he was from eternity beloved and pardoned A Doctrine fitter for a Tho. Collier and a Paul Hobson then for any well grounded Divine to own and by how much we do detest such a Doctrine by so much it concernes us to beware how we take in those Principles or lay and owne those grounds that will necessarily but unawares lead us to it 3 The Doctor holds That remission of sin and the acceptation of our persons with God do only note certain internal and immanent Actions in God which never had any beginning with God Lib. 3. pag. 434. 4. He asserts That the Righteousnesse of Christ was ours afore faith that faith doth not interesse us in it or give us any new right unto Christs Righteousnesse which we had not before but only the sight sense and agnition of the same Yea whereas the learned Lubbert against Vorstius had said most Orthodoxly Quod satisfactio Christi non est mea aut tua priusquam ego aut tu eam verâ side receperimus The Doctor doth go about to spoil that saying of his by affixing to it his owne heterodox sense Lib 2. p 277. It is a very strange thing that such a learned Philosopher and Schoolman as Doctor Twisse famous for that throughout all Protestant Churches should not distinguish betwixt Gods designing his Sons Righteousnesse for us or to bee ours and that by Faith or by means of faith or upon the conditions of faith and betwixt Gods actually making it ours or actually bestowing it upon us or investing us into it upon our believing And whereas hee sayes That Christs Righteousnesse is ours Quatenus ex intentione Dei Patris Christi pro nobis praestita as it was performed on our behalf by vertue of the intention of God and Christ I answer 1. That hints no more but this viz. That God and Christ did design or purpose it for us 2 From thence the Doctor himselfe might have concluded against himselfe viz. That Christs Righteousnesse is not actually made ours afore we believe for what is intended for mee is not mine before it be actually conferred upon mee and this actual conferring of Christs Righteousnesse upon us is not as saith the Scripture before we believe 5 He sayes ibidem and to the same purpose as before that the merits of Christ are not applied to us by faith before God but only apud conscientias nostras in our own consciences and that Christs Righteousnesse is said to be imputed unto us by faith only because by faith imputari dignoscitur it is known to us to be imputed 6. As he doth oppose Arminius in his sense of the distinction betwixt Redemption and Remission of sin as impetrated and as applyed so the Doctor errs on the other hand in his owne sense or sensing of that distinction making the application thereof by faith unto us Non ut sint sed ut sentiantur percipiantur agnoscantur not that they may be ours indeed and actually but that they may appear be felt known and acknowledged as ours Lib. 2. pag. 277. and Lib. 3. pag. 434. Here againe it seemes very strange That so accute and profound a man as the Doctor was should forget to distinguish betwixt Remission and Redemption as purchased or procured for us and as actually conferred or bestowed upon us The foresaid particulars as I conceive them to bee mistakes in the Doctor and of an ill aspect and influence so I am perswaded they were all or the most of them occasioned from his Errour about the nature of forgivenesse of sin making it at least in part to be Gods nolle punire or velle non punire Gods not willing to punish CHAP. XXV That a Believer his pardon notwithstanding is in his confession of sin to put himself under the curse of the Law Why and how declared That a sinner after pardon is a sinner and that God doth look upon him as a sinner albeit he doth not deal with him or punish him as such CONSECT XVIII 18. IT followes That a Believer notwithstanding his pardon is still to put himselfe in his confession of sin undre the curse of the Law as guilty thereof i. e. to acknowledge himselfe guilty of hell it selfe and eternal damnation to present himselfe before God with such a degree and depth of humble devotion as did Ezra in the name of the whole Church saying to this purpose O Lord the righteous God I am here before thee in my trespasses I cannot stand before thee because of my sins In such sort and with such acknowledgments of their guiltinesse the best amongst Gods servants and Prophets were wont to make their humble addresses to and before God See Psal 130.3 If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand and Psal 143. beg Enter not into judgment with thy servant O Lord for in thy sight shall no man living be justified Job 9.2 3. How shall man be just with God If hee will contend with him he cannot answer him one of a thousand Dan. 9.7 8 Daniel himself doth there acknowledg That confusion of face doth belong unto him i. e. was deserved by him or did belong unto him in his own pure and proper deserving So that every sinner whether pardoned or not pardoned so long as he lives on earth is to confesse to God his desert or guiltinesse to punishment yea could it be proved that the Saints in heaven do confesse their former sins to God I would not doubt to affirm That even they in heaven together with their sins do also confesse the * As that guilt which is taken off from the sinner by a pardon is commonly stiled Reatus poenae so that guilt which is never taken off and of which alone I speak and would be understood to speak in this Consectary is commonly stiled Reatus culpae of which see Mr. Burges in his Sâ—rmons of Justification p. 134. And I think it not amisse to give the Reader to undeâ—stand how several Writers do in several expressions declare the difference betwixt Reatus culpae and Reatus poenae e. g. The former is stiled by some Meritum poenae and the latter Obligatio ad luendam poenam by others the former is stiled Duenesse of punishment to our sins the latter Duenesse of punishment to our persons which latter is it alone which remission of sin doth free us from because what is due to our sins is inflicted upon the person of another viz. Jesus Christ By others the former is stiled Guilt potential and the latter Guilt actual guilt or merit of them the inward innate dignity or desert of them or their guiltinesse of Gods wrath by reason of them this kind of guilt being as inseparable from sin as heat is from fire I think this inference the rather to be observed not only because it is practical and of frequent use but also because of that new mode or model of praying taken up by too too many in these times infected with
