creature presuppose innocent is called Grace because it is impossible that a meer creature can properly merit any good thing of God because the creature neither hath nor can have that which it hath not received Rom. 11. 35. who hath first given to Him and it shall be recompenced to him again Sometime Grace is taken for every gift or good bestowed by God upon the ill deserver in which sense gists common to elect and reprobat are called by the name of Grace Rom. 1. 5. Ephes. 4. 7. Sometime Grace is taken in opposition to the pactioâ—all merit of works or to the reward due by debt covenanted as Rom. 4. 4. To him that worketh the reward is not reckoned of grace but of debt In which sense that which is given for works is not given of grace Rom. 11. 16. and in this sense we take Grace as it is opposed to the covenant of works for the condition of the covenant of works is the giving perfect obedience to the law But the condition of the covenant of grace is the receiving of Christ by faith unto righteousnesse and life offered in the Gospel without the works of the law which covenant may thus be described The covenant of grace is a contract between God and men procured by Christ upon these tearms that whosoever in the sense of their own sinfulnesse shall receive Christ Jesus offered in the Gospel for righteousnesse and life shall have Him and all the benefits purchased by Him according to the covenant of Redemption and that God will be his God and the God of his children This covenant of grace is founded upon the covenant of Redemption past between God and Christ wherein it was agreed that all the elect given unto Christ shall be reconciled in due time to God and that to this end this grace should be preached to bring about the reconciliation and therefore Christ is called the Mediatour of the new covenant Heb. 12. 22. Of Infants interest in this Covenant Quest. WHat interest have infants in this covenant Ans. The same which they had since the first expresse and formall making thereof with Abraham to whom God promised to be his God and the God of his children whose children all are who are in Christ Gal. 3. 27 28 29. For of the redeemed some come to age whom God having called by the preaching of the Gospel doth induce and effectually move to embrace solemnly the offered fellowship with God and his saints in Christ and to consecrat themselves and their children unto the service of God There are other redeemed ones who die in their infancy before they come to the use of reason to whose salvation God hath expresse respect in making his covenant with their parents that he will not have them excluded from the blessing when he calls their parents to him but in the common offer of grace and reconciliation by Christ he makes the promise jointly to the parents and the children for in one sentence and as it were with one breath He saith I will be thy God and thy seeds after thee Gen. 15. 17. whereof the Apostle maketh good use Acts 2. 39. declaring the promise to be made to the Jews and their children and to the called Gentiles and their children And upon this ground Paul and Silas timeously did offer consolation to the Jailour trembling and anxious what way he should be saved Acts 16. 31. saying Believe in Christ Iesus and thou shall be saved thou and thy house As for the maner how the Lord dealeth with the souls of infants in converting them the Scripture doth not speak for this lieth among the secrets of God which doth not concern us to search after Deut. 29. 29. It should be sufficient to us that God in covenanting with the parents promiseth to be the God of their children And according to this covenant the Lord complains of their staying and offering their children unto idols calling them His own sons and daughters Ezek. 16. 20. and upon this ground in the second command the Lord promiseth to shew mercy to the thousand generation of believing parents and 1 Cor. 7. 14. the Apostle doth call the children of one of the parents believing holy children because of their consecration unto God by the believing confederat parent and in regard of Gods right and interest in them as the children of His own family by covenant And Christ our Lord upon this ground doth call the children of confederat parents burgesses of heaven of such is the kingdom of heaven Matth. 19. 13 14. and because infants are dedicat to Christ to be taught and governed by Him in His own way and order they are called disciples Acts 15. 10. as the disputers for the circumcision of Christians children as well as of their parents after the law of Moses do make it manifest and in the institution of baptism our Lord gives the priviledge of the covenant unto every nation no lesse then to the Iews that by covenant whole nations might be drawn in and given up as disciples to His doctrine Matth. 28. 29. make all nations disciples by your doctrine baptizing them c. that the children with the parents might be partakers by baptism of the seal of the covenant for the righteousnesse of faith no lesse then the children of Israelites were by circumcision Of the means to draw on the making of this covenant OF these means we have spoken in the fourth article of the covenant of Redemption and need not to insist more about them then to name them The first mean to draw men into this blessed covenant and to keep them in it is the externall revelation of the will of God for teaching men how great their sin and misery is and how they may be reconciled and delivered by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and how they may testifie their thankfulnesse being reconciled for such a mercy which grounds of saving knowledge are fully and faithfully set down in holy Scripture and committed to His servants in the ministry who should in preaching of the Gospel inform and perswade men to repent and imbrace the grace of Christ and put on His sweet yoke of obedience upon them The second mean is after application of the Lords word to the hearers for convincing them of sin in them and righteousnesse in Christ and judgement to follow to wit of absolution of the believer and of condemnation of such as believe not To receive into the bond of this covenant of grace all that appear seriously to consecrat themselves and their children to the faith and obedience of the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ without determining whether they be regenerat for the present or not The third mean is the solemn sealing of this covenant for righteousnesse of faith and salvation through Christ by baptizing both the parents that accept the covenant and their children also and by exhortations promises and comminations and all other arguments which may more and more
altogether Ans. We answer with the Apostle vers 20. Nay but O man who art thou that replyeth against God whether dost thou compear procuratour for the reprobat and for Satan the enemy of God to quarrell and dispute with God anent his righteous decrees If thou wilt avow this we leave thee and all such proud and presumptuous misbelievers of plain doctrine to reckon with your Judge But if thou speak only for thy self we shall let thee see that this doctrine shall not hinder thee from repentance If then thou shalt say I will not dispute against God but do desire earnestly to be satisfied about my self for I believe that many are reprobat and few are chosen and my fear is that I be found of the worst sort and do not know how to rid my self of my doubts and fears For answer we shall deal with thee in a friendly maner and first we put thee in remembrance that God hath served an inhibition on all men not to medle with the secret counsell of God Deut. 29. 29. The secret things belong to the Lord our God but these things that are revealed belong unto us and our children for ever Therefore do not hearken to this suggestion but go about thy duty We ask then first art thou convinced of thy sin and ill deserving If thou say I am a sinner and cannot answer for one of a thousand of my by gone sins for which God may justly and I fear he shall in effect reject me we answer unto thee it is to good purpose that thou are so far convinced of sin as to judge thy self worthy of death and utter exterminion from his mercy mean time be comforted thus far that thou art not of the number of those who confide in their own righteousnesse nor of the number of them who trust in their own strength or power of their free-will We ask again doth thy by gone life displease thee and wouldst thou have thy sins forgiven and thy self reconciled with God doth Christ offering himself in the Gospel please thy soul when thou hearest from his word that he craveth nothing of thee save that thou welcome his offer and consecrat thy self to him that so in him thou mayest have righteousnesse and sanctification and salvation If thou answer that the searcher of hearts knoweth thy hearty desire to be reconciled to God in Christ to live before him hereafter as a reconciled child there is good hope of salvation for such a one as thou art Thirdly we say seing thou hast heard the law convincing thee of sin and hast believed Gods word so far why dost thou not believe him also when in the Gospel thou hearest his offer and call unto all self-condemned sinners to come unto Christ and rest their weary souls upon him who hath excepted thee from the embracing of mercy offered in Jesus Christ look therefore what his word saith to all sinners flying for refuge unto Christ who is the hope set before sinners and leave him not whatsoever be thy fears for he that hungereth and thirsteth for righteousnesse through Christ shall be satisfied CHAP. VII For a further clearing and confirmation of the doctrine about the three Covenants from Jer. 31. and Heb. 8. THe prophet Ieremiah giveth us a short compend of the former doctrine anent these three covenants chap. 31. vers 31. c. whereof the Apostle giveth a clear commentary Heb. 8. vers 6 7. c. As to the covenant of Redemption it is here presupponed to be past as the Apostle expounding this place of Ieremiah giveth us to understand while he sheweth us that the covenant of grace was no other wayes purchased then by the Mediation of our Lord Jesus transacting about the covenant of Redemption with the Father And that he may give us to understand this 1. Christ is called the Mediatour of a better covenant Heb. 8. to wit of the covenant of Grace 2. The covenant of Grace is designed by the name of a Testament which giveth us to understand that Christ the Mediatour did not obtain the making of this covenant on a lesse price then the laying down of his life that all the benefits contained in these better promises might first be his goods to dispone upon as he pleased and that he being resolved to die did make his Testament and leave them all in legacy to the redeemed his heirs and assigneys designed from eternity 3. The Mediatour making his Testament is called Iehovah not a meer man but God to be incarnat making an unchangeable Latter-will or Testament which of necessity required the death of the Testatour that it might be ratified Heb. 9. 