most necessary to mankind for as Christ was given for our Redemption the Spirit is and must be given for the Application But that the effects of the Spirit being given should be confined by him to these only he mentions or such only as he can fetch Scripture for unless he could bring Scripture also to say there are no more is such reasoning as before a year is gone over his head may give him occasion to believe that some things may seem strong in a Sermon that are not fit for a Book that must undergo a discussion I do not think he hath spoken this as a close Polemical Divine nor yet that he hath laid down the method of those benefits which we have from the Holy Spirit as a Comprehensive Preacher For when the Holy Ghost is not only our Sanctifier but Comforter and promised and sent to the Church as the Comforter it is strange that the Consolations of the Spirit should be left out in the draught of those effects which we are to expect from him And when the Spirit is first given to a man to unite him to Christ and this Vnion is the primary effect of his having it and by means hereof all saving influences from the Head is derived this by another would not have been forgotten The Holy Ghost is given I count for our Sanctifier our Comforter and our Guide Regeneration is to be comprehended in Sanctification as the beginning of it and Union is supposed to both I cannot serve God without his grace I must therefore have the Spirit to Sanctifie me If I serve him I must be supported in his service I must therefore have him to Comfort me When I am supported in my duty I know not what uncertainties may befal me in all my spiritual and temporal concernments in this life and therefore I must have him to Conduct me and lead me in all my affairs so as they may work together for the best which he hath promised to those that love him Under this head now of the Spirits heavenly Guidance are all those things that are good for us and not absolutely necessary to be reduced seeing we know not what to pray for as we ought as we shall have occasion farther to speak of that Text by and by but the Spirit helpeth us that is we know not in many things temporal says this Author and I will say in spirituals too what is best for us and it is the Spirit that is our Guide as to these things and Intercessor for them so that be it the true Sense of a place of Scripture or Assurance or assistance of us in our Prayers or any thing else that we would have we are under the safe conduct of his word and unperceptible motions and with the resignation of our wills unto him as our great disposer for all good to set our selves to our duty and leave the issue to him I will add it were better that this man never wrote this Book than that in the promise of God's giving his Spirit to us we should be discouraged from praying to him and trusting in him for our direction in all the concerns of our souls and outward conditions who is the Comforter of the afflicted the Sanctifier of all the faithful and our Guide unto death To his three things now in order For the first of them it is manifest that in the Primitive times one of the miraculous gifts then given was the gift of Interpretation and there is no body that I know does pretend to any of these wonderful gifts in our days I am sure this Author cannot charge any thing of this kind upon Doctor Owen who is a person of that industry and learning as his excellency in this gift is well known to come another way As for these arguments then that the thing is not needful and if profitable that it is more profitable to our selves and to others to get the sense of any Scripture by enquiry and study than by immediate Revelation which if we could have it so is as certainly false as that Gold is not so good as Brasss they may be spared seeing there need no proof of this that we are now to expect no Miracles from the Spirit of God For the second there are two points about Assurance which this Author does confound The one is the assurance that a man is in a state of Grace and the other an assurance of Salvation That a man who is in a state of Grace can never fall away sinally and perish which is the Doctrine of Perseverance is a point of the Synod of Dort against the Arminians and Lutherans Whether a man may be assured that he is in a state of Grace or no is a Point between Protestants and Papists For the former Perseverance depends on special Grace and that on personal Election and I perceive this Gentleman hangs his head at that but as for the latter we may be in doubt what indeed his mind is One would think by his arguments at the beginning against Assurance he should be no Protestant but he is for we have his express words for it If we be the Children of God it is certainly possible for us to be assured of it I must ask him then is Assurance a good thing St Paul had it and St. John had it Hereby we know we are passed from death to life and By this we know that we know him If it be a thing then that is good it must be an effect of God's Spirit and this is proved The Spirit also beareth witness with our spirits This witness is our Assurance and consequently it may be prayed for according to the promise in Luke as well as any other of the profitable effects he hath mentioned Whether it be a thing needful is a question not needful so long as it is good It is an Egg I hope to argue with him though it be not Bread The only difficulty here is to state this Assurance It is a controversal point and his one term Absolute will