creation hee was to eate of the fruit of the creation for his nutrimentall sustentation so now of the fruits of this Garden also for the Lord God commanded the man saying Of every tree of the Garden thou mayest eate freely Gen. 1.29 Gen. 2.16 The negative rule was it by which hee was to improve his strength of body and mind to God by obedience namely the forbearing to eate of the tree of knowledge of good and evill but of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evill thou shalt not eate c. Gen. 2.17 And this rule led him to be both passively and actively obedient passively in two things First although in the perfection of the creation all things good for food was due to him by Gods allowance without restraint yet in this Garden or Plantation by this rule hee was to suffer this restraint namely to deny himselfe to eate of the fruit of this Tree of knowledge of good and evill upon paine of most dreadfull consequences for saith the Text In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt certainly die the â—â—â—ath Verse 17. Although in the perfection of the creation God rendred his sweete imbreathings very good and no evill yet in this Garden the obedience of these rules bound them to suffer the imbreathings of the assaults of Satan that evill one in point of triall (a) As did the second Adam Luk. 4.3 2.3.4 And here lay the life of their obedience for without this assault their triall had beene no triall to the improvement of their naturall perfections of righteousnesse and holinesse to Gods Covenant in point of good and evill And againe this negative rule led them to active obedience in two particulars first the fruits of this tree of good and evill being naturally good food it required of them a diligent observation of their naturall appetite lest it might dispose them to transgresse the rule of the Covenant This rule led them in stead of feeding their bodies with the fruit of this tree to feed their soules by beliefe of the signified knowledge of good equivalent to Angels in glory or with the signified knowledge of evill equivalently contrary in eternall misery So much for this point what Adams obedience in the Covenant was Lastly the intended end of Gods Covenant with Adam was of great consequence for it respected God all mankinde the World and the Divell for what if Satans lye to the woman pretended that there was no truth in Gods word for their death if they did transgresse saying yee shall not die at all and what if Satan did make God to them to be but a meere imposture as only pretending that Angelicall good but never intended it for to the woman in the Serpent he said God doth know that in the dâ—y that yee eate thereof your eyes shall be opened and yee shall be as Gods knowing good and evill He not denying a higher good intended in the Covenant but implying Gods command was the only thing that kept him from attayning it I say what of all this for if hee had in beliefe of Gods word abstayned from eating the fruit according to the rule of the Covenant then they had not only freed themselves from being murthered the world had not been destroyed Gods word had not been nullified Satan had not in the beliefe of his lyes bin magnified bâ—t on the contrary from their beliefe of truth working to God by love God over all by his word of truth had bin glorified in two respects 1 Because (b) So that Gods justâ—ce would have bin glorified to all eternity in the â—irst demonstrating his righteousnesse and goodnesse in the eternall felicity of all mankinde with Angells 2. righteously demonstâ—ating his wrath in the Apostate Angells oâ— Divells by Adams repeling their lies yet not but that justice precedeÌ„tly did in the right of Gods glory passe to immediate execution on those Apostat Angels and by their murthering of Adam Gods justice from thence did supâ—rabound upon them by Gods giving way to them to bruise the heele of Christ in the aggravation of their malice so thaâ—â—hey weâ—e not oâ—ly â—â—cluded Angels glory at the 〈◊〉 but shâ—ll dâ—â—w upon themselves the latâ—tude of Gods Attributes glorious in wisdom power and his iâ—efull justice to all eternity wheÌ„ God shall loose their chaines of darknesse by which they are reserved unto that day at the remembrance whereof they tremble by his Justice according to the Covenant the naturall perfections of the Creatures together with man in his pure Naturalls for wages to Adams worke should have received a quickning Spirit and man in the perfection of faith So travailing together towards their celestiall perfections 2. And Satans lyes by beliefe of Gods truth nullified and consequently Satan most justly condemned for a lyer and murtherer of mankinde the destroyer of all the works of God and adjudged for a most impudent blasphemer of God and all this would immediatly have followed upon Adams perfect repelling of Satans temptations For the Justice of the Covenant was expresse for immediate execution even the same day and minute for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die the death Gen. 