fall by whom not only the Elect but the whole frame of nature received benefit In the Creation God raised up a great Family wherein he made Adam the head and all his posterity inhabitors the frame of Heaven and Earth his domicile the creatures his servants this Family upon the fall was broken up the present Master turned out of his imployments the children beggered the servants returning to God their Soveraigne and the whole frame of the creature under attainder God thus defeated if I may so speake sets up a second Family called the Family of Heaven and Earth wherein Jesus Christ the womans seed Gen. 3. 19. is the Head Matth. 28. 18. Ephes 1. 22. Col. 1. 19 20. stiled the second Adam Lord of all things in Heaven and Earth and that with more soveraignty and amplitude of injoyment then ever the first Adam had the whole creature being put under his feet The children of this Family are the faithfull who be the adopted Brethren Rom. 8. 15. sometimes called the seed The servants be the wicked and those of two sorts either such as attend in the Church neerer about Christs person or further off as in farme-houses for baser offices The creatures by a second ordinance from their former Master free are stated upon Christ though they beare some brands of evill from the sinne of their former Master the domicile though not so beautifull returnes to Christ So the Covenant of Grace entring upon the breaking up of the former Family investeth Christ with all as purchaser of the lost creature from revenging justice and as Lord of all things in Heaven and Earth who freely conferreth the heavenly inheritance upon the adopted sonnes and brethren and vouchsafeth earthly blessings and some spirituall common gifts to the wicked which may be called servants both those that more neerly attend his person and those that be further off But of this more hereafter CHAP. III. Of the Covenant of Grace in generall THe Covenant of Grace is that free and gracious Covenant which God of his meere mercy in Jesus Christ made with man a miserable and wretched sinner promising unto him pardon of sinne and eternall happinesse if he will return from his iniquity embrace mercy reached forth by faith unfained and walke before God in sincere faithfull and willing obedience as becomes such a creature lifted up unto such injoyment and partaker of such pretious promises This Covenant is opposite to the former in kind so that at one and the same time man cannot be under the Covenant of workes and the Covenant of grace For he cannot hope to be justified by his perfect and exact obedience that acknowledging himselfe to be a miserable and lost sinner doth expect pardon of the free mercy of God in Iesus Christ embraced by faith The condition of the Law as it was given to Adam excludes the necessity of mercy reaching to the pardon of sinne and the necessity of making a new Covenant argues the former could not give life Heb. 8. 7. He that is under grace cannot at the same time be under the law and he that waites for Salvation of meere and rich grace to be vouchsafed cannot expect it as the deserved wages of his good worke from justice and not of mercy What then may some say is the Law abolished or is it lawfull for Christians to live as they list because they be not under the Law Not so but the Law hath a double respect one as the unchangeable rule of life and manners according to which persons in Covenant ought to walke before and with the Lord and in this sense it belongs to the Covenant of grace The other as it is propounded in forme of a Covenant as if he must necessarily perish who doth neglect or breake it in the least jot or tittle and in this sense the Covenant of grace and workes are opposite The matter of Evangelicall precepts and of the Morall Law is the same but the forme of promulgation is not the same the rule is one but the Covenants differ Materialy the Law that is the matter and argument of the Law as a rule stands in force but if formally it did continue as a Covenant there could be no place for repentance nor for the promise of forgivenesse or mercy reaching to the pardon of sinne or the quickning of them that be dead in trespasses The Covenant of workes is of justice the Covenant of grace is of grace and mercy which cannot agree and take place in one and the same subject for he that tryâ—th justice perceiveth not the force of mercy è contra This might be common to both Covenants that God doth freely give reward because he was not bound unto it by any Law and that is done of grace which we are not tied unto by Law but in the Covenant of Grace he gives the reward of meere and rich grace and that to the creature which hath deserved Hell This Covenant entered immediately upon the fall and so may be called a Covenant of Reconciliation not of friendship At the very instant when God holy and true was pronouncing judgements upon the severall delinquents in the fall setting downe his sentence against the Tempter both in his instrument the Serpent and the maine Author Sathan he brings in the party who should execute the same in which execution is unfolded the Covenant of grace for the Salvation of the creature that the Serpent had destroyed that God might be knowne in wrath to remember mercy At the very fall and before judgement was pronounced upon the delinquents that were tempted the Covenant of mercy was proclaimed that by vertue of this Covenant God might prevent further waste of his creature which Sathan might haue wrought upon his new advantage in following his good successe and that the tempted might have some comfort before their judgement least they might have been swallowed up of wrath The Authour of this Covenant is God considered as a mercifull and loving Father in Iesus Christ as a Creator he strooke Covenant with Adam in his integrity as a Saviour he looked upon the poore creature plunged into sinne and misery by reason of sin The cause that moved the Lord to make this Covenant was not any worth dignity or merit in man for man never had ought which he had not received and now by his disobedience had deserved to be cast off for ever neither was the present misery into which he had cast himselfe the cause that moved the Lord to receive man into favour for the Angels more excellent by creation as miserable by their fall he hath reserved in chaines of darknesse The sole moving cause why God made this Covenant Bonitatis Dei donumest quod liberare nos voluit quod verò aliter quam tali modo liberare nos noluit pâ—ccatorum nostrorum est meritum was the love favour and mercy of the Lord. Deut. 7. 7 8. Only the Lord had a delight in thy fathers
fulnesse of time came And hence the Covenant of Grace is distributed into the Covenant of Promise or the New Covenant so called by way of excellency For the Foundation and Mediatour of the Covenant of Grace is our Lord Jesus Christ but either to be incarnate crucified and raised from the dead or as already Act. 4 12. Heb. 13. 8. incarnate crucified and truly raised from the dead and ascended into Heaven For there was never sin forgiven but in him alone who is the same yesterday and to day and for ever Therefore although before the Incarnation Christ was only God he was our Mediatour yet not simply as God but as the divine person who should take our flesh and in it should finish all the Mysterie of our Redemption and therefore he is called the Lambe of God slaine from the beginning of the world and the Fathers by his grace were saved even as we In the acts of Mediation three things may be considered Reconciliation by which we are accepted of God Patronage by which we have accesse unto the Father Doctrine whereby God hath made himselfe knowne unto men by a Mediatour This third act might be done before he assumed our flesh and indeed was done but the two first did require his comming in the flesh although the fruit of them was communicated to the Fathers under the Old Testament by force of the divine Promise and certainty of the thing to come with God If it be objected that the cause is before the effect and therefore the incarnation and death of Christ must goe before the communication of the fruit and benefit thereof unto the Fathers The answer is That in naturall causes the Proposition holds true but in morall causes the effect may be before the cause and so the fruit and vertue of Christs death was communicated to the Fathers before his Incarnation But although the Sonne of God before he was manifested in the flesh was our Mediatour with God to whom future things are present because he should be and therfore for his sake sinnes were remitted men did teach and learne by his Spirit the Church was governed by him yet the manner and reason of that Mediation was proposed more obscurely the force and efficacy of it was lesse and did redound to fewâ—r The Covenant of Promise then was that Covenant which God made with Adam the Fathers and all Israel in Jesus Christ to be incarnate crucified and raised from the dead And it may be described the Covenant wherby God of his meere grace and mercy in Jesus Christ to be exhibited in the fulnesse of time did promise forgivenesse of sinnes spirituall adoption and eternall life unto man in himselfe considered a most wretched and miserable sinner if he should embrace and accept this mercy promised and walke before God in sincere obedience God the Father of his meere and free grace and mercy looking upon man in Jesus Deut. 9. 