purpose of heart to obey either obedience or faith formally 5. If to be justified by faith in Christ as not only Jesus who saves but as Lord who commands then we are justified by love for we are to love him not as Jesus only but also as Lord 1 Cor. 16.22 Eph. 6.24 especially since all the works of the Law come under the command of love Matth. 22.3.7 Luk. 7.27 Deu. 6.5 Rom. 13.8 6. All these thy faith hath saved thee Matth. 9. Luk. 7. only beleeve must be of this truth thy good works hath saved thee only do good works And it is strange that Paul saith Eph. 2.8 By grace ye are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God 9. Not of works lest any man should boast Nor could Paul make an opposition between grace and works as in Rom. 11.6 if the grace of beleeving and good works were one in the New Testament for so we should be saved by works and not by works And Paul by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 takes that away Yea but we are saved that is justified and delivered from obligation to wrath by the works of free-grace He answers nay but neither are we saved or justified by these works of grace as by means or causes For we are first saved and justified before we can do good works for good works are the fruits of free-grace since v. 10. we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus and so justified and saved in Christ Jesus to good works that we should walk in them Yea and Paul undenyably removeth this doubt 1 Cor. 4.4 I know nothing by my self that is by his grace I am free of such sinnes as bring condemnation and so he must abound in works of grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet thereby and notwithstanding of all my inherent holinesse by works of grace I am not justified 7. There should be no ground of gloriation and boasting more then this by the Socinian and Arminian way if we should be justified by works which come from free-will not determined by any grace either habituall or actuall which is merited by the death of Christ but do proceed from pure free-will which separateth the beleever from the non-beleever Then might we glory and boast that we are not in the debt of Christ or of his grace for that which is our formall righteousnesse before GOD and so no flesh can say they are justified by grace but that we are justified by nature the same way that Adam should have been justified without being beholden to CHRIST or to his death Asser. 3. There are not properly the same causes of the possession of Life Eternall and of the righteousnesse of Life Eternall The ransome of Christs blood is only the cause of the right For jus or right to Life Eternall is a legall and a morall thing eâ—s morale and hath a morall cause as a man hath right to such a City being the Lord and owner thereof by birth or money or conquesse or by gift or grant of a Prince or of the Citizens themselves but possession and injoying the houses and rents of the City is a Physicall thing ens Physicum and hath a Physicall cause as eating drinking lodging sleeping wearing of cloaths to defend the body from the cold So the legall right a man hath to the bread and lodging he hath in an Innes but the Physicall causes are hunger appetite bodily necessities so require and his pleasure to make use of such necessities Hence the eating drinking may be Physically good and the right jus legale very bad he may have no right to the bread when he comes to it only by spoil and rapine So the legall right jus legale to life eternall is the ransome of blood that Christ payed our Goel our friend and kinsman to make the inheritance ours but that great I may say almost Apostolick light Mr. John Calvin saith good works are as it were the inferiour causes of the possession of life So simple possession is one thing and quâ— jure aut titulo but by what Law-right he possesseth is another thing But 1. Good works are necessary necessitate praecepti by the command of God and promise 1 Thes. 4.4 1 Cor. 6.20 Eph. 2.10 Matth. 28.20 and where it is said 1 Tim. 4.8 Godlinesse is profitable to all things having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the promise is opposed to the Law And that is a strong Argument Gal. 3.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If the inheritance be of the Law it is no more of promise but God gave it to Abraham by promise Covenant-promise What is that to the Galatians and to us Gentiles Mâ—ch every way For three notable points are therein 1. The heavenly inheritance promised to the seed to Christ and his ver 16. not a pâ—or earthly Canaan as Sociniâ—ns and Papists say were promised to Abraham and his seed except they say that an earthly Canaan was promised to Christ. 2. That Covenant-promise of an heavenly inheritance made to Abraham the same is made to the believing Galatians the Gentiles and their seed else Paul saith nothing for the Doctrine of Justification by faith to the Gentiles contrair to the purpose of the Apostle 3. There is an inheritance by Covenant-promise a promise of eternall life made not to works as the price that buyes the right for sure then Christ must have dyed in vain 3. Works are not necessary simply necessitate medii for then we must exclude all Infants But the necessity of a Precept inferreth a necessity of means ordinary to all capable of a Command that they do good and sow to the Spirit that they may reap of the Spirit life everlasting Gal. 6.8 3. They are necessary for the glory of God Math. 5.16 1 Pet. 3.1 2. 1 Pet. 2.12 4. They are necessary by the law of gratitude which is common both to the Covenant of Works and of Grace as we are debters to God for being so to God-incarnate as ransoned ones for everlasting life 1 Cor. 6.20 Luke 1.75 1 Pet. 1.18 and eternall well-being But such as will have our works the formall cause of our justification they put them in the chair of Christs merite and they must be meritorious as Adams legall obedience should have been yea but not but by and of gracious estimation God so esteeming them say they True but as is proven neither was Adams obedience meritorious but by Gods estimation Yea and Calvine gives a power of meriting ex pacto to our works But our works of grace are dyed and washen in Christs blood and justified that they may justifie us But the Scripture speaks nothing of justifying of works or not imputing sin to our works Antinomians dream of a freeing of both the person and works of a justified man from Law-obligation and that is a way indeed to justifie works of murther
is a gift of grace Phil. 1.29 the mercies bestowed and promised are all of free grace for we are justified by his grace Rom. 3.24 freely and are saved and called with a holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace 2 Tim. 1.9 For by grace saith Paul are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Eph. 2.8 and the new creation is framed in us of grace But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ Eph. 2.4 5. and the new heart promised Ezek. 36.26 is given upon this account v. 32. Not for your sakes do I this saith the Lord be it known unto you be ashamed and confounded for your own wayes O house of Israel We have remission of sins freely of his grace Eph. 1.7 In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of sins according to the riches of his grace Col. 1.14 Perseverence is promised of free grace Jer. 31.35 Jer. 32.39 40. Isa. 54.10 as life eternall is the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6.23 and every influence of grace is of free grace Phil. 1.13 Joh. 15.5 and CHRIST the Surety of the Covenant of free-grace and love is given Joh. 3.16 to taste of death for every man Heb. 2.9 CHAP. XXVII Of cases of Law-fear and Gospel-faith How a child of God fears Law-threatnings FRom these properties flow diverse cases touching the stability of the Saints their perseverance their temptations their standing in grace 1. If they cannot fall away who are thus seated in the Covenant is not free will left to much loosnesse of security Answ. Not at all For a principle of Godly fear is fixed in the heart and so in free will never to depart from God Jer. 32.39 40. And where this Godly aw is the heart is in a Godly trembling and fear and darre not be loose wanton and secure to fear nothing but fears alway Prov. 28.14 and fears and trembles at the Lord and his goodnesse Hos. 3.5 A Godly heart trembles more for fear of grace and the debt of grace then of justice and wrath and fears sin more as it is against the bands of grace and against Christ and Gospel-love who can save then as it is against Law the Law-giver and him who eternally destroyes And so the aw of heaven hath a stronger impression then the terrour and aw of hell Quest. 2. How can the fear of falling away and the faith of perseverance absolutely promised and absolutely given consist together Ans. The Law-fear of falling away and the Gospel faith of persevering are not consistent The fear legall of the least sinne is a fear of hell and of eternall wrath to be irrecoverably inflicted but because the person is under grace the beleever cannot fear this fear except the Law-fear be letten out against him as a temptation but it is not his oblidged duty so to fear 2. The Law-fear upon a beleever is conditionall and not absolute as he fears hell and falling away jure as his deserving if God should enter in judgement with him and if he were not in CHRIST But he is oblidged to a Gospel-faith which layes hold on Christ righteousnesse and deliverance from condemnation and if Christ and interest in him be hid from him and nothing on but Law-fear that is a triall not a duty of Law-fear But there is a Godly Law-fear or a Gospel-Law-fear which is a Godly horrour conditionall for that which is never to be inflicted but yet according to deserving may be inflicted and this is the terrour of the Lord which breedeth Gospel perswasion 2 Cor. 5.11 and so may well stand with Gospel-faith and assurance of deliverance from falling away and of being stablished and confirmed to the end As a child in the fathers arm threatened to be cast over a sharp Rock in the Sea may have horrour and fear and cry out for fear and yet beleeve so his fathers compassion as he will not throw him in the Sea because the threatning is ordained not to be exercised but that the child may so much the more thrust his arms about his fathers neck Quest. 3. What is the best victory over temptations from such fears Ans. As in all temptations so here overcoming is attended with precious promises which are to be read Rev. c. 2.7.17.26 27 28. c. 3.5.12.21 Rev. 21. For 1. Feavers of the Law that have no kindly cools and relenting by the promises of the Gospel tend not to the strengthning of the life of God but only when they leave a standing self loathing and loving of Christ. 2. It argues the strength of faith after many yea six foyles to stand as the Army that is broken six times yet rallies and draws up again is often at the seventh time victorious 3. Such as stand against a strong and mighty tentation bâ—ing pressed out of measure above strength as Paul was 2 Cor. 1.8 9. in so much saith he that we despaired even of life But wee had the sentence of death in our selves do prevail to the being taught of God not to trust in our selves but in God who quickens the dead For here there comes reall strength from fighting As he who by strength of nature lives and convalesceth after a running boatch and strong pestilence goes through pest-houses and is never infected again So the worthies by faith who overcame strong temptations Heb. 11. to the end keep the fields and prevail till death 4. Godly fear of self-weaknesse and trembling at sin which may darken the feelings of received mercies and sweet influences addeth strength Something of that is here 2 Cor. 12.10 when I am weak then am I strong 5. A fixed peace in assurance of deliverance from condemnation and quietnesse in beleeving pardon and righteousnesse in Christ ought alwayes to be as touching the state of Justification for the questioning of this in a beleever if Antinomians will yeeld to truth is contrair to faith and no warrantable assurance But 2. a fixed peace in David immediatly after blood-shed and adultery before beleeving of the remission of these particular sins be in the Lords order renewed is security and not Godly peace Psal. 32.3 While I keept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day 5. I acknowledged and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Psal. 51.1 2 3 c. prove this But it may be said doth not this holy feeling of and trouble for the particular hainous guiltinesse brangle the fixed peace and the persons faith and confidence that he is in a state of justification Ans. Not at all for the outcries of the child of God Rom. 7.24 under not a finger or an arm or a leg but a body of sinne O wretched man who shall deliver me from the body of this death are good and
man sins not before God nor against the law of the land in that he lives nor can he be called an usurper and unjust malae fidei possessour of his life For the sentence was not that he should take away his life with his own hand but that it should be taken away by the judiciall hand and executioner of the Magistrate Nor is this Providentiall right a right of meer permission but of positive donation and free-gift for then we might by the same reason say that Reprobate men have a right of meer permission to keep and injoy the knowledge of these that God is Superiours Parents are to be honoured the whole is more then the part Yea they have the same naturall and providentiall right by nature that other sinners have to the one as to the other 2. These who injoy that of which they deserve to be deprived they sin in the act of using as touching the substance of the act of living being eating drinking That is most false These who injoy that of which they deserve to be deprived they in modo in the way maner and end of living eating c. do sin It is true and such have not spirituall and supernaturall right in Christ which they ought to have if they be in the Visible Church and hearers of the Gospel to life being and the creatures and they sin in not believing Rom. 14. not eating for the Glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 Naturall men care not if they have and injoy things so they have them They have being so have earth stones c. they live so doe trees and hearbs they have health so have beasts and birds they swallow up many years so do Ravens and Harts and other beasts a long lump many thousand yairds and miles of life are sought diu sunt non diu vivunt But who lives for God who sleeps who wakes who eats for God and his Glory and they who make themselves their last end Idolatrously put self in the roome of God who only is the last end of all Rom. 11.36 Rev. 4.11 Prov. 16.4 and as good make self the first Author of Heaven and Earth and Creator as the last end Ye who eat and drink who pays your reckoning Christ Or are you usurpers Have you any Charter Or do ye robbe the Lord Q. What way is God ours A. By Covenant Ezek. 34.24 Genes 17.7 Jere. 32.38 Zech. 13.9 But he is not ours as if we had some gifted right and dominion over him as we have over the creatures 2. Nor is he ours as we are his the clay hath no soveraignty over the Potter Nor 3. is God simply as God ours but God as it were coming down in Christ to us Covenant-wayes as God incarnate to make out his goodnesse grace mercy to and for us 4. It s true God incarnate Christ is principally Gods 1 Cor. 3.21 not ours He is all for God he is Immanuel our Immanuel in order to save us and so is more ours then the God of Angels 2. God is the fluier of the Saints desire more to them then all heaven in the length and breadth thereof and all the inhabitants thereof Psal. 73.25 Isa. 63.16 more then all the Angels and Saints 1 Thes. 4.16 2. There is no hell to Christ but afar off God Psal. 22.1 Math. 27.45 no heaven but the glory he had with the father John 17.5 3. There is nothing more like a spiritual disposition then when the Spouse Cant. 3. hath soul-soul-love to Christ I sought him whom my soul loved 2. She hath an ardent desire after him I sought him but I found him not 3. There could not be such diligent search after she found him if there had not been strong faith 4. And her conference with the watchmen Saw ye him whom my soul loveth saith She enjoyed Ordinances and means yet there may be which is to be observed a furniture of grace and a want of Christ I went a little further I found him whom my soul loveth Cant. 5. There is 1. a waking heart 2. A discerning of the Beloved and a telling over again of his words Open to me my sister c. 3. A stirring of Christs hand upon the key-hole of the heart 4. A moving of the bowels for him 5. A seeking of him and a praying but no finding nor answer 6. A love-sicknesse for him and yet a missing of himself I sought him but I found him not So compare Cant. 1.1 4. with Cant. 2 3 4. with v. 6 8. and other places it will be clear a God-head can only quiet the spirit and that its a question whether we know the field where the Pearle is and the Rubies Saphirs precious stones that are hid here which do in worth exceed the capapacity of Angels and Saints Therefore should his glory be the last end and stirrer of us in all our actings and grace the only efficient in all and so much of God if he be ours by Covenant as our wayes intentions may smell of him But there is much of the creature of self of gain of empty glory in our spirituall actings God weighs not down the creature nor heaven and union with Christ as Exod. 32.32 Rom. 9.3 2. It s a spirituall soul that misseth God rather then the train of all the graces of faith love hope dâ—siâ—e of and joying in him And know he is away though heaven were in the heart and can discern when the Ordinances are empty 3. It engages all we are hands knees body Exo. 20.5 Psal. 44.20 1 Cor. 6.19 self to be for God and to live wholly in him not in our selves 4. We are not to believe in believing nor to be sick of love with the love of Christ nor to make a god of faith or love It s a spirituall condition to have grace and to misse Christ. CHAP. X. Q. WHat are the false grounds of the Lords making the Covenant of Grace A. There are two bastard grounds devised by Arminians 1. Because the Covenant of Works cannot oblidge both to active and passive obedience but to one of them only say they and the Covenant of Works was so rigid that God could not follow it out and cast infants in hell for a sin which is theirs only by imputation and was pardoned to the first man that committed it Therefore he was necessitated to make a Covenant of Grace with all mankind none excepted But the Covenant of Works is broken and can now be a way of Justification and salvation to none but yet it oblidges all And sin cannot make us lawlesse for the spirituall Law is of an eternall obligation 2. They that never heard of Christ perish by the Law and not by the Covenant of Grace of which they never heard and the Gospel is written in the heart of none 3. The first Covenant was holy and spirituall and God should unjustly threaten death upon infants if they be not guilty of
34.15 16. 1 King 11.2 Ezra 9.2 12. Nehem. 13.23 Judg. 3.6 7. Judg. 4.2 3. Except there be some middle between a cursed and a blessed seed a seed in the Church and in Covenant and the seed of the Serpent of Heathen without the Covenant 2. A middle between the Kingdom of darknesse of Satan and the Kingdom of God of his dear Son Contrair to Eph. 2.2 3 4. Acts 26.18 Col. 1.13 14. 1 Pet. 2.9 10. Eph. 5.8 which is unknown to Scripture Yea the Covenant is made to Christ and his seed Gal. 3.16 and the same blessings of Abraham comes on us Gentiles Gal. 3.13 14. But he and all his seed were blessed and in grace by the externall call of the Covenant Ezek. 16.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. Deut. 7 7 8. Rom. 10.25 I will call them my people that were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved And this externall calling is of Grace and so Grace no merit as well as predestination to life is grace or for grace For whosoever are called not because Elect but because freely loved of such a God and without merit called Father and Son they are in a state of graceâ— But so are all within the Visible Church If any object by Christs comming all the Nations old and young are not become the Nations of the Lord and of his Christ but only true Believers even by our Doctrine Answ. They are become the Kingdoms of the Lord not only because they are truely converted but because they are the chosen of God in the Office-house of Christ and Christ reigns over them by the Scepter of his Word whom he is to convert And external Covenanting with God is of it self free Grace and a singular favour bestowed of God Psal. 147.19 20. Deut. 5.1 2. Mat. 21.42 43. Luke 14.16.21 2. It is free Grace that God will have hypocrites and real infidels to beget children to him that are internally in Covenant with him and fills up the number of the Elect by Reprobate Parents who are instrumentall to the in-coming in the world and into the Visible Church of many Heirs of Glory and in so doing there is a Church right communicated from Reprobate Parents to their Children that are Heirs of Glory 3. Externall Covenanting goes before internall Covenanting as the means before the end and the cause before the effect For faith comes by hearing of a sent Preacher Rom. 10.14 and the Preaching of the Gospel is a saving means of begeting a new heart and of a new spirit Hence 1. All must be first externally in Covenant before they can be internally and really in Covenant 2. God is a God simply to some and no more but a God to them in regard of outward Church priviledges as the Word Seals Protection Peace Hedge of Discipline his planting and watering by a Ministry But he is to speak so more then a God to others Hos. 2.19 I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse in judgement and in loving kindnesse and in mercy Now the Lord is joyned to back-sliding Israel in an externall marriage Covenant But Jer. 3.14 not in righteousnesse in loving kindnesse and mercy in reference to the rotten party In regard of which he saith v. 2. Plead with your mother plead for she is not my wife neither am I her husband Zech. 8.7 Thus saith the Lord I will save my people from the East Countrey and from the West Countrey 8. And I will bring them and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and they shall be my people and I will be their God in truth and in righteousnesse Then he is not to all a God in truth and righteousnesse fulfilling the first and substantiall promise of ingraving the Law in the heart not that he keeps not Covenant even to external confederatâ— to wit the conditionall Covenant for if they should beleeve they should be saved but he promised not a new heart and faith to them 3. Because he is a God externall to the Elect and that of free Grace therefore he is a God in truth and righteousnesse to ingrave his Law in their heart But externall confederation is not the adequate cause for then he should give a new heart to all with whom he externally Covenants but the adequate cause is confederation external tali modo out of his discriminating love and free grace he is a God to some 4. He is a God to his Elect that he may ingrave his Law in their heart and inward parts so that the promising to be a God tali modo is the cause and the ingraving of a new heart is the effect Jer. 31.33 Jer. 32.38 And they shall be my people and I will be their God That is the cause 39. I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever for the good of them and of their children after them See the same order Ezech. 11.19 20. though the words ly not in that order there and here And Heb. 8.10.5 God is not then a God to any because they have a clean heart and the Law ingraven therein for then they should be in Covenant before they be in Covenant And so this is true because he is our God in truth and righteousnesse therefore we beleeve but this is not true because we beleeve therefore he is our God except we argue from the effect to the cause But to return Calvine on Matth 19.14 We hence gather that the grace of Christ is extended to Infant age for whole mankind had perished Beza Infants are also comprehended in the free Covenant Pareus its unlawfull to â—â—barre these from baptism and the Church whom Christ â—â—ds come to him c. Obj. But Christ commands not they be baptized Answ. Nor doth Christ in this place command the Parents to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord Nor speak the Evangelists of any Parentall duty shall we from that conclude it was not Christs mind that the Parents take care of the fourth fifth Command Pareus saith it was neither time nor place Mat. 28.19 he bids baptize all 3. He who prayed for them blessed them laid his hands upon them invited them to bring Infants to him of all which Infants were as uncapable as of the use and ends of Baptism and of actuall confession of sin and of beleeving judged they ought be Baptized 4. It s never to be found where any are Baptized but the Head of the Family is Baptized And when we read that houses were Baptized 1 Cor. 1.16 Acts 16.33 There is no more ground to say Infants are not Baptized then to say when the Lord saith to Abraham Gen. 12.2 I will blesse thee and make thy name great And 22.17 in blessing I will blesse thee And when the Lord saith Isai. 19.25 blessed be Aegypt my people he should mean he would blesse Abraham
