covering for their own Defects should ever be able to stand before God and justifie us at his Bar Who were is the Saint in Scripture that ever durst stand before God in his own inherent Righteousness Job though perfect would not know his own soul Job 9 21. David though a man after Gods own heart would not have him mark iniquities Psal 130.3 Daniel though a man of desires prayes not for his own Righteousness but for Gods great Mercies Dan. 9.28 Look over the posture of all Saints in Scripture you find them not standing upon their own bottom but in a sense of their wants breathing after Holyness pressing on towards perfection flying to a Mercy-seat and as it is expressed Hebr. 12.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 looking off from themselves unto Jesus the author and finisher of their faith in whom alone perfect Righteousness is to be found Now if as appears Justification be not by inherent Righteousness then it must be by imputed according to that of St. Bernard touching fallen Man Assignata est ei justitia aliena qui caruit suâ Unto what hath been said I shall add a few Testimonies out of the Fathers Ad Diag 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What other thing could cover our sins but Christ's Righteousness In whom could we lawless and ungodly be justified but in the only Son of God! Oh sweet exchange Thus Justin Martyr The fulfilling of the Law by Christ the First-fruits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was to be imputed to the whole lump so Athanasius Christ having translated the filthiness of my sins to himself hath made me partaker of his purity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 communicating unto me his own beauty so Greg. Nyssen Non habeo unde me jactem De Jacob. â—it Beat lib. 1. cap. 6. gloriabor in Christo non gloriabor quia justus sum sed quia redemptus sum non quia vacuus peccati sed quia remissa peccata thus St. Ambrose God sent his Son that assuming our flesh and obeying his Father in all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he might justifie the Nature of Man in himself so St. Cyril of Alexandria 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If thou believest on Christ thou hast fulfilled the Law and more than it commanded thou hast now received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a greater Righteousness Hom. in â—om 10 that is in Christ the end of the Law So St. Chrysostome Domine memorabor justitiae tuae solius ipsa enim et mea nempe factus es mihi tu justitia à Deo Sup Cant Ser. 61. numquid mihi verendum nè non una ambobus sufficiat Non est pallium breve quod non possit operire duos Justitia tua in eternum me te pariter operiet quia largiter larga eterna Justitia thus St. Bernard Many other Passages might be quoted out of the Fathers but this Tast may suffice This divine Truth touching imputed Righteousness such is its Heavenly Oriency hath extorted a confession even from its enemies The very Schoolmen themselves as Bishop Andrewes hath observed whatever they are in their Quodlibets and Comments on the Sentences yet in their Soliloquies and devotional Meditations acknowledge Jehovah justitiae nostra Cardinall Contarenus saith Ego prorsùs existimo piè Christianè dici quòd debeamus niti tanquam re stabili justitia Christi nobis donatà non autem sanctitate gratià nobis inherente And Bellarmine himselfe confesses Propter incerâ—itudinem propriae justitiae periculum inanis gloriae â—â—â—just 〈◊〉 cap. 7. tutissimum est fiduciam totam in sola Dei misericardia benignitate reponere And now having in short asserted this great Truth I shall attend the Author To begin with that famous place Mr. Sherlock Jer. 23.6 where Christ is called expresly the Lord our righteousness In his days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely And this is the name whereby he shall be called the Lord our righteousness a very express place to prove that Christ is our righteousness as these men expound it that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us But is there no other possible sence to be made of this phrase Righteousness in Scripture is a word of a very large use sometimes it signifies no more than mercy kindness and beneficence and so the Lord our righteousness is the Lord who doth good to us who is our Saviour and Deliverer which is very agreeable to the reason of this name that in his days Judah shall be saved and Israel dwell safely and righteousness signifies that part of justice which consists in relieving the injured and oppressed Thus David speaks Hear me O Lord of my righteousness Psal 4. Thus Isai 54 17. Their righteousness is of me saith the Lord which is a parallel expression to the Lord our righteousness and signifies no more than that God will avenge their cause and deliver them from their enemies the like we have Isai 45.24 In the Lord have I righteousness and strength