5. Gal. 3. 18. Luk. 1. 54 55. Christ in whom he is reconciled is the Author and cause of this Covenant He hath hâ—lpen his servant Israel in remembance of his mercy as he spake to our Fathers to Abraham and to his seed for ever Thus saith the Lord God of Israel your Fathers dwelt on Josh 24 â— the other side of the floud in old time even Terah the Father of Abraham and the Father of Nahor and they served other gods And I took your Father Abraham from the other side of the floud and led him throughout all the Land of Canaan and multiplied his seed and gave him Isaac The condition required in this contract is the obedience of faith Remission of sinnes gratious adoption in Christ and the Inheritance of eternall life is promised to beleevers and eternall condemnation peremptorily threatned against unbeleevers Christ whom God hath exhibited in the Gospell as he was promised to the Fathers in the Scriptures of the Prophets is the object of this Covenant The end thereof is the praise of the glorious grace and mercy of God in Christ to come In this Covenant there is a mutuall compact betwixt God and man God in mercy promising and man in duty binding himself unto the Lord. It was made with man a sinner and reacheth to the faithfull and their seed as God hath promised to accept the children of beleeving parents upon due and religious tender of them made unto his Highnesse according as he hath prescribed but saving effectually it was made with them only who beleeve in him that justifieth the ungodly be the heires of salvation and walke in the steps of our Father Abraham This Covenant doth beget children to liberty doth administer the righteousnesse of faith and the inheritance by faith hope peace of conscience life in Christ and spirituall joy is the effect thereof Internally the Spirit doth seale up the truth of this Covenant in 2 Cor. 4 13. Rom. â— 4 5. Gal. 3. 18. Rom. 8. 15. Gal. 3. 14. Gen 22. 16. Luk. 1. 73. the hearts of the faithfull For when the adoption and the inheritance pertained to the Fathers under the Covenant of promise the spirit of adoption and earnest of the inheritance pertained unto them likewise Externally it was delivered and confirmed by word and oath and sealed by the Sacraments For substance also this Covenant was everlasting and unchangeable The New Testament did not abolish the former but the former was fulfilled by the latter And in all these things it doth Psal 105. 10. agree with the new Covenant which here only are but briefly named because the confirmation of them must be sought in the Chapters following And if the Covenant of Promise and the New Covenant doe thus agree in substance then it must necessarily follow That there Eph. 2. 18 19 20. and 4. 4 5. is but one Church of the Elect the same Communion of Saints one Faith one Salvation and one way of obtaining the same viz. by Faith in Christ Secondly that the Word of God was no lesse incorruptible seed Rom. 11. 17. to the Fathers and the Israelites then to us That the Fathers did eat the true flesh of Christ by faith as well as we in the times of 1 Cor. 10. 2 3. 2 Cor. 4. 13. the Gospell That they and we are partakers of the same Spirit and that the Sacraments of the Jewes did signifie and seale to them the same promises of eternall life which our Sacraments doe to us The Sacraments of the Old Testament were not types of our Sacraments as sometimes they are called by Divines but they typified the same things that ours doe For as the Covenants under which they and we lived were one for substance so are the Sacraments one in their common nature and signification Thirdly that the faithfull before Christ were saved by the free mercy of God in Christ did know God and Christ had the Heb. 11. 9. Psal 105. 15. Isai 51. 6. spirituall promise of life eternall and were
and blessing and cursing Take command without blessing or cursing and it is no more Law with Moses take simplâ— denuâ—ciation of blessing and curse from command and then it is threatning and promise but no Law This abstract of the Law here considered from the rest of Moses his Oâ—conomy is pure Law flashing wrath upon the fallen creature and therefore called a fiery Law or fire of Law Deut. 33. 3. And for speciall cause expressed in generall by the Apostle Gal. 3. The Law that is thus abstracted was added because of transgression For first in that long course of time betwixt Adam and Moses men had forgotten what was sinne and had obliterated the very Law of nature Therefore God sets out the lively Image of it by Moses in this draught and abstract to which end all the commands saving two are propounded in the negative that so men by the Church might know the nature of sinne againe Rom. 3. 19. Secondly God propounds the Law with curse eternall to work death and to shew Gods eternall displeasure against sin Rom. 4. 15. which was usefull not only to the world and wicked in generall but specially to the stiff-necked and refractory Nation to be as a rod to scourge all their rebellions and backslidings The Law thus laced with blessings and cursings eternall abstracted from the rest of his frame makes Moses now to begin to breath blessings and no lesse then Gospel This comming from a pacified God as Exod. 33. 6 7 8. may be looked on by the fallen creature with comfort and from this consideration it is that we affirme this Covenant made with the body of Israel to be a Covenant of Grace for it is one and therefore never by Moses called Covenants Again It cannot be denied that so farre as it concerned the spirituall Iâ—raelite whom God especially eyed and for their sakes infolded the carnall in the compact it was a Covenant Thus farre for confirmation of that distinction But these distinctions seeme not to remove the doubt Not the first because it cannot be conceived how the old Covenant should as a condition of the Covenant exact perfect obedience deserving life as necessary to Salvation and yet promise pardon to the repentant believer for these two are contrary the one to the other Not the second because the Covenant that God made with the Jewes is but one and how should we conceive the Law in one and the same Covenant to be propounded as a rigid draught of prime nature and with moderation also as the Covenant of works and the Covenant of Grace likewise when the Covenant is but one and the conditions the same Besides where the Apostles doe oppose the Law and Gospel or the old and new Testament not only the Morall Law as it was given upon Mount Sinai but the whole Jewiâ—h Pedagogie or Law of Moses is understood as it is manifest in sundry passages Other things to be observed in that explication I will not insiâ—t upon at this present because they will come to be touched hereafter as we passe along The Law was never given or made positive without the Gospel neither is the Gospel now without the Law although the old Testament be usually called the Law and the new the Gospel because the Law is predominant in the one and the Gospel in the other Exod. 19. 4 5. Some Divines hold the old Testament even the Law as it was given upon Mount Sinai to be the Covenant of Grace for substance though propounded in a manner fitting to the state of that people time and condition of the Church It was so delivered as it might serve to discover sin drive the Jews to deny themselves and â—lie to the mercy of God revealed in Jesus but it was given to be a rule of life to a people in Covenant directing them how to walk before God in holinesse and righteousnesse that they might inherit the promises of grace and mercy This I take to be the truth and it may be confirmed by many and strong reasons out of the word of God As first by the contract of that spirituall marriage a little before the promulgation of the Law described in these words Yee have seene what I did unto the Egyptians and how I bare you on Eagles wings and brought you unto myselfe Now therefore if ye will obey my voice indeed and keepe my Covenant then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people for all the earth is mine And yee shall be unto me a Kingdome of Priests and an holy Nation These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel whereunto the Prophet Jer. 11. 2 3 4. Jeremiah hath reference saying Heare ye the words of this Covenant and speak unto the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and say thou unto them thus saith the Lord Deut. 4. 13. 1 King 8. 21. 2 King 23. 2. Booke of the Covenant Ex. God of Israel Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this Covenant which I commanded your Fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the Land of Egypt from the iron fornace saying obey my voice and doe them according to all which 24. 7. Deut. 4. 23. 5. 2. 9. 9. Jer. 3. 16. Hos 8. 1. Jer. 7. 23. 2 Chro. 6. 11. Ex. 34. 27 28. Eph. 2. 1 2. Rom. 5. 10 I command you so shall ye be my people and I will be your God And this without doubt is to be understood of the Decalogue as it was given upon Mount Sinai seeing Moses himselfe doth in expresse words testifie it God himselfe saith he declared unto you his Covenant which he commanded you to performe even ten words and he wrote them upon two tables of stone In these passages observe that the Law is called a Covenant as it is often els-where the Covenant of the Lord. What Covenant but of grace and mercy even that wherein God promiseth to be their God and take them to be his people if they obey his commandments For since the fall of Adam the Covenant which the Lord hath entered into with his people was ever free and gracious For when all men are sinners by nature dead in trespasses and enemies to God how can a Covenant betwixt God and man be stricken without forgivenesse of former transgressions If in the state of innocency perfect obedience should have been rewarded with life from justice now that man is fallen by transgression Chald. Paraph. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 2. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. 1 Pet. 2. 9. Exod. 19. 5. Onkelos Reges sacerdotes multitudo regum sacerdâ—tum Regiae potestatis est praevalere apud DeuÌ„ res illas ab illo auâ—erre quaruÌ„ nulla pridem facultas suit D SimoÌ„ log c. 10. Basil 1527. R Salâ—m R. Abrah R. David 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vox Segulah
