Remedial Covenant made in Christ as the Head of the New Creation that we are renued to the Image of God again And yet had there never been such a Transaction it had been still our Duty to have had it and our sin to have been without it Having now made appear that God in the taking the measure of us and our actions hath a regard not only to the matter of them but the Rectitude of the Principles whence they proceed and having lay'd open the pollution of our Faculties and their unanswerableness to the holy Nature of God and the Holiness implanted upon the Law it is easie to infer an ataxy disorder taint and moral defect in those very duties which as to the substance and matter of them we are in the Discharge of This lies so plain and doth so naturally ensue upon the premises that he must be of very mean intellectuals that doth not perceive and discover it Yet that I may not be altogether wanting to the service of a Truth of such import I shall briefly intimate what necessarily ensues hereupon both with reference to the Credenda and Agenda of Religion so far as we are conversant in the Duties of either of them First with respect to the Credenda of it Though in the alone strength and through the improvement of our Natural Powers we may Grammatically understand and Dogmatically believe the Truths delivered in them Yet 1. We understand them not in that spiritual manner as we ought for as much as nothing can act beyond its own sphear Nor is there a due proportion between spiritual Objects and Natural Light This made the Apostle say That the Natural man cannot know the things of the Spirit of God because they are Spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 Hence notwithstanding the acknowledgment of an Objective perspicuity in the Scripture Divines generally assert a Subjective darkness in the mind and besides the Light impressed upon the Word require an infusion of a principle of Light and sight into the Understanding Without this sayes Luther Ne jota quidem unum videri potest in Scripturis ea perspicacid quae salutaris est Not one jot in the Scripture can be understood in a saving way apud Rivet Isagog ad Script S. cap. 22. Hinc tantum quisque de sensu scriptuarum assequitur quantum de spiritu qui eas inspirâ—vit participat So far only as we partake of the Spirit who indited the Scriptures do we attain the true and spiritual sense of them Paraeus in prâ—aem ad 1 Cor. 1. Therefore Baronius in his Philosophia Theologiae ancillans tells us that Notitia Rerum Theologicarum qua praediti sunt impii non renati non est Theologia proprie dicta sed aequivocè dicitur Theologia Exercit. 3. Art 30. 2. These very Truths which unrenued men are in the Historical belief of they do not spiritually savour them Believers are endowed with a Gust that others know nothing of They are otherwise affected by and with Gospel-Truths than men of meer Natural Principles either are or can be Quicquid recipitur recipitur ad modum recipientis The same food hath a different relish with one and the same person according as the Organ of Tast is well or ill affected How insipid are the most comfortable doctrines of the Word to an Unrenued Soul they find no relish in them whilst on the other hand the mind in which there resides a Vital Principle feels and experiments what he Historically believes see Psal. 119.103 1 Cor. 2.12 Rom. 8.16 3. The mind being unrenued in its Habitude frame and disposition remains thereupon not only dark ignorant subject to mistakes error vain imaginations but lyable to scepticism unsetledness and at last a total disbelief of the things of the Spirit of God The certainty of spiritual sensation and experience being not only beyond the certainty of Reason and Argumentation but that whâ—ch alone gives a clear comprehension of Divine Mysteries and which only indubitates the Soul concerning them He that hovereth in the profession of Gospel-Truths and finds nothing of the Reality Power and Experience of them in himself becomes thereby wonderfully disposed not only to question the Truth of them but totally to reject them Nor is it imaginable how it should be otherwise when he experienceth nothing of all that he reads hears professeth and hath been by education or force of Rational Arguments in the belief of Being told that the Death of Christ will mortifie sin and that men are Sanctified by the Word and finding nothing of this in themselves they are not only under a temptation hereby to disbelieve these particular Truths but to disclaim the whole Revelation of the Word as a Fable And as these things through the loss of the Divine Image and that pollution which ensues in the Soul thereupon do naturally accompany us with reference to the Credenda of Religion notwithstanding our being in the Historical belief of them so there are several things deducible from the same premises with Relation to those Agenda of Religion in the performance of the material duties of which we are found 1. Nothing of all that is done or performed hath its rise in or proceeds from a sincere effectual superlative love of God That this ought to be the principle motive and inducement of our obedience I suppose few will deny and that where the foresaid pollution and disorder of Soul through the loss of the Divine Image is this sincere superlative love to God is not is of easie demonstration I know some of the late Jesuits