that is the Lord the righteous judge will deliver them from their enemies which agrees with that promise vers 14. Thou shalt be far from oppression and Isai 61.10 He hath clothed me with the garments of Salvation he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness This sounds like imputed righteousness but it signifies the great deliverances God promised to Israel in the former verses which should make them as glorious as a splendid garment would The Lord our righteousness is a very illustrious Name of Christ Answer Bishop Andrews observes the word Jehovah Fl saith he is communicated to Angels their names end in it as Michael Gabriel Jah is communicated to Saints their names end in it Isaiah Jeremiah But here is Jehovah to certifie us that it is not the righteousness of Saints nor of Angels that will serve the turn but the righteousness of God very God And in his after discourse upon that name he fairly builds on it the imputation of Christ's active and passive righteousness but our Author hath no mind to it The Socinians who play in Homonymies familiarly enervate the force of a word in one Text by the different signification of it in another Tell them that Christ is called God they will say so are creatures too tell them of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they will reply Moses was a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 7.35 I will not say that our Author imitates them but he turns himself about and is much concerned for another interpretation of Christ's name Is there no other possible sence to be made of this phrase Righteousness sometimes signifies mercy and so the Lord our righteousness is the Lord that doth good to us Thus the Author righteousness in some places signifies mercy Very well but where do we meet with Jehovah our mercy Or because it signifies so in some Texts must it do so in all The question is what it signifies in this
Spirit of God which no Man can possibly tell whether it be or not it is not of the right stamp and will avail us nothing so that the Sinner hath nothing to do but to sit still and patiently expect till God will do all for him The method is Conviction Compunction Answer Humiliation and Faith but a Man is passive in all this How passive what is he to sit still and do nothing at all No surely he may abstain from outward Acts of sin he may do Acts of Sobriety Justice Charity he may hear pray but internal Grace is Gods work Some have taken those words Let us make Man as if God hath spoke to the four Elements and said Vos date Corpus ego dabo Animam Do you give the Body I 'll give the Soul If I may allude to this Gloss thus it is Man may frame a Body of outward Piety but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the inward life of Grace is from God only it is he Who quickneth the dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2.1 Believers are not born of the will of Man but of God Joh. 1.13 But saith the Author It is a vain thing to give such rules and directions as no Man can follow To which I answer Rules are not therefore vain because Man cannot follow them by his own power God gave not the Moral Law in vain yet the spotless sanctity of it was a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a meer impossible thing to any fallen Man in the World God bid them not in vain to make a new heart Ezek. 18.31 and yet claims it as his prerogative and as an act of special Grace to make such an heart Ezek. 36.26 Christ did not in vain call Men to come to him and yet withal tells them That no Man could come to him except the Father drew him Joh. 6.44 Moses was but to lift up the Rod but it was God only who could divide the Sea we are to use the means but it is God only who can work the great work of Grace These Rules though we cannot follow them of our selves may yet shew us our duty and if we reflect upon our selves they may point out our impotency to us and withal they minister under that Spirit which in the use of means infuses the life of Grace into Men. Polychronius in the 6. Council of Constantinople offered by a Paper containing in it the Doctrine of the Monothelites to raise a dead Man to life again Mr. Shephard never thought that his rules though containing excellent truths in them could raise the Spiritually dead but this they do they minister under that Divine Spirit which breathes regenerating Graces into the Soul St. Paul would have Timothy instruct the Opposers not as if they had a power of themselves to repent but if God peradventure would give them repentance 2 Tim. 2.25 All Rules and Instructions do but minister under the Holy Spirit who gives Faith and Repentance as it pleaseth But saith the Author These tell us not what we must do but what we must suffer in order to our union to Christ To which I answer we are to use the means and thus far we must be doers but I suppose we must suffer the Holy Spirit