a restipulation 6. The end viz. the blessednesse of man and the glory of God manifested in his wisdome bounty and goodnesse 7. As Adam in the state of Innocency was made able to fulfill the Covenant made with him so is the Covenant of Grace written in the hearts of them that be heires of the Promise in Christ They differ 1. In the speciall consideration of the Authour cause and foundation of the Covenants God gave his Law to Adam as bountifull and gratious to his creature intire and perfect but in strict justice requiring obedience promising a reward and denouncing punishment But the Covenant of Grace he made as a loving Father in Jesus Christ of his meere Grace promising to receive them into favour that sincerely and unfainedly turne unto him The Creation of man and integrity of humane nature is the Foundation of the former Covenant but the Redemption of man by Christ is the Foundation of the Covenant of Grace 2. In the forme of Sanction In the Covenant of Nature there is no Mediatour but the Covenant of Grace is made in Christ in whom God hath made us accepted The Covenant of Nature was not promised before it was promulgated but the Covenant of Grace was first promised and long after promulgated and established or ratified in the bloud of his Sonne 3. In the speciall matter of the Covenants and that both in respect of the Promise and stipulation For the Covenant of Nature promised life but not righteousnesse but in the Covenant of Grace God promiseth to tread Satan under the feet and to write his Law in the hearts of them that be heires of Salvation That Covenant promiseth life to them that perfectly obey but not remission or forgivenesse of any even the least iniquity But this promiseth forgivenesse of sinnes and life eternall to the penitent sinner believing in Christ and embracing the free promise of mercy In that life eternall is promised as the reward of justice in this life and glory as the reward of free and rich grace and mercy To him that worketh the wages is of debt but to him that beleeves the reward is of Grace In that God as a Creatour doth exact his right of man pure but in this as a loving Father he doth offer himselfe to the sinner smitten with the conscience of his sinne In that life eternall and most blessed is promised but only animal to be enjoyed in Paradise or continuance in that good estate wherein he was set at first of the rich bounty of God but in the other translation out of ignominy and death into eternall happinesse and glory in Heaven In the Covenant of Nature perfect obedience is exacted so that if there be but the least failing in any jot or title and that but once a man can never be justified thereby nor can the breach be made up by any repentance But in the Covenant of Grace obedience is required repentance admitted and sincerity accepted If a man sinne and goe astray if he returne unfainedly he shall be received into favour In the Covenant of Nature obedience and workes were commanded as the cause of life and justification in the Covenant of Grace Faith is required as the instrumentall cause of Remission and Salvation obedience as the qualification of the party justified and the way leading to everlasting blessednesse The object of obedience in the Covenant of Nature was God in the Covenant of Grace God in Christ 4. They differ in the speciall consideration of the Subject The first Covenant was given to man pure perfect intire and sound able to do what God required But the Covenant following was made with man a sinner miserable and by nature the child of wrath And so that was a Covenant of friendship this of firme Reconciliation 5. In the speciall and peculiar respect of the end For the former Covenant was made for the praise of Gods wisdome goodnesse bounty and justice But the Covenant of Grace was made to declare and set forth the riches of Gods grace and mercy In it the wisdome goodnesse power and justice of God is more illustrious then in the former and the mercy long-suffering and rich grace of God is greatly magnified which did not appeare or shine forth at all in the former 6. And in their Effects and Properties For not the Covenant of Nature but of Grace doth exclude boasting By the Covenant of Nature Adam was not advanced above the condition of an honourable Servant In the Covenant of Grace man by nature the child of wrath is made the child of God by grace and adoption The Covenant of nature was neither the last nor everlasting but being first made way for a better and being broken was antiquated or disanulled to our singular comfort but the Covenant of Grace shall continue firme and immoveable for evermore The second thing to be gathered is That the Fathers before Christ ever since the fall of Adam and Christians in the times of the Gospell did live under the same Covenant for substance but not for manner of administration which is most cleare by evident Heb. 13. 8. Rev. 13. 8. Act. 4. 12. and 15. 11. Gal. 3. 29. Rom. 3. 30. Eph. 2. 12. Gen. 15. 1 and 17. 1 7. Lev. 26. 12. Exod. 3. 6. Matth. 22. 32. 2 Cor. 4. 13. Heb. 11. 6 7 8. Rom. 4. 12. Heb. 11. â— 19 23. testimonies of holy Scripture and by the very forme of the Covenant which was one before and after the comming of Christ The same God that calleth us called them to the hope of eternall life they were endued with the same spirit and lived by the same faith Their Sacraments for substance in signification agree with ours and they expected an Inheritance everlasting and undefiled Religion for substance was ever one and unchangeable and such as were truly religious walked in the same way and waited for the same heavenly Inheritance and everlasting crowne of glory The Church before Christ may be considered as an heire or as an Infant according to the substance of the Covenant or according to the manner of administration In the first respect the Church is under the Covenant or Promise and her people are called a free and willing people an heire of heavenly and spirituall blessings In the latter respect she is under the Covenant in respect of the different administration and her people are called a servile people in comparison an heire under Tutors and Governors not differing from a servant CHAP. IIII. Of the Covenant of Promise THe Covenant of Grace is either promised or promulgated Gen. 3. 15. Gen. 12. 1. and 15. 1. and established Promised to the Fathers first to Adam and afterwards to the Patriarchs and lastly to the people of Israel and that before their comming into the Land of Canaan and after Gal. 4. 4 1 Pet. 1. 20. Act. 3. 25. Gal. 3. 16. 1â— Eph. 2. 12. their returne from the Babylonish captivity Promulgated after the
these grouÌ„ds it may be concluded That though the Fathers being delivered from the Tabernacle of the body were made Heb. 8. 6. 10 20. partakers of life eternall in Heaven yet they had not before Christ that perfect state in Heaven which now we and they are presently possessed of for they were not to be perfected without us as neither shall we be perfected before that blessed day of the second Heb. 11. 39 40. comming of Christ wherein the body of Christ that is the Church shall be absolute and perfect every way Not to insist upon this that the former Tabernacle standing the way to the Holiest was not fully manifested and that there must be some proportion betwixt the manifestation of the way unto and sense of the future life in this life in them that be of ripe age and the fruition of it in the life to come This is certaine the Fathers who died before Christ did expect in Heaven their Redeemer on whom they had beleeved for forgivenesse of sinne and life everlasting even as soules now expect the Resurrection of the body the second appearance of Christ to Judgement in regard of which things they are not perfected Now hence followed a want of much light and joy which on the sight of Christ God man entring the Heavens did redound unto them as we in earth now have not the fulnesse of joy which then we shall have when we shall see the accomplishment of what we expect CHAP. V. Of the Covenant of Promise made with Adam immediately upon his fall THe Covenant of Promise began immediately upon the fall and reached unto the comming of Christ in the flesh which is obscure in comparison of the new Covenant but in it selfe receiveth distinction of degrees according to the severall breakings out of it to the darke world and the growth from severall manifestations of God as was proportionable to the number and qualities of those who in succeeding ages should take benefit so that at first being like a young sapling it grew to be firme alwayes a fruitfull tree In Scripture it is delivered unto us under these degrees of growth both in respect of fuller and more cleare manifestation and as we may suppose of numbers that received benefit by it First from Adam untill Abraham Secondly from Abraham untill the Covenant made with Israel upon the Mount Thirdly from Moses to Christ which must be subdistinguished for the Covenant which God did promise to make with Israel and Judah upon the delivery from the North Countrey was to exceed the former Covenant which he had made with their Fathers when he brought them out of Egypt Jer. 23. 