of this life in heaven S. How can it be said that Christ came thus to save to doe all this when so many so long after his coming are so farre from being thus saved in all or any of the three sences C. That he came to save is certainly true whatsoever objections you can have against it and that by saving these 3 things are meant if you please I shall manifest from other Scriptures The first sence is conteined in the word as it is used Luk. 1. 71. salvation or that we should be saved from our enemies which must needs be our spirituall enemies sinne and Satan and if you doubt whether sinne be there meant or the pardon of sinne by that saving the next verse will cleare the difficulty where it followes to performe the mercy or mercifully to deale with our fathers and to remember his holy Covenant of which Covenant you know this is one speciall part Heb. 8. 12. I will be mercifull to their sinnes which explaines the mercifull dealing there and their iniquities will I remember no more And then for the second sence that saving signifies calling to repentance may appeare not onely by comparing those two places I came to call sinners to repentance and Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners out also by a notable place Act. 2. very usefull for the explaining of that word v. 38. 't is reported that Saint Peter said unto them repent c. and v. 40. in more other words he testified unto them or preached unto them saying be ye saved or escape ye from this perverse generation whence it is cleare that being saved c. is but more other words to signify repentance and therefore surely that word v. 47. which we render such as should be saved but is literally the saved signifies peculiarly those who received that exhortation v. 41. that is those that repented of their sinnes but this by the way As for the last acception of the phrase 't is so ordinary for salvation to signify the holy pure life in heaven that I shall not need give you any proofe of it Having therefore cleared the truth this were sufficient although I wanted skill to answer your objection but yet that may easily be done too by saying that Christ hath really performed his part toward every one of these and that whosoever hath not the effect and fruit of it it is through his owne wilfull neglect and even despising of so great salvation Light came into the world and men loved darknesse more then light and having made a Covenant with death and damnation are most worthy to have their portions therein S. What then is the short or summe of Christs being Jesus C. 'T is this that he came into the world to fetch backe sinners to heaven that whosoever of mankinde shall truly repent and fly to him shall thorow him obtaine pardon of sinne and salvation a mercy vouchsafed to men but denyed to Angells who being once fallen are left in that wretched estate and no course taken and consequently no possibility left for their recovery which most comfortable truth is clearely set downe by the Apostle Heb 2. 15. though in our English reading of it it be somewhat obscured The words rightly rendred run thus He doth not take hold of Angells but the seed of Abraham he taketh hold of Where the word which I render taking hold of signifies to catch any one who is either running away or falling on the ground or into a pit to fetch backe or recover againe This Christ did for men by being borne and suffering in our flesh but for Angells he did it not S. What speciall influence will this whole doctrine have upon our lives C. I will shew you 1. It is proper to stirre up our most affectionate love and gratitude to this Saviour who hath descended so low even to the death of the crosse to satisfie for our sinnes to obtaine pardon for us this love of Christ constreineth us saith the Apostle 2. 'T is proper to beget in us a just hatred of sinne which brought God out of heaven to make expiation for it 3. It is a most proper enforcement of repentance and amendment of life to remember 1. That without that we are likely to be little benefited by this Saviour except we repent salvation it selfe shall not keepe us from perishing 2. That that was an end of Christs death to redeeme us from all iniquity and purifie to himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes aswell as to satisfy for us 4. It is proper to teach us feare of offending and keepe us from security when 1 we finde what an exemplary punishment God saw fit if not necessary to inflict on sinne in the person of his sonne and 2 remember how much more guilty we now shall prove if we will still damne our selves in despight of all these meanes of saving us S. I beseech God to open my heart to those considerations and then I shall farther importune you to proceed and tell me the signification of the word Christ wherein you told me the Offices of Christ were intimated but I beseech you first what do you meane by Offices C. I meane by that word places of charge and dignity to which God thought fit to designe Christ that he might the better accomplish the end for which he sent him the trust or charge supposing somewhat to be done by him and the dignity implying somewhat to be returned by us as you will see in the particulars S. What then is meant by the word Christ C. Annointed and that intimates the three Offices to which men were wont to be inaugurated by the ceremony of anointing S. What are those three Offices C. Of King and of Preist and of Prophet S What belonged to Christ to do as King C. To set up his throne in our hearts or to reigne in the soules of men and to give evidence of his power thorow the whole world S. What was required of him to that purpose C. 1. To weaken and shorten the power of Satan which Christ really did at his suffering Heb. 2. 14. by death destroying the Devill and againe I saw Lucifer falne downe from heaven that is from the more unlimited power which he had before and 2 to give strength and grace to overcome all rebellious lusts and habits of sinne to bring them downe in obedience to his Kingdome and this he hath done also by sending his spirit in reference to which are those words cited out of the Psalmist he hath led captivity captive and given gifts unto men and in a word to reigne till he had brought all his enemies under his feet 1 Cor 15. 25. S. What and how many be those enemies C. He hath many enemies some temporall but most spirituall S. What meane you by his temporall enemies C. I meane the Jewish nation that rejected and crucified him which within the