for the sinnes of the world If reason weigh the one and the other yet because both were performed upon the motive of the love of God commanding both was most spirituall obedience especially because the duty is both work and wage and the more of the Word of God is in the obedience I mean not the letter only but the word including the love 2. The authority of the Commander 3. The beauty apprehended to be and the peace in obedience the more spirituall is the obedience The letter only may show you duty your obligation and the penaltie of disobeying and all these three in a literall way and yet upon that account the obedience is not spirituall but Gospel-love added to the Laws-letter makes spirituall obedience CHAP. XVIII The new heart of Covenanters the Nature Characters Properties thereof hitherto of the new Spirit Quest. 6. WHen are we to judge that we have a new heart And when do we know that it is not the old heart Ans. 1 Propos. As Physically so also Morally the heart is the man the good heart the good man the evill heart the evill man and God weights men by the weight not of the tongue of the hands of the outward man but by the weight of the heart Asa his heart was perfect 2 Chron. 15.17 the heart of Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 17.3 was perefect And Psal. 78.37 their heart was not right the froward heart is the froward man Pro. 3.32 For there is a man speaking within a man and a heart within a heart acting as if it were a man made up of soul and body Thou hast said in thy heart I will ascend up to Heaven so the King of Babylon Isa. 14.13 So the heart acts Heaven or Hell within the man Psal. 14.1 Luk. 12.19 they have a heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 busied in the Colledge studying and reading covetousnesse 2 Pet. 2.14 2. Propos. When the Lord tryes the man he tryes the heart and the reins Prov. 15.11 Hell and the heart both are naked before him Prov. 17.3 Theodoret. God acteth the noon-day-Sun meridionaliter in every heart The man himself is without and God within Jer. 17.9 Man searcheth not his own heart and reins for there be plottings and inclinations to evill in the heart which the heart knows not 2 King 8.12 13. Peter hath a better heart then all men in the books of his own heart Matth. 26.33 but it s not so indeed 3. Propos. The washen heart that lodges not vain thoughts Jer. 4.14 purged from dead works by the blood of Christ above all the blood of bullocks and goats Heb. 9.14 purified by faith Act. 15.14 is the good heart It is a better heart according to the heart of God 1 King 15.5 that turneth not aside 1 Sam. 13.14 of Gods seeking out and finding then the first heart created of God Eph. 4.24 Col. 3.10 And ah we seek a good Ruler a good Physician when we are sick a good house to dwell in and which is strange a good horse but not to have a good heart 4. Propos. The excellent acts of God in a manner with glory to his Highnesse to mind his first work to create a better heart then the first which he created saith that there is great need of a good heart Psal. 51.10 of a new heart Ezek. 36.26 It s beyond all admiration to create so raâ—e a peece as the Sun out of no thing and a beautifull Lillie out of mire and dirt out of common clay to bring forth Saphirs Carbuncles and in liew of a stony heart for grace is not educed out of the potencie of any created thing to create a new heart which God loveth to dwell in rather then in heaven the high and holy place Isai. 57.15 which so ravisheth the heart of Christ Cant. 4.7 9. and is of more price with God then gold or any corruptible thing even a meek and quiet spirit 1 Ptt. 3.3 4. is the rarest peece of the works of God It s an excellent act of God to keep the vessell in a spirituall season as David prayes 1 Chron. 29.18 To make roome for Christ dwelling by faith and for love to comprehend love Eph. 3.17 18. and who puts such a thing in the heart Ezra 7.27 when a sparkle of fire from flint falls on water or green timber there is no fireing from thence But when actuall influences fall upon an heavenly habit as the Lord can cast in a coal or a lump and flood of love Cant. 2.5 6. Luk. 24.32 Cant. 6.12 there are most heavenly actings of the soul. 3. He bows and inclines the heart to the Lords testimonies and to cleave to him without declining Jer. 32.39 40. Ps. 119.39 Cant. 1.4 Ps. 141.4 4. We are to beware of 1. the reigning evils of the heart of a rotten and unsound heart 1 Tim. 6.5 Psal. 119.82 2. Of an unsavoury stinking heart that smells of hell and the second death of all sort of unrighteousnesse and malice like a green opened grave Psal. 5.9 3. Of an uncured heart that never came through the hands of the Physician Prov. 14.13 A sound heart is the life of the flesh Of an unsound unsavoury and a rotten heart Eph. 4.29 compared with vers 23. from whence issue rotten words borrowed from rotten and worm-eaten trees which speak an uncured heart 5. We are to look to deadnesse of heart in all the branches of it As 1. sullennesse and dumpish sadnesse in refusing comforts and being full of unbeleeving heavinesse in David Psal. 69.20 Psal. 42.11 whereas we are alwayes to rejoice Psal. 119.52 Phil. 4.4 2. Fainting at the greatnesse of the affliction Isa. 20.3 Joh. 14.1 whence comes withering of heart Psal. 102.4 Psal. 27.13 3. An overwhelmed and unbeleeving sowning heart Psal. 61.2 Psal. 142.3 Psal. 143.3 4. 4. Deadnesse in going about the service of God Psal. 119.37 Quicken me in thy way of this else where 5. Narrownesse to take in God opposed to an inlarged and wide heart Psal. 119.32 Psal. 81.10 and straitening of heart when the soul is so hampered that he cannot speak Psal. 77.4 unbeleef clipps the wings of the Spirit and layes on fetters which may come from the wicked company and may be laid on by our selves Psal. 39.1 2. 6. There is an Atheist heart to hate the existence of God of Christ of a Gospel Jam. 2.19 Matth. 8.29 Compared with Psal. 14.1 Eph. 2.12 Some beleevers are near to say I take my leave of Christ I 'le pray no more for it is in vain Jer. 20.9 Ps. 73.13 14. but it is not a fixed resolution of this else where 7. There is an evill heart of unbeleef to depart from the Living God Heb. 3.12 8. A heart that deviseth ploweth or delveth wicked imaginations Prov. 6.18 As Prov. 3.29 Plow not evill against thy neighbour Hos. 10.13 You have plowed iniquity such plots are forged against the people of God Matth. 27.1 Nah.
he had offered a sacrifice for sinners 1 Pet. 3.18 Christ once suffered for sin that is for sinners 1 Cor. 15.3 I delivered unto you how Christ died for our sinnes that is for the persons of us sinners 1 Joh. 3.5 He was manifested to take away our sinnes 1 Joh. 4.10 Herein is love that he sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sinnes Rev. 1.5 To him that loved us and washed us from our sinnes be glory Gal. 1.4 He gave himself for our sinnes Now it must not be asserted but proven that in all these places where he is said to be a propitiation for the sins of the world and hath taken away our sinnes speaking as these Authors say of the whole Visible Church and not of the elect onlie that Christ hath died and by his death hath taken away some sinnes and hath suffered for some sinnes and not for all sinnes not for the finall unbeleef of sinners if it be said that we cannot teach that Christ suffered for finall unbeleef we grant it But then we say that Christ suffered not for finall unbeleevers and for the other sins of finall unbeleevers since suffering for sins and for persons that are sinners to bring them to God 1 Pet. 3.18 are conjoined And God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not imputing their trespasses unto them 2 Cor. 5.19 Therefore there must be a pardoned and a justified world and so a truely blessed world as Paul and David teach Psal. 3â— 1 2. Rom. 4. and so a loved John 3.16 and chosen world followed with the separating love of God to man which saves some foolish ones and serving diverse lusts and saves not others and so there must be a love and mercy of predestination amor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not common to all the world as is clear Tit. 3.3 4 5. Eph. 2.1 2 3 4 5. We seek a warrand of Gods not imputing to this loved world their trespasses against the Law and of his imputing to the same world the trespasses of rebellion and finall unbelief And how Christs blood shed for persons both reconciles them to God and leaves them in wrath imputes not their trespasses to them and makes them blessed as David sayes Ps. 32.1 and imputes their finall unbelief to them and leaves them under a curse Nor shall it help the mater to say that finall unbelief may be considered as both against the Law and as only forbidden in the Gospel And in the former respect Christ hath suffered for it not in the latter For if the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the contrariety between finall unbelief and the first Command as it is a rebellion against God manifested in the flesh be satisfied for by Christ on the crosse How can it condemn the person as sure it doth Joh. 3.18 36. Joh. 8.21 24. It cannot be said that Christ died for finall unbeleef so we beleeve 2. What speciall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and repugnancie to the Law of God is there in finall unbelief that is not a repugnancie to the Covenant of Works and Grace both And what repugnancie to the Covenant of Grace which is not also contrair to the Law This I grant which I desire the Reader carefully to observe the Law and the Covenant of Grace do not one and the same way command faith and forbid unbelief I speak now of the Covenant of Works and of the Covenant of Grace as they are two Covenants specifically and formally different For 1. the Law as the Law commands 1. Faith in the superlative degree as it doth all acts of obedience and so doth it Gospel repentance Because the Law commands all obedience most exact and perfect and condemnes faith in the positive degree though sincere and lively as sinfully deficient The Gospel doth only require sincere faith and condemneth not for the want of the degrees of faith most perfect though the Law of thankfulnesse to the Ransone-payer which Law is common to both Covenants require that we believe in the highest degree because Christ hath expressed to us the greatest love Joh. 3.16 Joh. 15.13 2. The Law as the Law requires faith not finall only but faith in Immanuel for ever and that we be born with the Image of God that we beleeve at all times under the pain of damnation But the Covenant of Grace because it admits of repentance and holds forth the meeknesse forbâ—arance and longaâ—iâ—itie of Christ is satisfied with faith at any time or what hour of the day they shall be brought in 3. The Law requires faith with the promise of Law-life The Covenant of Grace requires faith promises grace to beleeve with promise of a Gospel-life 4. The Law requires not faith in Christ with sinners Covenant-ways as a work to be legally rewarded for it finding all sinners and all by nature Covenant-breakers cannot indent with thâ—m that have broken the Covenant to promise life to them by tennor of the Covenant which now ceaseth to be a Covenant of life and cannot but condemn and is now rendered impossible to jâ—stifie and save by reason of the weaknesse of the flâ—sh Rom. 8.3 All the reprobate then are this way under the Covenant of Works that they are as it were possible Covenanters lyable to suffer the vengeance of a broken Covenant but not formally active Covenanters as Adam was But if Christ suffer for finall unbeleef as it is against the Law as the Law how is it charged upon reprobates as a sin against the Gospel only Since no wrong done to God Redâ—emer can be any thing but a sin against God and a â—reach of the first Command I deny not but finall unbeleef hath an aggravation that it is the nearest barre and iron gate between the sinner and the only Saviour of sinners but yet the putting of such a barre is a sin against the Law Neither can it be said that only finall unbeleef is the only meritorious cause of damnation to such as hear the Gospel For beside final unbelief there is also a contrariety betwixt the murthers Sodomies c. of professours and the Law for which they suffer in hell eternally Rev. 21.8 c. 18.7 Quest. Whether doth the Lord Mediator as Mediator command the same good works in the Covenant of Grace which are commanded in the Covenant of Works CHAP. XXI Ans. ACcording to the matter of the thing commanded quâ—ad rem mandatam he commands the same and charges upon all and every one the morall duty even as Mediator for he cannot loose the least of these Commandements but simply they are not the same quoad modum mandandi It shall not be needfull to dispute whether they be commands differing in nature For not only doth the Mediator coÌ„mand obedience upon his interposed Authority as Law-giver and Creator but also as Lord Redeemer upon the motive of Gospel-constraining love In which notion he calls love the keeping of his Commandements if they love him Joh. 14. the new
then the second ADAM No more of this here It is a question the Threatning standing Gen. 2.17 how the active righteousnesse of Christ can be a cause meriting to us life and satisfying the Law when there is no suffering for the breach of the Law which expresly required death in the sinner Not to say that it seems too near to make Christs dying needlesse if his active holinesse do the businesse Nay we cannot so teach CHAP. II. Wherein stands our right to Christ and the satisfaction made for us by Christ 2. Faith is not the cause of our right 3. Christs incarnation and dying are not favours merited by Christ. 4. How Adams sin and Christs righteousnesse are ours OUr right to CHRIST must be considered more accurately then ordinarily it is Whether it floweth from 1. the merite of Christ Or 2. from the grace of predestination Or 3. faith in Christ. 1. Conclusion Grace is either objectivè out of us as the free love of God having mercy on whom he will Or subjectivè merited by Christ to us and bestowed upon us As touching our right to God as incarnate 2. As dying for us 3. As his satisfaction is made ours are of diverse considerations For if God out of free love sent his Son in the world Joh. 3.16 and if he out of free-grace that separateth the race of man from Angels took upon him the nature of man to wit of Abraham and not the nature of Angels Heb. 2.16 Then sure by the merits of Christs death it cannot come that God came in the flesh to save sinners For the effect cannot but come from the cause but the cause flowes not from the effect nor is the effect to wit Christs Incarnation and his dying the cause of that love and free-grace of God which moved God to send his Son in the flesh but posterior unto and latter then that love for because he loved us he sent his Son in the flesh to die for us 2. This cannot then be true Christ by his dying for the Elect merited and deserved that God should be made Man for us for this should be true also by the blood of Christ and by the redemption that is in Christ God sent his Son in the flesh and the Son took on him our nature by the blood of the Covenant nor can this be true Christ merited by his death that he should die for us for so it should be true that Christ by his blood shed his blood for us Where as because he loved his Church freely he gave himself for her Eph. 5.15 Who loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2.20 Hence 1. though grace be the cause of grace as because he of grace ordained us to glory therefore of grace he calls and because of free-grace he calls of free-grace he carries on his work and gives of grace perseverance and glory Yet there is a fountain-grace of election to glory which hath no cause nor merit not the merit of Christ for its cause but is the cause of causes and of Christs merits As one fire may produce another but the element of fire was not produced by another element of fire but by God in creation And one Vine Tree brings forth another but the first Vine Tree was created by the Lord only 2. Conclus Nor have we to speak acurately right to Christs satisfaction nor to his righteousnesse by faith 1. Because the Lords free-grace in laying our sins on Christ Isa. 53.6 and his making him sin for us 2 Cor. 5.21 does rather give the right to his satisfaction God would have Christ to stand for so many chosen of God upon the Crosse and for no other 1 Cor. 1.30 Ye are of him through Jesus Christ who is made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of God to us wisedom and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption Nor is there any act of faith interveening by which Christ became our surety and ransone-payer upon the Crosse and not the surety of others 2. It is ordinary to our Divines to say by faith we do apply Christ and his righteousnesse but if we speak properly application is possession and a putting on of Christ and his righteousnesse Now title or Law-right to an inheritance and possession of it are different natures and have different causes but faith gives not law-right to Christ and his righteousnesse not so much as instrumentally My receiving with my hand gold my eating and drinking the flesh and blood of Christ by faith Joh. 6.53 54 c. doth presuppone some right to that gold but no man can say that receiving of gold and eating of bread and putting on of garments gives a man right to gold bread or garments He that possâ—sseth an inheritance hath some right to the inheritance by birth buying purchase or gift the possession in its nature and causes may be unjust yet it is possession Nor can it be shown what causative influence even instrumentall faith hath in our Law-right to Christs satisfaction and righteousnesse except it were a meritorious cause of our right by way of instrument which can hardly be said 3. We may ask how Christ so died for the Reprobate as his death is a remedie applicable to them by the ordination of God so as they shall have life eternall if they believe For 1. there is either a jus and a Law-right to pardon and life eternall merited bâ— Christs death to the Reprobate or no such thing is merited If neither be procured by Christs merite the Patrons of this way shall say there is no serious offer made to them yea there is a jus a title to life eternall and remission which all the reprobate may challenge even a right to remission and life eternall so they beleeve Well then it is the same right conditional to life and pardon which is purchased to the Elect yea this must be purchased whether they believe or not Then there is no more in the kind of the Law-right to Redemption and life eternall and remission of sins purchased to Peter then to Judas or Cain And therefore hath Christ bestowed as much tender love in dying for the Reprobate as in dying for his friends And Christ saith there is no greater love then this Joh. 15.13 As for the efficacious intention of applying of Christs death to Peter when as God had no such intention of applying it to Judas that is an act of eternall predestination not a fruit of Christs death and as for the grace of beleeving it was purchased to all Reprobate and Elect only the Lord applyes not his death and bestowes not the grace of beleeving upon the Reprobate but for right to faith to remission to perseverance to life eternall this right must be purchased but faith it self is never bestowed upon them But there is a ransome of blood given for faith and purchased by CHRISTS merit But CHRIST is never called the Head of all men Elect and Reprobate but the Head of the Body
the comforter the infant may at once both suck the breasts and also sleep And is one flower more to be smelled then the whole Garden And shall feelings and raptures and manifestations of God in his out-goings be courted and over-courted by us beyond the God of all comforts There is need that the heart be deadened to sense for feeling and sense is fiery and idolatrous and were sense more mortified at the out-goings of faith hope love it were good for our faith should be the more lively and vigorous to lay hold on God Q. Is it not lawfull to be taken and feelingly delighted with the influences of God Ans. Sure feeling of it self is not faulty the fierinesse and excessive fervour of feeling is faulty especially when terminated upon created actings of love faith joy desire hope and not upon influences as coming from the free Grace of God otherwise we are but sick and pained of love of our own gracious actings because they are our own and this is the sicknesse of selfishnesse Ah! a Godhead a Godhead is not known 23. Nor must we be in a too lively way taken with our own stock nor trust in the habit of grace or the new heart for grace in us is a created rose that spreads fair and broad and smels well but it is not God nor Christ that we may learn not to trust in our selves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 1.9 But why but we may trust in our renued selves now furnished with a stock and infused habits the excellent blossoms and blooms of heaven Nay not in our selves thus fitted but in God who raises the dead for it s not possible both to trust in renewed self and in God And Paul never meant that any that professeth CHRIST is to lean upon sinfull self or upon lost and condemned self And sure it is as selfy to be alive to infused habits as to misken Christ and think being once a convert we can send our selves all the rest of the way to heaven without Christ we need not Christ for a Guide or a Tutor it s within us may save us And nothing can be more contrair to a living the noble and sure life of continuall dependencie by faith on the given Leader of the people Jesus Christ then to trust on habits of grace they are not Christ. 25. Ah! who is that mortified as to be dead to the created sweetnesse of joy and the right hand pleasures of God and the formall beatitude of glory and alive to the only pure objective happinesse of glory And yet that is mortification to love and be sick and thirsty for heaven not for the pleasures of the Garden and the Streets of Gold and the Tree of Life and the River of Water of life but for only only God the heaven of heavens And therefore we cannot be alive to pure and the only abstracted and unmixed God head except we be thus dead to heaven 26. There is a deadnesse to the letter of the promise The promise saith M. Ambrose is but the Casket and Christ the Jewell in it the promise is but the field Christ is the Pearle hid in it Christ removed the promise is no promise or but â—aplesse signes 27. We must also be dead to the rayes out-shinings and manifestations of God to the soul here and must transchange God in all presence and all love embracements and no more but he dead to the house of wine to the lifâ—ed up banner of love to love-kisses of Christ to the love-banquets and to the felt lying as the beloved all the night between the breasts for these nearest communions are not God himself There is required a godly hardnesse for receiving sparkles of hell and some draughts of sore trying wrath and the hell of his most wise and righteous frownings and necessary absence and night of hiding himself 28. And should not the Church be dead to providences of fair weather and Court or the blessing of a godly King David Ezekiah and mortified to miraculous deliverances dividing of the red sea defeat of enemies to confirmation of the truth by Martyrdome and sufferings to blood He who is dead to himself and his body and ease and hardned against contradictions of sinners against torment of body cold imprisonment sicknesse death and can in patience submit to all providences is crucified with Christ if God give or withdraw he is dead to both 28. All who are dead with Christ are dead to all dead worship saplesse ceremonies and formall worship Col. 2.20 Gal. 4.9 and are lively in the serving of God and fervent in spirit serving the Lord And rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh Phil. 3.3 Rom. 12. CHAP. V. Of the Covenant of Redemption between God and the Mediator Christ. 2. Christ is not a bare witnesse to confirm the Covenant but the Author of the Covenant 3. The Socinian way of works cannot quiet the conscience 4. Christ is upon both sides of the Covenant 5. Justice mediatâ— not 6. Reasons of the entrance of sin ISai. 49.8 I will preserve thee saith the Lord to Christ and give thee for a Covenant of the people Hence the 1. Question How is Christ said to be given as a Covenant of the people Ans. As Isai. 49 6. he saith I have given thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth that is as Act. 13.46 47. I have thee O Christ to be the Preached Light and Guide of the Gentiles and the Preached Saviour declared and proclaimed by the Preaching of Paul Barnabas and the Apostles and Pastors So I will give thee for the Covenant that is the Preached surety and Mediator of the Covenant Heb. 7.22 Heb. 8.6 When the first Covenant was broken he makes with us an everlasting Covenant even the sure mercies of David Isai. 55.3 2. I will give thee as the only one who is the subject of the Gospel and Covenant of Grace For to Preach Christ and to Preach the Gospel and New Covenant are all one 3. I have given thee to be the confirmer of the promises they are all yea and Amen in thee 2 Cor. 1.20 Gal. 3.16 And 4. by thy death thou confirmes the Covenant and seals it with thy blood Heb. 9.15 16 17 22 23 24. Heb. 13.20 Q. But Socinus denies that Christ is the purchaser or the obtainer by his blood as it were of the New Covenant for he did not by his death procure or merit pardon to us he is only the surety or Mediator of the Covenant And Crellius and he say the cause why the confirming of the Covenant is ascribed to the death of Christ is because as by a slain beast and divided into two parts Covenants of old were established so by the death of Christ the Covenant of Grace was solemnly confirmed and sealed Ans. Christ is so the Surety as Mediator