5 6 7 8. The first breaking forth of this gratious and free Promise and Covenant was immediately upon the fall and is expressed in these words I will put Gen. 3. 15. enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed He shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heele Herein God setting downe the irrevocable judgement and finall overthrow and destruction of Satan the arch-enemy of his glory and mans Salvation Gods fearefull doomes-man into whose power man was now fallen he proclaimeth his rich grace and mercy towards mankind in Jesus Christ the womans seed who should breake the Serpents head In the malediction of the Serpent is included the greatest blessing of God most mercifull towards miserable and wretched sinners In reference to this gratious antient Proclamation of mercy the Gospel is called everlasting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apoc. 14. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isai 58. 12. 61. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jer. 6. 16. 18. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 33. 15. Gen. 49. 26. Isai 54. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jer. 5. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Revel 14. 6. I saw another Angel flying through the middest of Heaven having the everlasting Gospell not in respect of the future but of the time past scil which was promised from the beginning of the world For as the hils paths and desolations are said to be everlasting or antient so the Gospell that is from the beginning This first Promise of grace and life was published by the Lord himselfe to mankind now dead in sinne and enemies to God that as they had heard from him the curse against sinne and saw and felt the same in part executed upon them so they should heare from him the promise of absolution lest they should be swallowed up in despaire When they should heare peace proclaimed by the Author of Peace and Judgement both by him that was immediately provoked and offended by sinne and came now to sentence the transgressours when they should heare peace proclaimed by him in his owne person by his owne voyce it must needs put more life and encouragement into them then if the glad tidings had been brought by some Messenger or divulged by some Herauld only The party upon whom the Promises of mercy are setled is here propounded as the seed of the woman and under the next degree as the seed of Abraham called the Angel of the Covenant The Mal. 3. 1. Eph. 1. 22. Joh. 3. 18. Gal. 4. 4. head of all things to the Church even Jesus Christ the only begotten Sonne of God who being God over all blessed for ever Rom. 9. 5. should come of David and Abraham and so of Eve Rom. 1. 3. according to the flesh for she was the mother of all living Christ God and man is made of God an Adam often opposed to the first Adam 1 Cor. 15. 21 22 23 45. Head root common receptacle and store-house in whom are treasured all good things which from him are communicated to the faithfull As in Adam our being naturall our hopes of life and death and in event our condemnation was received before ever they came to be applyed and received actually in us So in Christ as in a common store-house every thing is first placed which afterward is to be imparted to any beleever The first Adam created after the Image of God but a meere creature only was intrusted with the Promise of life for his posterity and betrayed all the body But now God of Matth. 28. 19. his infinite mercy ordaineth a second Adam even the seed of the woman that is Christ-man but lifted up above the condition of a creature by union unto the Divine Person that so as man he might be fit to receive that trust for men as God he It is cleare that this battle pertainâ—d to the woman and her seed on the one party and to this Devill that spake by the Serpent and all the wicked on the other party Dow. But then it cannot in speciall be applyed to the Virgin Mary If the Virgin Mary may be said to bruise the Serpents head because Christ was borne of her by the same reason we may say she was crucified and died for us c. might undergoe the burden
for them both and being graciously invited he is without further dispute or delay to cast his soule upon the promises of mercy and come unto Christ that he might be refreshed But they are in vaine commanded to believe if Christ died not for them because they cannot believe Is it then in vaine that the obstinate and rebellious are commanded and invited to believe who as such cannot believe Was it in vaine that God commanded Pharoah to let Israel goe that our Saviour would have gathered Jerusalem when the things concerning her peace were hid from her eyes Might not men argue by the same reason that it was in vaine for God to intreate and perswade them to believe when he did fore-know that by such invitation they would not be allured to come unto him And if they cannot believe it is not through the unreasonablenesse or absurdity of the thing commanded which doth excuse nor impotency of weaknesse as if they would believe but cannot which is to be pitied but impotency of wilfulnesse and prave affection the more unable to believe the more wilfull to refuse which is inexcusable And though I cannot say God hath given to every man to believe if he will Yet sure God is not wanting to any man in that which either in justice or promise he is bound to give and did men deny themselves nourish the motions of Gods Spirit and earnestly desire to believe without question they should find the Lord gracious If men believe it is of grace not only that whereby they are inabled to believe but whereby they are discerned from other men if they believe not it is of themselves of their own pravity and they be not further from believing then from desire to believe It is objected further that Christ as he died to impetrate remission of sins for me in particular is the object of justifying faith The mercy of God reaching to the pardon of sin in and through Jesus Christ is the object of faith justifying as it is proffered unto us in the word of life but it is one thing to believe that mercy is to be had through the death of Christ and that it is offered unto us in the Gospell and we called to imbrace it another to believe that Christ according to the compleate and full will of God hath laid downe his life for us in particular to purchase for us both grace and glory Proportionable to the perswasion a man hath of Gods willingnesse to be mercifull is his perswasion of the sufficiency of Christs satisfaction and proportionable to his perswasion that God is mercifull to him in the pardon of his sin is his perswasion that Christ died for him in particular Justifying faith is not without an apprehension of mercy in Christ to be obtained but implieth not an apprehension of mercy reaching to the pardon of sin already obtained It is not without an application of recumbency reliance or imbracing which presupposeth the offer oâ— mercy in and through Jesus Christ to be received but the application of particular perswasion that Christ died for me in particular as well as for any other or hath purchased for me grace and glory is Corvin in Mol. cap. 29. Sect. 24. not required in justifying faith Some have affirmed that faith whereby I believe that Christ died for me is the foundation of faith whereby I believe in Christ but I should desire better proof than their bare word for it seeing the Scripture makes the mercifull offer of salvation in Christ to the burdened hungry and thirsty the ground of this affiance and that perswasion according to their positions may be in good and bad them that never shall be justified neither will nor can rest upon Christ for salvation To believe that Christ is an all-sufficient Saviour and that salvation is offered to me in his name is lesse then to believe in Christ for remission of sins and in order of nature goeth before it But to believe that according to the purpose of God Christ is my Redeemer who hath purchased for me in particular grace and remission of sins and eternall redemption and hath actually reconciled me unto God this is the consequent of resting upon Christ for salvation and cannot be believed according to the Scripture unlesse a man doe first believe in Christ and according as men rest upon Christ superficially or soundly with a soveraigne and well-rooted affiance so they believe the other For when we reade in Scripture that Christ tasted of death for every man Heb. 2. 9. died for all 2 Cor. 5. 15. is the reconciliation for the sins of the whole world 1 Joh. 2. 2. shed his bloud for many Mat. 26. 28. gave his life for the ransome of many Mat. 20. 28. Mar. 10. 45. purchased the Church by his blood Act. 20. 28. Ephes 5. 