 1 Tim. 1.9 1 Pet. 4.18 Rom. 6.13 16 c. 2. All our Inherent Righteousness is owing to Christ's Obedience and to effect it was one of the Principal Designs of Redemption The Impunity of Sinners is a lower Design than the Restoration of the Divine Image to depraved Man Tit. 2.14 Eph. 4.20.24.13 He purchased our Graces and mainly attends to the Mortifying of Sin and perfecting the Holiness of his Members and will at last present them to the Father fit for his delight Eph. 5.27 3. The Oeconomy of Redemption is such that the Holy Ghost is to have a great hand in Saving Sinners especially in applying Christ's Righteousness to Men and communicating the Effects thereof Hence 1 Cor. 6.11 We are justified in the Name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God The Father gives the Redeemer the Redeemer pays the Price of Redemption the Holy Spirit applies the Price The Father gives his Son to obey for Righteousness the Son by Obeying acquireth the Righteousness the Spirit quickens and works Faith in the Sinner whereby he becomes the Person Justified by his Righteousness according to the Gospel-rule of its Application which Rule was joyntly enacted by Father Son and Spirit It 's as
do his Commands that they may have right to the Tree of Life Mr. M. saith you are gone if you expect it Christ saith Luke 21.36 Watch and Pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man Mr. M. tells you he thinks it Inconsistent with Faith to do so 11. They effectually strike at Christ's Government in one of the Principal Means he hath pitched on to administer it by in our present State for with them it 's Damnable to be excited to Duty by hope of any good upon Obedience or by fear of missing that Good if we obey not And so in Truth Promises and Threats are Nullities as to God's Government Hence Mr. M. resolves all the Reasons of Obedience into Motives of what God hath done for us Page 70. Indeed they are Motives but they are not the only Motives nor the chief Motives that God makes use of nor what are fittest to impress Mankind yea or Christians whilst they be so Imperfect and encompassed with Sâ—ares We see they restrain not Wrath Malice Faction c. in too many How dare Men say Is it Damning to submit to such Arguments which God so often useth from future Rewards and Punishments because he sometimes moves us from past Privileges or present Decencies Yea though you should add the Authority of the Precepts whilst you divest them of all Promises and Threatnings to invigorate Mens Compliances therewith We say Frustra est praecipere quod impune potest negligi Christ saith Iohn 13.17 If you know these things happy are you if you do them John 12 48 He that rejecteth me and receives not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken that shall judge him Gal. 6.7 8. Be not deceived God is not mocked what a Man soweth that shall he reap For he that soweth to the Flesh shall of the Flesh reap Corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap Life Everlasting I might transcribe the greatest part of the Bible to prove this 12. They dreadfully Contradict themselves in all the profitable Sermons they preach Mr. M. saith it 's a Damnable Error in me to say that God gives any Benefit in a way of Reward or Encouragement upon Believing though not as a Debt or as if Faith merited ought yea and it 's in and for Christ's Righteousness that it is given Yet hear himself Page 68. Oh get Faith see that you Believe for in this way it will come to pass that the Righteousness of Christ shall be upon you If a Man should ask him Doth God command me to believe Ans. Yes But doth God by you perswade me to believe by this Argument That Christ's Righteousness shall be upon me Ans. Yes sure or it 's a meer Delusion Q. Well but shall I have it upon my Believing A. Yes it is in this way But will it be upon me if I believe not Ans. No I have told you Page 66. Your Souls shall go down into Hell Qu. Do you intend that I may tell my own backward Heart If thou wilt believe thou shalt have an Interest in this Blessed Righteousness and so urge the Worth of this and the Necessity of Believing upon my Soul I suppose Mr. M. must here suspend But if I ask may I expect assuredly when I am through Grace enabled to believe that upon this God will put the Righteousness of Christ upon me and make good the word wherein he caused me to hope viz. That if I did Believe the Righteousness of Christ should be upon me Here Mr. M. by his Principle must cry out O No this is to follow a Soul-destroying Error if there be any in the World Page 46. But Sir I will not plead my Faith as any Merit but only plead the Promise God is pleased to make to my Faith and rely on that word now that I have Faith Mr. M. yet that 's