us Ministers neverthelesse I shall not go about at this time to enumerate all the differences betwixt them but shall content my self to name only this one as being sufficient for my present purpose viz The conditions which God requires of man in both these Covenants are very different the condition of the Covenant of Works being perfection of obedience or the perfect fulfilling of the whole Law but the condition of the Covenant of Grace is Faith in Christ Repentance and Sincerity of Obedience Now as Adam was to do or perform the former condition or the condition of the former Covenant for life so are we to perform the latter condition or the condition of the latter Covenant for life also Should we go about to set up the perfect fulfilling of the whole Law as the condition of salvation and in such sort work for salvation this indeed were legal working and to work as Legalists or should we expect salvation as merited wages for our work this were to work legally but to labour by his strength to perform the conditions of the Covenant of Grace to believe repent to return unto and to keep with God in the duties of New Obedience that so we may live and to expect from Gods free grace and mercy that in so doing we shall live this is to work as a Christian and as becomes the Gospel of Christ Object But is it not the ready way to make people trust unto or to rest in their own good works or duties to tell them that they may do them for salvation Answ 1. I shall in the next place answer this Question with two or three other Questions 1 Is it not the ready way to make people to cast off the doing of all good duties and good works to tell them that they may not ought not need not to do them for salvation 2 Is not the danger as common and great this way as that Or is it not as dangerous to think to go to heaven without the doing of good as by resting on the good we do Is it not as ordinary for people to perish for barrenness as for bringing forth fruit to themselves 3 Whether is it not fitter for a Minister to instruct people how far forth they may and how far forth they may not trust in and rest upon their own Duties Graces works or holinesse for salvation then to tell them that they ought not to do any good duty for salvation As this latter is a thing unlawful so the former is a thing I am well assured not only lawful but also expedient and necessary in order therefore thereunto bee it knowne 1. In general That we are not to trust unto or rest upon our own good Works Duties or Graces for salvation in any such sort as Christ alone and his Righteousnesse is to be trusted unto or rested upon 2. More particularly bee it known 1. That we may not trust unto or rest in them as our legal Righteousnesse i. e. such as for which the Law of Works will pronounce us righteous or as any part of our legal Righteousnesse in conjunction with Christs 2. Consequently hereupon we may not rest in them as things that are absolutely perfect and exactly commensurate or answerable to the rigour of the Law 3. Not as things by which Gods Justice is satisfied his wrath pacified or by which we make him an amends for breach of the first Covenant 4. Consequently hereupon not as things whereby in any strict or proper sense we do merit salvation we having indeed no works formally ours which do make the reward to be of debt and not of Grace In these respects we are to disclaim all our own Works Duties Graces Holiness and to trust unto or rest upon Christ and his Righteousnesse wholely and solely 2 But in the second place be it knowne 1 In general That because Christ alone is to be rested upon for salvation in the foresaid respects we have no more reason to conclude from thence that we may can or ought in no sense to rest in our own good works or duties for salvation then we can conclude that because Christ alone doth save us therefore it may not can not ought not to be said in any sense that we do save our selves which notwithstanding is the frequent language of Scripture 2 More particularly be it known 1. That we may rest in or trust unto our own good Works Duties and Holinesse for salvation in subordination to the free grace and mercy of God in Christ Jesus accepting them and pardoning the sinfulness of them 2 We may rest on them as things which do assure us of our title unto or actual interest in the satisfaction and Righteousness of Jesus Christ there being a personal or evangelical righteousnesse necessary to salvation as well as a legal righteousness i. e. it being not sufficient for our actual enjoyment of salvation that Christ was righteous or did fulfil all righteousnesse of the Law unless we in our own persons do labour to bee righteous as he was righteous 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom â—f God be not deceived neither Fornicators nor 3 We may rest in them as the wayes wherein or which is to the same purpose as was said in the particular foregoing as the conditions without which Christ Jesus will not save us for without holinesse no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12 14. neither is Christ the Authour of salvation actually enjoyed unto any other then such as do obey him Heb. 5.9 1 Tim. 4.16 Neither is the resting upon our own holinesse in these senses any whit against the glory of Christ this being in effect and in deed neither more nor lesse but this viz. To rest upon Christ and Christ alone for salvation in Christs own way i e. the way of holinesse and righteousness I do not mean perfect holinesse and righteousnesse according to the Covenant of Works but such as is expected and required from us as necessary to salvation according to the tenour of the Covenant of Grace I doubt not but the most self denying servants of Christ did in this sort rest upon their own holinesse for salvation in special Hezekiah praying to the Lord That he would remember how he had walked before him with a perfect heart 2 King 20. beg and Nehemiah praying to the like purpose with subordination to the mercy of God pardoning his defects chap. 13.22 and David praying and saying Lord save me for I am holy Psal 86.2 and Saint Paul saying I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith hence forward is laid up for me a Crawn of Righteousness 2 Tim. 4.7 8. To rest upon our own holinesse for salvation in the sense immediately aforesaid is no more then for a man who doth use the creatures moderately as meat drink sleep recreation in or upon the use of them to depend on God the only Authour
