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
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
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-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
but then there should never have been such a thing known to the generations to come as that Ark of glory that huge and boundlesse all fulnesse of the indwelling Godhead in the Man Christ. Sure had there been none sick such a suffering Physician to heal us had never been none lost would have said there is no Saviour none dead in sin would say there is no need of such a Lord and Prince of life by whose swelling wounds we are healed Isa. 53. 4. Nor was it fit that this should never be known to Angels and men that the Lord honours so many redeemed sinners with a grant and licence to love so high so precious a Redeemer and as it were to marre and black his fairnesse and desirable excellency with our feeble and sinfully weak love he being so far above our love or faith or praises 5. The Gospel-wonders should not be an eternally sealed book to men and Angels as Revel 12.1 that wonder in heaven A woman cloathed with the Sun and the Moon under her feet and upon her head a crown of twelve Stars should be known And what was shewed to John was to be shown to the Churches Rev. 21.10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain and shewed me that great City the holy Hierusalem descending out of heaven from God 11. Having the glory of God I mean here the wonders of grace mercy declared justice as that the most High should empty Himself and the Godhead be united to clay that there should be such a high Bridegroom so low and sinfull a Spouse that death should conquer death that Nothings of clay should sing their debts eternally cast down their crowns being made of sinners glorified Kings and not be ashamed to cast down their crowns before him that sits on the throne Nor should the gifts and graces of God be hidden Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son how should he not with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 give us all things begrace to us all How should he not make heaven and earth free grace to us and all a masse of grace to us Eph. 1.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He hath begraced us all over in Christ. 1 Tim. 1.13 But I obtained mercy as dipped in a sea of mercy Luk. 1.28 Hail Virgine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filled with free grace Let us forgive one another Col. 3.13 as Christ begraced pardon to us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That we might know 1 Cor. 2.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things that are freely given us And what a debt must that be the forgiving of ten thousand talents more then to forgive millions and tuns of gold Hence the Question whether Law-innocency and never sinning or Gospel-repentance and rising again in Christ be most excellent It is answered 1. Simply to us It is better and morally more excellent never to fall never to be sick then to rise in Christ and be healed by such a Physician But sinning and falling being considered in relation to a more universall good there is more excellency in Gospel-rising then in Law-standing As 1. There is more feeling deeper sense in the woman which did wash Christs feet with her tears and wipe them with the hair of her head then in some who never so fell And Christ may hold forth something of this Luk. 15.7 Likewise I say unto you saith Christ there is more joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth more then over ninety and nine just persons that need no repentance True it is our Saviours scope is not to compare repentance and Law-innocency together or to show that the Pharisees needed no repentance as if they were not in a lost condition but to show what joy was in heaven with the Lord the father of the forlorn son and in the Angels at the home coming of repenting sinners And is not a Jewell of ten thousand millions of more worth then a Diamond that is not worth the eighth part of that summe Adams innocency and never sinning should have been by the common influences of Law-love and the same may be said of Angel-innocency But Gospel-repentance is the gift procured at a dearer rate Christ was exalted a Prince to give repentance Acts 5.31 Neither should there be sense and such loving sense of free grace in the forlorn son had he never fled away from his father and never been so received with a welcome of grace which he beleeved before he felt it CHAP. VI. Q. 11. Whether there be any such thing as a Covenant of Suretyship or Redemption between JEHOVAH and the Son of GOD That there is such a Covenant is proven by 11. Arguments NO doubt Christ God-Man is in Covenant with God being a person designed from eternity with his own consent and in time yeelding thereunto and yet he stands not in that Covenant-relation that we stand in as we shall hear 1. Arg. What Argument does prove that there is a people in Covenant with God who call the Lord their God as Zech. 13.9 Jer. 32.38 Isai 25.9 the same shall prove Christ to be in Covenant with God As who can say he is my God he must be in Covenant with God As Jer. 31.33 I will be their God and they shall be my people Ezek. 11.20 Ezek. 34.24 25 30. Now this is clearly said of Christ Psal. 89.26 He shall cry unto me thou art my Father my God and the Rock of my salvation The Son the only begotten of the Father saith thou art my God Heb. 1.5 And again I will be to him a Father and he shall be to me a Son It is expounded of Christ but was first spoken of Solomon the Type 1 Sam. 7.14 My mercy that is my Covenant-mercy to the Son of David and his seed shall stand sure as the dayes of heaven Psal. 89.28 29 34 35 36. 1 Chron. 22.10 He shall build a house for my Name he shall be my Son and I will be his father Then follows the Covenant-promise And I will establish the Throne of his Kingdom over Israel for ever which is expounded Psal. 89.28 29 c. of Christ a Covenanted King as long as the Sun and the Moon indures 34 35 36. and cannot agree to David whose Kingdom is now gone As also Christ flees to this Covenant in his extream suffering my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Psal. 22.1 Mat. 27.46 So Psal. 40. it is Christ who saith v. 8. I delight to do thy will O my God And it is a Covenant compellation my God and spoken by him v. 6. Mine ears thou hast opened who removes all sacrifices and offers himself a sacrifice Heb. 10.5 A body thou hast prepared me So also Ps. 45.7 Thou lovest righteousnesse and hatest wickednesse Therefore God thy God a Covenant word hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladnesse above thy fellows See glorified Christ glorying in this Rev. 3.12 Him that overcometh will I make a
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.