do little to the decision When our first Divines defined Faith by a Persuasion of special mercy so that without this assurance they must think a man could not be saved this was the most dangerous extreme on one hand and that no man at all without Revelation according to the Trent Doctors can be assured that he is in God's favour is the extreme on the other But for the stating this assurance aright between the Protestant and Papist To be a certainty not of Faith because the Scripture gives no testimony to any particular person but a certainty moral or of hope which must be such as excludes doubting that is all sinful doubting though not fear or all fear that is the fear of diffidence or distrust but not the fear of pious solicitude is a work requires from me more deliberation and more paper This I will say only that there is a neutral truth in the most of
in those miraculous gifts or effects of the Holy Ghost now ceased the Minister while he prayes to God for his blessing that he may preach so is to be understood in the like allusion and meaning to wit that as God enabled the Apostles in their time to speak in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power whatsoever that was so he would assist him in such a way and manner now as is but sutable to the present work and his ordinary operation Thus much I say upon supposition of our second and this Debaters Interpretation but I must confess I do not find my self convinced in the reading the Text that this interpretation is indubitable 〈…〉 at leasâ— for Dr. Owens and his 〈…〉 from the place against it 1. I see not any thing that will restrain our sense 〈◊〉 nâ—cessity to that meaning and we are not to be 〈◊〉 in our allowances to the thoughts of others who keep to the analogy of faith without cogent reason 2. The demonstratiin of the Spirit and of power is opposed to the excellency of speech or enticing words of mans wisdom But the Apostles speaking with tongues or his miraculous gifts does not oppose the eloquence of man or excellency of words but rather agree with it That which does in the most direct sense oppose the excellency of speech and enticing words of mans wisdom is plain truth which the Spirit teaches 3. The Apostle proceeding on in the Chapter speaks not of himself only but of the whole Church Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things which are freely given to us of God That which all the faithful do know by the Spirit as well as the Apostles cannot be miraculous or extraordinary Such is the demonstration here Or thus That which is common to all the faithful and not peculiar to the Apostles and primitive times or to any particular person cannot be miraculous or extraordinary Such is the receiving the Spirit here and consequently the demonstration of it 4. Those things the Holy Ghost teaches a man by comparing one thing with another as spiritual things with Spirituals which is by way of study and discursive reason are not demonstrated in a way miraculous and extraordinary belonging only to the Apostles and not other Ministers of Christ But such was the Apostles speaking here Which things also we speak not in the words which mans wisdom teacheth but which the Holy Ghost teacheth comparing spiritual things with spiritual 5. The following comparison between the natural man and the spiritual man that one receives or relishes not the things of God as disagreeing to his judgement and the other does seems more aptly to be understood as it is ordinarily of the regenerate and unregenerate than of the extraordinarily inspired only unto which this most curious Interpreters thoughts must lead him 6. In the last place I humbly offer an interpretation of this expression which if it be not the very meaning of the Text as much of that which is urged here seems to attest yet will it be sufficient I hope to justifie our Prelates Universities Doctors with the most of the Ministers of the Church as well as the Assembly and the more plain and honest meaning Country-Preachers in their using the same so ordinarily as they do in their prayers It is this To speak in the demonstration of the Spirit is to deliver the very truth of Scripture or the plain sense of the Spirit in Scripture in opposition to humane conceit or invention and to speak so is to speak in Power because a man may expect that assistance of the Holy Ghost to accompany such Preaching which he cannot upon other The Preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness but unto us which are saved it is the power of God I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes Ye received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God The receiving the word as the word of God and not of man is the receiving it in power and the preaching it accordingly so is the preaching it in power and what that power is does follow Which effectually worketh in you that believe Our Gospel came unto you not in word only but also in power and in the Holy Ghost This is my Covenant with them My Spirit which is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth and of thy seed for ever CHAP. II. Of the Substance or Contents of the Authors four first Chapters wherein I make my self concerned but little farther I Return to the Doctors Opposer and I come now from his Introduction to his Book Of this Book there are two parts The first is to shew us what the Scriptures hold forth concerning the Spirits operations The second is to confute many pernicious Doctrines of Dr. Owen The first and