Antinomian leaven who do so neglect the confession of their sins and the guilt thereof together with supplication to the Lord for the pardon of them as if these were no parts of prayer for a believer or as if they were antiquated and like an old Almanack uselesse and out of date Or if they do make the said confessions and supplications they do but juggle and dissemble saying if they be reasoned with That praying with others or as the voice of others it is the sin and guilt of the wicked and unbelievers which they confesse and of which they pray for pardon but not of their own and of the godly of the pardon whereof they are already assured faith it self being in their sense and according to their Apocryphal Gospel nothing else but a firm beliefe or perswasion that all their sins past present and to come were remitted at once and that from eternity The not understanding the true nature of forgivenesse of sin as well wherein it doth not consist as wherein it doth consist as hath been opened and asserted in the Premises is a main reason as I humbly conceive of the pride and profanenesse of that sort of people both in this particular and sundry other wayes What I have said as the ground of this Inference I would have the Reader to know That it doth fully agree with what Mr. Burges saith in his book of Justification p. 29. Now when sin is forgiven the sense is saith he not that hee is made innocent again for that can never be helped but that it must be affirmed such a one hath sinned this cannot be repaired again And therefore if any Reader is not able to reconcile what Mr. Burges hath there said with what hee saith p. 142. When God doth pardon sin he takes it away so as that the party acquitted is no more looked upon as a sinner All the expressions about pardon amount to thus much Even as when one accused of theft and murder in the Commonwealth and is legally acquitted by the Judg he is no more reputed a Thief or Murderer Therefore it is a calumny of the Papists as if we held That a man is a sinner after God hath pardoned him If any one I say cannot reconcile these sayings with the former I would advise him if I might be so bold with my betters to observe well what he saith in the former place and to let that passe what he saith in the latter passage For my owne part as I must professe my insufficiency to reconcile Mr. Burges to himselfe in the said passages and withal my ignorance that I know no such calumny of the Papists against us so had I known it I would not have sought by an answer to have wiped it off for I am perswaded with Mr. Burges in p. 19. That a man after God hath pardoned him is not made innocent again and if he be not innocent again he is to my thinking a sinner still and as we are so doth God look upon us for his unerring eye sees all things as they are and not otherwise and as for all the expressions of Scripture about the pardon of sin they do being rightly understood and interpreted amount to this viz. That albeit a sinner being pardoned is not thereby made innocent but is still guilty and a sinner and albeit God doth look upon such a one as a sinner and as guilty viz in the sense aforesaid nevertheless God of his superabounding grace and mercy in and for Christs sake doth not deal with such a one according to his sin and guilt or merit To this sense and no more do I take that of the Prophet Jeremy to amount which is one of the highest expressions touching the pardon of sin that we read of in the Scripture chap. 50.20 In those dayes and at that time saith the Lord The iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found for I will pardon them This expression I say is Tantamount as I think but this That God will in his great mercy so deal with his Church as if she had been innocent or as if she had not transgressed The whole of this inference is grounded on what was aforesaid concerning the nature of forgivenesse of sin wherein it doth not consist viz. Not in making a sinner to be no sinner or a a guilty person not guilty as in the sense aforesaid The next Inference will bee grounded upon what was said concerning the obligation of a sinner to hell and damnation being taken off not absolutely in this life but conditionally viz. upon condition of their perseverance in the faith But in the close of this Consectary let me informe the Reader how that since I wrote this Exercitation I have read Mr. Wottons learned Book De Reconciliatione as also Mr. Pembles book of Justification in both which I find the truth of that which Mr. Burges doth say and of which I was ignorant before viz That the Papists do charge us for asserting That a sinner after pardon doth remain a sinner And I find that Mr. Pemble doth endeavour to wipe off that imputation by saying That sin is pardoned both in the guilt and in the fault In which answer of his I am very much dissatisfied having afore proved That the remission of the fault is the remission of the very punishment or that the remission of the punâ—shment is wholly and solely that wherein the remission of the fault doth consist the remission of the fault and punishment not being two things distinct but exactly one and the same so that wheresoever wee read in Gods Word concerning the remission of our faults or sins we are to understand thereby the remission of the punishment due to our said faults or sins The phrase To be looked upon as a sinner is indeed an ambiguous phrase implying according to the usual distinction of Gods sight or sight in God it being taken either in sensu simplici or in sensu connotativo either Gods bare or meer intuitive sight and beholding us as sinners or else his dealing with us as sinners in which latter sense it is most true That God doth not look upon a sinner pardoned as a sinner for then he should look upon him as not pardoned since Gods pardon is his not dealing with a sinner as a sinner i. e. according to his desert by sin and for this reason I do allow and not quarrel with the foresaid expression it being also an expression very neer to Scripture but in the former respect God doth look upon him as a sinner for otherwise he should not look upon him as pardoned it being impossible ex naturâ rei either for God or man in this sense to look upon any person as pardoned and not as a sinner for still where there is pardon there must be * Sin is the res substracta to pardon sin else a person were not