as the tree is in the seed as all the Rose trees and the Vine trees are in the first Rose tree and the first Vine tree created of God virtually For because God choosed us therefore shall we be in Christ by faith yea and he choosed us and ordained us to be in Christ by faith when He gave us to the Son to be keeped by him The third considerable act here is an act of delectation and the place is observable Prov. 8.22 The Lord Chanani possessed me It s not Bara created me It s not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the LXX have it but as Aquila 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the beginning of his way as Cartwright before he had created any thing 23. I was set up from everlasting Tremellius inuncta fui I was anointed Aben Ezra Electa fui I was chosen The vulgar Latine I was ordained from the beginning or ever the earth was 24. When there were no depths I was brought forth when there were no fountains abounding with waters 25. Before the mountains were setled before the hills was I brought forth c. In all which the authority of Christ saith Cartwright is proven from his eternity antiquity immortality c. and all this time He was with God as is fully v. 30. cleared Then I was by him as one brought up with him Chald. Para. I was nourished up as à maid at his side He will not want his Son out of his eye I was daily his delight rejoicing alwayes before him The Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 die die from day to day Rabbi Solomon annorum myriades myriads of years The Father and the Son from eternity delighted one in another and were solacing themselves in the works without themselves and the ratio formalis as it were that which took up the love delight and thoughts of God when as yet there was no world no mountains no depths c. is Christ as Redeemer delighting himself with the sons of men 31. I was with him rejoycing in the habitable part of his earth Heb. Sporting or playing with the sons of men both because of all his works as Ambrose saith he most longed for man and made heaven and rested not and made the earth and rested not and made the Sunne Moon and Stars and rested not there and made man and then rested as having found the choisest peece of work he so much delighted in So the Father and the Son were taken and as it were love saith Bernard triumphed over God and they solaâ—ed their heart in that great design of love and from eternity passed over that long and sweet age of myriads of ages in the pleasant and delighting thoughts of that boundlesse and bottomlesse Ocean of love to wit God is to be made sick and to die a love for the sons of men Love being above and in a maner not stronger then the grave only and then death and hell but some way with reverence to his holinesse mightier then the most High and brought God down to sick clay that you may saith Bernard see if you take heed joy sadned faith feared salvation suffering life dying strength weakned and this wisedome was hid up and kept secret since the world began Rom. 16.25 Hidden wisedome in the heart of the Lord from eternity which God ordained before the world unto our glory 1 Corinth 2.7 the like whereof the eye hath not seen nor the ear heard nor hath entered in to the heart of man v. 9. to conceive So that this mystery of the Covenant between Jehovah and the Son of God was as it were little enough to busie the thoughts of the infinite understanding of of the highest Lord God Father Son and Spirit as containing the unsearchable riches of Christ Eph. 3.8 Say there were millions and ten thousand millions of Globs of new whole earths of all gold mines perfect and purest gold yet should they not all come near to the borders of this riches and these all were in before there was a Creation and he lets out of this fulnesse to us and we are sinfully poor beside Christs gold mines and dry beside the rivers of wine and milk and dead a thousand times being under the flowings and outlettings of life and of such a life Hence the 12. Argument If Christ the Son was designed and fore-ordained with the Father the Spirit and his own consent to be the person should pay the ransome of satisfaction and to be satisfied in his soul with the getting and injoying of the bought and well payed for and ransoned yea the over-ransoned sons of men who ravished love and heart of Father and Son before the mountains were brought Prov. 8.22 23 c. 30 31. forth and when as yet there were no depths then was that bargain of love closed and subscribed before witnesses from eternity For could the heart of Christ be cold and indifferent to undergoe suretyship for the sons of men Who warmed and kindled a fire of Redeemers love in his heart from everlasting Or was his consent to the Covenant but as late and young as since Adam fell or Abraham was called to leave his countrey and his fathers house Gen. 3. Gen. 12 Ah! it s an older love then so A yesterdayes love time-mercy a grace of the age with the world could not have saved me Nor were our Charters and Writtes of Gospel-grace first drawn up in Paradice Nay but copies and doubles of them only were given to Adam in Paradice The love of God is no younger then God and was never younger to sinners and woe to us if grace and mercy to redeemed ones should wax old and weaker through age and at length die and turn in everlasting hatred I desire to hold me fast by that Jer. 31.3 I have loved thee with an everlasting love He meets as Calvin well observes with a blasphemous temptation of Sathan that the people had in their mouth Ho the Lord appeared to me of old but that is a love from one year to another and it s out of date now the covenant-Covenant-love to Abraham is dead and away and the Lord is changed No I have loved thee not for a year or a summer The covenant-Covenant-love is older then thy poor short time-time-love Obj. But I may leave off to love God and he loves me no longer then I love him Ans. Where is then everlasting love and because he loves us we shall not leave off to love him Night and overclouding of the Sun is not a perishing of the Sun out of the world his love quickens my fainting love CHAP. VIII The differences between the Covenant of Suretyship or Redemption made with Christ the Covenant of Reconciliation and of Grace made with sinners 2. The conjunction of the Covenants 3. How the promises are made to the Seed that is to Christ the meaning of the place Gal. 3.16 4. Christ acted and suffered alway as a publick head IT
fountain-grace all the satisfaction that the Lord craves of sinners begins at this spring the old and eternall design of love in the heart of God toward his Son his everlasting delight the bosome darling and beloved of the Father is the designed Prince upon whose shoulder is the Government Here was mutuall love-delight acted by the Father and Son Prov. 8.31 My delights were with the sons of men even before the fountains of waters were created v. 24. O what everlasting out-goings and issuings of eternall love came from the heart of the Father and the Son in their eternall Covenant-delights towards the sons of men here was the eternall marriage of the Lamb the Kings eternall Son and of the not as yet created Bride first written and sealed by the King and his Son and our not knowing of this and Gods delighting in us when we little knew or dreamed of his eternall love highnesse his grace Should the heart of God be taken and to speak so be sick of love for so many Nothings whom he was to make heirs Far more being reconciled and justified we need not fear we shall be saved Here in this Covenant were first drawen the lineaments and draughts of the free and gracious interest of Jesus Christ to the sons of men And who should not wonder here at the purest fountain-grace that is in Jesus Christ which did set on work eternall wisedome to frame such an eternall peace of God Covenanting with the Son of God and love eternall hiring love eternall with the reward to speak so of the certain hope of enjoying a soul-satisfying seed and a numerous off-spring of Redeemed ones if love should die and triumph over justice which was done by love 6. There is here much of the eternall interest of JEHOVAH to the Son and of the essentiall love of God to his only begotten Son Prov. 8.24 When there was no depths I was brought forth 30. Then I was by him as one brought up with him and I was daily his delight rejoycing alwayes before him And they may that have been verified Jer. 30.21 And their noble One shall be of themselves and their Governour shall proceed from the midst of them and I will cause him to draw near and he shall approach unto me for who is this that engadged his heart to approach unto me saith the Lord The love eternall here in JEHOVAH loves and wonders that Christ his Son layes hands upon his own heart to take upon him the Office of Redeemer and Priest and the Lords saying Who is this is a note of love and wonder as Psal. 24.8.10 Isa. 63.1 Cant. 6.10 and that his heart closes with the Covenant-designe Obj. But Arminius himself also teacheth that there was â— Covenant betwixt the Lord and Christ. God required of Christ our Priest that he would lay down his life for sin give his flesh for the life of the world and he promised if he should so do he should see his seed and be an eternall high Priest after the order of Melchisedeck and by the exercise of his Priestly Office he should be exalted to a royall dignity Christ our Priest closed with the condition and said Behold here am I to do thy will c. And Socinians who hold him to be a divine Man only will agree that Christ was under an obedientiall Covenant to God Ans. Arminians and others may yeeld to a Covenant between the Father and the Son but it is a far other thing then such as we hold for Christ did close with the condition of laying down his life for sinners But when Christ hath ended his work and payed the price of Redemption laid down his life for Pharaoh Cain for Aegyptians Syrians Persians Chaldeans and all in whom ever was the breath of life yet cannot the Lord promise to Christ that he shall have any seed or one redeemed one nor can the Lord either promise or pay wages to Christ For a promise if sincere is of things that are in our power to do even among men Can a King promise that to morrow he shall cause the wind for seventy dayes to come blow out of the North-West It s not in his power Now Arminians Socinians and all of that Family teach that God hath no forceable antecedent dominion to bow and determine the free-will of any one man The Lord then no more can promise nor give the reward of a seed to Christ for his work of laying down his life for man then he can ingage that the Serpent with reverence to our blessed Lord shall see his seed For when Christ hath wrought the same work payed the same very ransone as these Sophists teach for millions that perish through their own free-will eternally What seed hath he of them Where is his wage Were not all and every one of mankind promised in the Arminian Covenant to be the gifted seed of Christ upon condition that they should repent and beleeve But Arminians deny that God doth promise faith or that he is so Lord and Master of the free-will of any as indeclineably and unsuperably he can make good his promise and cause them beleeve and persevere therein to the end and that is it by which they are his seed It s but said in vain that God promises they shall be Christs gifted seed providing they be willing to beleeve that is but to say the Lord promises all shall be his seed providing they shall be his seed For willing beleeving makes them his seed 2. By this also the Lord promises what is in mens power to perform and it might fall out that all and every one should do the like that multitudes do who perish eternally and so shall Christ do his work and injoy no seed at all But the Covenant of suretyship which we teach makes not the truth of God to depend upon our faith or our unbeleef Yea the Lord promises that Christ without all fail shall undeclineably see his seed yea and shall be the restorer of the Tribes of Jacob and a light to the Gentiles and the salvation of God to the ends of the earth Isa. 49.6 Isa. 54. He shall be King and Lord of the Iles Isa. 42.6 7. Isa. 60.9 Psal. 2.8 9. A Prince and a sheepherd over his people Ezek. 34. Ezek. 37.24 25. Psal. 89.25 not upon condition they be willing over whom he is set but to meet with the temptation Ah! my iron and rockie will shall still resist the Lord and he shall be King of the Nations if the Nations shall determine their own will to submit to him and vote that he be Crowned King Nay but the Covenant-promise saith he shall be King of thy will This is a part of his raign Psal. 110.2 The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion rule thou in the midst of thine enemies 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power Deut. 30 6. Ezek. 11.19 20. Ezek.
be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead That was a judiciall declaration Acts 2.24 Having loosed the pains of death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a King by authority and judicially looses a prisoner from his fetters having no more to say against him Psa. 105.20 The King sent and loosed him Isa. 50.8 He is near that justifies me who is he that contends with me in judgement Rom. 6.9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more death shall no more have Lordship or Lordly dominion over him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the word Luk. 22.25 The Kings of the Gentiles bear dominion over them Rom. 14.9 Death had some Kingly dominion in Justice and by Law over him But Christ by Law of satisfactory payment who was also the mighty Son of God wrought himself out of the grips and fetters of death So in Christ death hath lost Law-dominion over the beleever It is against Justice and the just Covenant between Jehovah and Christ that we should be for ever among the worms and not at length be loosed from the sting and victory of the grace O death thou shalt thou must let the captives go free 1 Cor. 15.55 Hos. 13. the prison must be a free Jayle when iron gates and fetters are broken We have in Christ a good cause the cause and action of Law is win and carried on our favours 2. There is a promise of heavenly influences made to Christ Isa. 50.4 He wakeneth morning by morning he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned 5. The Lord hath opened mine ear and I was not rebellious Some great Divines say Christ had no sleepy nor closed ear he must there speak of Isaiah But so there was no sinfull drynesse in Christ Was He not therefore anointed Isa. 42.1 I will put my Spirit upon him Then all influences are promised also Isa. 11.2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him 3. And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord and he shal not judge after the sight of his eyes c. 2. Christ was assured he could not sin and so of influences to duties Joh. 5.30 Joh. 8.26 27 38 50 55. Joh. 10.38 though he wanted influences at a time as touching consolation and the felt fruition of God being forsaken for a time Psal. 22.1 Luk. 22.44 Math 27.45 But Adam as he was not to beleeve perseverance nor yet sinfully to fear falling so neither was he to beleeve influences to all acts of obedience they not being promised to him Yet was not Adam to beleeve his own reprobation for it was neither true nor a revealed truth Then the only nearest way against deadnesse and drynesse is to have recourse to the fountain and fulnesse of life that is in Christ. Literall quickning of our selves miskenning Christ out of whose fulnesse we receive produceth but literall fardinesse 3. The speciall and cardinall promise I will be his God Psal. 89.26 and he shall cry to me Thou art my Father my God and the rock of my salvation is bound up with Christ in the Covenant of Suretyship and is the key and corner stone of the frame and building of the Covenant of Grace Joh. 20.17 Go to my Brethren saith Christ to Magdalen and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and to your Father and to my God and your God It s comfortable talking that Christ saith to us I and you Beleevers are the Children of the same Father and have one Covenant-relation to one God though as is said Christ bear the relation of a Surety-Covenant to God and we of a Covenant of Mediation and notwithstanding of the differences yet it may be said that Christ and Beleevers are in one writ and one letter of acquittance dischargeth both from condemnation Christ from condemnation of punishment us from condemnation of inherent guiltinesse and punishment Blessed we to be unite to him every way and to joine our Amen and consent to the Covenant yea and in regard of profession we should subâ—cribe and write our names to it Isa. 44.1 2 3. Our maimed and broken and half consent proclaims an overly and cold Covenanting It s true parties are but once married once Covenanting by oath is as good as twenty but frequent and multiplied acts of marriage-love adde a great deal of firmnesse and of strength to the Marriage band they are confirmations of our first subscription Renewed acts of faith to take Christ for Jesus and Redeemer and renewed acts of love do more and more ingadge the heart to Christ as Lord and King Little conversing with Christ deadens marriage-marriage-love Rare visits and thin bring on worn out acquaintance We are apt to complain he visits us seldome that is because we have not the childish hire of consolation and feeling we refuse to work and yet we should look at comfort for the duty and not on the duty for the comfort when it s a duty to our Father And who looks upon the comfort both as a comfort and a duty 1 Thes. 4.18 Comfort one another with these words and so must they comfort themselves Comfort is mainly for beleeving Colos. 2.2 Heb. 6.18 and there is a feast and a fill of joy in beleeving Rom. 15.13 We seek but a comfort and a joy of chearing and solacing our selves and that is all 4. There is promised to Christ a seed Isa. 53.10 When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed Heb. 2.13 Behold I and the children that God hath given me Jacob by Covenant served for Rachel Christ also served suffered and died of love for his Spouse Eph. 5.25 26. Isa. 53. he shall be satisfied A Redeemed seed was his end and we endure hard labour for a desired end and we are sick till we get the great end we aim at It s true the honour of God was the speciall end Joh. 12.28 c. 17.1 yet it was heart satisfaction to Christ to have all his off-spring and children with him Joh. 17.24 How should Christ not be our end See if ye do all and suffer all to fetch this shoar Phil. 3.8 9. Examine comparative ends by-ends self ends It s impossible a man can be ignorant of his last and main end so strong an impulsion it hath upon his heart 5. There 's not onely a seed but a rich conquest the heathen promised and the ends of the earth Psal. 2.8 9. Dominion from sea to sea Zech. 9.10 Psal. 72.8 Dan. 7.14 and both this and the former satisfies Christ. There is not a sight so desirable to the eye of Christ as to see all his Redeemed ones conquering and last in the fields and fairly landed on the shoar passed Gun-shot and reach of all temptations We satisfy our unbeleeving hearts too much Ah! who can stand temptations are so strong But as JEHOVAH fully satisfies Christs soul his hope his aim and intended
them is legall forasmuch as the Lord hath decreed to deny the grace by which they may or can fulfill the condition of the promise which is proper to the Law as it is peculiar to the Gospel that the Lord both gives the mercy promised and also the grace to fulfill the condition of the promise The threatnings to beleevers especially such as are legall if you beleevers fall away ye shall eternally perish are to beleevers though materially legall peremptorie and admit no exception yet they are formally and in the Lords intention directed to them upon an Evangelick intention nor do they say that the Lord intends and decrees that they shall eternally perish for he hath predestinate them to the contrary to wit to grace and glory Ephes. 1.4 Nor that he wills that they should beleeve either their eternall damnation or their finall and totall falling away which inevitably leads thereunto For they knowing that they are in Christ 2 Cor. 13.5 Rom. 8.16 17. and freed from condemnation Rom. 8.1 are to beleeve the contraire of the former to wit life eternall John 4.24 1 Thes. 5.9 John 3.16 and the contraire of the latter to wit the promise of perseverance made to them Jer. 32.39 40. Isa. 59.21 John 10.27 28. John 17.20 21. 1 Pet. 1.3 4 5. Mat. 16.16 17 19. Therefore these threatnings are not to be beleeved by the regenerate as certainly to come to passe in their persons but only as Law-motives to presse them to work out their salvation in fear and trembling and to cleave so much the closser to Christ as the condition of such as are under the Law is apprehended to be dreadfull But reprobats and unbeleevers are not to beleeve that God decrees and intends to them the thing promised and grace to perform the condition but only to beleeve their obligation to fiduciall relying upon and Gospel-faith in God revealed in the Mediator and that if they continue in a way of opposing Christ they not only deserve by Law which Law-deserving also beleevers are to apprehend to be broken but actually and quoad eventum shall eternally perish Believers are to believe the Decree of God to save them though they hear the threatnings for it s revealed But the Reprobate are to beleeve only the sense and Law-deserving and event of the threatning if they repent not but are to beleeve no decree to save them CHAP. IV. The Elect non-converted are not under Law-wrath 2. Faith is no cause of satisfaction 3. Christ can not have satisfied for the sins of the Reprobate WHether the Elect unconverted be under wrath is a doubt to many It is true they are servants of sin Rom. 6.17 Blind and under the power of Satan as Reprobats are Acts 26.18 By nature children of wrath even as others Eph. 2.3 Ans. Their sins committed before their Conversion are according to the Covenant of Works such as deserve everlasting condemnation and they are jure and in relation to that Covenant heirs of wrath as well as others 2. But we must distinguish between a state of election and everlasting though unseen love that they are under as touching their persons and a state of a sinfull way that they are born in and walk in as others do untill they be converted As to the former state it is true which is said Ier. 31.3 I have loved thee with an everlasting love See also Rom. 9.12 13. Eph. 1.4 so that God never hates their persons 3. The punishment of their sins and the wrath they are under is two wayes considered 1. Materially in the bulke and so they are under Law-stroaks and Law-wrath that is Law-punishment as others are Eph. 2.3 and so the other places are to be taken 2. The wrath is to be considered formally and so it is denyed that the punishment of the non-converted elect because of their sinfull way is any part of the Law-vengeance or curse which Christ did bear for their other sins committed by them after conversion 1. Because when Christ saith Iohn 5.4 The beleever hath passed from death as it is a curse and shall never come to judgement and condemnation he cannot mean that they have half passed from the curse and half not 2. Beleevers are delivered in Christ from the victory sting power of sin curse of the Law and every curse that is in affliction and from condemnation not in part only but in whole Else their triumph were but in part contrair to 1 Cor. 15.54 55 56. Hos. 13.14 Isa. 25.8 Nor should they be washen from all their sins and the spots thereof in his blood if they might wash themselves from any spot by bearing a part of the Law-curse in themselves contrair to Can. 4.7 Jer. 50.20 Joh. 1.28 1 Joh. 1.8 Rom. 8.1 3. What ever Christ was made for the redeemed ones that he was made fully for them in part and in whole for he is their perfect Saviour But Gal. 3.13 He is made a curse for us and able to save to the outmost all that come to him Heb. 7.25 Therefore the half or a part of satisfactory vengeance cannot be upon us and the other half on Christ for this is to make men and Martyrs joint satisfiers of justice with Christ by their own blood and sufferings to prevent the scaddings of purgatory For though we teach against Antinomians that the Godly are punished for sins according to Justice yet that is Evangelick not law-justice for they bear not one dram weight of satisfactory wrath and curse jointly with Christ Antinomians say that sin root and branch is taken away in Justification so that there is no sin nor punishment for sin in the justified man 4. The beleevers are blessed through Jesus Christ Gal 3.10 13. Psal. 32.1 2. Rom. 4.6 Psal. 2.12 Psal. 119.1 Their afflictions and death blessed precious in the eyes of the Lord not qualified with any Law-curse Job 5.17 Psal. 94.12 Mat. 5.6 Luk. 6.22 1 Pet. 1.6 1 Pet. 4.13 Psal. 21.3 4 5 6. Psal. 34.17 18 19. Rev. 14.13 Psal. 116.15 Psal. 72.14 Psal. 37.37 and they are asleep in Christ die in the Lord 1 Thes. 4.14 16. Nor can Antinomians and Socinians say this is under the New-Testament for dying Jacob saith Gen. 49.18 Lord I have waited for thy salvation Isa. 57.1 2. When the righteous man is taken away he shall enter into peace the Lord is the God of Abraham Isaak and Jacob when their bodies are rotten Exod. 3.6 Mat. 22.32 5. This comes too near the opinion of these who make faith a cause of satisfaction for sin as they must teach who hold that Christ payed a ransome on the crosse for the sins of all and every one For that which added maketh satisfaction to be counted and formally reckoned as satisfaction in order to the expiation of the mans sins so that by no justice he can suffer for them and which being removed maketh the payed satisfaction and ransome though never taken back again
