the Gospel Rom. 1.5 In this sence Faith and Works are opposed in St. Paul's Epistles the Dispute in the Epistle to the Romans is Whether we must be justified by the Law of Moses or by the faith of Christ that is whether the observation of all the external Rites and Ceremonies and an external Conformity of our Actions to the moral Precepts of it will justify a man before God or that sincere universal Obedience which the Gospel of Christ requires which transformes our Minds into the likeness of God and makes us new creatures And that this Righteousness of Faith and this alone can recommend us to God the Apostle proves from the Example of Abraham in the 4. Chapter who was accounted righteous for the sake of his sincere and stedfast belief of Gods Promises vers 3. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness And this while he was uncircumcised which is a convincing argument against the Jews that Circumciston and the observation of the Law of Moses is not necessary to justification because Abraham the Father of the faithful and pattern for our justification was justified without it The Righteousness of God Answer is the Righteousness of Christ And this is called the Righteousness of God because he accepts it and imputes it to us And a Righteousness through the Faith of Christ because Faith receives it The Righteousness of God is not Faith it self but a righteousness through the faith of Christ Phil. 3.9 Faith I confess is sometimes put for the Gospel but the question is not what it is in other places but what in those which speak of the Righteousness of God Mark that place Rom. 1.17 therein that is in the Gospel is the righteousness of God reveiled from faith to faith Here Faith is not put for the Gospel for then the Righteousness of God should be reveiled from Gospel to Gospel Nay here we have the Gospel the Righteousness of God and Faith all set down as distinct things And in other Scriptures we have the Grace of Faith mentioned with the Righteousness of God because Faith receives that Righteousness The Moral Law of Moses required not only external conformity but internal Sanctity and that in all perfection the Apostle in the fourth Chapter to the Romans excludes not only external observations but the works of converted Abraham from justification Faith is accounted for Righteousness not properly absolutely in it self but relatively with respect to its object Jesus Christ as I have before proved Abrahams faith was not a faith in Christ Mr. Sherlock but Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for Righeousness Christ indeed was the material Object of Abrahams Faith that is he believed that promise which God made of sending Christ into the world upon which account our Saviour tells the Jews Your father Abraham rejoyed to see my day and he saw it and was glad Joh. 8.56 But no man could believe in Christ till he came that is could not believe any thing upon his Authority which is the true Notion of believing in him Some men make work with Abraham 's Faith as if it were a fiducial reliance or recumbency on Christ for Salvation upon which the Righteousness of Christ apprehended by Faith was imputed to him But how should Abraham learn this great Mystery from that general and obscure promise In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed which is all that was ever reveiled to Abraham concerning Christ this is such a train of thoughts from In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed to the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness as Mr. Hobs himself could never have hit on Is there no possible way for God to bless the world but by imputation of Christ's Righteousness Or is there a natural connexion between this blessing and imputed Righteousness that we cannot understand the one without the other before Abraham could come to the knowledge of imputed Righteousness he must distinctly know first that the blessings here meant are spiritual pardon and eternal life The whole Jewish Nation for many ages who had more promises concering Christ than this was expected only a temporal Prince and therefore they were prejudiced at the mean appearance of Christ. Secondly That Christ was to dye for the sins of the World And this the Apostles themselves did not understand till after Christ's Resurrection Thirdly That he fulfilled all Righteousness for us Fourthly That great mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God without which it is impossible to understand the vertue of his Sacrifice and Righteousness Fifthly That intimate oneness and conjunction between Christ and his Church which is a riddle not understood to this day Sixthly The Nature of Faith rolling the soul on Christ for Salvation and then possibly he might understand this great mystery of imputed Righteousness and all this must be learned from that general promise In thy seed shall all Nations be blessed Abraham believed the promise of the Messiah Answer but his Faith was not a Faith in Christ Why so no man could believe in Christ till he came that is he could not believe upon his Authority But surely Christ was a Prophet under the Old Testament his Spirit and surely then his Authority too was in the Prophets 1 Pet. 1.11 And so it was in the Promise to Abraham Besides true Faith in Scripture imports a reliance or fiducial recumbency so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Old Testament signifies and to these as Dr. Ward proves by many parailels answers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the new where also we often find that phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a phrase totally the holy Spirits found in no humane Author I mean not for the Object but the form of speaking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not