acceptation That Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of which I am chief 1 Tim. 1.15 As if he should say doth any of your hearts tell ye you are sinners Let not that be any ground at all to keep you from Christ let not any despaire because of that I my self was thus and thus a blasphemer a persecutor nay as if that were not enough I was the chief of sinners or the sinner in chief the grand and supreme sinner as if there could not well have been a greater and I says he obtained mercy So as here the Spirit hath laid in answers to the objecting or doubting soul If the soul should object If I were not such a sinner as I am I could beleeve the Spirit answers Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners As if he should say to save even just such as thou art If the soul should object further but there is not such a sinner as I am the Spirit answers yea But here is one greater then thou here is the chief of all sinners the Prince of sinners obtaining mercy of which I am the chief So as none can be such a sinner to whom Christ and the blood of Christ may not be tendered and offered and that upon these grounds 1. From the order of Gods decree he loved us and gave Christ for us when we were sinners God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us Rom. 5.8 God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son John 3. 2. The offering the Gospel and Jesus Christ to a sinner as a sinner is but the bringing out this glorious love of God in time and dispensation it is but the offering that love which God loved them with from everlasting Neither is it any more to offer Christ to a sinner then to manifest God in his first love when he gave Christ for sinners in his own decree 3. It exalteth grace more and sheweth as a gift indeed what can be more of grace then that Jesus Christ should receive a sinner one who hath no money nor price no works nor righteousnesse to bring for him 4. It is the right lifting up Jesus Christ as Moses lift up the Serpent in the Wildernesse not for the healed to look upon but the stung and wounded 5. It leaves men without all excuse and brings the greater condemnation for when Christ is brought home to the very soul and the blood offered at every ones door for receiving then there can be no objecting Lord had I been thus and thus fit and prepared then I should have received thee but I was a foul sinner at that very time so and so guilty O will the Lord answer I come therefore to pardon thee and to wash thee in my blood because thou wert so foul and that is no excuse 6. It is most agreeable to the Gospel-way of dispensation and Christs own preaching The whole need not a Physitian but they that are sick I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance 7. All that ever received Christ in the Gospel received him in a sinful condition the many beleeving Jews in the sin of crucifying Christ all the Churches of Corinth Ephesus and Colosse Such were some of you but ye are washed c. And ye were sometimes darknesse but are now light in the Lord Ephes. 5. Ye who were dead in trespasses and sins and were enemies in your mindes by wicked works yet now hath he quickned Coloss. 1. So as to offer Jesus Christ to sinners as sinners is but 1. To offer him in time as God gave him before all time God gave him to us because we were sinners and now he is but offered as he was given 2. There is more of grace in it to offer him to a sinner as a sinner that where sin hath abounded grace may abound much more 3. There is a clearer lifting up Christ as Moses for the wounded to look on as well as the whole 4. Men are left without excuse because when he is held out to sinners as sinners all are in a condition for him sin and a saviour are most suteable 5. It is as Christ himself did who both calls sinners and converses with sinners with Mary Magdalen an harlot and with the Publicans and with the woman of Samaria who lived in uncleannesse when the pure Messiah preached himself to her 6. It is as all that ever received him both in Jerusalem Corinth Ephesus c. who had they not been foul had never been washed had they not been darknesse had never been light in the Lord But you will tell me of conditions in the Gospel of faith and repentance c. and certain legal preparations before Christ should be offered and brought to the soul Yea but that ye may not be puzzled as many are In the Gospel-way or dispensation faith and repentance is to be preached but Jesus Christ still with it Beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ And you are not to consider repentance from beleeving nor beleeving from repentance nor either from Jesus Christ nor Jesus Christ without them and yet neither of them as bringing in Christ to the soul but Christ bringing in them and working them more and more in the soul and that upon these grounds 1. Christ is not ours by any act of our own but Gods God imputing and accounting To make Christ ours is an Almighty work not the work of any thing created So as Christ is ours without faith by a power more glorious and infinite but we cannot here know him to be ours but by beleeving nor partake of him as ours but by beleeving 2. If faith should give us our interest in Christ then as our faith increases our interest should increase and we should be more and more justified and forgiven which none allow calling these other acts of faith faith of assurance and acts of manifestation and if faith be thus in its other degrees of working why not in its first It is the evidence of things unseen Heb. 11. 3. If Christ should be ours by faith in this sense then when faith ceases shall we cease to be justified Shall faith begin our interest here and not be able to continue it hereafter 4. Can a sinner be too foul for a Saviour and too wounded for a Physitian to heal and too filthy for a fountain opened to wash 5. He that offers Christ offers all the conditions in him both of faith and repentance For Christ is exalted to give repentance c. And faith is called the faith of the Son of God Gal. 2. 6. It is no more to offer Jesus Christ then any grace of Christs or gift of Christs to a sinner for a sinner is as unprepared and unfit for the one as the other equally in sin and pollution to both 7. This spiritual work is a new creation and so works of preparation are not so proper in that We
of an higher order fell too as well as man so as by this the power of God was made known to the creature and the creatures subjection or dependency upon God to it self This change running through the order of the whole Creation Rom. 8. The creature being thus brought by it self under a change of condition God raises himself advantages and glory from hence to make out himself before the creatures in his power will mercy love c. that the world may know him more and know that there is yet an infinitenesse in him not to be known and all our knowledge is bounded in those things which he hath made out for himself to be known by To the time of sinning then or the first disobedience the Lord revealed himself only in glory and goodnesse his glory was in the creating and commanding his goodnesse in giving any thing a created being or subsistence for obeying and laying out his Image or resemblance upon one creature above all the rest and making man to have dominion under him yet for him over the Creation But man now failing under the power and curse of a law God reveals himself in mercy and in a notion of compassion and pitty and seeks out man who was now a sinner and brings to him the tydings of something in a promise which though it might be dark to him who was now in the region and shadow of death yet God made it something clearer by his dealings and carriage towards him making coats for him and cloathing him and taking care for him and so holding forth something of compassion towards him yet mingling it so with the curse and change in the creation and his condition that he might live as well under the anguish of the curse as the power and comfort of the promise And how much of Christ Adam knew how much the first Adam knew of the second is not revealed not much