25. gave himselfe for us all Tit. 2. 14. Rom 8 32. for his people Mat. 1. 21. for his sheepe Joh. 10. 15. for them that were given unto him of the Father Joh. 17 9 19. In these and such like passages by All the World Many and Vs are meant men in Covenant partakers of the benefits of Christ redeemed from all iniquity and purified unto him as a peculiar people delivered from this present evill world Gal. 1. 4. that they might live unto God 2 Cor. 5. 15. Peter Act. 3. 26. saith to the Jewes that crucified Christ Vnto you first God having raised up his Sonne Jesus sent him to blesse you in turning away every one of you from your sinnes But he spake to them who were in Covenant the children of the Prophets and of the Covenant and as they were in Covenant so God raised up Christ for them which cannot be referred to the impetration of righteousnesse but the application of Christs death in some sort Otherwise if it be observed that the Apostle speaks of the Jews according to the present state when Christ was incarnate or actually raised from the dead I thinke the greatest Patrons of universall redemption will not affirme that Christ died for every man good and bad believer or Infidell obstinate and rebellious to purchase for them actuall reconciliation on Gods part according to that state wherein they stood when Christ came into the world or was raised from the dead Once againe it is objected that if this proposition Christ died for all men be not the ground of particular affiance it can have no ground at all neither promise of mercy absolute nor conditionall generall nor speciall But already it hath been shewed that bare assent or belief that Christ died for all men cannot be the ground much lesse the only ground of justifying faith and it may further be made evident by these reasons First That is the foundation of faith whereupon particular affiance leaneth or is immediately grounded But no mans particular affiance on Christ for salvation can be grounded on his generall belief that Christ died for all men because this
God through faith be the matter whereupon or for which we are justified we are not justified by workes but the righteousnesse of God through faith is the matter whereupon we are justified Christ is the end of the Rom. 10. 4. Law for righteousnesse to everyone that beleeveth We are made the righteousnesse of God in him The righteousnesse of the Law is not 2 Cor. 5. 19. here put for workes done exactly by the strength of nature but for workes done according to the prescription of the Law according to which people in Covenant ought to walke to whom God hath promised that if they keep his Commandements they shall be unto him a peculiar people châ—sen generation and royall priesthood Exod. 19. 5. Non justificatur homo partim justitia partiali imperfect â inbâ—rente partim accepti latione imperfecti properfecto By the righteousnesse of God to understand remission of sinnes and regeneration by faith faith and workes and by the righteousnesse of the Law workes done by the strength of nature is rather to offer violence unto then to interpret this Text of Scripture And by the same reason the Popish Glosses upon this Text are confuted as false and vaine Bellarmine would make the sense this Faith is imputed for righteousnesse that is faith is justice by which Abraham was justified For if Abraham was justified by workes he hath whereof to glory in himselfe But with God he hath Rom. 4. 2. not whereof to glory To him that worketh not faith is imputed for righteousnesse therefore faith is not the righteousnesse of the Law The Question there disputed is not by what worke Abraham was justified but after he had done many and great works in the manner of Justification he presented himselfe before the throne of grace not only sub forma paâ—peris but which is more of an ungodly man to receive absolution from the hand of grace by a true and lively faith And faith is accounted for righteousnesse by gracious acceptation but what is accounted by free favour that is not truly and really the thing it is accounted for inherent in us It will be said Faith was not reputed to Abraham for righteousnesse after that he excelled with many vertues having embraced Christ But the holy Ghost rather testifies although the excellency of Abrahams vertue was great whereby he had increased by long perseverance yet he was not otherwise accepted as righteous unto life but because by faith he received grace offered in the promise The faith of Abraham was great and excellent for degree and measure but it was not accepted for righteousnesse in regard it was strong and eminent but because it laid hold upon the promised feed The faith of Abraham was eminent but not perfect and justified him not absolutely as an excellent vertue but relatively as it received the promise of mercy not as if Abraham was thereby made perfect by inherent holinesse for then Abraham had whereof to glory in himselfe but as in himselfe a sinner and ungodly he obtained free and full remission of the meere grace and favour of God So that we may conclude from this passage of holy writ that Abraham was justified by faith alone but this his faith though alone in the act of Justification no other grace coworking with it was not alone in existence did not lie dead in him as a dormant and idle quality Saving faith is lively and operative attended with every other grace of the Spirit setting them upon their worke animating and quickning them thereto and regulating them therein It stirres up sorrow for sinne and purpose of amendment it raiseth the soule earnestly to long after and heartily to crave mercy it comes to Christ as an humble poore penitent petitioner for forgivenesse but that which is done by faith stirring up sorrow and working by prayer is not done partly by faith partly by sorrow and partly by prayers but by that faith which doth enforce to pray For faith leaneth upon the promise and no promise is made the condition of prayer being shut forth Aske and it shall be given you Mark 11. 24. Therefore our Saviour Christ being intreated of many that he would heale them attributeth all the force of their prayers to faith Thy faith hath saved thee And so by what faith Abraham embraced the promise by the same he offered up his Son Isaac Workes then or a purpose to walke with God justifie as Jam. 2. 22 23. the passive qualification of the subject capable of Justification or as the qualification of that faith that justifieth or as they testifie or give proofe that faith is lively but faith alone justifieth as it embraceth the promise of free forgivenesse in Jesus Christ Abrahams faith was accepted for righteousnesse but Abraham himselfe Gen. 17. 1. is commanded to walke before God and to be perfect There be divers phrasâ—s in the Scripture of the Old Testament expressing the same thing for substance as to walke before God Gen. 17. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 24. 40. and 48. 15. 1 Kin. 3. 6. Sept. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 116. 9. Isai 38. 3. Psal 56. 14. 1 King 9. 4. to walke with God Gen. 5. 22. and 6. 9. Mal. 2. 6. Mic. 6. 8. to walke after God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 King 23. 3. Hos 11. 10. to walke in the name of God Zech. 10. 12. to walke in the wayes of God 1 King 3. 14. Deut. 10. 12 13 14. wholly to follow after the Lord. i. e. to exhibite full obedience to the Lord. Numb 32. 12. Deut. 1. 36. Josh 14. 14. to stand in the sight of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God 1 King 17. 1. to walke in the light of the Lord. Isai 2. 5. to walke in equity Isai 57. 2. to walke in truth in judgement and uprightnesse 1 King 2. 4. and 3. 6. 2 King 20. 6. The two first phrases of walking with God and before God the Sept. Interpreters doe most commonly render to please God though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now and then they retaine the phrase of walking with or before God or walking after God and the Apostle seemes to have respect Isai 38. 3. unto their translation when he doth so alleadge it Heb. 11. 5. For he is reported to have pleased God In the New Testament there be Phrases that import the same thing for substance as to walke in the truth 2 Joh. 4. to walke in all the Commandements Statutes and Ordinances of the Lord. Luke 1. 6. to walke worthy the Lord that is as becomes the sonnes of God 1 Thess 2. 12. Eph. 4. 2. and to please him in all things Col. 1. 10. to walke in Christ Col. 2. 6. that is to doe all after the rule and command of Christ vers 6. and set before our eyes his glory as the white we shoot