15 16. and the death of a Testatour not a meer man but the Son of God to be incarnat and to die who had life in himself that he might lay down his life and take it up again 4. The goods which he purchased according to the covenant of Redemption and left in legacy to his heirs are all and every blessing which do belong to godlinesse and life eternall as remission of sin and writting of the law in their hearts c. 5. The redeemed and designed heirs are not all and every man but the elect only these that were to be saved only and who were to be effectually called and indued with the saving knowledge of God who from the least to the greatest were all of them to know the Lord not such as were the reprobat fathers nor their unbelieving children but the chosen society of the Israel of God and of Christs family the house of Iudah which is the tribe of Christ for the Apostle doth extend these promises unto the covenant between God and the elect to be gathered under the Evangel unto Christ out of Jews and Gentiles As to the covenant of works it is certain first that God made a covenant of grace in substance and upon the mater with the fathers that were brought out of Egypt as we may gather from the consideration of the parties and articles of that covenant for albeit God repeated the covenant of works and declared the force of the law for binding the curse upon all transgressours thereof yet he did presse the law on them in order unto their reconciliation by the sacrifice of the Lamb of God to be in due time offered up and did teach them that Christ was the end of the law for righteousnesse to every one that believed 2. It is certain that in the framing of this covenant of grace between God and the visible Church of the fathers God did make the promises of righteousnesse and eternall life and spirituall blessings under the vail of temporall types upon conditions more hard and difficile in appearance then the new covenant doth require for this the Apostle sheweth to us plainly Heb. 8. 6. 3. It is certain that the un-believing Fathers did not take up nor understand the covenant of Grace but turned it over in a covenant of Works which is manifest by
sort of men the Lord doth speak Deut. 29. 18 19. shewing that he makes his covenant with his people lest there should be among you saith he a root that beareth gall and wormwood And it come to pass when he heareth the words of this curse that he bless himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my own heart to add drunkenness to thirst It is possible few shall be found so impudent as that they dar in expresse termes professe this their mis-belief of Gods justice yet they are not a few who foster this error in their heart who having as it were made a Covenant with death and hell are far from fearing to perish in their sins In this sort are all they to be ranked who conceive that all the threatnings in the Scripture are given forth to the intent that men being bridled by terrors might compose themselves to a more humane and social life among others who lest they should seem Atheists in word do cry up Gods mercy bounty and love to man so as they make small reckoning of the Lords truth and justice even as if the justice of God in punishing rebels could not consist with his mercy to the penitent or as if the end of creating man could not be obtained if obstinat sinners be destroyed 2. The main cause of such error is an obstinat purpose to walk after the counsel and imagination of their own heart and because they cannot quiet their conscience in following their own wayes except in promising to themselves impunity in their sinning they presume confidently to go on in their own wayes against all threatenings and so do blow their consciences blind Such profane presumption although it deserveth to be beaten with a rod rather then to be reasoned with yet let the Pastor deal with the presumer as he ought to do with other desperat like sinners and in the first place let him propose for remedy of this evil what the Lord doth speak against such a person Deut. 29. 20. The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against that man and all the curses that are written in this book shall lye upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven And as he findeth this work upon him So let him deal with him 2. Some are near of kindred to such persons who do not reject all threatenings yet do think in their heart that none are in danger except grosse flagitious and notorious sinners but as to themselves they conceive because they are not the worst of men they are without the reach of divine justice especially if their conversation be according to humane laws so regulated as they have the reputation of honest neighbours With such men Christ dealeth Luk. 13. 1 2 5. when word came concerning the Galileans whose blood Pilaâ— mixed with their sacrifices Christ saith to them Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all Galileans because they suffered these things I tell you nay but except ye repent you shall all likewise perish This is the remedy prescribed by Christ to such men 3. Some there are who hope to be absolved before God and do absolve themselves in their own conscience by their good works and obedience done to the law Of this sort was Paul before his conversion who till the time that the spiritual light of the law brake in upon his mind and killed the conceit of his own inherent righteousnesse was no mean man in his own eyes Rom. 7. 9. Such was the rich young man in the Gospel who said to Christ that he had keeped all the commands from his youth up till Christ did prove him a covetous Idolater who put a higher price on his riches then upon Christ and the kingdom of heaven Such were the Pharisees who by their obedience to the law such as it was doubted nothing to absolve themselves and that God should absolve them also But that the met-yaird should be no longer then their cloath or the law of further extent then their imagined possible practice they admitted no metonymie or figurative speech in the law whereby under one branch of a duty commanded all duties of that kind are comprehended and all faults contrary to the duty are forbidden As for example they counted not the sixth command to be violat except the man did take away his neighbours life nor the seventh command broken except by grosse adultery and violation of the marriage-bed nor the eighth command transgressed except another mans goods were openly or privately taken away whose mistake Christ doth correct Matth. chap. 5. and 6. 2. Such men as those are far from repentance far from humbling themselves before God and seeking remission of sin through Christ for they are ignorant of the righteousnesse of the Gospel by faith in Jesus Christ and of the way of coming to ability for doing any acceptable work by faith in Christ and therefore they go about to establish their own righteousnesse Rom. 10. 3. and 9. 31. 32. The false ground which they do lay for their own absolution is this they think to be justified by their works against which ground the Apostle hath pronounced condemnatory sentence Rom. 3. 20. By the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in Gods sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin 3. With this sort we may joyn these who not only come short of the obedience due to the law but also are in conscience convicted of many transgressions of the Lords law yet they conceive that God will not exact of them or of any man who is about to obey his law more then the man can in the common infirmity of flesh overtake and do perswade themselves that God will be satisfied with all them in whom is a willingnesse to obey the law their false ground which they lay is this that God will accept a mans will for the deed And to this purpose they do abuse the Scriptures Isa. 1. 19 If you be willing and obedient you shall eat the good things of the land And 2 Cor. 8. 12. If there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not 4. But here is their error whereupon they purchase from their conscience mis-informed an unwarrantable absolution first they lay down for a ground that they must be justified by works 2. Because they know they do come and shall come short in obedience they turn the condition of the covenant of works into other terms then God hath appointed and make the will of a man to obey the law so far as he is able to be the condition of the covenant which God disclaimeth 3. They deceive themselves in this that what is spoken to converted believers in Jesus Christ already justified by faith aiming at new obedience they do apply to themselves lying under the curse
due to us in full measure but also because that which Christ suffered in the point of torment and vexation was in some respect of the same kind with the torment of the damned for in the punishment of the damned we must necessarily distinguish these three things 1. the perverse disposition of the mind of the damned in their sufferings 2. the duration and perpetuity of their punishment and 3. the punishment it self tormenting soul and body The first two are not of the essence of punishment albeit by accident they are turned into a punishment for the wickednesse vilenesse and unworthinesse of the damned who neither will nor can submit themselves to the punishment and put the case they should submit are utterly unable to make satisfaction for ever do make them in a desperat dolefull condition for ever though obstinat sinners do not apprehend nor believe this but go on in treasuring up wrath against themselves pleasing themselves in their own dreams to their own endlesse perdition Of these three the first two could have no place in Christ Not the first because He willingly offered Himself a sacrifice for our sins and upon agreement payed the ransom fully Not the second because He could no longer be holden in the sorrows of death then He had satisfied Justice and finished what was imposed on Him and His infinit excellency made His short suffering to be of infinit worth and equivalent to our everlasting suffering The third then remaineth which is the reall and sensible tormenting of soul and body in being made a curse for us and to feel it so in His reall experience And what need we question hellish pain where pain and torment and the curse with felt wrath from God falleth on and lyeth still till Justice be satisfied Concerning which it is as certain that Christ was seased upon by the dolours of death as it is certain in Scripture that He could not be holden of the sorrows of death Acts. 2. 