spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father which I shall make bold to Paraphrase thus Ye have not now under the Gospel received the spirit of Bondage again as ye did under the Law for some of these Romans to whom he writes were Jews but ye have received the spirit of Adoption whereby both you and I for the person is changed and all Gospel-Saints cry Abba Father The Law SO FAR as it did reign over the spirits of good people in the days of the Old-Testament brought them under a spirit of Bondage SO FAR and therefore the veâ— same Saints that now were under a Spirit of Adoption by the Gospel yet had been under â— spirit of Bondage in the times of the Law in a great measure unless we will make the person YEE to signifie specifically not numericall that is of Saints like them of the same Nation in times past and not of those very Saints iâ— person to whom he writes but which way sâ—â—ver understood it asserts that the Saints of Goâ— in the times of the Old Testament were in 〈◊〉 great measureunder a spirit of bondage through the darkness of the Dispensation which argues that for those that were under the Law wholly they were certainly under a severe Bondage from the Law and so that this may very well be made a Character of a Legal spirit I am not ignorant that there is another interpretation given of this Scripture by some yet very agreeable with this that I here give viz. That in every work of conversion there is a legal conviction which they call a Spirit of Bondage which goes before faith and that after a man hath truely believed he never receives or returns to a spirit of Bondage again But I think this is not the genuine interpretation onely it may be allowed for true in a great measure and I might borrow strength from it for my present purpose for that this spirit of Bondage in this interpretation is the effect or the work of the Law only but of this the Reader may see more in the 41. page of the foregoing discourse I come now to shew what a spirit of Bondage is now this discovers it self in the very name Bondage or Slavery as also by its opposition to a spirit of Adoption or Son-ship they that are under it serve not God as children serve a father but as slaves serve a cruel master again it is notified to us by the inseparable companion of this spirit and that is fear Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that which is here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in the 2 Tim. 1.7 called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a spirit of fear God hath not given to us saith the Apostle that is under the Gospel a spirit of fear but of power of love and of a sound minde A Gospel spirit is a spirit of love a Legal spirit is a spirit of fear I shall give onely one Scripture more for this that is 1 John 4.17 18 19. Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgement because as he is saith the Apostle so are we in this world There is no fear in love but perfect love casteth out fear because fear hath torment he that seareth is not made perfect in love We love him because he first loved us Here I collect and argue We that is We Saints converted by the Gospel have all of us a principle of Love which is quite contrary to that of fear We shall have boldness in the day of Judgement and this we have some fore-tasts of in this world for that spirit which is opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a spirit of Bondage to fear is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a spirit of Love and Son-ship or Adoption which hath an holy boldness in it Hebr. 4.16 and teacheth us to call God Father But on the contrary the Legal spirit hath no such boldness in the presence of God but is alwaies silled with a tormenting fear and horrour at the thoughts of God even as the Devils are in a great degree who believe and tremble and as Cain was who when he could have no rest in his spirit went forth from the presence of the Lord which he could not endure and fell to building a city in probability to drown the noise of his Conscience which else would still have rung in his ears and allarm'd him with this dreadful sentence My punishment is greater than I can beâ—â— or my sin is greater than can be forgiven Perfect love casteth out fear then such as is the proportion aâ—â— degree of Love to God to such proportion and degree 〈◊〉 the tormenting fear of God abated Yet here I must needs acquaint the Reader that there is another exposition of this Text which I think is very allowable if not more genuine than the former that is that perfect love to God casteth out all anxious and solicitous fear of suffering and persecution for God's Cause I shall transcribe somwhat of Dr. Hammond upon the place ver 17. Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of Judgement because as he is so are we in this world which he first thus translates In this the love with us is perfected that we have boldness and then paraphraseth thus In this the perfection of that love which is to be found in a Christian consists that in a time of danger when we are brought before Judges and may probably lose our lives for confessing of Christ then we retain courage and cheerfulness and confess him willingly that we behave our selves in this world as Christ did when he was here that is lay down our lives in testification of the truth ver 18. there is no fear in love that is saith he such love as this which was in Christ hath no fear in it Christ ventured and under-went the utmost even death it self for us I need transcribe no more But yet I think I may argue strongly even from this Exposition that which I aim at viz. that a Gospel-spirit is free from slavish fear of God at least in a great measure for still the love spoken of in this text it is love to God this love to God is a great Gospel-principle as appears in the text Now can any bear a great love to any person and yet have a slavish fear a tormenting fear of that person at the same time For my part I think love and fear with respect to the same person are very near as opposite as love and hatred and a tormenting slavish fear of any person cannot long be without a great degree of hatred Is it not a famous question in the Politiques concerning the security of a Prince An praestat timeri quam diligi Whether it be more safe for a Prince to be loved or feared of his Subjects