to have the glory of our Regeneration we must not presume to be such doers as if we could work Regeneration our selves or by our works procure it Pelagius would have been a doer in this kind alledging that Gratiam darisecundum merita that is in the Phrase of the Ancients in those dayes secundum opera that Grace was given according to works But unless he had recanted he had in the Palestine Council been by the Church turned into a Sufferer by a just Excommunication neither is our Church for any such doers for it tells us in the 13. Article That works done before Grace do not make Men meet to receive Grace or deserve Grace of congruity yea rather they have the nature of sin The Inspiration of the Spirit which that Article mentions must work the great work of Grace in us which when we see in our selves we must needs acknowledge the insuperable power that was in it Suppose a Man have this Conviction Mr Sherlock Compunction Humiliation is this a sufficient reason to lay hold upon Christ by Faith by no means The end of Conviction is Compunction the end of Compunction Humiliation and all this carries us no nearer to Christ than quietly to lye down before God that he may do what he will with us he may save or damn us So that all this contributes nothing to our union to Christ but brings us to such a temper of mind as to be content to have Christ or go without him as God shall please this is all Men get by Humiliation that if the Lord intend to do them good this is the way in which he will do it but though they be humbled they cannot be sure whether God intend to do them good or not therefore we are told we are as much bound to submit to God whether he will save or damn us as we are to submit to the disposal of God as to any common mercy though you must pray for mercy it must be with submission to Gods good will saying the Lords will is good whether it be to save or damn but mine is evil though it be to be saved and have Jesus Christ Nay we are much more bound to submit to God whether he will save or damn us than we are to submit in the lesser concernments of this life if it be pride to murmur in case the Lord deny you smaller matters the off-alls of this life is it not greater pride to quarrel with him if he deny the greater the things of another life Is he bound to give thee greater who doth not owe thee the least The Lord gives you life but you ask for treasures of Grace and Mercy now God hath given you life you would live for ever an unpardonable fault this thousands of pounds Christ and all he is worth and the Lord seems to deny you and now you sink and grow sullen may not the Lord say Was there ever such pride insolence as to be unwilling to be damned for ever though I dare say this is not the pride which cast the Angels out of Heaven so that though Humiliation be the way to Christ yet it brings us never the nearer him when all is done we are where we were Before Humiliation it was at Gods pleasure whether we should have Christ or not and so it is still The humbled Soul may Answer without doubt lay hold upon Christ but we must remember that we cannot do it by the power of Nature but must do it by the Grace of God Faith is a great receiver it receives Christ and all blessings in and with him but this Faith this very receiving must be received from Grace Nothing is plainer in Scripture than that Faith is the
a conduit only and not rather a Sea or Ocean of Grace S. Chrysostome as I have him quoted by the Learned Jeans calls him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an infinite Sea adding Though all the Saints that are were or shall be did do or shall receive of his fulness yet will he never be emptied never the less full for all that and why should the Author utter such a word as dressing up of Christ The investiture of him with his sacred Office of Mediator is so far above a slight that it is no less than the work of infinite Love Wisdom and Power those whom the Author opposes ascribe nothing to Christ but what is founded on Scripture And for such as are united to Christ in truth I verily believe that they shall never fall short of Heaven and to keep them in the true way thither God puts his fear into their hearts that they shall not depart away from him but these men ransack all the boundless perfections of the Deity What is this for Must we not own that Christ is God and hath all the fulness of the Godhead dwelling in him Or may we be Christians without it but they would have us build all our hopes not on the Gospel but on the person of Christ And where do they utter any such word or syllable Or how could they do so To rest upon Christ and cast away the Evangelical warrant to stand for the great purchaser and despise or neglect the Charter is utterly impossible To make this appear consider Mr. Sherlock Dr. Owen tells us That Christ is fit to be a Saviour from the Grace of Union and if we would