of my future condition that assurance reflexive of which this is one ingredient cannot be a divine Faith but at the most an humane yet such as perhaps I may have no doubting mixed with nor reason that I should so doubt For at the conclusion of life having finisht his course and persevered Saint Paul could say without doubting henceforth there is laid up for me a crowne of righteousnesse Which if another man be not able to say with that assurance 't will not presently be want of Faith in him as long as this want of assurance proceeds not from any distrust of the truth of Gods promises but onely from an humble conceit of his owne repentance that 't is not such as God requires of him And if that place 2 Cor. 13. 5. Know ye not that Christ Jesus is in you except you be reprobates be objected to prove that all are Reprobates that know not that Christ is in them the answer will be satisfactory that the words rendred in you signifie very frequently in the Scripture and peculiarly in a place parallell to this Exod. 17. 7. among you or in your congregation And so the sence will be best dissolved into a question and answer know you not by the miracles preaching the demonstration of the spirit and of power that Christ Jesus is among you by way of interrogation for so 't is in the Greeke and the meaning appeares by the context to be Know ye not discerne you not your selves that the power of the Gospell is come among you by my Apostleship and then by way of answer Except you be reprobates you are obdurate insensate creatures undoubtedly unlesse you doe S. You have shewed me the difference betwixt Generall and Particular Faith and I shall not follow that matter any farther but I pray helpe me in one difficulty We are said in Scripture to be justified by faith and we heare much talke of a justifying faith I pray tell me what Faith this is to which Justification is attributed C. First let me tell you that Faith in whatever acception is no proper efficient cause of justification for such is onely God through the satisfaction of Christ accepting our persons and our weake performances and not imputing our sinnes in which act nothing in us can possibly have any so much as inferiour instrumentall efficiency the most that can be said is that 't is a condition without which God that justifies the penitent beleiver will never justifie the impenitent infidell and therefore 't is observable that 't is no where said in Scripture that Faith justifies but that we are justified by Faith which particle by is a peculiar note of a condition not a cause S. But then what Faith is this which is the condition of our justification C. That Faith which we shewed you was Abrahams Faith or infewer words the receiving the whole Christ in all his offices as my King my Preist my Prophet whereby I beleeve the Commands as well as the Promises of the Gospell or take the Promises as they are i. e. as conditionall Promises And this a cordiall practicall beleife a firme resolution of uniforme obedience and Discipleship faith made perfect by workes Ja. 2. 22. Intimating that without the addition of such workes such obedience Evangelicall it would be imperfect unsufficient to this end that is to our Justification The same is called in a parallell phrase faith consummate by love Gal. 5. 6. which indeed we render working by love but the Greeke and Syriack signifies consummate by love that is by acts of Christian Charity and therefore in two parallell places is thus varied in one we reade instead of it the new Creature Gal. 6. 15. in another the keeping the Commandements of God 1 Cor. 7. 19. S. But how then is it so often said that we are not justified by workes Gal. 1. 16. and Rom. 3. 28. that we are justified by faith without the deeds of the law C. I have in effect already told you and shall in a word again tell you The word workes and deeds of the law in those places signifies perfect legall obedience or circumcision and the like Judaicall out-dated Ceremonies and Faith the Evangelicall Grace of giving up the whole heart to Christ without any such perfect obedience or Judaicall observances and so 't is truly said we are justified by Faith without them i. e. without such workes such perfect obedience yet not excluding but including that Evangelicall obedience for without that Faith is dead saith Saint James 2. 17. and then sure not able to justifie any And therefore you may observe in that Apostles discourse Ja. 2. he affirmes that Abraham was justified by workes v. 21. and makes that a parallell phrase to that of the Old Testament Abraham beleived God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse v. 23. where as justification and imputed to him for righteousnesse are phrases of the same importance so are workes and beleiving also S. The reason of it I conceive is because Faith alwaies brings forth good workes or if it doe not it is no true Faith C. I am not altogether of your opinion for I conceive it very possible for me to beleive and yet not to live accordingly The truth is that is not a justifying Faith or such as even now I defined and so no truefaith in that sence but yet it may be a true Faith for so much as it is I may truly without all doubting beleive the promise of mercy and salvation to the true penitent and none else which beleife is very fit and proper to set me a reforming and amending and yet 't is possible for temptations of carnall objects to perswade me to deferre this duty nay never to thinke fit to set my selfe to the performance of it the present pleasures of sinne may outweigh in my debauched choice those future spirituall joyes nay I may see and like them and yet for the present embrace the contrary the will of man being a middle free faculty not absolutely obliged to doe or choose what the understanding judgeth most honest i. e. what Reason and Faith and the Spirit of God commandeth to be done The truth is if this faith get once to be radicated in the heart to rule and reigne there if the will chooseth what Faith recommendeth then it bringeth forth all manner of good workes and so then 't is the consummation of Faith by Charity and Good workes that God accepteth in Christ to justification and not the bare aptnesse of faith to bring forth workes if those workes by the fault of a rebellious infidell will be not brought forth S. But is there no one peculiar act of Faith to which justification is particularly imputable C. That to which justification is promised is certainly the giving up of the whole soule intirely unto Christ accepting his promises on his conditions undertaking Discipleship upon Christs termes But yet 't is possible that some one
