Law may meet with external Changes in its Administration either by Dispensation when positive only as the Ceremonial or an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abatement of the Rigor in Words but the Law the same that suffers the change 3. The Law may suffer some Change in particular Precepts which are its Integral Parts A Man is the same Man still thô he lose his Thumb Collective Bodies are capable of Increase or Decrease so Jus Collectum of Derogation Surrogation or Erogation but Abrogation or Obrogation alters the Essence and until the Moral Law is Abrogate we cannot expect one specifically distinct from it But the Opposition is perspicuous thus A Law that requires your Works a Law to be obey'd by you and a Law that requires your Faith a Law fulfill'd by another for you which you ought to believe and it thus Answers the Argument we are justified by most perfect Obedience but we perform'd it not it was Christ Fourthly It is manifest from the Context and Harmony of the Apostles Discourse he had all along join'd the Laws and the Works together which he excluded from Justification First The pure Natural Law among the Gentiles Secondly The manifold Mosaical now he tells us of a Righteousness and a Law that we may and must be justified by if at all is it reasonable or possible to separate these two Ver. 21 22. But now the Righteousness of God is manifested Even the Righteousness of God which is by Faith of Jesus Christ If the one be the Righteousness of Christ the Mediator surely the other is the Law of it shall we separate the Righteousness of Faith and the Law of Faith The Text would not be a good Conclusion from what precedes without this that which he had prov'd was there is no Justification by the Deeds of the Law but only by the Righteousness of God Well says he if the Case be so Where is your Boasting it is excluded He draws his Conclusion Triumphing over them How By the Law of Faith You are justifi'd by the Righteousness of God you are justifi'd in a way that excludes Boasting the Law of Faith excludes Boasting and the Righteousness of God justifies you do not then these two Coincide the one as the Work the other as the Command if it were another Law requiring a new kind of Obedience and Righteousness distinct from what he had spoken of he had drawn a Conclusion without any Premises There are two things should have been enlarged on First To prove that this Righteousness is the Righteousness of Christ as Mediator The Second Whether or not this Law of Faith referrs to the Righteousness as the Rule of it or the Faith by which it is applied Both which I must deferr to some proper Verses in the fourth Chapter only at present as to the first that 2 Pet. 1.1 may perswade any unprejudic'd Person Thorough the Rsghteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ As to the second our Confession of Faith says We are not justifi'd by Faith or that is not imputed to us it self as an Act nor any other Evangelical Obedience But this is to be treated in ver 3. Fifthly This Law is a Law we can be justifi'd by and it is before prov'd that we cannot be by any Law requiring Obedience of us Sixthly The difficulties that attend the Explication of it by Socinians Arminians aliis melioris notae who say this Law is the Law of Christ the Mediator not as made under it but as a Law-giver requiring Faith and Repentance of us as the Condition of an Interest in his Merits and Justification by them I say the difficulties that attend it render it the less credible 1. This Gospel-law or Law of Faith must be a perfect Law requiring Faith in Perfection Repentance in Perfection and so other Evangelical Obedience Mr. Bull in his Examination who is Zealous for this New Law and who as Mr. Pitcarn one of his many Adversaries says is of the greatest Acumen of the kind he not only owns it but proves it from Christs own Words Mat. 5.48 when he was Promulgating his Law Be ye perfect as my Father in Heaven is perfect 2 Pet. 3.18 Grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ On which he thus Acutely Comments The Commands of growth have no Bounds nor Limits until we come to the Unity of the Faith and the Knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect Man unto the Measure of the Stature of the fulness of Christ and it is a certain Truth that there is no Duty in the Gospel wherein Gods Law only requires sincere and not perfect Obedience Patience should have its perfect Work and that 's a special part of Evangelical Obedience Either the Gospel Law or Law of Faith must require Perfection of Obedience in these Duties or some other Divine Law else God would become an Indulger of Sin by Law if it be by another Law viz. the Moral that he requires perfect Obedience and by this sincere only then these two Laws differ but in Degree not in Specie or Kind because both require the same Duties or Works and so this Gospel Law would be no Distinct Law but only the Measure of sincere Obedience would receive a new use which we own it has to wit to be an Index and Mark of our Justification tho' we cannot own that use of its giving Right but to proceed a distinct Law they must hold or quit their Cause or this Foundation of it for the Text sets the Law of Faith down as an opposite Law to that of Works and that they hold 1. Then if it be a perfect