second both is indeed to do this but the second shall do it all together And this part he hath reserved I suppose to come out hereafter The first part then having this subject The Spirits Operations does contain seven Chapters In his first Chapter he explains to us what he means by the Spirit and by its Operations The word Spirit saies he signifies three things The Mind the Temper of the mind the Holy Ghost and he understands it of the last I have two things to say here The one is as to his second signification The temper or disposition of the Mind is either of Nature only and belongs to the Spirit of man within him or of Grace and belongs to the Spirit of God that works it Of this Temper the Author must be understood to speak when he speaks of the Spirit of Faith Fear and Love The other is that there are more significations of the word Spirit than these which himself knows Every spirit which confesseth seth Christ in John is I think as much as every Doctrine Which by the way does put me in mind to say thus much that when this Author comes to speak of things which are common heads and only require a grave and comprehensive Divine to marshal them he does methinks appear to me so lank as I cannot tell well whether that which he saies be solid or no because I am sure it is not full though when he falls upon several particular things he seems to look through them well By the operations of the Spirit he understands and defines them those which are on the mind to cause certain qualities promised in the Gospel and continued in all ages I have two things therefore to say here likewise One is that though this were never so much too short there is no body in the main of what is said is like to contradict him Dr. Owen by the Spirit understands the Holy Ghost as
these Controversies that must be found out in regard both to Practise as well as Theory or we shall neither have our Consciences nor Judgments well pacified in these matters For the third thing then I will take a little more room for as I have had and took an occasion before to speak of Preaching by the Spirit or with the demonstration of it so I think it also seasonable sutable and profitable to speak of praying by the Spirit unto which this Author himself and much more the Friendly Debater hath given such ample opportunity I wish I might not call it in regard to man good devout Christians provocation There is one Text therefore in regard to this matter as there was one in regard to the other that requires our more serious consideration It is Rom. 8. 26 27. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit because be maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God The Apostle speaking in the eighteenth Verse before the Text and in the twenty eight after it about the afflictions of this life which God's Children endure whereby they are conformed to Christ in sufferings as they shall be in glory this ingenious Author does apprehend that the exposition of these words is to be confined to that matter altogether We know not what to pray for as we ought That is we know not what is best for us in this mortal life in regard to these troubles persecutions or miseries whereby God intends sometimes to do us much good and we are therefore to seek to him with submission to his will in these things having this encouragement in our hearts that the Spirit of God is our Guide as I said before where this Author left it out to direct us under all these Providences and to be our Intercessor also to obtain for us that which is like to prove best He knows what that is and stirs up in our souls many earnest desires after it which seeing we cannot reach our selves these desires cannot be uttered by us that is are unutterable on that account but so long as our requests are put up by him in those desires God who knows the mind of his own Spirit hears these petitions and grants those very things which are best that is which he means so that these things do and shall certainly work together for our good as the Apostle says in the place so long as we love him This is in length the contents of that interpretation and I suppose according to his mind which he hath sedulously proposed both with authority and dexterity enough if he were but as tender withal of preserving that support and warrantable expectation from the Holy Spirit which we have ground to take up in this place I like well of all that is expressed in regard to afflictions unto the illustration of which sense the Apostles own example in his praying himself to have his troubles the thorn in the flesh removed and God's seeing it best for him rather to afford him his sufficient Grace does opportunely conduce but I do not approve by no means the slaking down the interpretation of these words to that matter only And much less will I give way to Doctor Hammond's translating the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Misery for seeing there is twenty places perhaps where the word is taken in this sense Infirmity to one where it is taken in the other for Affliction I must hold it but right to give it here according to our Translations English and Latin its ordinary and genuine signification There is a great deal of comfort in these dear words of the Text that the Spirit helps our infirmities We are sensible with how many of them we are encompassed not in regard to the thiugs without us so much as within us and if the weaknesses frailty shortnesses imperfections of our natures persons abilities tempers conditions