2.17 Againe a second reason is drawn from the nature of the Covenant which was for good and evill therefore no middle Estate but good or evill immediatly even as upon Adams offence judgement passed upon all to condemnation So on the contrary if Adam had obeyed the Rule of the Covenant there would have bin produced a posterity through all Generations ascending successefully to the Elect Angells in Angelicall glory in perfect union in soule and body for the Couenant was for all mankinde alike in good But it may be objected mans body in its pure naturalls being but flesh and blood Object in an Elementary compound could neither ascend nor be able to inherit the spirituall Glory sutable to the nature of Angells so powerfully glorious therefore that Angelicall glory was not intended in the Covenant Although mans naturall body could not inhabit that Kingdome as St. Paul affirmes 1 Cor. 15.50 Answere yet that body naturall made a spirituall body is a powerfull body as St. Paul affirmes 1 Cor. 15.43 And therefore it could both ascend and inherit with Angells for if Adam had â—â—ept the negative Rule of the Covenant as is declared then as in the perfection of nature he was made a living Soule so in the justice of the Covenant God would have made him to his posteritie a quickening Spirit not only in the perfection of Faith living a spirituall life in his pure Naturalls but would also have quickened his naturall Elementary body with a spirituall Nature powerfull to ascend and inherit the glory of Angells successively to the last man that should live on the Farth but now in the second Adam onely is this twofold quickening Spirit found who only is the Resurrection and the life of man as St. Paul affirmes 1 Cor. 15.45 Object But it may be
end So also in his first estate of the perfection of the creation he could not convey to his posterity the supernaturall good joyntly but his * The law of nature properly so called never was since the fall in any man in it's pure naturals but only in the second Adam therefore now to referre any thing well done by men to the st ength of their pure naturals is a grosse mistake pure naturals alone For before hee was put in the prefiguration of the Garden his naturall holinesse and righteousnesse were alone and not by Gods Ordinance related a meanes to a supernaturall end but on the contrary by his transgressing the covenant hee had power to conveâ— the losse of both of meanes and end not onely the losse of right and possession in the knowledge of all good both naturall and supernaturall things either in faith or fruition with Angels but also by force of Gods justice in the Covenant to convey the knowledge of evill every way equivalent in evill to all the foresaid good But this evill was Adams third estate namely his fall which is the next ground to be handled So much for the second ground CHAP. III. Opening the State of the world by Adams fall AS the fall of Adam extended to himselfe and to all his posterity Rom. 5.12 so it brought him and his posterity from the highest spire * The infinite God bound himselfe for Adams further assistance according as he did apply his personal perfections by the rules of the Covenant and the reasons why hee did not so see from pag. 17. to pag. 20. and in cap. 12. of the knowledge of God to the deepest gulfe of the knowledge of evill And whereas both are referred to the knowledge which is in man the reason is because man is most capable of his highest felicity or of his deepest misery onely by his knowable powers which was also implyed in this that the tree of triall was called the tree of knowledge of good and evill But here may be demanded what Adam and wee his posterity lost and what we lost not and what wee found by his fall Quest First we lost the perfection of the whole creation wholly Answ Secondly we lost the garden of Eden as it was an object of faith the figure of the felicity of Angels Thirdly we lost totally our pure naturals that is the perfection of both Tables of the Law as containing our righteousnesse and holinesse the most expresse Image of God by creation Fourthly wee lost the beginning of our supernaturall righteousnesse and holinesse contained in the institution of the Covenant for we lost that estate of faith Wee lost the ultimate perfection of supernaturall holinesse by which we should enjoy God in his most immediate expressions of his essentiall perfections in the glory of Angels and in a word we lost all the good of this world and that to come Secondly that which we lost not in briefe was this First we lost not the being of this creation but the blessednesse of it We lost not the Essence of our reasonable soules nor their essentiall faculties as memory conscience will and understanding for all these remaine in men under eternall death Wee lost not a body proper to our kind nor a personall union of both soule and body together for these men also have under eternall damnation So much for what we lost and what we lost not Quest But what found wee by our fall in Adams transgession