the threatnings of Scripture as uselesse to them will by their direct consequence lead them to cast off both Precepts and Promises as useless also Now for the proof the Point let thâ— following particulars be considered 1. That God doth no lesse threaten the godly themselves with hell and damnation if they fall away from their goodnesse then hee doth the wicked if they continue in their wickednesse See for this * My intent in quoting those Scriptures is not as that of the Remonstrants to prove the Apostacy of the Saints but to prove that God doth threaren them that if they do as others do they shall so suffer as others suffer which they are to believe or to make account of and acordingly to fear Ezek. 18.24 1 Chron. 28.9 Rom. 8.13 Heb. 10.38 39. Matth. 6.15 Not to transcribe the fore cited places at length we do perceive plainly therein that in case the godly do fall from their righteousnesse do forsake God do live after the flesh do draw back do not forgive one another their trespasses God will not pardon them will have no pleasure in them wil cast them off for ever Yea I am perswaded that upon search of Scripture it will be found that the most terrible threatnings of all other are directed to the Saints and the most fearful things that are threatned to any are threatned to them in case of their not persevering in the faith For which see Heb. 6.4 5 6. and 10.26 27. 2 Pet. 2.20 21. 2 Consider to what end God doth so threaten them or direct the said threatnings to them And to a Question of that nature propounded I answer 1. To beget the faith 2. The fear of them 1. To beget in the Saints a belief of the said Threatnings or that they might believe them for God is to bee believed in all his sayings of what nature soever they be or whatever the contents there of are the truth of God being alike in all his sayings It is no less the duty of the godly to believe God in what he threatens to them then of the wicked to believe God in what he threatens to them according to the pattern of the men of Nineveh of whom it is said That in what was threatned by Jonah they believed God Jonah 3.5 And according to the pattern of Noah who believed Gods threatning the world with a universal deluge Heb. 11.7 Briefly As the Israelites were to hear the curses of the Law denounced upon Mount Ebal as wel as the blessings thereof pronounced upon Mount Gerizim and were to say Amen to the former as well as to the latter so the godly are to affix their Amen or to put their Seal of Faith unto the Threatnings as well as to the Promises of the Word whensoever they read or hear them yea they are as well to read and hear the Threatnings as the Promises of Scripture with an applicative faith i. e look in what sort or sense in what cases or upon what suppositions God doth denounce his threatnings against them in such cases or upon such suppositions they are to apply the curses and threatnings of God to their owne souls no lesse then in other respects or upon other suppositions they are to apply the Promises of the Word all Scripture Threatnings as well as Promises being written for the learning of the godly And accordingly we find that the Saints have applyed the curses and comminations of the Word to themselves Heb. 2 3. How shall we escape saith Saint Paul if we neglect so great Salvation 1 Cor. 9.16 Wo is me saith the same Apostle if I preach not the Gospel 2 John 8. Look to your selves that we lose not the things which we have wrought 2 To beget fear in them As the immediate end of Gods Promises is to beget hope so the immediate end of his Threatnings is to beget fear the subject of the one good things being the proper object of Hope and the subject of the other evil things being he proper object of Feare This fear is commanded the Saints in sundry Scriptures Heb 12.28 29. Let us have grace to serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear Andlest any man should think that it is not the property of a godly man who is designed for heaven or to receive a Kingdom that cannot beshaken to fear Hel as if such afear could not be a godly fear observe therefore the Apostles reason For our God is a consuming fire It is a Threatning taken out of the Old Testament which the Apostle a Gospel Minister did not scruple to apply to New Testament Believers Deut. 4.24 See also Heb. 4 1. Let us therefore fear lest a Promise being left us of entering into his rest any of you should seem to come shoâ—t of it q.d. As in every Threatning there is vertually a Promise for he that expresseth Whosoever believeth not shall be damned doth imply in the way of Promise He that believeth shall be saved so in every Promise there is vertually a Threatning he that promiseth Whosoever endures to the end shall be saved doth implicitely threaten That those who do not endure to the end shall be damned Let us therefore feare left such a said Promise vertually containing a Threatning being left unto us any of us should fall short of it See also Luke 12.4 5. where Christ doth command his Disciples to fear God because of Hell I say because of Hell for that description Who or which Which after he hath killed is ratiocinative or causal i.e. it imports the reason or motive of that counsel which Christ gives his Disciples of searing God to bee his power of casting into hell together with his pleasure so to do in case they should fear man and not him The Relative Particle which is not in the Orginal the Apostle expressing himself in a Particle of the Present Tense Fear him having power Now I think it a good Observation of him that tels us saying It is a known propriety of the Greek tongue to import the Reasons or Grounds of things by their Particles as in 1 Tim. 5.17 I shall in the next place apply my self to make answer to such Objections as may be or usually are made against this Truth e.g. Obj. 1. What good Believers do or what evils they do avoid they do them and avoid them out of a principle of life and love and not out of fear Answ Let it be first rightly understood what the meaning of the word Life is and what it is to do a thing out of a principle of life for which purpose bee it known That all of us being by nature dead in trespasses and sins we are not able to do any good of our selves no more then a dead man is able to perform the actions of a living man God must quicken us by his Holy Spirit and regenerate us by his grace before we can do any thing that is good in a spiritual and acceptable manner as to