Damnable for then it comes in a way of Reward Then I ask again If that be Damnable Pray why did you use this Motive in the name of Christ to perswade me to believe How could it be a Motive to Faith if I was not to expect it upon believing And if I was to expect it before I believed in case that I would believe Why may not I expect it now that I do believe I know not what Answer Mr. M. will make unless 1. It 's something done by Man Or 2. God will be still at liberty to perform or not perform the Benefit though he did promise it Or 3. He will not perform it in the way he promised it that is He promised it as an Encouragement to you if you would believe but he will not accomplish it as an Encouragement now thaâ— you do believe nor seem so much to approve of your Faith The first were Silly because it was a Man was perswaded to do this eveâ— to believe for I hope it 's a Humane Act though by the Spirits Power The second is to impeach the Truth of God's Word The third is a weak Foppery as if it were a Dishonour to God to give the Benefit in the way he chose to use it as a Motive to the Duty especially when as Mr. M. owneth it 's by the Gospel-word that God puts this Righteousness on us which is the very same Word whereby he urgeth this Benefit as a Motive to Man's Believing If I again ask Why Mr. M. would by this Motive thus perswade Sinners to Believe He would I hope say This is the way God hath ordained to convert them to the Faith But why dare he Preach thus when it implies what he calls a Damning Error or else it 's a meer Mockery I 'll answer for him He had a mind to venture a Contradiction rather than be wholly useless to those People whom he designed to frighten from the Ministry of others as Damnable that he and his Party might be more considerable Reader Would'st thou know whence comes this Confusion I 'll tell thee it is Because they consider not 1. That though the Gospel be not a Law wherein Governing Justice displays it self in the Adjustment of Benefits to the Duty yet therein there is a Governing Authority in a way of Grace suitable to the State of Men in the dispensing of the Fruits of Christ's Death 2. That a Reward of Grace is quite another thing than a Reward of Debt 3. That all Gospel-Benefits are given in Christ's Right and are the Effects of his Righteousness applied to all that partake of them 4. That all Gospel-Precepts and Promises do Authoritatively appoint and describe the Persons that are Parâ—â—kers of Benefits for the sake of Christ's Righteousness but not their own and not put Men on purchasing these Benefits 5. Yet these do fully distinguish them that shall partake of the Benefits from others that shall not partake of them The Gospel doth hereby fix a
certain Rule of Judgment and doth infallibly direct Mens Hopes Fears and Expectations Also it governs Mens Endeavours after Graces and Duties as the certain Means on our part of coming at the respective Benefits graciously promised in and by Christ to or upon those Graces or Duties But these things I have before largely insisted on This Damning Error comes to no more at last than this The Gospel-Covenant is Conditional not as to the first Grace but as to the subsequent Benefits and so that God requires us to believe and repent that we may escape the Wrath of God and that there are Promises made to Graces All which the Assembly of Divines in plain words assert therefore how many are undâ—â— Mr. M's Condemnation Nay it 's well if 〈◊〉 was Innocent when he Prefaced Mr. 〈◊〉 Book called The Blow at the Root for there all that I assert in this Point is affirmed 2 Charge He is the Man that makes the State of Believers to be undecided and in Suspence during this Life This is my Second Damning Error Reply He is very unfair in wording this who would not infer either 1. That I affirm that all true Believers are not in a State of Salvation Or 2. That an Elect Person that is brought to believe Savingly will Apostarize and Eternally Perish 3. Or that a Believer during this Life may not be assured of his Eternal Happiness But he knows in his Conscience that I do often in the plainest words assert the contrary to each of these Take a few Instances out of my Book I affirm that we are Justified the same Moment as we truly believe in Christ and the Blessing is not Suspended for any time longer And an Elect Person once Justified shall by Christ's Care be kept in a Iustified Stated Gospel-Truth stated p. 104 105. Again I affirm That Assurance is attainable in this Life as the Effect of Faith Page 74. I affirm that a Penitent Believer shall be Saved if he die before he hath time for further Obedience Again The Essential Blessings of the Gospel become the Inheritance of a Believer as soon as he is united to Christ Page 125 126. Do not say the Elect Believer will not fall away I think the same yet is it the less true that even he should Perish if he fall away Nay Doth not God by these Threats contribute to keep hi◠〈◊〉 Apostasie P. 138. See Defence P. 9. 