Law requiring perfect Obedience there is no possibility of Justification in this Life Poppius the Arminian grants the Conclusion that our Obedience must be consummate before our Assurance and others distinguish between a Compleat and Partial Justification the former is not they say until the day of Judgment But this is not all the difficulty for it 's the adding a Load to a Burden Is this Gospel to a Man that is unable to perform the least part of the Moral Law to tell him that God or the Mediator requires perfect Obedience to it for the Future and another too Or is this Gospel to say you shall perish Aeternally and have the Fire of Hell seven times heated if you obey not this Gospel It s indeed a Conditional Hell but it 's more dreadful than the Law-Hell and the Condition is more impossible because we have less Power to shun this difficulty of two perfect Laws Mr. Bull owns no other perfect Law but this Gospel-Law since Man fell but by shunning one difficulty he falls into two as great 1. Then the Moral Law is abrogated beside the falsness of the Doctrine it self for it is impossible that should cease to be our Duty to love God with all our Heart and Soul what Advantage brings Christs Death To abrogate one perfct Law and
saying She had tried them which said they were Apostles and found them liars she was molested with them not corrupted From the Third of Philippians we find that Church was corrupted by 'em for he calls such Teachers Dogs evil Workers the Concision and from his own Experience tells 'em he was once such an one that trusted in the Flesh but now solely in Christ and his Righteousness It is against both these Parties that the Apostle here disputes but principally against these latter sort as we may see by the state of the Question Ver. 28. Justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law His Disputes with the former were of another Kind viz. To convince the Gentiles that Christ was the and the only Mediator against the Jews that Jesus was the Promised Messias But here the Question is If we be justified by Faith mixt with the Deeds of the Law or without it And therefore we may conclude That whatever Truth the unconverted Pharisees held these Converts much more held and that they did not plead these Works of the Law intentionally to exclude Christ or his Righteousness whom they had embraced Partly from the Scripture and partly from their own Writings I find this Account of their Doctrine of the Law 1. They were very zealous and laborious in all External Worship they kept the Sabbath to a height of Superstition and their Prayers were very long Matt. 23.14 2. In Justice between Man and Man they were so exact as to tythe Mint Annise and Cummin 3. And tho Christ in every thing blames them for Hypocrisie yet he owns their Charity and Alms but their Hypocrisie was more in Practice than Profession For 4. In Mat. 22.37 they owned Love to God and their Neighbour with all their Heart Soul and Mind to be the first and great Commandment Which includes a 5th That Sincerity was in great value with them as Sephar Ikkarim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God has greatest respect to the Intention of the Heart as David says Create in me a clean Heart So the Lawyer Luk. 10.28 Sir thou hast answered right and St. Paul Act. 23.1 lived in all good Conscience 6. Their own Writings speak much of the Excellency and Vertue of Faith the Author of Nitzakon says He that believes not as he ought his Circumcision makes him not a Jew but he that believes as he ought he is a Jew And in Michlaz Jophi Abram said to be the Father of all Men that followed him in his Faith The Talmud says When Abram was Father of the Syrians only he was called Abram but when he shall be the Father of all the World he is called Abraham The former Nitzakon says Faith consists not in Circumcision but in the Heart And the Author of Sepher Ikkarim says Faith is the Cause of Blessedness and therefore of Life Eternal And again in the same 1 Lib. and 21 Chap. Abraham is praised for his Faith as the Scripture says Abraham believed God and 't was imputed to him for Righteousness And Mat. 23. they were accused by Christ for neglecting Judgment Mercy and Faith It was their practical Omission was reprehended not their Ignorance for these are called the weightier Matters of the Law Since they who did not own Christ speak so much of the Commendation of Faith in Gods Mercy for that was the Object of their Faith as we may see from Sepher Ikkarim on those words in Daniel 9.18 Not for our Righteousness but thy great Mercy The Mercies of the Blessed God are upon all his Creatures from pure Grace not Merit for which the Author further cites Job thus Whâ— hath given to me that it may be repayed Much more must we conceive â—hem to say of Faith and Faith in Christ who own Christ for their only propitiatory Sacrifice and Saviour and such were they against whom Paul disputes And tho the others believed not Jesus to be the Messias yet they believed the Messias to be the Redeemer from Death and Hell by the Merit of his Sufferings as may be seen at large in Raymundus Pugio Fidei Jos Voisin Theologia Judaica Porchet Galatinus Pseiferus and their own Midrashes on the Prophetical Texts of the Messias 7. They highly praise the Confâ—ssion of Sin their Writers on Isaiah 