in their casuitical Divinity affirm it to be enough if we be in the observation of the Commandments though without any affection towards God or the Resignation of our hearts to him provided that we do not hate him But I hope no Protestant is yet arrived at this and indeed I wonder how any professing himself either a Christian or a Man can entertain a persuasion so subversive of all Religion and repugnant as well to Reason as Scripture I do not say that any man on earth hates God to that degree as those in Hell do nor do I assert that there is an explicit hatred of God in every act of an unrenued person I believe otherwise But this I affirm that love to God is not the Universal governing Principle of an Unregenerate man nor is it exalted to that Degree in any action he performes as to give him the denomination of a lover of God Now it is the sincerity prevalency and perfection of love that among other things gives the Moral specification to Obedience Whatever resemblance the performances of one destitute of this Love may have of holy and Religious obedience yet all is loathsome to God as wanting one chief ingredient of its constituent form Nor is this love in any one in whom the Spirit of Christ dwells not Gal. 5.22 1 Joh. 4.7 Faith in Christ is the only root on which it grows Gal. 5.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
is elevated adapted and brought into a disposedness of living to and acting for Him Now this Habitual Grace is twofold Gratia sani hominis and Gratia aegroti the Grace of innocency and the Grace of Recovery The first is stiled by Austin nâ—â—turae sanitas animae sanitas adjutorium robâ—â—ris naturalis The Health of the soul thâ— concreated aid communicated at first to and with our Nature the Second he callâ— Gratia medicinalis medicinale salvatori auxilium Medicinal Grace the Souls cure These two differ no less than health anâ— Physick do This acceptation of Grace iâ— frequent in the Scripture Joh. 1.14 The Word was made flesh and dwelt amonâ— us full of Grace and truth ibid. v. 16. Oâ— his fulness have all we received and Gracâ— for Grace Eph. 4 7. Unto every one of uâ— is given Grace according to the measure oâ— the gift of Christ c. This is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Divine Nature whereof we are madâ— partakers 2 Pet. 1.4 The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Image of his Son to which we are preâ—destinated to be conformed Rom. 8.29 The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Image of him that created us Col. 3.10 Thirdly It is used Passively to intimatâ— those actual supplies of ability and strength which from time to time are ministreâ— unto us This Austin calls adjutorium actioâ—nis in contradistinction from the formeâ— which he calls adjutorium possibilitatis This is the import of it 2. Cor. 12.9 â—nd he said unto me my Grace is sufficient 〈◊〉 thee for my strength is made perfect in â—â—akness And Heb. 4.16 Let us thereâ—â—re come boldly unto the throne of Grace 〈◊〉 we may obtain mercy and find Grace to 〈◊〉 in time of need Through this it is 〈◊〉 we are not at any time tempted beyond â—hat we are enabled to encounter and unâ—â—rgo 1 Cor. 10.13 And according 〈◊〉 the proportion of assistance afforded us 〈◊〉 this kind we are more or less vigorous 〈◊〉 duty victorious over temptations enâ—â—rged in our communion with God Fourthly it is made use of to express â—ose acts and operations of ours which proâ—eed both from habitual and actual Grace Col. 4.6 Let your Speech be always 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Grace i. e. Gracious pious â—uch as may appear to be from Grace Col. â— 16 Singing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Grace in â—our heart i. e. after the manner of pious persons Eph. 4.29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it may Minister Grace unto the Hearers i. e. some spiritual advantage And I suppose the Apostle in his using 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Contribution intended not only to declare the freeness of the donation but to intimate the Principle whence 〈◊〉 relieving of others should flow 1 Cor. 1â—3 Whomsoever yee shall approve by 〈◊〉 letters them will I send to bring 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your Liberality to Jerusalem 2 Cor. â—6 7. We desire Titus that as he had begâ—â— so he would also finish in you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same Grace also Therefore as ye 〈◊〉 bound in every thing in faith in utterancâ— and knowledg and in all diligence and 〈◊〉 your love to us see that ye abound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this Grace also Nor is it aâ— exception of any import that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 occuâ— in other Authors expressive only of benevâ—â—lence without relation to a vital reneweâ— principle whence in order to an acceptatioâ— with God it ought to proceed as in thaâ— of Aristole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is charity wheâ— he that hath relieveth him that wants Rheâ— lib. 2. cap. 9. For alas How should they look farther than the Substance of thâ—â— action who as they did not throughly understand the corruption of Nature so they knew nothing aright of the renovation of it But their use of a word or phrase is no ground for the circumscribing and confining the Holy Ghost