spiritual Worship of God by pulling down all the Jewish Ceremonies making Jew and Gentile one and revealing all the mysteries that were concealed in Moses his dispensation nay his very Sacrifice is one of the greatest Mysteries of all by which we are informed of God's performing his threatnings that the threatnings of heaven are not as claps of thunder without a thunder-bolt in them we see God's hatred of sin punishing it so severely in his own Son we see God's love to the world that he would give his Son for the life of it though he gave him up to the death we have in his life a pattern of perfect holiness which is more than all precepts alone and we see in our Saviour an instance of the Resurrection heavenly glory all these things have been of mighty instruction to the Saints of all ages since the death of Christ If this phrase the end of the world should be understood of the end of the Iewish state this will not at all prejudice my ieference from it that Christs death had respect unto the ages before his coming but rather strengthen it will be to all Saints unto the end of the world and therefore I say these other great ends of his coming being considered there is no undecency at all in his coming so early in the end of the world and offering a Sacrifice that should serve for many ages that were then to come It was at the end of the world that he came and therefore might very well serve for those fewer succeeding ages though it had the first respect unto the ages going before In the sixth and last place I shall bring plain Scripture to prove that Christ dyed for the Saints of the ages that were past before his death There are two Scriptures that speak to this purpose the first that I shall name is in that 9th of the Hebrews the chapter out of which I have been arguing ver 15. And for this cause he speaking of Christ is the Mediatour of the New Testament that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the First Testament they which are called c. Here it is said that Christ by the means of his death redeemed or expiated the transgressions that were under the First Testament therefore he dyed for the fins of those that lived under the Old Testament But I shall deal so faithfully with my Reader as to acquaint him with another interpretation which is not contemptible that others give of these words and that is this That our Saviour Christ the Mediator of the New Testament or Covenant by his most excellent Offering redeemed and expiated those sins which could not be expiated by any Sacrifices that were appointed under the First Covenant according to that in Acts 13.39 By him speaking of Christ all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses There being in Moses no Sacrifices for adulteries thefts murthers c. whereas in the Christian Religion there is pardon for all sorts of sinners by means of the death of Christ if they have but the Gospel-conditions of pardon So that this interpretation makes the place to speak of the kindes of sins and not of the individual or particular sins which were committed under the first Covenant that Christ by the means of his death hath made redemption of those kinde of fins which there was no redemption for under the first Covenant But I have something to ask of those that make this interpretation yet taking it for passable and it is this I would fain know if any of those sins were pardoned under the Old Testament which here are said to be redeemed by Christ for his followers if they say they were not then all that committed any such kinde of sins were damned for ever which was untrue witness David and Manasseh if they were pardoned as they were then either they were expiated by some Sacrifice or they were not if those that own this interpretation say they were not expiated by some Sacrifice and yet pardoned I oppose not to mention that great argument again That they could not be pardoned without expiation in any consistency with the veracity of God in his threatning this seems a strange rarity in the dealings of God with us that under the New Testament no sin is pardoned but what is expiated by the death of Christ and yet under the Old Testament which was certainly a dispensation more severe than ours there the greatest sins should be pardoned without the intervention of any Sacrifice nay what a strange thing was it in their very dispensation that legal uncleannesses such as Leprosie and Issues c. must be purged by sacrifice See Lev. 14 15. chapters yet the greatest sins of all should be pardoned without a sacrifice if therefore those great sins of Murther Adultery Witchcraft Idolatry c. were pardoned by expiation it must be by this death of Christ to ensue in the end of the world for there was no sacrifice so much as appointed for these sins those that were appointed could never reach to the purging and cleansing of the conscience they only purged the flesh from a fleshly uncleanness Heb 9.13 the blood of Christ alone hitherto hath had a virtue in it to cleanse the conscience therefore I conclude that the blood of Christ made expiation even for those individual sins for which there was no expiatory sacrifice appointed under the Old Testament But to let pass that Scripture what will be said to that in Rom. 3.25 26. where we have these words Whom speaking of Christ God hath set forth or fore-ordained as it is in the margin to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the REMISSION OF SINS THAT ARE PAST through the forbearance of God to declare I say AT THIS TIME his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus Now I suppose there may be this sense contained in these words That God in the dayes of the Gospel hath set forth clearly what that is by which he was alwayes propitiated and atoned for sins even those sins that were fore-past and fore-committed in the dayes of his forbearance and long-suffering that is the darker times of the world which times we have otherwise expressed in Acts 17.30 to be the dayes of ignorance which God winked at they were the dayes of God's forbearance it was and is the blood of Christ by which God alone alwaies was and still is propitiated for sins only then it was not so well known but now God hath declared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Acts it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the forepast sins the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well as these that are committed under the Gospel were all redeemed and expiated by the blood of Christ As for any other sense that is given of