Apostasie by the example of Hymeneus and Alexander 1 Tim. 1.18 19. Holding faith and a good conscience which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwrack of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander Thus likewise doth he warne every one that professeth Christ by the example of the Apostasie of Hymeneus and Philetus saying Let him that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity 2 Tim. 2.18 19. Thus are the Corinthians admonished by the Apostasie and infidelity of the Israelites in the wilderness whose example as he tells them were written for their admonition 1 Cor. 10.11 12. By the like example he doth also admonish the believing Hebrewes ch 4. beg And by the fall of the whole nation of the Jews Saint Paul doth admonish the believing Romans concluding the relation with this admonition Well because of unbelief they were broken off and thou standest by Faith Be not high minded but fear Rom 11.20 Yea the example of the Apostate Angels is set before the faithful as a warning and admonition whereby to avoid their sinne and to escape their punishment Jude begin 7 In order to the perseverance of the Saints God doth inflict sometimes very grievous judgements 1. Upon the wicked commanding the Saints to take warning thereby that they may hear and fear and learne not to sin presumptuously Deut. 17.13 1 Cor. 10.11 12. This use did Nehemiah perswade the Jewes to make of Gods judgments upon their predecessors chap. 13.18 Did not our fathers thus and did not our God bring all this evil upon us and upon this City yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaneing the Sabbath The contrary sin is laid to the charge of Judah who would not take warning by the sore hand of God upon her Sister Israel Jer. 3.8 And I saw when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed Adultery I had put her away and given her a bill of divorce yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not but went and plaid the harlot also 2 Upon themselves This means viz. the rod of correction God doth use sometimes whereby to keep the Saints from running the same excesse of ryot with the wicked by this means as it were by thornes hedging up the way of sin as is the Prophets phrase Hos 2 6 but more especially to reduce them from their wandrings when they have gone astray 1 Cor 11.32 I have some where read or heard of a similitude very apt for this purpose of one resembling us to Tops that by meanes of whipping are got up when they are down and being up are kept going 8. One maine end of Church Discipline of Ecclesiastical censure as of publick Authoritative admonition and excommunication is that Believers may stand in aw and persevere in holinesse 1 Tim. 5.20 Them that sin rebuke openly that others also may fear The Premises considered it appears evidently that Believers are and are to be constrained not only by love but also by fear and by the rod of God if by any means 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as is the Apostles word Phil. 3.11 they may attain the Resurrection of the dead and the salvation of their souls And surely did not some men in these times go about to make themselves wiser then God Almighty they would rather blesse and magnifie yea admire and adore both the wisdome and goodnesse of God becoming all things to all men and to every part of man both the old man and the new in that variety of meanes which he useth for the preservation of believers in the state of grace I say they would rather so do then cry out upon Gods Ministers as legal Teachers for mixing Threatnings with Promises and thereby endeavouring to preserve the Saints as wel in the fear of the wrath of God and the curse as in the love of God and his goodness Obj. 5. Believers are preserved through their faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 Answ Though Saint Paul saies That they are preserved through faith unto salvation yet he saith not through faith only and to interpret him exclusively there is no ground and here I say once again as before viz Those graces and vertues which God hath joyned together wee must not make opposite one to another or sever one from another Though faith and fear are diverse yet are they not adverse and repugnant More distinctly then I answer 1 That as the Saints are preserved to salvation through their faith so likewise through their feare Jerem. 32.40 I will put my Feare into their hearts that they shall never depart from me 2. He that rightly understands himself in saying That Believers are preserved through faith wil understand how that he doth by necessary consequence in so saying imply That they are preserved through their fear for what is the object of faith is not the whole Word of God Though I should grant That in some peculiar sense the Promise is the object of Faith in which respect Saint Paul calls the Promise the Word of faith Rom. 10.8 yet who can deny that the whole Word of God is Fides objectiva or the object of Faith and consequently who can deny that Believers are to exercise faith as well in the threatnings as in the promises of the Word and the scope of God in his threatnings being to beget faith and fear as well as in his Promises to beget faith and hope in his people who can deny That Believers are kept to Salvation as well through faith and fear of the Threatnings of God in his holy Word as through faith and hope in his promises 3. Consider that as the wicked have been reclaimed to their duty by faith and fear of Gods threatnings for which see the example of the Ninevites of whom it is said That they believed God and proclaimed a Fast Jonah 3.5 So the godly have been by the like meanes contained or retained in their duty as was made appear by several instances before recited unto which I shall add the example of Noah of whom it is said That he by faith moved with fear prepared an Ark for the preserving of himselfe and his houshold Heb. 11.7 Observe thence as to the purpose in hand these two things 1. The conjunction 2. The cooperation of faith and fear 1. Observe That faith in God as touching his Promises and the fear of God as touching his threanings may very well stand together 2. As Saint James said concerning faith and works Chap. 2.22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works so I may here say concerning faith and fear Seest thou how faith and fear did cooperate to Noahs obedience and preservation 4. Be it considered that as every Threatning doth imply a Promise so every Promise doth imply a Threatning as is manifest by that remarkable Scripture Heb. 4. beg where the Apostle in the forgoing Chapter having spoken of an expresse threatning of not entering into Gods Rest he admonisheth them by way of Inference saying Let us therefore fear lest a Promise