we are gifted with a life of more worth then many acres of Vineyards They declare therefore that there is much of the first Adam in them little of the second Who would conquesse again the many lands that our first father Adam sold and joyn house to house and lay field to field till there be no place and disinherit all others as if they were bastard heirs and themselves the only righteous heirs of Adam that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth Isa. 5.8 And the more spiritual any be the more are they above the nothing world Mortality may be called supernaturall to the earthie part of Adam since it is not naturally due to a body of earth to claim life for ever Though immortality be due to whole Adam consisting of soul and body and endued with the image of God For the soul cannot die But if we speak of such a life to wit of a heavenly communion with God as Adam was a comprehensor or one who is supposed now to have runne well and won the Gold and the Crown such a life was due to Adam not by nature but by promise Adam in his first state was not predestinate to a law glory and to influences of God to carry him on to persevere Nor could he blesse God that he was chosen before the foundation of the world to be Law holy as Eph. 1.3 What Was not then Adam predestinated to life eternall through Jesus Christ He was But not as a publick person representing all his sons but as another single person as Abraham or Jacob for Gospel predestination is not of the nature but of this or that person Therefore were we not predestinat to life eternall in him but in Christ Rom. 8.29 30. Therefore Adam fell from the state of Law-life both totally and finally but not from the state of Gospel election to glory For the Lord â—ad in the Law-dispensation a love designe to set up a Theatre and stage of free grace And that the way of works should be a time-dispensation like a summer-house to be demolished again As if the Lord had an aime that works and nature should be a transient but no standing Court for righteousnesse Hence it is now the reliques of an old standing Court and the Law is a day of assyse for condemning of malefactors who will acknowledge no Tribunall of grace but only of works And it is a just Court to terrifie robbers to awe borderers and loose men but to beleevers it is now a Court for a far other end CHAP. III. What is the intent and sense of the threatning Gen. 2.17 In the day thou eats thou shalt die And Gen. 3.20 Dust thou art c. WE must distinguish between the intent of the threatner and the intent and sense of the threatning Law-threatnings may be well exponed by the execution of them upon persons against whom they are denounced As 1 King 11.30 compared with 1 King 12.15 16. Ten Tribes are taken from Davids house according to the Word of the Lord. Because therefore the threatning of death was executed upon Christ 1 Pet. 3.18 Gal. 3.10 11 12 13 14. then must the threatning Gen. 2.17 Deut. 27.26 have been intended against the Man Christ and because beleevers die as all do Heb. 9.27 the threatning must have been intended against them also for that they sinned in Adam and because it is out of question that the reprobate die the first and second death the threatning must also have been intended against them And therefore in the intent of the threatner the threatning was mixed partly Legall partly Evangelick According to the respective persons that the Lord had in his eye He had therefore in his heart both Law and Gospel It is therefore to no purpose to aske what kind of death and whether purely legall which the Lord threatned to Adam For the Question supposeth that the Covenant of Works was to stand and that the Lord was to deny a Saviour to fallen man But we may say what death the Lord actually inflicts that death he intended to inflict nor did the Lord decree to inflict a meerly legall death personall first and second upon Adam and all his race Obj. Adam was to believe he should certainly die For so was the threatning Gen. 2.17 if he should sin or then we must say that Adam was to beleeve he should not actually die the latter cannot be said for then he was to believe the contradicent of the Lords true threatning which was the lie of the Serpent Gen. 3. Ans. He was to beleeve neither of the twain according to the event for there are two sort of threatnings some pure and only threatnings which reveal to us what God may in Law do but not what he hath decreed and intended actu secundo quoad eventum to do and bring to passe These threatnings contain some condition either expressed in other Scripture or then reserved in the mind of the Lord. 1. Because the Lord so threatned Adam as he remained free and absolute either to inflict the punishment or to provide an Evangelick remedy even as Solomon 1 King 2.37 saith to Shimei in the day thou passest over the brook Kidron thou shalt surely die that is thou shalt be guilty of death reus mortis Yet it cannot be denyed but Solomon reserved his own Kingly power either to pardon Shimei or to soften or change the sentence 2. The words of the Law do reveal what the Magistrate may do jure and what the guilty deserves by the Law but do not â—eveal the intention and absolute decree of the Law-giver and what punishment actually quoad eventum shall be inflicted upon the guilty and what shall come to pass as a thing decreed of the Lord So Gen. 9.6 the Murtherer shall die by the Sword of the Magistrate and Exod. 22.18 19 20. the Witch the man that lyes with a beast he that sacrifices to a strange god shall die the death jure merito and by Law-deserving but it followeth not but such as commit these abominations do live as is clear in the Kings of Assyria Chaldaea and many of Israel who were not put to death but lived quoad eventum though contrary to the Word of God 3. The expresse Precepts of the Decalogue Thou shalt have no other gods before me c. Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steal c. do shew what in Law we ought not to do but not what actually shall come to passe For there be not a few who do actually quoad eventum worship strange gods kill and steal But there are other threatnings which are both threatnings and also Prophesies and these reveal both the Law and the fact and what the Law-giver may jure and in Law inflict and what shall actually come to passe upon the transgressours if they continue in impenitency Rom. 2.1.2 3 Rom. 1.18 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Obj. Then in
we have pleased him once and beside that peace a scumme and a froath smoakes up unsensible in the heart we are profitable to God it would be the worse with him if he wanted our prayers and service but had the Lord any missing of Heaven and of Angels and Men in these infinite and innumerable ages of duration that went before any created being When he was upon these infinite and self-delighting thoughts solacing himself in that infinite substantial fairenesse and love his Son Christ Prov. 8.89.30 2. You can give nothing to God Creator of all but it must be either an uncreated God-head but he who perfectly possesseth himself will not thank you for that or your gift most be a created thing But how wide is his universall dominion can you give to one that of which he was absolute Lord before all the Roses are his all the Vineyards all the Mountains he is the owner of the South and the North of the East and the West and infinite millions of possible Worlds beyond what Angels and all Angels can number for eternitie of ages are in the bosome of his vaste Omnipotencie He can create them if hee will And what ye give to another it was out of his dominion but all things are in his dominion for who spoiled him of what he had David blessed the Lord when the people gave for the Temple excusing himself and the people that they took on them to give to the great Lord-giver 1 Chro. 29.11 Thine O Lord is the greatnesse and the power and the glorie and the victorie and the majestie for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine thine is the Kingdome O Lord and thou art exalted as head above all vers 12. Both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest and in thy hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all 14. But who am I and what is my people that we should be able so willingly to offer after this sort for all things come of thee and of thine own have we given thee Hence none can give to Gd. 1. Because he is JEHOVAH the Eternall God then he gives all and nothing can be given to him 2. Because of the greatnesse and infinitenesse of God Giving is an adding to him to whom we give But nothing can be added to him for thine is the greatnesse the power and the majestie 3. Nothing can be given to him who is universall and full Lord and Possessour of heaven and earth and all things therein for all that is in the heaven c are thine 4. Nothing can be given to him who is so Lord that he is exalted as Head Prince and King above all created Kings and their dominions over their own 5. But all the goods of the Subjects are the Princes or the Commonwealths The Jurists distinguish as the Schoolman Theod. Smising Tom. 1. de Deo tractat 3. disp 4. q. 5. fig. 65. a two-fold jus jus altum jus bassum The Prince and Commonwealth have a sort of eminent right to the goods of the Subjects to dispose of them for the publick good as they may demolish a castle belonging to a private man in the frontiers of the enemies land because it hurts the country and may be better made use of by enemies against them for the countrey And they may compell him to sell it but this hinders not but every Subject hath