hearts of all his servants and Subjects or Disciples that give up their names unto him 1. Here in this imperfect Kingdome of grace where the mortifying of every unruly affection is erecting of a Throne for Christ 2. At the famous much expected calling of the Jewes those greatest enemies of Christ so often prophecyed of when Christs Kingdome in the hearts of men shall be much more illustrious then now it is more holinesse more obedience more sincere perfect subjection and lesse resistance of enemies whether Satan or wicked men in what manner we doe not yet know 3. In the great finall doome of all enemies and crownning of all Saints which shall be attended with a Kingdome which shall have none end Christ giving up the Kingdome to his Father and all his Saints taken in to reigne with him for ever S. What doe you meane by praying that this Kingdome of God may come C. I pray that God by his grace inspired into my heart and the hearts of all men and by his other blessed disposall of all things below will so begin to set up his Kingdome in our hearts immediately so weaken the power of the adversary and the malice of opposers that it may by degrees of flourishing daily encrease his ancient people the Jewes be effectually called and all other things which are in his purpose orderly completed till at last this mortall compounded Kingdome which hath so much mixture of infirmity and sinne and rebellion in it be turned into a Kingdome of perfect holinesse and immortality S. O come Lord Jesus quickely into thy Kingdome of Grace here for the illuminating and preventing for the purging and cleansing for the regenerating and sanctifying of our soules for the bestowing on us that precious blessed grace of perseverance and in the Kingdom of thy glory for the perfecting and accomplishing of us hereafter Proceed we to the third petition Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven What is meant by Gods will C. His commands whatsoever they are but especially those which are delivered to us in the Gospell by Christ S. How is his will done in Heaven C. It is performed by the Angels who are his Ministring spirits doing those things in the governing of the world below and of every of us which he appointeth them to do And this which they are thus appointed they do willingly chearefully speedily and without neglecting any part of it S. What doe you meane by the doing it on earth C. The obedience of all men here below S. What then is the full importance of the whole petition C. We pray to God that he will so inspire his grace into all our hearts and so direct by his providence and assist to performance that we may obey him in all his commands here on earth willingly readily cheerfully speedily impartially or sincerely without indulgeing our selves to any kind of sinne in the omission of any part of our duty to him as his Angels dayly obey his commands in Heaven S. Blessed Lord give us this grace to will and assist us to performe From the petitions that respect God we may non proceed to those that respect our selves more particularly though by your explication I perceive that in those which respect God weare neerely concerned also C. It is true in some kind but not immediately and particularly as in the latter three of which one thing you may observe in generall which yet I cannot conveniently declare to you till I have explained to you the particulars S. Be pleased then to do that first in the former of then Give us this day our dayly bread to tell me what is meant by Dayly Bread C. By bread is meant all the necessaries of life By dayly somewhat which the word in English doth not distinctly signifie yet well enough expresseth the sence of For thus it is The word in Greeke comes from a word which signifies the day approaching or the morrow or in the scripture sence of the Hebrew answerable to it the remainder of our lives how long or short soever it is which because it is uncertaine men ordinarily make this an excuse for their covetousnesse that they may lay up for their age and so the older they are grow the more covet ous From hence the word rendred dayly denotes so much as shall be sufficient or proportionable for the remainder of our lives which in our prayers we beseech God to take into his care and to distribute unto us this day i. e. as Saint Luke interprets it or dayly day by day So that the prime importance of this petition is Lord give us day by day that which shall be sufficient for the remainder of our lives S. You said this was the prime importance of it which seemed to imply that there was another What is that C. The most obvious sence I call the prime sense because the words do first yeild it that is as I told you to the bodily necessaries of this life food and rayment but a secondary sence there is which though the word yeild but in the second place yet is a more weighty considerable sence to wit as bread imports in a spirituall acception the food of the soule the grace of God without which that can as little susteine it selfe as the body without food and then the dayly bread is that measure of continuall grace which will suffice for the remainder of our warfare here which we beseech God day by day to bestow upon us to assist and uphold us in all our wants and referre the care thereof unto God who we are confident careth for us S. I beseech God thus to care for us all and give us day by day for the remainder of our lives all things necessary for our soules and bodies You may now please to proceed to the next i. e. the fifth petition Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us C. There will be little difficulty found in that to forgive is to absolve pardon free from punishment and the word trespasses signifies all manner of offences against God the word in Greeke is debts which is a Syriack expression to signifie sinnes Thus occasioned every man is bound to perfect exact obedience to God by the condition of the first covenant and that under an heavy penalty if he faile he then which hath so failed is thus God's debter to punishment which if it be not forgiven him will fetch out a writ against him cast him into prison and there leave him till he hath payed the utter most i. e. eternally We therefore pray to God to remit these debts of ours the payment of which would go so deepe with us and whereas we adde as we forgive them c that is only a mention of a qualification in us made necessary by Christ to make us capable of that remission of God's and as an argument to enforce that grant by professing our selves freely
