22. By these and such other promises faith encourageth us to return unto our God taking words unto our selves and pleading the Covenant of his grace towards us intreating him to receive us graciously Hoseah 14. This work of faith brought Peter back to Christ after his shamefull denyall of him it made him to lament his sinne and to look up unto him for grace and forgivenesse whereas Judas wanting this faith lies down in desperate sorrow never able to rise up nor recover himselfe any more And thus we see how faith doth act both in bringing us into Covenant with God and helps us also to walk in Covenant with him And thus we have shewed first That faith is the condition of the Covenant secondly Why faith is appointed to be the condition rather then works thirdly It is the act not the habit which is the condition on our parts fourthly What those acts of faith be by which it brings us into Covenant and inables us to walk in it Quest But here a further question is made by some what manner of condition faith is It 's granted will some say that faith is a condition but it is a condition only consequent to our Iustification and so to our being in Covenant with God but it s no antecedent condition wee are as they conceive in a state of Grace and salvation before faith and then faith comes and believes that Iustification and salvation which was before given Answ This is some of that new light which the old age of the Church hath brought forth which what it tends unto I know not unlesse it be to this that a man should not look at any habituall grace in himselfe whether sanctification or faith or any other in as much as these availe nothing according to them to a mans Iustification seeing wee are Iustified before faith They would have a man to see nothing in himselfe because as they think the Grace which is seene is temporall the Grace which is not seen is eternall though a man knows that he hath faith yet say they he is not thereby justified nor brought into the estate of grace but is justified before faith therefore never look at this or that in your selves all these are nothing to your Iustification or salvation This as I think is the end of this opinion In opposition whereunto I lay down this conclusion according to the Scripture That we are not actually justified nor in a state of grace and salvation before faith before we believe This I hope to prove by evidence of the word only before I come to the proof of it to prevent mistake observe how I speak of actuall Iustification whereas our Iustification may be considered either First as purposed and determnied in the minde and will of God Or secondly as impetrated and obtained for us by the obedience of Christ Or thirdly as actually applyed unto us so as we may be truely said to be actually just in the sight of God in the two former respects it is not denyed God purposed to justifie us before the world was and therefore much more before our faith And that atonement and obedience which Christ hath performed for us is also before our faith and before we were born But the question is whether this Righteousnesse wrought for us by Christ bee actually applyed to a sinner before hee believe whether one as yet not believing bee actually acquitted of his sinne and accounted just and righteous before God And this is that which I am now to prove against the Patrons of the former opinion sc that we are not actually justified before faith It s not a condition only consequent but antecedent to our actuall justification and being in state of grace before God Reas 1. To make our justification goe before faith is to place our justification before our vocation and calling and so inverts the order observed by the Apostle Rom. 8.30 who placeth our calling before our justification and if our calling be before our justification then is our faith also before it because we are not called effectually of which kinde of calling we now speak as the Apostle doth untill we believe faith therefore being comprehended in our calling and calling being before justification faith also of necessity must goe before our justification Reas 2. Consider the words of the Apostle in Rom. 3.22 where he saith That the righteousnesse of God is by the faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe In which words are three things first What is that righteousnsse by which we are justified namely not our own righteousnesse but the righteousnesse of Christ here called the righteousnesse of God secondly The persons upon whom this righteousnesse comes that they may be justified by it and that is upon those that doe believe thirdly The meanes by which it comes to be upon them and that is by faith the righteousnesse of God is by faith on them that doe believe justification is here limited to them that doe believe not extended to them that believe not and least any should evade by saying that they are called believers in regard of Gods prescience and foreknowledge not in respect of any present habit of faith actually dwelling in them in which sence some are called sheep Joh. 10.16 therefore to prevent this evasion the Apostle addes the meanes by which they come to have this righteousnesse of God upon them which is by faith though it had been enough to have said that it was upon them that believe yet to put this matter out of doubt he addes those words that it is by faith And if it bee by faith then not before faith but if it is by faith as the Apostle