24. Quest. But what interest had Christ God-head in His humane sufferings to make them both so short and so precious and satisfactory to Justice for so many sins of so many sinners especially when we consider that God cannot suffer Ans. Albeit this passion of the humane nature could not so far reach the God-head of Christ that it should in a physicall sense suffer which indeed is impossible yet these sufferings did so affect the person that it may truly be said that God suffered and by His blood bought His people to Himself Acts 20. 28. for albeit the proper and formall subject of physicall suffering be only the humane nature yet the principall subject of sufferings both in a physicall and morall sense is Christs person God and man from the dignity whereof the worth and excellency of all sort of sufferings the merit and the satisfactory sufficiency of the price did flow And let it be considered also that albeit Christ as God in His God-head could not suffer in a physicall sense yet in a morall sense He might suffer and did suffer for in as much as He being in the form of God and without robbery equall to God did demit His person to assume humane nature and empty Himself so far as to hide His glory and take on the shape of a servant and expose Himself willingly to all the contradiction of sinners which He was to meet with and to all railings revilings contempt despisings and calumnies shall it seem nothing and not enter in the count of our Lords payment for our debt Obj. But how could so low a downthrowing of the Son of man or of the humane nature assumed by Christ consist with the Majesty of the person of the Son of God Ans. We must distinguish in Christ these things which are proper to either of the two natures from these things which are ascribed to His person in respect of either of the natures or both the natures for infirmity physicall suffering or mortality are proper to the humane nature The glory of power and grace and mercy and superexcellent Majesty and such like are proper to the Deity but the sufferings of the humane nature are so far from diminishing the glory of the divine nature that they do manifest the same and make it appear more clearly for by how much the humane nature was weakned depressed and despised for our sake by so much the love of Christ God and man in one person toward man and His mercy and power and grace to man do shine in the eyes of those that judiciously look upon Him Obj. But seing Christs satisfaction for sinners doth not stand in any one part of His doings and sufferings but in the whole and intire precious pearl and compleet price of His whole obedience from His incarnation even to the death of His crosse how cometh it to passe that in Scripture the whole expiation of our sins is ascribed so oft to His passion and particularly to His blood Ans. This cometh to passe 1. Because the certainty and verity of His assumed humane nature and the certainty of His reall suffering and the fulfilling of all the leviticall sacrifices did most evidently appear unto sense in the effusion of His blood 2. Because the expression of His sufferings both in soul and body appeared in the effusion of His blood for in the garden while His body was not as yet touched or hurt by man from the meer pains of His soul drops of blood fell down out of all His body to the earth 3. Because His blood-sheding and death was the last act of compleeting the payment of the ransom to the Father for us which payment began in His humble incarnation and went on through all His life and was compleeted in His bloodshed and death whereof our Lord gave intimation on the crosse when He cryed as triumphantly victorious it is finished The use of this article of the covenant of Redemption WE have at some length spoken of the price of Redemption and of Christs defraying the debt by His passion 1. That hereby the merit of our sins may the more clearly be seen 2. That the sublimity and excellency of divine Majesty offended by sin may appear 3. That we may behold the severity of Gods justice till He have satisfaction and reparation in some sort of the injuries done to Him 4. That the admirable largenesse of Gods mercy may be acknowledged and wondered at For in the price of Redemption payed as in a mirror we may see how greatly the Lord hateth sin how great His love is to the world in sending his Son Christ amongst us how heavy the wrath of God shall lye upon them that flee not to Christs satisfaction for their delivery how great the dignity and excellency of the Lord our Redeemer is for whose cause reconciliation is granted to all that take hold of the offer of grace through him how great the obligation of believers is to love God and serve him and how
cast out and were broken off the true olive tree So also the obligation of the baptized who turn the true covenant of grace in aâ—oâ—her of their own framing doth still stand tying them to perform the condition of the true covenant and their right to the external priviledges of the confederat doth remain still in some sort even when they are inter-dyted from the honourable possession thereof by excommunication For the Apostle teacheth us that the excommunicat remain as to their ecclesiastick state albeit not as to their present ecclesiastick condition citizens and members of the Church and subject to Jurisdiction ecclesiastick and to Christs discipline because when they are judged and are under censure they are said to be within the Kirk and not without it 1 Cor. 5. 12. What have I to do to judge also them that are without do not ye judge them that are within And these that were delivered unto Sathan as to their present external condition remained notwithstanding as to their external state the domesticks of God under the discipline of God's house and were pressed by the censure laid on them to learn to cease from their sinfull course and specially from these faults for which they were censured and corrected by their excommunication 1 Tim. 1. 20. Hymeneus and Alexander were given over to Sathan that they might learn not to blaspheme that is that being humbled and brought to repentance they might return to the acknowledgement of the truth and to a reverent speaking of holy things and so the right to be counted brethren and members of the Church albeit under censure restraint and dis-respect till they repented was not taken altogether from them even under excommunication nor yet were the private duties of charity due to brethren in that fearfull condition to be altogether denied unto them even when the possession of the former honour of blamelesse brethren was taken from them for the Apostle will have them albeit excommunicat to be esteemed still censured brethren and not looked upon as enemies â— Thess. 3. 14 15. If any man obey not our word by this epistle note that man to wiâ— by putting the censure of excommunication on him and have no company with him that he may be ashamed yet count him not as an enemy but admonish him as a brother and this is so much the more carefully to be observed that the constitution of the visible Church of such and such members and the use of excommunication may be the better understood least the excommunicat being over-burdened by the sharpness of the censure should seem to themselves altogether excluded from Church-society and so despair of returning to the full possession of their priviledges but might know that the right of citizens of the city of God was reserved unto them and was to be restored by way of possession after their repentance and that they were not cut off from the Christian charity of the brethren no not when they were lying under the sentence that they might so much the sooner return to repentance and to the possession of their Ecclesiastick honour Obj. But here there ariseth a greater doubt and objection how and upon what reason God doth require the condition of faith which men cannot perform except it be given of God as the Apostle testifieth Ephes. 2. 8. you are saved of grace by faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Ans. The equity of the duty required doth not depend upon mens present power or strength of whom the condition is required but upon this ground that ability was given to Adam and to his posterity in him for all injoyned service and so the duty of believing in Christ is founded upon mans naturall obligation to obey the morall law for by vertue of the first command Adam was bound and we in him not only to believe the word of God already revealed unto him but to believe also every word of God to be revealed and he was bound to give unto God the glory of all his attributes not only of these which already did shew forth themselves in his works but also of these attributes which as yet did not put forth themselves in actuall exercise for as it cannot be denied that man was bound to give God the glory of his avenging justice upon his threatning to inflict the punishment of death in case man should sin albeit he could not see the execution of it before he fell So also it is manifest he was bound to give God the glory of his goodnesse and mercy albeit no object of shewing mercy was yet to be found and that partly because it was his duty to give the glory of all perfections unto God whereof mercy is one and partly upon the experience he had of Gods manifested goodnesse in his creation and Gods making a covenant with him about eternall life upon so easie and equitable tearms upon the same ground even after the fall Adam was bound not to despair nor flye nor hide himself from God from whom it was impossible he could escape It cannot then be reasonably denied but man by the law of nature is bound to give credit to God when he speaketh and bound to trust in God when He offereth himself as a friend and a father to him and when God bids him seek his face he is bound to obey him and seek his face and to follow after more and more near communion with him It is true indeed that Adam in his integrity could not formally and actually believe in God as a Redeemer partly because this mystery was not yet revealed partly because he not having yet sinned had not need of a Redeemer or of remission of sin but yet the power and ability of believing in God according as God should let forth his will and the power to adhere unto God and rest on his goodnesse and good-will was given to man in his creation for this perfection was a part of the image of God wherein man was created even as the habit of shewing mercy on the miserable though such an object was not to be found while man continued in the state of innocency was a part of that original holinesse in him and if this ground hold not sinners by their sinning once should make themselves free to sin for ever after and exempt themselves from all the duties of the morall law upon this pretence that they were unable to give obedience to it which is most unreasonable And 2. Because the hearers of the Gospel esteem themselves able to perform the condition of the covenant of grace offered and to believe in Christ yea and to give credit or not to what is preached unto them as they see reason is it not equitable then to put all men to it who judge themselves able to perform what is required to the end that after experience and tryall taken of themselves they should either acknowledge their naturall inability to believe in Christ and so go