Answere We found the knowledge of evill as first the evill of transgression secondly the evill of punishment and of the evill of transgression the first root of bitternesse did arise from Adams remissenesse of this second state contained in the condition of the Covenant and this appeares by his sinne of omission which brought on his sinne of commission generally in two things but particularly in six things First his eating the fruits of this plantation generally by Gods more speciall appointment as a meanes to bring him to an higher end then did his food in the perfection of the creation how could he then have omitted this generall help to that supernaturall end if hee had not beene remâ—sse of the conditions comprised in the Covenant Secondly this Garden being so sequestred from all the terrestriall globe and in plants for pleasantnesse transplendently surmounting all the terrestriall globe prefiguring generally to Adams faith the pleasures and felicity of Angels how could he then have omitted this universall help if he had not beene remisse of the conditions comprised in the Covenant So much for these in generall Againe more particularly first his worke assigned him by Divine institution to dresse and keepe this choyce part of the whole creation by the worke of his fingers prefiguring unto him that the perfection of the creation depended on his worke in the Covenant for good and evill And how could he then omit this prefiguration for a help if he had not bin remisse by a sleepy faith in this particular Secondly when he looked on the tree of life in it's flourishing perfections in all the branches thereof as prefiguring to him his naturall branches or off-spring depended on him in the worke of the Covenant for celestiall felicity how could he then have omitted this helpe to lead his faith to the negative rule of the Covenant if he had not beene remisse in this particular Thirdly he knowing all the fruits of the trees in the Garden his to eate without restraint excepting this one tree of good and evill how therefore could hee omit the deniall of himselfe this one thing to attaine the good comprised in the Covenant if hee had not beene remisse in this particular God threatning him most expressely with death yea a most certaine death if he did not abstaine from eating that forbidden fruit how then could hee omit this helpe to repell Satans assault by whom or by what meanâ—s soever suggested to avoid so dangerous a consequence if hee had not beene remisse of the conditions of the Covenant His eyes seeing that River comming in but one way into the Garden yet divided into foure in that Paradise of pleasure and thence issuing it's chrystall streames of waters of life as from the Throne of God downe the terrestriall globe foure wayes prefiguring to him the good comprised in the Covenant as running downe from Gods most righteous justice to his posterity throughout all generations for his glorifying Gods truth and faithfulnesse by denying the fruit of this forbidden tree how could hee then omit this as a helpe to set his faith on worke if he had not beene remisse of the good comprised in the Covenant When his eyes beheld this tree of Knowledge of good and evill or the fruit of it how could he omit to set his faith on worke to feed his soule with it's signification of the good if hee did abstaine or a fall into the contrary evill if he did eate and how durst he feed his body with
is explained in pag. 32. Or how was the worke of a perfect rest in Christ by Faith and in fruition by hope finished from the foundation of the world as the Author to the Hebrewes affirmes Hebr. 4.3 and as is explained pag. 25. To the second part of the Objection true it is by Adams default hee was as is described pag. 30. dead in sinne farre more deepe then I suppose you meane for man being dead in sins and trespasses against the universall grace of God in Christ is farre different from that in Adams fall as to be twice dead and pluckt up by the roote is different from them both as in the prosecution of the sixth point will clearely appeare To the third part of the Objection true it is mortality seized upon his body but it is also as true that by mercy in the blood of the Lambe mans body came but thus to be mortall for this mortality doth but at most separate the soule from the body which is but the shadow of that death intended in the Covenant for us in the fall of Adam as is described pag. 21. 22. 