affirmes therefore not before faith If faith were a condition consequent to our justification not antecedent it could not bee said to be by faith In Psal 50.15 The Lord puts a double condition concerning our deliverance out of trouble one antecedent call upon me another consequent and thou shalt glorifie me in the midst of which two stands the deliverance promised so as the order is first we must call secondly then God delivers and then thirdly we must glorifie him now if our faith were a condition only consequent to our justification then it stands in no other place in respect of justification then doth our glorifying of God which followes our deliverance out of trouble and it so then we may as well be said to be delivered by our glorifying of God which follows our deliverance as to bee justified by faith which followes our justification Reas 3. From Num. 21.7 8 9. compared with Ioh. 3.14 15. I reason thus faith hath the same place and use in our justification as the Israelites looking had in their healing when they were stung with the fiery Serpents but they were not first healed and then to look and see what it was that had healed them but they were first to look upon the Brazen Serpent and then by
in all our wayes to governe us according to his owne will that he may be glorified in us Thus God offers himselfe unto us in his Covenant c. Now the answer is ready to the question propounded how faith doth act in closing with the Covenant the work of faith herein is to carry the soule towards the Covenant in the same order and way as it is propounded First accepting the grace offered resting upon God for all the mercy which he hath promised 2. Taking God to bee a God over us submitting to his government and authority to command us and to rule us in all things according to his own will these two things faith doth and so takes hold of the Covenant in the same way and order as God offers it 1. God makes himself known to us as a God of mercy gracious long-suffering pardoning iniquity transgression and sin he offers himselfe to be reconciled unto us though we have rebelled against him promising to be a Father unto us and to accept of us as his sons and daughters in his beloved Now the worke of Faith in respect of this offer of grace is only to accept the grace offered to lay hold on it and take it unto our selves being so freely offered Faith brings nothing to God of our owne it offers nothing to stand in exchange for the mercy offered it receives a gift but giveth no price The Lord holds out and offers the free grace of the Covenant faith receives it and makes it our owne Hence is that expression used by the Prophet in Esay 56. where we are said to lay hold of the Covenant God holds it forth and we take hold of it the hand of grace offers it and the hand of faith receives it and makes it our owne and this it doth by such steps and degrees as these that follow wherein though I should not limit the Lords dealing with all his yet I will shew what I conceive is the most usuall and ordinary course of Gods dispensation towards those whom he brings into Covenant with himselfe Here then faith closeth with the Covenant in this manner 1. By hearing the great things proposed in the Covenant it stirs up in the heart a deep and serious consideration of the blessed condition of those people that are in Covenant with God Oh what a blessed estate is it thinkes such a one to be in favour with God to be one of his covenanted people It makes him say with Moses Blessed art thou O Israel a people saved by the Lord Deut. 33. It saith with David No people O Lord is like thy people Israel whom thou hast redeemed unto thy selfe 2 Sam. 7.23 Time was when we counted the proud blessed and placed our felicity in other things as in riches preferments favour and credit with men c. but now these are become vile and things of no value faith makes us change our voice and to speake with a new tongue and to say not Blessed are the people that be so but Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord Psal 144. ult This high esteeme of grace being accompanied with a sence of the want of it wee seem unto our selves as undone men lost wretched miserable The poor soul thinkes with it selfe no sin like my sin no misery like my misery I am separated from the Lord an alien from his people Oh blessed are they that are are at peace and in covenant with him this is now the onely pearle of price the rich treasure in the field for which such a one is content to give all the substance of his house In the prodigall when he began to thinke of returning to his father these two things were found in him First a deep sence of his owne misery I die for hunger Secondly a consideration of the wellfare of those that were in his Fathers house they have bread enough So it is with those poor soules in which faith begins to work to draw them back into Covenant with God sensible are they of their own woe highly also doe they prize the excellency of grace if by any means they might attain to have a part in it 2. This high esteem of grace and being in Covenant with God begets a longing desire of it good being beleived cannot but be desired and longed for and therefore faith now beleeving the benefit of being in favour and Covenant with God it cannot but work desires after it desire naturally springeth from the apprehension of any good made knowne Faith is both in the understanding and in the will as it is