suitable to mans intire nature to love God yet to love him so and so by obeying the command of not eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge and some other Commands is not so connaturall but God might have commanded the contrair without any thing done contrair to mans nature Yet from this it followes no more that these are two Covenants then that there be two Covenants of Grace Because faith in God and the Morall Law in an Evangelick way are therein commanded and also some duties touching the seals by a positive Law are therein contained CHAP. VII It s not written in the heart of man by nature that GOD should promise life eternall to man upon condition of obedience 2. And that the debt of Justice can not tye GOD. 3. GOD punisheth not sin by necessity of nature 4. Nor defends he his own declarative Glory by that necessity 5. Nothing can be given to GOD Al-sufficient 6. No meriting of the creature 7. We should have humble thoughts of free-Grace 8. How low thoughts of our selves 9. Promises make no strict justice between GOD and us SUre it is not repugnant to the yet innocent and intire nature of man to know that God may reward all such as seek and serve him but that he must reward obedience either in the generall or so and so is neither written in mans heart nor hath it any truth For it were nothing against justice or bounty or any attribute of God not to reward his creature which is obliged to serve him and though there be a sort of quietnesse of conscience which is the naturall result of obedience in Adam and of all men yet it cannot inferre that there is an intrinsecall connexion ex naturâ rei between our obedience and a reward to be given of God Therefore nor will it be a good inference because there is disquietnesse in the conscience after sin and that it is naturall to a sinner to apprehend a revenging power pursuing sin committed that therefore it is naturall anâ— essentiall to the Lord to pursue sin with punishment in generall For a naturall conscience may and does know that God doth freely create the world and that he might not have created it that he doth good freely to his creatures and that he is not a debtor to his creatures Will it follow by any Logick that God creates the world by any naturall obligation And because by force of a naturall conscience all know that God is good and bountâ—full to his creatures in giving and doing good to them we cannot therefore infer that actuall beneficence is so essentiall to the infinite Majesty as he should not be God if he did not extend that goodnesse to them Common sense will say no more followeth but goodnesse and bounty intrinsecall are essentiall to God and these attributes are essentiall to him and were from eternity in him and are his good and bountifull nature Though not either man Angel or any thing else had been created to which he doth actually extend his goodnesse Ergo this actuall extension of goodnesse is not essentiall to God so neither is the actuall punishing of sin essentiall to God but free though Adam apprehended God would punish his eating of the forbidden tree Yet if he apprehended that he should not be God if he did not punish it his apprehension was erroneous And this only followes that there is an intrinsecall and internall Justice in God naturall and essentiall in God but so that the out-goings of his Justice the egressions are most free and that is said by some without all reason because the apprehensions we have naturally of God that he punisheth sin Vniversales apprehensiones nequaquam sunt eorum quae Deo vel adesse vel abesse possunt pro liberrimâ voluntate Universall apprehensions therefore they are not apprehensions of such things as may be or not be in God according to his free pleasure if the apprehensions of Gods doing good to Angels to men to all his creatures freely be in all by nature and cannot be rooted out and be universall then these apprehensions cannot be of such things as are in God according to his most free will and may be in the Almighty or not be in him But the conclusion hath neither reason nor sense for there are universall apprehensions in all men and they canot be rooted out that God does good to Angels men and creatures freely Ergo by this Logick the doing of good freely to Angels men and creatures is not a thing that is in God according to his free-will and may be in the Almighty or not in him Then the so doing must be in God essentially 2. Then must God not be God if he do not good freely to them 3. Then must God not be God except he create men Angels and creatures 4. But since he is God everlasting he must from everlasting have created men Angels and the creatures and from everlasting he must punish sin Life may be considered 1. As life 2. As such an excellent life to wit a communion with God In the former consideration life is either considered as the end or secondly as a free reward In the former respect To live an intellectuall life in obeying God was to Adam so created a connaturall end as to burn is to fire and to give light to the Sunne And God may put the respect of a reward upon any obedientiall end But that Adam should have such an eminent life for the reward of his obedience as a communion with God which is farre above his obedience is the free donation of God nor is there any necessary connexion between Adams perfect obedience and so high and eminent a life nor can this Covenant as touching such a promise be written in his heart God then never loved to make any Covenant yea even that of Works without some acts and out-goings of grace and the hyre was grace how is he not to be served who loves to hyre and allure us to be happy Arminius saith the reward of keeping the Covenant of Works cannot be spirituall nor can the punishment be spirituall because you teach saith he that the obedience is naturall Ans. It followeth not for the reward is spirituall yea and supernaturall from the free promise of God It was that God should recompence our naturall obedience coming from connaturall principles with so eminent a Crowne as communion with God Creator in a life of glory And this came from no innate proportion between a naturall work and supernaturall reward Otherwise we must say first that there is such an intrinsecall connexion ex naturâ rei between Adams work and so high wages as that glorious communion was as the Lord could not but in justice so have rewarded his obedience except he would be unjust but there is nothing in the creature that can conclude limite or determine his will 〈◊〉 wisdome who is infinite 2. It had been nothing against justice if
should otherwise bear this sense my glory of revenging justice only I will not give to Idol gods and creatures But the place of Isa. ch 42.8 should not conclude but they might ascribe the glory of salvation and mercifull deliverances and victories over Judah the Temple the Sanctuary to their idol gods the contrair whereof is intended by the Prophet But if the Lord by necessity of nature love his declarative glory as he loves himself then he must love glory of one attribute as well as of another and so as his Nature not freedome or soveraignty puts him to it to defend the glory of justice when man sins Yea so as he cannot be God and essentially just except he vindicat his glory of justice Yea so he must love the glory of saving and pardoning mercy as himself for the one glory is no lesse essentiall to God if it be essentiall at all then the other And by this means God by necessity of nature to preserve safe the glory of saving mercie must send his Son and by the like necessity by which he loves himself he must redeem man Now the Lord does not love himself of free grace for he every way for the infinite excellency of his Nature is love-worthy and there is no interveening of freedome or free grace or soveraignty in the Lords loving of himself and his own essentiall glory There is a declarative glory which is not essentiall to God of which the Scripture Prov. 16.4 The Lord made all things for himself that is for his glory to be declared Eph. 1.6 He hath chosen us to the praise of the glory of his grace v. 11. In Christ we have obtained an inheritance 1â— That we should be to the praise of his glory Rom. 11.36 All things are to him to his glory Isa. 43.21 This people have I formed for my self they shall shew forth my praise All these are to be understood not of the essentiall glory of God but of the declarative glory of God that shines ad extra And this glory is not essentiall to God as so declared for he was infinitly glorious from eternity and should eternally be essentially glorious though neither world nor man nor Angel had been created And the meaning of that Isai. 42.8 is mistaken the length of the Heaven toto Coelo It is not this as I love my self so by necessity of nature I will and desire that my glory due to me as God be not given to idol gods and creatures 1. What by necessitie of nature God wills that certainly and by necessitie of nature is and existeth as he loveth himself and his Son by necessitie of nature and begets his Son by necessitie of nature so also by necessitie of nature God is loved and the Son of God is loved and the Son is by necessitie of nature begotten of the Father But it is most untrue that by necessitie of nature the Glory of God is not transferred to Idol gods and creatures The Scriptures cry the contrare When ever Idolatrie is committed Isa. 40. and 41. Isa. 46. Rom. 1. Acts 17. his Glory declarative is given most sinfully to another against his approving will 2. What ever sin God forbids he forbids the existence of it by his approving will not by necessitie of nature for if God essentially and by nature willed that sin and Idolatrie should never be he would efficaciouslie hinder it But what God wills by his commanding will we see he does not efficaciouslie hinder the existence thereof For then sin and Idolatrie should not be at all nor have any existence which is contrare to Scripture and experience And surely if God love his declarative Glory essentially as himself he must essentially no lesse love to keep this glory when Angels and men do obey him and to hinder the taking away of this Glory by sin then to revenge the taking away of this glory by punishment for every sin against a positive Law to eat of the tree of knowledge or for the Jews to eat swines flesh before Christ abolished such Lawes as well as sins against the Law of nature are contrare to the Glory of God and so contrare to that essentiall love that God hath to his Glory and to the Glory of the Lord the Law-giver himself Ergo by necessitie of nature because he cannot but love himself he should preserve his legislative Glory it is as properly and essentiallie the Glory of God which he requires of us in doing his will as the Glory of suffering punishment for sin committed is his Glory therefore by necessitie of nature because God cannot but love himself he should essentially hinder sin And if God absolve the guiltie where is the Glory of his justice True it should be lost so when God suffers the Angels to fall and Adam to sin where is the Glory of his legislative Majesty it is lost so far God is oblidged to defend the Glory of his Justice say and prove that he is oblidged by necessitie of nature to defend the Glory of his Justice more then by the same necessitie he must defend his legislative Glory 3. God must defend all his Glory with the same necessitie except the Scripture make some exception of some Glory which he must preserve as dearer to him then some other Glory which is unwarrantable to say and if God must by necessitie of nature and as God because naturally he loves himself and his own Glory defend his own Glory then by necessitie of nature he must defend the Glory of all his Attributes of Holinesse Graciousnesse Greatnâ—sse Omnipotencie Eternitie Infinite knowledge c. that the Glory of not one of these be taken from him by sin And because the Lord maketh and worketh all that he doth without himself in the creature for his own Glory Prov. 16.4 Rev. 4.11 Rom. 11.36 in all that he doth he must by necessitie of nature love his own Glory quoniam seipsum non potest non amare because he loves himself Ergo by this ground the Lord doth nothing freely without himself and so the Lord makes not the rain to fall the tree to bud the sea to ebbe the wind to blow the fowls to flee the fishes to swim for the declaration of the Glory of his goodnesse or his power or his mercy his holinesse with any freedome but all these he must do for Glory to himself by necessitie of nature which Glory he loves as himself for his Glory in all he doth without he loveth by necessitie of nature as he loves himself saith the Author And therefore as he cannot preserve the Glory of his Justice but by punishing sin and that by necessitie of nature so he cannot preserve the Glory of the rest of all his Attributes which Glory also he loves as himself but by doing all without himself in like maner by necessitie of nature which utterly destroyes the libertie and freedome of God in all his works of Providence and
his Son by necessity of love and mercy and free Grace So that he should not have been infinitly loving mercifull gracious if he had never sent him And it is as poor Logick to say because of grace and free-free-love he sent his Son and so might not have sent him as to say he loved where there was no need it is in vain to shew the glory of Justice saith the Author when God can take away sin out of free-pleasure and why should he expose his Son to shame death and a curse whereas he might have taken away sin freely because it is his pleasure This is the very thing that Socinians say there is no need of blood and satisfaction by blood if God out of his absolute Soveraignty can take sin away without blood and so there was no need of reall satisfaction This is against the Holy Ghost and we may hear it All the Scriptures cryes that out of free grace the Lord sent his Son and delivered him to death By the grace of God He tasted death for every man Heb. 2.9 Shall we infer there was then no necessity that he should die It is safest to say the only wise God decreed that sin should be 2. That the glory of his Justice should appear in taking away sin not in our way but in the way of God to wit in a way of justice of mercy of free grace in incomparable love of mighty power and in all these so acts the Lord as he should not leave off to be the Lord but acts most freely though he had not taken that course But far be it from the godly not to adore him in this as the admirable way beyond the thoughts of men and Angels It were safest to draw holy practises by way of use from this In all pactions between the Lord and man even in a Law-Conant there is some out-breakings of Grace It s true there was no Gospel-Grace that is a fruit of Christs merite in this Covenant But yet if grace be taken for undeserved goodnesse There are these respects of grace 1. That God might have given to Adam something inferiour to the glorious Image of God that consists in true righteousnesse knowledge of God and holinesse Gen 1.26 Eph. 4.24 Col. 3.10 It was a rich enough stock this holy Image to be so badly guided And who looks spiritually to their receipts It s either too much of grace and holinesse that another hath and too little that I have so arises virtuall sighing and grudging at the dispensation Or 2. a swelling that it is so much as if it were not receiving I am holier then thou Isa. 65.5 a miskenning of him that makes me to differ 1 Cor. 4.7 A blecking of others Luk. 18.11 A secret quarrelling at God as too strick and hard in his reckoning Mat. 25.24 And what pride is this because I am a meer patient under gifted holinesse to usurpe it as mine own As if a horse should kick and fling because he wears a borrowed sadle of silk for a day 2. Being and dominion over the creatures is of undeserved goodnesse Who looks to a borrowed body and a borrowed soul yea and to self and to that which is called I as to a thing that is freely gifted So that though thou be in an high opinion of self self is self and what it is from God And when thou rides whence is it that I am the rider and the wearied horse the carrier but from God 3. The Covenant of Works it self that God out of Soveraignty does not command is undeserved condescending that God bargains for hire do this and live whereas he may bide a Soveraign Law-giver and charge and command us is overcoming goodnesse Law is honeyed with love and hire it is mercy that for our penny of obedience so rich a wadge as communion with God is given 4. The influences to acts of obedience come under a twofold consideration 1. As congruous and suitable concurrences of God to Adams acts of obedience And so they were free gifts to Adam not promised as we shall hear in the New Covenant 2. As such influences by which the standing Elect Angels who were under this Covenant as well as Adam were differenced from the Angels that fell and were confirmed that they should not fall in this latter respect Absolute Soveraignty shines in Adams fall so if a Sparrow cannot stir its wing without God Mat. 10.29 nor a hair fall from our head ver 30. far lesse could Adam fall and all his without a singular providence And farre lesse could Adam go on and act without influences from God And if strong Adam and upright created in holinesse could not then stand his alone Shall our clay legs now under the fall bear us up What Godly trembling is required in us 5. The gift of Prophesie Gen. 2.23 seems to be freely given besides the Image of God and Adams knowledge Gen. 2.19 of every living creature according to their nature may be proven but it appears to be naturall and he is a lamentable example to us of abusing the Image of God and good gifts But no habite without the continued actings of God can keep us in a course of obedience There is no ground to make habits of grace our confidence 3. There can be no giving and taking between the creature and the Creator Elihu pleads well for him Job 35.7 If thou be righteous what gives thou to him Or what receiveth he of thy hand v. 1. Thy wickednesse may hurt a man as thou art and thy righteousnesse may profite the Son of man Job 22.2 Can a man be profitable unto God as he that is wise may be profitable to himself Is it pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous Or is it a gain to him that thou makest thy wayes perfect So Eliphaz And David Psal. 16.2 My goodnesse extendeth not to thee Acts 17.25 Neither is the Lord worshipped with mens hands nor with their spirits as if he needed any thing seeing he giveth to all life breath and all things What then is the glory of the creatures obedience to him It is some shining of the excellency of God upon men and Angels from the works of God and our obedience to him But suppose there were no creature to pay the rent of this glory to him is the Lord a loser therefore Hath he need of our songs of glory Or that creatures should be Heraulds of his praise Or needs he the workmanship or structure of Heaven Sun and Moon to be a Printed Book to spell and sound his glory If he need not the Book as he needeth nothing created Who sayeth I am the Lord Al-sufficient he needs not one letter nor any sense of the Contents of the Chapters of that Book There is a secret carnall notion of God in us when we act and suffer for God that brings a false peace and some calmes of mind