surely for this time and that under the law was the time of the hiding of this Mystery in promises and sacrifices and the keeping it secret till that which was called the Fulnesse of time was come and Christ was manifest in the flesh II. Gods Free-grace to sinners more discovered WE find the Scriptures set forth God in a notion of Free-grace and therefore we must so order our apprehensions and conceptions of God that we may know him in his Free-grace as well as in his Love and look on him and consider him in this order of working God first and more properly had mercy upon man faln and under the curse and he is called a God shewing mercies and great in mercy and rich in mercy and plenteous in mercy abundant in mercy and father of mercies and the Lord God merciful and gracious So as sinful man who by the power of sin and the curse was under condemnation for death entered by sin yet by a power more infinite then that of sin and the curse was raised up to be the subject of this mercy and that onely thing about which this free-grace or mercy was exercised And thus light was wrought out of darknesse and good out of evil And now a work of redemption more glorious then that of creation is beginning to the world and Gods work of mercy is exceeding the work of his power and yet infinitenesse in both for God himself was to become a creature or the son of man in this second work which he was not in the first And thus we see how this change in the creature makes only way and liberty for the fulnesse of God to work out to the sons of men as well in a work of redemption as creation and saving those that were made as well as making them yet this work of redemption was carried at first in a Mystery rather of mercy then love for there was little but a promise of the womans seed revealed so as here was rather mercy appearing as yet then love and a remedy propounded to man for sin by that time the sin was committed to shew that God was never an enemy though man was And so much of Gods good will onely revealed as man might rather conceive himself not destroyed then saved and rather not damned then redeemed And that in the Prophet sets forth God rather at first in mercy and compassion to us None eye pittied thee to have compassion of thee when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thy blood I said unto thee Live Ezek. 16.6 And the Apostle cals us vessels of mercy that he might make known the riches of his glory on his vessels of mercy Rom. 9.23 So as in this manner of revealing the infinite work of Salvation we may be better satisfied then by going out into the glory of Gods counsels where we may lose our selves rather in the fulnesse of Truth then finde any So as thus God hath drawn out things more to our reason for how can we think God who is infinitely pure whose eyes are purer theâ— to behold iniquity can love a sinner as a sinner All love is from something amiable in the thing loved But what is there in man faln and corrupted for God to love or delight in to make his delight with the sons of men where is the comelinesse Therefore God must from mâ—er grace more properly then love order some righteousnesse or new glory for man in which he may beautifie adorn and love him And this is the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ in which we are said to be chosen and predestinated to the adoption of sons Thus God in free-grace had mercy on us and gave Christ for us and in him we are made capable of the love of God and â—ccepted in the beloved Ephes. 1.6 and not as some that man was elected before Christ the body before the head and Christ for man as shall appear more fully in another place III. More of Gods Free-grace and Love of mans sin and redemption discovered THe Scriptures reveal to us a pure God a just God a perfect Law the first man sinning a Law broken a Curse entering mercy working in a promise of life a way of salvation darkly discovered Jesus Christ this way this Jesus Christ given for sinners and yet purchasing sinners all this wrought in time and yet a predestination and election of grace before all time God loving us and giving Christ for us and yet loving us in the same Christ These things are thus brought forth in the Word and the Spirit of God can onely guide us into safe constructions of the mystery thus revealed and how to draw the work of Redemption into such order that sin death by the first man may appear and righteousnesse and life by the second and something of the counsels of God concerning both before either was brought forth to the world and yet but something and not all I finde before sin and righteousnesse did thus appear in the world that God is said to predestinate and
exalted but to study every part and parcel and passage of Jesus Christ And thus to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified The several wayes of Free-grace and the general point searched FRee-grace is conveyed to us under several notions in these times and I shall in few words gather up the conceptions intending a larger draught of it hereafter The first way of Free-grace free without all condition of Grace THe first and purest conceive of the Mystery thus That God the Father for manifestation of his mercy and love purposed some to glory whom he loved freely and gave his Son to be a way to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and righteousnesse knowing that thâ—â—ould fall under sin and condemnation in the first Adam where he might justly have left them as the rest in their blood and pollution had it not been for that free-grace in himself and therefore that Son is called the second Adam or quickning spirit and this mystery of salvation is free infinitely free the Father loving freely and giving his Son the Son loving freely and giving himself freely and the spirit working from them both freely for the manifestation of this salvation in the souls of his elect and through the ministery of a free Gospel even to sinners as sinners and children of wrath in themselves A second way of Free-grace free onely with conditions THe second sort hold which is called the Reformed opinion and is the more general That God did freely decree or purpose some to salvation in Christ through the intervening and instrumental assistance of faith c. And that none are actually justified nor partakers of this free salvation but by faith and the Goâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 ministery of conditions or qualificatio◠〈◊〉 this salvation And this I call a Decrâ—e with Graces A third way of Free-grace free onely upon condition THe third sort hold That God did freely purpose some to salvation and therefore gave Jesus Christ but it was onely to those whom he foresaw through the help of a Gospel-ministery and other spiritual sufficiency would embrace Jesus so given yea given for all if all would have embraced him And this I call a respective Decree for Graces A fourth way of Free-grace free meerly in the extent THe fourth sort hold That God purposed some to glory and salvation in Jesus Christ without respect to any thing but the intervenings of faith c. and gave this Jesus Christ to die for all not that all should have saâ—â—â—â—â—on by him but onely the elect who are onely made to beleeve and that the Gospel-ministery reveals such a kinde of general Redemption otherwise the Gospel could not justly be tendred to all nor any be condemned for not beleeving nor unbeleeving be any sin This last I shall onely speak on This is in part the general point and it is answered thus Some do it by a way of interpreting the general Scriptures as these of Gods loving the world c. Interpreting the world in opposition to Jews and by that understanding the Gentiles who were called the world And so of sending Jesus Christ to be a propitiation not for ours but the sins of the whole world c. Rom. 11.11 12. And so where ever the word all is that God will have all saved c. they interpret it with restriction to some of all c. Matth. 3.5 And so for the general tenders of the Gospel they interpret that by way of dispensation for the better gathering up the elect from all sorts and places Matth. 