in the understanding it opens the eye to see and clearly to discerne the blessing of the Covenant and then stirs up the will to pursue and desire the attaining of the grace revealed Never did David more long for the waters of the well of Bethlehem then such a soul touched with the sence of sin doth desire to be at peace with God and in covenant with him and therefore it is that they are said to thirst after the the Lord Psal 42.2 to pant after him Psal 42.1 to gaspe after him Psal 119. longing for communion and peace with him Thus in Esay 26.9 with their soules they desire him in the night and with their spirit in the morning the desire of their soul is set upon him and cannot be satisfied by any thing without him peace with him is their life and to be separated from him is unto them as the shadow of death 3. Faith being yet weak and but as in the bud or in the seed and being yet unacquainted with the Lords dealing with his people not knowing how he useth by terrors of death to bring them to life and peace hence it comes to passe that the soule being pressed with sence of sin therefore though its desires be strong yet hope of obtaining is but feeble and vveak vve seeming to our selves utterly unworthy as indeed we are and uncapable which we are not of so high a priviledge as this is to be in favour and Covenant with the most high God Here therefore faith is taken up with many thoughts thereby to support and keepe up the heart in hope carrying the eye of the soul towards God though as beholding him afarre off faine would the poor soul be joyned to the Lord Isai 56. but being as yet dismayed with the sence of sin he stands like the poor Publican afar off as one afraid to come neere into the presence of the holy God as yet faith can scarce speak a word to God it cannot come neer to call upon him only it can with Ionah look towards his holy Temple as being like the poor weak babe which lies in the cradle being both sick and weak and speechlesse and can onely look towards the mother for helpe the cast of the eye after a sort expressing and signifying what it would say Thus doth faith being yet weak it would speak unto God but cannot onely it hath its eye towards
There is by nature but one estate of all men whether Jewes or Gentiles whether we speake of sin or misery thereupon it is that what Esay before spake of the disposition and sinne of the Jewes in Esa 59.7 8. the same doth the Apostle apply generally unto all men Rom. 3.15 16 17. As shewing thereby what is spoken of the sin of one people may be spoken of all which are in the same naturall estate with them there may be severall degrees both of sin and misery in severall people but the estate is the same in all It was noted before how the estate of the Jewes in their Babylonish captivitie was applied to three other things as types of them First to the naturall estate of all men who are in spirituall bondage as they were in outward Secondly to the captivity of the Church under Antichrist Thirdly to the servile condition which the Jews are in Now these three are not things so different in nature that they cannot sometimes meet all together in one they being but as so many severall degrees of one and the same naturall estate First some are meerly naturall and no more as not having gone so far as to defile themselves with the abominations of the Whore of Rome Secondly others have proceeded further and dallied with that Strumpet and gone in unto her and have drunk of the wine of her fornication Thirdly others have gone further then both the former even to the execrable malice of the Jews so as to hate and maligne the ways of Christ as the Jews do accurse his name at this day Now whether we consider one or other of these they are all but so many severall degrees of the same estate of nature And so there being but one estate of all men therefore what is truly said of one may be truly said of all only reserving to each of them that particular degree of sin or misery which is proper to them but the same estate is common to all So that the Jews being for their sin cast off and become prisonees in the pit this their estate may fitly be applied to all men that are in the same naturall estate excepting only the particular degree as is before expressed their heighth and excellency belong to them alone and yet the same promises in the substance of them do belong unto all the faithfull so it is concerning their sin and misery which lies upon them a particular degree thereof may be proper unto them but the same estate is common to all So then draw we unto our selves that which is here spoken of the Jews and then the summe of this Text is this that even as they so we are naturally in the prison pit till we be brought forth by the blood of the Covenant applied unto us Let me explain the words a little and so make way for the Observations What is meant by the Pit here spoken of So far as concernes the Jews it notes out the present outward thraldome in which they are holden under the nations among which they live as also that spirituall captivity in which they lie being shut up under sin and unbeliefe as it is expressed Rom. 11.32 And in this latter respect it is common to us with them we being all of us captives under the dominion of our spirituall enemies as well as they What is the water here spoken of the pit wherein there is no water the idle toyes and Frier-like conceits about Purgatory drawn from hence I