looking upon man as inwardly just and righteous by the worthy operation of Faith in and upon his heart and soul pronounceth him accordingly to be a just and righteous person With this conceit thou will â—ade the Author of the Treatise cast into somewhat a like passion with Paul at Athens when he beheld the City 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 given to Idolatry the Text saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his spirit was sharply-provoked or stirred within him Act. 17.16 I found him not so warm at any other work in all his Book as in his wrestlings against this Opinion His zeal in the case is very pardonable if not commendable rather the matter being exceeding weighty For if that be all the Justification we receive from God to be pronounced just or righteous by him according to that righteousness which he seeth truly and really inherent in us and for the same what becomes of our sins Are these still reteined and unforgiven Or if they be forgiven is the forgiveness of them nothing no part of our Justification And if they be forgiven are they forgiven for the sake of that inherent righteousness for and according unto which saith the Opinion God pronounceth us righteous that is justifieth us Doth not this notion wholly evacuate the first-born inter Magnalia Dei the most adorable Vouchsasement that ever the Grace and Love or Bounty of God issued forth unto the world I mean the propitiatory Sucrifice of Christ Besides if God shall pronounce us righteous onely for and according to that righteousness which he seeth and knoweth to be in us and this be our Justification the Grace of God will have but a saint and feeble hand in our Justification For it is but a kinde of debt for him that certainly knoweth another man to be righteous to give testimory unto him accordingly and to pronounce him such upon occasion But for the further eviction of this so Anti-Evangelical a notion I referr thee to the Treatise it self Onely if thou pleasest bear me a few words about what I conceive may be the occasion at least in part of the sad mistake When God in the Scripture calleth or pronounceth men righteous for and according to that righteousness which is really and truly vested in them 1. He speaketh not of an absolute district and perfect righteousness or such which without any more ade giveth them a right of claim to Heaven but first of such a righteousness which is inchoate only and wants many degrees of its perfect growth and stature admitting no small mixture of unrighteousness with it according to these and many like Scriptures In many things we offend all Jam. 3.2 If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves c. 1 Joh. 1.8.10 Who can understand his errors Cleanse thou me from secret faults Psal 19.12 There is not a just man on earth that doth good and sinneth not Eccles 7.20 There is no man that sinneth not 1 King 8.46 Secondly He speaketh of a comparative righteousness pronouncing the Saints righteous viz. in respect of the world which as John saith lyeth in wickedness Again 2. When God pronounceth Believers righteous for and according to that good and righteous frame of heart which he seeth in them he doth not justifie them in the sense of the word Justifie in the Questions and Controversies about the justification of a sinner namely sensu forensi as persons are said to be justified from Crimes laid to their charge by a Judge but sensu morali as when persons that are approved by whomsoever for any thing either done by them or known or supposed to he in them are said to be justified by them The word Justifie is frequently used in this sense in the Scriptures Job 27.5 33.32 11.2 Prov. 17.15 compared with Ch. 24.34 28.4 Matt. 11.19 Luke 7.35 Matth. 12.37 with many others Whereas when God is said to justifie those that believe with that Justification which is said to be of or unto life i.e. unto salvation Rom. 5.18 he is said to forgive their iniquities to cover their sins not to impute sin unto them c. Rom. 4.5 compared with 6.7 8. Acts 13.38 with 39 See also Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14 Luke 1.77 Rom. 3.25 with 8.26 The forgiveness of sins is indeed a most absolute district compleat righteousness in its kind having no mixture or tincture of any weakness or imperfection in it and as to the benefit and comfort of all that receive it comprehending in it the constant observation of the whole Law of God to every the least iota or tittle of it In respect of this most exquisite absolute and divine perfection of it as well as in others it may well be term'd as it is Rom. 3.21 22. twice together THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF God It is like the non-advertency of these particulars might render the Judgements of some learned men the more obnoxious to the error now impleaded Yet further he that desires to understand himself like a Christian in so material a piece of his profession as Justification had need be able and expert to distinguish the terms and phrases which frequently occur in the Scriptures relating to it out of their ambiguities and diversities of significations and imports and so likewise to know when different words or expressions are the same in sence and import either expressly or implicitly and by consequence otherwise they will never sit easia and light some in their judgment about many particulars belonging to it I must not stand to instance in particulars I have already exceeded the intended proportion of my Advertisement But in this concernment also thou wilt find the Treatise at hand a good Benefactor unto thee This will inform thee that the word Righteousness doth not always signifie the principle or virtue of righteousness inherent in the soul but sometimes that which we may call an adherent or a relative righteousness viz. a non-imputation of sin or the forgiveness of sin called also as we lately shewed the Righteousness of God and sometimes the Righteousness of Faith that is which is obtained by Faith So again it will acquaint thee with different significations of the words Just Justifie Justification and some others by the knowledge whereof the rough wayes of the study of Justification will be made smooth But the carriages or passages of the Treatise hitherto pointed at are in the eye of my comparing faculty but as Pictures of Silver the Apple of Gold amongst them and which to me is vena basilica the Master-Vein of the Discourse is that quarter of it in which the Evangelical purity and simplicity of Justification is asserted against the importune yet subtile and close insinuations of a legal spirit For as I know no Doctrine greater then that of Justification within the whole Hemisphere of Christian Profession as before was hinted so neither do I apprehend any thing more threatning the world with the loss of the great benefit and blessing of this great