compasse of one generation were according to his prediction destroyed by the Romans and preyed upon by those Eagles Mat. 24. 28. by which are noted the Roman Armies whose ensigne was the Eagle which found them out as such vulturs do the carcasse Job 39. 30. wheresoever they dispersed themselves For that that prophecy of Christs Mat. 24. belongs to this matter the destruction of those present crucifiers and the Jewish state and not to the destruction of all enemies at his great appearing yet to come is apparent by the 34 verse This generation shall not passe till all these things be fulfilled Where the word generation signifies such a space that they that were then alive might and should live to see it in that sence as the word is used Mat. 1. Where the time or space of 14 mens lives in a line succeeding one another is called 14 generations not that generation signifies the whole space of a mans life for that is oft 60 80 or an 100 yeares but rather the 3 part of that for of any mans age part he lives in his fathers life time and part after his sonnes birth and thereupon 't is wont to be said that three generations make one saecle or hundred yeares as you shall find ordinarily it doth So that the plaine meaning of that speech of Christs this generation shall not passe c is this that all this should come to passe in their age or within the life of some that were then men as Mat. 16. 28. There be some standing here which shall not tast of death till they see the sonne of man coming in his Kingdome Which though some by the next Chapter following are perswaded to interpret of the transfiguration as if that were Christs coming in his Kingdome may yet more properly be interpreted of this matter so immediately consequent to his being killed by the Jewes and rising againe v. 21. which was the ground of this speech of his Christs illustrious coming to destroy those Jews to which also that other place belongs which will cleare both these Jo. 21 22. If I will that John tarry till I come what is that to thee which saith Saint John was not to be interpreted that he should never dye v. 23. but onely that he should tarry till this coming of Christ which of all the Disciples peculiarly and I thinke onely John lived to see and after that wrote his Revelation in the 14th yeare of Domitian about the 65 t of Christ This destroying or subduing his enemies and crucifiers being so terrible that when it is foretold Mat. 24. it is generally mistaken for the day of finall judgement is many times in the New Testament stiled the Kingdome of God and the coming of Christ the end of all things and the end of the world because Christs powerfull presence was so very discernible in destroying of that nation and that effect of his Kingdome in bringing his enemies under his feete S. What other enemies did you meane C. First Sinne the great enemy of soules which he labours to destroy in this life by the power of his grace and will totally destroy at the day of judgement Secondly Satan which I told you of who therefore when Christ comes to dispossesse him of his hold in the poore man demands Art thou come to destroy us Mark 1. 24. and at another time Art thou come to torment us before our time acknowledging that Christ was to destroy them they understood so much in the sacred predictions but withall hoping it was not yet the time for that execution and in the meane while counted it a kind of destruction and torment to them to be cast out or retrenched of any of their power which they had over the bodies or soules of men S. Are there no other enemies that this King must destroy C. Yes two more First All wicked and ungodly men that after all his methods of recalling them to amendment doe still persevere in impenitent rebellions to whom eternall perdition belongs by the sentence of this King Those that will not let him reigne over them must be brought forth and slaine before their King Secondly Death it selfe according to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death he shall despoile the grave and make it restore all its captives and then death shall be no more shall be swallowed up in victory S. What is required of us in answer and returne to this Office of his C. Principally and by indispensible necessity that we render our selves obedient faithfull constant Subjects to this King hold not out any disloyall fort any rebell lust or sinne against him but as to a King vow and performe entire allegiance unto him But then consequently that we intrust him with our protection addresse all our petitions to him have no warre or peace but with those who are his and our common enemies or freinds fight his battailes against sinne and Satan pay him our tribute of honour reverence obedience yea and of our goods also when they may be usefull to any poore member of his S. I shall detaine you no longer with lesse necessary Quaeries about this Office of his as When Christ was inaugurated to it because I have had the chance to observe by comparingtwo knowne places ofScripture together Psal 110. 1. and 1 Cor. 15. 25. that Christs reigning and his sitting at Gods Right hand are all one from whence I collect that the time of his solemne inauguration to his Regall Office was at his Ascension C. You have guessed aright and therefore I shall not farther explaine that unto you nor put you in minde of any other niceties but instead of such rather remember you of the practicall conclusion that this Office of Christs may suggest unto you that you are no farther a Christian then you are an obedient subject of Christs that his Gospell consists of commands aswell as promises the one the object of the Christian faith aswell as the other S. O Lord increase this faith in me Please you now to proceed to the second Office of Christs that of his Preisthood C. I shall and first tell you that the nature of this Office of Christ is a little obscure and therefore I shall tell you nothing of it but what the Scripture gives me cleare ground to assert S. What doth the Scripture tell us of Preisthood C. It mentions two orders of Preisthood one after the order of Aaron the other after the order of Melchizedek S. What was the office of the Aaronicall Preist C. To offer sacrifice and to blesse the people but especially to sacrifice S. What of the Melchizedekian Preist C. It is not improbable that Melchizedek offered sacrifice also but because the sacred story mentions nothing of him as belonging to his Preisthood but onely his blessing of Abraham therefore it is resolved that the Melchizedekian Preisthood consisted onely in blessing This you will best discerne by looking