a dominion and right to his own goods to use them at his pleasure which the Prince cannot do Ahab the King hath no right nor dominion over the vineyard of Naboth to compell him to sell it or give it against his will to his Prince For the earthly Prince nay the man himself the just Proprietor before men cannot bear that so as it may be said of God vers 12 both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all For God created the being of gold and of every thing that we can give to God which no earthly Prince can do 6. Nothing can be given to him in whose hand is power and might and to make great and to give strength For 1. Riches and things we give are of him 2. Power might and strength to give either Physicall to bear a burden to his house Or 2 Morall a willing mind and heart to give is in his hand Or 3. A mixt power the being of the act of giving is his v. 7. Of thine own we give thee Can we give to any that which is his own already Can ye give to a Crowned King over such a Kingdome his own Crown Can ye give to the righteous owner of his own lands his own Garden and his own vineyard in gift but every being created is the Lords 8. Saith David v. 15. We are strangers before thee and sojourners as all our fathers were And that saith the Lord is the only Heritor and we but Tennents at will and strangers both fathers and sons though for five hundreth or a thousand years fathers and sons have lineally and in heritage before men possessed such lands yet before thee saith he we and our fathers have but Tennent-right and are strangers from thee And what can a meer stranger to life and being give to the just Heritor and Lord of life and being 9. And our dayes saith David on the earth are as a shadow and there is none abiding life and being is a shadow of being and God is the only first excellent being and suppose we should give life and being to and for him it is but a borrowed shadow that we give him And we are not lords of our own being we have not absolute right over our selves to give our selves to him If Doâ—g will not give himself to God and act for God Psal. 51.2 God shall take thee away and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place and root thee out of the land of the living Job 27.21 the east wind of God carrieth him away and as a storm hurleth him out of his place Ye shall bestow life and being worse then upon God God shall make morter of thee O fool who makes a god of borrowed I great I and poor Nothing-self Nay if there be a Pronoun in thee O let it be this Oh if my separation from Christ and the blotting â—f my name out of the Book of Life and my heaven might be a footâ—tool to heighten the glory the high glory of the Lord in the salvaâ—ion of many 2. This Pronoun self and mine is a proud usurper against God Was he not an Atheist or a churle and his name folly who said 1 Sam. 25.11 and breathed out so many my's Shall I take my bread and my waters and my flesh which I killed for my hearers and give it to men whom I know not whence they be And he was as madde a fool who thus speaks Isa. 10.13 By the strength of my hand have I done it and by my wisdom
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
upon the name of the Lord and shall be saved He not only yeelds that the Israelites have heard but he confirms it from Psal. 19. Yea their sound c. It is an argument à minore from the lesse to the more The whole world hath heard of God either by the preaching of the creatures from the beginning or by the Apostles in the revealed Gospel far more then the Jewes to whom the Oracles of God were committed and to whom first the Gospel must be preached have heard And therefore not all that hear do believe though faith come by hearing nor do all call upon God and are saved So Pet. Martyr so Calvin Hyperius Faius It 's not strange that the Gospel is preached to the Gentiles for God spake to them by the knowledge of the creature Pareus observes that Paul cites not the place Psal. 19. and saith not As it is written but alludes to it only Spanhemius If it be well said that the sound of the heavens is gone to the end of the world that may be said truly of the Preaching of the Gospel Junius to that sense But 1. the place saith not that God called with a will to save the Gentiles The Scripture saith he winked at them and called them not Acts 14.16 But now God commandeth all men every where to repent Acts 17.30 and he revealed not his Testimonies to them Now was not the same Gospel-book in the Pages of the works of Creation as legible to the Gentiles before as after the coming of Christ in the flesh Nor can the Gospel which never came to the ears of many Indians and millions of people it being to them a non ens and an un-heard of Doctrine explain the book of Creation as the thing that shadows out Christ as the New Testament clears the Types of the Old Nor doth the Scripture any where tell us what work of Creation or Providence expresseth Christs dying for our sins rising for our righteousnesse Nor doth the Scripture tell us of an Embleme in nature of God Incarnate of the Man Christ in glory pleading at the right hand of God for us And no doubt the Lords naturall desires of saving all calling and inviting all to Repentance of Christs dying for all his naturall willingnesse that all and every one should obey do not ebbe and waxe and decrease as the Sea and Moon do and therefore his taking such a course with all the Gentiles that no word of the Covenant comes to their ears so that then at that time they were without Christ being aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenant of promise having no hope and without God in the world Eph. 2.12 And in time past were no people in Covenant and had not obtained mercy 1 Pet. 2.9 10. and were far off Acts 2.39 must evince that the sense of the Gospel was not written in Sunne and Moon and the book of Creation is not the Gospel and therefore he hath been shewing that the Gentiles were not in Covenant before the Incarnation and since no word of the Gospel comes to millions now they are yet not in Covenant And this is a Gospel-truth now that stands after the Incarnation as before Rom. 9.18 He hath therefore mercy upon whom he will and hardens whom he will And he said it in the Old Testament Exod. 33.19 and repeateth it to us Rom. 9.15 I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion upon whom I will have compassion And if any man say that he hath the like antecedent naturall good-will to save eternally all these whom he calleth and moveth finally to obey and the greatest part of mankind whom he so moveth and calleth as he knoweth they shall never obey whereas he can move all finally to obey without straining their naturall liberty He speaks things that cannot consist with both the wisedom and liberty of God And if amongst these to whom the word of the Covenant comes some are externally only and never saved Matth. 22.14 Rom. 9.6 7. Others internally personally and really in Covenant and saved why but some may be neither wayes in Covenant if they never heard the word of the Covenant and if the Heathen and Americans were under the Covenant of Grace Preached to them in that sound that goes to the end of the world Why but Moab Ammon and Assyrians Philistines Chaldeans Persians are the Israel of God his chosen people his Sion and must not the principall promise of the Covenant be made to them and are we not to beleeve that God will write his Law in the hearts of Cain Pharaoh Saul Doeg Ahab Judas Magus and of Moabites Ammonites Aegyptians and of all and every one of mankinde if they be in Covenant with him Contrair to Psa. 147.19 20. Hos. 8.12 Exo. 20.1 Neither can it be said that all mankind have received a subjective power to beleeve and receive Christ holden forth in the Gospel to us Printed to be read and heard in the book of Creation called the objective Gospel as Adam had power to fulfill the first Covenant for Adam had the Image of God concreated in his soul by which he was able to fulfill the Law then must they give us a Scripture to prove that all Adams sons are converted and restored to the Image of God born over again for by no other power but by a new heart and the actings of God can men beleeve the Gospel objective or come to Christ and do good works Evangelicall by which they are justified and if it be a remote power that may grow it is not the like power which Adam had to keep the Law 2. This power is either naturall or supernaturall Naturall it cannot be for then flesh and blood might beleeve and the wisedom of the flesh might be subject to the Law of God which the Scripture denies Mat. 16.16 17. Rom. 8.7 2. There should be no need that Christ die except only to satisfie for our breach of the Law not to purchase new grace to us by his merits and such a power should be no grace of Christ. If it be a supernaturall grace merited by Christ then have Pagans and all the Heathen that supernaturall inherent grace to beleeve in the Son of God and yet the object thereof the Gospel is not revealed to them which is an incongruous dispensation not warranted by the Scripture that the Lord should give a supernaturall power to beleeve they know not what 2. A supernaturall power to beleeve is saving grace and a power to love Christ and can saving grace be in Pagans or in any and they know not of it 3. Yea sins of Pagans for which they are condemned must be the Gospel-sins for they cannot be Law-sins for if all mankind be under the Covenant of grace there can none at all be under the Law For there can be none under the Covenant
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.