being left us of entering into his Rest any of you should seem to come short of it And as the consequence hereof be it cosidered in the next place 5 That it is the duty of Gods Church and people to exercise not only faith and hope 2 Cor. 7.1 compared with 2 Cor. 6.17 18. but moreover to exercise faith and fear even in or by occasion of the Promises of God considering that as every Threatning doth imply a Promise so every Promise doth imply a Threatning so that the word which is formally a Promise is also implyedly and vertually a Threatning and Vice versâ the Word which is formally a Threatning is implyedly or vertually a Promise The ground hereof is this because Gods Promises and Gods threatnings have alwayes conditions if not expressed at least implyed This Noah did very well understand and therefore God having made him a Promise to preserve him from the Deluge by means of an Ark which hee commanded him for that end to prepare Noah is therefore said by faith as moved through fear to have prepared it The main cause which hinders the Antinomians from the sight and acknowledgment of the consistency and co-operation of faith and fear is as I conceive because they do imagine justifying faith to be nothing else but a perswasion or a firm belief that Christ wil unquestionably save them and they are therefore apt to interpret all Scriptures wherein any thing is ascribed unto faith or said to be done through faith or by meanes of saith unto faith in their said sense which is a very grosse error in it self and a cause of much more Object 6. Believers know that they cannot fall away from grace because God hath promised as will their perseverance in grace as their crowning with glory Joh. 13 1. Luke 22 32. Answ God who promiseth the end doth not promise it to be attained absolutely or Quocunque modo but with expresse or at least with an implicite reference to the use of the means e. g God who promised to add fifteen yeers to the life of Hezekiah did promise the same with reference unto Hezekiahs making use of all the due means of conserving life whether by food physick or other waies 2 King 20.6 7. 2 As God who promiseth salvation the ultimate end to the Elect doth promise to give them perseverance in the faith to that end even so God who hath promised perseverance the subordinate and subservient end unto the Saints hath promised to give them grace to be diligent in the use of all such meanes which he hath appointed as helping and conducing to their perseverance e. g. God who hath decreed and promised that Believers shal never totally and finally depart from him hath withal decreed and promised that he will put as well his fear as his faith unto them Note together with all other graces needful for that purpose Jer. 32.40 3. Among other means which God in his Word hath appointed for the perseverance of Believers this is one as hath been already plentifully proved viz. The setting before them the curse of the Law even hell it self as the desert and certain reward of Apostasie and all Apostates which said danger whosoever shall be fearless and regardlesse of as such a person doth take a ready course to ruine himself by incurring the danger so by his said fearlessenesse and regardlesness he doth give just occasion for himself and for all others to doubt or question whether he be for present in the number of Gods Elect to whom the said Promises of perseverance are made and of whom therefore they shall be verified 4. Notwithstanding God doth promise to preserve Believers in the state of Grace he doth neverthelesse set before them the danger of Apostasie whereby to cause them to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling For proof whereof I shall quote several very remarkable Scriptures See Phil. 1.6 with ch 2.12 13. notwithstanding the Apostle had expressed his confidence both concerning their present and also their future and final estate that the same God who had begun a good work would finish it untill the day of Christ he doth neverthelesse exhort them to work out their owne salvation with fear and trembling See Rev. 3.10 where albeit God doth promise to the Church of Philiadelphia that he will infallibly preserve her in the hour of temptation he doth notwithstanding admonish her of the danger of Apostasie and exhort her to perseverance lest her crowne be taken from her See the Epistle of St Jude where he doth expressy tell us to what manner of persons he writes viz. To them that are sanctified and preserved in Christ Jesus ver 1. yet the said preservation notwithstanding he tels them that it was needful both for him and them to use the means of their preservation ver 3. Beloved saith he when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you and observe what means he useth for that end e. g. He exhorts them earnestly to contend for the faith he sets before them in sundry examples especially that of the Reprobate Angels the danger of Apostasie that so in them as in a Looking-glasse they may behold the fearful end of all Apostates and notwithstanding their preservation in or by Christ as some render the word yet doth he exhort them to preserve themselves ver 20 21. namely as by a careful heeding and diligent using of all the means which in that Epistle of his he had prescribed to them so in especial by constant prayer to God and edifying one another The word rendred Preserved in ver 1. is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as Criticks do observe doth properly signifie to be most solicitously kept as under lock and key as by watch and Ward as prisoners use to be kept see the same word used Acts 4.3 and 5.18 and 24.23 and 25.4 and yet he useth the self same word in his exhortations unto them ver 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 keep your selves as with Watch and Ward it being the same word which Saint John also useth 1 John 5 18. where he tels us that every one who is born of God doth in such sort preserve himself See also 1 Cor. 1.8 with 1 Cor. 16.13 and 1.6 9 10 11. notwithstanding the Apostle had told them in the former place That the Lord Jesus would confirme them to the end that they might bee blamelesse in the day of our Lord. He doth I say notwithstanding exhort them to stand fast and threaten them with the losse of their inheritance in heaven in their pursuits of any unrighteous way See also 2 John 2.8 In the second Verse Saint John tells the Elect Lady and her children that the Truth which did dwell in them should abide with them for ever yet doth he admonish them saying v. 8. Look to your selves that we lose not the things which we
