they are still truly distinguishable in themselves as to their formal notions vocation being one thing and justification another and also in the order in which they are given out to sinners For first they are effectually called then justified then adopted and last of all glorified Betwixt the three former there is at least a priority of nature as the Sun we say is before its light and the fire before its heat But betwixt them and glorification there is a priority of time Thus Enoch we know walked some years with God in a justified state before he was translated And Paul fought long after he was called before he received his Crown This is the unvariable order that God hath fixed wherein to dispense the great blessings of the Covenant to such who are the objects of his elective love He justifies none but the called and adopts none but the justified and glorifies none but the adopted Rom. 8. In the next place the order in which the priviledges of the Covenant are dispensed being stated we must consider in what order the several conditions of the Covenant since â—ot to all alike nor at the same time to all are to be applied for our being actually inâ—eressed in them And first in order to our â—ffectual calling no more is required of us â—han an humble and diligent attendance upon all such means as God hath appointed for that end Our waiting by the pool for the Angels moving upon the waters Isa 55.6 Prov. 2.4 5. Heb. 2.1 Luke 11.9 10 11 12 13. Joh. 5.25 Act. 10.33 Acts 13.44 48. Our actual faith and repentance and holiness cannot here be supposed as a prerequisite to our effectual calling only our attendance upon the means since these are the very things to which we are called Act. 26.18 Rom 10.14 Rom. 1.7 Gal. 1.6 And he that is called to believe and be holy is upon that very account supposed before to be both unbelieving and unholy But then in order to our being justified and adopted there both faith and repentance as hath already been proved are antecedently necessary Or which is all one our humble and penitential acceptance or receiving of Jesus Christ in all his offices as Prophet Priest and King and consequent upon this our reliance upon him for pardon and Salvation Gal. 2.16 Joh. 1.12 and lastly in order to our being actually glorified and made eternally happy in the immediate fruition of God 't is further requisite that we be not only penitent and believing but also actually holy and obedient as hath been said Math. 5.20 Rev. 22.14 First God in the use of means calls sinners to repent and believe and then upon their repenting and believing in answer to his call he justifies and adopts them And then upon their being further purified in obeying the truth as 't is exprest 1 Pet. 1.22 and so made meet to be partakers with the Saints in the inheritance of light they are as the consummation of all their happiness eternally glorified So that you see our repenting and believing necessarily presupposeth our effectual calling and our justification and adoption our repenting and believing and our glorification not only our being justified and adopted but also our being personally holy and conformable to Jesus Christ When therefore 't is said that obedience as well as faith and repentance is a necessary condition in the Covenant of Grace if we understand it as we ought according to the order before explained the great doctrine of justification by faith in Christ which the Apostle so much contends for with the Jews especially in his Epistle to the Romans and Galatians this doctrine I say is hereby secured and preserved inviolable since our obedience is made a condition only with reference to eternal life and not to our justification being in order not â—ntecedent to but consequent upon that We are still justified by faith in Christ without works as the Apostle speaks but yet not saâ—ed by faith alone without works There is more required to make a Soul fit for Heaven than meerly the pardoning of his sins and justifying of his person But is it not often affirmed in Scripture that we are saved as well as justified by faith Joh. 3.16 Eph. 2.8 Mar. 16.16 It 's true and so also we are said to be saved by hope Rom. 8.24 And by calling upon the name of the Lord Rom. 10.13 And to be blessed and have a right to the tree of life by keeping of the commands of Christ Rev. 22.14 If then the argument will hold good that we are saved by faith alone without holiness and obedience because 't is said he that believeth shall be saved we might also by the same rule argue that we are saved by hope without faith or by calling upon God without hope or by our obedience without all the rest since Salvation and blessedness is ascribed to each of these to hoping and calling upon the Lord and obeying as well as believing All therefore that can justly be inferred from hence is only this that faith as well as hope and obedience is necessary to our Salvation And because there is an inseperable connexion betwixt them and a joint subserviency of both to the same end therefore it is that eternal life is sometimes ascribed to one sometimes to the other Sometimes 't is said blessed are they that believe Joh. 20.29 Sometimes blessed are the pure in heart Matth. 