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
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
pillar in the house of my God and he shall go no more out and I will write upon him the Name of my God which is New Jerusalem which cometh down out of heaven from ny God Four times he calls him his God The Lord speaks in his Type Psal. 118.28 he who comes in the Name of the Lord and is made the head of the corner Thou art my God and I will praise thee thou art my God I will exalt thee Christ is a noble example in this teaching us to ride at this â—nchor of hope thou art my God by Covenant Mic. 5.4 Christ shall feed in the Name of the Lord his God Isa. 55.4 2. Arg. Is taken from the Lords way of calling of Christ to his Office of Mediator So he who is the Lords chosen called and sent servant is either ingadged in the service by necessity of nature so that God cannot choose but he must choose and call him and he must by the same necessity of nature be chosen and called to that service or he is the Lords chosen and called servant by free agreement and consent of the Lord who calls and of the partie called which is a Covenant between Master and Servant the Lord and the sent Ambassadour who is sent the Lord the Messenger who comes with such news Now of Christ it is said Isai. 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold my chosen in whom my soul delights And of meer grace and free-free-love both God sent him and he came Joh. 3.16 1 Tim. 1.15 for by no necessity of nature was Christ sent to preach glad tidings to the meek to bind up the broken-hearted to proclaim liberty to the captives Isai. 61.1 to say to the prisoners go forth Isai. 49.9 For Isai. 42.6 I the Lord have called thee saith he in righteousnesse 7. To open the blind eyes to bring out the prisoners from the prison and them that sit in darknesse out of the prison-house Nor can we say that any thing but the good will of the Lord did conclude or determine him to send 1. To save men not Angels Heb. 2.16 2. Some men not others Joh. 15.13 14. 3. So ill deserving men as lost ones Luk. 19.10 sinners â— Tim. 1.15 Rom. 5.6.8 3. When the Lord speaks of the Covenant of grace Ezek. 37.23 he addes a word of this Covenant I will cleanse them so shall they be my people and I will be their God 24. And David my servant the son of David Christ for David was dead shall be King over them and they all shall have one Sheepherd Ezek. 34.23 I will set up one Sheepherd over them and he shall feed them even my servant David he shall feed them and he shall be their Sheepherd 24. I the Lord will be their God And Zecha 13. JEHOVAH ownes Christ as this Sheepherd as one of his hireing v. 7. Awake O sword against my Sheepherd Mal. 3.1 The Messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in behold he shall come saith the Lord of Hosts Hence this David is the Servant Sheepherd and Messenger of the Lord either by nature which cannot be said for the Man Christ is by Nature his servant but Christ-Mediatour God-Man is not so his servant or he is so by free consent on the Lords part who hires and sends him and on Christs part who graciously condescended to be hired and undertook for us which all along must be understood of no servile reward 3. Arg. Christs voluntary yeelding to the work proves this if Christ God Man willing to empty himself and take on him our nature did offer his service to God saying Sacrifice and burnt-offering thou didst not desire Psal. 40.6 Heb. 10.5 a body thou hast prepared me 7. Then said I loe I come in the volume of the book it is written of me to do thy will And if Christ-God-Man did willingly lay down his life of his own goodnesse and no man could take his life from him against his will Joh. 10 11 18. Joh. 18.5.8 Joh. 14.31 Luk. 9.51 Then is Christs free consent to be our surety and Redeemer to seek and to save us clear Matth. 20.28 Luk. 19.10 And if it pleased the Lord to bruise him Isa. 53.10 and of love to give him to the death for us Joh. 3.16 Rom. 8.3.32 Matth. 21.37 then the Lords consent that he should be our Surety Saviour and Redeemer is no lesse evident Now a mutuall agreement between JEHOVAH and the Son for one and the same undertaking is a compact and Covenant to have us saved 4. Argument is from the agreed upon giving and taking between the Father and the Son where there is a free giving of some to the Son to be ransoned and keeped upon the Fathers part and a most free closing of the Son to own and answer for the given and to lose none but to raise them up at the last Day There certainly is a Covenant gone before as Jacobs reckoning with Laban Gen. 31.39 That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee I bare the losse of it of my hand didst thou require it whether stolen by day or stolen by night 40. Thus I was in the day the drought consumed me and the frost by night and my sleep departed from mine eyes This evidently speaks a Covenant upon Labans part delivering his flock to Jacob as to a servant and sheepherd saying I contract with thee I deliver my flock to thee answer for them make an account to me of dead and living And on Jacobs part a taking burden Covenant wayes to take care of them and a Covenant-yeelding require thou at my hand old and young weak and strong of the flock I bind my self to keep them So Christ hath delivered and given to him of the Father so many by head and name Joh. 17.2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternall life to as many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as thou hast given him 12. Those that thou gavest me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have kept and none of them are lost Joh. 6.37 All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the comer to me I will in no wise cast out 39. And this is the Fathers Covenant will that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and beleeveth on him may have â—â—verlasting life and I will raise him up by Covenant and Gospel-promise at the last day And what speaketh stronger consolation then the Father gave me to the Son Christ to be saved and the Son undertook for me hath given a written band under his hand to keep me O what happinesse that I am not mine own keeper but that Christ hath given it under his hand and the Father and the Son have Covenant-wise closed and stricken hands the one having given and the other received me a-keeping 2. My soul enter thou not into their secrets who lay all peace comfort assurance of
in time nor can Christ-God will any thing in time which he did not will and consent unto from eternity therefore he was present with the Father and consented unto the designation and closed the bargain from eternity upon which account Christ had the glory of a designed Saviour with the Father before the world was and prayes that he may God-Man be glorified as touching the manifestation of that glory to Angels and men with the glory that he had with the Father before the world was Joh. 17.5 and here is an eternally closed Covenant between JEHOVAH and the Son with the consent of parties And who sees not our debt of love for a foresight and providence of pure grace Behold a designed Physician before we be sick and Christ with his own consent writing himself the repairer of the breaches before the house fall and the healer and binder up before the bones be broken 2. Christ is chosen and predestinate the head the first born of the house and of the many brethren and sayes Amen to the choise and we are chosen in him as our head and he was fore-ordained the Mediator and the Lamb before the foundation of the world was laid to be slain for our sin Hence 2. offended Justice by the breach of the Covenant of Works in all the three Persons pleads that man should die and that pleading is most just and the Law cannot be broken nor repealed The soul that sins must die Ezech. 