any where but in Scripture as Dr. Ward observes which surely must import a reliance or fiducial recumbency According to this notion of Faith I conceive Abraham rested on or trusted in the Messiah for Salvation he being the Messiah he could not but expect some great thing from him and what was it Temporals or Spirituals Surely not Temporals his Faith was gone beyond the Line of this World even as far as the City which hath foundations in another Heb. 11.10 And how did he think to come thither but by the Messiah He did not speak to God Gen. 18. trusting in his own righteousness But in the lowest posture of humility much less did he think to enter Heaven upon the account of his own worthiness he was a man of great Faith and the Father of the faithful The Promises of the Messiah were Spiritual Ones The seed of the woman shall break the serpents head Gen. 3.15 that is Christ should dissolve the works of the Devil and erect his own Kingdom of Grace and Glory In thy seed shall all nations be blessed
ipsum quasi totos nos immergimus We draw life from the fountain of life and wholly drown our selves in him It was well said of the School-man Nullus potest justificari nisi per unionem ad Christum prima autem unio ad Christum fit per fidem None can be justified but by an union with Christ and the first union is by faith Faith doth not only look upon Christ but it unites to him and rests on him It is not a meer intellectual thing but as Philip said Act. 8.37 It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of the whole heart the whole not a Plece only of the heart is resigned up to Christ in believing meer assent therefore is not the all of Faith but there is fiducial recumbency in it Thus our Church 3. Hom. of Salvation The articles of our faith the devils believe they believe all things written in the New and Old Testament to be true and for all this faith they be but devils remaining still in their damnable estate lacking the very true Christian faith For the right and true Christian faith is not only to believe that holy Scripture and all the Articles of our faith are true but also to have a sure trust and confidence in Gods merciful promises to be saved from everlasting damnation by Christ whereof doth follow a loving heart to obey his commandments And again 1. Hom. of Faith our Church sets forth faith to be a true trust and confidence of the mercy of God through our Lord Jesus Christ a trusting in God committing our selves wholly unto him hanging only upon him and calling upon him But it may be said that the Author places Faith in such a firm assent as produces some effects in our lives and so not in meer assent To which I answer according to our Author The nature of Faith stands only in assent Obedience indeed is an effect of Faith but it is not Faith it self it is not an essential ingredient in the nature of Faith neither is it indeed the effect of any Faith but such an one as is total and genuine that is which is assentive and fiducial also The different sorts of Faith result from the different Objects and Motives of it Mr. Sherlock the Apostle takes notice of two kinds of Faith in this Chapter and Faith in Christ makes a third which are all the kinds of Faith the Scripture is acquainted with The first we may call a natural Faith that is a belief of the principles of natural Religion which is founded upon natural Demonstrations or Moral Arguments as that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Which was the Faith of Abel and Enoch whereby they pleased God for there being no mention made of the Faith of Abel and Enoch in the Old Testament The Apostle proves that they were true believers because they had this Testimony that they pleased God Now it is impossible to be sincerely religious or do any acceptable service to God without the belief of his being and providence and care of good men These are the first principles of all Religion And God required no more of those good men who had no other particular Revelation of his Will Secondly There is a Faith in God or a belief of those particular Revelations which God made to the Fathers of the Old Testament Thus Noah believed God being warned of the deluge and in obedience to him provided an Ark and this was imputed to him for Righteousness Thus Abraham in obedience to the divine Revelation left his Country and Father's house and went into a strange Land Thus Sarah by believing the promise of God received strength to conceive seed and was delivered of a child when she was past age because she judged him faithful who had promised Thus Abraham in obedience to God offered up Isaac which was as heroical an act of Faith as was ever done by man The like examples we have of the Faith of Isaac and Jacob and Joseph and Moses c. Who firmly believed all the particular Revelations God made to them and confidently expected the performance of all his promises how unlikely soever they appear'd to be This is that Faith whereby Abraham and all the good men in these days were justified viz. Such a firm belief of the being and providence of God and all those particular Revelations God made to them as made them careful in all things to please God and to obey him It is the observation of the Learned Dr. Prideaux Answer That in the dark age of the School-men Paulus cessit Aristoteli gratia naturae St. Paul was fain to yield to Aristotle and grace to nature And I fear it will be so again we have here set before our eyes natural Faith Faith natural in its believing principle and natural in its Object Reason of it self and without any elevation of Grace may nay I suppose must admit the things of natural Theology as being within its own Sphere and shall we call this faith justifying faith which is nature nothing but nature Justifying