understand what this strange Grace of Vnion is It is the uniting the nature of God and man in one Person which makes him fit to be a Saviour to the uttermost he lays his hands upon God by partaking of his nature Zach. 13.7 And he lays his hands on us by partaking of our nature Hebr. 2.14 And becomes a Daysman or Umpire between both Now though this be a great truth that the Vnion of the Divine and Humane nature in Christ did excellently qualifie him for the Office of a Mediatour yet this is the unhappiest man in expressing and proving it that I have met with For what an untoward representation is this of Christs Mediation that he came to make peace by laying his hands on God and men as if he meant to part a fray or scuffle and he might as well have named Gen. 1.1 or Matth. 1.1 or any other Scripture for the proof of it Strange Grace of Vnion Answer No Divine is a stranger to the Gratia Vnionis Nay the Author himself confesses it to be a great truth but the strangeness is in the Doctor 's untoward expressing of it he being the unhappiest man therein that ever the Author met with Imman fol. 21. that is except Bishop Vsher whose words are these Christ the only fit Vmpire to take up this controversie was to lay his hand as well upon God the party so highly offended as upon man the party so basely offending But the Doctor might as well have named Matth. 1. or Gen. 1. for the proof The expression was taken from Job 9.33 And if that expression the man God's Fellow Zach. 13.7 do not prove Christ's Divinity and that other he took part of our flesh and blood Heb. 2.13 do not prove his Humanity what can do it From the Deity of Christ Mr. Sherlock the Doctor observes The endless bottomless boundless Grace that is in Christ it is not the Grace of a creature no not of the humane nature it self that can serve our turn if it could be conceived as separate from the Deity Surely so many thirsty guilty souls as every day drink deep and large draughts of Grace and Mercy from him would if I may so speak sink him to the very bottom nay it could afford no supply at all but only in a moral way and that is a very pitiful way indeed The condemned Pelagius would allow meer moral Grace Answer but if there be no more what means the drawing quickning renewing regenerating creating conquering Grace so signally set forth in Scripture Or how should poor lost lapsed corrupted man dead in Sins and Trespasses ever be raised up into the Divine life Meer suasion operates only as proposing an object and not as ingenerating a power or faculty and were there no other Grace how should the power of repenting and believing which are things far above the Sphere of Nature ever be produced Or which way should the acts of repenting and believing ever come forth without a power S. Austin is not content with meer suasory Grace but would have such an one Quâ Gloriae magnitudo non solùm promittitur De Grat. contr Pelag lib. 1. cap. 10. verum etià m creditur nec solùm revelatur Sapientia verum etiam amatur nec suadetur solùm omne bonum verùm persuadetur And a little after he tells Pelagius That he must confess such a Grace if he would be a Christian The Dr. tells us Mr. Sherlock That if all the world should set themselves to drink free Grace and Mercy and Pardon from the Wells of Salvation if they should set themselves to draw from one single Promise they would not be able to sink the Grace of the Promise of the Person of Christ he means saith the Author one hairs breadth The Infiniteness of Grace with respect to its Spring or Fountain will answer all objections what is our finite guilt before it Shew me the sinner that can spread his Iniquity to the dimensions of this Grace Here is Mercy enough for the greatest the oldest the stubbornest Transgressor c. Enough in all reason this what a comfort is it to sinners to have such a God for their Saviour whose Grace is bottomless and boundless and exceeds the largest dimensions of sin though there be a world of sin in them The Grace of the Promise saith the Dr. of the Person of Christ he means Answer saith the Author This is just to as much purpose as if the Author should tell us That the Grace of the Evangelical Charter and the Grace of Christ the great Purchaser cannot consist together which as yet I never found admitted among Divines The Infiniteness of Christ's Grace is a thing no more to be scrupled or plaid withal than the Verity of his Deity When the Emperor Constantine had unjustly and unnaturally dipt his hands in the blood of his Son Crispus Spondan Annal. and Nephew Licinius Junior the Pagan Flamins were nonplust and could tell of no way of Expiation for so horrible a Crime but the Christian Doctrine furnished him with one No sooner doth a man become Christian but he must own that the Grace of Christ is infinite and in a transcendent Excess above all the dimensions of sin that the oldest and greatest Transgressor may find