45.22 Vnto Me every Knee shall bow and every Tongue confess say That a four-â—old Confession is to be made to God A Confession with the Mouth a Conâ—ession in Works a Confession with the Heart and with all together and they call the 100 Psalm Mizmor Letodah a Psalm of Confession Bereshet Ketannah says They who overcome their Lusts and confess their Deeds are worthy of the Future Age but he that confesses not is Cursed as Cain who denyed and hid his Sin but Achan Josh 7.29 tho he was troubled in this World he was not in the other because he confessed his Sin From which they gathered a Necessity of particular Confession And in the Conclusion of Reschet Chocme All that dye let them Confess if they cannot let them say Let my Death be an Expiation of my Crimes They own we may see not only a Confession but joyn'd with Forsaking a Mortification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Original Lust that begins as they say in our first Formation 8. Repentance is a Duty of great Esteem Midrash Shirhâ—shirim 5. 2. Open to me my Sister my Love says thus Open to me one Crevice of Repentance and I will open the wide Gates of Glory to thee Psal 46.10 Be still and know that I am God that is Cease to do evil and let thy Repentance be but as the Twinkling of an Eye and thou shalt know me if Israel could but repent one day they would be immediately redeemed and the Son of David would come On Zach. 9.1 The Burden of the Word of the Lord in the Land of Hadrach It 's askt what 's Hadrach And answer'd It is the Messias who is to bring all the World to the Face of God by Repentance for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies who and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Way or to lead he leads by the Way of Repentance Others thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies sharp and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tender for the Lord is bitter to the Impenitent but tender and Mercifull to the Penitent The Talmud on Psal 25.8 Therefore will he teach sinners in the way that is the way of Repentance for poena peccatoris est poenitentia about which there is a hard Expression of theirs on the 14th of Hosea That they say In two things the Mercy of God exceeds man One is He will be pleased with Words so not Man Another is when All have offended he is reconciled with the Repentance of One. So that all Christs Sufferings by them are called Repentance Lam. 3.43 v. The Midrash Tillim says The Gates of Prayer are sometimes shut but the Gates of Repentance never Repentance is like the Sea that any at any time may go in to wash
makes use of all these as Symbols of our Freedom from the Bondage of Corruption and Servitude of Sin Luk. 15. The Ring is made mention of Revel 19.8 there 's the White Raiment Rev. 2.17 there 's the Manna the Food of our Lord's Table and the White Stone with our Names upon it This expressing of a Sentence by an Action is becoming of the Divine Majesty with whom to do and to say are the same his great Work of Creation requir'd no more to its production but God's saying Let there be a Light a Firmament c. and it was so This great Work of Regeneration it 's a begetting by his Word Hos 2.14 A speaking Comfortably to the Heart and frequently a Calling Whom he Call'd he Justified his Vocation put them in a Justified State 10. Sanctification or Regeneration removes a Punishment as well as a Crime the giving of a spiritual Life takes away a spiritual Death which is the worst of Punishments The Desertion by the Spirit is the greatest Curse and that is removed by the Gift of the Spirit and what takes away the Punishment does necessarily remove the Guilt or suppose it remov'd for the greater Mercy does comprehend the lesser Lastly From the Nature of Faith Isa 53.11 By his Knowledge shall my righteous Servant justifie many it may either be by the Gift of Knowledge or by the Act of Knowledge upon him for Heb. 11.1 Faith is the Evidence of things not seen it is no sooner in being than it is in exercise The Seed of Grace is not like Material Seed to need a Time of Corruption and intermixture with the Earth before it grow but like the Beams of the Sun that act as they are received The Gift of Faith is the Idea of Heavenly things suggested into the Soul and there manifesting themselves by their own Light so that we are Receivers of the Objects of Faith when we act Faith Isa 65.24 Before they call I will answer and while they are yet speaking I will hear Hence Regeneration's being the Sentence does not pecede the Exercise of Faith as a Mean This might afford more Arguments for this Truth because then the Union between us Debtors and Christ as Surety is Compleated which is not 'till we apprehend him by Faith 2. Then the Soul actually Pleads and thereâ—ore it 's Term-time the acceptable Day of our Salvation the Court sits on our Case and all the Causes of our Salvation are Cloath'd with a forensical Form from this Exercise of Faith by which we look on God as our Judge on Christ's Righteousness as our Plea on Satan as our Accuser on Christ as our Advocate and his Spirit our Council on the Law as an Indictment drawn up against us and on its Constitution and Divine Justice as a Tribunal from which we Appeal to the Chancery of the Gospel founded on Goodness and Equity Object There are