in our own time that is that ceremonies or external services not commanded in the moral Law were invented even whilest there was a ceremonial Law in force and vast numbers since its abolition and both rested upon as also that a superficial performance of Moral Duties is found both in the Scripture and in our own experience to have been rested upon For the latter first How common waâ— it with the Jews in our Saviours time to think that if they kept the Letter of the Law they had discharged their duty contained in that commandment If they did not kill a man they thought they discharged their duty in the sixth Commandment If they did not commit Adultery they had discharged the seventh and so having kept the Law they might expect the Law should justifie them and therefore St. Paul whilst a Pharisee he was touching the Law blameless as he thought which if he had truly been and continued so he might well have expected to be justified by it And so the young Pharisee Matth. 19.20 says of the Commandments All these have I kept from my youth And upon this he rested hitherto I have heard one my self whom I judged a wicked man and so did many others besides me yet sayes he Well I am confident if any Family in such a place have the blessing of God ours hath for we have prayers morning and evening and never a cross or angry word passeth between me and my wife from one end of the week to the other This imperfect obedience to the Moral Law he made the matter of his Justification perhaps even to an explicite opinion of Merit Thus you see men that have any conformity to the Motal Law are apt to place their trust there But now because there are few so strict as St. Paul whilest a a Pharisee was or as the young man was but that there is a consciousness of guilt from the Moral Law therefore they are the lewest Legallists that rest upon their obedience to the Moral Law alone if any do they must help patch up their righteousness with ceremonial observances so that the ceremonial Law whether given by God or invented by men hath most custom and bears up the weight of these mens expectations and I think I may make this assertion at least this guess that there were never any in the world that sought Justification by works but they were much in love with some superstitlons or at least with Ceremonies yea even those who have been most strict in observing the duties of the Moral Law as to the Letter of it yoâ—r greatest Pharisees they are as much for obfervation of Ceremonies as any men in the world How were the Pharisees in our Saviours time addicted to invented ceremonies and superstitions though one would think they had enough ceremonies in their Law already What washings had they invented c. And it is said they taught for Doctrines humane traditions and inventions Mat. 15.9 Wicked men and those that are careless in keeping the Moral Law are for ceremonies to patch up a righteousness Pharisees are for them to have a redundancy of righteousness such as may make sure work yea such as may serve themselves and others too and this cannot well be but by such Works as were not their duty to do and so must be inventions of their own so that however it cometh to pass one way or another both the strict Legalist and looser self-Justitiaries lay the chief stress in pleasing God and seeking his favour upon ceremonious observances I shall instance in one place of Scripture where as I take it there is a ful and lively Description of a Legal-self-Justitiary it is Mic. 6 6 7 8. And wherein is it that he pleaseth himself most or hopes to please God best but in ceremonies that is external services not commanded in the Moral Law and some of those invented Wherewith saith he shall I come before the Lord and how my self before the high God Shall I come before him with Burnt-offerings with Calves of a year old will the Lord be pleased so as to justifie me with thousands of Rams or with ten thousands of Rivers of Oyle Shall I give my first born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soulâ— Here you see the poor man offers very fair in his way if he may have it by ceremonious services he wil do any thing he wil suffer the loss of any thing his Estate his Relations yea his dearest Relations his first-born here the man mixeth Heathenish Sacrifices with Jewish ceremonies but you see the maâ— is willing at least seems willing to do any thing The Papists wil whip themselves Baal's Ptiests wâ—â— cut themselves AFTER THEIR MANNER with Knives and Lances till the blood gush out upon them 1 Ki. 18.28 Any thing but BELIEVING These self Justificiaries are quite out in their guess what wil please God They are ready to think with Naamaâ— when he was to be cleansed of his Leprosie that they must do some GREAT THING to be cured 2 King 5 13. They slightly pass over THIS POOR EUSINESS OF BELIEVING as he did his command of washing in Jordan Are not Abana and Parphar Rivers of Damasous better then all the waters of Israel May not I wash in them and be clean saith he so he turned and went away in arage vor 11 12. So saith the legal Spirit Pish what is this Believing I wonder that is a poor thing what onely Believe I 'le offer to God rich Sacrifices Holoenrists and Hecatombs nay thousands of Rams ten thousands of Rivers of Oyle yea my first-born the fruit of my Body this is better then believing in any man's Judgement Any thing but believing But it is better to hear the Lord to declare himself what he is pleased with than go by our own foolish guesses and therefore see the 8. ver of Mic. 6. and the Lord tells us what it is nay the Lord tells us that we know our selves what it is if we would but consult our own hearts ver 8. He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do Justice and to shew Mercy and to walk humbly with thy God Alas God doth not require all this operous laborious and costly service which men are apt to put themselves upon He loves nothing but truth in the inward parts Serve God honestly trust in him love thy neighbour do Justice shew mercy and this is better then all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices Mark 12.33 And this I shall shew anon as I have partly already in the exposition of that Deut. 30.11 is believing that is it contains the great mystery of believing in it Not that I have so little of a Schollar as to say or think that shewing mercy is believing or doing justly is believing except in a figurative sense as we put the Name of the cause upon the effect or the Name of the