18. the threatning Gen. 2.17 must be fulfilled 2. Mercy pleads not having a Throne higher then justice as Arminius saith that so many chosen ones may find mercy and peace calls for reconciliation to sinners 3. Infinite wisedome also requires that justice and righteousnesse under the name of mercy we comprehend free and rich grace may meet and peace and righteousnesse may kisse each other Psa. 85.11 Hence all these Attributes of glory must come forth that a Throne may be set up and a Psalm may be sung Rev. 5.12 and the thousands of thousands may cry Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisedome and strength and honour and glory and blessing 13. And every creature which is in heaven saith John and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea and all that are in them heard I saying Blessing honour and glory and power be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever Hence 1. there is no conflict between mercy and justice as Arminius saith nor any naturall desire in God to have all Angels and men saved which is hindered by justice Job sayeth truely c. 23. v. 13. He is of one minde and who can turn him from this end which he intends as if he could not compasse it to another end and what his soul desires in saving or destroying even that he doth 14. For he performeth the thing that is decreed for me and all creatures and his decrees are most free Eph. 1.11 and many such things or many the like things are with him Therefore it pleased his most free soveraign and absolute Counsell to bring forth to Angels and men to heaven and earth to sea and to all creatures the glory of justice truth mercy peace grace power wisdom Rev. 5.13 and in Christ the decreed and appointed Mediator the Lamb foâ—e ordained as Peter 1 Pet. 1.20 to be slain and who agreed to the decree and in an eternall compact took the burden upon him to fulfill that of Psal. 85.10 Mercy and Truth are met together Righteousnesse and Peace have kissed each other 11. Truth shall spring out of the earth and Righteousnesse shall look down from Heaven So that in this transaction the Father and the Son and Spirit let out to men for their salvation the glory of all thâ—se Attributes Obj. Did not the Holy Ghost also from eternity say Amen and agree to be sent by the Father and the Son to lead the Saints in all truth to sanctifie to comfort them And did not the Father and the Son from eternity decree to send the Spirit And did not the Spirit also consent to the decree before the world was And so shall there be also a Covenant between the Father and the Son sending the Spirit Joh. 14.26 Joh. 16.13 14 15. and the Spirit who is sent Ans. Every mutuall agreement between the blessed Persons concerning their actions without cannot be called a Covenant nor need we contend about names What if we say that there is some Oeconomicall and dispensatory agreement of sending and being sent yea even in the Works of Creation Redemption and Sanctification though two things stand in the way to hinder us to call such an agreement with the name of a voluntary compact or Covenant 1. It seems naturall and not voluntary that there is such an admirable order of working as the Father creates by the Son as by his eternall wisedome but yet a person a suppositum different from the Father and by the Spirit as his mighty power a third Person 2. The Son is decreed with his own consent to be the Person to empty himself to be in time cloathed with our nature and to put on the state and legall condition of a Covenant-Obeyer of God to the death the death of the crosse and is made a little lower then the Angels and this may well be called a Covenant-transaction and a course of Covenant-obedience in the Mediator which condition the Holy Ghost comes not under And what should man say when the votes of the Three carries it that our iniquities should be laid on the Son Isa. 53.6 and the Son should be sent Gal. 4.4 and he from eternity should step out Lord send me here am I to do thy will Joh. 3.13 No man no person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath ascended up to heaven but he that came down from heaven even the Son of man which is in heaven These votes of love fell not upon Angels but upon man And how should it break my rockinesse that Christ spake for me undertook for me took all my diseases upon him before I was and before my disease had being We reckon it great favour Such a man pleaded kindly and boldly for you in your absence when you was not to speak for your self As its love to provide a rich inheritance for the child not born and to fight for the sleeping child that he may not be killed when we had neither being action nor vote in Christs undertaking Obj. Such as are chosen in Christ such are foreseen beleevers when they are chosen Ans. Justly learned and pious M. Bayn denies that for God choised the noble royall Family Christ the Head and all the Branches in Him Love eternall love begins at the head descends to the off-spring But not because they are in Christ by faith and actually are foreseen believers for that is all one We were in Christ
but takes not away Covenant-mercy from the seed of Christ And the reason is from the nature of the Covenant v. 34. My Covenant I will not break c. If then the elect and chosen of Christ should fall away God should break and alter his Covenant but impossible is the latter Hence 1. the questioning of the stability of our state being once internally in Covenant with God is a reproaching of God and to make him a liar v. 35. Once have I sworn saith he by my Holinesse that I will not lie unto David Though 1. we seem to reproach our selves in questioning our state being once in Christ yet the truth is the plea is against God and his Truth and Holinesse 2. It s easier to beleeve generall truths then to beleeve particular truths in which our selves and our own actings are interested So spirituall and wilie a snare is unbelief that when we think we are unbelievly fearing our own treachery we are indeed charging treacherie and falshood upon the Holy Lord. 3. In our sinfull plea's with our own state Ah! I am casten out of his sight Psal. 31.22 Jona 2.4 we are overturning the whole Gospel and Covenant of Suretyship and Reconciliation and we say God lied to David and to his Son Christ contrair to that Psal. 89.35 Once have I sworn by my Holinesse I will not lie unto David 36. His seed shall endure for ever for the Lord once justified thee 4. We shall find our selves so selfie in contraverting with God in the matter of fact touching our selves am I in Christ Or am I an Apostate and fallen from Christ That we are more taken up with a hellish fretting for our falling in a state of condemnation then we are grieved for the injurie of unbeleef in traducing the Holy Lord with a lie There is a taste here of Judas his fierie unbelief for he complains more Mat. 27.4 I have sinned in betraying the innocent blood then that God is dishonoured and Christs love offended The grief is more for the interest of I of self that is entered in the borders of hell then that his glory who commands beleeving is overclouded It were good in such a case to go about two things 1. Be lesse moved that self is under these apprehensions lost and cast away then that the spotlesse glory of the Lord suffers What matter of me and of self in comparison of the dishonour done to God What though I and millions like me were tormented if God were not offended Now God 1. who hath bought me 2. Who hath accepted a ransone for me 3. Hath justified me 4. Hath witnessed all these is contradicted in all these and yet we complain only Ah I am fallen 2. Leave the Question concerning your self whether ye be cast away or no when you cannot come to a peaceable and quiet close about it and dwell upon the duty of fiduciall relying on Gods generall Covenant to Davids Son Christ his ingadging with him and Christ his gracious accepting of the condition 5. God sware to the Son of David for the seed that is for the whole race and gave them all to Christ and gave you among them and Christ closed with the condition though ye cannot come to application It s good to feed the soul upon the solatious thoughts I cannot apply but Christ whose egressions outgoings have been from of old from everlasting Mic. 5.2 did apply For Christs everlasting outgoings are not only his eternall generations from the Father but the decrees the sweet eternall flowings emanations and issuings of Christs holy thoughts of me of all the individualls by name of the seed given and received by Christ his eternall acts of soul-delighting thoughts of every redeemed son of man Prov. 8.30 31. Rom. 9.11 Eph. 1.4 1 Pet. 1 2. the eternall acts of love and love-thoughts to Jacob David Peter Mary c. his acts of designing you if ever you beleeved and can rub and blow up experiences under ashes Rom. 5.4 Ps. 77.6 and the thousands that stand before the Throne from eternity his actings of eternall love appointing and setting Chairs Throns Mansions and dwelling places for 〈◊〉 man and this man are so many applications of Christ to you Feed and feast upon these by beleeving the ancient Covenant and you cannot but come to quietnesse of peace in your apprehended estate CHAP. X. Christ procures the Gospel to be Preached to Reprobats but undertakes not for them A necessary distinction of the Covenant as Preached according to the approving will of God and as acted upon the heart according to the decree of God and the differences of the members The place Jer. 31. Heb. 8. This is my Covenant opened A Question it is whether Christ undertakes in the bargain with JEHOVAH for all visibly in Covenant for as is said before these in the Visible Church and their children that are baptized Magus Demas and others are in Covenant thus Act. 2.39 Ans Christ undertakes in his bargain only for the elect and undertakes that the Gospel shall be Preached to them but because many hypocrites are mixed with the Gentiles and Christ is given a light to the Gentiles Preached to a visible multitude as is foretold Isa. 49.6 Isa. 55.4 5. fulfilled Act. 13.46 47. Rom. 15.8 9 10 11 12 c. Therefore he procures to many hypocrites for whom and for whose Redemption he undertakes not that the Covenant shall be Preached by concomitancy because they are mixed with the elect not as an undertaker for them but for Church Discipline Christian Societies and to render such unexcusable Hence a necessary distinction of the Covenant of Grace The New Covenant must be considered 1. As Preached according to the approving and commanding will of God 2. As it is internally and effectually fulfilled in the elect according to the decree and the Lords will of purpose There must of necessity differences be holden forth between these two For Antinomians and legall Justitiaries miserably erre in both extremities The former will have no New Covenant in the days of the Gospel but that which is made with the elect The latter will have no New Covenant but such as is made with the whole race of mankind Pagans not excepted So Socinians Arminians Papists 1. They differ in the parties contracters The parties contracters in the Covenant Preached are God and all within the Visible Church whether Elect or Reprobate and their seed they professing the Gospel Mat. 28.19 20. Act. 2.39 40. Act. 3.25 Ye are the children of the Prophets and of the Covenant which God made to our fathers c. and they were not all the chosen of God This is against the Anabaptists also and against these who will have the Gospel-Covenant to be made with all the world But it s a rich mercy that Professours are dwelling in the work-house of the Grace of God within the Visible Church they are at the pool side near the fountain and