favoured or indulged unto may be also reconcileable with a regenerate state so farre as not wholy to quench the spirit of God to cause spirituall desertion though it do greive that spirit wast the conscience wound the soule and provoke Gods displeasure from which nothing but hearty repentance can deliver us and commonly bring some temporall judgement upon us S. What then are unreconcileable with a regenerate state C. Whatsoever are not compatible with an honest heart a sincere indeavour particularly these two Hypocrisie and Custome of any sinne Whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sinne 1 Jo. 3. 9. i. e. doth not live in sin as in a trade or course for his seed remaineth in him there is in the regenerate a new principle or seed of life a principle of cognation with God which whilst it continues in him is still a hazening him out of sin and he cannot sinne in such manner because he is borne of God or if he do he is no longer a child of Gods or regenerate person or as Gal. 5. 16. walke in the spirit and you shall not fullfill the lusts of the flesh i. e. these two are unreconcileable when we say an honest man cannot do this our meaning is not to affirme any naturall impossibility that he is not able but that he cannot thinke fit to do it the principles of honesty within him as here the seed of God or new principles in him will resist it or if he do it he is no longer to be accounted an honest man S. This place in Saint Johns Epistle hath sure great difficulty I beseech you make it as intelligible to me as you may C. I shall do it and that most clearely by bringing downe the sense of the whole chapter from the begining to this place in this breife paraphrase do you looke upon the words in your Bible whilst I do it v. 1. Gods love to us is very great in that he hath accepted us Christians to be his Children which by the way is the reason that the world which rejected Christ rejecteth us also v. 2. being children though we know not exactly the future benefit which shall accrue to us by this meanes yet this we know that when this shall be revealed to us we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is and that vision will assimilate us to him v. 3. the very hope of it now hath the same power of making us pure as he is pure for 1 Hope includes desire and love of the thing hoped for which being Heaven a place of purity the hope of Heaven must include a desire of purity and therefore the Heaven that the sensuall man desires if he desire it for the present is a mockeheaven and if it be the true Heaven the state of purity then he desires it not for the present but hereafter when sensuall pleasures have forsaken him And 2 the condition of Gods promises being our purification or sanctification and the particular condition of this seeing God being Holynesse 't is madnesse for us to hope any thing but upon those grounds and therefore he that hath this hope of seeing him or being like him hereafter labours to become like him now in purity a speciall imitable quality of his And v. 4. he that wants it i. e. every one that committeth sin is guilty of the breach of the law of this Evangelicall law of his that sin it selfe is that breach upon which consequently followes the forfeiture of those promises contained in it v. 5. and to that end that we for whom he dyed should not thus sinne it was without doubt that he came amongst us and sinne or any such impenitent committer of sinne is not in him v. 6. For every one that remaineth in him as a member of his sinneth not wilfull deliberate sinnes if any man do so pretend or professe be what he will he hath neither seene nor knowne Christ v. 7. I pray suffer not your selves to be deceived Christ you know is righteous and the way to be like him is to be righteous also and that cannot be but by doing righteousnesse living a constant Christian life v. 8. He that doth dot so but goes on in a course of sin is of the Devill and by his actions expresses the stocke he comes of For 't is the Devill that began his age with sinne and so continued it and so sin is his trade his worke this was a speciall part of the end of Christs comming to destroy his trade to dissolve that fabricke he had wrought i. e. to turne sinne out of the world v. 9. and therefore sure no child of God's none of that superiour stocke will go on in that accursed trade because he hath God's seed in him that originall of cognation betweene God and him Gods grace that principle of his new birth which gives him continuall dislikes to sin such as though they doe not force or constreine him not to yeild to Satans temptations yet are sufficient to enable him to get out of those snares and if he be a Child of God of Christs making like him that begat him in purity c. he cannot he will not thus go on in sinne v. 10 So that hereby you may clearly distinguish a child of God from a Child of the Devill he that doth not live a righteous and charitable life to do justice and to love mercy as Micah saith is no child of Gods hath no relation of consanguinity to him I shall need proceed no farther by this you will understand the sence of the verse to be this and no more Those that are like Christ and so God's children 't is supposed that they have such a seed or principle of Grace in them that inclines them to dislike and enables them to resist all deliberate sinnes and if they doe not make that use of that grace sure they are not like Christ none of his fellow-Sonnes of God a regenerate man remaining such will not nay morally cannot do so so doing is contrary to a regenerate state S. I heartily thanke you for this trouble I shall divert you by another scruple which is this Will not I pray you the flesh as long as we continue in these houses of clay be we never so regenerate lust against the spirit the members warre against the mind and so keepe us from doing the thing that we would yea and captive us to the law of sin and so will not this captivity and thraldome to sinne so it be joyned with a contrary striving and dislike be reconcileable with a regenerate estate C. Your question cannot be answered with a single Yea or Nay because there be severall parts in it some to be affirmed others to be denyed and therefore to satisfy you I shall answer by degrees 1. That there is a double strife in a man the one called a warre betwixt the law in the members and the law in the minde the other the