God then of the Pagans and the lately cut off fathers Nor can the Adversaries say that Jewish Infants were broken off through unbelief because they are capable neither of belief nor of unbelief to them Then they remain in the Olive tree members of the Church as before and God must be still their God when the fathers are cut off vers 17. And again when the fathers shall be reingraffed and they made Christians the Infants shall be out of Christ and have no more Covenant-right or Church-right to Baptisme then the Infants of Egyptians and Philistines had to Circumcision Obj. Shall not by this means all the Infants of all the Gentiles be ingrafted in and baptized Answ. The Text warrants us to say it only of the Children of the ingrafted and called Gentiles that they have right to baptism Obj. This Text is spoken of these that have hereditary Covenant-right from their naturall Father Abraham We Gentiles have not that naturall relation to Abraham nor are we his naturall sons nor branches Answ. It s false that the Jews by birth as birth had hereditary right to Church-priviledges they had right by such a birth from Abraham taken in out of free-love to Covenant fellowship with God and his children are naturall that is kindlie 2. First branches and sprigs before us Gentiles to beleeving Abraham but we beleeving are made Abrahams by proportion and are secondary and so wild branches 2. Abraham is not the Physicall but a Morall root For the Covenant was made with Abraham not as a beleeving Father but as a beleeving Head of Children of Servants and strangers under him as the Covenant is laid as an Heavenly depositum upon Zacheus in relation not to his children only but to his house Luke 19. For when he is made a sonne of Abraham salvation that is the Covenant of Life comes to him and to his house and so to Cornelius Acts 10. and to the Jayler Acts 16. and to their houses and the same way I distinguish seeds Q. How can the Jews that are come in be federaly holy for their fathers Since now it is about fifteen hundreth years since their fatherâ— were broken off from Church and Covenant May not all the world Jews and Gentiles be federally holy branches by the same reason because the Covenant was made with and Preached unto Adam a beleeving root and father in Paradice So it would appear once in the Covenant of Grace and all the seed to the coming of CHRIST are federally holy as well as they Answ. This is as great a difficultie to the Adversaries and insuperable as to us for the Jews unborn by their way are no more holy in their branches and off-spring then Turks and Indians and their children untill they grow to age and actually beleeve and so are the Infants of Americans and such as worship the Sun or Satan that way holy And so the branches of the Jews have no holiness from the root nor are they beloved for the fathers as vers 28.2 All the Jews leave not off to be members of the Invisible Church For Paul saith Rom. 11.25 blindnesse in part is happened to Israel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to a part of Israel For howbeit the visible masse and body of the Jews rejected Christ and wrath â—e come upon them to the outmost 1 Thes. 2.16 yet that is not said universally of all the Jews 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yea Paul wrote to the Jews the Epistle to the Hebrews James to the twelve Tribes scattered abroad Jam. 1.1 and Peter 1 Pet. 1.1 and John to the Jews I judge not in a visible body and these are not broken off the Olive and do though not in a Visible Church way derive Covenant right to the branches that shall be ingrafted in But many Nations descended of Adam have universally rejected Christ and know not the Name of Christ the blessed seed Q. May we not say that the root is Christ as mysticall Head from whom we partake of the sâ—ppe of grace and life and fatnesse Answ. The intent of Paul is to prove that the Jews cut off because of their unbeleef shall be ingrafted in again in the Lords own time because of the holinesse of the Covenant that was in the root and in the first fruits Abraham Isaac and Jacob It is true their Covenant-holiness is not the adequat cause why they shall be ingrafted in really into Christ for so all the carnall children who had this relative holinesse must be really ingrafted in Christ but it is with the Lords free love both the cause of their personall and of their Church ingrafting and the continued deriving of that relative holinesse being a continued free favour in its kind is the Lords love in the same kind to root and branches otherwise it should not bear truth which is said v. 28. which expores this ver 28. that they are beloved for the fathers not as if they were predestinate to life because Abraham was so chosen but because of the Fathers Covenant-holinesse which was holinesse from Christ not as root and head through influence of saving grace but as a politick head which yet is what we say For because Christ is holy as root head and Redeemer the Jews once his Church Visible and to be so again the branches are not really holy by faith because all of them were not in Christ But if all Jews and Gentiles and also Infants who are Jews and Gentiles and parts of the body be baptized into the visible body so are Infants See more of this in Mr. Cotton Mr. Black Mr. Cobbet Mr. Rich. Baxter who have closed the dispute learnedly CHAP. XV. The differences of externall and internall Covenanting 2. No Universall Grace Rom. 10.18 Psal. 19.3 nor in Scripture 3. Nor power of beleeving to all given by Christ. HEnce the clear differences betwixt the externall visible and Nationall Covenanting of the people of old when they were brought out of the Land of Aegypt And the internall and personall though it may be visible also Covenanting with God 1. This under the New Testament is a new Covenant and all the old shadows are abolished The former is the old 2. This is with the house of Israel and Judah chosen persons and so personall with single men You shall not give a Nation Kingdom or Land with which the Covenant internally is so made as if all and every one without exceptions must know the Lord savingly what may be the converted Jews case whether the whole body of them all and every one shall be visible real and personall Covenanters as the place Rom. 11.26 seems to say I cannot determine and all and every one be saved for then must all the visible house of Israel be saved and not the chosen only 3. The visible externall Covenant was broken Jer. 31.32 The other personall and internall is never broken 4. The promise of a new heart is really fulfilled in all the persons and
the root by a Metaphore is to pollute and defile Psal. 106. the land was defiled with bloods Hence the Hypocrite is all things and all men and nothing and no man but himself Hypocrisie is considered in it self and so it is opposed to sincerity Or in relation to these graces and duties which it fenzies and so it is opposed to all the true vertues which it lyingly and feinzedly represents as painting is opposed to realitie in nature being a counterfeiting of nature and it is opposed to things that are painted so a living man and a growing rose things obvious to the eyes of sense are most easily painted as colours lineaments as a mans body but things that fall under the understanding only as the soul and under the sense of smelling and touching are hardly pictured Ye may paint the man the roses the colour figure and the fires red flaming but he cannot paint the soul the smell of the rose or the heat of the fire It is hard to counterfite spirituall graces as love of Christ sincere believing intending of the Glory of God It s hard to get a coat or put painture on spirituall graces and the more ye counterfite the Spirit the more Divell-like is the forgerie for he changeth himself into an Angel of light There is some use for painted men for they serve for ornament but there is no use for faith but resting upon Christ nor for love but to cleave to God and please him and our neighbour In all duties we counterfite but the outward bulk of graces and actions and would seeme to do what we do not If the colour of graces and godlinesse be desireable it self is more desireable but to imitate only the externalls of the Covenant of Grace to keep a roome in the Church is to put a lie and mock upon the Lord and to reproach him with dimnesse of sight And such as hate Christ and the Godly in their heart and first cloath them with the coat of hypocrites lyers Samaritanes seditious men they much more hate Godlinesse he that would have the picture of the man stobbed or hanged would much more have the living man in person stobbed or hanged Hypocrisie is a resembling of a morall good for vaine glory It s not hypocrisie to suppresse tears in Prayer least the man seeme to seek himself nor for a father to seeme to be angry at his childe or servant when he is not angry nor to put on deafnesse at reproaches Psal. 38.12 They speak mischievous things 13. But I as a deaf man heard not It was prudencie not hypocrisie in Saul to hold his peace and misken when the sons of Beliall despised him it being the beginning of his reigne 1 Sam. 10.27 Nor is it hypocrisie in a Magistrate or Joseph to put on an other person to his brethren though if the ground be unbelief it is not lawfull for David to feinzie himself mad Nor for Ammon to counterfite sicknesse or to put a lie upon providence And yet it is not hypocrisie for Solomon to seeme to divide in two the living childe with a sword or for the men of Israel to flie before the men of Ai. A lawfull end and a right end and motive contributes goodnesse to actions that are not intrinsecally evill There is a naturall hypocrisie in all every man in both sides of the Sun is a lyar he that said he would wish that he might dwell in the land beyond the dawning of the morning where they are all sincere wished to dwell where there are no men for where-ever men are there are hypocrites and hypocrisie There is an acquired hypocrisie in all lesse or more and an habit thereof in not a few According to mens wayes so are men white and painted Hypocrites Herod professeth to worship Christ and mindes to kill him Math. 2. And Absolom covers treason and rebellion against his father and prince with the whitenesse of a vow at Hebron what better is the whoore and what more devoute to say Prov. 7.14 I have peace offerings with me to day have I payed my vowes under the vail of zeal they think it service to God to kill the Apostles Joh. 16. But the worst of Hypocrites is he who makes himself a Hypocrite not before God onely and before men but whitens and paints himself before himself and deceives himself 1 Joh. 1.8 It is strange a man hath such a power over himself as to perswade himself that he hath no sin not only in point of faith as such as deny any originall sinne in themselves or others as many seducers now do Socinians Arminians diverse Anabaptists and such as say the Law may be fulfilled by Grace we are justified by Works It is possible to be free of sin in this life and to be perfite so as they cannot sin But also practically a mans heart may deceive his heart and may perswade himself that he is Godly and Religious Jam. 1.26 and that his wayes are right Prov. 14.12 and may say within his heart and so think not only I am holier then thou and yet not be so much as ceremonially holy but remaine in the graves and eat swines flesh Isa. 65.45 but I say I am rich and which is above admiration I have need of nothing Rev. 3.17 that I have no need of forgivenesse of saving Grace of the Redeemer Christ of Salvation And this is so much the more dangerous that the prejudice and blindnesse of self-love doth more strongly perswade self-godlinesse then any godlinesse of the world and begets a more strongly radicated and fixed habite of believing self-godlinesse then Ministers the godliest of them and Professors and Angels and the Lord immediatly speaking so long as the revelation is literall Numb 22.12 24 28. and Christ Preaching in his Person Math. 8.9 14. Math. 21.43 44 45. Luke 16.13 14. Ioh. 10.24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31. and the Apostles Acts 24.25 26. Acts 26.2 3 4 5 6 c. 24. can be able to root out for they can fence and ward off and can let out blowes at all that ye can say and cary this habite of a false opinion of self-holinesse to Eternitie with them and stand to what conceited lamps they hear on earth did glister withall and plead against the Lord in his face that the sentence of condemnation is unjust Matth. 25.44 and that they deserve for their profession to be admitted in to the Bride-groomes chamber Math. 7.22 Matth. 25.11 Luke 13.25 and all such fairded Professors are externally only in Covenant with God And therefore these are sad marks when first ye hid your lusts and nourish them and feed upon the East wind of some created last end and have not God for your last end Luke 12.19 Psal. 49.11 Psal. 4.6 Ier. 22.17 2. When ye know not that ye are poor miserable blind naked Rev. 3.17 Math. 9.11 12 13. Luke 15.2 Luke 19.7 and ye were never in Christs hospitall and are
1.11 9. A proud heart 1. resisted of God 2. Farrest from the lowly and meek heart of Christ Matth. 11.29 Phil. 2.5 6 7 3. Most near to Satans heart 1 Tim. 3.6 Q. Why are we more ashamed of an unclean lustfull heart then of a proud heart Ans. A proud heart is deeper guiltinesse and nearer to Satans nature And pride and unbeleef are sins more reproachfull to God and incroach more upon his Throne but there is more flesh in us then Spirit and we think that there is more of a beast in uncleannesse Quest. But we are more ashamed of lying falshood and stealing then of pride Ans. There 's more of being ashamed before men it being a carnall sort of passion then of being ashamed before God and falshood and lying to men are fleshly evils against common honesty but pride is a more Angel-sin or a more God-like sin a spirituall sin and pride is a sort of heart-heresie by which we judge but blindly we have reason to ascend and climb aloft to Gods roome Gen. 3.5 6. Isai. 14.13 because of knowledge parts power 10. There is deceitfulnesse and self-deceiving in the heart Isa. 44.20 the Idolater feeds on ashes a deceived heart hath turned him aside that he cannot deliver his soul nor say is there not a lie in my right hand Obadiah 3. The heart is the greatest liar on earth to say and gain-say 11. There is a wicked fearfulnesse in the heart to do evill Jude 12. feeding themselves without fear 3 Sam. 1.14 was thou not affraid saith David to the Amalekite to put out thine hand to destroy the Lords Anointed It s a godly fear to tremble alwayes at feasting speaking hearing sleeping company Prov. 28.14 1 Pet. 1.17 Phil. 2.13 Job 1.5 And in all there ly snares within and without the house 12. There is a wicked flintinesse of heart we shall have peace though we both hear cursing and walk loosly Deut. 29.19 we are fallen but Ephraims stout heart 2. will rise whether God will or not Isa. 9.9 And 3. the King of Assyria's stout heart will be as strong as God Isa. 10.12 13. And 4. its wicked stoutnesse to say godly mourning before the Lord is in vain Mal. 3.13 14. 5. It s wicked stoutnesse to rest upon your own righteousnesse and refuse to treat with God Isa. 46.12 13. 6. And vain stoutnesse to darre God in his own quarters and fight him Exod. 14.8.23 Exod. 23.8 13. Isai. 36.10 11 36 37. if it were in his own seas as Pharaoh and the Aegyptians would do 13. There is a wicked hardening of the heart when men make the Lord his word and mighty works the contrair party Exod. 5.1 2 3. Exod. 7.10 13 16 20 23. Exod· 8.5 6 7 15 17 18 19. Isai. 6.9 10. Zech. 7.8 9 11 12. Ezek. 2.3 4. Ezek. 3.7 8. Mat. 13.13 14 15. Act. 13.44 45 46. and oppose God in his word and works 14. There is a sinfull dulnesse upon the heart by which men are as weaned childen line upon line line upon line can do them no good Isai. 29.9 10 11. Here it is to be observed that we cannot Preach Omnipotency nor perswade a world to be created nor a new heart to be infused nor can we Preach to a Wolf to become a meek Lamb nor threaten the Sun to rise at midnight we but speak words about the new birth the husband-man but breaks the earth with his plough but God makes the corn to grow and he only not that the word is not the instrument of conversion of souls Rom. 1.16 Rom. 10.14 but how to the act of infusion of a new heart the word concurres as a morall and suasory instrument is above my capacity 15. There is a froward heart Pro. 17.20 that perverteth and is crafty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pervert 16. A wicked heart Pro. 26.23 set on evil Eccl. 8.11.17 foolishnesse is bound to the heart Pro. 22.15 a dissembling heart when seven abominations are in it Pro. 26 25. 1. We take no◠heed to the imaginations and are not grieved for the constitution of the heart for actuall sins make originall sin to swell as two floods running into one maketh a hudge River 2. We take not heed to the young births of the heart with the concurrence of the mind fancie and imagination there are multitudes of forgeries clay-pots and imaginations framed as a potter deviseth vessels of earth of many quantities figures shapes great small narrow wide round cornered for the word is a potters word Gen. 6.5 1 Chr. 28.9 with all keeping keep thy heart Prov. 4.23 the word is to keep as the keepers of the walls Cant. 3.5 as sheepheards for it s in danger to be stollen away Hos. 4.11 2 Sam. 17.6 Hos. 7.11 Ephraim is like a silly dove without heart but we take no heed to the entry to see what goes in what comes out 1. What if there be no God Psal. 14.1 2. What if God see not Ezek. 9.9 3. What if man perish as the beasts Eccl. 3.19 It may be there is no heaven nor hell 4. What if there be no Christ nor Gospel but only questions of words Such clay-pots were framed by Gallio and Festus Act. 18.14 15. Act. 25.11 19. Hence come imaginations of things impossible Isa. 14.13 I 'le ascend to heaven saith Babylon I will set my nest among the stars Oba 4. Tyrus saith I am god I sit in the seat of God And new-wild-fire flights which are indeed old heresies are of this kind such are dreamers who see seven lean kine eat seven fat kine in re it s a lie 5. A new heart is the Office-house of Christ and a heart delighting in Gods wayes is a new heart where the Law is imprinted and ingraven in the heart Isa. 51.7 Hearken ye people in whose heart is my Law Psal. 40.8 I delight to do thy will O God thy Law is within my heart It s true there is a new delight in the heart but not a delight of the new heart Isa. 58.2 Joh. 5.35 for a delight in the Gospel as a good thing not as a good Gospel a delighting in Christ as a Prophet that feeds them not in Christ as a Redeemer Joh. 6.26 that saves them is not a new heart 2. The new heart is a heart universall wholly for God as God there is an inteernesse in it when the whole spirit and soul and body is kept blamelesse 1 Thess. 5.23 1 Pet. 1.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in holy conversations and godlinesses 2 Pet. 3.11 Half a globe though exquisitely plained or half a cart wheell is not a globe nor a cart wheell Externall things may be devided one may be an hearing Professor and a drunken Professor and a praising a singing Professor in publick and not a praying nor a believing Professor in private spirituall duties cannot be devided half a faith half a love is no faith no love saving grace is
by the works of offering Isaac receiving the spies fighting the Lords battels suffering persecution of Saul For Iames if he say any thing for this cause that good works are the formall cause of our righteousnesse our merits and in the very place of the satisfaction of the blood shed by Christ we shall so be formall causes not of the declaratory act of justifying for that may be thought to be the Lord our Justifiers act yet of our own Justification and so should we fight and run for the Crowne of inherent righteousnesse of works as well as for the Crown of Life And what Scripture is there for that 3. A man shall be as just and sinlesse as he may say I have no sin I am just And in order to the Covenant of Grace which forbids no sin as some for this way do teach but finall unbeleef he no more needs forgivenesse of sins and the blood of sprinkling nor pardoning grace then the Elect Angels or Adam in the state of innocency and to that Prov. 20.9 as to that Eccles. 7.20 1 Ioh. 1. Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin The man Evangelically justified can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sinne 4. Noâ— needs such a man pray forgive me my sins as I forgive c. for he is justified from all Law-sins who is inherently holy and Evangelically just And so the Gospel is a new Law which does not forbid all sins that the Law forbids and the man is not under sinne though he sinne against the love of Christ. According to that if ye love me keep my Commandements Joh. 14.15 so he once ere he die beleeve For the Law say the Authors forbids not unbeleef nor any Evangelick unthankfulness against the Law of a ransome-payer which yet I judge the Law of Nature and Nations condemnes The Covenant of Grace forbids no sin but finall unbeleef and the beleever can not be guilty of that except he fall away 5. And it may justly be asked whether the beleever Evangelically justified who needs no grace of pardon of Redemption from sin in order to the Covenant of Grace needs the grace of renovation to keep him to beleeve for he needs no pardon for the weaknesse of his finall beleeving for the smallest weak faith is a fulfilling of the Covenant of Grace To these adde if James mean by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faith alone v. 24. by which he sayes we are not justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no other then the dead faith ver 20. and the faith which cannot save the faith of fair words to the hungry and naked when the vain man gives him nothing necessary for his body 16. the faith without works 17. the faith that cannot be shown to men 18. such a faith as devils 19. and vain hypocrites boast of 20. then sure the conclusion is for us and agreeable to the scope of Iames v. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye see then a man is justified before men and to himself and so really declared before God justified and saved by works as the fruits of saving faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not by faith only which is dead and without works For 1. he cannot exclude saving and lively faith For that beleeving God is counted to Abraham for righteousnesse saith Iames ver 23. for then the conclusion should contradict the premisses and he should say Abraham was justified by sound and lively beleeving Ergo we are not justified by only sound and lively beleeving 2. The Adversaries Socinians and Arminians who by this Text say we are justified by works know no Gospel-faith by which we are justified but faith including essentially new obedience the crucifying of the old man the walking in the Spirit and repentance as else where I cite Therefore when Iames saith we are not justified by faith only he must mean a naked dead assent as in the former verses We are not justified and that is it which we say Iames denies not but sayes that Abraham beleeved Gen. 15. 6. It is only beleeving but lively and not dead not a naked assent which was counted to him for righteousnesse and Gen. 15. Rom. 4. he was thereby justified and therefore Paul and Iames are well reconciled And the faith here excluded must be a dead faith not a lively faith and a true faith as the body without the soul is a true body and hath the nature of a true body though it be no living body So say they the faith that Iames excludes is a true faith when as it is evident it is no more true faith then the faith of Devils and Hypocrites 3. It is false by the Papists way and Arminians also that we are not justified by faith only which is a true and generall assent to the Word of God for they teach that in the first Justification we are justified by faith only without works as Paul proves but in the second Justification when a man of just is made more just say they he is justified by works as saith Iames c. 2. Now by this they are forced to say Iames speaks not of the first Justification but of the second but beside that the Scripture knows not two Justifications Iames must deny that the unconverted hypocrites and Rahab the harlot were justified by only faith as Paul saith and it were most incongruous to teach unconverted ones who never knew the first Justification how they were not justified in the second Justification And if James be speaking of the nature and causes of the same Justification before God only with Paul and not of the effects thereof it were false that James saith with reverence to the holy Lord that we are not justified by faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without works for Paul sayes it and proves it strongly from the Scripture and never insinuates that we are justified in a second Justification by works And sure he should not have denyed all the Jews all the Gentiles all the world Rom. 3 9 19 29 30. David a man according to Gods heart and much in communion with God when he penned the 32. Psalm and Abraham a beleever and effectually called Gen. 12. and justified when he Gen. 15.6 beleeved the promise of the seed Rom. 4. to be justified by works in their second or their Evangelick Justification Yea when James saith we are not justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only he must mean fidem solitariam a faith solitary which hath no works conveying it as man sees not with eyes that are solitary and plucked out of the heart and separated from hearing smelling and the senses though faith if true and properly so called as they say this is must justifie as the eye sees only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the eâ—re onely not the eye hears now this faith hath a causative influence in Justification as well as works if it be proper and true faith as they say