cannot submit themselves to the truth yet this doctrine is found to be most true for Christ the Redeemer teacheth us Math. 22. 14. that many are called and few are chosen And the Apostle teacheth us the same for Rom. 9. 15. he citeth Moses to prove the point I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion and ver 18. God hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom â—e will he hardeneth And the Evangelist Ioh. 12. 37 38 39 40. teacheth us that there is a number to whom God hath decreed not to give grace to believe in Christ albeit they shall hear him preached unto them from Isa. 6. 9 10. but to the Elect only ver 13. And chap. 53. 1. he teacheth that few shall believe in Christ yea none save the Elect to whom the arm of the Lord shall be revealed And our Lord Jesus teacheth the same Ioh. 6. 37 44. that all the Elect shall come to him and that no moe then the father shall powerfully draw unto him can come unto him Obj. But there is another forged way of propounding this covenant which sundry learned men hold forth who have made many disciples and followers of their opinion because of the seeming plausibleness of their doctrine wherein they teach that Christ Jesus hath died not only for all sorts of men but also for all and every man as well for them that perish as for them that are saved and that albeit he hath not purchased righteousness and life eternal determinatly to any man yet he hath purchased by this universal redemption power to every mans free-will to believe in Christ and persevere in his obedience without any speciall operation of the holy Spirit in one more then another And this power of mans free-will wherewith every child of Adam they say is born they call by the name of universall grace albeit in effect it is nothing but universall unrenewed nature common to every man Ans. We answer how learned soever the teachers of such doctrine seem to be yet in this doctrine they are not taught of God Over such mens learning and wisdom Christ doth glory Math. 11. 25. saying I thank thee O father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight Therefore of such doctrine we say that it is false and contrair unto Scripture how plausible so ever it seem to proud sinners yea it is a mocking of Christ and an hinderance of mens repentance and conversion unto God 1. Their doctrine is contrair to Scripture because contrair to the covenant of Redemption wherein the Father and the Son Mediatour are agreed upon the persons to be redeemed to wit the elect only given unto the Son to be redeemed and agreed upon the price of their Redemption to wit the obedience of Christ even to the death of the crosse and agreed upon the graces and gifts to be given to the elect to wit all saving graces as faith repentance perseverance and whatsoever belongs to righteousnesse and eternall life and agreed upon the means and way of gathering in the redeemed out of all tongues and kindreds and nations prudently and prosperously as is proven from Scripture Chap. 4. and shall be more confirmed in the next following chapter 2. Their doctrine it mocketh Christ because it chargeth Christ with folly in His making covenant so as neither Gods justice nor mans common wisdom would allow to lay down the price of his blood and not be sure who should be saved by his blood to pay as much for Iudas as for Peter to redeem all and every man and yet put the disposing of the benefit of Redemption and fruit of his death out of his own hand into the hand of mens free-will to make of it something or nothing as they pleased to buy a possibility unto men to save themselves actually without the speciall grace of the holy Ghost and to cut himself off from having the glory of the actuall conversion of sinners as far as he is from the blame of mens remaining in sin and infidelity for they say he hath purchased alike power to all and every mans free-will to beleeve or remain in infidelity as they please if they use it ill bear they the blame if they use it well they have the praise They make him to lay down his life for all and every man and to purchase unto all and every one power to believe in him and yet never to purpose to make offer of the Gospel to the thousand part of men These and many moe blemishes they cast by their doctrine upon the wisdom and power and grace of our Lord Jesus who is infinitely wise and holy in all his doings 3. This doctrine is a great hinderance of mens repentance and conversion unto God and to the exercise of all holy duties for whosoever believeth this their doctrine he cannot renounce nor deny his own wit worth and ability that he may come humbly unto Christ and follow him but he must stand to this conceit of himself which this doctrine teacheth him yea such a man cannot say to God in humble and hearty prayer open mine eyes that I may behold the wonders of thy Law and teach me thy statutes he cannot in earnest say with David incline my heart to thy testimonies and not unto covetousnesse for he hath in his conceit this power of free-will in himself by common gift to every man he cannot heartily thank God if he seem to himself to do any good for giving him both to will and to do of his good pleasure for this he hath in his own hand as this deceitfull doctrine perswadeth him Obj. But some there are who maintain the decree of Redemption and covenant between God and Christ which in substance is one with the decree to be absolute concerning the powerfull and invincible conversion perseverance and salvation of the elect but concerning the rest of the world they tell us of a conditionall decree of saving every one who shall believe in Christ Jesus which doth make some difference from what is said before Ans. There is indeed an offer to be made to all the hearers of the Gospel to whom God in his providence doth send his messengers who are appointed to make offer of peace and reconciliation through Christ upon condition of hearty receiving it even to such as the Lord knoweth will reject the offer altogether against whom his sent messengers are to shake off the dust of their feet for a witnesse against them Matth. 10. 13. 14. 15. which accordingly was done by Paul and Barnabas Acts 13. 46. 51. and our Lord made offer of himself to his covenanted people the Jews who did not receive him Ioh. 1. 11 12. and this is to be done according to one of the articles of the covenant of
variable contingency or differency of mans will but can work upon the will of man and by the will of man what pleaseth him and by second causes whether working freely and contingently or by a naturall necessity can wisely holily and powerfully bring about his own purpose in his set time the dayes come saith he wherein I will make a covenant with the house of Israel Wherein he taketh upon him the effectuall work of covenanting promising not only for his own part but also for the elect of Israel and Judahs part for his promise is that it shall come to passe that by inclining their will unto reconciliation they shall willingly consent unto a covenanting with God for he saith I will make a covenant with them he saith not if they will but absolutely I will make them close a covenant with Me heartily 9. The party to be converted and to enter in covenant is not all men nor every society but the Church Gods own family not every nation but Gods people chosen out of all nations on the whole earth I will make a covenant with the house of Israel as it is also cleared Deut. 7. 6 7 8. 10. The Church of Christ under the Gospel as the Apostle looketh on this place is comprehended under the name of Israel and Iudah partly because Israel hath the priority of all other people in Gods covenant and partly because all the Christian Church of the Jews and Gentiles is comprehended under the name of the house of Iudah which is Christs tribe whereof he came who is the prince and head of all believers and confederat persons reconciled to God and partly because the Israelits or Jews have this prerogative above all other people and nations on the earth that of that race of people the posterity of Abraham Isaac and Iacob there shall be in all ages some elected persons till the great bulk of the now scattered people turn Christians and till the end of the world Rom. 11. 5. 11. No age old nor young no sex man nor woman nor any externall difference of men that can be put between one and another in this life doth exclude any man from the benefit of this covenant or commend a man to God that his person should be respected of God but all and every one whom God shall externally call may safely accept the offer of grace and joyn themselves to Jesus Christ for the grace of God here is extended unto all degrees and sorts of men from the least to the greatest 12. In the mean time God knoweth his own man be man both great and small and with the same love doth embrace them all for the promise is that all those elect who are known to God shall know him from the greatest even to the least 13. The great obstacle which may be supposed to exclude any from coming in to God through Christ is here removed to wit the greatness and multitude of by-gone sins cast up against the in-coming of some when they are called The mercy and grace of Christ the Testator taketh this doubt out of the way saying I will forgive their iniquity and their sins I will no more remember Jer. 31. 34. 14. This promised remission the Lord will not have limited nor abridged neither by the number of sins nor grievousness thereof nor kinds of sins but he purposeth and promiseth to take away all iniquity by forgiveness and to forget their by-gone sins ver 34. And confirmeth this by repeating the promise of not casting them off who shall acknowledge him ver 37. 