23. and as will more appeare by the death of the second Adam in the eighth Chapter following Object 4. Your observation is refuted Rom. 5.12.13 c. Are all Infants that die saved if not what is the cause of their condemnation Answ To the first part Rom. 5.12.13 the Apostle to the praise of Gods universall grace parallelling the first Adam to the second Adam hee there layes downe a double Argument the first that although by Adams sinne sinne entred into the world that is originally as the cause of all mens perishing when they were dependant on him in the Covenant for afterwards hee was as are all men Christ only excepted but a private man cap. 5. So that Adams sinne as now it is is but the occasion of mans sinne by his owne default to his eternall destruction and their owne sinne is the onely cause thereof as committed against Christ and the ground thereof is exprest by the Apostle in the 18. verse following Secondly it is further implyed in these two verses that that mans sinnes now so committed that is against Christ to whom all power is given and to whom all stand related for good and evill that the prevalency of their sinne against him doth increase the prevalency of the shadow of death unto them namely the frequency of the separation of the soule from the body and also of death in the substance namely mans separation from God his chiefest good in this relation and united to the contrary evill and by his owne remissenesse being ignorant of all yet then God in mercy to the promise added the Law to reveale to reckon or impute mans sinne unto him that he might see how hee runne on his owne misery wherefore in the 20. verse rightly saith the Apostle The Law entred that the offence as the spring of misery might abound that where sinne abounded grace might much more abound that as sinne had raigned unto death even so might grace raigne through righteousnesse unto eternall life by Iesus Christ verse 21. Therefore my observation is confirmed by the Apostle in these verses and not refuted See these verses further explained in cap. 9. to the second part of the objection yes all Infants are saved and therefore I can shew you what once was the cause of their condemnation namely Adams one offence when he was a publike person and the signe of it now onely remaines in their nature to meet and dispose them as fit subjects successively to receive salvation in the universall grace of God by Iesus Christ as saved creatures namely the poyson of the Serpent as reduced but to a seed the foresaid infusion flowing from the estate they are now in namely Gods universall mercy in the promised seede imputed righteousnesse as is further described pag. 36. 37. Object 5. If Adam fell the ninth houre of the sixth day Pag. 25. how did God in the end of that day see all his workes to be very good Answ I demand of you how he did see all his works the sixth day very good in the end of that day seeing it is not mentioned so in the Text and Moses saith expresly that on the seventh day God ended his workes which he had made and therefore it remaines for you to prove that God said so according to your inference at the end of the sixth day and in what sense Moses meanes that God ended his worke on the seventh day see pag. 34. Object 6. The exposition of the particle Put Pag. 28. savours of Semipelagianisme so doth the phrase of internall disposition infused universally Answ If that exposition which tends to demonstrate God onely in Christ Iesus an unversall good to man and that it pleased the Father that in him all fulnesse should dwell and so in all things Christ must have the preheminence to communicate even the least good to man as a meanes to his chiefest good and all restored by Christ then surely if this doctrine savour of Semipelagianisme it becomes you and I to be not onely halfe or almost but altogether Pelagians And that this doth so demonstrate God in Christ besides the maine scope of this whole Treatise see in cap. 6. cap. 12. in my answer to the tenth Objection cap. 12. the which doth most clearely prove the point Object 7. The last clause is false Pag. 30. Answ It is not so untill you have proved it so Object 8. The universall election is false Pag. ibid. Pag. 31. Object 9. Men perish for Adams transgression and their owne Answer to both Objections Both these Objections are answered in my answer to the 21. and 22. pages precedently Object 10. That justification without Faith Pag. 33. is against the current of Scripture Ans That this text nominates justification I am sure is true Rom. 5.18 and that the Apostle relates this justification without relation to mans receptive instrument of beliefe is as true for here the Apostle relates this justification to man as meerely passive when God was found of us that sought him not even when wee as Adam received this imputation to life and glory when God came to seeke and to save that which was lost not imputing out sinne to Adam according to the justice of the Covenant Therefore this justification as opposed to the ordinary reception of it by mans instrument of beliefe called justifying * Mans beliefe receiving this justification is therefore called justifying faith Faith was extraordinary and therefore although not according to the current of Scriptures yet according to the Scripture as for example that light which was before the Sunne was made in an ordinary course to communicate light unto the world was true light so this truth is truth though not according to the current of Scriptures in an ordinary course But as for this justification as related to mans receptive