wrote about six years ago but have not yet published To the Question therefore I answer That a penitent and truly believing sinner having confessed his sins once is notwithstanding in order to forgivenesse to confesse them upon occasion againe and again according to the example of David and other of the Saints and Servants of God in Scripture Psal 25.7 18. and 51.9 And me thinks besides other Reasons e.g. 1. Then should no Christian ever mention Original sin in his confession to God having once in his life acknowledged it 2. If we may infer from the Text in hand that sin is but once to be confessed because the Apostle saith If we confesse our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us why may we not by a like reason conclude That wee are but once in our lives to pray to God because the Apostle saith Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall bee saved Rom. 10.13 Besides I say these and other reasons me thinks the true know ledge of the nature of forgiveness of sin as was afore declared it being a thing not here perfect but in perfecting more and more till out dying yea till our rising day is a very sufficient and satisfactory ground and reason for the same Seeing wee are more and more capable of receiving or capable of receivâ—ng more and more of the forgiveness of our sins why should we not in order thereunto viz. the degrees of pardon make confession of them again and again Besides Although it be granted as was afore acknowledged and asserted That as soon as ever a penitent sinner hath confessed his sins he is immediately pardoned so far forth as that his obligation to damnation is taken away yet who can or dare say that this dis-obligation shall be continued to such a sinner as shall never afterwards so much as once in his life God prolonging his life confesse those sins againe Sure I am that the promise of Salvation is made only to those who do patiently continue in well doing i. e. in all the wayes of doing well among which I take this to be one viz. frequent Prayer and frequent confession And so the continuance of our pardon and Justification is yet but conditional in the Covenant though certaine in Decree As well for the confirmation as explanation of what hath beene said in the Consectaries immediately foregoing wherein was asserted that new sinnes doe bring a new obligation to punishment which obligation must be taken off by a new pardon Be it further considered 1. The sinnes of a godly man as well as the sinnes of a wicked man or sinnes committed after conversion as well as sins committed before conversion are mortal in their owne nature and doe deserve punishment even the punishment of hell and damnation What law it is by vertue wherof the sinnes of believers do deserve damnation is not so unanimously by Divines agreed upon it being a question agitated amongst them whether the old law or covenant of works be only relaxed or whether it be not abrogated to all mankind For my owne part I can scarce discerne any real difference in this controversie one choosing to stile that an Abrogation which another thinks fittest with a precise respect to the rule of the civil law to call a Relaxation and it being my opinion that the controversie is rather verball then real I hope therefore that I may without the offence and with the good leave of either partie expresse my sense in the same to be this viz. I humbly conceive that whereas in the old law or covenant of works all manner of sinne was threatned with death as unavoidable ex parte legis that law as threatning death in such sort and upon such terms and as commanding perfect universal obedience as the only condition of life is taken away so that mankind is not under that law or covenant as in the sense aforesaid in stead whereof wee all are Sub lege remediante under a new law or covenant of the Lord Redeemer in which law there are threatnings of two sorts viz. Conditional and peremptory in the former all manner of sinne being threatned with damnation in the latter only final impenitencie and unbeliefe But it is not material to my present purpose to determine ought in that question it being sufficient for mee only to say that all Protestant Divines do unanimously accord in this viz. 1. That all sin is in its owne nature mortal and deserves damnation by vertue of the threatning of one law or another either the new or else the old threatning in that respect or so farre forth being in force or continuing 2. All sinne deserving damnation by vertue of divine commination it will follow thereuponâ— that the sinner upon the commission of sinne is actually obliged to suffer accordingly for why or whence is sinne said to be mortal but from that strength which it hath from or by the vertue of the lawes commination to oblige the sinner to damnation 3. As a consequent hereof it followes that a sinner hath neede of pardon for every sinne that so the penalty of the law may not be executed according to the obligation 4. In order to the procuring of the said pardon or dis-obligation and to the diverting of damnation threatned it is necessary that the godly should use such meanes from time to time as God hath in his word commanded them to use i. e. that they should confess their sinnes pray for the pardon of them flie for refuge by faith to the blood of Christ daily 5. Immediately upon a sinners taking such a course or using such meanes as God hath appointed him to take and use for pardon the law is disabled and the sinner is disobliged from damnation because its threatning is only conditional viz. in case of non-repenting and faith which conditions being performed the new law or covenant can no longer hold the sinner guilty 6. This disobligation of the sinner is that particular and new pardon of which as was asserted a godly man hath need in respect of his new and particular sinnes I am not ignorant that some Divines doe not use in this case the expression new and particular pardon but a renewed application of pardon But because this expression is to my seeming very obscure they not explicating what they doe intend by the said renewed application of pardon whether they meane some renewed act of the sinner or else some renewed act of God and because I know no fitnesse in the phrase in what sense soever it be taken for if any one alledge the former sense I answer That pardon of sin actively taken is not our act but Gods Besides A sinners renewed application of pardon to himselfe is his renewed act or acting of faith which act of faith I should chuse to expresse by a sinners renewed application of himself to Christ or the Promises of Christ for pardon and not by the sinners renewed application of pardon to