Faith if we believe Scripture is every way supernatural supernatural in its Principle supernatural in its Object Supernatural in its Principle it is called faith of the operation of God Gal. 2.12 It is not of our selves but it is the gift of God Eph. 2.8 Not a natural gift but a gift of meer Grace unto you it is given to believe saith the Apostle Phil. 1.29 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is freely graciously given to you to believe it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a good grace divinely given Hence the second Arausican Council expresly tells us that our believing is per infusionem inspirationem spiritûs Sancti Can. 6. Nay the very Council of Trent pronounces an Anathema on those that say that a man may believe without the inspiration of the holy Spirit And Faith is also supernatural in its Object it is a thing above the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 above meer natural Theology It is fixed in a God in Covenant and in his free Grace it hangs upon Christ and his sweet-smelling Sacrifice it embraces the promises of Grace and Remission and all these are supernatural only As in the Authors Natural Faith there is nothing but Nature So in the true justifying Faith there is nothing but supernatural Grace But the Author gives us an instance of natural Faith in Abel and Enoch who believed the principles of natural Religion who believed that God is and that he is the rewarder of them that seek him And had Abel and Enoch only a natural Faith Did they not believe in a Messiah Was that first precious promise Gen. 3. Given to be hid and buried in oblivion Or was it not handed down to Abel and Enoch Surely it was and they believed in the Messiah How could they come to God without a Mediator No man cometh to the Father but by me saith
Law it might have availed to Salvation as well as the Gospel with the supplemental righteousness of Christ there might have been an imputed righteousness as well under the Law as under the Gospel I answer That I conceive that the Moral Law delivered by Moses obliges us Christians as I have before proved and I suppose our Church is of that mind too for I cannot imagine that she should in her Catechism instruct Children in an abrogated Law How there should be an imputed Righteousness without a Gospel I know not it pleased God to found the Gospel upon a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a satisfaction and that cannot be or be profitable to us without an imputation The impotency of the Law was as I noted before that it could not justifie us for want of perfect obedience But God translated the impletion of the Law upon Christ and his Righteousness being made ours by imputation the Law is said to be fulfilled in us To the same purpose the Apostle discourses Mr. Sherlock Rom. 7.4 5 6. Wherefore my Brethren you also are become dead to the Law by the body of Christ who put an end to that imperfect dispensation by his death that you should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead that we should bring forth fruit unto God for when we were in the flesh under that carnal and fleshly dispensation of the Law of Moses the motions of sins which were by the Law which grew more boisterous and unruly by the prohibitions of the Law vers 8. did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death That is did betray us to those wicked actions which end in death But now we are delivered from the Law that being dead in which we were held that we should serve in newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the Letter So that the reason why the Law of Moses was abrogated was because it could not make men good it nursed them up in a ritual external Religion taught them to serve God in the Letter by Circumcision Sacrifices or external conformity to the Letter of the Law but the Gospel of Christ alone teacheth us to worship God in the Spirit to offer a reasonable Sacrifice to him to fulfill the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the internal Righteousness of which those legal Ceremonies were the Signs and Sacraments This is the plain meaning of the Apostles which can never be reconciled with imputed Righteousness which would make his argument foolish and absurd Therefore he tells us in other places what little reason we have to be so zealous for the Law of Moses since we have the perfection of it in the Gospel what need is there of the circumcision of the flesh which the Law required When in the Gospel we have the circumcision made without hands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of that fleshly circumcision What need of legal washing and purgations When they are all fulfilled in the washing of regeneration in the Gospel baptism Thus we are compleat in Christ who bath perfectly instructed us in the will of God and instiluted such a Religion as is the perfection of all Ceremonies Col. 2. We must now offer another Sacrifice than the Law of Moses commanded not the Sacrifices of dead beasts but of a living and active soul Rom. 12. The Apostle Answer Rom. 7. vers 4. Shews that we are dead to the Law by the body of Christ that is by Christ crucified we have remission and the holy Spirit and so are dead to the cursing and irritating power of the Law that we might bring forth fruits of holy works to God Before when we were in the flesh in our corrupt unregenerate estate the motions of sin which were accidentally irritated by the Law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death that is to bring forth sinful actions which tend to death vers 5. But now saith the Apostle we are delivered from the Law from the curse and irritating power of it That being dead wherein we were held that we should serve in newness of Spirit and not in the