passe by as not worthy spending time about them Waters in Scripture signifie two things sometimes they signifie affliction sorrow danger trouble and perplexity as we may see in Psal 18.16 Psal 32.6 and 69 1 2. Sometimes again they are taken in a quite contrary sense signifying joy comfort and refreshing as in Psal 23.2 Isai 12.3 Jer. 2.13 where the Lord compares him self to a Fountain of living waters which gives plenteous refreshing and consolation In this latter sense it is taken here in this Text for joy or comfort so that the meaning is that as the Jews so we one and other of us we are shut up as prisoners in the dungeon and pit of the prison where there is no water of comfort to refresh our souls withall we may finde dirt and mire there in which we may stick fast as Jeremiah did in his prison but there is no water of comfort to be found there The loosing or sending forth of the pit is the deliverance and freedome which comes by the blood of Jesus Christ called here The blood of the Covenant First because it ratifieth the Covenant betwixt God and us as we shall see afterwards Secondly because the Covenant directs us to the blood of Christ to seek our freedome from it c. Thus having the sense we may in the words consider these two things 1. The naturall estate of men set forth in two degrees 1. We are prisoners in the pit captives 2. Destitute of all comfort being in a pit wherein is no water 2. The promise of deliverance I have loosed that is will loose I will grant a deliverance and this is set forth First by the moving cause namely Gods free grace not expressed but implyed in this when it 's said By thy covenant I will send forth c. q. d. by that free goodnesse and grace of mine by which I first entred into a covenant with thee and for thee will I send thee deliverance out of this misery Secondly by the meriting cause of it The blood of the covenant the blood of Christ for though the deliverance be free to us by free grace in respect of any thing done by us yet it is obtained for us by the blood of Christ From all together observe these four things 1. That we are all naturally in a state of bondage as prisoners in the pit 2. That so long as we continue in this estate nothing that we do enjoy can give us any sound comfort there is no water in the pit 3. That though our condition be thus miserable and comfortlesse yet there is both freedome from this bondage and comfort to be obtained by the blood of the covenant in Christ there is both an opening of the prison â—o those that are bound and fountains of living water to refresh the thirsty souls 4. That whatsoever salvation and deliverance God gives unto his people in setting them free from this misery he doth it by vertue of and according to his covenant These are the summe of all These four points the Text offers to our consideration all which though handled publikely and intended to have been published with that â—hich now comes forth yet finding the Treatise to grow bigger then I thought in the beginning I have now upon second consideration resolved to suppresse the three first observations and to insist only upon the fourth as being that which is most pertinent to the present scope intended The thing then which here we have now to
Sinai had not Christ for the Mediator of it Heb. 8.6 But Christ was the Mediator of the covenant of grace ever since that covenant was first made even in the time of Adam Gen. 3.15 and of Abraham Joh. 8.5 and of Moses Acts 15.11 and afore his coming in the flesh as well as since Heb. 13.8 Answ I grant that Christ was not in his owne person visible Mediator of that covenant yet in his type he was for when Moses stood betwixt God and them Deut. 5.5 and as a Mediator he tooke the Law from God to deliver it unto them Gal. 3.19 he did not so stand in that place of Mediator in his owne name but in the name of Christ as representing Christ of whom he was therein a type and figure so that what Moses did in that Mediatorship Christ did it in him It is said of Christ 1 Pet. 3. He went and preached to the old world in the ministry of Noah so he went and was Mediator between God and Israel in the ministry of Moses and as Aaron was Mediator between God and them in the Priestly office so was Moses in the Propheticall office and yet neither of them in their owne names and for themselves but both of them as they were types of Christ and thus Christ was Mediator of that typicall covenant in his type and afterward Mediator of the Evangelicall covenant in his owne person Object 2 The covenant of grace is said to be established upon better promises then the first covenant made at Mount Sinai Heb. 8.6 Now these better promises are promises of life upon better conditions i upon condition of faith in Christ and not upon that impossible condition of perfect obedience to the Law The covenant of grace therefore being built upon better promises then the former covenant at Mount Sinai therefore the covenant at Mount Sinai cannot be a covenant of grace because the promises of the covenant of grace are alwayes the same Acts 15.11 Answ As wee read of better promises so we read also of a better testament and better sacrifices Heb. 7.22 8.6 9.23 Now mark shall we from those better sacrifices of the new Testament conclude that the former Testament which had sacrifices though it wanted these better sacrifices was a covenant of workes No the covenant of workes taken properly hath no sacrifices at