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
This Christ mends the broken gold ring which was broken by the first unattentive and rash Heir Adam So that now Heavens Earth Mountains Isai. 49.13 sea trees fields Psal. 96.11 12 13. are commanded to sing a Gospel-Psalm of joy because Christ the new King and Restorer of all is come to the Throne yea let the stoods clap their hands Psal. 98.9 and he purposes to purge with fire the great Pest-house infected with sin and under bondage of corruption Rom. 8.21 2 Pet. 3.10 11. that he may set up the new world in Gospel-beauty the new heavens and the new earth 2 Pet. 3.13 Isai. 65.17 Isai. 66.22 Rev. 21.1 Oh what a life to have a cottage and a little yard of herbs in that new World and how base to be but Citizens of this World CHAP. XII The condition and Properties of the Covenant of Redemption Q. WHat need is there of any condition to be performed by Christ or of any Covenant Ans. The same Question may be of the need of an oath to Christ Psal. 110. The Lord hath sworn and will not repent Thou art a Priest c. 2. The same necessity in regard of infinite wisedome that our Redeemer should be obedient to the death of the Crosse Phil. 2.8 and be under the Law Gal. 4.4 and keep his Fathers Commandements and abide in his love Joh. 15.10 requires also a Covenant of obedience upon the part of Christ-Man for all men being born under the Law and Covenant of Works Christ-Man also must be under the same And then Christ the Mediator was to give obedience to a particular Commandement of laying down his life for sinners and this required an ingadgement by way of Covenant and so a condition of obedience to perform what this peculiar Law of Suretyship required of him to wit to lay down his life 3. It s not a condition of indifferency which is required of Christ such as is required of Adam in which there is a hazard of failing and coming short of the reward Adams Covenant had both threatnings and promises and so hath our Covenant of Reconciliation though in another way see Psal. 89.30 31 32. But the Covenant of Suretyship hath promises most large that are made to Christ but no threatnings are laid before the Man-Christ that are to be read in the Scripture There was no hazard nor possibility in regard of the Personall Union that Christ could sin yea in regard that Christ from the womb was both a Traveller a Viator and an enjoyer and Comprehensor and had the Spirit above measure from his birth as Man he had gifted to him the confirming grace which is now given to the Elect Angels in their Head Christ And therefore there was somewhat like a condition necessary and as the members enter to glory through obedience so also the Covenanted Head Luk. 24.26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter in to his glory Q. 2. What was the speciall condition of the Covenant of Suretyship Ans. The Covenant being a bargain of buying a people to God then the payed price and ransone must be the duely formall condition As for obedience to the Morall Law it was the condition of the Covenant of Works to which the Man Christ as Man was oblidged that he might have right to Law-justification and life eternall jure merito foederali operum by the Law and federall merite I mean merite by paction and faithfull Law-promise not of condignitie of the Covenant of Works that he might be saved But this Law-holinesse had influence in that most solemn act of obedience in offering himself a sacrifice to death for our sins And the Law-holinesse of the Man Christ did not exclude supernaturall grace as the Law-holinesse of Adam for it was the perfect conformity of Christs nature his soul understanding will affections and all his actions internall and externall with the holy Law of God Hence the heart and inclinations of Christ stood ever right and stright to the Law He exercised no affection in puris naturalibus his anger came not out in pure naturall anger and no more but it came out in acts of zeal Nor his joy in pure naturall joy though sinlesse but in joy of the Holy Ghost And in the whole Man Christ was a perfect masse and as it were a compleat body of all gracious qualifications Isai. 11. He received the Spirit of knowledge and was ignorant of nothing he ought to know Disputed with the Doctors being of twelve years old The world knew not his School or Teacher Hence his wisedome and practicall understanding of the Law of God and practicall conclusions He had the Spirit of counsel as the greatest of Statesmen for Government Isa. 52.13 Behold my Servant shall deal prudently And so when we are in perplexities and know not what to do he can lead the blind in a way they know not Isai. 11.1 2. He hath the Spirit of might and courage an undantoned Spirit yet conjoined with counsell no fool hardinesse but the resolute ventoriousnesse of faith Isai. 42.4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged Heb. broken till he have set judgement in the earth Our softnesse of unbeleef at the blowing of a feather or stirring of a leaf brings on falling of Spirit and swooning He hath the boldnesse of faith to beleeve victory before the battell Isa. 50.9 Lo they all shall wax old as a garment the moth shall eat them up He hath hope from the womb Psal. 22.9 Thou art he that took me out of the womb thou didst make me hope when I was in my mothers breasts And for the joy set before him he endured the crosse and despised the shame Heb. 12.2 And the Spirit of the fear of the Lord made him quick in understanding that is the high and reverent apprehensions of God made him quick to smell or sent so the word imports the snares and temptations in the work of Redemption plotted by men and devils So excelled he in righteousnesse which as a girdle went about his loines both in judging and in discharging the trust put upon him by the Lord who laid the key of David and the Government upon his shoulder his obedience to his Father and continuing in his love Joh. 15.10 and thirsting to do the will of the Father Joh. 4.34 His zeal to his Fathers house should be a fair coppie for us to follow He was meeknesse it self Isa. 53.7 1 Pet. 2.23 24. much in praying beleeving rejoicing in spirit Luk. 6.12 Psal. 16.9 10 11. tender to the weak of the flock Isa. 40.11 He shall feed his flock like a sheepherd he shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosome and he shal gently lead these that are with young Isa. 42.2 He shall not cry nor lift up a shout nor cause his voice to be heard in the street 3. A bruised reed shall he not