it is as the body without the spirit hath the nature of a body and so James had no more ground for him to say ye see then that we are not justified by faith only then to say ye see then that we are not justified by works only For works separated from faith are no lesse dead works cannot justifie 1 Cor. 13.1 2 3 4 5. Then faith separated from works really pulled from them as in an hypocrite is a true faith Obj. When James saith that a man is justified by works not by faith only he maketh faith and works concomitant in that procurement of Justification and in that kind of causality for he saith not as he is commonly interpreted not by faith which is alone but by faith only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ans. He is not more commonly nor soundly and truely interpreted he is not justified by faith which is alone fide solitariâ by dead faith For solâ fide justificamur Faith hath the only vertue of justifying as an instrument and so is the Adverbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Solùm taken Matth. 5.47 If ye salute your brethren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only what do ye more then Publicans Where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notes duties only naturall excluding these which only converts in a spirituall way can do Matth. 8 8. Only say the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it clearly saith that a mandat of Omnipotency only in CHRIST could heal the sick servant but yet that Omnipotency is not really separated from justice wisedom mercy Matth. 9.21 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If I only touch him I shall be whole But the act of touching was conjoined with the act of hearing Who hath touched me Yet the act of hearing had no causative influence in the drawing vertue out of Christ but only the act of touching did extract the vertue as Christ saith Luk. 8.50 Mar. 5.36 Fear not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only beleeve saith Christ to the Ruler can it be said but this excludes works as touching the apprehending of the power and mercy of Christ in raising the dead Damosel And yet that beleeving was not solitary but conjoined with love reverence submission 35. So Luk. 8.50 Mat. 21.19 And Act. 3.16 The faith that is by Christ hath given this creeple perfect soundnesse Heb. 11.30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell It were strange to say by Peter's and John's good works and holinesse the creeple man was made whole and by good works the walls of Jericho fell and yet there were good works love mercifulnesse courage in the Priests who compassed the walls of Iericho and in Peter and Iohn Adde to these that by good works we must more and more justifie and pardon our own sins and must more and more buy a right to the Tree of Life as they teach citing Rev. 22.14 and more merit ex pacto Euangelico life eternall and so our works and merites must be joint causes with the blood of Christ and the Martyrs blood and Christs blood must have paralel and collateral influence with Christs blood to buy right to the Tree of Life Yea and Paul already justified even in the progresse of that which is called his Evangelick Justification Phil. 3. would be in another condition 9. That I may be found in him not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith And why should Arminians and Socinians deny it to be Pauls own For 1. it is inherent righteousnesse 2. It is not infused as Papists say but acquired as they teach 3. It came say they from Pauls own free-will indifferent to will or nill But how is the Scripture fulfilled in Abrahams beleeving Iam. 2.23 Ans. The Apostle spake often of faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and beleeving v. 14. twice v. 17. once v. 18. thrice v. 19. twice v. 20. once v. 22. twise that is nine times thereof Emphatically v. 23. by way of excellency the Scripture was then fulfilled Abraham 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beleeved and it was counted to him for righteousnesse as it s written Gen. â—5 6 before God and man and to his own conscience when he offered his son Isaac upon the altar That was reall visible and conspicuous believing and righteousnesse to deny himself so far for God For James is much for Religion made known to a mans self and to men and hath far other Adversaries in the other extremity then Paul had even the old Gnosticks who in opposition to the Jews and Pharisees laid aside the Law doing of the Law Jam. 1.22 23. all works c. 2.14 all conscience of bridling the tongue c. 13.1 2. of peaceable and mortified living c. 4. c. 5. and thought it godlinesse to hear the word in the Assemblies ch 2.1 2 3. without love to the Brethren and to keep in their head a room empty faith and professed fair and gave good words but no garments to the naked v. 14 15. And James had good cause to treat of a visible and declared faith but yet not meerly declared but which was reall and can save 14. and of justification such as that of Abraham and Rachab as was senâ—sible and reall and not in a bare profession For Iames speaks of a profiting and saving faith Iam. 2.14 What doth it profite c. Can faith save him Another devise is here alledged of a formed faith animated with charity and that justifies say Papists and an unformed faith void of charity and that say they doth not justifie And the same way but in other expressions Arminians and Socinians teach that to believe and do good works and to repent and walk in all the Commandements of Iesus Christ is to believe or compleat formed and Evangelick faith But we distinguish them as the Scripture It s true Rom. 4.9 faith is said to be imputed to Abraham for righteousnesse and so v. 3. v. 5. but it is not meant of the act or work of believing that was counted for Abrahams formall righteousnesse there should so no room be left to the satisfaction of Christ reckoned to be ours if all the righteousnesse of God Rom. 10.3 1 Corin. 5.21 Phili. 3.9 should be turned over in an act of believing mixt with much doubting and in our sinfull obedience And the Socinians have more reason for them to say there is no necessity of any reall satisfaction of blood payed for us then the Arminians and Papists For if our righteousnesse and inherent obedience may be of grace esteemed formall righteousnesse before God by a free Evangelick paction and an act of Gods free-will the Lord might have esteemed the eating of an aple or any act of obedience our formall righteousnesse and so Christ dyed in vain to become our righteousnesse where an act of a sinfull man or a deed of the Law even the Law of faith is sufficient What needs the shedding of the blood of God
Frustrà fit per plura quod aequè benè potest fieri per pauciora There 's no need of reall satisfaction 2. Faith imputed doth well bear the sense of the object that faith layes hold on as our righteousnesse Rom. 3.21 Now the righteousnsse of God without the Law is manifested What righteousnesse of God ver 22. Even the righteousness of God through faith of Jesus Christ unto all Now if the righteousnesse of God is manifested without one Law to wit of works why not without another Law of faith and of inherent Gospel-righteousnesse And what need that Christ should die if the act of beleeving should be that precious righteousnesse of God and that according to the Law of faith This by the way As hope is put for the object hoped for As Rom. 8.24 Hope that is seen is not hope that is the thing possessed the salvation which we have in present possession is not hoped for Col. 1.5 For the hops sake laid up in heaven that is the thing hoped for For the grace of hope is not laid up in heaven ver 27. Christ in you the hope of glory So faith here put for the thing beleeved so saith the Martyr my love is crucified that is Christ my loved or beleeved one is crucified So by faith in his name is this man made whole It were strange to say by faith and repentance and mortification is this man made whole And it must be said if so be that faith includes repentance Now Peter denies Acts 3.12 this why marvail ye as if we by our power and holinesse had made this man to walk It s not our holinesse but Jesus Christ hath done it even God the God of Abraham c. ver 13. hath done it And yet ver 16. faith in his Name hath made him strong That is faith or beleeving in his Name that is in his Power Authority God-head hath made him strong Ergo faith is put for the thing or righteousnesse beleeved So Heb. 11. By faith the walls of Jericho fell that is by love the soul and form of faith say Papists and by repentance and new obedience which is all one with faith say Socinians the walls of Jericho fell So by faith they subdued Kingdomes stopped the mouths of Lions What influence reall or physicall had faith in slaying men in refraining the hungry Lions to eat Daniel None at all But thus the mighty God beleeved in by these men subdued Kingdomes stopped the mouths of Lions if it be replyed there is not alike reason of justifying faith which is dead as touching the influence and causality to justifie as there is of the faith of miracles in these points it is replyed there is every way the same reason For as Abrahams dead faith if it had been dead could no more have justified and saved him then the hypocrites dead faith can save and justifie him as James saith 2.14 15 16 c. So could not these worthies recorded Heb. 11. have casten down the walls of Jericho subdued Kingdomes stopped the mouths of Lions by faith if that faith had been as dead in its nature as the faith of the vain Gnostick and Hypocrite who saith to the brother oâ— sister naked depart in peace be thou warmed and filled and yet gives him not these things that are needfull to the body Jam. 2.15 16. And this we must say except we admit that the fancied faith of the Hypocrite can remove mountains nor is it place to dispute whether Reprobates as Judas have saving faith in working miracles it is sure their faith of miracles cannot be a Hypocriticall faith such as is Iames 2.14 15 16. 3. The Scripture differenceth between faith and love and faith and repentance As 1. we are not once said to be justified by faith but are never said to be justified by love repentance almes deeds It s easie with an active ingine to labour to prove how faith includes love And so doth hope and love include many other works and gifts of the Spirit but the Holy Ghost distinguisheth them As 2. by faith as from a saving principle Abraham sojourned in the Land by faith Noah builded an Ark Iacob blessed the sons of Ioseph Moses would not be called the Son of Pharaohs daughter yet to build an Ark is not to beleeve in God we pray in faith hear in faith yet these are not the same 3. Mar. 1.15 Repent and beleeve Act. 20.21 Testifying repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Iesus Heb. 6.1 Not laying the foundation of repentance from dead works and faith toward God 1 Tim. 1.5 Love and a good conscience and faith unfained Phil. 5. Love and faith 1 Thes. 1.3 We thank God remembring your work of faith and labour of love Heb. 6.10 Labour of love 11. The full assurance of hope 12. Faith and patience We beleeve in Christ but do we repent in Christ 4. Faith is a leaning on God Isa. 10.20 Isa. 26.3 Isa. 50.10 love is not so Faith is a coming to God by way of affiance Ioh. 5.40 Matth. 11.28 Ioh. 6.37 a receiving of Christ Ioh. 1.11 an eating of his flesh and drinking of his blood Ioh. 6.54 55 56. not any of these can be said of love of repentance of new obedience 4. If to beleeve in Christ as Lord and Law-giver be formally for effectively and practically we may with that Learned and Pious D. Prestoun say it is a consenting to Christs Dominion and Government over us to obey him though to consent at the Corronation and to swear an oath of loyaltie to a King be widely different from obeying his Laws as unbeleef is a rebellion against his Government Luk. 19.17 then well may Adam in the Covenant of Works be said to be justified and saved by faith for if to beleeve in God Redeemer be to give our selves to obey him as Lord Redeemer and if this surrendering be the obedience of works by which we are justified and saved and perfectly righteous before God upon the same reason to beleeve in God Law-giver and Creator in the Covenant of Works and for Adam to surrender himself Covenant wayes by a legall faith shall be the Law obedience of works by which Adam is justified and saved and so he is saved by Law-faith as we are by Gospel-faith And this is to be remembred that for one to give himself to Christ as his Lord to be governed and commanded and to be willing to obey him is neither formally faith though it may be conjoined with beleeving nor obedience but an intention or purpose to obey And 1. shall we then be justified by works that is by a purpose and intention to work 2. There are in us May resolutions and purposes like May blossomes that wither before Harvest as some are willing but not obedient Isa. 1.19 One saith he will go work in his fathers Vineyard it may be he purposes to work but yet he works not Mat. 21.30 nor is a practicâ—ll
by accident in regard of the right to life and because God hath commanded persevering in faith life is given only in possession to such a faith as endures but we cannot say that the accidentall endurance and existence of faith for so many years doth save and justifie as the living so many years makes a Child an heir to a great estate for his being born the eldest son makes him his fathers heir CHAP. XXIV What faith is required in the Gospel THere is a legall faith a duty commanded the object of which is twofold 1. Truths relating to the mind revealed and to be revealed So Adam had a habit or habituall power to beleeve the Law and the Gospel upon supposition it should be revealed As a whole man beleeves skill in his Physitian to prevent diseases ere they come and to remove them when come It s folly to say Adam stood in need before he fell of a supernaturall power to beleeve Evangelick truths if he beleeved God to be true he had such a power as to beleeve all was true that God should reveal 2. Adam had a faith of dependencie to rely upon God in all possible evils feared 2. The promise of life is not made to law-Law-faith more then to law-Law-love or Law-fear or Law-desire more then to any other but the promise is made to Evangelick-faith that layes hold on CHRIST as our righteousnesse But for obeying the Commands Adam was to live Gal. 3.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in them by doing them Ezek. 20.11 As Lavater there is no absurditie if it be said men shall live that is merit by free paction life eternall but then saith Calvine if a man keep the Law he needs not the Grace of Christ. Obj. If faith be imputed as it layes hold on Christs Righteousnesse it must be the meritorious cause of Justification and by its inherent dignitie for there is nothing more essentiall to faith then to lay hold on Christs Righteousnesse Ans. If faith were imputed as righteousnesse according to the act of laying hold on Christ it were true but the act of faith is not imputed but that which faith layes hold on it being an instrument to wit the Righteousnesse of Christ it is not an act of beleeving saith a Jesuit And though they say the works Evangelick are from the habit of grace so was Adam a patient when God concreated his Image and habituall righteousnesse in him But Arminians and Jesuits do not say nor darre not that predeterminating Grace is from Christs merites therefore yet the sinner may more boast then Adam and say I have justified my self by the acts of free-will which is indifferent and from under all the bowing and determining or swaying of the Grace of Christ for the free-will should have so whether Christ had died or not died CHAP. XXV Q. WHether is Christs Righteousnesse imputed and made ours because we believe and apprehend it ours or do we believe because it is ours first before we believe Ans. There is a twofold imputation one legall another which for Doctrines cause we call application or reall though the legall imputation be also reall but not to us as the former the Lords act of laying the iniquity of us all upon Christ Isa. 53.6 and the Lords making him sin for us that is a sacrifice for sin 2 Cor. 5.21 evinces necessarily the truth of this the former imputation For 2 Cor. 5.21 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not imputing their trespasses unto them If it be expounded of actuall reconciliation of persons it may say something for the other imputation but the other imputation is clear Rom. 4.3 Abraham beleeved God and it was counted to him for righteousnesse v. 7. Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered v. 8. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sin v. 9. Faith that is that which faith beleeved as hope is put for the thing hoped for Col. 1.5 Rom. 8.24 was imputed to Abraham for righteousnesse though Gomarus give another exposition to wit that by faith or the act of beleeving we obtain this to be reputed righteous and it suits better with the Text. And as to the former imputation God could not in justice wound Christ for our transgressions nor bruise him for our iniquities nor could the Lord break him nor deliver him to the death for us all except God had both made him the sinner that is imputed and reckoned him the sinner in Law for intrinsecally and inherently he was not the sinner but holy harmlesse c. and laid our debts upon him Isa. 53.6 and except he had been willing to have been counted the sinner and had said thou hast given me a body here am I to do thy will Psal. 40.7 Heb. 10.6 7. this reckoning of Christ to be the sinner is not only in the eternall decree but also a laying of our iniquities upon him in time Isa. 53.6 or a dealing with him in Law in punishing him as the sinner And 2. by using the humane nature as an instrument of our Redemption on the Crosse. Antinomians take this imputing of our sins to Christ and reckoning Christ to be the sinner to be the justifying of the sinner which is a grosse mistake for so without beleeving all that Christ died for should be justified upon the Crosse. But the Scripture is so far from ascribing Justification to any but to a beleever that it saith Abrahams faith was imputed to him for righteousnesse Now the faith of multitudes for whom Christ died when he suffered on the Crosse is a very nothing Many are not born and a nothing or a non ens cannot be counted for righteousnesse It is to be observed that payment made by the surety absolveth the debter so as the Law except it be the generall Law of gratitude requireth no act of love of faith of service from the debter nor doth the Law of suretyship in its essence and nature require that the Creditor sub eo titulo should pay the homage of faith indeed when the Creditor is both the Creditor and the offended Party and also the supream Law-giver GOD he may require of the captives the obedience of faith So would justice which saith we should hurt none give to every man his own presse that the debter repay to the surety so far as he is able to make up his losses but to pay the obedience of faith as a part of the ransome due to offended Justice is no Gospel-Law nor any part thereof nor can it bea◠truth except we deny the reall satisfaction made by Christ which both Papists do weaken when they mix the merit of faith therewith and Socinians deny 4. The satisfaction performed upon the Crosse for sinners though it be for a certain particular number determined of God quoad numerum numerantem quoad numerum numeratum both as touching the number so many not all
and every one and such persons by head name birth c. Yet it is not the justifying of me or John or Paul for I nor no man can know that Christs satisfaction stands for you or me by name and person while first I or you beleeve because it is the hid Decree of God 3. Nor is this legall imputation beleevable nor is it revealed as â—t is terminated to single persons to me or to you untill by faith we apprehend it 5· But the imputation of application is that in which our justification standeth And the faith by which as by an instrument we are justified presupposeth three unions and maketh a fourth union It presupposeth an union 1. Naturall 2. Legall 3. Federall 1. Naturall that Christ and we are not only both mankind for CHRIST and Pharaoh Judas the traitour and all the sons of perdition are one specie naturâ true men but one in brotherhood He assuming the nature of man with a speciall eye to Abraham Heb. 2.16 that is to the elect and beleevers for with them he is bone of their bone and is not ashamed to call them brethren Heb. 2.11 12. Ps. 22.22 2. It presuppones a Legall union between Christ and them that God made the debter and the Surety one in Law and the summe one in so far as he laid our debts on Christ Isa. 53.6 â— Cor. 5.21 3. It presuppones an union Federall God making Christ our Surety and he was willing to be our Surery and to assume not only our nature in a personall union but also our state condition and made our cause his cause our sins his sins not to defend them nor to say Amen to them as if we might commit them again but to suffer the punishment due to them And our faith makes a fourth union betwixt Christ and us whether naturall as between head and members the branches and the Vine Tree or mysticall as that of the spouse and beloved wife or artificiall or mixed between the impe and the tree Or 4. Legall between the Surety and the Debter the Advocate and the Client or rather an union above all is hard to determine for these are but all comparisons and this Christ prayes for Joh. 17.23 I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one 6. Now to the Question as the Law condemns not a man but him who is first a sinner and an heir of wrath by nature in the first Adam for the Law is essentially just So God justifies not a man but the man who by order of nature is first by faith in CHRIST Rom. 5.18 Therefore 〈◊〉 by the offence of one judgement came upon all men unto condemnaâ—â—â—n even so by the righteousnesse of one the free gift came upon aâ—l men in Christ as the other were in the first Adam unto the justification of life and so we must say that all ere they be justified and before God impute faith to them that is Christs believed righteousnesse to be theirs must have faith and so believe and so be one with Christ. And this imputed righteousnesse is ours because we believe and not untill we first believe and the other imputation goes before faith So the faith of Gods speciall mercy is two wayes so called 1. As it leaneth upon and apprehendeth God in Christ for the obtaining of mercy and remission of sins and imputed righteousnesse So faith goes before justification and we believe that our sins may be pardoned and that our sins may not be imputed and that we may be justified and freed from condemnation so by the act of believing righteousnesse is imputed to us And thus justification and remission i. e. relaxing of our persons from a state of eternall condemnation as is meant Rom. 8.1 are not the object of faith but the effect and fruit of faith 2. The faith of speciall mercy to me is considered as it apprehendeth and believeth or rather feelingly knoweth speciall mercy imputation of Christs righteousnesse now given to me and as Christ hath payed a ransome for me and satisfied justice for me and so imputed righteousnesse and justification are the object of faith Or rather the object of the sense of faith which is most carefully to be observed To answer Bellarmines unsolide Argument we either believe remission of sins past or to come c. But remission is liberation from punishment eternall or temporall but justificatâ—on is freedome from the fundamentall guilt-deserving punishment and remission is a consequent thereof Q. Whether or not is Justification taken one and the same way in the Old and New Testament Ans. The Apostle is clear Rom. 4. where he proves both Jews and Gentiles are justified as Abraham and David But 2. Justification by Grace hath not in iisdem apicibus in the same points the same adversaries 1. Moses and the Prophets contend most with Ceremoniall hypocrits who sought righteousnesse much in Ceremonies Washings Sacrifices New Moons and also their own inherent godlinesse Deut. 5. Deut. 7. Deut. 10. Deut. 11. Isai. 1.10 11 12 c. Mic. 6.6 7 8. Psal. 50.7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18. Ps. 4.2 3 4 5. 1 Sam. 15.22 23. Isa. 66.1 2 3 4 5. Jer. 7.1 2 3 21 22 23. 2. Paul had other Adversaries Rom. ch 3. ch 4. ch 5. ch 9. ch 10. especially Antinomians who drew the Doctrine of free Justification by Grace to licencious loosnesse then we may sinne if so and so we be justified said they then is the Law of none effect Rom. 6.1 But his chief Adversaries on the other extream were men that stood much for Justification by the works of the Morall Law And Paul Rom. 3. proves that all Jews Gentiles David Abraham could be justified neither by works of Nature nor of Grace and casts down the Jews righteousnesse by Law-doing Rom. 9. Rom. 10. 3. There were a third Classe of Adversaries to free Justification Galatians seduced and false Apostles who contended for Justificatication by Circumcision and the necessity of keeping the Ceremonial Law if they would be saved Act. 15.1 2 3 4 c. Gal. 2. Gal. 3. Gal. 4. Gal. 5. ch 6. Who mixed the Gospel and Moses his Law and Paul proves Gal. 3. that we are not justified by the works of the Morall Law for that Law Deut. 26.27 involves all that omit the least duty of the Law Gal. 3.10 11 12 13. under a curse and Christ was made a curse for us And Paul proves in the generall we are justified by neither the works of the Morall nor of the Ceremoniall Law 4. James had to do with another gang of loose livers the Gnosticks who contended for justification by a bare nominall faith without love or good works And James proves that we are justified before men and to our selves by faith working by love and not by a dead faith 5. John contends much for reall and speaking marks of justification and conversion against dead Professours void of