15. From this promise the Apostle Heb. 10. draweth this consequence that under the Gospel or new covenant there is but one offering for sin which offering cannot be repeated in regard that full remission thereby is purchased For ver 14. he saith by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified and this he proveth from the words of the covenant ver 15 16 17. whence he concludes ver Now where remission of these are there is no more offering for sin 16. If any shall ask for the cause of so rich mercy and grace covenanted he shall find none in man at all The only cause is set down here to wit the will and good pleasure of God I will forgive their iniquity saith the Lord and their sins will I remember no more that is I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy 17. Because the Lord our God and Mediatour is here making his Testament wherein also he taketh upon him to be executor of his own latter will and to perform all that is promised therefore in confirmation he subscribeth and sets down his name Ier. 31. 35. Thus saith the Lord and that his subscription may be of weight with all men he designs himself by his stately stiles or titles taken from his creation and government of the creatures Thus saith the Lord which giveth the sun for a light by day and the ordinances of the moon and of the starrs for a light by night which divideth the Sea when the waves thereof roar the Lord of hosts is his name This he saith least the faith of his people should be shaken by their looking to impediments and difficulties and that they may gather strength and courage to go on in the Lords way constantly when they consider the power of God in the workmanship and government of the world 18. Unto his subscription he addeth both witnesses and pledges of his promises ver 36. If those ordinances depart from before me saith the Lord then the seed of Israel which comprehendeth the seed of Abrahams faith shall cease from being a nation before me forever ver 36. 19. Last of all least any man in the consideration of the grievousness of his sin or of the apparent impossibility of performing these promises should doubt of remission of sins to be granted to the confederat or of the perseverance of the true believer or of the perpetuation of the Church the Lord bids his people that come in to him be confident and quiet ver 37. saying If heaven above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done saith the Lord Now both these are impossible that we can measure the heavens or search the bottom of the earth Therefore it is impossible that this covenant and the promises made therein should fail The maner of dispensing the new covenant outwardly and inwardly AS to the dispensation of this covenant both outwardly and inwardly first this promise of a new covenant is a challenge against the mis believing fathers who slighted the offer of grace and followed after the covenant of works seeking righteousness by works which covenant of works they were not able to perform and it served unto them only for their condemnation This the Apostle doth collect from this place of Ieremiah Heb. 8. 8. He found fault with
thing necessary before all commodities of this earth for what can it avail a man to gain the whole earth if he lose his own soul The third cause is the deceitfulnesse of riches which every man naturally is inclined to pursue too eagerly and which many pragmatick busie men do attain for God useth to recompence every mans diligence in a lawfull occupation with a sort of external reward of the same kind with his work This success and rewarding of mens industry and pains by increasing busie mens riches earthly-minded men do interpret to be the speciall blessing of God and an approbation of their immoderat pursuing after things earthly wherein they are much mistaken for God never ordained any mans civil calling to be a hinderance of the spiritual welfare of his soul and if any man neglect his soul and pursue worldly riches if he obtain them what can be said but verily he hath his reward and cannot look after the fruit of pains taking in spiritual matters which he neglected The fourth cause is a light estimation of the Word of God and of maters concerning salvation which by reason they fall not under sense and present possession but are offered to us in promises and are not bestowed for the present therefore many are lesse carefull for things promised after this life and do follow the more eagerly after such things whereof they can take hold in this life 3. The way to cure this malady so far as pertaineth to a Pastor is that both in publick sermons and privat conferences he give unto things lawfull and to the following of a mans civil calling the own room and time and wisely let men know the subordination of all civill affairs unto the welfare of their souls and so to lay open the perill of mens souls when they are following too too eagerly their civill vocation as in the mean time he do not condemn mens diligence in their callings but that he give directions for such a wise moderation of every mans care about things of this world that the precious excellency of the soul and the infinit worth of eternal life be first and above all earthly things provided for and that in the using or conqueshing of riches no prejudice do come to his own salvation which is not possible a man shall do if he do not daily examine his own conscience carefully and keep it in a tender disposition resorting to Christ upon all occasions for pardon of daily sin and keeping him that if riches increase he may not set his heart thereon but may be forth-coming to the duties of charity towards others as his power shall be and opportunities shall be offered CHAP. X. Concerning them that are like to despair VVE have spoken of the first sort of them who do hinder their own regeneration by abhorring declining delaying and shifting off of the examination of their consciences The second sort or rank of those who hinder their own conversion is of such as after the wakening of their own consciences whether voluntary or by compulsion do despair of all remedy offered unto them in the Gospel of grace in Christ and renouncing the counsell of God do follow the counsell of Sathan and their own heart 2. We distinguish a volountary examination of the conscience from a compelled and inforced examination thereof as was hinted at in the former Section for it is one thing to say of a man he hath voluntarily examined himself and found out his dittey and deserved judgment and to say of him he is forced to examine himself and in himself to receive sentence according as his wayes have been for there are many who will not judge themselves yet after are forced unto it against their will These are said to judge themselves voluntarily who by a free act of their will do enter themselves to be judged of their own conscience and do go about the work either slightly and perâ—unctoriously or â—â—â—ictly and exactly according to their knowledge of the â—ule But a compelled examination is ever more exact and strict and joyned with the chastisement of the sinner for neglecting or slighting or delaying of examination Psal 50. 21. This distinction is holden forth to as by the Apostle 1 Cor. 11. 31 32. If we would judge 〈◊〉 selves we should not be judged But when we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world Both these sorts of examination have a blessing following upon them when Christ is 〈◊〉 unto after examination but if Christ be not fled unto then desperation may follow upon both slight and serious examination both upon voluntary and enforced examination 3. We do not take desperation here for every dissidence of Gods performing of promises or of Gods making good of his gracious offers but for diffidence to obtain reconciliation with God or to find mercy through Christ the Mediatour Neither do we call by the name of desperation every diffidence to obtain mercy and reconciliation cast in mans mind by the tempter Sathan and yielded unto for a time under the sense of Gods wrath for at some sits the diffidence will be found in renewed Saints as in Ionab chap. 2. 4. Heman the Ezrait Psal. 88. 16. David Psal. 116. 11. who seemed to themselves for the time to be cast off but but did swim out of this deep by faith Neither do we take desperation for every short or long ecclipse of hope wherein a distressed soul seems to its self to despair yea and may possibly utter and profess they do despair and in the mean time will not renounce the use of the means whereby they do get or recover hope Such was the condition of Heman the Ezraite Psal. 88. 14 15 16. Lord why casts thou off my soul why hidest thou thy face from me I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted He thought he was cast off yet for all that he went on daily praying for the sense of mercy and found it and was directed by God to acquaint the Church unto all generations with his long and sad exercise But we take desperation for a prevalent impression made by Sathan upon the spirit of a man that God will not shew him mercy and so fixed in him as the man resolveth not to deal with God any more for mercy 4. Of this properly called desperation there are two sorts one which we may call carelesse and secute desperation another which we may call anxious and tormenting desperation Cains desperation in his last resolution was of the first sort and Iudas desperation was of the other sort We call that a carelesse secure desperation when a sinner being convinced of his grosse and many sins either believeth not Gods Word or conceiveth God implacable and irreconciliable and to have destinate him to destruction according to the sentence of the law pronounced against such sinners as he knoweth himself to be and