be not provided for by the Divine succor we are undone I look upon the man that will go to take away from me the comfort of these words and this place in regard to my addresses unto God as him that is coming to pick my Lock and take away my Treasure I will not suffer this man to rob me of my trust in the conduct and assistance of God's gracious good Spirit in the very making and pouring out my Prayers for all the good that he and Doctor Hammond can do me with both their Books I do hate to put the name of Formal men or Formalists on any party yet seeing some of all parties are such I cannot but declare that man to be a Formalist to me who shall offer to speak the least thing wilfully to damp the prayers of any the humblest ones or weakest ones in whom the Spirit of God does dwell There is another interpretation then of these words and of the matter intended in them that will carry it I think from the former The word Likewise which ushers in the Text will carry it When I consider the Context the words in Verse 28. following the Text does almost persuade me that the matter this Author hath proposed may be intended and I am pleased that it is likely but the word Likewise doth import plainly that the matter intended must relate to the words before and not to those that follow and they carry it I say otherwise The Apostle therefore in this Chapter speaking of Gods Children and thinking presently of the evils they endure does for our support upon that account fall to telling us of the freedom we shall have in another state in comparison whereof these things deserve not any reckoning This is in Verse 11. Of this state then in the verses following he treats as that which is expected of all the Creatures and by Vs a state of liberty and glory which we hope for though we see it not and with patience wait for it in the Verses immediately foregoing And then in this Text it follows that likewise we also through the Spirit pray for it Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities Mark it likewise and also This must hold the same matter together in this and the former Verses For we know not what we should pray for as we ought What is that then but we are not able in this life to comprehend any thing to purpose of that state of glorious liberty whereof he was speaking We know not what we shall be says St. John but we shall be like him Things there be that are prepared for us but what they are neither hath the eye seen nor ear heard nor can the heart conceive truly of these things which yet we hope for and so pray for the Spirit exciting these desires in us who knows them makes intercession by these
therefore for it is another and this Authour must not compound his with it to be laid down in the second place By the natural man which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we may understand him who hath onely the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or reasonable soul derived from Adam and by the spiritual man him who hath received the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or that Spirit which is from Christ The first man Adam was made a living soul the second Adam was made a quickening spirit This Spirit as it was promised to be poured out upon men in the latter daies which was the time of the New Testament so do we find it given ordinarily at their Baptism and Confirmation as we read in the Acts and as we find in this Epistle The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit with all Where we have this Spirit given and that to every one and the Manifestation of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That manifestation possibly might be by some Shechinah sometimes on the heads of the baptized but the certain meaning appears in the following verses to be by the miraculous gifts then poured out Among which gifts one of them was the Discernment of mysteries Spirits that is Doctrines and so is the Spirit given and received we are to suppose in this place We have received the Spirit of God saies the Text to this effect That we may know the things which he hath freely given us The whole meaning then is thus the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the man who had not this Spirit then poured on him could not discern those things of the Spirit as others of them could who had it because these hidden things were discoverable by that miraculous gift and he having not the Gift to discern them must judge of them by natural reason onely and so they were foolishness to him when as to them who had it they appeared the Power of God and Wisdom of God And of this Spiritual man so interpreted that is the inspired man one that had the mind of Christ in the last verse and that received the Spirit in the tenth for this effect the discernment of these things it is easie to understand how he could judge all things and be judged of none in regard that this inspâ—ration within could be discernable to himself onely and so the text and context and the whole chapter shall be made to agree throughout one verse with another Nevertheless there is one inconvenience this interpretation is liable to as will make it to be refused by most men when we have said all we can It is this that if this be the meaning then must this whole place be applicable onely to those Christians in the Apostles daies and no Christian at this time can be concerned That is if this be the sense then is there no man now that hath received the Spirit of God that he may know the things of God