24.31 And so for not beleeving they say men are not damned for not beleeving simply but from the condemnation 〈◊〉 â—re left under though their not beleâ—â—â—â—â— may make their condemnation greater Some answer it by shewing forth the contradiction in this of Christ dying for all and saving some that it is as much as Christ died for all and not for all Some answer by turning it into immortality for all but not salvation for all Some answer by revealing Gods love and Jesus Christ as the effect of this love as it were the instrument and minister of this love and this love of God going out onely to the elect for whom Christ is given This way they conceive takes off general Redemption But we must take heed of making Christ more instrumental and ministerial then the Father hath made him and will stand with the honour of the Son who is the first born of the elect the head of the body And we must be spiritually wary in distinguishing too curiously upon Jesus Christ as Son and Mediator c. but onely in a Scripture-way for Christ is but one and salvation is one Thus far some worthy beleevers go in opposing the general point but we must go a little further in finding out the Mystery of the general point and meet with it there Now I humbly conceive the mystery lies onely in a rational way of justice and Gospel-dispensation That God will not meerly and arbitrarily damn any because he will So as he hath put every one under a state of Redemption and power of salvation and they are damned from their own will not from Gods Thus go the deepest and most notional of that way And the other part of the mystery which is lowest and most argued for in these times and by most is onely that the Gospel cannot rationally be tendred but upon some such general ground as Christ dying for all Thus I have opened though weakly the mystery and the opening it may be enough and the whole building of the universal Grations is all upon a rational notion strengthned with some general terms in the Word Now let them see whether meer Reason is a Principle high enough for a spiritual mystery And if bringing salvation down upon such a ground be proportionable to so glorious a work as that of Redemption besides all the intervenings it hath with free-grace and free-justification and election of grace c. Now let the Mystery be lookt on in their way which is this Christ died for all else the Gospel cannot be preached to all And in the other way which is this Christ died onely for his and it is offered to all that his who are amongst this all might beleeve and though he died not for all yet none are excepted and yet none accepted but they that beleeve and none beleeve but they to whom it is given And in this way of salvation there lies more mystery which is more sutable to a divine work Great is the mystery of godlinesse And this ground That none are excepted is as clear and spiritually rational for the Gospel to be preached to all as this ground That he died for all Seeing upon both grounds Some onely are saved and not all and a decree of meer grace and of faith foreseen do equally imply an impossibility of all to be saved and therefore why is it so contended for that all are redeemed Some Truths of Free-grace sparkling in former Writers and in
FREE-GRACE OR THE FLOWINGS OF CHRISTs Blood free ' to Sinners Being an Experiment oâ—Jesus Christ upon one who hath been in the bondage of a troubled Conscience at times for the space of about twelâ—â— yeers till now upon a clearer discovery of Jesus Christ and the Gospel Wherein divers secrets of the seâ—â—â— of sin and temptations are experimentaâ—â—â—â—â—ed and by way of Observation conâ—â—â—â—ing a natural condition and a mixed conditioâ— of Law and Gospel With a further revealing of the Gospel in its glory liberty freenesse andsimplicity for Salvation By John Saltmarsh Preacher of the Gospel at Brasteed in Kent The second Edition corrected London Printed for Giles Calvert dwelling at the black Stred-Eagle at the West-end of Pauls 1646. TO My Honorable Friends Sir John Wray Knight and Baronet Sir William Strickland Knight and Baronet Both Members of the Honorable House of Commons HONORABLE IKnow ye both well to have loved the acquaintance of Truth long and in those times when truth was an errour and light darknesse in the account of most therefore I hope the same Lord will not cease to reveal to ye more of himself till ye come to know as ye shall be known The truths if I mistake them not I here present you are of Free-grace such things as if cleared to the World would enlighten us more in the mystery of iniquity then any other There is one thing appears to us in the discovery of this which is love God loving us freely and sending out his Spirit of love into our hearts this should be that onely principle of power in beleevers now under the Gospel love began all the work of salvation in God and love should carry on this work of salvation in men· This is a way of service which none know but those whom the Son hath made free indeed The Lord fill ye with this love that ye may obey as gloriously as ye are commanded in the Gospel and that the experiences of Free-grace may dwell richly in ye that ye may spiritually judge of the siner and more subtile parts of Antichrist All is not in that grosse Idolatry which is seen and felt there is more of mystery then so in it I could not but thus publikely acknowledge ye who are such publike Assertors of that Liberty we of this Kingdom enjoy at this day and because ye have acknowledged me in many favours to my self formerly for which I am Your Servant in the Lord JOH. SALTMARSH AN Occasional Word IT would be matter of much peace amongst beleevers if the names of Antinomian and legal Teacher and the rest might be laid down and no mark or name to know one another by but that of beleevers that hold thus and thus for distinction Surely carnal suspitions and jealousie do much encrease our differences Some hearing the doctrine of Free-grace think presently there will follow nothing but loosenesse and libertinism and the other hearing of holinesse of duties and obedience think there will follow nothing but legalnesse and bondage and self-righteousnesse and upon these jealousies each party over-suspecting the others doctrine bends against one another in expressions something too uncomely for both and there are some unwarrantable notions to be found on all sides But let us consider Can the Free-grace of Jesus Christ tempt any one to sin of it self Can a good Tree bring forth evil fruit And shall we call every one Antinomian that speaks Free-grace or a little more freely then we do If any man sin more freely because of forgivenesse of sins that man may suspect himself to be forgiven for in all Scriptures and Scripture-examples the more forgivenesse the more holinesse Mary loved much because much was forgiven to her and righteous and holinesse blood and water Jesus and Lord and Christ called and justified are still to be found together in the Word There are some too of another sort who make some noise of Free-grace but if all were well observed it is not so free as it seems I have heard of a Gentleman that because he would seem very free to his Neighbours bid fill out Wine freely but he had commanded the servants beforehand to burn it that it should be too hot for any of them to drink I wish the Wine in the Gospel by some be not over-much heated by the Law and conditions and qualifications that poor souls cannot taste of it freely and yet seem to fill it out freely too Free-grace may be there in the notion of it yet not in the truth of it The Arminians boast themselves to be as great Patrons of Free-grace as others And why Because they teach that all that is still given to man is for Christ and in Christ and though by Faith and works yet all that is free-gift So the Papists boast of Free-grace That Christ is given freely from the Father for sinners and it is of Free-grace that we are accepted though of works too So as surely there is some other way of carrying Free-grace then by joyning men so into the work for else it is but a Popish an