that meat which perisheth not John 6.27 3. The truth is I cannot apprehend any fault in this principle of acting for a reward except it should have that formality or Quatenus in it that it is for a reward as of debt Doth the Scripture any where complain of any of the servants of God that they served him for what they got by him Or forbid them to serve him for this reason because they got by him 'T is true our Saviour upbraids some of his Followers that they followed him because of the Loaves John 6 26. But if they had been followers as well of his Doctrine and Life as they were of his bodily presence though it had been as well for the Loaves of Bread for a natural life as of the Bread of Life from Heaven they had never received such a check 'T is onely an accusation made by the Devil that Job served God for what he got by him Doth Job serve God for nought Hast not thou made a Hedge about him c. Job 1.9 10 11. And what if Job did serve God for this reason partly Is it not better to serve God for something then to serve the Devil for nothing but lying-pleasures and Hell at last But as I intimated before so now I affirm That no true Saint of God acts towards God onely from this principle of Self-love there are other Gospel-principles that are in the heart of every Saint more or less as love to God ingenuity gratitude yea there are in some strains of highest nobleness and generosity We love God saith the Apostle 1 John 4.19 because he loved us first there is Love and Gratitude Shall we sin that Grace may abound God forbid This I have said to be ingenuity There have been Saints that have demonstrated to all the World that they did not serve God barely for a reward either for a temporal reward no nor for that which is Eternal in some strains of obedience for the temporal reward I think all the Saints do usually discover this because they look upon it as their portion when they come into the service of God to meet with sufferings in the World and there is an evident instance for this in Job whom God made an example of the greatest outward yea and inward troubles too in a great measure for this very end as one great reason that he might make the Devil a lyar who accused Job to have served God only for these many blessings which the Lord had conferred upon him as we may see in the 9.10 11. ver of that 1. of Job Put forth thine hand saith the Devil to the Lord and touch all that he hath and he will curse thee to thy face which yet Job never did though yet the Lord did more against Job then here Satan desired to have done But I shall touch at higher instances they are those of Moses and St. Paul The first of which was content to have his Name blot ted out of the Book of life Exod. 32. the other to be acoursed from Christ Rom. 9.1 2 3. each for their Brethren their Kinsfolk according to the flesh that so God might be glorified in their salvation Ergo whilst these men were thus spirited they served God rather for his glory then for their own salvation for they that would fain have been instrumental to serve others by their preaching and exhortations and yet were content for their sakes so they might be saved not to be saved themselves did not serve God in preaching to men for their own salvation onely chiefly nor indeed at all whilst they are thus considered Here you see I acknowledge thus much to the Antinomians and I think I meet them half way and I would it might satisfie them I acknowledg that no Saint acts to God purely from a Principle of self-love there are other good Principles in association with it and in the next place I acknowledge that some Saints may act at least in some strains so nobly so generously as to serve God faithfully and yet not mind their own salvation at all witness Moses and Saint Paul and Job as to temporal good things at least But yet upon these instances of Saint Paul and Moses Moses and St. Paul their nobleness in serving â—od I would make these Observations 1. That high strain in which they both met was but occasional and upon a supposition it was no constant rule by which they walked Moses's strain was this That if God would destroy his people he should e'ne destroy him too if he would not pardon their sin in making the calf he should e'ne blot his name out of the Book of life there was such a near conjunction betwixt himself and his flock or people that he could not endure to out-live them nay perhaps that he did not desire to go to heaven without a considerable number of them here was as it were a provocation to his noble love of his countreymen But I would fain know how this strain could be any rule to Moses in his walking Or whether it signifies thus much That he did not for his own particular in his conversation endeavour to please God with this design partly that he might obtain eternal life Nay is it not expresly said of Moses Hebr. 11.29 That he had respect unto the recompence of reward So I might say of Saint Pauls action that it was a strain onely upon a supposition which supposition not coming to pass nor possible could be no ground for a Series of actions For this was St Pauls action upon supposition that the Jews might be saved by his damnation he was content to be accursed from Christ which was a supposition impossible that for the sake of a man that had been and still was a sinner thousands of sinners should be pardoned and saved 2. It is not perfectly out of question Whether Moses his action were warrantable I have seen Commentators who say that This great zeal of his might have some mixture of corrupt passion in it which might make him to speak unadvisedly with his lips Psal 106.33 And methinks there is some sign of a reproof of this expression of Moses in the very place where he speaks it Exod. 2.32 For that the Lord in the next verse seems to repeat Moses his words with a reflection upon them as when any is angry at expressions they wil be apt to repeat them again with a displeasure vers 33. And the Lord said unto Moses whosoever hath sinned against me him will I blot out of my book Why shouldst thou desire to be blotted out So I might perhaps aggravate Saint Pauls action Why should he desire to be accursed from Christ that others might be blessed by Christ Why should he express his love to the Jews in such an high instance especially when it could stand them in no stead Nay for my part I know not whether it be lawful for any man to be content for any ones sake to