some Objections against this Doctrine 1. Sanctification is a gradual thing Justification is one Act. 2. That this would Confirm the Popish Error that Justification is not a forensical or relative Act but a Physical and Absolute one To both which I Answer 1. That the Sentence of Justification is not Justification but the Declaration of it and the Gift of the Spirit for Sanctification the Sign of that Faith is an Absolute Act by which we are justified but Justification is the relative Result of all the Causes and Foundations Fatherhood or Sonship are Relative things but to be Born or to be Begotten is an absolute thing 2. In all Similitudes there is somewhat of Unlikeness and so in this For 1. He who is Judge is both Law-giver and supream Governour too in other Cases in this 2. In others we have done with the Judge when the Sentence is past but not in this 2. In others we need but one Act because we can abstain from the like Crimes but in this we need a Continual Justification or Remission Hence we daily Pray Forgive us our Sins and we have daily Encouragement that if any Man sin there is an Advocate with the Father The Court constantly sits we are always on our Knees before the Bar our Faith perpetually Pleads and Christ's always interceding and he is always heard hence a constant continued Stream of Justification Dan. 9.9 call'd Forgivenesses and Revel 19.9 the Righteousnesses or Justifications for it is the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 5.19 is translated Justification and thus may be expounded Revel 22.16 He that is Justified let him be Justified still and in this very Chapter Rom. 4. Abraham is said to be Justified by Acts of Faith several Years after his first Conversion Gen. 15.6 it was at least Ten Years after his first Faith Our Case is a continued State of Justifying or Pardoning That which recommends this Opinion to me is not only its Appearance of Truth but its Medicinalness for Reconciling the different Opinions of Persons so lately on foot for the Subscribers Apology grants 1. That Faith and Repentance are absolutely given to the Ungodly for what is Man else before that Gift 2. That Faith and Repentance are only given to the Elect. Are they not then 1. The Gifts Blessings Tokens of special Favour Symbols of divine distinguishing Love though they may be long unintelligible to the Person under the Exercise of them as the Inscription of Mene Tekel on the Wall was to the Chaldeans yet ex Natura rei intentione Authoris it imports a Person 's being Reconcil'd to God Fellowship with Heaven is begun and two cannot walk together and not be agreed Effects alway signifie their Cause Rom. 5.15 2. Can a Person be under special Favour and not Pardon'd or Reconcil'd and not Pardon'd Call'd and not Justifi'd not under Wrath and yet under Guilt or else under Divine Love and Wrath at once or that the Punishment to wit want of the Spirit spiritual Death is remov'd and not the Guilt or lyableness to the Punishment although so remov'd as eventually never to return again from the Vigour of Divine Love fix'd on that Person Rom. 5. 6. the Apostle describes a State of Grace and Justification as necessarily united But I need not inferr this from them since the Reverend Mr. Baxt. Conf. p. 40. saith To Sanctifie is to Pardon that is executively because it takes away the greatest Punishment Spiritual Death and the Sentence of Pardon must go before the Execution And further our Pardon is subservient to our Renovation by Sanctity as imperfectly now begun for being imperfect the Defect of every Act deserves Condemnation and needs Pardon and yet this Pardon is a particular Pardon following the general Pardon of our Persons by which we escape Wrath and are capable of Acceptable Obedience for the future By this the Pardon of our Persons should precede every Act of Faith and Repentance for a following particular Pardon accompanies every Act of them But the greatest difficulty is how Faith and Repentance should
indifferently suiting our Disposition or Temper then we are indifferent about them the more we are imploy'd about such things to so much the less purpose do we spend our Lives and therefore have the less Matter of Boasting in them for there is a great difference between our Indifference and Adam's that was to good or bad ours to Bad and has its Choice of Ba ds Thirdly This Indifferency flows from Divine Permission as is before proved but a far greater Blessing it is to be inclin'd and determin'd by God than to be left to our own Conduct for God always inclines the Heart to good and we never read of any left to themselves and their own Determinations that did good therefore David Prays Incline my Heart to thy Testimonies Adam was permitted to his own Will and he fell and so it is said of the Israelites Psal 81.12 I gave them up to their own Hearts-lust and they walked in their own Counsels Acts 14.16 He suffer'd all Nations to walk in their own ways and these were Idolatry and Profanity But he did not permit Abimelech Gen. 20.9 and he did not permit Laban and therefore they did not sin Fourthly From the Natural Mutability and Defectibility of the Creature we being as is before proved Contingent Dependent Creatures The Indifferency of the Will is the tottering of the Creature it 's like the reeling and staggering of a