2. I 'll give thee the Ground upon which he wordeth this Charge P. 55. I said the Reason why I use the word Condition is because it best Suits with Man's Relation to God in his present Dealings with us as Subjects in trial for Eternity And P. 136. How unsuitable is it to the present State of Mankind that Christ should govern us without Promises and Threatnings He is a King and we are his Subjects and we are 1. his Subjects in a State of trial for another World 2. We have great Remains of Sin within us and Temptations without us These are the places that give him the greatest Umbrage Now where is here that a Believer's Case is undecided 3. Let us briefly examine where the very true Difference between him and me consists for certainly therâ— is one though he thinks it the best Defence of his own Opinion to misrepresent mine or else he had gained little by calling it Damning The Difference is not 1. Whether all true Believers are in a State of Salvation 2. Whether they shall Persevere 3. Whether it be by the Influences of Christ through the Spirit that they do Persevere 4. Nor whether the Influences of the Spirit and Perseverance and the Certainty of their Salvation thereupon be the Effects of Christ's Righteousness and purchased by his Obedience All these I affirm But the real Difference is 1. Whether God require Believers to Persevere in Faith and Holiness as the means of their continuing in a State of Salvation 2. Whether it be a blameably legal Fear to be Solilicitously Cautious in resisting Temptations and striving in Christ's Strength to Persevere least we Eternally Perish 3. Whether if a Man have once believed yet if he should fall under the reigning Dominion of Sin and Corruption he ought to suspect that he is not in a State of Salvation These three I affirm and Mr. M. denies or I can make nothing of his words which thou must joyn together P. 50. If thou hast indeed believed with the Faith of the Operation of God and they Conscience knows it thou mayst then conclude assuredly That whatever thy Sins have been or whatever thy Defects and Corruptions now be yet this Righteousness of God is upon thee thou hast it and dost stand in it Reply The Faith is an Act past the Conclusion is at present whatever a Man's Corruptions be the only Evidence of the past Faith is â—he Knowledge of Conscience which is not Infallible And by the way I can prove That by his Opinion as that first Act is before Regeneration so no other or after-Act of Faith is necessary to continue our Justified State Again He exposeth such P. 63. as hold that we stand in it this Righteousness by our own Faith And P. 64. their Continuance in Obedience and the not failing of their Faith is one of the Privileges of their State and the Effect and Fruit of their having this Righteousness of Christ upon them and not the Means or Cause thereof You see the not failing of Faith is not so much as the Means of our continuing to have this Righteousness on us for of its first being on us he makes Faith a Cause P. 51 52. I need not shew how oft he calls all Fears about this Perseverance in our State Legal I have not time to argue these therefore shall only touch on each 1. God doth require Believers to Persevere in Faith and Holiness as a Means of their Continuance in a State of Salvation Rom. 11.20 22. Because of Vnbelief they were broken off and thou standest by Faith Be not high-minded but fear Towards thee goodness if thou continue in his goodness otherwise thou shalt be cut off 2 Cor. 1.24 By Faith ye stand How Conditionally is it proposed Col. 1.22 23. Now to present you Vnblameable in his sight If ye continue in the Faith and be not moved away from the Hope of the Gospel Here our Unreprovableness and Reconciliation in the Body of Christ's Flesh through Death as to Continuance is stated on this If you continue in the Faith Heb. 10.35 to 39. Now the Iust shall live by Faith but if any Man draw back my Soul shall have no Pleasure in him But we are not of them that draw back to Perdition but of them that believe to the Saving of the Soul It 's by Faith we live this Believing is to Salvation as drawing back is to Perdition How many are the Promises of Salvation to Perseverance and Threatnings of Death against Apostasie And these uttered to Believers Yea are