the things of God but the things that be of men Mat. 16.23 And to the same spirit in Iames and Iohn He turned and rebuked them and said yee know not of what Spirit yee are of Lu. 9.34 To the same spirit in the two Disciples that went to Emaus saith hee O fooles and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken ought not Christ to have suffered these things and so to enter into his glory Luk 24 26. Likewise saith the Text Hee appeared to the Eleven as they sat at meate and upbraided them wits their unbeliefe and hardnesse of heart Marke 16.14 And to the Virgin Mary his Mother Jesus saith unto her Woman what have I to doe with thee mine houre is not yet came implying in her request something was not sutable to his Spirit of Truth consequently so farre forth according to the lying spirit of Satan Ioh. 2 4. Secondly he also witnessed this truth of God against the lying spirit of Satan in sinners That is Man in the state of unbeliefe as resisting this truth as for instance he proving himselfe to be the light of the world not only by Doctrine but â—lso by a miraculous fact giving sight to the man that was borne blinde then the lying spirit of saâ—an attempted to extinguish this truth by saying give God the praise we knew that God spake with Moses as for this fellow wee know not whence hee is But Christ in the mouth of the man retorts the argument upon them saying herein is a marvellous thing for yee know not whence hee is and yet hee hath opened mine eyes Now wee know that God heareth not sinners but if a man be a worsh pper of God and doeth his will him God heareth and since the world began was it never heard that any man opened the eyes of any that was borne blind Joh. 9.5.6.16.24.29 c. Likewise he being in the Synagogue intermingling this Doctrine of truth with another miraculous fact called to a woman bound by Satan eighteene yeares and by the word of his mouth makes her free from the bondage of satan implicitly telling them that if by the call of his Doctrine they would in beliefe of that truth but as they were able by sense and reason come to him he then would dissolve the power of satan in them and so the truth should make them free but the lying spirit of satan in the Ruler of the Synagogue resisted this truth for he answereth with indignation because that Iesus had healed on the sabbath day and said unto the people are there not six days in which men ought to worke in them therefore come and be healed and not on the Sabbath day But this evill spirit so changed into an Angell of light the Lord discovers and said Thou Hypocrite doth not each of you on the Sabboth day loose his Oxe or his Asse from the stall and leade him to the water and ought not this woman being a daughter of Abraham which Satan had bound loe eighteene yeeres be loosed on the Sabbath day and all his enemies were ashamed likewise hee miraculously fed many with small parcells of bread declaring himselfe thereby as by his doctrine that hee was the bread of life to man by beliefe of this truth to nourish him to everlasting life Likewise by raising up the widowes sonne and lairus daughter and Lazarus foure dayes dead declaring by this as by his doctrine that he was sent of his Father to them the resurrection and life to man by their beliefe of truth in him Or the resurrection of faithlesse man to everlasting death for saith hee If yee believe not that I am hee yee shall die in your sinnes that is and rise to perpetuall shame but all this truth in the lyings spirit of Satan they resist by pretence that Abraham and God was a Father to them but he according to truth witnessed the contrary against them saying I know you are Abrahams seed Joh. 8.37 but vers 39. Iesus said unto them if yee were Abrahams seed yee would doe the workes of Abraham but now yee seeke to kill mee a man that have told you the truth which I have heard of God this did not Abraham implying that although they were Abrahams seed in the flesh yet not Abrahams seed in the faith consequently not children to God but to the Divell verse 44. Yee are of your father the Divell and the lusts of your Father yee will doe For although by light of sacred truth they came to know hee was the heire namely the promised seed from God to Adam Abraham and David and so heire to all yet their minds by pride was lifted up with the glory of the Terrestriall Temple and princely Priesthood as a worldly magnificence to their Nation but not to the celestiall mysterie therein leading to the imputed righteousnesse of the seed as the onely ground of all their glory for in their hearts him they hate and attempt to extinguish both him and his doctrine because it tended to put an end to that typicall magnificence and * Man perversly proue by custome in sinne to attaine a glory adequate to his corporeall part namely his mouldering body is therefore an enemy to Gods way as leading him to an eternal felicity sutable to his unperishing part namely his soule and body made spirituall but so farre as man is led by the spirit of Christ he is of another minde worldly glory Marke 12. from verse 7. to the 12. Matth 21.38 and 45. But the Lord Jesus Christ witnessed the truth in plaine termes and said My Kingdome is not of this world my Kingdome (a) If Christ refused to be an ea thly Monarch in Canaan and Sion hill declaring by plainnesse of speech that his Kingdome is not such consequently this Kingdome of Christs Spouse nationall elect was but a figure of that grace that was most cleaâ—ely powred out under the Gospell and also of his eternall throne in moâ—e then Angels glory and not a type of an earthly Monarchy of his of one thousand yeeres in length see this point more cleare in cap. 9. is not from hence Mat. 18. 