all The same I say concerning the better Testament Heb. 7.22 8.6 Where the comparison is betwixt the Testament under the Messiah and the Testament under Levi as the verses before doe make manifest the Testament under the Messiah is called a better Testament then that under Levi yet was that Testament under Levi a Testament or Covenant of grace and not of workes This therefore I conceive that those better promises are not so called in regard of the substance of the promises but of the manner of propounding them Even as the sacrifices of the new Testament are said to be better then the sacrifices of the old not in substance but in the manner of exhibiting If I may so speake they had the same sacrifices in substance as wee have even the Lambe slaine from the foundation of the world Rev. 13. But he was then slaine onely in types and figures not really or personally But now in the new Testament there is a reall and personall offering up of Christ himselfe and not in the type onely and therefore it is called a better sacrifice And so it is in the promises the promise of eternall life was then made but how seldome plainly expressed but shadowed over in the promise of their dwelling in the land of Canaan which was to them a type of heaven but now wee have the promise of eternall life plainly and nakedly set before us so that wee may say as they said Joh. 16. Now speakest thou plainly and speakest no parables now the Lord speakes to us without putting such vailes before our eyes which held them that they did not see into the end of that which was spoken so as now in this sense our promises are better then theirs because more clearly and plainly revealed In a word the Covenant under the Messiah is compared with the Covenant under Levi the sacrifices of the one with the sacrifices of the other the promises of the one with the promises of the other Looke then how the one is better so are they all as the sacrifices of the one are better then the sacrifices of the other so is the Testament and so are the promises which betternesse is not in the substance but in the manner of revealing The Covenant made at Mount Sinai was the Covenant of the Object 3 Morall law which is the Covenant of workes This objection is answered by that which was before delivered Answ 1 of a two-fold consideration of the Law 1. Absolutely 2. With respect to the Covenant of grace and as dependant on that and thus onely it was delivered to them and not as a Covenant by which they should be saved no more then it is to us though wee have it in our Bibles Answ 2 Though the Morall Law was then given them yet there was more then that Law delivered to them namely all the ordinances of the Ceremoniall Law which belong to the covenant of grace and not of workes and all of them together made up but one covenant wherein they were to walke with God Object 4 The first Testament delivered at Mount Sinai was such as no salvation could be attained by it for therefore it is said not to be faultlesse Heb. 8.7 But the Covenant of grace did alwayes bring salvation Therefore c. Answ That Covenant did give life and salvation was attained by it And though it be said to be faulty yet not so as to hinder or debar from salvation but onely it was defective in respect of the full perfection of the new Covenant as it is now revealed It was not so cleare and manifest as now it is there was then a defect in comparison of what it is now by the revelation of Jesus Christ but not faulty to as that interpretation would make it Compare herewith Heb. 10.1 2 3 4. Object 5 This is made a difference betwixt the covenant of grace and the covenant at Sinai that the covenant of grace promiseth forgivenesse of sinnes and the writing of the Law in our hearts which the former covenant at Sinai did not Therefore it was not a covenant of grace but of workes Answ It is true the covenant at Sinai did not promise forgivenesse of sinnes scil so clearly and the writing of the Law in our hearts scil so abundantly in so full a measure as the new covenant doth but if from the denying of the full measure we shall deny the whole benefit in any measure this will not follow no more then this followes that because the Prophets did not reveale Christ so plainly as the Apostles therefore they did not reveale him at all They had types
Simon himselfe beleeved also c. i.e. he professed to beleeve And as it is in faith so it is in sanctification also There is an holinesse of truth really wrought Eph. 4.24 and there is an holinesse of profession when we professe to carry the lamp of holinesse in our hands but want the oyle of grace in the vessell of our heart Mat. 25. 2 There is a sanctification externall reaching to the purifying of the flesh standing in the observance of the outward ordinances of the Church and there is another sanctification internall standing in the inward purging of the conscience from dead works by which wee are enabled to serve the living God Heb. 9.13 14. 