Arminian Free-grace Jesus Christ hath appeared more of late and his glory hath been more abroad then this Kingdom ever saw before and indeed Antichrist goes never rightly down but when Christ is lifted up and if Jesus Christ had been more in the divinity of these latter times and in their Preachings for Reformation and Moses lesse we had not onely had more of his grace but more of his glory then we yet see Yet I do not see that the power of Christ crucified is so abroad among beleevers as it should be but some several Ordinances are rather the businesse of this age Yet thus it hath been alwayes whenever there were any shadows or carnal Ordinances beleevers went more after them then Christ himself Under the Law it was so and under the Gospel it is so some outward truths of Christ are sought after more then Christ himself and we make more of the beams then the Sun of righteousnesse and rather warm our selves by the sparks then the fire like those Souldiers who cast lots for his Garments but let his Body alone upon the Crosse not but that every thing of Christ is precious yet nothing so precious as himself So as These things ought we to have done and not to leave the other undone I hope by this time Free-grace is no Antinomianism amongst beleevers yet it hath been ever Satans policy and the Lords providence to manage a truth sometimes through a whole age yea and ages too in another name then its own and some other age have seen it for a truth which God would not reveal to those unthankful times Light hath walked abroad in a vail of darknesse and Truth in the likenesse of errour and Christ hath been crucified by those who after knew him for their Lord of glory and were wounded for him whom they had wounded themselves O that the times we live in had not too many
of these who would persecute that Christ now whom hereafter they may preach But I have done and if I have erred in any thing for I see but in part and know but in part it is in filling out that Wine too freely which the Master of the Feast if I mistake not hath bidden me saying Drink yea drink abundantly O beloved Cant. 5. TO THE READER IN the Experiment of this soul you may see a Spirit of adoption in Bondage and one made poor in Spirit through the ignorance of the riches of grace and by a legal faith as I may say both under Grace and the Law at the same time Surely such legal beleevers are as much subject to death and bondage in their own apprehensions under the Gospel as they were before under the Law You have here the frame of this soul or the constitution and condition of a Spirit before conversion under conversion and under the relapse or falling back into the same sins and under the temptations for those sins and under a legal recovery out of those temptations and under a fuller revelation of grace and truth onely drawn out of their own experiences by which we may see what the want of the knowledge of Jesus Christ is And the more Christ is known and that love of God to the Sons of men which was manifest in the flesh the more that glorious liberty from the Law Sin and Satan is manifested in that soul This made Paul desire so to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified And the more this light of the Gospel shines in the face of Jesus Christ the more doth the ignorance of flesh and blood dissolve and the shadows of the Law as doubts fears terrours which are cast in vanish before it For the day breaks and the shadows flie away The onely scope of this Discourse and Observations is to hold forth the glory of Free-grace and that by this one Experiment Wisdom might be justified of her Children O the riches of his grace O the fountain of his love O the exceeding and comprehensive freenesse and the flowing of his blood washing us when we are polluted in our own Thus he cals us beloved when we are not beloved and we who had not obtained mercy do obtain mercy And I thought my self not a little happy to have such an effectual door as this opened to deal with the experiences of a soul in this kinde And for the following Conference and for my Observations and other particulars I took this occasion to draw out my discourse of Grace and Gospel-glory from the faithful experiences of such a soul wherein the work of nature and grace and spirit and Satan was clearly visible and discernible rather then to found them upon meer notions and conjectural Principles For in the experiences of a soul we may more clearly discern the deep things of the Spirit reading them in the spirits of such as possesse Christ as in the Counterpane of the Scriptures for there truth answers to truth as in water face answers to face THE CONTENTS Of the Book CHAP. I. OF the Parties natural condition and how they felt themselves in their state of nature before they could perswade themselves they had taken Christ Pag. 1. Observations 1. Of the bondage that a meerly carnal man sins in and where true spiritual freedom is p. 3. 2. Of the resistings of sin and sorrowings for sin which are in a natural man p. 5. 3. How far many go in a formal profession and meer natural Religion raised up a little by the power of the Word p. 7. CHAP. II. OF the Parties first trouble for the sins they lived in which is supposed to be the time of conversion or calling or light from Christ p. 11. Observations 1. Of the Preachers several dealings with this Party to settle them and not in a way of beleeving first pag. 26 2. The unstablenesse of such as are not converted in a pure Gospel-way p. 33. 3. The several wayes which the Lord makes use on to salvation p. 35. 4. The want of true Gospel-knowledge in Jesus Christ is the cause of many distractions in beleevers p. 36. 5. The opening Jesus Christ in the Gospel is the best and surest way to deal with sinners p. 39. 6. A further opening of the doubtings of a soul not clearly discerning the power of the Gospel p. 43. 7. The working of the Spirit of Christ in a soul though not so clearly enlightned p. 46. CHAP. III. OF the Parties falling into the same sins in some measure which they had lived in in their unregenerate state from whence all their late bondage hath been P. 50. Observations 1. The danger of placing assurance most in mortification of sin p. 53. 2. The danger of drawing our comforts most from the change in the outward man p. 54 3. The spiritual condition in this life more in being justified from sin then cleansed from sin p. 56. 4. The greatest temptations upon sinning in an enlightned condition p. 57. 5. That back-sliding or relapsing is much mistaken and mortification of sin of the more mystical mortification beleevers have p. 59. 6. The sum of the mystery of mortification of sin in a beleever p. 65. 7. That there is danger in putting too much upon the sin of relapsing or back-sliding in beleevers p. 69. 8. The conclusion concerning the mystical and spiritual mortification p. 73. 9. Some Scriptures concerning falling away interpreted p. 75. CHAP. IV. THe Party after such openings of the frame of their spirit is now discoursed with upon certain particular Questions p. 78. The Parties several Doubts answered 1. That they are not therefore beloved of God or in Christ because they fell back again into sin p. 79. 2. Because they found not a change in the whole man p. 80. 3. Because they feel not themselves sanctified they think they are not justified p. 81. CHAP. V. THe Parties great Doubt concerning faith or beleeving p 92. 1. The great Gospel secret concerning faith or beleeving Ibid. 2. We are first to beleeve and all other gifts will follow p. 97. The several wayes opened how the mystery of Godlinesse and Free-grace hath been received in and in what degrees it hath been enquired for in this present age p. 106. 1. GOds first revealing himself to man in goodnesse and Free-grace p. 107. 2. Gods Free grace to sinners more discovered p. 111. 3. More of Gods Free-grace and Love of mans sin and redemption discovered p. 114. 4. The Son of God how considered in the work of Salvation p. 119. 5. Gods love manifested in the Gospel-expressions p. 124. 6. The new Covenant no Covenant properly with us but with Christ for us p. 125. 7. Gods manner of Covenanting p. 127. 8. They that are under Grace revealed are no more under the Law p. 128. 9. When God is said to be in Covenant with the soul Ibid. 10. A justified person is a perfect person p. 129. 11. Sin separates not