is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen againe who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us which last words referre peculiarly to that act of this his Preist-hood in blessing or interceding for us and Rom. 4. 25. who was delivered to death for our offences and was raised againe for our justification The Death of Christ not justifying any who hath not his part in his Resurrection S. I perceive this theme of Christs Priesthood to be a rich mine of Christian knowledge every scruple of mine opening so large a field of matter before you I shall satisfy my selfe with this competency which you have afforded me I beseech God I may be able to digest it into kindly juice that I may grow thereby Please you now to proceed to the third and last Office of Christ that of a Prophet C. I shall and promise you not to exercise your patience so largely in that as in the former S. Wherein doth his Propheticke Office consist In foretelling what things should happen to his Church C. No that is not the notion we have now of a Prophet although that he hath also done in some measure as farre as is usefull for us S. What other notion have you of a Prophet C. The same that the Apostle hath of prophecying 1 Cor. 11. 4. 14. 6. S. What is that C. Interpreting or making knowne the will of God to us S. Wherein did Christ doe that C. In his Sermons but especially that on the Mount telling us on what termes blessednesse is now to be had under the Gospell and revealing some commands of God which before were either not at all or so obscurely revealed in the Old Testament that men thought not themselves obliged to such obedience Besides this the Propheticke Office was exercised in ordeining ceremonies and discipline for his Church the use of the Sacraments and the power of the keyes that is the Censures of the Church S. What else belongs to his Propheticke Office C. Whatsoever else he revealed concerning the Essence and Attributes of God concerning the mystery of the calling of the Gentiles and whatsoever other divine truth he revealed to his auditours either in parables or plaine enuntiations S. What are we to returne to this Office of his C. Our willing full assent never doubting of the truth of any affirmation of his a ready obedience to his institutions and commands neither despising nor neglecting the use of what he hath thought fit to prescribe us and subduing carnall proud reason to the obedience of faith S. You have gone before mee through the names and offices of Christ severally Is there any influence on practice that all of them jointly may be thought to have over and above what from the severals you have shewed me C. I shall commend onely one consideration to you for this purpose that Christ being an union of these three Offices is a Iesus or Saviour finally to none but those who receive him under all his three Offices uniformly into their hearts S. § 3 The Lord grant that I may doe so that I may be not a little way or a partiall unsincere but a true Christian What hinders but that you now proceed according to your method prpoosed to the particulars of the third ranke the Theologicall graces and Christian virtues C. I shall if your patience and appetite continue to you S. To begin then with the first what is Faith C. There is not any one word in nature which hath more significations then this hath in the Word of God especially in the New Testament It sometimes signifies the acknowledgment of the true God in opposition to Heathenisme sometimes the Christian Religion in opposition to Indaisme sometimes the beleeving the power of Christ to heale diseases sometimes the beleeving that he is the promised Messias sometimes fidelity or faithfulnesse sometimes a resolution of conscience concerning the lawfulnesse of any thing sometimes a reliance affiance or dependance on Christ either for temporall or spirituall matters sometimes beleeving the truth of all divine revelations sometimes obedience to Gods commands in the Evangelicall not legall sence sometime the doctrine of the Gospell in opposition to the law of Moses sometimes 't is an aggregate of all other graces sometimes the condition of the second Covenant in opposition to the first and other sences of it also there are distinguishable by the contexture and the matter treated of where the word is used S. I shall not be so importunate as to expect you should travaile with mee through every of these severals but shall confine your trouble to that which seemes most necessary for me to know more particularly As first which of all these is the notion of that Faith which is the Theologicall Grace distinct from Hope and Charity 1 Cor. 13. 13 C. It is there the assenting to or beleeving the whole word of God particularly the Gospell and in that the commands and threates and promises of that word especially the promises This you will acknowledge if you looke on v. 12. of that Chapter and there observe and consider that Vision in the next life is the perfecting of that Faith in this life or that Faith here is turned into Vision there as hope into enjoying for this argues Faith here to be this assent to those things which here come to us by hearing and are so beleeved by adherence or darke enigmaticall knowledge but hereafter are seene or known demonstratively or face to face Hence is it that Faith is defined by the Apostle Heb. 11. 1. the ground or foundation of things hoped for the conviction or being convinced or assured of things which we doe not see The foundation on which all hope is built for I must first beleeve the promise before I can hope the performance of it on right grounds and the being convinced of the truth of those things for which there is no other demonstration but onely the word and promise of God and yet upon that an inclination to beleeve them as assuredly as if I had the greatest evidence in the world S. I cannot but desire one trouble more from you in this matter what kind of Faith was the Faith of Abraham which is so much spoken of in the New Testament Ro. 4. Gal. 3. Heb. 11. Ja. 2. and seemes to be meant as the patterne by which our Faith should be cut out and upon which both he was and we may expect to be justified C. I cannot but commend the seasonablenesse of the question before I answer it for certainly you have pitch't upon that which is the onely sure foundation ground-worke of all true knowledge and resolution in this matter Abraham being the Father of the Faithfull in whom that grace was most eminent very highly commended and rewarded in the Scripture and like whom we must be if ever we expect to approve