this because God sent his Son to die for all and every one of these Antipods and made the Gospel-Covenant with all and every one of them before the Authors shall be ebbe of Scripture here And if these Antipods should all and every one refuse the Gospel and kill the Preacher and never one either receive the Gospel or propagate to any that may receive it Then such an Apostolick mission is not in Scripture and the lawfulnesse of that mans call to me is to be questioned and I should judge his own Spirit not God sent him Nor is this true that the Gospel is and was Preachable and of it self may be preached to any age Job lived before the giving of the Law and Melchisedeck and they had the call of God to Preach to them to whom they Preached 2. It shall be denied that Jonah had sinned if he had not preached to Nineveh except God had expresly commanded him to preach to Nineveh otherwise it had been the sin of Godly Prophets who lived with him in the time of Joash King of Judah 2 King 14.25 and they had been guilty as Jonah in not Preaching to Nineveh Yea all the Ministers and Apostles and Prophets had sinned in not Prophecying to the Phylistins Syrians Persians Bythinia Samaria whereas the Apostles Matth. 10.5 Act. 16.6 were forbidden to Preach the Gospel to the Gentiles to Asia and it were strange to say Ezekiel sinned in not preaching to a people of an unknown Language whereas the Lord expresly says he sent him not unto them Ezek. 3.5 6. and that Rom. 10.15 How shall they Preach except they be sent is meant of the Apostles and of all lawfull Pastors And there may be running and no sending of God to Nations Jer. 23.21 and Psal. 147.19 20. when he denies he declared his judgements and his statutes to any Nation by sent Prophets as he did to Jacob if the Gospel then was of it self Preachable to all Nations Prophets unsent might have Preached these same judgements to other Nations that were Preached to Jacob though not sent of God But that place Psal. 147. and diverse others would say he choised only Israel as his Covenanted people As Deut. 7.7 8 9. Deut. 10.12 13 14 15. Exod. 20.1 2. Psal. 78.5 6. Amos 3.1 2. Deut. 27.1 2. to them only he revealed the Covenant of Grace then was it not a Covenant of its own nature that might at any age be Preached to all Nations But what is then revealed in these decrees if the Reprobate beleeve they shall be saved Ans. Not Gods intention conditionall or absolute to save them or to give them faith or grace merited by Christs death to beleeve for then some good-will and love of election the Lord should bear toward the election of such and should desire all the Reprobate to be saved so they would believe and yet by this way no more is there grace purchased to them by Christ to beleeve then there is grace purchased to them to performe obedience to the Law Now the Authors will not say that by Christs dying for all there is a conditionall will in Christ or in the Father to give life to all who perfectly keep the Law for this conditionall will or means and end was in God before and suppone Christ had never died for sinners 2. This would say that the Reprobate were to beleeve that Christ died to save them having purchased life to them and to believe that he died not to save them all for whom he died because they are not to believe he died to purchase faith by his death or grace to beleeve without which salvation is impossible it cannot be said that God absolutely intended to save them whether they beleeve or not even while as there is such a decree in God because he hath decreed both the end and the means to wit having ordained for them salvation and having ordained for them faith nor is there any such decree in God toward any but the Elect only therefore this conditionall decree if all and every one beleeve all and every one shall be saved can infer no love of God through Christ to the persons of all and every one to have them saved more then this can infer a love of saving all and every one to be in God or to have been in the Lord before the fall of Angels and men if all and every one of Angels and men shall perfectly without sin to the end keep the Law then all Angels all men Elect and Reprobate shall be saved eternally Now no man found in judgement can say this conditionall can infer that God had a good will to save some Angels not to save others More then this if all and every man beleeve in Christ they shall be saved can infer that God hath a good-will to save Reprobate men and not fallen Angels In a word no simple conditionall propositions can infer the desire or good will of God to the persons of men or to have the things done except God effectually work the condition As this if all fulfill the Law perfectly men and Angels and all men shall be saved by the Law cannot infer that God hath a good will to the persons of all Angels and all men to justifie and save them all without exception by the works of the Law the contrair whereof he decreed For this connex proposition may stand true with the salvation of all Angels of all men of no Angels or no men according as the Lord shall be pleased of his good pleasure and free grace to work or not to work the condition of moving the will of Angels and men to keep the Law And therefore these connexions nihil ponunt absoluti they place nothing absolutely to persons but only to things to wit 1. that it is the duetie and obligation of all Angels and men to perform absolute obedience to the Law as they would be justified and saved by the Law and its the duty of all men in the Visible Church to beleeve in Christ. if they would be justified and saved in Christ. 2. That there is a wise connexion between means and end obedience legall and life faith and life according to the approving will of God and yet neither means nor end may ever come to passe or fall out and neither means nor end may ever be decreed of God to fall out Yea God may decree absolutely that none of the extreams shall exist as God decrees if Zedekiah shall yeeld to the King of Babylon Jerusalem shall not be burnt and yet according to his decree or will of purpose the Lord hath decreed that the yeelding of Zedekiah and the safety of the idolatrous Citie should not come to passe but the contrair So God decrees if Judas repent and beleeve he shall be saved according to the will of precept and yet according to the Lords will of purpose neither did the Lord decree or intend the repenting and saving beleeving of
transgressions Isa. 53. For the transgressions of us all Elect and Reprobate as they say exponing that all Isa. 53.6 of all and every one of mankind were upon him 2. We deny not but there be considerable differences between Christs dying and the punishment of the Elect which they were to suffer As 1. Ours should have been eternall because we could never out satisfie But the sufferings of Christ because of the dignity of his person God-Man were perfectly satisfactory in a short time 2. He could not suffer the same pain in number that we should have suffered for one and the same accident cannot be in different subjects nor is the surety to pay the very same summe numero that the debter borrowed 3. The Lord could not but have punished the Elect with hating aversion of mind they being intrinsecally and inherently sinners He punished Christ who was not inherently but only by imputation the sinner with no hatred at all but with anger and desire of shewing and exercising revenging justice but still loving him dearly as his only Son But upon this account Christ must stand in our room and because of the five-fold onenesse and Law-identity and samenesse For 1. Though physically the surety and the debter be two different men yet in Law they are one and the same person and one and the same legall party and the same object of justice Whoso pursues in Law the surety does also pursue the debter 2. The debt and summe is one not two debts nor two ransoms nor two punishments nor two lives to losse but one 3. It is one and the same solution and satisfaction there can not in Law-justice come another reckoning dying and payment making after the surety hath payed 4. There is one and the same acceptation upon the creditor his part if he accept of satisfaction in the payment made by the surety he cannot but legally accept of the debter and cannot pursue him in Law but must look upon him as no debter To justifie him is another thing It being a forinsecall transient declaration of his righteousnesse who beleeves I speak here of an acception of satisfaction to hurt justice revenging sin not of an acceptation of obedience 5. It s one and the same legall effect Christ justified in the Spirit and risen again 1 Tim 3.16 and we in him as in the merâ—torious cause are legally justified Hence he who suffered the same satisfactory punishment for the same sinnes committed by us which in Law we ought to have suffered eternally 2. He suffered and died for us in our stead and place especially when the Creditor counts these sufferings as if we had suffered So Paul 2 Cor. 5.14 If one be dead for all then were all dead And the Messiah was cut off and died not for himself Dan. 9.26 He did no violence neither was guile found in his mouth Isa. 53.9 Joh. 8.46 Heb. 7.26 But he was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed Isa. 53.5 1 Pet. 2.23 24 25. He was delivered for our offences The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all He was cut out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people was he plagued Isa. 53.8 He bare on his body our sins on the tree 3. He who being made under the Law payed that Law-debt of satisfaction which the Elect in their persons should have payed and thereby freed them from the Law-debt of satisfaction He sustained the person of the Elect in his suffering But Christ being made under the Law payed that Law-debt of satisfaction which the Elect in their persons should have payed The proposition is out of doubt none denies the Minor but that we should have died eternally in our persons if Christ had not died for us 4. He who of purpose took on him our nature the nature and seed of Abraham and the legall condition of a surety to suffer for us he stood in our person and room in suffering for us But Christ took on him our nature which is common to beleeving Jews and to such also who are casten off of God Rom. 9.3 4. but not as common to them but as the seed of Abraham Heb. 2.16 And 5. Gal. 3.10 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse for it is written cursed is every one who continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the Law being made a curse for us not to reconcile all and every one to himself or to obtain a potentiall and far off power of salvation But ver 14. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Iesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the spirit through faith Not that we might beleeve or not beleeve if we would that is not the blessing of Abraham Act. 11.18 Act. 15.8 9. Act. 5.31 Ph. 1.29 and for his great love he died for us the just for the unjust to bring us to God 6. And it is thus confirmed Christ in dying is not looked on as a man Nor 2. simply as a single man dying Nor 3. as a publick Martyr or witnesse that all or none at all if they so will may get good of him but by speciall paction if he shall lay down his life and work his work and suffer for our sins that which we should have suffered he shall receive his wages and see his seed 7. As also none who dies as a surety or pays as a surety but he bears the person of such as he pays for who ever gives a ransome for another by way of payment and whosoever as a Priest offers a sacrifice for another he represents the person offended for whom he offers so does the Advocate act the person of the Client the intercessour his person for whom he interceeds 8. The phrase to die for another as a ransoner signifies to die in the stead and person of another Demosthenes orat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in liew of Ktesiphon For Archias for Marcellus he pleads it is in Law as if Archias as if Marcellus or as if the parties for which Cicero and Demostenes do plead were in persons pleading themselves It s true Isocrates hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for in bonum for the favour and good of any And for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notes also to do or die for the good and profit of others Col. 1.24 I rejoice in my sufferings for you that I may fill up the remnant of the sufferings of Christ for his body But if it cannot be denied but for Christ to die for his body is somewhat more then for Paul or any Martyr to die for the body then sure Christs dying for his Church as the more doth include the lesse notes Christs dying for the good of his Church
our selves but bear the infirmities of others 3. For even Christ pleased not himself Self loved and adored and mortification do not consist too much life in apprehension and admiring self argues deadnesse of deadnesse and of mortification Was not Christ a noble self Yet for the Lord and his ransoned ones Christ got above noble excellent self It is true there is a renewed spirituall self a new I in the Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 7.17 Now it is no more I that do it but sin that dwels in me Gal. 2.20 It is not I that lives but Christ lives in me Mortification sets us above new 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 renewed self and regenerated and crucified I it being a created excellency that we are not to adore 2. Mortification requires a deadnes to the will as in Christ not my will but thy will be done Much life in the will to created things speaks little or no mortification Christ excelled in this Joh. 5.30 I seek not mine own will but the will of him that sent me O what court and power and life hath our will And how soon the will is broken and dead then is the man broken dead and crucified with Christ. Much will much life of sin See Joh. 5.40 Ye will not come Luk. 19.14 We will not have this man to raign over us See Mark 6.25 Mat. 1.19 Mark 15.15 Act. 24.27 Act. 25.9 Luk. 10.29 Rev. 22.17 All will argues no mortification 3. There is required deadnesse to our life which was eminently in Christ Mat. 20.28 1 Tim. 2.6 Joh. 10.11 So Paul Act. 20.24 Ye speak of bonds and affliction But none of thase things move me neither count I my life dear to my self so that I may finish my course with joy To be mortified to life is to hate the life Luk. 14.26 for Christ. And Revel 12. they overcame mortification was their victory v. 11. They overcame for they loved not their lives unto death Love of life is the life of sin when it s not loved in God 4. We must be dead to wisedome and to all the gifts of the mind for the wisedome of the world is foolrie and God hath befooled it when it comes in competition with the wisedom of the Gospel 1 Cor. 1.18 19. except we be dead to it we cannot glory in the Lord. 27 28 29. Compared with v. 31. 2. There must be a deadnesse to learning to books and book-vanity Eccles. 12.12 There is no end of making many books and much study is a wearinesse of the flesh Eccles. 1.17 And I gave my heart to know wisedome and to know madnesse and folly I perceived that this also is a vexation of spirit 18. For in much wisedom is much grief and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow Paul spake more with Tongues then they all 1 Cor. 14.18 but he was dead to that gift he had rather have brought them nearer to Christ. 1 Cor. 4.10 We are fools and hardly we can away with that but we are fools for Christs sake and for the interest of Christ and the Gospel let us so be counted It s nearnesse to Christ that maks us for him to be willing that what is most eminent in us be trampled upon even shining wisedome sciences acts eloquence knowledge which puffeth up Yea there is 3. required a deadnesse of the knowledge of Gospel-mysteries 1 Cor. 13.2 Paul was not rude in knowledge but he was dead to that and would not glory in that And 4. they are not crucified with Christ not dead to opinions and sides and to lead factions I am of Paul I am of Apollo was no honour to Paul in his own esteem 1 Cor. 1. What was Paul crucified for you or were ye baptized in the name of Paul Who excells in learning who admires not his own the birth of his own mind If it were but to hold there be ten new worlds in the Moon and millions of worlds in the other side of this world My brethren be not many masters Ah! we are not dead to the Chair the Pulpit every one loves to be counted and called Rabbi The blessed Man Christ confesses that he knows neither the day nor the hour of the Son of Mans coming yet there are who darre define the time of his coming and the day The mind is a proud and haughty thing and we are not dead to it the mind is not mortified to the mind 1 Cor. 8.1 2. 5. We are not dead to Mammon O who is like Christ and refuses to be a rich King Joh. 6 Paul 2 Cor. 8 9. For ye knâ—w the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sake he became poor He had a greater mind then that he could live to riches Paul Acts 20.33 saith not I have sought neither silver nor gold as the Godly judge Whose ox have I taken 1 Sam. 12.3 but I have coveted no mans silver or gold or apparrel The life of lust to riches is in the trusting in it Job 31.24 If I have made gold my hope or have said to the fine gold thou art my confidence Or 25. have rejoiced because my wealth was great It s true a beggar and an extream poor man that cannot have bread is not troubled nor much tempted to seek a Kingdom and the millions and tunnes of gold that many rich ones have but yet there are speculative desires and rolling waves and floods of wishes in the heart for these and because hunger and want of bread is his door enemy lying between him and the hope of great riches the man is neither mortified to the love of bread nor to the millions of gold that the heart is sick after And as there be diverse kinds and speces of pests and they are not all of one kind yet all contrair to the blood and the heat of life So are there sundry kinds of unmortified lusts about riches according to the sicknesse of the desire Obj. But is not the desire of food and raiment naturall how then is it faulty Ans. The desire simply is naturall and the Ants and the Conies do desire But the desire 1. beyond measure 2. With a sinfull doubting that they shall not have it which reproacheth Omnipotency 3. A desire wider then that of Ants and Conies of that which is more nor sufficient which would destroy and not feed but over-feed is the faulty desire as sicknesse desires drink more then sufficient not for health but to feed the disease it is the desire of the disease rather then of the man diseased and the forbidden desire is the sin Obj. 2. May not a child of God desire more then enough how then is he mortified Ans. If the desire of more then enough come from the habit of covetousnesse the man is not mortified to Mammon all sinfull habits in the child of God are broken and lessened and chased in to inclinations or to the habit
a redeemed and saved people was much in the heart of Christ and much in his desire and intention Joh. 10.10 I am come that they may have life and have it more aboundantly And if to finish the work especially of saving lost man was his meat and drink Joh. 4.34 and he prayed for the ransoned ones Joh. 17. to sanctifie them 17. That they might he where he is 24. There must be always in the heart of Christ a design of love in that he made redeemed ones his end his work his souls satisfaction Isa. 53.11 And O how worthlesse were we that the desire of God should be toward us How far below the price that love put on us Was man a Crown and wager for God for God for such a God to run for to work for and to win Was there not a more fixed seat in Angels then in clay for so high a love as the Love of God Is there room in so low a peece of created Nothing for so high and deep so broad and long a design so high an aime as nothing could be the last and the least result of transcendent love but great Immanuell God with us Reason might say a lesse price may buy poor man a lower design may compasse sinners But love said no lesse could do it and this love is not capable of a mistake in buying infinite love cannot erre in designes of free-love 11. Argument is from the Oath of God Christ is made a High Priest another way then other Priests Heb. 7.21 For those Priests were made without an oath but this with an oath by him that said to him the Lord hath sworn and will not repent thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedec Psal. 110.4 No man enters to an office by an oath to be faithfull or to be for ever in such an administration but he enters also to the office by Covenant And this oath is sworn by the Lord JEHOVAH to Christ The Lord hath sworn thou art a Priest It s a more excellent Priesthood which is confirmed by an oath then that of Aaron which is confirmed by no oath Psal. 89.35 Once have I sworn by my Holinesse that I will not lie unto David the Messiah my Anointed the son of David 36. His seed shall endure for ever Act. 2.30 Therefore being a Prophet and knowing that God with an oath had sworn to him that of the fruit of his loins according to the flesh he would raise up Christ to sit upon his Throne 31. He seeing this before spake of the Resurrection Psal. 1â—2 11 The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David he will not turn from it of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy Throne 12. If thy children shall keep my Covenant and my Testimony that I shall teach them their children also shal sit upon thy Throne for evermore They shall sit so and so by Covenant blessed in Christ. And so the stability and certainty of the decree and oath is not to make the children of David secure but watchfull in their duty But this is not a condition without the which the Messiah should not reign but without this he should not reign to their comfort and everlasting good But otherwise the truth of the Lords Covenant-faithfulnesse depends not upon mens unbeleef Rom. 3.3 and for the certainty of this promise and oath which made good Christ his reign which shall not cease see 2 Sam. 7.12 1 King 8.25 2 Chron. 6.16 Luk. 1.69 Gen. 21.17 18 Hence there is no Covenant made with Christ that the Covenant of Works made with Adam should stand for ever 2. No oath in that Covenant 3. No promise or oath to give perseverance and the Spirit and influences of grace for that effect And the oath of God that Christ shall be King of my will to reign over the heart to give repentance as a Prince Acts 5.31 and that God hath sworn him to be an eternall Priest who offered himself a sacrifice to deliver me from the present evill world Gal. 1.4 to ransome me from my vain conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 to bring me to God 1 Pet. 1.18 that I should being dead to sin live to righteousnesse 1 Pet. 2.24 Eph. 5.25 26 27. Heb. 13.11 12. Rev. 1.5 6. is somewhat more comfortable then the doctrine of Papists Arminians who say that any tempted Saint may be a justified Saint to day and an Apostate a limme of Satan and a child of perdition to morrow as Judas was as if Christ were not a sworn Advocate in the nick and hour of temptation to help in the act of winnowing and had not made promises of actuall grace to actuall temptations when they come Luk. 22.31 1 Joh. 2.1 Math. 10.19 And if Christ be sworn a King Advocate an high Priest to overcome the rockinesse and flinty and stony rebellion of will providing that will shall first yeeld and not play the King against Christ for any thing I see the Covenant of grace is looser the corruption of the Covenanter being ten times stronger to evill then the will of Adam was then the Covenant of Works and the Gospel an infinitely more plain path to a more fiery hell then the Law And it speaks much of free grace that the everlasting salvation of the Elect is in such a castle as the oath of the Omnipotent and infinitely faithfull Lord. Lastly the Argument is the more considerable that every Priesthood even that of Levi is imposed by Covenant Mal. 2.5 My Covenant was with him of life and peace CHAP. VII The Covenant of Redemption is explained in three eternall acts 1. Designation decree or ordination and delectation in the work 2. Mercy and peace truth and righteousnes are agreed in this Covenant 3. The designed sending of the Spirit cannot be a Covenant as this was 4. The twelfth Argument 5. The thoughts of eternall love THe Covenant of Redemption is two wayes considered 1. As transacted in time between Jehovah and Christ in his actuall discharge of his office of King Priest and Prophet 2. As it is an eternall transaction and compact between Jehovah and the second Person the Son of God who gave personall consent that he should be the Undertaker and no other And these three acts are considerable in the Persons in this latter consideration 1. Designation of one 2. Decree and destination 3. Delectation in the work As to the first There must have been a Person either the Father or the Son or the Spirit 1. By God from eternity set apart separated and designed And 2. This person must have given an actuall consent from eternity to the designation Now the person designed was the Son only this lot eternally to speak so fell upon only him who was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lamb fore-ordained before the foundation of the world 1 Pet. 1.20 And because Christ-God equall with the Father does not begin to consent and agree to the designation