elect and chuse us I finde that all this work thus wrought in time yet is said to be present before God in all time and therefore he is called the Lamb slain so long ago and we are called chosen in Christ before the foundations of the world were laid So as all I can finde out of this glorious mystery which is made up of such contrary wayes and workings of sin and grace justice and mercy an old Adam and a new and predestination or election of grace will onely amount to this That man sinned God had mercy and gave his Son which was God with him from everlasting to be that for man and in man which he could not be in himself righteousnesse and true holinesse And thus man becomes a new creature to God again not in himself but in another God still is the same but man was not nor is God the lesse unchangeable because of some several carriages or distributions of the same work about man mans falling and redemption in Christ mans sin and Christs suffering may be said to be but the love of God ordering man to the praise of his free-grace through several conditions of innocency sin and righteousnesse Yet this I finde further that the main and glorious work of Redemption was that full and final work ordered by God the Father with himself So as mans sin was onely serviceable to this and was but for the bringing about of this though not decreed of God but occasioned by man God fore-knowing the changeablenesse of his creature and so working by that not taking any new counsels upon this change in man which he took not before but ordering this to that salvation he had ever ordained nor is the revealing of Gods predestination or election in Christ so much to let us see into the order of his Counsels for who hath known the minde of the Lord as to set up God in the glory of his power will and wisdom before our eyes that we may not look at any thing as happening from its own causes and to order us from conceiving any change in God as if our sin and Christs suffering had wrought any alteration in him either to enmity or love If you would know this Mystery without confusion yet in admiration know that all this work of free-grace and mans salvation in Jesus Christ was ever the same with God who calleth things that are not as if they were and mans sinning and Gods revealing Christ in promises and in the flesh and in the Gospel is That the creature may partake of it and whereas there is a work of sin of time of persons of order of Scripture-notions of manifestation These are but so many several ways by which the work of grace love sin Christ and salvation is finished in the things themselves and all these several parcels of Law Gospel Sin Righteousnesse Free-grace Election c. go to the making up this Body of Christ the Elect the law could not have been wanting for then there had been no transgression and sin could not for then there had been no free-grace and righteousnesse could not for then there had been no redemption and free-grace could not for then there had been no mercy and election could not for then there had been no everlastingnesse of purpose of God So as this one infinite work of salvation is manifested in many parts to us who could neither enjoy it nor know it otherwise not in that fulnesse nor infinitenesse as it is in God And these many parts make up that one work of our Redemption in Jesus Christ nor can we know any thing of it but thus in parts not in the whole or glorious intirenesse of it We know but in part IV. The Son of God how considered in the work of Salvation THere are certain Scriptures which contain the Mystery yet in the letter of them hold it forth under a divers notion or word 1. God so loved the world that he sent his onely begotten Son c. Joh. 3.16 with other Scriptures of this kinde as 1 Joh. 4.9 10. c. 2. Of the other sort are these Scriptures God hath chosen us in him before the foundations of the world Ephes. 1.4 God hath saved us according to his own purpose and grace which was given to us through Jesus Christ before the world was 2 Tim. 1.5 with other Scriptures of this kinde Now these words say that God loved us and gave Christ and that he loved us in Christ And these may be both true according to the manifestation of this mystery to us for one Scripture contains not all of this mystery of Gods love to sinners Some holds forth onely so much of it as to make power and will in it appear some so much of it as to make free-grace appear in it some so much of it as to make love appear in it some so much of it as to make predestination and election appear in it some so much of it as to make Jesus Christ appear as the Lamb slain before the world for sinners some so much as to make Jesus Christ crucified in time for sinners some so much as to make Gods love appear in giving Christ some so much as to make Christs love appear in giving himself some so much as to make Gods love appear compleat to us in Christ some so much as to make Jesus Christ appear the Son of God some so much as to make him appear a son of man and a saviour of men some so much as to make him appear to die for all and for the world and some so much as to make this all and this world such onely as were his before the world and onely all such as he had loved and chosen And thus is the Mystery opened to the sons of men in each part of Scriptures which like so many several Stars give out their beams and light for the manifestation of this Mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the flesh Now we must be sure in our conceptions and notions concerning this redemption that we raise not up nor form any thing to comprehend this mystery which God himself would not fold up in any single word or notion there being so many discoveries and appearances of God who though he be but one simple pure glorious essence yet his creature man cannot behold him so but as in so many scattered parts and beams of glory Man cannot take God nor the mystery of God in but by way of parts and several kindes of excellency and so view him in one thing with another and so in Jesus Christ So as when we would consider the work of salvation in and by Jesus Christ we must take heed of straitning it into any such thing as the effect of Gods love onely lest something be left out by our narrow conception whereby the mystery is but in part represented and the other parts of the work have no room by which though we may know more
God is said to be in Covenant with a soul A Soul is then properly actually or expresly in Covenant with God when God hath come to it in the promise and then when it feels it self under the power of the promise it begins onely to know it is in Covenant and yet to yeeld and obey as if it were but to enter into that Covenant which God hath made with it in Christ before it could do any thing so as they that beleeve do rather feel themselves in that Covenant which God hath made with them without any thing in themselves either faith or repentance c. X. A justified person is a perfect person A Person justified or in Covenant is as pure in the sight of God as the righteousnesse of Christ can make him though not so in his own eyes that there may be work for faith because God sees His onely in Christ not in themselves and if they were not in such a perfect righteousnesse they could not be loved of him because his eyes are purer then to behold iniquity or to love a sinner as a sinner XI Sin separates not his from God but from Communion with God NO sins can make God who loves for ever unchangeably love us lesse and yet a beleever will grieve for sin because it grieves the Spirit of his God and though he know sin cannot now separate from God yet because it once separated he hates it and because it separates still though not from God yet from Communion with God grieving the holy Spirit of God XII Christ in the flesh CHRIST in the flesh was God himself who that he might reveal his