of Adam by the Law of nature written in his heart Confidence in God through Christ or the Messiah was required of the Israelites by the Law published upon the Mount Adam was to performe obedience to the Lord immediately without a Mediatour being himselfe pure and innocent But the Israelites being in themselves sinnerâ— â—ould not in their own names performe service pleasing and acceptable unto the Lord. Adam knew he was beloved of the Lord so long as he continued in obedience but had no warrant to wait upon his mercy when he had broken the Covenant of works But to the Israelites God bound himselfe in Covenant upon Mount Sinai promising to be their God and take them for his people notwithstanding they were sinners in themselves which could not be without forgivenesse and this Covenant they might and did renew by repentance after transgression The Law is not to be confounded with the Gospell but the sacred and inviolable knot of the one with the other is to be maintained unlesse we shall make God contrary to himselfe The Law doth not so directly and expressely teach faith in When Paul saith Faith came by the Gospell it is to be understood of the manner of propounding vvithout the invvrappings of types that the Doctrine vvas â— taught plainly vvithout types and figures Rom. 8. 3. Christ but require obedience yet doth it leade us to Christ and more obscurely command faith in him The Gospell doth more fully reveale Christ and the grace of God in him commanding faith by name but it doth also urge presse and exact obedience Thus sweetly doe the Law and Gospell consent together But here it is to be noted that faith is commanded in the Law which exacteth every thing that is good but it is given to us not by the Law but of the holy Ghost The distinction of the Law and Gospell as they are opposed one to another is cleare and evident but as the Law was given to the Jewes it is not opposite but subordinate to the Gospell The Law in it selfe considered exacted perfection of works as the cause of life but when that was impossible to man by reason of the infirmity of his flesh it pleased the Lord to make knowne to his people by the ministery of Moses that the Law was given not to detaine men in confidence of their own works but to leade them unto Christ Whatsoever the Law teacheth whatsoever it promiseth whatsoever it commandeth alwayes it hath Christ for the scope thereof For though the Law of righteousnesse promise a reward to the keepers thereof yet after it hath shut up all men under sinne it doth substitute another righteousnesse in Christ which is received by faith not purchased by the merit of works And therefore the Apostle doth reprehend the Jewes as perverters of the true sense and meaning Rom. 10. 4 5 6 c. of the Law when they sought to be justified by their works and sheweth that Moses taught them to look for Salvation in the Messiah and seek for that righteousnesse which is by faith Whereby it is manifest that the Law was given 〈◊〉 be a manuduction unto Christ in whom we have Redemption from all things from which by the Law of Moses we could not be justified and a rule to the faithfull according to which they must frame their conversation For what word was that which Moses saith was neere even in their hearts but the Law which the Lord gave upon Mount Sinai and promised to write in the hearts of his people under the Covenant of Grace And from this ground it is not hard to answer what is further objected against this truth as If faith be commanded in the Law then being justified by faith we are justified by the works of the Law For faith is not a work of the Law nakedly and absolutely considered as it exacteth perfect obedience of man in his own person but of the Law as it was given to the Jewes to direct them unto Christ who is the soule and life of the Law And though it be commanded in the Law as it is in the Gospel or new Covenant yet it justifieth not as a part of Regeneration or an act of obedience and work of Grace by it worth or dignity but in respect of that office whereunto it is assigned of God and as it receiveth the promises of mercy It is a sâ—phisticall forme of reasoning to say Faith is commanded in the Gospell therefore if we be justified by faith we are justified by the works of grace The arguments are like and both faultie For justification by faith in Christ is opposed to justification by the works of the Law because he only is justified before God by the Law whose acts being examined by the Law are found just and righteous according to that which the Law requireth but he is justified by faith who being in himself ungodly believeth in Christ for salvation So that according to the Apostles meaning wheresoever faith be commanded he is justified by faith without the works of the Law who is acquitted from sin by the meer and rich grace of God in Jesus Christ received by faith And to seek justification by works is to rest upon our works for salvation as they that answer in all things to that righteousnesse personall which the Law requireth Justification by faith and justification by workes are opposite and so is faith and workes but faith is not opposed to one act commanded whereby the promise is received for then it should be contrary to it selfe but to works whereby the Law is fulfilled in our owne persons to workes I say not to one work because no one worke can justifie but all are necessary If it be said the Apostle doth every where oppose the Law and the Gospel or the old and new Testament The answer is from the same ground that in the Scriptures of the new Testament the Law as well Ceremoniall as Morall is opposed to faith or the Gospel and yet the Ceremonies of the Law did prefigure Christ as all men acknowledge Therefore the Apostle doth not perpetually and absolutely oppose the Law and the Covenant of grace for he teacheth expresly that faith establisheth Rom. 3. 31. the Law For he understood the force and sentence of the Law to consist in faith but because the Jews addicted to the latter of the Law did pretermit the force and life of it Paul proves the Law so taken and separated from faith to be the cause not of life but of death as that which did not only want Christ who is the soul of the Law but is opposite to him And therefore Paul doth this because the Jews faith being let passe did seek righteousnesse in the dead works of the Law and did oppose the Law to the Gospel and Christ who was the end and scope of the Law This will be more plain if we shall examin the particular passages of Scripture wherein this matter is handled
Jer. 32. 37 38 39. shall say surely our Fathers have inherited lies vanity and things wherein there is no profit Behold I will gather them out of all Countries whether I have driven them in mine anger and Ezek. 11. 17 18 19. Eze. 20. 40 41 42 43. Lam. 4. 22. Thy punishment O daughter of Zion is finished he will not adde to give thee to be carried away scil after thou shalt return into thy Country out of present Captivity in my fury and in great wrath and I will bring them againe into this place and I will cause them to dwell safely And they shall be my people and I will be their God And I will give them one heart and one way that they may feare me for ever for the good of them and of their children after them And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turne away from them to doe them good but I will put my feare into their hearts that they shall not depart from me And in these respects this Covenant which pertained to the old Testament might be called an inchoation of the new because the old ordinances distilling grace in some measure into the whole Covenant were to continue untill Christ should be incarnate and erect a new Tabernacle which should stand and continue for ever when a new people should be added to the Lord and the old ordinances because of their weaknesse being taken downe a new forme should be set up to abide for ever And from all this we may briefly observe in what accidents the old and new Testament differ one from another when for substance they be one and the same They both flow from the free-grace and mercy of God looking at poore sinners in Jesus Christ They have both one common matter the obedience of Heb. 5 8. Act. 3. 19 Eph. 1. 14. faith required and life everlasting and all secondary good things promised by the imputation of the righteousnesse of faith and free adoption in Jesus Christ They have both one object Jesus Christ who being promised to the Fathers in propheticall Scriptures God hath in due time exhibited under the Gospel They have both one generall end viz. the praise of the glorious grace of God in Jesus Christ Both Covenants are struck with man-kind as invested in one and the same reall and formall consideration whither before or after Christ viz. with sinners and those which worke not but beleeve in him that justifieth the ungodly In both the same spirit sealed up the truth of the Covenants to all under Covenant for seeing the adoption and inheritance in some measure belonged to the Fathers in the old Testament the earnest of that inheritance cannot be denied them But the new Covenant doth in many things out-strip the old which do nothing derogate from their substantiall and reall unity and agreement First In the old Testament the Lord did proclaime himself to be mercifull and gracious slow to anger aboundant in goodnesse and truth which he confirmed by great and wonderfull deliverances of his people out of Egypt and Babylon but yet at first he gave his Law with signes of Majesty glory and terrour yea of anger and displeasure against sin and wickednesse But the new Exod. 19. 18. Heb. 12. 21 22 23. Eph 2 17 18. 2 Cor. 5. 17 18. Testament was given with manifest tokens of love favour and free mercy God being reconciled in the Son of his love and therein he hath revealed his superaboundant and transcendent love mercy and long suffering as shall be shewed hereafter Secondly In the old Testament Christ was knowne to be the seed of the woman the selected seed of Abraham his bloud and death typified in Moses his person and office humiliation and resurrection fore-told by the Prophets but all these were more obscure and darke to the Jewes but in the new Testament Joh. 1. 