5.8 Sometimes blessed is he that feareth the Lord Psal 112.1 Sometimes again blessed are they that keep his testimonies and are undefiled in the way Psal 119.1 2. All which 't is evident must be taken inclusive of each other faith of fear and fear of purity and all as joined with actual obedience That is he that believes and acts sutably to his faith in purifying his heart and keeping the commands of Christ he shall be saved And so again on the other hand he that obeys supposing also that he repents and believes in Jesus Christ he shall be blessed But we cannot possibly without making Scripture to contradict it self appropriate happiness to any one of these conditions not to faith any more than to obedience either by way of opposition to or separation from the rest The plain English of that would be this that a disobedient faith or an unbelieving obedience might be sufficient to qualify us for eternal life Even in justification it self though our actual obedience be not there required yet 't is vertually included in the very nature of that faith by which we are justified But as to our being eternally glorified there our actual obedience together with faith and repentance are alike necessary to give us a perfect and compleat right to it faith and repentance alone as to this are not sufficient A compleat right I say for there is I grant a certain right to life that doth immediately result from faith it self But then we must here distinguish of a double right There is first a primary and
can be drawn up or made at least so as to be obliging unless it be by mutual consent and agreement thereto demanded and obtained since betwixt equals there can be no Dominion or Soveraignty and consequently no right to impose terms upon each other But betwixt Superiors and such as are in a state of subjection and dependence the case is far different The Supreme Magistrate if he intend to confer Honours or Preferments upon any of his Subjects or to pardon such as have been disloyal and have rebelled against him he may draw up and propound to them what Conditions or Articles of Agreement he thinks meet provided they be not unjust and unreasonable and not to their prejudice He may require them to make publick acknowledgment of their fault and to promise homage and subjection to all his Laws and Government without asking their leave to do it and they notwithstanding are thereupon obliged to yield their consent thereunto at least iâ— they expect any benefit by his Act of Grace and Pardon Now this is the case betwixt God and the Creature Man he is not only as a Creature necessarily subject to and dependent upon God but as a degenerate Creature he 's fallen under his displeasure and become liable to his anger and vindictive justice And God on the other hand he 's our Soveraign Lord and Governour that hath an absolute Dominion over us yet being withall infinitely gracious and compassionate he hath been pleased to draw up conditions of Peace betwixt himself and fallen Man which is that we call the New Covenant wherein he promiseth to pardon our sins and give us eternal life provided we repent and believe c. This he hath caused to be printed and published by his Ambassadors to all the World and besides that this is a sufficient declaration of his own consent to it he hath also confirmed it to us by his Oath and now requires that we also each man for himself should come and seal to these Conditions which we all do in Baptism and solemnly profess our consent to them upon which but not before we are actually instated in all the Priviledges and Blessings belonging to this Covenant But withall let me add that even they who withhold or deny their consent to it and resolve never to perform the conditions of it are notwithstanding necessarily obliged thereunto not only as it is an act of Grace in the benefits of which they hope to be partakers but also as 't is the Royal Law as the Apostle calls it of that God who is the Supreme Governour of the World from obedience to whose Authority 't is impossible the Creature should be exempted But before I proceed to make this good by further proof it will be necessary to make some short digression for the clearing the sense of one place of Scripture that seems at first view to bear open testimony against what I am now pleading for The place we have Gal. 3.16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the Promises made He saith not And to Seeds as of many but as of one And to thy Seed which is Christ Hence some infer and they suppose with no less than unquestionable evidence since 't is in terms exprest That the New Covenant is made with Jesus Christ and not with Believers personally considered and consequently that he is the only party that stands engaged to the Father and not they for the performance of all such terms as this Covenant doth require A strange and dangerous Position which raseth the very foundations of Christianity the great design of this being to teach us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live godly righteously and soberly in this present world Tit. 2.12 To this it might be sufficient by way of answer to reply That since this Text is of doubtful interpretation it cannot in reason be thought sufficient to warrant an opinion of so great importance especially since it not only