measure of faith and repentance Neither need we in this case be feared least any such person go or be sent too soon unto Christ and that the teacher of this doctrine be found to foster presumption and to offer untimous consolation for it is one thing to direct a man to go to Christ for supply of whatsoever good is wanting in him and another thing to warrand a secure sinner to lay hold on the consolations of the Gospel which God hath reserved in his own hand to be dispensed in due time and order to the truly humble penitent The Lord knoweth how to deal with such as come unto him he can hold an unhumbled supplicant praying and knocking at heavens door without giving him a comfortable answer untill he be humbled and so prepare him by humiliation for consolation in due time True it is that many draw near to Christ with their lips while their hearts are far away and remain senslesse of their evil estate and condition and are far from the earnest desire of the remedy which is to be had in Christ and therefore it is not without cause that Pastors in their sermons require the sight and sense of sin and hunger and thirst for righteousnesse in them who come to Christ and desire to profit by their coming to him for albeit it be free to God without antecedent preparatory exercises to fall in upon mans heart suddainly and at one sermon both convince him of sin and lead him in to Christ as he hath sometime dealt with a multitude when Peter was preaching Act. 2. yet it is not free for men to neglect their duties when they are advertised that the order of Gods working ordinarily is to take a time for information of their mind concerning their natural misery and his gracious way of delivery and for a time to work on their hearts by the law before he give them the felt fruits of the Gospel Mean time this must be remembred that no man displeased with his disposition as not fitted for mercy and who doth regrate that he is a stupid sinner and so hard-hearted that he cannot repent should be keeped off and debarred from going to Christ till he discern in himself the contrition and humiliation of heart which he would have for this were as much as to say in effect that before a sinner may go to Christ he must seek not from Christ but out of his own strength and abilities to work up his own heart to the sense of sin and humiliation of heart and other such like dispositions as ordinarily go before the act and discerning of saving faith for if even Simon Magus discovered and found out to be in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity was exhorted to pray that God would forgive his sins and remove the perversenesse of his heart and save him from deserved wrath Act. 8. 22. How much more are they to be encouraged to go to Christ for relief from these evils which they feel and fear in whom not only this gall of bitternesse doth not appear but also some appearances may be marked by wise beholders of a begun work of grace in them albeit the man himself cannot perceive so much for the time 17. Seing it is certain that God doth prevein by grace every converted mans actions before the man do actually turn himself to God and that the Lord useth to open the eyes of the man whom he is converting to see such and such evils in himself before these evils be taken away and seing it is Gods usual way by preventing to give some measure of the good to be prayed for that the man may pray for more good upon the receit of some measure of that good already bestowed therefore all they who desire to approach to Christ must be taught to make observe and take notice of the least degree of good bestowed upon them of the smallest beginnings of illumination of the meanest degrees of conviction for sin of the least measure of estimation of Christ and his grace wrought already in themselves and to thank the Lord for so much eye-salve as hath opened their eyes to discern their own blindnesse and misery and Christ to be the remedy of all the evils they do see and after they have marked what is bestowed already on them and have blâ—ssed God for the gift they must be exhorted to request the Lord to make out and perfect the begun mercy that they may be sure of their own real conversion for so doth the new convert pray Ier. 31. 18. Convert me and I shall be converted and the humble soul Cant. 1. 4. draw me after thee and we will run after thee And this we speak not as if any unconverted man could in the sense of his sin and misery sincerely and heartily seek after Christ or for more grace from him But because some that are converted do not perceive that they are converted we frame our speech to their estimation of themselves that they may be edified who are brought unto Christ by the draught of effectual calling and have not as yet received the gift of the Spirit to perceive these things which are freely bestowed upon them 1 Cor. 2. 12. 18. As it useth to be in the sicknesse of the body So it falleth out in the sicknesses of the conscience that as there are some sicknesses simple and other some complicat when moe sicknesses concur together So in the conscience there are some simple some complicat ill cases Simple and single cases of conscience are these wherein the diseased soul is troubled with one doubt only for the present as for example when the party afflicted is doubtfull only of the will of God toward him and not of his power such was the case of the Leper Matth. 8. 2. Thou canst make me clean if thou wilt Complicat and involved cases are when many evils concur together and the conscience is troubled with many doubts In which case many questions may offer themselves in a throng together which the afflicted party cannot well distinguish and thereupon is driven to darknesse and confusion of mind In this case the Pastor or prudent christian friend must observe some order beginning with the most perilous doubt that it may be first solved which doubt being answered in the first place let him fall upon the answering of the rest of the doubts in order As for example if the party be afflicted with tentations unto desperation let him be cleared and led by the hand to see and acknowledge a possibility of salvation by Christ and then a probability and appearance that it shall be by an argument taken from his present exercise which putteth an earand in his hand and so a warrand to go to Christ and so peece and peece let him be dealt with to accept the general offer of grace in Christ and to believe in him Now that such may be the exercise of the child of God appeareth Psal. 42. 7.
found the spirit of consolation with-drawn from him and the wrath of God breaking his bones and consuming the marrow thereof Ps. 51. 8 9 10 11 12. Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice c. 2. In answering this doubt we must proceed sutably to each degree severally In curing this case in the fiâ—â—t degree let the afflicted admit all the just aggravations of his sins against the Law which the conscience doth presse for by extenuation of sin neither is Gods justice glorified nor the conscience satisfied and consolation or hope of remission of sin must not arise from the few number oâ— lightnesse of sins but from the multitude and largenesse of Gods mercy and therefore we must not cut short the reckoning with the Lords law nor must we diminish the weight and estimation of our evil deservings but course must be taken that by the sense of guiltinesse the judgment of the afflicted person be not so confounded â—nd perplexed as if his case were desperat and possibility of salvation were passed but rather let the afflicted humble himself under the mighty hand of God who alone can destroy and make alive and who usually bringeth down to death and brink of hell and bringeth back again and who alone doth work wonders This doubt then arising from the multitude of sins may be loosed first by a fresh consideration of the infinit excellency and worthinesse of Christ Jesus God manifested in the flesh and of the incomprehensible value of the price of redemption payed by him for all who flye unto him for the Father hath declared himself satisfied by him in behalf of the redeemed for whom he did offer himself Matth. 3. 17. saying This is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well pleased And Heb. 7. 25. â—his is he who is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him Secondly by consideration of the infinit largenesse of Godâ— bounty grace and mâ—rcy wherein he hath set no bounds to himself in pardoning and abolishing the sins of those that come unto him how grosse and grievous soever they have been Isa. 44. 22. I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins return unto me for I have redeemed thee And Isa. 1. 18. Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scaâ—â—et they shall be as white as snow though they be red as crimson they shall be as wool And Matth. 11. 28. Come unto me saith Christ all ye that labour and are heavy loaden and I will give you rest Thirdly by the consideration of the many examples and experiences of the mercy of God manifested in the pardon of hainous sinners both in the old and new Testament set down in Scripture of set purpose to invite such as are troubled with the sense of their manifold sins to come unto Christ the Mediator or to God in Christ reconciling the world to himself by not imputing sins to them who embrace the offer of grace and reconciliation tendered unto them in the Gospel As to the second degree wherein the doubt is augmented by the addition of the sins against the Gospel unto the sins against the Law by despiseing or slighting the means of salvation offered in the Gospel true it is that the despising or slighting of the offer of grace in Christ cannot be sufficiently aggreged because the sins of Sodom and Goâ—orah will be found lighter being laid in the ballance with the contempt of the Gospel Matth. 10. 14 15. yet notwithstanding when God is entered in reckoning with a sinner and is begun to challenge him for his sins against the Law and the Gospel also and hath by his terror humbled the man there is mercy insinuated unto that person in the bosome of the threatening Wherefore the soul born down with the sense of ill-deserving by his sins against both Law and Gospel must be exhorted to humble himself before God and flye in unto Christ who of set purpose 〈◊〉 he might answer this doubt hath declared that whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man it shall be forâ—iven him to wit if he repent this injury done to Christ Matth. 12. 32. and he standeth knocking at the door of luke-warm Laodicea with an ofter of coming in to them and supping with them that shall open to him notwithstanding they have slighted him long in their senslessenesse of sin nakednesse and misery As to the third degree wherein the afflicted doth suspect that he hath sinned against the holy Ghost because he hath sinned against the light of his conscience and diâ—ement of the holy Spirit let the afflicted consider that the sinning in actual grosse out-breakings against the light of the conscience is indeed a high provocation of God to his face for which the offender is to be humbled all the dayes of his life Secondly let him learn to glorifie Godâ— Justice who hath made a proud rebell to be scourged with scorpions and sore bitten with the remorse of a slighted and contemned conscience Thirdly let those particular transgressions objected to be done against the light of the conscience be examined with their motives and circumstances and out of the bitter rod of Gods correcting the offender that he should not perish with the world let the afflicted take up the Lords love in judging him that he may not be condemned As also let the Pastor or the prudent friend who goeth about to comfort the afflicted carefully observe if the afflicted be grieved for grieving of the holy Spirit if he desire and long after the consolation of God whom he hath offended if he purpose to walk more circumspectly afterward and eshew the snare he hath taken into or what other evidences of repentance can be seen in him whereof use may be made to assure the afflicted that he hath not sinned unto death Because the sin against the holy Ghost as it is described unto us in holy Scripture is either a malicious refusing and opposing wittingly and wilfully of Christ Jesus after that the Spirit of Christ hath convinced the person that Christ is the Redeemer and this was the sin of some Pharisees desperat professed and irreconciliable enemies to Christ Mat. 12. 24. to 33. or it is a totall apostasie from Christ after they have known him to be the Redeemer joyned with a malitious oppugning of the christian Religion as it is set forth Heb. 10. 26 27. to 32. and whosoever falleth in this sin he neither repents him of it nor desires to repent or be reconciled with God And therefore let the humbled and afflicted penitent longing to be reconciled unto God through Christ and to find the sense of his favour granted or restored not suspect himself any more guilty of this sin but let him make use of the offer of grace in the Gospel and of the example of penitents mentioned in Scripture Who knoweth how soon the