a part or share of it and as the Apostle speaks Eph. 4.7 Grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. We may then conclude that the Fulness is in Christ's Person and say of him Hom. of Man's Misery as our Church doth He is the alone Mediator between God and Man which paid our Ransom he is the Physician which healeth all our diseases he is the Saviour which saveth us from our sins he is that flowing and most plenteous Fountain out of whose Fulness all we have received But saith the Author We may learn what this Fulness is by ver 14. We beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten Son of God full of grace and truth so that this Fulness is a Fulness of Grace and Truth and if we consult ver 17. we shall find that this Grace and Truth is opposed to the Law of Moses so that Grace and Truth signifies the Gospel To which I answer In the 14. ver we have only a description of the Person of Christ whose Glory is there set forth by being full of Grace and Truth not a tittle in it of the Gospel In the 17. vers we have not the word fulness but we have Grace and Truth opposed to the Law of Moses but how not as if under the Law taken in the whole Complex and Administration of it there were no Evangelical Truths or Graces this is evident for in the Second Commandment we have mercy for thousands Upon the renewing of the Tables we have God proclaiming himself in those stately Titles of Love The Lord gracious merciful longsuffering abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin In Deut. 30.6 we have the circumcision of the heart in the 37. Psal 31. we have the Law of God in the heart as the Character of a righteous man We have the holy Spirit in the Saints hence David siducially prayes Take not thy holy Spirit from me Psal 51.11 We have Job looking to his living Redeemer Job 19.25 Abraham rejoicing to see Christ's day Joh. 8.56 Abraham Isaac and Jacob embracing the Promises and looking to an heavenly countrey Heb. 11. and and to say no more all the Types and Shadows in the Ceremonial Law were a kind of veiled Gospel and pointed at Christ the great Center of both Testaments And hence it appears that in case the Law be never called Grace yet Evangelical Truths and Graces were not wanting under it But in that 17. vers two things are pointed out to us the one is this That the Evangelical Truths and Graces after the coming of Christ in the flesh though in Substance but the same were gradually far more excellent than before those Truths which under the Law were in Shadows and dark Resemblances after the coming of Christ appeared in Splendour and evidential Glory those Graces which under the Law were but as Drops and in lesser measures after his coming were as Showers and in greater plenty The other is this That Christ is in a transcendent manner supereminent above Moses though there were Grace under the Law yet Moses could not communicate it he could declare the Law or Doctrine but being but a Man a Minister he could go no further Just as John could baptize with water but then he was at his utmost Moses could no more communicate Grace then John could baptize with the holy Ghost and Fire but Christ dispenses more than meer Doctrine he communicates Grace it self Hence it appears that in that 17. vers there is more than bare Doctrine opposed to the Law and attributed to Christ I confess the Gospel to be the Charter and Medium of Grace but it is in the Royal hand of Christ to communicate it and that from his own Person He is a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and remission of sins Act. 5.31 Moreover if all Grace and the fulness of it be only in the Gospel in the outward Doctrine and Declaration of Gods Will as the Author seems to hint what becomes of the influences of Grace What are the supplies of the Spirit of Christ Phil. 1.19 What the inward drawings and teachings John 6.44.45 What the measure of the gift of Christ Eph. 4.7 What the effectual working in every part which is from the Head Christ Eph. 4.16 All internal operations of Grace all vital influences from Christ must utterly cease the condemned Pelagius may come in and set up the very first and rudest draught of his Heresie which placed all Grace in Free Will and external Doctrine and the Orthodox Fathers which with might and main opposed him therein may be justly censured for doing so To the same purpose the Apostle discourses in Coloss 9.10 Mr. Sherlock For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily and ye are complete 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filled in him who is the head of all Principalities and Powers The expression is allusive and Metaphorical For God who is a Spirit cannot in a proper sence dwell bodily in any thing The Apostle's design in this Chapter is to perswade the Colossians to adhere to the Gospel not to be seduced by Jews or Gnosticks who talk'd very