himselfe If any shall alledge the latter sense I answer That Gods application of pardon is pardon or Gods renewed application of pardon is neither more nor lesse but plainly this viz. Gods bestowing a new pardon or in the phrase of the Prophet Isaiah chap. 55.7 his multiplying to pardon or his pardoning again and again These things I say considered I have thought meet to forbear the use of that expression A renewed application of pardon and in stead thereof to say New pardons I am not ignorant likewise that some Divines in stead of saying There is an actual obligation of the sinner by or immediately upon the commission of sin to damnation they sometimes say There is an aptitude in all sin to damn the sinner which phrase as being more mollifying it was once in my thoughts to have used and accordingly to have expressed Gods particular and new pardons by his hindring or obstructing the foresaid aptitude of such particular and new sins from taking effect in the actual obligation of a sinner to damnation But upon a due consideration of this expression I found as I thought and still do think just cause to wave and decline the use of it that expression being as much as to say I should have fallen out if I had not been reconciled or I should have been wounded if I had not been healed or I had been bound and tyed if I had not been loosed and untyed or a sinner should have been obliged to suffer if he had not been pardoned These two last phrases I confesse in a sense are true and for that purpose may be used viz. I had been still bound and tyed if I had not been losed and untyed or A sinner should have been still obliged to suffer if he had not been pardoned importing that time was when the sinner or person now loosed untied and pardoned was actually tied bound and obliged to suffer Neverthelesse without the supposal of a sinners precedaneous actual obligation to suffer the foresaid expressions are intolerable because pardon doth not prevent the sinners obligation to suffer no more then healing doth prevent wounding or loosing doth prevent binding but alwayes followes after it in order of Nature at least if not in time as the remedy thereof The premises being duly weighed I can perceive no just cause why any person under what pretence soever should bee offended for my asserting as is before asserted viz. That new sins do bring a new obligation to punishment which obligation must bee dissolved or taken off by a new pardon CHAP. XX. That all sins past present or to come are not at once actually pardoned That no sin is from eternity actually pardoned An Objection answered That no sin is actually pardoned till the sinner be in a capacity of receiving or enjoying it What those things are which do put a sinner into a capacity of actual pardon declared in their particulars together with Reasons for the remarkablenesse of the same An Objection answered with a vindicating of that assertion in Rom. 4.17 wherein God is said to call the things that are not as though they were from Antinomian purposes CONSECT XIII 13. IT followes That all sins past present and to come are not forgiven at once Had the Authours and Abettors of the contrary Opinion viz. That all sins past present and to come are at once actually remitted and that from eternity either rightly knowne or duly considered the nature of forgiveness of sin what it is and wherein it doth consist then doubtless they would not have owned an opinion so absurd and irrational for they who do understand that forgivenesse of sin doth consist in Gods taking off the obligation to punishment and punishment it self and yet will affirm That all sins past present and to come are at once remitted must consequently affirm That a man may be disobliged afore he is obliged loosed afore bound set at liberty afore captivated or imprisoned and that punishment is taken off afore it be inflicted and laid on then which to affirme or imply what is more inconsistent with sense and reason Neverthelesse because there hath beene some very Learned and Pious men who have adhered to this opinion that all sins past present and to come are forgiven at once and that from eternity I shal for the more satisfaction subjoin certain propositions partly in the way of concession and paâ—tly in the way of exception As to the former I grant that at what time God did will or purpose to pardon any one sinne yea any one elect sinner he did at that instant time will or purpose to pardon all and every sin all and every sinner and this hee did will and purpose from all eternity for Gods will or purpose being his essence it cannot therefore be said that hee did ever begin to will or purpose any thing 2. When Christ Jesus did purchase the pardon of any one sin or sinner he did purchase the pardon of all and every sin and sinner and this was actually done when he died upon the crosse Heb. 10. 12 14. Albeit in such a sense as Abraham is said to have offered up Isaac Heb. 11.17 viz. in regard of his purpose readinesse and resolution to offer him in such a sense it may be said that Christ did long before offer himselfe hee being willing thereunto and resolved thereupon which said willingnesse and resolution in him was to such intents and effects accepted with God as if he had actually accomplished his said will and resolution Whence that common saying Christs sufferings were effectuall afore they were effected 3. When God did promise pardon to any one sinne or sinner he did promise the pardon of all sins * I mean of all sins that shall be pardoned for there are some sins that never shal be pardoned as final impenitency or the final non-performance of the conditions of the Gospel and the sin against the Holy Ghost and unto these sins God doth not promise any pardon upon any terms and sinners and that upon the selfe same terms viz. of repenting believing converting from sin That Gospel promise I will be your God or whosoever believeth in Christ shall receive remission of sinnes doth at once hold forth the pardon of all sinne which said promise it selfe may in a sense be stiled a sinners pardon even as the instrument or writing under the Kings hand and Seale is called the Kings pardon which said promise also may be stiled a complete and full pardon for as much as it wants nothing to make it in its kind a perfect and legall discharge from all sins the pardon of all sins as well as of any one sin being therein promised to sinners so that what person soever hath a right by faith unto the said Gospel grant or promise of pardon hath right to the pardon of all his sins in these three respects viz. In respect of Gods purpose of Christs purchase and of the Gospel-promise We may be said to