love to us made us partakers of the divine nature by fashioning our nature for his own glory to live in and by being both God and man amongst us and for us and herein is the mystery of reconciliation None but the nature of God could reconcile God and no nature but mans that had sinned could properly suffer for man therefore there is one Mediator betwixt God and man the man Christ Jesus XIII Christs being in our nature CHRIST was love mercy and riches of free-grace manifested in the flesh and in our nature that they might slow out more abundantly upon our nature on the vessels of mercy chosen in this Christ before the foundations of the world XIV Christs love CHRISTS love must needs exceed all the love of the children of men for he was the very love of God clothed in flesh and blood This is he that was red in his apparel as he that treadeth in the wine-presse XV Christ doing and suffering for our sakes CHRIST came into the world that he might do what we could not do to the fulfilling of the Law and suffer what we could not suffer for the breach of the Law XVI Christs Mediatorship CHRIST standing now as a Person betwixt God and the children of men takes in the fulnesse of righteousnesse and sin from both natures righteousnesse from God and sin from men whereby all the sins of his people are fully done away by the infinite glory of that righteousnesse both from himself and us XVII The right general Redemption by the second Adam CHRIST is the second Adam in whom all are made alive as all in the first Adam were dead but not so as if all who were dead in the first Adam were made alive in the second but as the first Adam was the person in whom all that are dead did die so Christ is the second Adam in whom all that are alive do live for Christ is the common nature of the living mankinde who live unto righteousnesse as Adam was the common nature of the dead mankinde who die unto unrighteousnesse For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many are made righteous God hath concluded all under sin That the promises by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve Gal. 3.22 XVIII Christs love THe love of Christ exceeded in this that he gave himself to die for us when we were enemies to him and crucified him our selves who came to be crucified for us and could neither love him nor pitty him for what he did For while we were as yet sinners Christ died for us and greater love then this hath no man This is the mystery that man could not live in Christ till he had killed Christ first And thus he was wounded in the house of his friends O all ye that passe by the way behold and consider if ever there were mystery like unto this mystery XIX Christs blood THe blood of Christ was not the blood of man onely but the blood of the Son of God and therefore it was a price for sin the very power of the Godhead as it were bleeding for sin by which it is called The Redemption of his blood and the blood of the Son of GOD XX Christs Blood powred out THe Blood of CHRIST powred out wrought greater compassion in GOD towards men I speak as a man then the sufferings of all the men in the world could do because he being begotten of GOD himself and the expresse Image of his person though he could not suffer being so infinite a glory yet because that person suffered which was GOD and man or the Son of GOD in man the Father in an unspeakable way beheld the travel of his soul and was satisfied XXI Christs Vesture dipt in blood CHRISTS Garment which he was described in by the Prophets under the Law is of a colour to set forth love and suffering under the Gospel for this is he that came from Bozra with his garments died red XXII Christs comelinesse THe comelinesse of Christ in the Gospel is a most desireable comelinesse for the sons of men to love it is the glory of the onely begotten Son of God full of grace the â—weetest object for those in misery to delight in This is that beloved which is more then another beloved XXIII Christs beauty CHRIST hath both the form and power of love in him and therefore it is that his Spouse or His behold him as white and ruddy and the fairest amongst ten thousands white in the glory of his Godhead and ruddy in the sufferings of his Manhood and because of his sweet oyntments or powrings out of spirit the Virgins follow him for his hands drop myrrhe upon the soul even spiritual graces upon the handles of the Lock XXIV Christs names CHRIST will be known to His by no other names but names of love and grace a Lover a Bridegroom a Physitian a Saviour an Emmanuel or God with us an onely begotten Son of God the brightnesse of his glory a merciful and faithful high Priest a Sacrifice for sin a Mediator an Advocate for sin a Beloved and he brings a soul to the banquetting house of spiritual things and his banner over it is love XXV Christ and His CHRIST having adorned his in the riches of his
1 Joh. 2.27 And I will put my Law in their mindes Heb. 8.10.11 And the comforter whom I will send he shall teach you Joh. 14.26 1 Thes. 4.9 Acts 2.17 Thus whatever doctrine of holinesse is in the new Testament we are to receive it because it is now the doctrine of him who is the Lord Jesus Christ the Lord as well as Jesus Christ and one who commands as well as saves Nor is there any Covenant of works in such kinde of obedience Life is given us to make us obey but not for obeying XXXVIII The new Covenant further set forth to be meerly a promise THe Covenant that is called the new Covenant that God makes with his now under the Gospel is all on his own part without any thing on mans he makes himself ours and makes us his all is of his own doing though a Covenant in the strict legal common sense is upon certain articles of agreement and conditions on both sides to be performed Thus stood the old Covenant there was life promised on condition of obedience and so in covenants and contracts betwixt man and man but now there is a Covenant or rather promise in Jesus Christ who is called the Mediator or Mannager of the Covenant in which God gives himself freely in Christ to be the God of a poor sinner Christ undertaking all both with the father and the soul such a kinde of covenant was established with Noah Gen. 9.11 Behold I establish my covenant c. nothing required on mans part This is called a new Covenant for it is clear against the strain of the old wherein man was to have his life upon condition yet it were good that we did not rest too much in the notion of a covenant nor is it the way of a covenant that the Gospel uses but rather the promise or grace or salvation for the Spirit uses the word Covenant onely by way of allusion and because the soul being under the power of the spirit doth it self contract and covenant with God to obey though God gives no life in such a way of a covenant or obedience And I observe that the usage of this word hath a little corrupted some in their notion of free-grace makes them conceive a little too legally of it And I conceive that the Doctrine of it in Heb. 8.10 c. I will write my law c. And I will take away your stony heart c. And put a new spirit within you Jer. 31.31 Hezek 36.26 doth clear it to be onely promise and grace and free-love to a sinner for if any thing were to be done for life or salvation we should darken the glory of free-grace and make it a promise neither wholly of grace nor wholly of works And if it be of grace it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace Rom. 11.6 Nor is this promise of salvation given to sinners as sinners barely simply and singly nor as qualified or conditioned not to sinners as sinners for God can onely love in Christ nor as qualified and conditioned for so life should be purchased by us rather then for us so as we are onely sinners in our own and others judgements but truely loved in Christ when the promise comes And thus the Scripture cals us ungodly and sinners and children of wrath Not that we are so but seem so or not so in Gods account but the worlds So as here is ground enough for any to offer salvation to the veriest sinners and for the veriest sinners to receive for