oldness of the Letter vers 6. That is in those new Divine Prinples which our spirits have from Gods not in the old nature which by the outward Letter of the Law is irritated unto sin This I think is the scope of the Apostle he discourses of the regenerate and unregenerate the one dead to the Law the other irritated by it he discourses not of the difference between those under the Old Testament and those under the New for the regenerate under the Old Testament were dead to the cursing and irritating Law they had internal Righteousness which the Author calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they had the circumcision of the heart Deut. 30.6 which in the Author is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the fleshly circumcision they had the law in the heart Psal 37.31 And by consequence they had true regeneration in which saith our Author all the legal washings and purifications are fulfilled they were not irritated by the Law but delighted in it as in their joy choice treasure hony-comb of sweetness and what not as appears in the Psalms They served in the newness of the Spirit in new Divine Principles which they had from the holy Spirit in the easiness of the New Creature to which the Will of God is natural Even in their Rituals and Sacrifices they knew all must be done in newness of Spirit in the exercises of internal Graces The very Heathens themselves thought that they were to Sacrifice Mente candidâ expurgatâ conscientiâ How much more did the servants of God under the Old Testament do so they knew that there were better Sacrifices than the outward ones Sacrifices of righteousness Psal 4.5 And sacrifices of a broken spirit Psal 50.17 They understood that the heart the truth in the inward parts was more than all the rest On the other hand the unregenerate under the New Testament they are in the flesh the motions of sin carry all before them they have nothing of internal Righteousness they are uncircumcised in heart as well as in flesh they are baptized yet want the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of regeneration they are irritated by the Law their inward malignity swells and rises against the holy commands which stand in Scripture as so many damms and bars to their impetuous lusts Whatever they do in Evangelical Ordinances they do all in the oldness of the Letter the Letter the outward Rule presses them to Duty but there is no inward acting of Faith no suavity of Love or holy Affections all is done in a dead dull flat manner nothing is minded but the opus operatum the meer external work By this we see clearly where the difference lies It s true the Ceremonials of Moses were abrogated by Christ but I suppose the Moral Law was not it s own intrinsecal Rectitude and Righteousness immortalizes it so
gift of God hence it is called the fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 and Faith of the operation of God Col. 2.12 It is not of our selves it is the gift of God Eph. 2.8 And such a gift it is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is freely gratuitously given Phil. 1.29 Seing then it is thus should we not submit to God for every crumb of bread drop of drink and moments patience because they are his gifts and must we not submit to him for Faith because it is such Had not God given a Jesus a Saviour to Men they could not have made a just complaint against him and now there being one that he is not known all the World over the Pagans may not open their lips against God and in the Church where Christ is known that all Men have no Faith no Man may question God about it Gifts are free and must be submitted for The Apostle asserts Gods Soveraignty clearly He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth Rom. 9.18 And if any dare repy or find fault the Apostle takes him up Nay but O Man who art thou that repliest against God If thou hadst but any sentiments of thy own nothingness or rayes of the Divine Majesty thou wouldest never dare to question or to implead thy Maker before whom thou art but a Worm a piece of Clay to be disposed of at his pleasures It is certain that God owes us nothing Though we are in the use of means earnestly to seek Christ Faith and not in a careless indifferent manner as without cause the Author would hint Mr. Shephards mind to be yet we must still adore Gods Soveraignty and lye at his feet for all his Gifts and particularly for Faith It was horrible insolence and presumption in him who prayed Redde mihi vitam aeternam quam debes And it would be no less for any one to pray Redde mihi fidem vivam quam debes Verbum debet venenum habet as Peter Lumbard hath it These things considered Mr. Shephards words need no more but only a candid Interpretation What then is to be done Mr Sherlock in order to our closing with Christ by Faith for hitherto there is no foundation for our Faith Why you must not catch at Christ but stay till God give him to you till God take you into his Arms that you may lean upon your Beloved you must stay till God give you a particular call to come to Christ and whether that will be ever or never no Man can tell Many a wounded Sinner will be scrambling from some general reports of him such as his Gospel makes before the day and hour of Gods glorious call Now for any Man to receive Christ before he is called is presumption I unpardonable presumption too to attempt impossibilities for no Body can come till he is called no man should come unless first called and therefore no crime to stay away as it is in calling to an Office so it is in our calling to special Grace No Man takes this honour but he that is called of God Heb. 5.4 It is a great presumption to usurp the Office of a Priest Prophet or King without a designation and so it is to be a good Man or Christian