a great Means of their Perseverance which Divine Wisdom hath appointed Obj. Christ's Righteousness upon us keeps our Faith Ans. And yet keeping our Faith through God's Power keeps that Righteousness upon us to Salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 And know that Christ's Righteousness is applied in Correspondence with the Gospel-Rule It is not upon the Apostate to give him a Right to Salvation but upon the Persevering Believer It is on the Believer for his present Right but it is in Christ for to be still applied to the Persevering Believer for his continued Right Obj. The Believer will not fall away Ans. It is not naturally Impossible but it 's by Grace that he shall not fall away But then God's Helps and Means must be used by him of which these Cautions are not the least and the Connexion between Apostasie and the loss of Salvation is never the less true and so Mr. M's Principal never the less false for if ever he draw back my Soul shall have no Pleasure in him and truly you may as well infer that Faith is not necessary to our justification at first as that Perseverance is not necessary to our continuing so For it was as sure of the Elect. even before they believed that they should be justified It 's sure of the Believer before he persevere that he shall be saved But yet if Faith be necessary to the first so Perseverance is by as express Testimony necessary to the last 2. It is not blamably legal Fear for Believers to be sollicitously cautious in resisting Temptations and sâ—riving in Christ's Strength to persevere and this lest they eternally perish hold fast that which thou hast that no Man take thy Crown Rev. 3.10 was a fit Means to beget Care in holding fast Heb. 4.1 is a Caution the Apostle comprehends himself in Let us fear left a Promise being left us any of us should seem to come short of it any appearing challenge from within themselves was matter of Fear for on Christ's Part there 's no Suspicion It 's a divine Charge Phil. 2.13 Workout your own Salvation with Trembling and Fear not only begin it so but so work it out Nay in no span of Time on this side the Grave is the best Saint exempted Pass the Time of your sojourning here in Fear and the Reason is If you call upon the Father who without respect of Persons judgeth according to every Man's Work 1 Pet. 1. 17. These Men now tell us There is no judicial Process of Believers no Judgment by a Gospel-rule It will not be asked you what Sin you have committed or forsaken or Duty you have omitted or Good you have done but are you in Christ As if these were of no Use to determine whether we are in Christ truly or no and as if a Privilege were the proper matter of a Judicial Trial. Mr. M. may know whose these are Oh Christians Is our Race as yet run our Fight already fought or our Dangers past Are we still in Via or in Termino 3. A Man that hath once believed if he should fall under the reigning Power of Sin and Corruption ought to suspect that he is not in a State of Salvation Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after the Flesh ye shall die but if ye mortifie the Deed of of the Flesh by the Spirit ye shall live was a Truth directed to all the Saints at Rome and let me tell you the Dominion of Sin is a more sure Evidence that Men are now out of a State of Salvation than the Knowledge of their Consciences that they formerly believed is of their ever being in a State of Salvation For this may be a mistaken Knowledge but the other is the divine Word These Conceits are obviated Ezek. 33. 13. when I say to the righteous he shall surely live if he trust to his own Righteousness and commit Iniquity all his Righteousness shall not be remembred but for his Iniquity that he hath committed he shall surely die for it i. e. If because he began to do well and because he hath done so for a Time he ventures to give up himself to a Course of Sin he shall certainly perish for it This is the plain Sense of the Place notwithstanding Mr. M. forced Perversion of it against our expecting any Benefit upon performing any Duty The Apostle Paul thought not himself above this Rule 1 Cor. 9.11 24. I keep my Body under lest when I have preached to others I my self should be a Cast-away What a damning Sentence would Mr. M. pass on Turretin Perkins Mr. Anthony Burgess and most of our old Divines who jointly assert That if David had died before he had repented of the Murther of Vria he had been damned Nay that comfortable Text Rom. 8.1 brands his Position there 's no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit whence it 's evident That if they now walk after the Flesh they shall be condemned at least from its being inconsistent with their present being in Christ whatever they think of their former believing I will not retort damning on Mr. M's Opinion yet to such Souls who credit his Notion That whatever thy Corruptions now be if thy Conscience know that thou hast believed formerly they