lose heaven or be cast into hell methinks it is a piece of self-hatred or at least too high a breach upon that innate principle of self-self-love which God hath planted in the soul And certainly that instance of love in our Saviour his dying for us which yet was the highest instance in the world of regular love was not of such a kind as this for he did not dye for us to remain accursed but under-went the curse that so he might procure the blessing for his people yea and for himself Hebr. 12.2 Who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross and despised the shame But in the third place not to undertake to censure Saint Paul especially in such an action where if there was an error it was onely in excess of love to men's souls and high nobleness and generosity I may safely adde this that I prosess I cannot see how his action or that of Moses are imitable by us for I know not by what rule we are obliged or so much as permitted to do any such action though some would perswade us that we are obliged to be content to be damned that God may be glorified thus far I shall go with them That it is every ones duty to be so humble as to think that if God cast us into hell he doth us no wrong But I cannot go so far in compliaure with their fantasticall expressions of love and submission to God and designs for his glory as to say that if God may be glorified in my destruction I am content c. Alas What good can my destruction do to God Or what glory can God have in destroying me if I walk sincerely with him and therefore these are but foolish suppositions and idle offers which perhaps some good people may make much-like those in another case of enjoying communion with God they will say If God were in Hell his Presence would make Hell to be Heaven and they had rather be in Hell with God than in Heaven without him People had better shew their love to God and their humility in those actions and duties which he calls them unto then in such suppositions and fantastical expressions and imaginations as these That is the third observation I see not how this action of Moses or St. Paul are imitable by us 4. Neither were they in constant practice by themselves or at least they were not the onely principles which they acted by for Moses I have proved already that he had respect to the recompence of reward and that encouraged him in doing and suffering for God And as for St. Paul we find him pressing towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus and exhorting others so to do Phil. 3.14 15. And though I doubt not but St. Paul did preach the Gospel willingly yet he tells us that he did not preach meerly as a free-will-offering to God but there was a necessity upon him he MUST do it Though I preach the Gospel saith he yet I have nothing to glory of as if I had done a thing that I was not bound to do for necessity is Iaid upon me a dispensation is committed to me yea wo is unto me if I preach not the Gospel 1 Cor. 9.11 And so we find in the same chap. ver 24. this advice So run that ye may obtain which argues that the obtaining the prize not onely may be but ought to be in our eyes and ver 27. he tells us of himself that he kept under his body and brought it into subjection lest himself should be a cast-away So that you see besides these high Principles of nobleness ingenuity gratitude which are all good and excellent yet there are other principles that are good and commendable yea Evangelical * When I say they are Evangelical Principles I mean they are either so properly or by way of reduction to confonary with â—vangelical Principles properly so called they are at least allowed if not brought to light onely by the Gospel such as these that it is our duty and that else there is a wo pronounced against us that we may obtain the prize that we may not be cast-aways I shall just give a brief account of the order of principles in a Christians acting for God as I apprehend them to lie and then shew why this of mercenariness cannot be made a Character of a Legal Spirie and then come to give some more true Scripture-Characters The order of principles in every Saints heart in his acting for God The 3. first Now I suppose that the order of Principles in every Saints heart is this 1. He considers himself a Creature and so bound to obey his Creator and since God hath alwayes proposed some reward to the keeping and threatning to the breach of his Law therefore these three principles may go hand in hand together and these are the first Principles that any is to begin with in serving God Now I think there is no exceeding in any one of these Principles a man cannot be too sensible of his obligation as a Creature to serve his Creator a man cannot be too sensible of the greatness of the reward nor of the danger of Hell yet I think every Christian hath somewhat more to move him in his service to God then barely these three Principles as for instance some such as I have named love to God gratitude yea many times nobleness of heart We love God saith the Apostle speaking in the name of all the Saints because he loved us first c. and these further Principles seem to follow in this order from the first that when I am thoroughly convinced that it is my duty to live to God when I consider what danger I avoid in it what good I obtain by it I am engaged to love that God Then Love who takes such care of his Creatures that he would not have them perish nay that he would not have them do their duty for nought here is now another Principle a Principle of Love beyond the three first Principles Again I consider the greatness of the reward the richness of the grace in providing it by the gift of Christ the Fathers giving him and his giving himself the sending the Spirit into our hearts to perswade us and win upon us to accept of this grace all the care that the Lord takes about us and hereby I am yet more and more engaged to love and gratitude Aster that nobleness One may easily be here set all in a flame of love not counting his life dear for such a God for such a Saviour if there be the least spark of Nobleness in one's natural spirit it will enflame the whole soul to do some excellent service for God not as the Legallist doth supposing that hereby he shall oblige God and that perhaps onely in some fantastical service as rich sacrifices or multitudes of superstitious observations but the