without a particular call For what hath any Man to do with Christ to make himself a Son of God and Heir of glory to take care to please God and to make himself happy but he that is called of God Well Sinner wait with patience till thou art called and so thy work is at an end for this time The Author laughs at Mr. Shephards particular call Answer let us therefore consider it there is a double call a general external call reaching to all in the Church and a particular internal call vouchsafed to some The first is a command a sufficient warrant to come to Christ The second is a special Act of Grace which infallibly produces Farth in those to whom it is given This distinction is clearly founded in Scripture all in the Church are called but all are not drawn of the Father all do not hear and learn of the Father Joh. 6.44 45. For these taught and drawn ones do all of them come to Christ which all Men in the Church do not all in the Church are called but all are not called according to purpose Rom. 8.28 for then all would love God as those called ones do and by consequence all would have that Faith which works by love We preach Christ crucified to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness but to them which are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1.23 24. All of them had an external general call those to whom Christ was a stumbling block and foolishness had such a call for an unknown an unreveiled Christ could not be a stumbling block or foolishness But besides this call there is another an internal effectual call such as makes Christ the power and wisdom of God to Men such as works Faith and other Graces in Men Hence the Apostle saith That they are the called called with a more internal and efficacious call than other Men are These things laid down all things in Mr. Shephard are very easie all Men in the Church have an external call and so a sufficient warrant to believe in Christ it will be no presumption at all in them to do so The Object Jesus Christ is evidently set forth before their eyes but that they may believe in him indeed they must wait for a particular internal call for that Grace which works Faith in the heart if not the work of Faith must be their own they must believe of themselves And this I fear though the Object Christ be free for them would be presumption because the Scripture assures us that Faith is the gift of God All Men in the Church should come to Christ for the Evangelical command makes it their duty yet if we believe our Saviour there must be internal teachings and tractions from the Father to make us truly come to him All in the Church are by the Gospel called to be Believers so to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Royal dignity to be Sons of God Joh. 1.12 to the Divine Offices to be Kings and Priests unto God Rev. 1.6 But this believing is produced by that internal efficacious call which calleth things that are not as though they were I mean which calleth Faith into being where it was not before But then saith Mr. Sherlock The Sinner must only wait till he is called and so his work is at an end for this time To which I answer His work is not at an end because he is still to wait if the Scripture which makes Faith the free-gift of God be true there is no nearer passage to Heaven then by waiting upon God for Faith in the use of means The Saints
who is the Mirrour of divine Perfections and the great Illuminator by his Spirit But saith the Author they such is their intolerable presumption shape Religion according to their Fancies and stuff it with an infinite number of Orthodox Propositions none of which are to be found in express Terms in Scripture but are pretended to be deduced from thence by such imaginary consequences from some little hints of things and is not this unpardonable in those men who cry down Reason as a prophane and carnal thing and yet lay the Foundation of their Religion on some little shews and appearances of Reason To which I answer The harsh Censure of Eccius made Vrban a German Divine cry out O infaelicem Urbanum Melch. Adam in vit Urb. si Eccii calculo caelum datur negatur Miserable were these Men if they were to stand or fall by the Authors Judgment These Men as the Author tells us pag. 98. abound with Scripture stuff their Books with it and talk of little else yet alas they shape Religion according to their Fancies If they urge express Scriptures they consider only the sound of words Pag. 2. If they urge Scripture-consequences they stand upon little hints and appearances of things Reason they cry down as a prophane and carnal thing and yet they found their Religion on little shews and appearances Oh unhappy Men But the best is all this to say no worse is but meer Accusation each of them can plead Not guilty to it and say as Vrban to Eccius Hominis judicium audio Christi tribunal expecto They are Men who desire to set every thing in its due place Fancy below Reason and Reason below Scripture upon which last as the unerring Rule they stand like the Karaei among the Jews so precisely that they are not willing to admit any thing in Matters of Religion which is not found there according to that of Origen Sicut aurum quod fuerit extra Templum non est sanctificatum sic omnis sensus qui extra Scripturam non est sanctus When men argue from the Nature of of God Mr Sherlock his Works and Providences from the Nature of Mankind and those eternal Notions of Good and Evil and the essential Differences of things that is from plain and undeniable Principles which have an unchangeable nature and so can bear the stress of a just Consequence this is carnal Reason I cannot imagine that they call or think it so Answer Principles of natural Theology carry a Divine Stamp on them yet I conceive these in