no spiritual man now in the true sense of this place but all must be natural men onely as having not the Spirit according to this interpretation when yet the giving of the Spirit otherwhere and in the sense of other Texts is a branch of the New Covenant and he that hath not the Spirit of Christ St. Paul saies in another place is none of his There is a third Interpretation therefore that by the Natural man and Spiritual man we are to understand the Vnregenerate and Regenerate man that is one that hath not and one that hath received the Spirit to the ordinary effects of it which is illumination and sanctification And this is the most general Opinion and Interpretation which is received by our Divines and so taken up by Dr. Owen however elaborately he hath improved it so little reason hath this Gentleman or any others to make any assault on him for that matter When the unreâ—â—â—â—rate man then in the Text is said not 〈…〉 things of the Spirit or Doctrines of Christ 〈…〉 he cannot that is morally cannot receive 〈…〉 meaning of our Divines in general is this that 〈◊〉 does not or cannot receive or discern them so as to savour them or relish them he does not or cannot embrace them in his heart as good to him or so as to lead his life according to them In short he cannot receive them so as to apply them And this is a Truth never to be gainsaid by this man though which of the three Interpretations is to be preferr'd I pass not my own judgment Let us hear this Authour's Objections The Doctor saies he does grant that an unregenerate man may assent to the truth of the things of God and if he can assent to them he can see a conformity in them to God's Attributes and a suitableness to the ends of the Gospel and if he can see this then will they not appear foolishness to him and consequently he can know them Every one will answer to this There is a Speculative and a Practical knowledge When our Divines say the unregenerate man cannot know these things they understand it of a Practical knowledge he does know them special lively but he hath no vital experimental knowledge of them And when the reason is given in the Text because they are spiritually discerned we must expound spiritually i. e. by the assistance of God's Spirit according to this third Interpretation The Natural man does not receive know or discern these things of God as able I account to apply them because they are discerned onely by a supernatural assistance of the Holy Ghost which they having not cannot do it I will answer farther The Spirit may be given and received to divers effects on her for illumination and conviction or for conversion and sanctification If the Natural man who is one without the Spirit hath not the Spirit at all to illuminate and convince him he believes not the Doctrines of Christ though he hears them There is no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost and while he in his heart believes them not they are indeed to him but foolishness when if he hath the Spirit but to enlighten and to convince him he may dogmatically receive them going so far and yet until he hath the Spirit also to convert him and sanctifie him he cannot discern them I must still say so as to apply them to his salvation Here are three Interpretations then proposed to them who please to strive for mastery I have but one Note more to add out of this Authour By being spiritually discerned saies he speaking of these things in the Text is meant their being known understood and judged of by the revelation and testimony of the Spirit Thus much is right and must be agreed upon by all three Interpretations onely their difference then also must be laid down This revelation or testimony of the Spirit therefore is either external or internal The first Opinion which is this Author's will have this
Prayer The Gift of Prayer Praying in the Spirit Praying by it or with it The Spirit of Prayer I apprehend to be no other than the Spirit of Grace or Regeneration with the connotation of its operation on the soul in regard to this duty There is no Christian born of God without this whereby he cries Abba Father as no man born after the flesh without his breathing There is no holy thought meditation desire after God or request that is acceptable to him in Christ but it is from this Spirit of Adoption or Prayer It follows then that forasmuch as any gracious and regenerate man may use a Form if he pleases and some such have used a Form sometimes as well as Conceived Prayer that it is a conceit exceedingly extravagant and in no wise to be approved to think that a Liturgy or use of a Form is inconsistent with the Spirit of Prayer Suppose we saw those holy men Bradford Rogers Philpot Saunders saying their Prayers out of the Psalter and blessing God for the Book of King Edward I will pour upon the house of Judah and Jerusalem the Spirit of Prayer and Supplication The Gift of Prayer I account to be a natural or acquired not infused ability or faculty of expressing the thoughts and affections with fluency or readiness in Prayer It does depend chiefly I think upon an aptness of memory retaining the sentences and very words of Scripture when others can retain the sense only together with a warm fancy and a tongue that is voluble In short it is a ready utterance which must be always distinguished from the former I remember a person who was otherwise of large parts filled with all present matter for administring a word in season to the weary who in praying sometimes alone with me I have