Salvation is safe I must in pity say thou mayest eternally perish by it For thou canst not judge now it was a true saving Act but according to the Sentence of Conscience and they Conscience may be mistaken yea if thy Corruptions now have Dominion over thee and continue so God warns thee Let no Man eeceive you with vain Words for these things the Wrath of God comes upon the Children of Disobedience Eph. 5.6 3 Charge And whether he do not in Truth disown the Imputation of our Sins unto Christ and of his Righteousness unto us It is like if he live the World will see more fully for he hath given such pregnant Indications thereof as do amount to at least just Cause of Iealousie Repl. 1. Is it come so low as a Jealousie now When he was one that under his Hand affirmed thus of me He teacheth that the Righteousness of Christ is imputed only as to Effects with a Purchase of a Conditional grant viz. This Proposition He that believeth shall be saved and they cite for it though in contrary Words Gospel Truth p. 39. where my Words are these I affirm That Christ by his Righteousness merited for all the Elect that they should in his Time and Way be certainly Partakers of its saving Effects and did not only purchase a conditional Grant of those Effects viz. That Proposition He that believeth shall be saved And besides these Effects being made ours the very Righteousness of Christ is imputed to true Believers as what was always undertaken and designed for their Salvation and is now effectual to their actual Pardon and Acceptance to Life yea is pleadable by them as their Security and is as useful to
the Law which we had frustrated But this will not make him such a Surety in this broken Bond as shall make us legally accounted to do all and suffer and answer all and be as righteous as he that did it though it be in his very Righteousness that we are saved notwithstanding we have failed in all this For I ask when he put his Name in this broken Bond Sure not before it was broken then he was Surety before Again when he did put his Name did he do it to the same very purpose as we were originally bound viz. that we might live by our Innocency and Obedience as our Righteousness No it was to redeem us from the Effects of our own Disobedience Did he engage that we should do and suffer what would be a Price of our Redemption and Salvation No he was to do it himself in his own legal Person I say legal because the divine Dignity of his Person gave the legal yea supralegal Value in God's Account to what he did and suffered for one meer Man's doing and suffering what the meer Law injoined would not have satisfied for Millions and the broken Bond it self did not require a divine Person 's obeying any more than the whole Bond did though the Attainment of its Ends did so Again if Christ's Suretiship was so limited within this broken Bond than as he was bound to do and suffer no more than it required so neither he nor we are entitled by that Obedience to any more than this broken Bond at first covenanted to give Yea further Mr. M. faith P. 57. The elect were constituted at first under another Head and under another Covenant which had nothing in it of Christ and his Righteousness either to be brought in for them or to be applied to them Reply But if Christ's Righteousness be no higher than that Covenant did require before it was broken the Righteousness of perfect Adam had been as great as Christ's And if the unbroken Covenant was the same as the broken Bond How should the unbroken Covenant neither have nor require any Righteousness of Christs and yet the broken Bond measure and limit Christ's Righteousness and Sentence us legally Righteous for it But if as Mr. M. saith the Covenant with Adam and the Elect was another Covenant from the broken-Bond then we are not under the Covenant requiring what at first it injoyned and being federating Parties only in the first and subjected to Penalty only by it as it 's broken Here 's no Obedience-work for a Surety nor place for a proper Surety in bearing the Penalties But I have elsewhere enlarged and therefore conclude That such Confusion about the Suretiship should abate Mens regard to his Censures against such as will not own he himself knows not what and proveth none sees how 6. I find after all that this Equality of Righteousness between Christ and us is not so much from Legal Union or Judicial Imputation but from a Coalescence of Believers into one mystical Person with Christ by Vital Union Thus p. 55. Between our believing and our being justified there comes in our Coalescing into one mystical Person with Christ by this Vital Vnion and our having his Righteousness upon us unto the Iustification of Life and so our being justified is not the next or