himself SOme true converts judging their state by some false rule do not only torment themselves but also so far as in them lyeth by pronouncing false sentences of their own state go about to extinguish the spunk of piety which is in them The false rule whereby they do judge themselves is strengthened by a groundlesse perswasion that it is a true and sure rule and ordinarily when they think or speak of it they prefix no reason for it but some confident asseveration such as without doubt it is most certain and I am perswaded of it and such like If I were regenerat and truly converted without doubt I should be in a better disposition then I am I should love the Lord more fervently I should understand the mysteries of Gods Word more clearly I should not be so little affected with the sense of Gods benefits bestowed on me I should not go so lightly under the conviction of so many sins against God as I feel in me I should be more diligent in the work of the Lord in my calling I should walk more humbly and circumspectly in all my conversation and such like many expressions The same course doth the afflicted follow in his examination of the operations of the holy Spirit and of every Christian vertue in himself without doubt saith he if this were truly as a Christian vertue in me there would not be such a disposition as I find in me my condition should be such and such as became a new creature which because I do not find in me I have just reason to call in question my conversion And here is a port opened for Sathan to enter at and to throw all his fiery darts at the miserable soul of the weak convert whence many complaints do break forth and thanksgiving for mercies received and for the time injoyed is broken off and ceaseth And partly through diffidence partly through murmuring the Spirit of the Lord is provoked to wrath 2. We grant that this is a dangerous evil not only to the person afflicted but also to such as are familiarly acquainted with his condition because this disease readily doth infect others as it came to passe in the camp of Israel where the murmuring of some set the body of the army on a mutiny against God for one that is weak in the faith when he heareth such complaints in the mouth of one whom he judgeth to be holier then himself incontinent he falleth on complaining of his own state saying that he hath more weighty reason to suspect the soundnesse of his conversion then the person hath whom he hath heard suspecting his being in the state of grace 3. Wherefore let the afflicted before he shall vent his suspicion of his state examine the rule whereby he hath passed sentence on himself whether he can make it good from the Scripture for it is not sufficient to say without doubt and I am perswaded it is true except it can be confirmed by the infallible warrant of Gods Word and let his friend who shall hear his complaint expresly require a reason of his confidence that such a rule is clear from Scripture and that the application thereof is made righteously Which if he cannot prove otherwayes then Sathan doth enforce his tentations that is either without Scripture or by abusing Scripture contrary to the intent thereof let him acknowledge his readinesse to misbelieve and disobey the Word of the Lord and to hearken to Sathans tentations to the weakening of his own faith and hindering of his cheerfull obedience to the Lords commands and because such question-making of being in the state of grace is oft-times very inconsideratly uttered even before them who do not allow the complainers misconstruction of his state or if they should allow it and say to the complainer that they believed that suspicion of his state were very just it should grieve the complainer more then the doubt it self Therefore let the afflicted neither hearken to the suspicion nor vent it when it is strongly suggested but let him humble himself before Christ because of these defects and wants of such evidences of saving grace as he would have and in the sense of these wants let him cleave close to Christ for covering his nakednesse and earnestly endeavour by faith in Christ to be made more and more conform to the examplar of holinesse holden forth in the Scripture CHAP. XXIV Wherein is solved the converts doubt of his own conversion because he hath found the deceitfulnesse of his own heart and dare not trust it any more SOme sincere converts who uprightly do serve Christ and adhere unto him by faith when they consider the doctrine of the deceitfulnesse of the heart of man and how many are deceived by trusting to the testimony of their own heart concerning their regeneration and justification do begin to call in question all the work of their own conversion and do fear least they be found in the number of the finer sort of hypocrits who deceive both themselves and others having nothing in them but a civil life and form of religion without the power of godlinesse and do sleep to death in security of which sort our Lord Jesus forewarneth that not only privat persons but also many preachers shall be found Mat. 7. 22. of whom we may suppone that they were not conscious of open and grosse wickednesse but were of a blamelesse carriage before the world professing the Christian faith and teaching others to believe in Christ and doubted nothing but Christ should judge of them as reall Saints to whom for all that Christ shall one day say depart from me ye workers of iniquity I never knew you It is certain that such men have been deceived by their own heart which when the afflicted doth consider he standeth astonished and trembleth for fear saying with himself what shall I think of my former opinion of my blessd state I fear my heart hath deceived me as others of greater gifts and better life have been deceived by their own heart 2. This is a doubt which hath need to be solved but neither this nor any other doubt can be solidly and effectually solved by any mean except the holy Spirit give a blessing to the means for it is certain that there are many who being religiously educat and free from grosse vices do not repent of their sins are not touched with the sense of their original sin and corrupt lusts but without taking any burden on their consciences for these do passe by their time well pleased with their own estate Some also there are who having fallen in grosse and scandalous sins do find for some time remorse of conscience for these grosse sins but for their other sins beside those and for their in-born corruptions are not carefull thinking it sufficient if thereafter they do not fall in such grosse faults The first sort of men do deceive themselves thinking they have little to repent ofâ— in regard they are
whether every sincere convert shall remain in the covenant of Grace if possibly they have so far abused grace as to defile themselves again with the pollutions which they seemed to repent of before And this erroneous opinion of the instability of the covenant of grace they do apply to themselves for when they have found by experience the power of sin as it were not only rageing but in appearance reigning in them as the conscience of their relapsing in their old sins beareth witnesse And when they know their nature so corrupt and ready to sin yet more they doubt if this condition can stand with being in the covenant of Grace and whatsoever they have found of their being in this covenant they now fear that they be fallen from grace because they have as they conceive broken the covenant of Grace on their part therefore they apprehend also that God in justice being provoked oft-times by them hath now at last dissolved the covenant of Grace on his part for say they it is no reason that God should be tyed unto them in covenant who so many wayes have violated that covenant but as Adam by sinning excluded himself from all benefit of the covenant of Works So is it reason that every one who have violated the covenant of Grace as I have done should be excluded from the covenant of Grace And here the afflicted doth stand as a miserable man uncertain what to do in which condition horrible temptations and heavy suspicions of their state do arise namely that they are in the condition and case wherein Esau was who when he had sold his birth-right for a messe of pottage found no place for repentance albeit he sought the blessing with tears Now what torment may be in the conscience of the afflicted in this case it is easie for them who at any time have felt the wrath of God to conjecture And this doubt doth vex the man most who is conscious of his often abuse of the grace of God for what shall I do saith he shall I defile my self and go and wash and again defile my self and go and wash and by this means augment my own guiltinesse from day to day what is if this be not to abuse the grace of God 2. That this evil may be removed we must confesse that there are many who after some remorse for some sins raised by a natural and unrenewed conscience do weep now and then as Saul did for his injust persecution of David and do think that by their tears they have washen away their sin and attained to some sort of quietnesse in their conscience for a time who yet do not cease from their wickednesse but remain in their natural state strangers from God and Christ. We must also acknowledge that some of the regenerat in their carnal security falling back in their old sins ordinarily are sharply chastised by God and indeed no wonder is that such as have once attained to peace with God do meet with broken bones after they have abused the grace of God in giving way to their sinfull lusts which was the case of David Ps. 51. 