God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed to us the word of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.19 XXXIX The way of assurance for beleevers THe surest knowledge that any one hath that they have received the promise is the closing of their heart with Christ the real receiving and beleeving the relying and going out of the heart upon Christ The just shall live by faith Rom. 1.17 We walk by faith and not by sight This was the assurance the Father of the faithful had who staggered not at the promise but gave glory to God Yet this assurance is such as the soul cannot be content with onely there is something in man beside faith to be satisfied reason will have more light to see by and therefore the working of the spirit in new obedience and love and repentance and self-denial are such glimmerings as the soul may be refreshed by though not strengthned by and comforted by though not supported by Works though they cannot assure by themselves yet raised up by faith may with it cheer up the soul if we beleeve more of those works then we see or feel and so strengthen them by faith they may be like the tokens and change of raiment by which Jacob was perswaded that Joseph was alive by these we may be better perswaded that we live and live in Christ Therefore the soul being a reasonable and discoursive spirit is much satisfied in such a way when the Spirit of God helps it to reason and draw conclusions as thus The Word sayes Whosoever beleeves shall not perish But I beleeve saith the Soul and therefore according to this Word shall not perish The Word sayes To beleeve is to receive or put confidence in or trust as in John 1.12 But I receive Jesus Christ for mine I trust in him for salvation therefore I beleeve The Word sayes Repentance love self-denial obedience to the Will of God are all the fruits of the spirit but these are in me I can repent and love and deny my self and obey The Word sayes That we are compleat in Christ and righteous in Christ but when I repent or love or obey I beleeve I am in Christ and therefore my love and repentance and obedience is such as I may beleeve though not in themselves yet in him to be good and spiritual And thus a beleever may beleeve for assurance and yet reason for assurance and some other questions a beleever may put to his own spirit and draw it out into more conclusions for beleeving Am I Christs or my own If I be Christs do I walk with Christ And live to Christ And obey Christ Do I delight in Christ and those that are Christs Or do I live to my self to my lust To my profit or credit To others or the world XL The Gospel-Ministration very glorious THe ministration of the Gospel exceeds in glory for now under the ministery of Jesus Christ himself the heavenly things themselves are brought forth the free-love of God in Jesus Christ and the free-love of Jesus Christ himself all the powrings out of spirit and the full discoveries of love were reserved for Christs own day the Kingdom of God the righteousnesse the justification the forgivenesse of sins the spirit of comfort the glorious liberty of peace and joy unspeakable are the glory of Christ come in the flesh the treasures that went with his
Gospel-promises THe promises are but words of Gods ingaging himself to man freely and of grace and as his promises are of grace so his performances are in faithfulnesse And in these promises the love of the Father Son and Spirit are conveyed and the treasures and riches of salvation to sinners And thus in this life all is passed over upon Word to us and for our beleeving this Word and taking in the things of Jesus Christ thus upon Gods bare ingagement he hath bound himself freely to give all hereafter and yet all is of free-gift too things freely given to us And in this time of our waiting and beleeving and relying we have one earnest even a spiritual and glorious earnest given to us here even the holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance though some promises speak of conditions as of faith and repentance c. Yet they are onely ours upon this condition that they were Christs before for in him all the promises are Yea and Amen The promises that God makes thus in Christ are free and being made in Christ are more free for Christ is all that to God that we should be unto him and we are in Christ so as Christ takes away all discouragements and excuses in any that dare not beleeve them to be theirs and therefore The spirit and the bride say come and whose-ever will let him come and take of the waters of life freely Revel. 22. XLIV God under the Law and the Gospel legal and Gospel-worshippers BEfore Jesus Christ came in the flesh and offered up himself God offered him beforehand in Types and Sacrifices of blood c. and the whole Ministery was a Priesthood so as the Priesthood and Sacrifices of the Law did set forth and shadow Christ in way of offering or sacrifice to God the Father and therefore God under that dispensation did appear rather under a condition of reconciliation then reconciled though all were saved then actually in the same Christ who was to suffer But how much of this salvation they knew is a question it is very likely and something clear from the Word That God was very sparing in that time of the discoveries of himself in Christ and they rather saw him in his glory above then below and possessed the inheritance of the Redemption rather then the Ministration or Gospel of it God appearing thus the whole ministery of the Law was taken in as agreeable to this manner or patern and the Law of Commandments revealed on Mount Sinai did help to the form of this ministery and made sin appear and abound more for which such sacrifices were prepared And thus the whole frame of the old Testament was a draught of Gods anger at sin the Law revealing sin and Jesus Christ offering for sin And so God in this time of the Law appeared onely as it were upon terms and conditions of reconciliation and all the worship then and acts of worship then as of prayer fasting repentance c. went all this way and according to God under that appearance and every thing of worship seemed to bring something of peace and atonement in relation to the great atonement to come by Jesus Christ And in this strain runs all the Ministery of the Prophets too in their exhortations to duties worship as if God were to be appeased and entreated and reconciled and his love to be had in the way of purchase by duty and doing and worshipping so as under the Law the efficacy and power was put as it were wholly upon the duty and obedience performed as if God upon the doing of such things was to be brought into terms of peace mercy and forgivenesse so as their course then and the service then was as it were a working for life and reconciliation But now under the new Testament God appears in Christ reconciliation is finished peace is made by the blood of his Crosse and now the Ministery of the new Testament is not a Priesthood of any more offering Christ to God in sacrifice but of offering and tendering the tydings of a fully reconciled God in Christ to man and of a sacrifice already accepted for sin so as now there are no Priests but Ministers or Stewards or Ambassadours for dealing out and dispensing the love of God to man and for publishing the glad tydings of peace so as all worship now and spiritual obedience is to run in the way of this dispensation not for procuring love or peace from God nor for pacifying but for love procured and peace purchased by Jesus Christ If these things thus stated were more fully spiritually opened there would be more Gospel-teaching and obeying for mans obedience towards God is not so notionally nor orderly carried nor so purely as the Gospel calls for but they run in a legal strain and would work God down into his old and former way of revealing himself as under the Law when he seemed to be onely in the way to reconciliation and peace rather then pacified and thus in prayer and fasting and other acts of obedience they deal with God as they did under the old Testament not considering the glorious love revealed in Christ crucified and how all Gospel-Ordinances