in the application of them These are all the acceptations of Grace â—hich have any affinity to the present â—ubject I know not whether all this will â—ot be called Gawdy Metaphors childish â—llegories Spiritual Divinity a prating of â—â—rases empty schemes of Speech But â—esides that all these acceptations and disâ—â—nctions have been received by Fathers â—choolmen and Divines of all ages and â—erswasions we have found them also â—arranted by the Holy text so that to imâ—each any one of them is not only to arâ—aign Divines of all sorts but to remonâ—trate to the Scripture it self The Terms â—hen being thus open'd and explain'd The Question to be debated is Whether Moral Vertue be all one with Grace Whether Morality and Holiness be Universally the same thing Or whether the whole of that Obedience which we owe to God be nothing else but the practice of Moral Duties Now the negative is that whereof we undertake the defence and justification in the following Chapters CHAP. II. Several things premised in order to 〈◊〉 decision and the determination of 〈◊〉 question 1. All Moral actions receive thâ— denomination of Good or Bad from their câ—â—â—formity or difformity to some Rule 2. 〈◊〉 alone Rule of Morality is Law 3. Man oâ—â—â—ginally created under the Sanction oâ— Law 4. The nature of that Law with 〈◊〉 manner of its promulgation 5. Man endâ—â—ed at first with strength and ability for 〈◊〉 observance of all the Precepts of it 6. Sâ—â—posing an observation of all the duties mâ—â—â—kind was obliged to by the said Law 〈◊〉 he could have lay'd no claim to immortaâ—â— and â—ife without a superadded stipulatâ—â—â— from God 7. The Law of Creation beiâ—â— ratified into a Covenant God took 〈◊〉 therein to secure his own Glory what evâ—â— should be the event on mans part 8. 〈◊〉 through the fall forfeiting all title to Liâ—â— abode nevertheless under the obligation 〈◊〉 the Law of his Creation 9. Every Law 〈◊〉 Nature is of an unchangeable obligatiâ—â— 10. A twofold mischief with refereâ—â—â—â— to that Law arrested mankind through 〈◊〉 fall 11. Some knowledg of moral Dutiâ—â— and an ability to perform the substance of â—hem still retained 12. The introduction of a remedial Law with the relations and duties which thence emerge 13. The subordination which the Law of Creation is put in to the Law of Grace 14. Our inâ—â—ptitude to the Duties required in the remedial Law and the Nature of it 15. Grace communicated to us to relieve us against this impotency 16. where ever it is wrought it is not onely attended with but it is the principle of all moral Vertue 17. Through the renovation and assistance of Divine Grace such an observation of the commands of God is possible as according to the Law of Faith doth entitle us to Life § 1. HAving in the former Chapter sufficiently explained the terms belonging to the question under consideration we now proceed to make a neerer approach to
us Wicked and Sloathful is the due Character of every Unregenerate Sinner Math. 25.26 They would not that I should Reign over them Luc. 19.27 Those who were invited would not come Math. 22.3 They hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord they would none of my Counsel and despised all my Reproofs Prov. 1.29 Sinners are so passionately in love with the inescations of the Animal life that they are resolved upon pursuing the gratifications of it Is it not upon this account that both the Promises and Threatnings of the Word are proposed to us under the Reduplication of our being obstinate and rebellious but alas such is our loathsome wickedness and affected wilfulness that neither the one influence our Dread and Fear nor the other our Love and Ingenuity § 5. Having dispatched these preliminaries we come now to state the extent of Natural Power and to declare what in its highest improvement it may arrive at and as a clear fixing of this will be a service of some significancy in it self so it will exceedingly contribute to our better proceed in what is behind and facilitate the proof of the necessity of a superadded infused principle in order to our acting in the Duties of Practical Religion so as to be accepted with God First then There is not only a passive capacity in our Faculties of receiving grace but they are also capable of being elevated actively to concur as vital Principles in the exercise of Faith Hope Love c. Brute Animals are in neither sence capable of Grace They can neither receive such Qualities as may dispose them for such operations nor are they possessed of such Faculties as can become vital Principles of Religious acts The potentia obedientialis lata of many of the Schoolmen whether active or passive is an irrational figment and invented only to subserve the Dogm's of Transubstantiation and the Sacraments producing Grace ex opere operato But the Soul of Man without the addition of any new Natural Powers is both capable of receiving Grace and of being elevated to concur as an Active vital principle of holy and Spiritual operations There is lay'd in our Natures as we are men a foundation which through the Communication of a Divine Seed may be improved to the highest and holiest employments There is a Radical disposition in us for Grace nor doth the Divine Image overthrow but perfect our Intellectual powers Posse habere fidem est naturae hominum saith Austin de praedest Sanct. cap. 5. As Grace was originally