3. As for those who fall in open grosse scandalous sins which defile the whole man soul and body both it is safest for them whether they were before that time converted or not to let alone long disputation whether they were regenerat or not before their fearfull fall and to stir up themselves to a deep search of the wickednesse of their nature that they may be humbled before God and in the sense of their in-born sin and grosse actual out-breakings flye unto Christ for pardon and grace to bring forth better fruits then they have done 4. As for these who have not fallen in grievous open transgressions but in their wrestling against sin not obtaining the victory they would or hoped to have do find themselves polluted in their spirits and put to the worse in their conflict against their sinfull lusts and passions and that very frequently and thereupon they apprehend that either they were never in the state of grace or if they were in it that they have abused and broken the covenant of grace To these we answer that every transgression of the commands albeit it be a violation of the covenant of works yet is not a dissolution of the covenant of grace for it is one thing to fail in a duty which the covenanted party should have done another thing to break or dissolve the covenant of grace for it is provided in the covenant of grace as a special article that God will forgive the sin of his confederat people when they confesse their faults and sue for pardon according to the promise of mercy to the covenanted Ier. 31 32 and lest any humble sinner should be discouraged and not receive this solution of his doubt let him consider the words of the Apostle Gal. 6. 1. expresly set down for their comfort who having resolved to live holily justly and temperatly are overtaken in an offence and are not purposed to abuse mercy or turn the grace of God into lasciviousnesse and 1 Iob. 2. 1. These things I write unto you to wit believers in Christ carefull to live holily that ye sin not but if any man sin we have an advocat with the father Iesus Christ the just one And this article of the covenant for granting daily remission according to the necessity of the Saints maketh the covenant of grace perpetual and to be daily made use of as we are directed in the Lords prayer And in this doth the covenant of grace differ from the covenant of works which by any one sin is so violat as the curse doth follow till the sinner run in to the covenant of grace in Jesus Christ And by this doctrine a door is not opened unto sinning but the door only is closed to keep in the true convert from desperation and running away from Christ and to help him out of the mire of discouragement wherein he is fallen lest he sink in it and despair Neither is the study of holinesse hindered by this way or the diligence of the convert slakened in the duties of new obedience and pleasing of God but only servile fear in the maner of serving God is taken away and the obligation of love to God who is found to be so mercifull is more strictly tyed upon us which love as it is augmented daily by new confirmations of faith and fresh experiences of his grace to us doth cast out servile fear as the Apostle teacheth 1 Ioh. 4. 18. As for the afflicted convert his fear that he be like Saul who though he felt remorse and shame when all the beholders in his army saw him so confounded by Davids loyall carriage toward him yet did he not repent this sin at all nor amend his life at all there is no ground to suspect himself to be like unto him or to Esau who was solicitous only for an earthly blessing
sealed with the spirit of promise Ephes. 1. 11. As it is not sufficient to prove that wholsom water given to a feaver-sick person is not a wholsom drink because the cooling refreshment by it endureth but a short while So it is not sufficient to prove that consolation and joy given to a sorrowfull sinner seeking favour through Christ is not solid and true joy because it stayeth but a short while It is sufficient that it hath stayed so long as was needfull for after the word of promise was believed the joy was sent to ease the afflicted souls present grief and to give him earnest that full and lasting joy should be given in due time unto him When the messenger hath done his commission let him return to his master As the sheet let down in the vision from heaven to Peter after it had served for Peters instruction it was taken up to heaven again Act. 10. The Spouse in the Canticle knew by experience that her spiritual joyes would not last long and therefore chargeth the daughters of Ierusalem that they waken not her beloved till he pleased 5. Another objection is this If my joy had been solid saith the afflicted it should have brought forth better fruits then it hath done but joy spiritual as I then called it did degenerat into a carnal security and I was not the more holy by it To which objection the answer may be this the blame of this is not to be laid on spiritual joy but upon the abuse of this mercy by ingratitude for this gracious blink of felt favour negligence in the use of means to entertain this sense by sleepinesse of conscience and other sins and namely the laying too much weight upon this sense and not fixing the heart by so much more upon the word of promise when felt consolation may be withdrawn is a just cause for spiritual joy is not given to any to build upon its continuance but to make the convert hold the confirmed word of promise so much the faster when for the exercise of faith comfortable feelings are withdrawn The spouse in the Canticle after a feast of this kind falleth a sleep and giveth slight entertaining to the Bridegroom when called upon by his word for which she is chastised by his withdrawing of his comfortable presence Cant. 5. 1 2 3. c. But let us put the case that the felt joy of the spirit were not abused yet is it not unusual for God to withdraw consolation and to send trouble and anguish on the soul of his dear child to try his faith and train him on to hold the word of his grace in the hardest condition he can be into as he did exercise Iob and Ieremie the Prophet Ier. 20. and the Psalmist Ps. 77. In which condition to suspect that the consolation and joy of the spirit speaking to the heart by his word is not his gracious operation or is a delusion cannot but exceedingly grieve the Lord and give him cause to chastise this suspicion with desertion 6. But how may I know saith the afflicted that my joy was solid and was indeed the gracious operation of the holy Spirit For answer 1. If this joy was given to him when or after he was lamenting his sins and fearing wrath deserved and flying unto Christ offered in the Gospel he hath reason to reckon that joy to be such as the Word of the Gospel doth promise and approve 2. If during the time of his sweet feeling of peace and joy through Christ he found his faith in God and love to Christ confirmed and strengthned if the Word of the Gospel was in more estimation with him if his heart was inlarged to blesse praise and thank God for manifesting himself in Christ reconciled if the purpose of following after holinesse was renewed in him he hath no reason to suspect his joy and comfort 3. If after the removing of this sweet feeling he is going on in the study of holinesse believing in Christ how heavy in heart soever he may be by affliction and tentation he may be assured his sometime felt joy of the Lords Spirit was solid and his present suspicion thereof to be an evidence of his infirmity and of a tentation from Sathan This was the way how the Psalmist wrestled out of his sad condition Ps. 77. CHAP. XIV Of the converts suspecting that his zeal for God and against the sins of others hath been fleshly severity and imprudent temerity IT cometh to passe that they who love God sincerely and cannot endure the out-breakings of the wicked do sometimes transgresse the bounds of moderat zeal and being overtaken in some miscarriage for which being rebuked by their friends or by them in power censured or civilly chastised do in stead of moderating their zeal in time coming grow more slack and remisse in their zeal suspecting themselves inclined to unreasonable severity and rashnesse and ready to be esteemed haters of mens persons by those among whom they live as in some by-gone experience they have already felt And upon this occasion the tentation of Sathan falleth on tending to extinguish the fervency of true zeal required in all true converts And here there is danger lest true zeal grow cold and the convert become luke-warm both in curbing sin in others under his charge and in pursuing duties in his own person In which sicknesse he may be the better pleased with himself by so much as his friends and others do commend him for his moderation and prudence as they shall call it 2. As to the remedy of this evil there is no doubt but that may befall true zeal which is common to other vertues of which there is none so perfect but some in-lake or excesse may be observed in them And therefore as it is without reason to go back from pursuing duty in the exercise of other vertues because imperfections therein are remarkable from time to time So is it without reason to grow luke-warm in zeal which may render a man loathsome unto Christ Rev. 2. 3. Wherefore let the convert take heed what the Lords Word doth require of him in his calling and labour to discharge his duty towards others so as he may be found both zealous and prudent that in the expressions of his zeal against sin meeknesse and love to the offender may be manifested 2. To this intent let the convert carefully take heed to entertain these three properties of commendable zeal which are 1. The fear of God 2. Humility of heart 3. The love of his neighbour for the fear of God will not suffer the convert to depart from his commandments Humility of heart will make the man modest in his expressions and the love of his neighbour will make him mix meeknesse and compassion toward sinners with his zeal against offences This is the right seasoning of zeal which the Apostle calleth the zeal of God according to knowledge CHAP. XV. Of the converts suspecting his aiming at circumspect