Propositions thoroughly believed are the foundation of all true Religion By faith we receive the notion of God rootedly in our fouls and then all the discoveries of God in any the effects of his wisdome power and goodness in his Works or in his Word in his Works Heb. 11.3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear Whether faith takes this Proposition That the worlds were made by the word of God out of the Scriptures or meerly by observation from the works themselves it comes all to one as to my present purpose which is this to prove that it is faith that strongly and effectually in us ownes the being of God and the works of God Again it is faith receives all the revelations of God by any messengers that he sends unto us at any time * And indeed this is the most proper notion of faith viz. an asfent to testimony Who hath BELIEVED our report saith Isaias and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed Isai 53.1 If the arm of the Lord be not revealed to men in the preaching of the word it is because they do not rightly believe the report The word preached did not profit them not being mixed with saith in the hearing of it Heb. 4.2 3. and hence it is for that faith is the proper instrument of receiving the word of God that the Saints in the New Testament are called as often by the name of BELIEVERS as by any other name Acts 5.14 1 Tim. 4.12 and the word of the Gospel is called the word of Faith Rom. 10.8 Nay faith doth not only in the first place receive God into the soul then all the discoveries of God in his Works and Word but it pitches upon all the particular objects that are there discovered in the Word and brings them particularly into the soul faith doth not only receive the doctrine of the Gospel as true in the general and from God but because Christ is there revealed it receives Christ himself and brings Christ into the soul and so Christ comes to dwell in our hearts by faith Eph. 3.17 which is indeed a figurative expression there is faith in Christ as well as faith in God the Father and there is faith in the blood of Christ c. but of these things I have spoken largely above in the last character I bring them in only here as proofs of the excellency of faith in that it brings all spiritual objects home unto the soul that so the soul may converse with them in the exercise of all its graces and virtues In one word our whole life here at a distance from God must necessarily be a life of faith We walk by faith not by sight 2 Cor. 5.7 for till we come to the beatifical Vision of God we must see him and all his glories and excellencies by faith and our treatings with God the Father and the Son must be by faith I have a long time dearly loved that Scripture 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom speaking of Christ having not seen ye love in whom though now you see him not yet believing ye rejoice with â—oy unspeakable and full of glory Faith must come into set love on work upon an unseen Christ or else none of that glorious and unspeakable joy could arise to a Christian so that by what hath been said in this first particular Faith is the root-grace in this present state of things 2 Excellency of Faith But secondly Faith is not only the first grace in order and a root-grace but it is certainly productive and efficacious in the actuating all other graces and setting them on work when once saith hath brought all these glorious objects into the soul first God and all his glorious Attributes then his Revelations and especially Christ and his Blood and realized them all unto the soul it is almost impossible but all other graces should in their several courses and respects which they have to these objects move and work regularly and intensly Love we know is the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13.10 in rational creatures it is the fulfilling of the Law perfectly even in degrees in broken creatures it is the fulfilling of the Law sincerely in its desires and endeavours Now this faith makes its great instrument to work by Faith worketh by love Gal. 5.6 and I shewed above how faith sets hope on work now these three Faith Hope and Charity are the three great graces 1 Cor. 13.13 all other graces are reducible to these three and of these three faith is the root-grace And therefore we finde often in the Scriptures that all Religion is put upon the bare assent of faith Rom. 10.9 If thou confes with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved 1 John 4.2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come into the flesh is of God Not as if a meer confession or profession of Christ were saving for there are many that do profess themseves Christians that shall go to hell But according to that in the Romanes if they did believe with their heart that God had raised Christ from the dead together with the ends of his death resurrection certainly all those other things which accompany salvation or have salvation annexed to them would follow because true saith hearty unseigned faith is a working faith it works by love to the making a man a new creature and to the keeping of all the commandements of God And according to this positioâ— I make no doubt that place in James is to be under stood Jam. 2. where there is a supposition of a superation betwixt Faith and Works that either that place speaks onely of a false and onely pretended faith and then indeed there may be such a Faith without Works a dead and unactive Faith that is the resemblance and appearance of Faith or else â—t speaks of a true Faith and then it is onely by way of supposition that the Apostle there speaks that upon supposition any one's Faith though it were the highest and truest Faith in the World should not be accompanied by Works it would not justifie and it is very true upon that supposition Because Works are as well required as Faith not but that where-ever there is a true and lively Faith there will be Works necessarily attending it and this I believe all will readily acknowledge Mr. Baxter is so much of this opinion that Faith is an operative Grace and puts the soul where it is upon gracious actions towards God that be puts works and obedience into the desinition or description of Faith In his Aphorisms pag. 279 Thesis 70. Faith saith he in the largest sense as it comprehendeth all the condition of the New-Covenant may be thus defined It is when a sinner by the Word and