observed to hum and hack so in his Prayer that I never heard any so unable to express himself in my life who yet would use only conceived Prayer and in the mean while I have been so assured of the Grace of God and eminency of that Grace in the person of that sincerity in his duty such an humbling under sin fervency in his petitions melting under the sence of God's mercy and pardon and in a word a heart it self no less broken than those words that I cannot but be satisfied beyond doubt for ever since that the Gift of Prayer is one thing and the Spirit of Prayer is another Now forasmuch as the gifts which are administred to men by God's Spirit are bestowed for use and the edification of the Church if a Liturgy or form of Prayer were imposed on the Clergy in opposition to that provision which God hath made and appointed for the good of his Church that is Gifts unto men for the work of the Ministry or if the Bishops would not suffer them to be employed to the end they are given I do not know any argument of so much weight and like to be prevailing with Religious people against Common-Prayer as this allegation As every one hath received the gift even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold Grace of God But we must not judge so of our Superiors The Churches imposing a Liturgy and set forms on the Minister is to be lookt on as cumulative to his gifts and not as destructive to them There is the gift of Prayer as of Prudence and Knowledge to Ministers as they are single and as they are in conjunction These forms of Prayer are the exercise of the mutual gifts of the Churches Pastors in conjunction and when this Common Service of theirs is performed in the Pew the Minister is lest to the use of his single gifts in the Pulpit without any prejudicing the one by the other Indeed if the Common-Prayer be made a Napkin to wrap up the Talents of any I will not justifie the abuse of that which hath its use and commendation upon other reasons And yet by the way I do not know moreover whether all those Texts which speak of gifts for the Church and which argue power thereupon to profit with them are not to be understood of the Spirit in those times so that when it was manifestly injurious to the Holy Ghost himself then to forbid the use of those Gifts to any which he had ministred to them to that end it may not be so altogether as to those natural gifts and talents that men have now which notwithstanding they are not to be denied to be also from the Spirit seeing even Bezaleel and his fellows skill in working in curious works is attributed to him and every good gift is said to be of God I question whether the person himself be either so engaged to put them to that particular use having them from nature to general service or that there does appear the like injury to God and the Church in some restraint on them as there would be in the other There are diversity of Gifts but the same Spirit Praying in the Spirit I apprehend to be praying with those qualifications which are wrought in us by the Spirit and prescribed by him in the word to make our Prayers acceptable to God Praying in the Spirit say Practical Divines consists not in a copiousness of words but extent of affections The actuating of all does lie in the operation of the Spirit on our hearts in this duty We must pray also according to God's will which is another qualification in Prayer and when a man does pray according to what the Spirit hath directed in the Word he may be said very appositely to pray in the Spirit Two things there are then more particularly wherein I will place this operation The one is the Spirit doth many times pitch the heart upon those objects or things which are most fit for us to ask The other is and then doth excite our desires and enlarge our affections about the same The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God I will not doubt to quote this Text again for thus much It is said that Satan entred into Judas when he went to betray his Lord. And Satan moved David to number the people It appears from hence that Satan puts evil thoughts in the heart and pitches them on objects he tempts them withal The Spirit of God doubtless does no less in the good actions which he stirs up in Gods Saints He puts good thoughts in the mind and represents things to us says the Author of the Friendly Debate himself more clearly than we could make them by all our reasoning I might perhaps cite something from this Gentleman to sute with this but I think the subject here too grave to make him my Authority When the Spirit is said to help us in the Text before exagitated to make our Prayers even about things our selves know not and