perfect satisfaction once given and as a pledge and hostage of peace and Christs appearing for us for ever is an allusion to the Ambassadours sent by forrain Princes who standing in Court before the Prince they are sent unto are speaking tokens that the confederacie of peace stands and that no acts of hostilitie can be done by either of the States and because God is eternally and not by fits just as if he were now angry at sin and then satisfied and pacified when the satisfaction is gone therefore the Lord Christ stands in that Body and Nature in which he once suffered before God for the acquiescing of Justice for ever in the once payed ransone As also Christ remains the substantiall and naturall Head though nature be now glorified of the Mysticall glorified body for ever and of these members under the Covenant of Redemption eternally though all be done and performed in regard of the purchased redemption yet we then glorified once brake the Law and therefore cannot even then stand in our Law-righteousnesse but must stand in our Lord Jesus Christs Righteousnesse which garment shall never cast the collour nor lustre 2. That love to redeemed ones and the soul-satisfaction of Christ in his seed iâ— eternall looking back to the bargain he hath once made as Mediatour he cannot leave off to be satisfied in soul with what he hath done for that were a retracting of his love and a repenting of his royall and Princely tendernesse that as King he once did beat to his conquered subjects whom he hath made his own for ever 3. The soul of God must be eternally well pleased with his Son eternally God-Man and he stands resting in his love Zeph. 3.17 and delighting for ever in all his Sons actings and transactions in the work of Redemption if therefore God have once given to him Godâ—Man the Throne of David to raign over the house of Jacob he must make empty that Throne if he shall leave off to raign And the Angel Luk. 1. speaks of his birth and conception 31. Thou shalt bring forth a son and he shall be great and the Lord God shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David and he shall raign over the house of Jacob for ever And he speaks of the eternity of Davids Throne over Jacobs house so that as he shall be a man and he shall never lay down our nature so shall he be a King upon Davids Throne for ever and ever 4. To triumph eternally over enemies the devils Malignant opposers of his raign sin and hell is an act of a Mediatory King when head and members do both triumph no lesse then it is a part of his royall Mediatory power to crush them all and make them his foot-stool Psal. 110. But Christ and the Armies of heaven when the Marriage-Supper of the Lamb shall come shall ride upon white horses and triumph over enemies for ever Rev. 19.7 13 14 15. and the eternall living of Christ in our nature with all his is a triumphing over the grave and death 1 Cor. 15. and who can prescribe a period and an end of that triumph 5. The River of Water of Life shewed to John Rev. 22. proceeds out of the Throne of God and of the Lamb then hath the slain Lamb a Throne for 〈◊〉 v. 3. And there shall be no more curse there the Law of Works as threatning a curse shall no more be there Gal. 3.10 11 13 14. Deut. 27.26 but the Gospel-blessing shall be there and the Throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it v. 5. And they shall raign for ever and ever 6 If the glorified sit with the Lamb on a Throne as he is set down with his Father upon his 〈…〉 is promised Luk. 22.29 30. Rev. 3.21 If Christs Throne 〈◊〉 removed the Throne of the glorified cannot stand And all alongs where the state of the triumphing Church is dâ—scribed the Lord Jesus keeps the name of the Lamb in reference to the Mediatory sacrifice of the Lamb of God slain for the sins of the world Joh. 1.29 as Rev. 5. The Beasts and the Elders stand round about the Throne saying Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisedome c. Rev. 7.15 Therefore are they before the Throne and serve him night and day in his Temple and he that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them They shall hunger no more nor thirst any more 17. For the Lamb that is in the midst of them shall lead them unto the living fountains of waters Though this be expounded of the Church Militant Isa. 49.10 yet it hath not its perfect accomplishment but of the Church before the Throne for all tears are wipt from that Church only And whereas it is said that Christ acts not as Mediatour in heaven its true he acts not as now he acteth for sinners but even then the Lamb v. 17. is the midst of them and leads them when they need neither Temple nor Sun-light beside that the Lord God Almighty is their Temple Rev. 21. The Lamb is their Temple v. 22. And the Lamb is their light v. 23. Now what sort of leading and what influences of worship and light comes from the Lamb is another question And it weighs much with me that its impossible that the precious Ark Godâ—Man and the union personall can be dissolved 7. Christ saith I will be a God to the â—vercomer and he shall inherit all things Rev. 21. And if he be the God of Abraham being dead in regard of the soul that lives far more shall he be a God in an eternall Covenant with Abraham in soul and body glorified though the acts of Christs raigning and the actings of his Covenanted people must be suteable to a glorified state Come Lord Jesus FINIS Isa. 65.8 The first and second Adam Nobility self empty things The first Adam earthly we have more in the second Mortality immortality how due to Adam How life was due to Adam Adam was predestinated to life and how The Law a transient Court for a time The death threatned Genes 2.17 was according to the intent of the Threatner partly legall partly Evangelick What threatnings are and what sorts there be of them Threatnings that are pure threatnings in law show what the Law-giver may jure inflict but not what he shal actually doe and what shall come to passe Threatnings that are both threatnings and also Prophesies reveal both the deserving of the transgressor and the event What is carnall security in beleeving legal threatenings what not What Adam was to beleeve in the threatning what the lying Serpent would have him to beleeve The damned in hell not loosed from the first Command are not obliged to despair and yet are not to believe actuall deliverance What heathens are to believe The Covenant of Works is not contrair to the Gospel How the Gospel may be deduced from the Law if an
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
with God and his decrees under pretence of this what if he have not chosen me and I have no right to Covenant-mercies except I take a Law-way to earne them by fulfilling the condition 5. When we beleeve a conditionall promise if I beleeve I am saved faith relyes not fiducially upon the if I beleeve or upon the condition It s a weak pillar to a sinner to stay his unquiet heart upon to wit his own beleeving but faith rests upon the connexion if thou beleeve thou shalt be saved and it stayes upon the connexion as made sure by the Lord who of grace gives the condition of beleeving and of grace the reward conditioned so that faith binds all the weight upon God only even in conditionall Gospel-promises 1. Man is to be considered as a creature 2. As such a creature to wit endued with reason and the Image of God in either considerations especially in the former all that are created are obliged to do and suffer the will of God though they never sinned It s not enough to say that Sun Moon Trees Herbs Vines Earth Beasts Birds and Fishes cannot suffer the ill of punishment which is relative to the break of a Law for the whole Creation is subject to vanity for our sins Rom. 8.20 21. The Servant is smitten and sickened for the Masters sake and God may take from them what he gave them their lives without sense of pain and dollour for all beings yea defects and privations are debters to the glory declarative of God Prov. 16.4 Rom. 11.36 yea and no beings are under this debt God can serve himself of nothing yea that there are not created Locusts Caterpillars more numerous then that all the fruits of the earth can be food to them Preach the Glory of the Lords goodnesse to man and what are never to be no lesse then all things that have futurition or shall come to passe either absolutely or conditionally are under the positive decree of God else we should not owe thanks to the Lord for many evils that never fall out that the Lord turns away violent death violence of men and wilde beasts and many possible mischiefs contrair to Deut. 28.11 12. Lev. 26.6 Psal. 34.20 Psal. 91.5 6 7 8. And all these beings or no beings owe themselves to God to hold forth the glory of goodnesse wisedome mercy justice c. suppone there had never been sin Far more now who wants matter of meditation or can write a book of all the pains aâ—kings convulsions pests diseases that the Lord decreed to hold off so that every bone joynt lith hair member should write a Psalm Book of praises Psal. 35.10 All my bones shall say Lord Who is like unto thee Nor can any man write his debts of this kind But we are little affected with the negatives of mercies except we read them upon others and little then also Self-pain Preacheth little to us far more the borrowed experience of fallen Angels of Sodom of the old world c. leaves small impression upon stony spirits 2. Complain not that you have not that share of grace another hath if ye you think had it you would be as usefull to glorifie God as they but ye know not your self swell not against him that thou hast no grace O vessell of wrath thou owes that bit clay and all thy wants to glorifie his Justice 3. My sicknesse my pain my bands owe themselves to God and are debtors to his glory I and every one of men should say O that my pain might praise him and my hell and flamings of everlasting fire might be an everlasting Psalm of the Glory of his Justice That my sorrow could sing the Glory of so High a Lord But we love rather that he wanted his praise so we wanted our pain 3. God hath made a sort of naturall Covenant with night and day Jer. 31.35 For all are his servants Psal. 119.91 that they should be faithfull to their own naturall ends to act for him Ier. 5.22 Ier. 31.37 Psal. 104.1 2 3.4 and they are more faithfull to their ends then men Isa. 1.3 Ier. 8.7 