much in their canting phrase of the Pleromata to corrupt the Religion of Christ with Jewish Ceremonies or Pagan Superstitions and the principal argument he urges to this purpose is the perfection of the Gospel-revelation that in Christ that is the Gospel are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Verse 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is not in whom are hid but in whom are all the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge that is who hath now revealed to us all those treasures which in former ages were hidden from the world upon this he exhorts them to be firm to the Gospel Vers 6.7 To beware lest any man spoil them through Philosophy and vain deceit after the traditious of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ and then adds For in him that is in Christ dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily So this must refer to the complete and perfect revelation of the Gospel which needs not be supplied by the Philosophy or Traditions of men To understand the reason of this phrase and the force of Argument we must consider that this is an allusion to Gods dwelling in the Temple at Jerusalem by Types and Figures which were the Symbols of his presence The Temple was Gods house the Mercy-Seat and Cherubims c. were the emblems of Gods presence he dwelt among them by Types and Figures and therefore instituted a typical and figurative Religion and this was an imperfect declaration of himself to the world But now God hath sent his son to tabernacle among us Joh. 1.14 The Deity it self dwells in the Temple of Christ's Body not by Types and Figures but by a real and immediate Presence and Vnion and therefore those revelations which are made by Christ are
ipsum quasi totos nos immergimus We draw life from the fountain of life and wholly drown our selves in him It was well said of the School-man Nullus potest justificari nisi per unionem ad Christum prima autem unio ad Christum fit per fidem None can be justified but by an union with Christ and the first union is by faith Faith doth not only look upon Christ but it unites to him and rests on him It is not a meer intellectual thing but as Philip said Act. 8.37 It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of the whole heart the whole not a Plece only of the heart is resigned up to Christ in believing meer assent therefore is not the all of Faith but there is fiducial recumbency in it Thus our Church 3. Hom. of Salvation The articles of our faith the devils believe they believe all things written in the New and Old Testament to be true and for all this faith they be but devils remaining still in their damnable estate lacking the very true Christian faith For the right and true Christian faith is not only to believe that holy Scripture and all the Articles of our faith are true but also to have a sure trust and confidence in Gods merciful promises to be saved from everlasting damnation by Christ whereof doth follow a loving heart to obey his commandments And again 1. Hom. of Faith our Church sets forth faith to be a true trust and confidence of the mercy of God through our Lord Jesus Christ a trusting in God committing our selves wholly unto him hanging only upon him and calling upon him But it may be said that the Author places Faith in such a firm assent as produces some effects in our lives and so not in meer assent To which I answer according to our Author The nature of Faith stands only in assent Obedience indeed is an effect of Faith but it is not Faith it self it is not an essential ingredient in the nature of Faith neither is it indeed the effect of any Faith but such an one as is total and genuine that is which is assentive and fiducial also The different sorts of Faith result from the different Objects and Motives of it Mr. Sherlock the Apostle takes notice of two kinds of Faith in this Chapter and Faith in Christ makes a third which are all the kinds of Faith the Scripture is acquainted with The first we may call a natural Faith that is a belief of the principles of natural Religion which is founded upon natural Demonstrations or Moral Arguments as that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Which was the Faith of Abel and Enoch whereby they pleased God for there being no mention made of the Faith of Abel and Enoch in the Old Testament The Apostle proves that they were true believers because they had this Testimony that they pleased God Now it is impossible to be sincerely religious or do any acceptable service to God without the belief of his being and providence and care of good men These are the first principles of all Religion And God required no more of those good men who had no other particular Revelation of his Will Secondly There is a Faith in God or a belief of those particular Revelations which God made to the Fathers of the Old Testament Thus Noah believed God