immediate effect of our Believing c. Here indeed if I understand what one person is he may well argue we are as Righteous as Christ for we are Christified with Christ not in Name or on Account of his undertaking or his being the Head of the Church as his mystical Body But as being one mystical Person opposed to a Legal Person than by pointing at any Believer you may avoid the danger of Ioh. 8.24 If you believe not that I am he you shall die in your sins Mr. M. may rise higher than that we are as Rightâ—â—us as Christ and say we are as Holy as Christ as Honorable as Christ as Wise as Christ and so interpret his proof 1 Cor. 1.30 Nay are we not assumed into a Personal Union with the Eternal Word as the Humane Nature of Christ is which I think is unavoidable unless Christ hath more Persons than one Besides his being a legal Person which he opposeth this mystical Person to And that he means something like this hear him p. 60. It 's called a Vital Vnion because in effecting it there is a Vital Touch as I may say between Christ and us and a clasping each on other Compare this with P. 63. The Humane Nature of Christ leans on the Godhead in the Son and hath the Eternal Power of the Deity clasping about it and holding it in that Vnion c. The Eternal Power of the Godhead in Christ and not so much the strength of any created Principle of Grace in us holding our Hearts unto him and causing them for ever to live upon him Can you find much difference though he pretend a Disproportion The Awfulness of the Subject restrains me from exposing this affected Cant which is the only Gospel with these Men because its Mystery i. e. unintelligible Nonsence fitted to a Rosocrucian or Behemist It is not enough that Christ is the Author of all in us and the Securer of all promised Good to us and that he condescended to confirm this and comfort our Souls by such gracious Instances of a Mystical Union as that between Vine and Branches Head and Members Husband and Wife yea that the same Spirit dwells in Christ and us each of which inform and assure to us the Blessing designed to be signified thereby but not whatever our Profane Fancies may wrest a Metaphor or force an Expression to Must Men strain it to one Person whereby Christ's Prerogatives and our Vile Defects are in common to Christ and us Is this to let Christ in all things have the Preheminence Col. 1. 18. The Scriptures needed not so many Metaphors to represent to us the several Benefits we have by Union with Christ This one would have served for all yea far exceeded all only that one Person would consist but with few of them nay with none Head and Members do not make one Person but one Body yea one Spirit in Christ and us doth not make one Person unless you 'll make the Holy Ghost to be an animating Soul to the Body and so be the chief constitive part of the whole Person What will a deluded vain Fancy expose Men to at last Exceptions against some more Passages in Mr. M's Book I Have been already engaged to hint at some yet among many obnoxious enough let 's consider some more of his Stamina 1. That God hath ordained Christ to do all with God for the Elect and that he shall be aâ—â— from God to them c. All I say that in this ruined Condition they need to bring them to that heighth of Happiness c. P. 56 58. Reply If he had meant only that Christ was to do all with God in
upon Christ alone for Justification Sanctification and eternal Life 6. His Faith wâ—nts the receiving of Christ if not wholly yet as a Prophet and Lord Whereas true Faith receives Christ Iesus the Lord Col. 2.6 7. Here 's no yielding up our selves to our Redemer's Conduct no Dedication of our selves to him as our Owner Guide and Ruler nor Consent or Engagement or Purpose of Heart to do so Whereas Gospel-Faith is such a Trust of and on Christ as includes a yielding up our selves to him to be saved by him in his way as he sets down the Terms viz. To deny our selves take up his Cross be his Followers and Disciples Isa. 44.5 Luke 19.14 27. Rom. 6.13.16 Luke 14.26 27 33. Ier. 30.21 8. Here 's no purpose of Heart to renounce the World Flesh and Devil who are Christ's Rivals and Competitors to whom we before did yield up our selves 1 Pet. 3.21 Io. 5.44 Faith is a strange Conjugal Consent wherein the Wife promiseth no Duty or Loyalty only expects all to be done for her Obj. If we trust and lean on Christ we shall do these Ans. 1. It 's as true if we do these we shall and do lean on Christ and by that rule may as well call these Faith and leave out that 2. It is not a saving Trust in Christ that doth exclude these or is without them This is plain because the Act of Gospel-Faith is oft expressed by these as well as by Trust and a Sentence of Condemnation lies still upon a Soul that wants these and is under the power of their contraries We will not have this Man to Reign over us was the Language of Unbelief and for this they were subject to Death Luke 19.14 27. 