due to our Natures so it is still agreeable to them But though the Soul by being elevated and perfected by Grace becomes an active Vital Principle of holy operations yet in the reception of the first Grace it is purely passive not cooperating in the least to the restitution of the Divine Image no more than it did to the production of it in the primitive Creation Nor doth this hinder but that we both ought and may act in order to the obtaining of it by being found in the exercise of those means prescribed by God for the Communication of it Secondly The abilities of Nature prudently managed and industriously improved may carry men to a performance of the material parts of the Duties of the second Table This we at once acknowledge and praise in many of the very Heathen Their infidelity out-doing here the Faith of many Christians according to that of Minucius non praestat fides quod praestitit infidelitas Besides the experience of all ages we have the Testimony of the Apostle in justification of this Rom. 2.14 The Gentiles which have not the Law do by Nature the things contained in the Law as the Light of Reason informed them what they ought to do in most cases of this kind so nothing obstructed but that they might have done it As many excellent instructions are to be met with in the writings of the Philosophers to this purpose so the Heathen World especially Greece and Rome hath produced a vast number of persons eminent if not in most at least in some one or other instance of Moral Vertue Aristodis is famous for justice Epaminondas for Prudence Curius for Temperance Thrasibulus for Integrity and love for his Country Cimon for beneficence and liberality though of a low fortune Timoleon for Moderation and Humility in a prosperous condition c. It were easie to expatiate upon this theam and to create matter and occasion of shame to Christians who suffer themselves to be thus out-done by Pagans Our Religion comes behind their Morality and our pretences of Grace are out-shone by their Vertue Suppose their ability and strength proportionable to ours yet our outward and objective helps so vastly exceeding all the means which they had of exciting and improving Natural Powers to equal them only in Vertue is a high dishonour to God and an enhancement of guilt upon our selves and to come behind them in any of the branches of Morality is openly to affront the provisions of the Gospel and to cause that worthy Name by which we are called to be basphemed Nor doth our profession of Christianity while attended with a neglect of Moral performances serve to any better purpose but to dishonour Christ and dammage our selves And as we readily acknowledge that men in the alone strength of Natural Abilities may proceed thus far in the practice of Moral Honesty Righteousness so I know no man that decryes these performances as things not only useless but dangerous if void of Grace As a late Author falsly suggests Eccl. pol. p. 73 repr to the rebers p. 55. Or who affirms that it is better to be lewd and debauched than to live an honest and vertuous life No! we ascribe all due praise to them and press them upon the Consciences of those we have to do with both from the authority of God the pulchritude and beauty that is in them and their exceeding usefulness not only to others but even to the Authors of them Nor do I know any that make Moral Goodness the greatest let to Conversion or who say that Vertue is the greatest prejudice to the entertainment of the Gospel and that Grace and Vertue are inconsistent Idem Def. contin p. 34. Eccl. pol. p. 73. or that the Morally Righteous man is at a greater distance from Grace than the Prophane No! we are so far from affirming that the acting up to the principles of honesty is of it self an obstruction to the Conversion of any that we reckon it to contribute exceedingly to the promoting of it in that it begets a greater serenity and clearness in the mind for the discerning the excellency of the Doctrines and Duties of Religion which men of Debauched lives are indisposed for For sensuality fleshly Lusts do debase the minds of men darken their Reason tincture their Souls with false colours fill their Understandings with prejudice that they have not the free use of their
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith is the alone Foundation of a Good Work Clem. Alex. Strom. lib. 5. 2. Through the loss of this Image of God and the disorder which necessarily ensues in the Soul thereupon There is in all that we perform antecedently to our being renued to this Image again a prevarication with respect to our true great and ultimate End That the end of an action is under the Sanction of the Law as well as the substance of the Duty I have shown before Chap. 3. § 6. God being our Author is our Ultimate End also It is impossible for God to produce a Creature that is not according to its Nature and Qualifications to be to Him and for Him The lapse not only involved in it disobedience to God as our Soveraign but Apostacy from him both as our Chief Good and in point of seeking his Glory before our own gratification Now till the Divine Image be restored and a rectitude Recovered in our Souls again we never so far return to God as to make our selves and all that we do refer to him as to our End but there is still either some base low or crooked aim in all that we address to