being warned of the deluge and in obedience to him provided an Ark and this was imputed to him for Righteousness Thus Abraham in obedience to the divine Revelation left his Country and Father's house and went into a strange Land Thus Sarah by believing the promise of God received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age because she judged him faithful who had promised Thus Abraham in obedience to God offered up Isaac which was as heroical an act of Faith as was ever done by man The like examples we have of the Faith of Isaac and Jacob and Joseph and Moses c. Who firmly believed all the particular Revelations God made to them and confidently expected the performance of all his promises how unlikely soever they appear'd to be This is that Faith whereby Abraham and all the good men in these days were justified viz. Such a firm belief of the being and providence of God and all those particular Revelations God made to them as made them careful in all things to please God and to obey him It is the observation of the Learned Dr. Prideaux Answer That in the dark age of the School-men Paulus cessit Aristoteli gratia naturae St. Paul was fain to yield to Aristotle and grace to nature And I fear it will be so again we have here set before our eyes natural Faith Faith natural in its believing principle and natural in its Object Reason of it self and without any elevation of Grace may nay I suppose must admit the things of natural Theology as being within its own Sphere and shall we call this faith justifying faith which is nature nothing but nature Justifying Faith if we believe Scripture is every way supernatural supernatural in its Principle supernatural in its Object Supernatural in its Principle it is called faith of the operation of God Gal. 2.12 It is not of our selves but it is the gift of God Eph. 2.8 Not a natural gift but a gift of meer Grace unto you it is given to believe saith the Apostle Phil. 1.29 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is freely graciously given to you to believe it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a good grace divinely given Hence the second Arausican Council expresly tells us that our believing is per infusionem inspirationem spiritûs Sancti Can. 6. Nay the very Council of Trent pronounces an Anathema on those that say that a man may believe without the inspiration of the holy Spirit And Faith is also supernatural in its Object it is a thing above the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above meer natural Theology It is fixed in a God in Covenant and in his free Grace it hangs upon Christ and his sweet-smelling Sacrifice it embraces the promises of Grace and Remission and all these are supernatural only As in the Authors Natural Faith there is nothing but Nature So in the true justifying Faith there is nothing but supernatural Grace But the Author gives us an instance of natural Faith in Abel and Enoch who believed the principles of natural Religion who believed that God is and that he is the rewarder of them that seek him And had Abel and Enoch only a natural Faith Did they not believe in a Messiah Was that first precious promise Gen. 3. Given to be hid and buried in oblivion Or was it not handed down to Abel and Enoch Surely it was and they believed in the Messiah How could they come to God without a Mediator No man cometh to the Father but by me saith
of God if we observe their posture in the Scripture endeavour all they do in a way of dependance upon the Grace of God a famous instance is David in the 119. Psalm With my whole heart have I sought thee saith he But O let me not wander from thy Commandments vers 10. I will run the way of thy Commandments but do thou enlarge my heart Vers 32. Consider how I love thy Precepts but quicken me according to thy loving kindness vers 159. Lord I have hoped for thy Salvation and done thy Commandments vers 166. all his endeavors were under Grace and if Believers in all their endeavors wait upon the Grace of God much more should Sinners wait upon God for Faith in the use of means Mr. Sherlock But how shall a poor humbled Sinner know when he is called that then he may come to Christ You must not mistake the general offers of the Gospel for this special call for they are not a sufficient foundation for our Faith though they are made to the weary and heavy laden Men cannot will not come at such a call and they have no reason to do it for Christ is not intended for all therefore though he be offered to all in the Gospel yet it would be presumption for every one to lay hold on him for Christ doth not immediately offer himself to all Men as a Saviour whereby they may be encouraged to serve him as a King that is he does not promise Salvation and Eternal life in the Gospel with a design that every one that will should take encouragement from these promises to obey and serve him But first as