suspendio vita se exuit Nequaquam aegre fero inquit Socrates nam in Theatro veluti in magno convivio verbis vexor 9. Deadnesse to an office or a place of authority 10. Deadnesse to pleasure 11. Deadnesse to all the world 12. Mortification to creature-comforts to multitude friends hosts armies chariots horse father son daughter husband to city to our mother-countrey c. 13. A deadnes to Captains stoutnesse and valour in warre to birth 14. A deadnes to youth pastime play laughter to hunger fulness 15. A deadnes to Ordinances There be twoâ—things in Ordinâ—nces 16. Deadnesse to prayer 17. To faith and hope we pray to our owne prayers 18. Deadnesse to coÌ„forts and feeling How farre we may be taken with feeling 19. Deadnesse to the habit stock of created grace 20. Deadnesse to the sweetnes of heaven 21. To the promises M. Isaac Ambrose prima media ultima life of faâ—th c. 9. Sect. 2. pa. 2â—1 22. Deadnesse to the out-shinings of God to take aright absence presence 23. Deadnes to fair providences of court Godly Princes miracles 24. To saplesse wil-worship Q. 1. How is CHRIST given as a Covenant of the people Is 49 6 Socinus de Servato l. 2. c. 16. Christ is not the coÌ„firmer only but the Author of the Covenant of grace The death of the Testator how it confirms the Covenant It is true that the death of the Testator to wit such a death of one who is more then a Testator or only man even God man procuâ—es as a meritorious cause life remission c but this it does not as the death of a Testator and dying friend but as such a so excellent so satisfactory a death which no Martyrs death can do There is a far other thing in Christs blood then power of sealing and witnessing the truth which is in the Martyrs blood The Socinian way quiets not the waâ—ened conscience by maÌ„â— works but by the blood of Christ apprehended by faith this is done Christ is upon both the Lords side of the Covenant upon our side the satisfactioÌ„ iâ— most 〈◊〉 Justice as justice seeks satisfactioÌ„ but Soveraignty of free-grace not justice determines how and who shall pay Justice is not the mediating and interposing attribute but free-grace Our glory was work and wadge to Christ but of free grace to us we bought it not Deep reasons in the depth of unsearchable wisedom why the Lord who can hinder sin to enter in the world thought fit it should be None sick speaks no Saviour no such PhysitiaÌ„ as Christ It is a deep of wisedom that the same men that now are fire-wood eternally in the lake of brimstone might have been if so it had pleased GOD proclaimers of the glory of his grace in heaven the now heirs of glory in their place God might have holâ—en up the lawâ—dispensation for ever but then there should have been no place for the Ark of glory J. Ch. The Gospel-woÌ„ders of grace should not eternallie have been biâ— Whether of the two be most excellent Law-innocency or Gospel-repentance Christ Man must be in Covenant with God Arg. 1. For the Covenant of redemption becaus Christ câ—lls the LORD his God 2. Arg. From the Lords calling of his Son to his Office 3. Arg. Christ his offering of his service to GOD proves this Covenant 4 Arg. The Fathers giving of the elect to Christ to be redeemed and the Son his willing receiving of theÌ„ proves this Covenant The persons being given of the Father to the Son speaks strong consolation it s no consolation at all to depend upon free-will 5. Arg. Christs receiving of the Seals of the Old New Covenant proves that there is such a Covenant Why Christ received the Seals 6. Arg. God might have followed a Law-way with al flesh not have sent his Son the Son might have refused to be sent 〈◊〉 Ergo by compact Christ came 7. Arg. All the promises how they are made to Christ. Christ is he who made the promises and the Covenant CHRIST is an ingadged Suretie for the standing of a weak believer 8. Arg. From the promises concerning Christ. 9 Arg. Christ is bidden aske a people froÌ„ God the Lord promiseth that he will hear 10. Arg. The relatioÌ„ of Christs working for wages and the Lords paying him his wages does prove this Covenant A design of love in the heart of Christ toward low man as his alme end 11. Arg. The Lords Oath â—o Christ when he is made Priest and King provs this Covenant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 CHRIST is a sworn Priest and Intercessour for the hour of temptation The most sweet providence of God in designing a Physician to us before we be sick Armin. de Sacerdatio Chri. pag. 14 15. The harmony of the Attributes of God in the declaration of mercy truth justice c. is sweetly made out by this Covenant The sending of the Spirit and the Spirit his free consent to come is not a proper Covenant Gods love in acting for man in time Paul Bayne Comm. on Eph. 1. v. 4. The Lord choosed us not in Christ because he saw us in him by faith The mutuall delights of love between the Father and the Son in their thoughts of the Covenant-love to man Ambros. hexa l. 6. c. 16. Deus fecit Coelum non lego quod requierit fecit terram nec lego quod sic requieverit fecit solem lunam stellas nec ibi lego quod requieverit lego quod fecit hominem quod tunc requieverit Bernard Serm. 64. in Cant. Quid violentius triumphat de Deo Bernard hom â— Super missus est videas si attendas in Christo tristari laetitiam pavere fiduciam salutem paâ—i vitam mori fortitudinem infirmari The strength of Gods love to man which we too little value No lesse everlasting love could save us There are different parties in Covenant of Redemption and Reconciliation Help layed upon Christ The Covenant of Redemption most to be eyed Two parts of the Covenant of Redemption one before time another in time How seasonable and timous the Covenant of Reconciliation was the Physick the Physicâ—an came both in time to the sicknesse 4. Differ The Covenants do differ in the matter work and wages 5. The Covenant of suretyship differeth from the Covenant of Reconcâ—liation in coÌ„mands 2. Promises 3. And conditions CHRISTS emptying himself was no act of obedience but a most voluntary free act beyond all obligation CHRISTS Covenant helps our Covenant he hath a place in our Covenant How the promise is made unto Christ Gal. 3. v. 16. Da. Pareus Comm. in Gala. 3.16 Hoc semen in quo benedicentur omnes Gentes Apostoâ—lus interpretatus erat non collective de multis vel omnibus Abrahamâ— posteris sed individue de uno Christo â— quo non â—am corporalis quam spiritualis benedicto hoc est justitia
Eze. 11 c. Crispe Christ exalted Ser. 6 pag. 159. The mistake of Antinomians as touching these places Jer. 31. Eze. 11. cap. 36.26 Isa. 59 c. For they own no Covenant of grace but that 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 doth all we are meer patients The Antinomians confound the efficient cause of obedience with the objective cause and rule of obedience in either Law or Gospel free men from all duties when the actuall influences of the Spirit cease The beleever is confirmed so as he cannot but beleeve and beleeve to the end being under the speciall promises made to the chosen although he have not the confirming grace of the elect Angels The doubtings unbeleef of the justified renders not the Covenant of Grace null so as it should not be a possible way of life to them as the least sin against the Covenant of Works renders the Covenant null so that it can never be a possible way of salvation again to those that once sin The Lord speaks not Jer. 31. Heb. 8. of the whole Covenant of Grace as preached to all in the Visible Church as many suppose The scope of the Epistle to the Hebrews is not to treat of the Covenant Preached in his nature parties promises precepts conditions but to treat of the excellency of Christ above Angels Moses Priests Sacrifices and in acting of the Covenant upon the heart of the elect especially Christ excells all Justification promised to Christ and that twofold Christ judicially loosed from death came out and we in him A promise of heavenly influences is made to Christ. Christ was assured of influences Adam was not to beleeve he should have influences nor yet to beleeve his own reprobation The great promise I will be his God made to Christ. Christ and beleevers are in one writ VVeare to make firmer our marriage-love with Christ. Our mistake touching comforts and duties A seed is promised to Christ seed was much in the heart of Christ. Christsâ—nd â—nd is satisfied by the Lord therefore are we not to fear Because victory is promised to Christ in temptations we may flee to the Covenant as Christ and the Saints have done A promise of glory is made to Christ. Rods in mercy are Covenanted to us An headship is promised to Christ. The creatures in the Covenant of works are now broken out when that Covenant is broken but now in Christ they are taken in again restored as under-Covenanters Christ being Man required that he should be under a Covenant No such condition is required of Christ as of Adam or of us nor was he under any threatning but had coÌ„firming grace from the womb The paying of the price of blood and dying for man was the formal condition of the Covenant of suretyship Law-holinesse in Christ did not exclude grace The holy actings of Christs affections Christs wisedome Christ his undaÌ„toned boldnes of faith His hope His holy sagacitie His righteousnesse His meeknesse His tendernesse to the weak His compassion to sinners His humility His painfull way of gaining of souls His faithfull free teaching His mortification A patern of love Of obedience to God and to all to whom obedience is due Christ hath all these qualifications as the grace of head-ship to be communicated to us not as the grace of his person to be personall and private induements for himself only We too much affect bastard graces and 〈◊〉 little the grace that is Chriâ—â— which hath a 〈◊〉 desirablenesse to cause us follow theâ—â— graces because they lodge in God Immanuel The graces in Christ are more forceable paterns to us to follow in some sense then the Scripture it self 1. The freedom of the Covenant of suretyship The grace in the Covenant of suretyship The more grace that is shown to us the more should we serve not with a servile but with a godly fear The godly fear and the other fear differenced In Respons ad Quaestio The Son 's being subject to the Father how it is to be expounded 1 Cor. 15 Augustine Ambrose their mind touching Christ his being subject to the Father Christ his not exercising of some second acts of a Mediatory Head and King after the last JudgemeÌ„t proves not but he is a Mediatory King even then That Christs Kingdome is eternall only because it is not destroyed as worldly Kingdomâ— are by external violence â—s said by some Illius imperii princeps desiit regnare Christ is ever even after the universall Judgment a Mediatory Head King and Lord. There is a twofold Mediation Christ acts not as a sacrificing Priest for us in heaven How Christ appears for us now in heaven as just as wel as merciful Christ stands in our nature our Mediatory Head and King after the last Judgement Christ stands eternally wel pleased and in love with his redeemed ones God stands eternally well pleased with what Christ hath done and suffered the once given Throne stands never empty Christs Mediatory triumph is eternall The Throne of the Lamb is eternal
Creation and so God shall be a naturall agent in all his works without himself not a free agent in Creating and Redeeming 4. The Scripture sayes he works all things according to the counsell of his will for his Glory and therefore he intends not his own declarative Glory as he loves himself For by necessitie of nature he loves himself and cannot but love himself But he might if so it had pleased him never have intended to shew forth his own Glory and does not show it forth by necessitie of nature as he loves himself Yea he might never have created the world never have acted without himself For he was sufficient within himself and stood in need of no declarative Glory Gen. 17.1 Acts 17.25 5. Yea if by necessitie of Justice God cannot but punish sin especially this justice shall cary him to follow the Law of Works without any Gospel moderation which is that the same person that sins and the same soul Ezek. 18. and no other should die for sin for all these Thou shalt destroy all the workers of iniquitie Thou art of purer eyes then that thou can behold iniquitie and the like are expressions of a pure legall proceeding in the Lord against such as are out of Christ under the Law not under the Gospel to wit the workers of iniquity whom the Lord in justice shall punish in their person not in their surety And if there be such a connexion objective ex naturâ rei between sin and punishment it must be between punishment and the very person and none other but the same that sinned For among men this is justice Noxa sequitur caput so that by necessitie of nature God shall not be God nor essentially just if he punish not eternally Adam and all mankinde in their own persons and so by necessitie of justice he cannot punish Christ And it cannot be denyed but there is a dispensation of free Grace and that it is no act of Justice but of Grace that God make Christ sin i. e. a sacrifice for sin for us 2 Cor. 5.21 And that the Lord laid upon him the iniquities of us all Isa. 53.6 and made him our surety Nor let any man object how could God make Christ a propitiation for sin to declare his righteousnesse Or how could such justice by that action be debarred since justice did not exact such an action If without violation of justice it might have been omitted if God should have been infinitely just from Eternitie if he had done no such thing Shall a Prince get himself glory in the name of justice by doing that which by his absolute Soveraignety he may leave undone without hurt of justice It is Answered this is to measure God by mortall men Shall an earthly father freely for no reall good to himself beget hundreds of children when he needs not and yet he foresees the largest number of them shall perish eternally and the eldest must die and be made a curse to save the rest The Lord punished Christ for us to declare the glory of his Justice in punishing sin in his own Son who was the sinner by imputation for out of the depth of infinite wisedome the Lord freely imposes a law upon his creatures He might have imposed no such law under such a punishment By no necessity of nature did the Lord threaten death for the eating the fruit of that tree prove that God should not have been God except he had threatned death for the eating of that fruit and except he had punished that eating with death either to be inflicted upon the eater or his surety Quid haeres Prove that by the Word of God it is sin to eat when God forbids but the Lords soul hates sin True but does the Lords soul hate sin naturally as he loves himself and by necessity of his essentiall justice as contradistinguished from his immutabilitie and his truth and faithfulnesse according to which attributes he decreed and said that the soul that sins shall die and he that eats shall die and he cannot change nor alter what he hath decreed and cannot but be true in his threatnings But the Question is whether laying aside the respect of Gods unchangeablenesse and truth there be such a connexion internall between eating and dying or between eating forbidden of God and punishment as God cannot be equally and essentially just nor can he be God except he punish forbidden eating for sure eating of that fruit is not of its nature sin but it is sin from the only forbidding will of God for the Lord had been no lesse essentially just had he commanded Adam to eat of the Tree of Knowledge Ergo it is punished from the forbidding will of God for say that to be punishable or to be punished be essentiall to sin if eating of such fruit be sin from the forbidding will of God the essence thereof must be from the same forbidding will then must it follow that God hates not all sin by necessity of nature And that he hates such eating only conditionally if he forbid it but 〈◊〉 from his meer free will did forbid it So the Question shall not be whether God in justice punished Christ and made him a propitiation to declare his justice but what the relative justice ad extra is by which God punisheth sin and whether God should leave off to be God hallowed be his high Name if he should not make first penall Laws to threaten all sin with punishment 2. Whether he should not be God if he should not punish all sin even the eating of the forbidden tree 3. What can be said that is more weak and watrie to enervat the glory of free Grace then to confound the Glory of Gods Justice in giving Christ to die for sinners and this glory as manifested and declared For sure the manifestation of that glory is a work of free Grace and most free if God do any thing freely he must freely and by no necessity of Justice Mercy Omnipotency Patience Grace c. manifest the glory of all these to men and Angels and these attributes and the internall splendor beauty or to speak so the fundamentall glory of all the attributes of God is essentiall to God and his very Nature And they deny the Lord who teach that any attributes or such glory are in God freely or contingently if I durst so speak for then might we say these may go and come ebbe and flow in the Lord and he should be God though Mercy Omnipotency Gloriousnesse Graciousnesse were now and then wanting in him as he punishes not alway◠and yet he is eternally just he saves not alwayes and yet he is eternally mighty to save and abundant in compassions but as to the manifestation of Power Mercy Justice that is freely in God He sent his Son and gave his Son to death for us out of love Iohn 3.16 But it is against common sense to infer Ergo God sent
love to the Brethren Q. 3. What is the dominion of the Law over a sinner A. It is the legall power to condemn all such as are under the Law as a Covenant of Works as marriage is dissolved if either of the parties be dead So Rom. 7.4 Ye are dead to the Law through the body of Christ and it is not every commanding power that Paul Rom. 7. denies to the Law but a Lordly dominion such as Lords of life and death have and exercises 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and we are dead to the Law through the body of Christ which mortification or dying is not understood subjective as if it were in us but legally and objectively in Christ because Christ in his body on the tree did bear our sins 1 Pet. 2.24 and was made a curse for us in our place Gal. 3.13 For Christ saith Ambrose clearing the place giving his body as a Saviour overcame death and condemned sin Hence these two words Rom. 7.4 Wherefore ye also my brethren are become dead to the Law Gal. 2.19 For I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live unto God As the death to the Law is legall I am no more under Law-condemnation then a dead man so the living to God is a Law living to God on a Law-absolution as the absolved malefactor cleared of a capitall crime which might have cost him his head liveth and so is set free so there is another most emphatick word which insinuats that Christ is dead to the Law as Paul was for after Paul saith Gal. 2.19 I through the Law am dead to the Law he adds v. 20. I am crucified with Christ legally that is as Christ was crucified for sin by the sentence of the Law so I am crucified with him Rom. 6.8 Now if we be dead with Christ we beleeve that we shall also live with him which is not only to be expounded of mortification and inherent newnesse of life but also of legall dying with Christ For Christ died no death but legall death there is no inherent mortification or slaying of a body of sin in him as in us though from his death there also flow a◠merited and inherent personall mortification in us for it is added v. 9. knowing that Christ being raised from death dieth no more death hath no more dominion over him then Christ by Law cannot die twice so Christ being once crucified the Law and death which had once dominion over him hath now no more dominion over him Then first as Christ died a Law-death and was under death because under the Law so are we legally in him freed from the Laws dominion and death following thereupon 2. As Christ defies the Laws dominion and death so do we 3. As Christ cannot twise satisfie the Law by dying for then the first had not been sufficient so neither can we ever be under Law-death and Law-condemnation for we was once in Christ legally condemned and crucified in our Surety and so cannot suffer in our persons legall condemnation and legall death 4. As Christ is dead to the dominion of the Law and death having once died and come out from under both so are we dead and come legally out in him which answereth the severall tentations we can be under in Christ. Obj. But then may we not sin because wee are freed from the dominion of the Law and death as Rom. 6. he had said ye are not under the Law but under Grace v. 15. What then Shall we sin because we are not under the Law but under Grace God forbid ver 16 17. He answers from an absurd then we that are ransomed by Christ should not be our ransome-payers servants but the servants of sin Now except the meaning had been we are not under the Law that is the Laws dominion and the Laws condemning power there had been no place for such an Objection nay nor any shadow but the true Objection is we are not under the Law to be thereby condemned and eternally punished therefore what is the hazard of sin We may sinne at will there is no fear of hell Paul answers not from that evill of servile fear that followeth sin but from the woefull ingratitude to our ransome-payer O then we should not be under Christ and the directing light and rule of our Lord Ransomer if we sin at will but still servants and slaves to sin and so not redeemed by which we gather that there is two things in the Law 1. The condemning power of it 2. The directive commanding power As to the former Christ by being condemned and suffering a cursed death for us took that wholly away We are not then under the Law as condemning yea neither as saving and justifying for then should we be married to the Law and under conjugall power as wife and husband living together which Paul refutes Rom. 2.1 2 3 8. 2. There is a directive commanding power that CHRIST taks in hand and commands us to obey our Lord Ransomer and we should sin against his love if we should live loosly because we are freed from condemnation Hence also there is a twofold dominion of sin one legal to condemn us eternally another as it were physicall to keep us under the superlative power of lusts if Christ had not died we had been under both Q. 4. What is meant by the oldnesse of the letter in which we are not to serve Rom. 7. A. He means the idle fruitlesse and bare knowledge of the Law in externall Discipline that reigns in an unrenewed man by which he remaining in nature under the Law foments an opinion pharisaicall for he points at the false and literall glosses of the Law given by Pharisees and refuted by Christ Mat. 5. Of merit externall worship ceremonies without any inward heart-renovation to which is opposed the newnesse of the spirit or true new Evangelick obedience and holinesse wrought by the Spirit Object Is not the letter of the Law a bondage since we are freed in heaven from the letter and from awing threatening Ans. To serve God is liberty not bondage Psal. 119.45 Rev. 22.3 compared with ver 5. serving of God and raigning suit well together See Luk. 1.74 75. Joh. 8.34 35 36. Rom 6.16 17. but there is a threefold bondage of the letter 1. Accidentall in regard of our corruption the service is wearisome to unrenued nature This we are saved from in CHRIST not fully in this life but it comes not from the Law which is spirituall 2. A bondage to the dominion of the condemning Law 3. There is a bulke of Ordinances hearing reading praying meditating repenting receiving of the seals we are freed from the one in this and shal be freed from the other in the life to come Q. What is the dignity of the Gospel above the Law A. By the hearing of faith that is of the Gospel we receive the Spirit Gal. 3. though the Law in the letter