The oxe and the asse being more knowing to their owner and the swallow and the cran being more discerning of their times then men are 2. They so keep their line that there is more self-deniall in their actings then in mans way as if fire were not fire and nature in it denied the fire devours not the three Children Dan. 3.27 28 The Sun stands still the Moon moves not Iosh. 10.12 13. The hungry Lions eat not Daniel ch 6.22 When the Lord gives a counter-command to them and that is a clause in the Covenant that the Lord entered with them that they act or no act as he shall be pleased to speak to them John 2.10 Isa. 50.2 Mat. 8.16 It is a most humbling Theame that an asse is more in denying nature and the cran and the fire then man yea then a renued man in some cases 4. But if man be considered as such a man endued with the Image of God and withall the Covenant be considered as such a Covenant as is expressed in the Ten-Commandements in which one of seven is a Sabbath to the Lord it will be found that many positives Morall are in the Covenant of Works that are not in naturall Covenants 5. So man must come under a three-fold consideration 1. As a creature 2. As a reasonable creature 3. As such a creature reasonable endued with the image of God In the first consideration man comes under the Covenant naturall common to all creatures So is Peters body carried above in the water as iron swims 2. As a reasonable creature he owes himself to God to obey so far as the Law written in the heart carries him to love God trust in him fear him But this can hardly bear the name of a Covenant except it be so called in a large sense nor is there any promise of life as a reward of the work of obedience here 3. But man being considered as indued with the Image of God so the Holy God made with him a Covenant of life with Commandements though positive and Morall yet not deduced from the Law of Nature in the strictest sense as to observe such a Sabbath the seventh from the Creation the not eating of the forbidden tree and with a promise of such a life And therefore though Divines as our solid and eminent Rollock call it a Covenant naturall as it is contradistinguished from the supernaturall Covenant of Grace and there is good reason so to call it Yet when it is considered in the positives thereof it is from the free will of God and though it be connaturall to man created according to the Image of God yet the Covenant came so from the Lords wisedom and free-will as he might have casten it in a new and far other frame And it cannot be denyed though it be most
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
Commandement of love Q. 2. Doth the Lord Mediator in the Covenant of Grace command the same good works to all thâ— same way Ans. Rom. 3.19 The Lord in the Law must speak one way to these that are under the Law that is under the jurisdiction and condemning power of the Law and a far other way to these that are not under the Law CHRIST speaks to reprobats in the Visible Church even when the matter of the command is Evangelick as to non-confederates of grace in a Law way and in a Law intention For he cannot bid them obey upon any other ground then legislative authority not upon the ground of Redemption-love bestowed on them or that he died out of love to save all and every one For we disclaim that ground or because he died out of a speciall design to save them as his chosen ones For there is no ground for that untill we beleeve But they are to obey upon the ground of Redemption-love so they first beleeve and fiducially rely upon Christ the Saviour of all But he commands Law-obedience to his chosen even as Mediator 1. Upon a Gospel intention to chase them to Christ Gal. 3.23 2. When they are come to bâ—dge them in with Law-threatning to adhere in a Godly fear more closely to Christ. But the Lord commands no beleever to believe hell in the event to be their reward but to beleeve perseverance and life but hell in the deserving Hence that 1 Tim. 1.9 The Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not made for the righteous to condemn them as if God thereby opened up to them their doom but for the lawlesse c. to let them be damned and see their damnation CHAP. XXII The differences in the promise of the Covenants Quest. WHat is the speciall difference of the promise of the two Covenants Ans. It is known that only life eternall is promised in the Law if a right to the things of this life was promised to Adam it is like he behoved to compleat his course of obedience and merit a right legall to the herbs and fruit of the earth beside the right he had by gift of Creation ex dono Creatoris non jure operum But 2. There was no promise made to Adam of perseverance and so no promise made to him of influences to work in Adam to will and to do so the influences by which he obeyed was purum donum Creatoris a meer gift of the Creator not a gift of either the grace of Christ or a promised grace though in a large sense it may be called a grace or donum gratis datum For God gave that influence upon no obligation Now that it was not a grace promised is evident by Adams fall for God who is true fulfills his promises 2. Augustine and our Divines teach Dedit Deus posse ut vellet non velle ut posset a power to stand but not the gift of actuall perseverance If any say that the Lord promised to Adam perseverance conditionally which in one sense is true in another false if he pleased in that he gave to him all necessaries required for actuall standing Ans. 1. This is to teach that perseverance was promised the same way in the Covenant of Works that Arminius saith it is promised in the Covenant of Grace and that the free-will was absolute lord of standing and falling and to deny God to be the nearest cause of our standing and persevering in either the one or the other and to bid us first and last sacrifice to our own free-will 2. Willing perseverance actuall cannot be promised conditionally for the question should be Upon what condition doth the Lord promise to work in Adam actual perseverance if he should be willing to persevere But the question shall remain whether that willingnesse to persevere since it is the greatest part if not whole perseverance be promised or not If it be not promised the contrair whereof they hold if it be promised conditionally the question shall recur what shall be the condition and another condition then the willingnesse of the will to persevere cannot be given and so the argument shall rise against it self and the issue must be God gave to Adam actuall perseverance if he should be willing to persevere that is he gives to Adam perseverance if he give him perseverance for willingnesse to persevere is perseverance or a very large part thereof 3. But persevering grace and so influence of grace to persevere is promised in the Covenant of Grace Jer. 31.35 that they shall continue in Covenant more sure then the night and the day Jer. 32.40 I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me The meaning cannot be I will give them a power never to depart from me if they will For so nothing is more promised in Christ to the second Adams heirs then to Adam and the Angels that fell for the like say they was promised to them And 2. If notwithstanding of that fear both promised and put in the heart and in the will yet lubrick free-will may stand or fall and remain indifferent to either then the sense shall be thus I will make an everlasting Covenant I will put my fear in their heart by which they may either depart from me and turn apostates or not depart from me but persevere But so the Covenant made with Adam and the fallen Angels should be an everlasting Covenant and yet it was broken For the Image of God of it self inclined Adam and the fallen Angels never to depart from God For sure Adams fear being a part of that Image which sanctified his affections inclined him but not undeclinably and immutably not to depart from God and not to hearken to the lying Serpents suggestions But it is not that new Covenant-fear promised and given in the second ADAM Ier. 32.39 40. 4. That these influences were purchased by Christs death is clear because they are the nearest causes of our actuall believing and coming to Christ of faith and perseverance that are given freely and repentance and faith are given of Christ Acts. 5.31 Zech. 12.10 2 Tim. 2.25 Phil. 1.29 Ephes. 2.1 2 3. Ezek. 36.26 27. Eph. 1.17 18 19 20. John 6.44 45. 5. So obedience to the Covenant of Works was Adams own 2. And came from his concreated self the Image of God that was his own by a common influence and neither was the Image of God nor the influences of God acts of free grace or the purchase of grace properly so called 2. Adam had a Law-claim to the Crown without sin if he had continued in obedience and did merite ex pacto life eternall our new Covenant obedience in habituall and actuall performance is so a duty that it is also promised and a benefite merited to us by the death of Christ whereas Adams obedience was purum officium non officium promissum as our Gospel-obedience is 6. Hence in obedience distinguish two