are onely wayes and means for God to reveal this love and grace by the spirit of adoption not any wayes and means of ours for getting some love from God which Christ himself hath not gotten for us XLV God and His in reconciliation THey that have received the word of reconciliation are in a very pretious and comfortable and peaceable condition they are lovers of God and Christ they are no more such enemies in their mindes by wicked works they oppose not the will of God as they did they resist not the Word of the Gospel they sleight not the communion of the spirit of God they are tender of any thing that is Gods they count not any thing their own for God he shall be welcome to all if he call for their credit he shall have it they know they have a spirit of glory resting on them if he call for their possessions they leave father and mother and brethren and sisters and lands for his Names sake they know these are not to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed and they shall have an hundred fold in this life if he call for their life he shall have it they know he that will lose his life for his sake shall finde it And being thus reconciled to God they are friends with every thing of his every Gospel-Mystery they know they receive and every thing of his they know not they wait till he reveal even this unto them and though they do not receive it because they know it not yet to come from God yet they do not reject it because it comes in the likenesse of his Word lest they be found fighters against God and crucifie the Lord of glory in ignorance like the Jews And
being thus reconciled to God they are lovers of all his they love the brethren and if there be a naked disciple they cloath him if an hungry disciple they feed him if an imprisoned disciple they visit him I was naked and ye cloathed me c. And being thus reconciled they behold God reconciled to them too they are now in the way of his love for now God freely communicates with them and meets them in Christ he shines on them in the face of Jesus Christ Now God and the soul thus reconciled are in a full enjoyment of each other as the husband and the spouse the father and the son there is no parting rights and propriety God hath not any thing in Christ in Heaven or Earth but it is theirs all things are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods and every thing of theirs is his XLVI The fears of weak beleevers and the remedies WEak beleevers are like melancholy people who think things far otherwise then they truely are right smoaking flax where there is more smoak then light more ignorance then true discerning The fears they are in are of this kinde 1. They cannot be perswaded their sins are pardoned indeed they would and they would not beleeve it they cannot from the spirit that is in them but close with Christ and clasp about him for salvation yet then they are not sure they have him they may be deceived they think in that 2. If Faith carry them on to beleeve a little more or better of their condition yet the pride of some sins will not down with them some of their sins which they have made their darlings more then others and cherished themselves in Oh these they think are either too great or too often committed to be all forgiven and at once The remainders of these sins lie like dregs in the bottom and their conscience cannot be satisfied that God hath fully pardoned 3. They look not upon God in the pure simplicity of his Word and promise but they suspect and are jealous God hath some reckoning still behind because they are sinful and God is purer then to behold iniquity and they cannot beleeve that God can bear with all those corruptions and transgressions in them 4. They think though God may be reconciled with them and love them at sometimes for they poor souls onely reckon the seasons of the spirits comforting and breathing for the times of forgivenesse yet God may be provoked again and angry again for new sins and failings and then they are as much troubled how to come at any peace again as they were before and then it must be onely another Sunshine of the like comfort must warm them into peace and beleeving 5. They cannot perswade themselves how they can sin as they do daily but that they are accountable for all the breaches and so set up new scores of sins in their consciences and keep reckoning for God and disquiet themselves in vain 6. They think every affliction or trouble that befals them is a punishment for some sin they have committed and they look on them as messengers of wrath from God sent upon them in judgement as if God were satisfying himself upon them and powring out some wrath to appease his Justice for such sins 7. They mistake the Gospel in the doctrine of it and every Scripture that threatens for sin they interpret to belong to them because they have committed that sin In a word these are the fears summed up 1. They are and they are not perswaded their sins are pardoned 2. They are perswaded some sins are pardoned but not some others which they have most sinned in 3. They fear still God doth not intend them such grace as he profers and speaks and suspect the Gospel 4. They think if God do pardon them yet they may provoke him again soon after 5. They suppose they cannot sin as they do and not be accountable and they cannot but be sinners in Gods sight as well as their own 6. They think afflictions are sent upon them for their sins and they cannot consider God in them but as angry and so help the afflictions to afflict them 7. They interpret every curse in the Law and new Testament for sin their own if it be against their sin XLVII The remedies to each fear FIrst We are commanded to beleeve forgivenesse of sins in Jesus Christ throughly and not in part Through his Name whosoever beleeves in him shall receive remission of sins Act. 10.43 2. We are to consider that one sin cannot be forgiven but all is forgiven Jesus Christ hath done away all sins For this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever sate down on the right hand of God Heb. 10.12 3. We are to beleeve God in the plainnesse and simplicity he speaks in in Gospel-promises and words of grace even to our souls as if he spoke out to us by name from Heaven He that beleeveth not God hath made him a lyer because he beleeveth not the record that God gave of his Son 1 Joh. 5.10 4. We must know God is not as man that he should be angry and pleased as we carry our selves I will be merciful to their unrighteousnesse and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more Heb. 8.12 I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people v. 10. 5. We must remember our sins are no more ours but Christs and his righteousnesse is ours God reckons and accounts us as one now so though we sin yet every sin was accounted for in him and now there is no condemnation to them that are in Jesus Christ Rom. 8.1 6. And for afflictions though they come in with sin and for sin and are the wages of sin yet to the righteous and beleevers they are no judgements for sin for every thing of Justice against sin was spent upon Christ so as to us they are onely trials Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations Jam. 1.2 They are chastenings of love to prevent sin As many as I love I rebuke and chasten Revel. 3.19 They are in a word a divers way or dispensation of love and grace love working by that which is evil in it self We know that all things work together for good to them that love God Rom. 8.28 7. We are to consider that though the Scriptures do often set forth the righteousnesse of God against sin and his justice against sin yet that unrighteousnesse being satisfied by Jesus Christ it hath no power against those that are in Christ no more then the pursuer had to do with the murderer in the City of Refuge For sin shall not have dominion over you Rom. 6.14 Ye are not under the Law but under Grace XLVIII Legal Conversion THere is much mistake in the businesse of conversion or regeneration For while it is lookt upon meerly as a change in affection or conversation there is much deceitfulnesse there are means