or Moon in the Heavens For God hath not left himself without witness in that he does good and gives us fruitful seasons These are effects of his mercy which he could not shew to the world as he does if he dealt with it according to the Law of Works When Abraham pleads with God for Sodom that he would spare it if there were ten righteous persons in it it is manifest that he must account of Gods Government over the earth to be a Government of Grace That the righteous be as the wicked that be far from thee saies he shall not the judge of all the earth do right If God should do but right to the best of men according to the righteousness of the Law of Works there could be no such pleading as this Neither is there any righteous no not one saies the Scripture nor could God have accepted of Abraham himself for one had there been nine besides but upon the account of the Law of Grace It is a righteousness consisting in a condecency of his Goodness and Mercy and not in the Rule of his district Holiness that Abraham intends When the Prophets call upon Israel to repent and to do righteousness that they may live it is a perpetual discovery that God dealt not with them according to the Covenant of Works The Law admits no repentance and there is no righteousness that a man can live by according to the Law It is such a righteousness then they must mean still which is the same with the just mans faith whereby it is said he shall live and that is the righteousness of faith in the Gospel or righteousness of God which lies in a conformity to the law of Grace See Mediocria about the beginning of my Paper of the Covenants We are righteous according to this Law when we perform the condition God is righteous according to it when he accepts us thereupon unto Pardon and Life We have a most signal instance in the Ninevites of these two things I do here stand upon If Gods government over the Heathen was not by the Law of Grace how could the Ninevites by their repentance have diverted his judgments And if this Law had not been connatural with faln man so as to be written in their hearts how could they trust in God that upon their forsaking sin and their turning to him they should find mercy and be saved from destruction Both these things I say have in this one instance their full evidence And what think we of Cornelius the Centurion and Roman how could his Prayers and Almes be accepted with God if Cornelius as well as Paul a Roman as well as Jew were not under the same Government of Grace when there is nothing we do but is imperfect and lyable to a curse by the Law of Works And what shall we conclude then from both instances but that which Peter upon conviction himself concludes Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted of him There are three things go to a Law That it be for the publick good That it be the will of the Lawgiver That it be promulgated to the subject That the Law of Grace is good for the world there can be no question That it is Gods will the world should be governed by it appears by what is spoken and that this Law hath been promulgated to mankind appears both in the general notice of it in mens hearts I will write my Law in their hearts saies God in the New Covenant as distinguished from that of the Jews and in the express declaration of God to our first Parents that the seed of the Woman should break the Serpents head and in his Covenanting with Noah which must be understood without dispute in regard to them and their posterity Now when such a Law hath been promulgated to Adam and Noah as belonging to all the world being to come of them it must be proved that this Law is or hath been somewhere or at some time again repealed by God or else must every man and woman in the world be under this government of God according to it and consequently be in a capacity of Salvation I will to these Reasonings add one syllogism It is not the hearers of the Law but doers shall be justified This is express in one Verse of the second to the Romons But same Heathen are doers of the Law though not hearers of it This is affirmed in the next Verse For when the Gentiles which have not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law with the rest following Ergo some Heathen are justified and saved If any cavil and say that no man is a doer of the Law he must be answered that the Apostle here speaks of such a doing only as is supposed to be among the Jews that were godly or Jews inwardly in the Verses after And I renew my argument They that are doers of the Law according to the sense of such Texts as make the keeping the Commandments of God necessary to Salvation such as when Christ saies If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments and such as when the Apostle saies They that by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory shall have eternal life that is They who are doers of it as all that are Jews inwardly and in the Spirit do keep it and no otherwise to wit not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not according to the rigour of the Law but according to acceptation by the equity of the Gospel They I say shall be justified and saved But some Heathen are doers of the Law in this sense which is the sense of the Apostle Ergo some Heathen are justified and saved I confirm the Minor by the words ensuing that we may be sure we have the mind of the Apostle Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the Law shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature if it fulfil the Law judge thee who by the letter and circumcision doest break the Law It follows that such as these therefore are Jews inwardly and in the Spirit though they were not outward Jews or in the flesh or of the Circumcision as is apparent in the words already and the last Verses They that are Jews inwardly and in the Spirit then I follow my argument though not outwardly so and in the flesh do fulfill the Law in the sense of this place and are justified But such are some of the Heathen here according to the Apostle Ergo some Heathen are justified and saved And what could be desired more full and convincing if it were not for the first Verse which follows in the next Chapter which does yet add such abounding confirmation to it as I must profess my self perfectly striken with the evidence as with a Beam of light