Discourses if taken within their proper Sphere of Natural Light only may not wear that Crown set on the Head of the Gospel to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The ministration of the Spirit as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 3.8 Should a Man preach such Principles only without setting forth Christ and the regenerating Spirit he would scarce be worthy to be called a Spiritual Evangelical Divine But now the Author gives a Scheme of Religion deducible from an Acquintance with Christ's Person I am glad that he owns any such thing and shall not have much to say upon it When we consider Mr. Sherlock that this heavenly Ambassador and Mediator is no less than the Son of God by whom the Worlds were made we may reasonably conclude that he came upon no less Design than of universal Goodness for he can have no temptation to Partiality as being equally concerned in the Happiness of all men and we cannot imagine why he should lay a narrower design of Love in the Redemption than in the Creation of Mankind When in the first Creation he designed all for Happiness that in this new and second Creation he should design only the Happiness of some few is to make him less good in Redeeming than in Creating Mankind Christ in his Coming and satisfactory Sufferings had a respect to all Men Answer so far as to procure for them Salvation on Gospel-terms but he had not an equal respect to all it being utterly unimaginable that he should have as great a respect to those in the Pagan World who have no Christ no atoning Sacrifice no Promise of Life and Salvation revealed to them as he hath to those in the Church who have all these glorious Objects evidently set sorth before them Greater Donations argue greater degrees of Love or else which is very hard to believe God loves all Creatures alike notwithstaneing that he measures out his Goodness to them in a very various and different manner to some more and to others less But because the Author hath before laid down a good Rule That the Virtue and Efficacy of Christ's Death doth depend on God's Institution and Appointment and therefore can be known only by Revelation I shall apply my self only to the Scripture There as we find he died that he might gather together the Children of God that were scatered Joh. 11.52 He gave himself for his Church that he might sanctifie and cleanse it Eph. 5.26 He gave himself that he might purifie to himself a peculiar people Tit. 2.14 He laid down his life for his sheep so as to bring them into his fold and make them hear his voice Joh. 10.15 16. He redeems some from among men Rev. 14.4 And out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation Rev. 5.9 All which Scriptures do emphatically shew that Christ had a special respect in his Death unto his own above others But further Christ by his precious Blood founded those Evangelical Promises of taking away the stony Heart writing the Law in the Heart and putting his holy Spirit there but did he found them for all men What for those whom God will harden Rom. 9 What for those Pagans who have not so much as the Law before them in the Letter nor that Gospel which is Vehiculum Spiritûs sancti How or which way or by what means can such Promises be made good to them How shall they be regenerate without the holy Spirit or have that without the Gospel It is not at all credible such special Promises in the Covenant founded by his Blood speak a special respect to his own Elect. The Author's Reason from Creation cannot hold good The lapsed Angels had their share of Goodness in Creation but none at all in Redemption God who is the Great Donor of his Son to the World may give him with what Respects and to what Intents he pleases and if he have special purposes in it no man may presume to say that he is partial or less good then he ought to be Christ's Death and Sacrifice for sin seals the Covenant of Grace and Pardon to all penitent and reformed Sinners Mr. Sherlock and seals the irrevocable Decree of Reprobation against all others God's Decree of Reprobation may be taken two ways Answer either for an Act of Preterition not giving men saving Grace but leaving them to final Sin or for a Decree of Damnation
a very comfortable Notion for bad men and such as I would not part with for all the world did I resolve to live wickedly and yet intend to go to heaven but it is good to be sure in a matter of importance Christs Righteousness was not an imaginary imputed Righteousness Answer but inherent and personal thus the Author It was not imaginary but inherent very true but was it not imputed to him Then Christ would never have appealed to God as he doth Surely my judgment is with the Lord and my work with my God Isai 49.4 God would never have accounted him as righteous or promised him a Seed Isa 53.10 he would never have said This is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Matth. 3.17 neither would he ever have exalted him and given him a name above every name Phil. 2.9 In a word if his Active and Passive Righteousness were not reckoned or accounted of by God then he could not be our Saviour or pay a Ransom or Satisfaction to divine Justice for us What follows in the Author That this Righteousness may be a comfort to wilful incorrigible sinners is as I have before manifested a meer Popish Calumny But before I proceed any further with the Author I shall crave lieve of the Reader a little to state and prove this point That we are justified before God by the Imputed Righteousness of Christ and then I shall proceed with the Author Justification may be considered in a double Notion there is Constitutive Justification whereby we are made righteous before God and Sentential whereby we are pronounced such at Judgment I chiefly aim at the first upon which