Mens Ends will not rise higher than their Principles He that acts only from self will only act for self The object of an action doth materially adapt and qualifie it to the being to Gods glory but it is the Principle and intention of the Agent that makes it formally to be so And though I will not affirm that an explicit intention of Gods glory is either necessary or indeed possible in every individual act yet I say that there ought to be an habitual tendency in the Soul after it in every thing we apply to Though the Traveller do not every step he takes think of the place whither he is going yet his aim is still at it it often revives upon his thoughts Now through a prevarication less or more that is in the actings of every Unregenerate person with reference to his End the utmost of what he doth is but Obedience in an Equivocal sence Their Virtues are but Virtutum similitudines the Counterfeits of Vertues Quicquid boni fit ab â—omine non propter hâ—c fit propter quâ—d fiert debere vera sapientia praecipit et si â—fficio videatur bonum ipso â—on recto fine peccatum est Aug. cont Jul. lib. 4. differ as much from Genuine Virtue quantum distat a veritate mendacium as a Lie doth from Truth Prosp. lib. 3. de vita contempl Hence Vossius tells us out of the Ancients especially Austin that the Vertues of the Heathen Philosophers nomen bonorum operum amittunt si per bonum intelligatur quod est utile ad Vitam aeternam Loose the name of Good Works if they be judged by their Usefulness to the obtaining of Eternal life Hist. Pelag. lib. 3. part 3. Thes. 11.12 § 7. Having treated the defects which occur in the best actions that Natural men can perform and declared their Unacceptableness to God thereupon It remains to be shewn in the next place that there are also some Duties under the Sanction of which we all are which even with respect to the matter of them no man in the meer vertue of Natural Principles can arise to a performance of And of this kind I shall only mention that great Duty incumbent upon us of making to our selves new hearts with what depends thereupon That the Sanctifying of our Natures and the being renued after the Image of God is prescribed to us in way of Duty The Scripture plainly and fully testifies And yet if we consult either the Scripture or our own experience we shall understand how totally unable we are for the discharge and accomplishment of this great Duty Though the New Creature be only an additional to our Natural Being yet as to the Physical production of it it lyes as far out of our sphear as the production of the Soul doth out of that of an organised body Was man meerly passive in the reception of the Image of God impressed upon him at first and is there not greater reason to be persuaded that he is meerly passive in the new production and reception of it Hence to testifie our impotency the Scripture reports us to be dead in Trespasses and Sins Eph. 2.1.5 and that no man can come to Christ unless the Father draw him Joh. 6.44 That we are neither begot again of Blood nor of the will of the Flesh nor of the will of Man Joh. 1.13 We owe not our Regeneration either to the efficacy of others nor to the workings of our own wills Hence the great Work and Duty of circumcising our hearts is expressed by such phrases which if they signifie any thing do import us meerly passive in it Of this complexion are the expressions of our being begotten again Created Quickned c. Did the scattered Atomes of matter frame themselves into the Machine of the Humane Body at first Or do those Rudimental Principles conveyed for the formation of the Faetus in the Womb dispose themselves into that orderly admirable variety of texture which fills us at once with amazement and thankfulness Shall the dispersed particles and corpuscles of dust rendevouse and reassemble themselves into their former frames without the Physical interpose of a forraign Agent If none of these be either true or possible no more is it so that man can convert himself Were we disposed qualified qualified and suited to the accomplishment of this work would God take it out of our hand and rob us of the praise of it Doth He not again and again proclaym us inept and weak for the effecting of it Doth he not intitle himself the Author of it Is not the Holy Spirit purchased by Christ and promised by the Father to this End The Scriptures bearing Testimony to this are innumerable see among others Deut. 30.6 Ezek. 36.26 27. Jer. 31.33 Jam. 1.18 Eph. 2.10 Tit. 3.5 6. Phil. 2.13 c. Now notwithstanding all this to argue for an Ability in us to perform it meerly because it is prescribed us in way of Duty is childish and trifling is it not enough to justifie the prescription of it in way of Duty 1. That such a frame of heart ought to be in us and that the want of it is as much our sin as our misery 2. That being awakened by the consideration of our duty to a perception of our weakness We ought thereupon to sue to God for strength And therefore it is that all precepts to this purpose are attended with answerable promises Finding that thou canst not change thy sensual earthly heart thou art to implore his help who is not only able but willing to relieve and succour thee 3. That God hereby excites us to do what we can and to wait upon him in all those ways and means which he hath promised upon our sincere exercise to make successfull 4.