stands alone without a second to confirm it but that there is abundant evidence both from Scripture and Reason against it as is afterwards to be shewn And 't is a known and safe rule in interpreting Scripture that doubtful and obscure places are and not on the contrary to be tryed and judged by the light and testimony of such as are more clear and evident 1. But further for the better understanding the true sense of this place it is here to be noted that such is the resemblance that Believers have of Christ and that intimate union they have with him as that they are sometimes called by his name as for the same reason Magistrates are called Gods Psal 6.7 and the Children of Jacob are called Jacob Psal 44.4 and Israel Rom. 11.2 7. and Jerusalem the Lord our Righteousness Jer. 33.16 and every man by the name of Adam Psal 144.3 and so upon the like account Believers they are called Christ because of that near alliance there is betwixt them Thus we find this word used by the Apostle 1 Corinth 12.12 Eph. 4.13 Col. 1.24 Heb. 11.25 26. compared Acts 9.4 So that by Christ here we may understand not Christ personal but Christ mystical that is the whole body of Believers whether Jew or Gentile as jointly united and made one in Christ their head as the Apostle expresseth it Eph. 1.22 23. and chap. 2.13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21. And this I take to be that one Seed to whom the promise is here said to be made 2. But secondly As the word may be thus taken without imposing any new sense upon it since 't is elsewhere so used by the Apostle and Scripture delights to transfer the name of any common Head to those that are either derived from or representative of it so it ought also to be taken in this and no other sense in this place and that for these following Reasons which to me render it abundantly evident For 1. This sense of the word here doth best suit with the Apostles design and main intendment in this and the following Chapter which is first to prove that we are justified by Faith in Christ and secondly that this priviledge with the rest annexed to the Covenant of Grace belonged not only to the Jews but to the believing Gentiles also 'T is well known that it was the common opinion of the Jewish Doctors that if a man lived in a due observance of the Law of Moses and if upon any moral miscarriage he were but punctual in offering Sacrifices and Oblations in that case appointed his sins were thereby expiated and he assured of eternal life and consequently that they were saved by their own righteousness and works of the Law And because they were originally descended from Abraham and had the Law and Oracles of God and the holy Temple c. amongst them therefore they rested in the Law and made their boast of God as appropriate to themselves being as they falsly apprehended the only Seed of Abraham
to whom all the promises of the Covenant did belong and consequently that the rest of the Nations whom they termed Gentiles could have no lot or portion in this matter but were eternally excluded from all hopes of acceptance with God otherwise than by becoming Proselytes to the Religion of the Jews These were the two great things in debate betwixt the Apostle and the Jewish Rabbies viz. upon what account a sinner might be justified and saved and who were the persons whether Jews or Gentiles or both to whom the Promises of the New Covenant did belong To the first the Apostle makes this reply Gal. 2.16 that a man is not justified by the works of the Lw but by the Faith of Jesus Christ which he makes good to them by several Arguments which I must not now insist upon and particularly from the example of Abraham in whom they so much boasted He himself was justified by faith and not by works Gal. 3.6 And as to the second he proves to them First That they were not therefore to repute themselves the blessed Seed of Abraham and Heirs of the Promise because they were naturally descended from him and so had Abraham to their Father Rom. 9.7 The Seed of Abraham it was multiplex not one but divers one by Ishmael and another by Sarah Now if they were the Children of the Promise quà filii as they were the natural Sons of Abraham then Ishmael as well as Isaac and Esau as well as Jacob should have inherited the Blessing Yea but the Promise was not made to Seeds as of many but to one Seed only which he in this second place proves to be only such whether Jew or Gentile that should as Abraham did believe in Jesus Christ and do the works of Abraham Such as elsewhere 't is exprest that were Jews inwardly and whose circumcision was that of the heart and in the Spirit and not in the letter Rom 2.28 29. Such as were born of the Spirit and not of the Flesh Gal. 4.29 Such as are not only of Israel but Israelites indeed Rom. 9.6 Such as walked in the steps of the Faith of Abraham Rom. 4.12 These he tells them were truly and only to be reputed the Children of Abraham Gal. 3.7 and Heirs of the Promise Gal. 3.29 and the Seed of Abraham in the beginning of the same Verse and the Seed to whom the promise was made ver 19. of the same Chapter and therefore Children of the promise Gal. 4.28 Yea though they were Gentiles and of the most vile and despicable amongst the Gentiles Scythians and Barbarians yet upon believing they were to be owned for the Children and of the blessed Seed of Abraham Gal. 3.26 for there is no difference saith the Apostle to the Romans chap. 2.22 and 10.12 And if no difference no distinction and so still but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Seed And consequently all the Blessings and Priviledges of the Covenant made with Abraham did equally belong to them with the Jews And 't is observable how much the Apostle both here and elsewhere labours in this argument v. 8. of this Chapter The Scripture foreseeing that God would justifie the Heathen through Faith preached before the Gospel to Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be blessed And ver 9. So then they which be of Faith are blessed with faithful Abraham And ver 13 14. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law c. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ And Rom. 3.29 30. Is he the God of the Jews only Is he not also of the Gentiles yes of the Gentiles also seeing it is one God which shall justifie the circumcision by faith and the uncircumcision through Faith which he prosecutes more at large chap. 4. ver 9 10 11 12 13.16 17. Thus you see how much the Apostle labours as his great design to demonstrate to the Jews that the Gentiles were included in the Promise made to Abraham and were to be blessed in and with him Yea but upon what account Why because they also were Children of the promise Gal. 4.28 and that Seed to whom the Promise was made Rom. 4.13.16 But how come they to be of his Seed being not of the stock of Israel Why by being of the Faith of Abraham Rom. 4.12.16 that is by believing in Jesus Christ Gal. 3.26 And from hence 't is clearly to be inferred that the Jews had no cause either to boast of their being the Children and Seed of Abraham unless with him they did believe or to exclude the Gentiles from being so if they did believe since 't was not Birth or Nation but Faith that entitled them to be his Seed Thus the Argument runs clear and is convictive But if by Seed here we understand Christ personal and not Christ mystical that is Believers in Christ his argument is neither proper nor conclusive at least not so evident and sutable to the Apostles main intendment in the words 2. This sense of the word is most agreeable to that account which we have here and elsewhere given of this Covenant made with Abraham The great thing promised in this Covenant was the giving of a Messiah in whom all the Nations of the World should be blessed Luke 1 68 69 c. And that by Faith in him their iniquities should be forgiven Rom. 4.7 8. and they justified Gal. 3.8 and freed from the curse ver 13. and receive the Spirit ver 14. and be admitted to the inheritance ver 18. and have righteousness and life ver 21. All which is said to be confirmed of God in Christ ver 17. of the same Chapter Now all these priviledges which are but so many branches of the Covenant they are here made expresly not to Christ but to Believers as the Seed of Abraham Nor can they any way possibly be applicable to Christ himself For he is the person here promised and therefore not the person to whom the promise is made The Father did not Covenant with Christ to give him Christ that 's a Position so absurd that the Reason of man can never give entertainment to it but to give him to Believers they are without doubt the parties to whom God engageth to give the Messiah And 't is as evident also that the several Blessings of the Covenant before mentioned were promised to them and not to him For had he any sins to be forgiven or was he to be freed from the Curse of the Law who therefore came into the World that he might bear the Curse for us or did he stand in need of an inheritance righteousness and life Since therefore the several particulars of this Covenant with Abraham are made over to him and to his Seed and since by his Seed in this place cannot be meant Christ the blessing therein promised being not compatible to him but to Believers it necessarily follows that by Christ in the Text we are to understand not Christ
will and so absolutely unknown to us that cannot possibly either make any change of our state or become any foundation for any real and forensick distinction betwixt Man and Man 'T is not that which makes this Man a Judas and that Man a Paul The one actually wicked and the other personally righteous And therefore whoever God predestinates saith the Apostle thâ—m also he calls before they are either justified or glorified Rom. 8.30 He makes them to pass under the rod and brings them into the bond of the Covenant and pours clean water upon them and puts his Spirit into them and writes his Laws in their hearts and causeth them to walk in his ways and keep his Judgments before he will own them to be his people and dignify them with the name of Saints and Children and righteous ones Ezek. 36.25 26 27 28. Jer. 31.33 1 Cor. 1.2 Take Paul for an instance He was you know a chosen vessel to the Lord Acts 9.15 Separated in Gods predeterminate counsel from his Mothers womb Gal. 1.15 Yea but was he therefore immediately justified and sanctified and adopted and owned for a Saint a Child of God from his Mothers womb No for all that he will tell you that he was for some years a