3 There is a sanctification to men making us so to be esteemed by men and there is also a sanctification to God when we are so indeed in the sight of God Now this sanctification here spoken of was in profession externall in respect of men and in esteem of men but not reall inward and in respect of God so as to make them holy and blamelesse in his sight Object But they had reall gifts as illumination some delight in the word and such like Hebr. 6. therefore they were really sanctified Answ It followeth not because there may be some reall work wrought in the soule which yet may not reach so farre as to reall and true sanctification There may be some morall dispositions wrought in a man which are reall in their kinde and yet may come farre short of true sanctification Object As where there is the substance and being of a man there is a true man so where there is such a being of reall gifts there must needs be reall and true sanctification Answ Where there is the substance of a man there is a true man if true be taken for verum naturale which hath a true naturall existence and being and is not a meere spectrum a phantasm an image or shadow of a thing And thus taking true in this sence a rank theef is a true man But take true for verum morale for that morall truth which is required in the word then may there be the substance of a man head armes feet c. and yet this man may not bee a true man considered thus morally bring this man to the rule of the word try his actions by the truth which the word requires and then he which was found a true man in the former consideration will here be found a man false and deceitfull So here gifts may be really wrought in a man by a physicall work of the spirit and yet bring these same gifts and the actions produced by them to the rule of the word and try whether they will answer to the patterne of true sanctification which the word layes down and then their sanctification will be found false comming short of that holinesse of truth which is in the true Saints Object But these here mentioned are said to be sanctified by the blood of the Covenant that is the blood of Christ but the blood of Christ doth not sanctify only outwardly as touching the purifying of the flesh but it purgeth the conscience also within to serve the living God and therefore these here mentioned were inwardly and truly sanctified Answ The blood of Christ is taken either Properly or Sacramentally Properly as in 1 Iohn 1.7 where he saith the blood of Jesus Christ his Sonne clenseth us from all sinne the blood in the spirituall efficacy of it being applyed unto us doth indeed inwardly clense us from all sinne But sometimes the blood of Christ is taken Sacramentally and it is received Sacramentally only and thus the Water in Baptism and the Wine in the Supper is the blood of Christ Math. 26. 1 Cor. 10. and 11. Now this Sacramentall blood was sprinkled upon them they were washed with the Sacramentall blood of Christ in Baptism but the spirituall efficacy of the blood it selfe never touched their conscience though the sign of it might be sprinkled on the outward man And thus Paraeus Erat eorum sanctificatio non interna sed externa in professione fidei participatione sacramentorum externâ consistens They were sanctified that is sayth he they were by profession segregated from the Iewes and Pagans and were accounted for true Christians or for Saints To conclude the answer to the place alleadged the allusion is to that of Moses in Exod. 24.3 to 9. where Moses makes up the Covenant betwixt God and the people there Moses first rehearseth unto them the words of the Covenant to which they shew themselves willing to assent verse 3 then having taken order for the killing of the Sacrifice the blood whereof was to ratify and confirm the Covenant verse 4 5. next he takes part of the blood and sprinkles it upon the people verse 8. using these words behold the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these things And now the people having thus farre accepted the terms and conditions of the Covenant and accepted the blood of the Covenant being willing to be sprinkled with it now I say this people was a sanctified and holy people a people in Covenant with God separated from the prophane people of the world and were now esteemed a peculiar and holy people though yet many of them were not inwardly sanctified but only thus farre in respect of externall confederation and profession so it is with these here spoken of they were content to accept the sprinkling of the sacramentall blood upon them and outwardly professed themselves willing as Israel did to become the people of God but yet all this while they were never in truth inwardly sanctified never washed with the washing of the new birth Tit. 3. This allusion I gather by the words of the Apostle calling the blood here mentioned the blood of the Covenant just the same expression as Moses used before Behold the blood of the Covenant Exod. 24.8 And look how the one blood was sprinkled so was the other and what sanctification was wrought by the one the same was also by the other namely an externall federall holinesse they having both one and other accepted the blood of the Covenant to be sprinkled upon them whereby they were sanctified thus farre as to become a separate people unto God So that notwithstanding all that which hath been objected or can be this stands good that sanctification is a blessing of the Covenant of Grace only And being so therefore to prove our justification by our sanctification is not to go aside to a Covenant of works Vse 2. Is our sanctification a benefit of the Covenant of grace and springs it from Grace what then can our works of sanctification merit for us at the hands of God what have wee herein which we have not received 1 Cor. 4. of his own hand doe we give unto him as David spake in another case 1 Chron. 29. but of this there will be fitter place to