3. The Scriptures tell us of instances of a Trust and Leaning that proved destructive for want of these other things and certainly will prove so to all others Mic. 3.11 The Priests teach for hire and the Prophets divine for money yet they will lean upon the Lord and say is not the Lord among us none evil can come upon us No doubt the Foolish Virgins had a degree of Trust in Christ but were lost for want of Oil though they looked for so much from him 4. As he wordeth it and joineth it in other places it looks to be a meer Contemplative Act which as a Man unregenerate doth with him perform so a Carnal Man may do it for indulging his Sloath and Carelesness q. d. I will now and then apply to this Meditation Christ shall do all for me I trust him to do so and therefore I am safe though I do no more yea I shall be damned if I strive to do any thing else as a means of obtaining saving Benefits though it be in Christ's Righteousness that I expect all We are warned Mat. 7.21 Not every one that crieth Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father and this was to enforce that Charge Enter in at the strait Gate 5. He ascribes too much to Faith as imperfect dead and unholy a thing as he makes it even more than I dare for a World ascribe to that which is the true Gospel-Condition P. 51. There is between our Believing and this Righteousness being upon us a reference of Causality Repl. We must be destroyers and be destroyed for saying God requires Faith suspending Pardon till we believe and by his Promise securing it to us when we believe though we expresly deny all Causal Influence and confine the Condition to the meer Frame of the Object and do leave Justification in all its Causes entire as the Benefit to be given in Christ's Right to him that is a Believer Yet our Accuser Witness and Judge can innocently cry up a Causality a real and proper Causality a mediate Causality of Justification an immediate Causality of Union with Christ which is the greater benefit P. 52. My short Legs can follow these small strides It 's a Cause of Justification but how By more than that Rule causa causae est causa causati Faith is a Cause of Vnion that Union is a Cause of Christ's Righteousness being upon us and that Righteousness being upon us is the Cause of Justification and so Faith is an influential Cause of Justification If you go forward with what Justification is the Cause of and what that is also a Cause of Faith is a Cause of even as much and in the same sort as it is of Justification and if you go backward to the next Cause of Faith and to the Cause of that and even all that is the Cause of Justification as much and in the same sort as Faith is And what kind of Cause is Faith in all It 's always with him a Phisical Cause a natural touch and clasping Yet P. 52. he saith it 's by God's Constitution and Ordination hopeful words but he soon throws it oâ—â— of â— moral Causality again and brings iâ—to the Corporeal Spicies Clasping about the Soul Here 's a Covenant-Consent without an Act considered as any way Moral a strange thing to any Man of Sense who must know that Acts are considered only as Moral Acts in every Covenant 6. He accounts all Performance of any Duty with an Expectation of any Saving Benefits as Morally connected therewith to be in a legal Manner and Spirit from legal or old Covenant Principles and unto old Covenant Ends c. P. 28 Compare p. 71. Reply I have fully proved that though nothing done by us is the Righteousness wherein we stand before a Just God or the Merit of any Good or Atonement for Sin or instead of a legal Righteousness Yet there is in the Gospel a Display of Authority though in a way of Grace and a Rectoral way fixed for giving out the Effects of Christ's Obedience in his Righteousness as Benefits encouraging to Duty And in that way we must expect them to the Glory of God's Truth and Promises and we wickedly Presume in expecting them otherwise and hereby Obedience to Christ and the Righteousness of Christ are not opposed nor old Covenant ends pursued Mr. M. saith P. 49. Faith hath no Influence no not so much as in a way of Instrumentality to confer upon us a Right and Title to Christ's Righteousness all the Influence that Faith hath is to our actual Possession of it I grant 1. That Faith is not our Justifying Righteousness 2. That Christ hath merited the Elect shall have it 3. That it is the Gospel-Promise is our Title and Charter yea 4. I deny all Causal Influence to our Possession But as to him who ascribes to Faith a Causality I would ask 1. Doth not the Gospel adjust by its Promise that it is the Believer it will invest in this Possession of Righteousness 2. Doth not this Promise entitle a Believer to this Possession and bar the Unbeliever 3. Doth Faith then no way affect our Right or Title to the Possession thereof Doth it not