Pharisee an injurious person a Persecutor a Blasphemer 1 Tim. 1.13 And as he speaks of the Ephesians that he was dead in sins and trespasses a Child of disobedience and of wrath without Christ having no hope and without God in the World Eph. 2.1 2 3 12. To this effect he speaks expresly of himself Tit. 3.3 And may we not now truly say of Paul however elected that he was a wicked Man during his continuance in this state And consequently that he was not righteous since 't is impossible for the same person to be righteous and wicked dead and alive at the same time But how then came Paul to be amongst Gods Jewels his holy ones How God humbles him at the foot of Christ Acts 9.5 6 c. and calls him by his Grace Gal. 1.15 and makes him obedient to his call Acts 26.19 and regenerates him by his Spirit Tit. 3.3 4 5. and causeth him to believe and obey the Gospel Acts 24.14 15 16. and to live intirely to Jesus Christ Philip. 1.21 Thus Paul obtaineth Mercy as he tells you 1 Tim. 1.16 and is listed into the number of the Saints his name now is changed Acts 13.9 'T is no more Saul but Paul no more a Persecutor but an Apostle of Jesus Christ and now he is justified Gal. 2.16 and now he receives a Crown of righteousness 2 Tim. 4.8 And thus you see what it is that denominates a man righteous or wicked and what is the only note of distinction betwixt an Heir of wrath and a Child of God not baptism or profession or being in the visible Church or the elective love of God but doing righteousness as John speaks which is nothing else but the actual performance of the Conditions of the New Covenant of which I am treating 4. Why else hath God sent his holy Spirit into the World Is it not plainly for this end that he may help our infirmities Rom. 8.26 and that he may assist us in the actual performance of those duties which are by the New Covenant required of us That we may look upon him whom we have pierced by our sins and mourn Zech. 12.10 that we may believe in Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.13 that we may mortifie the deeds of the flesh Rom. 8.13 that our hearts may be purified in obeying the truth 1 Pet. 1.22 And that we may walk in the wayes and keep the Judgments of God Ezek. 36.27 All this is said to be by the assistance of the Divine Spirit And therefore it is that the ministration of the Spirit is still necessary in order to our Salvation notwithstanding that Jesus Christ hath fully discharged the office and perfâ—cted the work of a Redeemer and Mediator for us Joh. 16.7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth It is expedient for you thâ—t I go away for If I go not away the comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you The Spirit here is expresly promised to be sent in the room of Christ to supply his place and office when he should leave the World as that which should be of more advantage to them than still to enjoy Christs personal presence here on Earth Nevertheless I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away But why expedient For then the Spirit shall come But when he is come what shall he do Why He shall convince the world of sin of righteousness and of judgment ver 8. I but if Jesus Christ hath so done all as that we have nothing at all to do and that his imputed righteousness alone be sufficient to save us without our personal and obediential righteousness to what purpose is the administration of the Spirit His work and office is wholly superseded For what needs a Spirit of mourning to be poured down upon us if so be the Covenant of Grace require us not personally to repent Or a Spirit of Faith as the Apostle calls it 2 Cor. 4.13 if we are not bound to believe Or a Spirit of holiness if it oblige us not to be actually holy Or a spirit of obedience if we may be saved without obeying If then our having of the Spirit and being led or acted by him be indispensably necessary in order to our Salvation so also is our repenting and believing in Christ and loving God and doing of his will and cleansing our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit and perfecting holiness in the fear of God and purifying our selves as he is pure since the effecting this in us is the great errand for which he came into the World and the main office he hath undertaken during the time of Christ Mediatory Kingdom The truth is we can no more be saved without the ministration of the spirit than we can without the Mediation of Jesus Christ This argument runs clear in Scripture He that hath not Christ hath not life 1 Joh. 5.12 But he that hath not the spirit hath not Christ Rom. 8.9 And he that is not holy and obedient hath not the spirit Jude ver 19. For where ever the Spirit is he regenerates and sanctifies the whole lump Body Soul and Spirit as the Apostle speaks 1 Thess 5.22 and so becomes in that Soul a Spirit of Faith Holiness and obedience 5. How otherwise shall Believers attain to any evidence or assurance of their Salvation Or come to know that they more than othes are in a state of friendship with God and made Heirs of the promise and vessels of mercy when so great a part of the World are Heirs of wrath and Sons of perdition That they may be thus assured since some undoubtedly have been so and that they all ought to labour for