the second follows as a consequent Christ's Righteousness is either Active such as fulfilled the Command of the Law or Passive such as bore the Curse of it I take in both The Imputation of Christ's Righteousness is either that Fundamental Imputation whereby it is so far reckoned or accounted unto men in general as to make them capable of Justification upon Gospel-terms or that after particular Imputation whereby it is so far reckoned or accounted to Believers in particular as to constitute them righteous before God The first Imputation severs men from lapsed Angels the second severs Men from Men Believers from Unbelievers The first we have in such Scripture-expressions as tell us that Christ died for us for unless his Death were in some sence accounted to us it was no more for us than for Devils The second we have in such Scripture-expressions as tell us that we are justified by his blood for his Blood justifies us not unless it be actually particularly made ours and made ours it cannot be without an Imputation We have both together Col. 1.20 21. He hath reconciled all things and a little after yet now hath he reconciled you all things in the first sence and you O believing Colossians in the second Reconciliation was actually particularly imputed unto them which was before applicable to all I intend the second particular Imputation in this discourse That which I assert is this That Believers are justified or constituted righteous before God by the Active and Passive Righteousness of Christ actually particularly applied unto them And first as is meet let us open our eyes upon Scripture which is the only infallible Rule there often occurrs that memorable phrase the righteousness of God which cannot but be of considerable moment in this matter And what doth it import our own inherent Graces or Christ's Righteousness Not our inherent Graces for these though they come down from Heaven are never called the Righteousness of God nay on the contrary they are called our own Hence the Fath of the Romans is called your Faith Rom. 1.8 the Love of the Corinthians your Love 2 Cor. 8.8 the Patience of Christ's Disciples your Patience Luk. 21.19 the Hope of the scattered Christians your Hope 1 pet 1.21 That which is called in Scripture the Righteousness of God is not the same with that which is called our own there but it imports the Righteousness of Christ which by Imputation is made ours This is called the Righteousness of God because it is the Righteousness of Christ who is God for so his Blood is called the blood of God and his Life laid down the life of God and not a Righteousness inherent in us And withal it is a perfect Righteousness which can consist before the Tribunal of God himself and in which the pure Eyes of the holy One can find no spot or blemish at all and not an imperfect one such as our inherent Graces are But that the Righteousness of God imports Christ's Righteousness will further appear by the places wherein that phrase is used Thus Rom. 1.17 For therein is the Righteousness of God reveiled from faith to saith In the precedent Verse he saith That the Gospel is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth and how so Why because it reveils the Righteousness of God which saves the Believer and delivers him from the wrath which in the subsequent Verse is declared to be reveiled from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men And can our inherent Graces expiate sin and avert wrath Oh no these such are their spots and imperfections must pass with God cum Venia with a pardon of their defects and under the Wings of Christ's Righteousness that that alone expiates sin and averts wrath no other but that can be the Righteousness of God within that Text. Thus Rom. 3.22 The Righteousness of God is by the faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe Inherent Graces are not upon us but in us but Christ's Righteousness as that in the Text is not in us but upon us Inhererent Graces are not the matter of our Justification of which the Apostle there treats but of Sanctification Christ's Righteousness is not the matter of our Sanctification but of our Justification which is the very thing there treated of Hence it appears that the Righteousness of God in this place is that of Christ Thus Rom. 10.3 They submitted not themselves to the Righteousness of God and what was that The next Verse tells us For Christ is the and of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth and which way was Christ the End of the Law by imparting inherent Graces to the believer or by his own perfect Righteousness imputed to him Not by the inherent Graces alas these are so far from reaching the perfection of the Law that they are full of defects and every defect is no less than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a falling short of the Law Profectò illud quod minus est quà m debet ex vitio est saith St. Austin That which is less than it ought to be is so far sinful as it is less than it ought to be Nothing less than the pure Righteousness of Christ which answers the Law in every point can be the Righteousness