other contrary-minded S. But what if there be on both sides great probabilities but no demonstration from Christian principles or interposing of the Church which way will my meekenesse then direct me to propend C. That which must then direct me is my owne conscience to take to that which seemes to me most probable and in that my meekenesse hath nothing to doe nor can it oblige me to beleive that which I am convinced is not true nor to disbeleive that which I am convinced is true but yet before I am thus convinced my meekenesse will give me it's directions not to rely too overweeningly on my owne judgment but to compare my selfe with other men my equalls but especially my superiours and to have great jealousies of any my owne singular opinions which being represented to others as judicious as my selfe together with the reasons that have perswaded me to them doe not to them prove perswasive nay after I am convinced my meekenesse may againe move me to hearken to other reasons that other men judge more prevailing and if occasion be to reverse my former judgment thus past upon that matter It being very reasonable for me though not to beleive what I am not convinced of yet to conceive it possible for me not to see those grounds of conviction which another sees and so to be really mistaken though I thinke I am not and then what is thus reasonable to be concluded possible my meekenesse will bid me conclude possible and having done that advise me to choose the safer part and resolve rather to offend and erre by too much flexibility then too much perversenesse by meekenesse then by selfe-love S. What is the present felicity of the meeke man C. 1. The very possession of that Grace being of all others most delightfull and comfortable both as that that adornes us and sets us out beautifull and lovely in the eyes of others and is therefore called the Ornament of a meeke and quiet spirit 1 Pet. 3. 4. and as that that affords us most matter of inward comfort as for example that part of meekenesse which is opposed to revenge and consists in bearing and not retributing of injuries this to a spirituall-minded man is matter of infinite delight 1. In conquering that mad wild devillish passion of revenge getting victory over one's selfe which is the greatest act of valour the thought of which is consequently most delightfull 2. In conquering the enemy of which there is no such way as the soft answer which saith the wise man turneth away wrath and feeding the hungry enemy which saith Saint Paul is the heaping live coales upon his head and that the way that Metallists use to melt those things that will not be wrought on by putting of fire under them which he expresses by overcoming evill with good 3. In conquering or out-stripping all the foolish and heathen world which had never attained to this skill of loving of enemies which is onely taught Christians by Christ The honour of this must needs be a most pleasant thing 2. It is matter of present felicity to us in respect of the tranquillity and quiet it gaines us here within our owne breasts a calme from those stormes that pride and anger and revenge are wont to raise in us And 3. In respect of the quiet peaceable living with others without strife and debate without punishments and executions that are the portion of the seditious turbulent disobedient spirits Which is the meaning undoubtedly of the promise in the Psalmist the meeke shall inherit the earth i. e. shall generally have the richest portion of the good things of this life from whence this place in the Gospell being taken though it may be accommodated to a spirituall sence by interpreting the earth for the land of the living yet undoubtedly it literally notes the land of Canaan or Judea which is oft in the Old and New Testament called the earth and so then the promise of inheriting the earth will be all one with that annext to the fifth commandement that thy dayes may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee i. e. a prosperous long life here is ordinarily the meek man's portion which he that shall compare and observe the ordinary dispensations of God's providence shall find to be most remarkeably true especially if compared with the contrary fate of turbulent seditious persons S. But if this reward belong to the meeke in this life what assurance of future felicity can he have there being no other promise to him here but that he shall inherit the earth C. The temporall reward can no wayes deprive him of the eternall but as the temporall Canaan was to the Jew a type and to them that obeyed a pledge of the eternall so the earth here a reall inheritance below and a pawne of another above and this is the meeke mans advantage above many other duties a double Canaan is thought little enough for him the same felicity in a manner attending him which we beleive of Adam if he had not fallen a life in paradise and from thence a transplantation to heaven The like we read of them that part with any thing deere to them for Christs sake or in obedience to Christs command which I conceive belongs especially to the liberall minded man he shall have a hundred fold more in this life and in the world to come everlasting life and unlesse it be here to the meek or to godlynesse in generall 1 Tim. 4. 8. we meet not with any other temporall promise in the new Testament which may therefore be resolved very well to be parrallel to that other not only in the hundred fold or inheritance in this life but in that other also of another life Besides other places of Scripture there are that intimate the future reward of the meek as where it is sayd to be in the sight of God of great price and that if we learne of Christ to be meeke we shall finde rest to our souls and even here the blessednesse in the front noting present blessednesse cannot rightly do so if there were no future reward also belonging to it it being a curse no blessing to have our good things with Dives or with the Hypocrite our reward in this life and none to expect hehinde in another S. What then is the fourth grace C. Hungring and thirsting after righteousnesse S. What is that And 1. what is meant by righteousnesse C. It is of two sorts 1. Inherent then Imputed the inherent imperfect proportioned to our state consisting in the mortifying of sinnes and lusts and some degrees of holy new life the Imputed is Christ's righteousnesse accepted as ours which is in plain words the pardon of our sins and acceptation of our persons in Christ S. What is Hungring and Thirsting C. You may joyn them both together and make them one common appetite of both those kinds of righteousnesse Or if you please you may more distinctly