Drunken Man or like a Post set up before fixed if the Upholders withdraw their Hands and permit it to it self it declines one way or other Fifthly This Indifferency gave Birth to the first sin of Angels and Man He put them in a good State Jude 6. but they left it He made man upright Eccles 7. but he found out many Inventions Sixthly This is the great Impediment that hinders Mens Conversion their Repentance and turning to God Psal 81.11 My People would not hearken to my Voice and Israel would none of me It 's always laid at the Door of this Will Mat. 23.37 I would have gather'd you as a Hen doth her Chickens but you would not Seventhly All these great Crimes and actual Transgressions which would the Conscience flow from this Spring as now wrongly byass'd by Corruption There is a considerable difference between the good things a Man can do and what he does and all that Guilt is chargeable upon his Will as indifferent for if it be not within his Power then he is not indifferent to it This loads the Soul of Man with Guilt if we consider our Powers which comprehends so many Talents given of God to be Improved by us and all the Mis-improvement lyes at this door of our Will 1. A Man's Tongue together with all his Senses especially those that are the Instruments of Discipline Seeing and Hearing these are entirely under the Dominion of our Will ard therefore either the Omission of them where they ought to have been employ'd or the Exercising of them where they ought to have been restrain'd renders us so far Guilty 2. Our Health Strength Estate Honour Acquaintance how great a Sphere of Power do they afford especially to some Men and yet how little Good or rather how much Mischief is done by it 3. Our Reason is a considerable Talent for bridling our Senses for searching into the certainty of Religion Natural or Reveal'd for comparing of Spiritual with Carnal Eternal with Temporal things 4. Our Memories are a Treasury for Divine Commands Convictions Comforts and Experiences 5. Our Consciences for empowering Practical Light its Power is of a large extent in keeping in aw from sin and in quickening to Duty 6. Providential Dispensations that we have them through all our Life to observe God's Method of dealing with Man that we may see how Good and Patient he is Rom. 2.4 We may learn that verily there is a God that Judgeth the Earth and that verily there is a Reward for the Righteous 7. The Revelation of the Gospel with that Spirit that usually attends it to Convince of Sin Righteousness and Judgment is yet a far greater Power and when it grows up into a Conversion and God's Gifts crown'd with Special Grace how much more is the Power of Man heightened Rom. 6.18 Being then made free from sin ye became the servants of righteousness 1 Cor. 15.10 By the Grace of God I am what I am What great Progress in Religion may a Man make that is endowed with all these Powers and how unexcusable are their blameable Lives and Conversations Few can with Paul say The Grace that was bestowed upon me was not in vain but I laboured more abundantly than they all Lastly Should a Sinner Glory in that which has render'd him void of all Cloak and Excuse to his Sin but this Will of Indifferency considering the Powers God has given Man and is still ready to give more or more upon asking or admitting it renders Men especially that live under the Gospel altogether without Excuse for what Excuse can a Man make for the Neglect of such a Concern if it or any thing tending to it lye within the Compass of Possibility Difficulties can be no Excuses to say with the Sluggard he could not Plow nor Sow in the Winter because it was Cold If a Man has exercised his Power as much other ways he cannot excuse his Neglect of it in things tending to Salvation Mat. 16. Christ tells the Pharisees that they might as easily Collect by the Exercise of their Reason about Scripture Prophecies that he was the Messias as they did the fair and fowl Weather in the Morning from the Evening-skye If Persons once could be more frequent and serious in the Duties of Religion when Self-Interest went along with it and the Profession of Godliness brought External Gain or when a severe Rod was on their Back than they do now this Omission can have no Excuse for neither the one nor the other did or can contribute Strength to the Exercise of Religion It is not in vain that the Scripture lays our Destruction at the door of our Wills for if there be a Will God accepts it for the Performance 2 Cor. 8.12 If there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to what a Man hath 2 Sam. 17.20 A Humiliation under the sense of Impotency is accepted for the Performance Religion lyes within the Sphere of the Spirit and the Spirit 's comprehensive Faculties are Light and Love Knowledge and Inclination or Understanding and Will 2. Persons are often glad they want Power or Opportunity of doing good when Magistracy and Ministry are Prophane they are glad of it Jer. 5.31 The Prophets prophesie falsely and the Priests bear rule by their means and my People love to have it so Hos 5.11 Ephraim is oppressed and broken in Judgment because he willingly walked after the Commandment Isa 66.3 Their Soul delighted in their abominations 3. Because they Fancy they have a Power to do what is spiritually Good and yet Neglect Outward Means