12 â—â— Rom. 1. 4. Gal. 3. 19. 2 Co. 1. 20 he is openly manifested to be the Son of God made unto us of God wisdom righteousnes sanctification and redemption to whom the promise was made and by whose love authority as the great Testator of heaven they are all made put forth ratified established Thirdly The commandments of the old Testament were many Heb. 7. 16. Col. 2. 14 15. of them carnall standing in ceremoniall observances and containing an hand-writing against them and the promises were many corporall as of an earthly inheritance so that by them their faith was to ascend up to spirituall and heavenly things and the spirituall promises were obscure in number fewer and such as were farre off But the commandments of the new Covenant are spirituall Mat. 6. 33. and the promises spirituall plainly revealed nigh at hand ratified by the comming of Christ particular earthly things are promised as an additament to them that seek the Kingdome of heaven and included in the spirituall Fourthly Moses was the Mediatour of the old Testament a Gal. 3. 19. typicall imperfect Mediatour as not a right middle person a Heb. 9. 15. 8. 8. 6. 12. 14. Mediatour in respect of the outward administration and that by the power and vertue of Christ but the force of that Covenant had foundation in Christ and it was in and through Christ that the federates were partakers of the good things promised But Christ the Mediatour of the new Covenant a true and perfect Mediatour a right middle person between God and man who hath revealed the Gospel satisfied revenging justice brought in everlasting righteousnesse who alone is able to remove the guilt of sin from the conscience repaire the lost image of God in his people bow their hearts to walk in obedience and procure acceptance to their service Fifthly The old Testament was confirmed with the bloud of Heb. 9. 18 19 20. Heb. 9 14. Mat. 26. 28. beasts because the typicall Mediatour was not Testator and so was not to die but in the new Testament the true and perfect Mediatour was also the Testator and so the Covenant was confirmed by his precious bloud Sixthly The Law was written in tables of stone yet so as it was Exod. 31. 18 Deut. 9. 10. Deut. 30. 6 11 12. 2 Cor. 3. 5. Jer. 31. 33. Heb. 8. 10. engraven in the tables of the heart though not in that plenty and abundance that afterward for under the old Testament God would have both letter and spirit but more letter and lesse spirit But the Gospel is written in the fleshie tables of the heart yet so as it is committed to writing for in the new Testament the Lord would have both letter and spirit but more spirit and lesse letter then in the old Testament Seventhly The old Covenant was made with one selected Nation though Proselites if any offered themselves might not be excluded but in the new Covenant the world in opposition to Mat. 28. 1â— Dan. 7. 14. the Jewish Nations all Nations
those faults which are remitted to the guilty 2 King 8. 9 10. 1 King 21. 21. For it is essentiall to punishment that it should be inflicted for sinne but not that it should be inflicted upon him that hath offended Thirdly that an innocent person may thus in justice and equity suffer for a nocent there is required besides the acts of ordination in the supreme of submission in the suretie and of consent in Actus cui poena inest est actus nocivus qui nec omnibus nec in omnes concessus Quare ut poena sit justa requiritur ut actus ipse poenalis sit in potestate punientis quod ter contingit aut antecedenti jure ipsius punientis aut justo valido consensu ejus de cujus poena agitur aut ejusdem delicto the delinquent first an intimate and neere conjunction in him that suffereth with those that should have suffered Severall unions and conjunctions there are as Politicke between the members and subjects in a state and thus the people were punished for Davids sin 2 Sam. 24. 14 17. and in a common-wealth universally sinfull a few righteous men may as parts of that sinfull society be justly subject to those temporary evils which the sins of that society have contracted See 1 Sam. 12. 25. Naturall as between parents and children so the Lord visited the sins of Dathan upon his little ones Numb 16. 27 33. Valer. Max. de Dion Siculo Plutarch de sera Num. vindict Mysticall as between man and wife so the Lord punished the sins of Amazia◠the Priest of Bethel by giving over his wife unto whoredome Amos 7. 17. And we see in many cases the Husband is liable to be charged and censured for the exorbitancies of his wife Stipulatorie and by consent as in the case of fide jussores obsides who are punished for the sins of others whom they represent and in whose place they stand as a caution and muniment against injuries which might be feared as we see in the Parable of a Prisoner committed to the custody of another person 1 King 20. 39 42. So the surety is punished for the debtor Possessorie as between a man and his goods and so we find that a man was to offer no beast for a sin-offering but that which was his own Lev. 5. 6 7. Besides there is required in the innocent person suffering that he have a free and full dominion over that from which he parteth in his suffering for another As in suretiship a man hath free dominion over his money and therfore in that respect he may engage himself to pay another mans debt but he hath not a free dominion over himself or his own life and therefore he may not part with a member of his own in commutation for anothers as Zaleucus did for his sonne nor be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to lay down his own life for the delivering of another from death except in such cases as the Word of God limiteth and alloweth Now all these things hold in Christ in a speciall manner There is a most neere conjunction between him and us He conversed amongst men and was a member of that Tribe and Society amongst whom he lived and therefore was together with them under that Romane yoke which was then upon the people and in that relation paid tribute unto Cesar He had the nature of man and was subject to all humane and naturall infirmities without sinne He was mystically married unto his Church and therefore was answerable for the debts and misdemeanours of his Church He entred into Covenant and became surety for man and therefore was liable to mans engagements He became the possession in some sort of his Church whence it is that we are said to have him 1 Joh. 5. 12. not by way of dominion for so we are his 1 Cor. 6. 19. but by way of communion and propriety He was Lord of his own life and had therefore power to lay it down and to take it up And this power he had though he were in all points subject to the Law as we are not solely by vertue of the hypostaticall union which did not for the time exempt him from any obligations of the Law but by vertue of a particular command constitution and designation to that service of laying down his life This commandement have I received of my Father Joh. 10. 18. Moreover he had power ample enough to breake thorough the sufferings he undertooke and to assume his life and former condition again I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it up And therefore it was most just and righteous that Christ in himself innocent should suffer for us in our selves guilty which doth more plainly appeare in that all parties are glorified and all parties are willing and well-pleased All parties are glorified The Father is glorified in the obedience of his Sonne Joh. 12. 27 28. John 17. 4. The Sonne is glorified by the Father Joh. 17. 5. Heb. 2. 7. crowned with glory and the sinner glorified being received into favour Ioh. 17. 24. All parties are willing the Father is willing for by his Ordination he appointed Christ unto it Act. 4. 27 28. and in his love and compassion bestowed Christ upon us Ioh. 3. 16. by his divine acceptation he rested well pleased in it Matth. 17. 5. and by his wonderfull wisdome fitted it to the manifestation of his glory and mercy to the reconciliation of him and his creature and to the exaltation of his Sonne The Sonne is willing he chearefully submitted unto it Heb. 10. 9. and freely loved us and gave himself unto us Gal. 2. 20. The sinner is willing and accepteth and relieth upon it The summe of all is this By the most wise just and mercifull will of God by his owne most obedient and voluntary susception Christ Jesus being one with us in a manifold and most secret union and having full power to lay downe and to take up his life again by speciall command and allowance of his Father given him did most justly without injury to himself or dishonour to or injustice in his Father suffer the punishment of their sins with whom he had so neere an union and who could not themselves have suffered them with obedience in their own persons or with so much glory to Gods justice mercy and wisdome And though the will of God being ever just is to us a sufficient cause of what God willeth and the reason thereof be to us unsearchable yet in this matter we can assigne just and weighty reasons of this will of God out of the Scriptures God will not execute the severity of his Law because he is mercifull slow to anger and ready to forgive His free and everlasting love and infinite delight which he hath in mercy disposeth him aboundantly to pardon and exercise loving kindnesse in the earth Exod. 34. 7. Micha 7. 18. Ionah 4. 2. 2 Chron. 30. 9. Psal 86.