that hath wrought and can work wonderfull things Witness but these three verses quoted Heb. 11.33 34.35 It was faith made the walls of Jericho fall down by faith in prayer Elijah that was otherwise a weak frail man as we are stopped the bottles of heaven for three years and six moneths that it rained not and by faith again he opened these bottles and the heavens gave rain and the earth brought forth her fruit Jam. 5.17 18. Faith enabled the Apostles to do miracles when the Disciples could not cast out a devil of one that was possest our Saviour tells them the reason was from their unâ—elief and that if they had faith but as a grain of mustard seed they should be able to say unto a mountain Be removed hence into yonder place and it shall remove and nothing should be impossible to them Mat. 17.19 20. What then would a strong faith do if a small faith would do so much It was by faith that persons obtained miracles to be done for themselves and others Math. 9.29 30. Then touched he their eyes saying According to your faith â—e it unto you and their eyes were opened and in Math. 15.28 Jesus answered and said unto her the woman of Canaan O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt a large grant indeed and her daughter its said was made whole from that very hour This is commonly known by this name the Faith of Miracles and is plainly exprest what it is Mark 11.23 For verily I say unto you that whosoever shall say unto this mountain Be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea and shall not doubt in his heart but shall believe that these things which he saith shall come to pass he shall have whatsoever he saith So again 1 Cor. 13.2 If I had all faith so as to remove mountains Now if Faith will remove mountains even all mountains of difficulties and procure any thing from heaven that we need who would not endeavour to be strong in faith to be rich in faith as the several expressions are Rom. 4.20 Jam. 2 5. 2ly Faith will serve all occasions whatsoever 2 Motive and no wonder if it will work all miraculous effects therefore be rich in faith In famine it will feed thee as it did Elijah and the Widdow of Zareptha 1 King 17. and our Saviour in the Wilderness who lived not by bread but by the word of God for 40 dayes together Math. 4.4 In prison it will enlarge thee as it did Peter Acts 12. or at least enlarge thy heart as it did the hearts of Paul and Silas Acts 16.25 If thy children servants friends are sick it will heal them Mat. 15.28 Mat. 8.6 Jam. 5.14 15. There is no case but faith will reach it We may oppose this shield to all the fiery darts of Satan Eph 6.16 ABOVE ALL taking the shield of Faith whereby we shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked This I have spoken largely to above and therefore shall not enlarge here Faith and that alone will free thy minde of all cares and burthens 3 Motive Cast thy burthen upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee Psal 55.22 casting all your care upon him for he careth for you 1 Pet. 5 7. Now this is to be done onely by faith who would not have a minde quiet and free from cares and who can be carefull when he really believes that the only wise and omnipotent Jehovah takes all his cares upon himself This is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith 1 John 5.4 4. This will quicken all thy graces 4 Motive this you may see likewise above upon the last Question There is no thriving Christian but a believing Christian This is the highest way of honouring God that can be taken 5 Motive Abraham was strong in faith and so gave glory to God if thou doest not make it thy chiefest design in the world to honour God thou art no Saint of God now if thou wouldst study all the wayes imaginable to honour God thou canst not do it so effectually as by this one onely way of believing How is God known in the world in any way with such an honourable reflection as by men's trusting in him To trust our own wit and coÌ„ntrivance and endeavours only in what we do is as much as in us lyes to put God out of the world I am sure it is a living without God in the world whereas trusting in him for all is the only advancing the Lord upon his Throne of Sovereignty Goodness This is the only way of pleasing God 6 Motive Without faith it is impossible to please God for he that comes unto God must believe that he is a rewarder of all them that diligently seek him Men cannot more highly displease God than to believe that he is not good yea that he is not good to ALL that diligently seek him let them look to it that confine and set limits to his Goodness yea God is so highly pleased that men should trust in him that he hath made this the principal condition of the pardon of all our sins and receiving us into his special love and favour Abraham was therefore called the FRIEND OF GOD which is the highest honour in the whole world by this Enoch obtained this testimony taat he PLEASED GOD Heb. 11.5 which was an honourable testimony indeed Yea to conclude this Motive and all the Motives in this Use that the Lord might give us a testimony how highly he is pleased that we should trust in him and how fain he would have us rely upon him he hath at this time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in these blessed dayes of the Gospel set forth Christ a propitiation to shew how ready he is to be reconciled to all the world in a word one of the greatest ends of the oeconomy by Christ seems to be this that in him representing his Father being the express Image of his Pâ—rson yet partaking of Flesh and Blood like us we might have a fit instrument and help or mediate object for our faith to work upon first upon him and by him upon God himself according to that place once already mentioned 1 Pet. 1.21 Who by him that is Christ do believe in God that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God I come now to the matter of the Exhortation it self Be exhorted therefore to be strong in faith that is in the acts of assent and the acts of affiance for these as I take it are the two chief proper acts of faith though after I have ended the Exhortation unto these two I shall give one notion of faith more under which we are to be exhorted to exercise faith 1. For Assent so faith is taken Isai 53.1 Who hath believed our report and Mark 1.15 Repent and believe the Gospel that is the doctrine