next principle of good Works for though it be the Meriting Cause of all as it is in Christ yet holy habits are the next Principle with the Spirits influence And above all must we cease to declare the whole Will of God to all that hear us till we know is Christ's Righteousness upon them Yea is it because they are dead in Sin before Faith that we must not press them to repent fear and love God c. The same reason will hold against pressing them to saving Faith which of themselves they can as little perform And if it be by the Word that God regenerates our Hearers Why may not the Spirit infuse Life by calling Men to Repent c. as well as to Believe and a true Principle of Life will act duly though I think not in the same order of discernable Actings in every Convert But however it 's certain that if by preaching Repentance the Spirit quickens a Soul that Soul is as sure to believe when quickned as it is to repent when it believes And so our Author makes but a spiteful Flourish when he would induce our Hearers to think we teach them amiss because we learn not of him SInce the Printing of my Answer to what Mr. M. calls my Second Damning Error viz. That I make the State of Believers to be Undecided and in Suspence during this Life I have found the word Vndecided in my Gospel Truth Stated P. 55. which I then was Ignorant of though I cast my Eye on the bottom of that very Page My words are The Covenant though Conditional is a Disposition of Grace there 's Grace in giving Ability to perform the Conditions as well as in bestowing the Benefits God's enjoyning one in order to the other makes not the Benefit to be less of Grace but it is a Display of God's Wisdom in conferring the Benefit suitably to the Nature and State of Men in this Life whose Eternal Condition is not Eternally decided but are in a State of Trial yea the Conditions are but a Meetness to receive the Blessing But as I have in my Answer shewed that I oft in Gospel Truth stated affirm That the Elect shall Persevere in Faith and that every true Saint is now in a State of Salvation So I shall only add 1. I do not here mention Believers but Men in general yea rather Unbelievers 2. By Eternally decided any Man may see that I had an Eye only to God's Iudicial Decision at Death and the more Solemn Sentence at the last Judgment when we Die our Warfare is finished and our State as Viatores is at an end 3. What meaneth all the Scripture Cautions even to Believers such as Watch c. Pass the time of your Sojourning here in Fear c. If all our State be decided so while we have many Years Temptations and Persevering Work before us as it will be beyond the Grave Alas how many are long deceived by the meer Form of Godliness and they that are Godly are called to Caution and Care on this very Consideration that they are to be judged 1 Pet. 1.17 which were useless to such as are in termino 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Rev. 2.10 See more in my Answer The Point of the Embrio was not fit for my large insisting on or I could have proved that an Embrio is not an unformed unorganized Mass or Lump c. FINIS The Five following Books have been lately published by the Author of this Discourse Printed for John Dunton at the Raven in the Poultry 1. GOspel Truth Stated and Vindicated wherein some of Dr. Crisp's Opinions are considered and the opposite Truths are plainly Stated and Confirmed The Second Edition 2. A Defence of Gospel-Truth Being a Reply to Mr. Chancy 3. The Vanity of Childhood and Youth wherein the depraved Nature of Young People is Represented and Means for their Reformation proposed Being some Sermons Preached at the Request of several Young Men. 4. A Discourse shewing that Repentance of National Sins God requires if ever we expect National Mercies 5. Man made Righteous by Christ's Obedience Being two Sermons Preached at Pinners-hall with Enlargements c. Also some Remarks on Mr. Mather's Postscript c. AN Essay upon Reason and the Nature of Spirits By Dr. Burthogg Heads of Agreement assented to by the United Ministers in and about London The Fourth Volume of the Morning Exercise There will also be Extant in a few days The Second Volume of the French Book of Martyrs Published by her Majesties Royal Priviledge There is in the Press Remarks upon Bishop King's late Book concerning the Inventions of Men in the Worship of God By the Reverend Mr. Iohn Boyse Malbranch's Search after Truth will also be published in a few Weeks