were possible for Christ and Heaven to be separated I would rather desire Christ without Heaven than Heaven without Christ Obj. But this is a hard matter I cannot say I desire Christ on such terms as I should This saying is the best sign of Grace I have met with he is an honest Man who will not contradict the natural sense of his mind and say he can do that which is impossible to be done It is an odd proposal in order to comfort a poor Soul that he must be willing to be damned with Christ before he must take comfort in hopes of being saved by him Ans But is it the grief of thy heart that thou canst not deny thy self Desirest thou to close with Christ upon any terms Obj. Alas I cannot grieve and mourn for sin Certainly they are at cross purposes their Objections and Answers do so ill agree Ans Hast thou any will to it Art thou willing to part with thy sins But the poor Soul saith I fear I shall never do this But art thou willing that Christ should make thee willing against thy will and pitch thee upon a promise and hold thee there for shame poor Soul refuse not this then comfort thy self thou hast a right to Gods promises Thus this evidence of Sanctification is dwindled away into a desire to be willing Nay into a desire to be made willing and he is a strange Man who cannot go so far When a Minister comes to comfort poor afflicted souls Answer he doth not offer them the Altitudes the highest Statures of Holiness to measure themselves by that would be horrid cruelty but he sets before them that immense mercy which stoops down in its acceptance to the least seeds or sparks of Grace to grace latent in a desire or willing mind Nay to that poverty of the spirit which though it seem to it self to have nothing at all of Grace hath yet a blessedness entailed on it a broken heart which hath some truth of Grace may complain of the prevalency of sin in some sence The pressure of inherent corruption may make him cry out O wretched man the flesh may so lust against the spirit that he cannot do the things that he would Gal. 5.17 Yet comfort may and doth belong to him those promises of subduing iniquity of treading down Satan may without straining them beyond their scope let out their sweetness to him When he thinks that he cannot pray God may find and accept of a prayer in his sighs and groans when he fears by reason of the stirring lusts that he shall fall from God Grace is sufficient and able to make him stand he may be in Christs hands and yet not know it to his comfort He saith he cannot believe and yet his Faith though little and as the smoaking Flax may be true The deep sense which he hath of the power of sin and want of Faith argues somewhat of Faith and a Divine Life in him which struggles against sin and aspires after more Grace He saith that he cannot desire Christ as he should And this sense of his want may speak him not an honest man only but a pious such as indeed breaths after Grace He saith he cannot grieve or mourn for sin yet that very saying argues a kind of mourning and lamentation over his hardness and speaks his heart not to be totally hard or senseless He complains his will is not such as it should be and this shews that in some measure he looks up to that Grace which is able to make him willing not as if he were to be made willing against his will but that Grace can change an unwilling will into a willing one In such dealings as these with broken hearts Sanctification is not dwindled away but comfort is administred from the lowest measure of true Grace Mr. Sherlock But when they have a mind to take down the confidence of men who are apt to presume too soon that their condition is good they do so magnifie the attainments of hypocrites who shall never go to Heaven that it is impossible for any sanctified man to do more than an hypocrite may do So that notwithstanding any evidences of Sanctification he may be a hypocrite still which quite spoils the evidences of Sanctification because we cannot distinguish a sanctified man from a hypocrite Thus for example one may plead I have left my sins I once lived in I am no Drunkard Swearer Lyer I answer Shep. Sinc. convert Thou mayst be washed from the mire the pollution of the World and yet be a Swine in Gods account which he proves from 2 Pet. 2.20 Where the Apostle tells them That if they have escaped the pollutions of the World through the knowledge of Christ and are again entangled therein and overcome if they return to their old vices then their latter end is worse than the beginning Which is point blank contrary to what he affirms that those who have escaped these pollutions and are not yet entangled again in them may notwithstanding that be Swine in Gods account For so he adds Thou mayst live a blameless innocent honest smooth life and yet be a miserable creature But I pray says such a man and that often so thou mayst and yet never be saved Isai 1.11 To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices To great purpose sure when they are offered by men of blameless innocent honest smooth lives the want of which made those sacrifices abominable to God But I fast sometimes so did the Scribes and Pharisees But it was to devour widows houses which was not the fast of an honest innocent man But I hear the word so did the stony ground who for a season believed And it had been well and a good sign of Grace if it had continued I read the Scripture so did the Pharisees who were perfect in the Bible But though knaves read the Scriptures and be never the better for it yet good men may read it to good purpose reading of Scripture is no argument that a man is an hypocrite because the Pharisees were But I am grieved and repent of my sins so did Judas but he hanged himself and that indeed is no repentance to life But I love good men and their company so did the foolish Virgins But they slept and suffered their Lamps to go out which all that love good men do not But God hath given me much knowledge that thou mayst have and never be saved Yes and twenty good things more but if a blameless honest man hath the keeping of this knowledge it is never the worse for him But I keep the Lords day so did the Jews had he been as well acquainted with the Scriptures as the Pharisees were he would not have said that the Jews kept the Lords day however this is one good thing which doth well in the company of more But I have good desires and endeavours to get to Heaven these thou mayst have