so had both equall right to it but being but one and undividible could not both enjoy and therefore to make them freinds he having two peices of silver doth upon contract divide them betwixt the pretenders and hath the stone in exchange from them having it he goes on his journey and coming to Ierusalem shewes it the Goldsmith who tells him that it was a jewell of great value being a stone falne and lost out of the high Preists Ephod to whom if he carried it he should certainly receive a great reward he did so and accordingly it proved the high Preist tooke it of him gave him a great reward but withall a box on the eare bidding him trust God the next time The story if true is an instance of the matter in hand if not yet an embleme or picture of it So againe Prov. 22. 9. He that hath a bountifull eye shall be blessed for he giveth of his bread to the poore Where the affirmative promise is most punctuall and the reason to confirme it most remarkeable being but the repetition of the thing it selfe as principles are faine to be proved by themselves the bountifull minded man shall be blessed why because he is bountifull i. e. no other argument needfull to prove it but this the promise infallible promise belonging peculiarly to such And Prov. 28. 27. He that giveth to the poore shall not lacke A most definitive large rule from whence no exception is imaginable if we had but faith to depend upon it And lest you should thinke that this referred onely to the state of the Iewes under the Old Testament and belonged not at all to us Christians you may first observe that these Proverbs of Solomon are not truths peculiar to that state but extensive even to us Christians and more purely so then to them many of them 2. That in the Gospell one place there is that repeates in sence one part of these places that of 19. 17. He that giveth to the poore lendeth to the Lord. to wit Mat. 25. 43. In as much as ye did it to one of these you did it unto me And then why may not the latter part belong to us also 3. One plaine promise of temporall things there is in the Gospell also to those that part with any of their goods for Christs sake and such sure are the Christian Almes-givers that doe it in obedience to Christs law and charity to fellow Christians Mat. 19. 29. and that in a generall unlimited stile excluding all exception Mark 10. 30. There is no man that hath left house or brethren c. and lands i. e. worldly goods but he shall receive an hundred sold now in this time this first lower harvest this season of retributions houses c. i. e. temporall blessings here and then over and above in another world everlasting life Onely with a mixture of persecutions as Saint Marke or Saint Peter who had asked the question which occasioned this speech of Christs and whose Amanuensis Saint Marke was hath it as before I told you Prov. 11. 31. after all those temporall promises to the Almes-giver it is added He shall be recompenced or receive his portion of afflictions in the earth By all these testimonies from the word of God both in New and Old Testament I conceive this doctrine as cleare as any in the Scripture That the promise of temporall plenty to the liberall is so distinct and infallible that it can be no lesse then grosse ignorance of plaine Scripture not to observe it and arrant infidelity not to beleive it and strange Vn-Christian sinne not to practice that so amiable a duty that to him that beleives this there is not the least temptation imaginable against it even the covetous man himselfe being allowed to be the objector S. I cannot but acknowledge the truth of your premises and reasonablenesse of the conclusion from them and onely mervaile what artifice the Devill hath gotten to ensnare men by and keepe them from doing that which is so agreeable to their humours and dispositions even as they are partakers of but ingenuous nature God melt the heart and open the hand of the obdurate world and teach us the due practice of it I shall presume you have no more necessary to be added to the explication of the duty here supposed and thou when thou doest almes I shall call you from thence to the second particular mentioned The Caution interposed and desire to know what that it C. The Caution is that we do not our almes to be seene of men or use any meanes in the doing of them to have glory of men to be praised or commended by them For this is an infirmity very ordinarily insinnuating it selfe in our best actions to blast and defame them in the eyes of God every man being apt to desire to be better thought of by man for the performance of this duty especially if he be an exceeder in it S. But were we not commanded before that our light should shine before men What is that but to do our good workes so that men might see them C. To this I shall answer 1. By telling you that the performance of duties to God may be either publicke or private the one in the congregation the other in the closet the former ought to be as publicke as it may that so they may be more exemplary and tend more to the glorifying of God to that the shineing of our light belongs the second as private as it may to approve our selves the more to God and to that this caution here pertaines And though this be more illustriously observable in the two following duties of prayer and fasting yet will it hold in some measure in this also the Church being designed for giving also and every Christian antiently wont to bring some what to the Corban every time he came to Church a remainder of which custome we have still in the offertory 2. That there is great difference betwixt doing our good workes so that men may see them and doing them to be seene of men and againe betweene doing them so before men that they may see and glorifie our father in heaven and that we may have glory of men The former if it have not the latter to blast it and if it be truly so it excludes the latter is only a Christian charitable care that my good actions may be exemplary to others the second that they may be matter of reputation to my selfe The former respects only God's glory and not mine owne the second mine owne vaine aiery credit here and not or more then God's The first a most divine Christian act expression of great love of God and desire to propagate his Kingdome of great love of my brother and desire to make all others as good as my selfe by setting them such copies on purpose to transcribe the second is an evidence of great passion and selfe-love and impatience of having our reward put