a King commanding them to cast away their weapons and stoop under his Scepter acknowledging that if ever he save me I will bless him if he damn me his Name is righteons in so dealing with me that is every Man is invited in the Gospel to submit himself to the mercy of Christ but then Christ reserves a liberty to himself to save or damn as he pleases these are hard terms and such as sound wore like the arbitrary will of an haughty Lord than the conditions of a gracious Saviour Christ died so far for all Men Answer as to found the general promises of the Gospel for them to make them saveable upon Gospel terms which Devils are not and these general promises are a sufficient ground-work and warrant for them to come to Christ it is no presumption for any Man to do so but these general promises are not that internal call which produces Faith in Men. Christ saith Mr. Shephard doth not immediately offer himself as a Saviour to encourage them to serve him as a King that is saith the Author he doth not promise Salvation with a design to encourage every one that will to serve him To which I answer The promise is an encouragement to all Men to serve him but that this may be done they must lay down their weapons they must stoop under his Scepter or else surely they cannot serve him But Mr. Shephard goes on They must acknowledge if he save me I will bless him if he damn me he is righteous that is saith the Author every Man is invited in the Gospel to submit to the mercy of Christ but Christ reserves a liberty to himself to save or damn which are hard terms To which I answer God was under no necessity to give us a Jesus a Gospel a promise of Salvation What if there had been none would not the terms have been harder or rather no terms at all What hope of Salvation could there then have been yet in all this God would have been like himself the Righteous One man could not have uttered the least just complaint against him But now there is a Gospel what is the Liberty to save or damn which Christ reserves Is it a liberty to save men though unbelievers or damn men though believers No surely the Gospel stands firm that the believer shall be saved the unbeliever shall be damned and that without any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or difference among men but still Christ reserves to himself his Prerogative the key of David to open the hearts of men as he did Lydia's to believe upon him he dispenses Faith as he pleases And no man may say to him what dost thou He gives not an account of such matters What then must we do now Why Mr. Sherlock the only remedy is to venture and try God hath elected but few Christ hath shed his Blood for few therefore we must venture and a hard venture it is where there is such great odds-against us and yet our eternal happiness depends upon the success too great a stake for such a venture As many men among us do now who hearing of a good living fallen twenty will go for it though but one can have it though did they know it were irrevocably decreed who should have it none of them would stir but wait for the news Good God! what Merchant adventurers are poor sinners who after all their seeking for Christ are in such danger of missing him Or as the Lepers in Samaria if we stay here we must dye If we go out to the Assyrians we may live Which is the resolution of desperate men as it seems the Gospel condemns us all to be No previous dispositions can give us encouragement to come to Christ Humiliation cannot do it After this we must expect a call still we are but probationers and may miss him nay assurance it self cannot do it for if you come to Christ because you have assurance That is if you come to Christ because you are sure you are come or because you feel such Graces and Heavenly impressions of Gods Spirit in you then you may many a day and year keep at a distance from Christ and live without Christ This is an hard saying though we come to Christ we may be at a distance nay though we come because we are sure we are come already It is time now to give over when assurance is no security What then must we do now Answer We must venture and try God hath elected but few Christ hath shed his blood for few therefore we must venture and an hard venture it is and great odds against us Thus the Author To which I answer God hath elected but few But do secret things belong to us May we pry into the eternal Rolls and make them the measures of our acting No surely the Rule is before us in the Gospel which we must not wave because there are secret Decrees A man that would argue against himself and his venturing upon Christ from these principles must do it thus If I am eternally reprobated then it is to no purpose to venture upon Christ but I am eternally reprobated Ergo it is to no purpose to venture But how doth he know the Minor or what reason hath he for it What madness and desperate rashness is it