it teacheth that without faith it is impossible to please God And if man stand in need of a Saviour he is lost in himselfe so the prescribing of the remedy doth discover the malady Without hope of pardon there is no true turning unto God but the Gospell propoundeth mercy to them that humble their soules and conâ—esse their sinnes If men may be perswaded and drawn to come unto Christ allured and inticed by faire and sweet promises then the Gospell is the sole instrument of Hos 2. 14. Epâ— 2. 17. conversion but conversion is a faire or slattering perswasion if I may so call it Terrours drive no man unto God of themselves but rather from him unlesse he be pleased to work by them and gentle perswasions may prevaile if God vouchsafe to put in with them God doth freely give his Word to whom he please as long as he please and in what manner it seemeth best unto him in his infinite wisdome He gave his Law unto Jacob his Statutes and Judgements unto Israel he hath not dealt so with every Nation The Psal 147. Act. 17. 30. times of ignorance God regarded not Greater things were done in Capernaum Chorazin and Bethsaida then were done in Mat. 11. 23 24. Tyre and Sidon Sodome or Gomorrah Paul was forbidden to preach the word in Asia and the Disciples to enter into the Act. 16. 6. Mat. 10. 5. wayes of Samaria Greater meanes God doth vouchsafe to them that are worse and more meanes to them that be more obdurate Ezek. 2. 7. and 3. 7 8 11. Act. 13. 46. in their sinnes like to them that are unlike and lesser to them that be not so deeply plunged into profanenesse For God doth exhort them that they might be inexcusable that they might know a Prophet had been amongst them that it might be for Ezek. 2. 5. Matt. 24. 14. Isai 6. 9 10. Mat. 13. 14 15 16. Rom. 9. 23. Luke 2. 34. a testimony against them that they might be hardened and that the glory of God might be manifested in the vessels of wrath Thus Christ is set up for a signe that shall be spoken against and for a rock of offence 1 Pet. 2. 7 8. The Word is a morall instrument of conversion which God is pleased to use without which he doth not ordinarily work but it hath no power of it self to work and therefore conversion is the immediate work of the holy Ghost notwithstanding the meanes which God useth in the turning of a sinner Naturall instruments being moved have some power to worke of themselves or by their own faculty morall not so The Word is a fit instrument though of it selfe it have no power to produce the effect For though conversion be not a bare morall perswasion yet it is effected by perswasion or at least not without perswasion In the change God dealeth with man as a reasonable creature or instrument which is to be renewed by grace and allured by promises sweet pleasant profitable firme and sure Now the Word is very fit to convey those admirable and most forcible perswasions from the eare unto the soule The Word is more generally published in the times of the Gospell and Kingdome of the Messiah then it had been in former ages God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe 2 Cor. 5. 19. and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation the Gospell which hath been preached unto every creature under Heaven Col. 1. 23. that is to all Nations Jewes and Gentiles and to all sorts and sexes noble base learned or unlearned bond or free And thus Col. 1. 6. Mat. 28. 19 20. Rom. 10. 21. it did come unto them they not minding it or having it once in their thoughts And hereof this is an argument that it commeth not where it is sought but where it is gainsaid The Spirit was more abundantly poured forth upon the Church after the Resurrection of Christ The Pastours of the Primitive Churches were faithfull and diligent the primitive Christians did 1 Thes 1. 8. not hide their candle under a bushell but did shine as lights to others and labour their conversion and the Gospell like the Sunne for clearnesse did spread forth the beames of light more abundantly The Gospell is more glorious then the Law or truth of God manifested in the old Testament that was as a Candle that could not spread it light farre this as the Sunne disperseth his 2 Cor. 3. 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. beames farre and nigh It is the ministration of life a quickning spirit the ministration of righteousnesse which shall endure for ever and in this respect it doth exceed in glory it is a Gospell full of glory If the types of Evangelicall things were glorious how much more glorious must the Gospell it self needs Gal. 1. 27. Jam. 2. 8. 2 Cor. 3. 8 9. 1 Thes 2. 12. 1 Pet. 1. 12. be The Gospell is called a glorious Mystery a royall Law a ministration of glory nay glory it self a glory which draweth the study and amazement of the most glorious creatures unto it The publisher of the Gospell is Jesus Christ the only begotten Sonne of God who being in the bosome of the Father the truth Joh. 1. 18. it selfe and most familiarly acquainted with all his Counsells hath revealed and brought it to light The matter it selfe is great Salvation such as eye hath not seen Heb. 2. 3. 1 Cor. 2. 9. care hath not heard nor ever entered into the heart of man to conceive Newes from heaven touching righteousnesse and life eternall through faith in Jesus Christ Gods wisdome power goodnesse mercy grace longsuffering c. are gloriously set forth in the Gospell The maine subject is Christ the brightnesse of his Fathers glory Heb. 1. 1 2 3. Col. 1. 19. the Image of the invisible God This word propounded by the ministery of man is not only preparatory as if an other word which may be called consummatory must be suggested by the Spirit unto the minde For the holy Ghost doth not inlighten the soule by his internall action into any other acknowledgement of Christ then that which is contained in the Word externally proposed or affect the heart with other senses then which are proposed out of the same Word Faith is Rom. 10. 14 15 16. 17. by hearing that is by preaching and preaching by the Word of God that is by commission or edict from God But this preaching did perfectly containe all things consummatory for the sanctification Joh. 17 17 20. Joh. 14. 16. Joh. 15. 15. 17. 8. Joh. 1. 18. 3. â—2 Joh. 16. 13. of the Church even all things which Christ taught to his disciples which he had heard of the Father and were delivered unto him who was in the bosome of the Father all truth whereby not the Apostles only but the whole Church even to the end of the world shall be sanctified The wisedome of