36 Likewise he refused to be made a worldly King on Sion hill so proving his doctrine to be true by this fact for saith the Text when Iesus therefore perceived they would come and take him by force to make him King he departed thence c. John 6.15 Likewise to his successoâ—s which were to witnesse this sacred doctrine of truth hee gives the same rule not to (b) In the judgement of the Sonne of God it is a safe way to keepe his ambassadors to the worke of his ambassage by keeping them from worldly government and terrestriall pompe yet they must have a compleate competency as is implyed by the Apostle 1 Cor. 9.12.13 14. but the former is the ruine of simple godlinesse in Christs Spouse for saith Gods Spirit Like Priest like People Hosea 4.9 aspire
lâ—e I come to doe thy Will O God Luke 22.15 Heb 10. yet I say the neer approach of this houre and power of darknesse was dreadfull to his apprehension as appeares by his feares sorrow prayer and cryes who as saith the Text In the dayes of his flesh when hee had offered up prayers and supplications with strong cryes and teares to him that was able to save him from death was pitied in the thing he feared for there appeared unto him an Angell from heaven yet not to take off his misery but to strengthen him to it and there was need so to doe for his bones were sundred in this agony his spirit waxed hot within him as melted wax and from thence it was that his sweat became as great drops of blood falling down to the ground Hebr. 5 7. Psal 22.14 Luke 22.41 But hee having resolved in beliefe of truth by flaming love to goe on through the apprehension of its neere approach to him to approach to it in resignation of his will to his Fathers Will in the worlds redemption Hee demanded twice of his apprehenders whom seeke yee and affirmes himselfe twice to be the man whom they sought and although they fel backwards before him yet he goes forward with them to encounter this dreadfull wrath which extended to a two-fold separation of God from him First God separated himselfe from him in all naturall good either to soule or body and left him to the contrary evill Secondly God separated himselfe from his soule and body in all supernaturall and celestiall good and left him to the contrary evill and first of the first To his body and so to the anguish of his soule for it was torne with whips pierc'd with thornes his hands and feet pierc'd with nayles and riven or rent with the weight of his body hanging on the crosse sixe houres or thereabouts Likewise to coole his thirst they gave him vinegar and gall to drinke the people and Priest blaspheme him as a man forsaken of God the whole powers of nature as it were rising against him extinguishing from him all things but dread and dolour for darknesse from the sixt houre to the ninth covered him the Temple rent the earth quak't the Rocks rent so that in respect of Gods separating all naturall good from him leaving him to the contrary evill he might truly say in the dolor of his soule All yee that passe by beâ—â—ld and see if there be any sâ—rrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto mee wherewith the Lord hath afflicted mee in the day of his fierce anger Lam. 1.12 Secondly God likewise separated himselfe from him in all supernaturall and Celestiall good and left him to the contrary evill for because this separation of God from him in all naturall good leaving him to the contrary evill was in this place namely the Land of Canaan this implyed that God also separated himselfe from him in all supernaturall good because this Land in generall was to the second Adam as the garden of Eden was to the first Adam that is a figure by the Terrestriall good of the Celestiall good in the Heaven of Heavens Therefore this figured to him that God shut the Kingdome of Heaven against him rendring him no light in that respect but leaving his soule the only object of eternall darknesse Againe this being at Ierusalem the figure of eternall peace this implyed to him that no peace or consolation at that time was his portion from God but the contrary apprehensions of eternall woe sutable to the damned Spirits of men and Divells Againe this being also in the place of residence of his elect Spouse the Kingdome of grace on Earth this imply'd that he was to God a man cut off from the land of the living in all respects consequently no place left to him by divine justice but the place prepared for the Divell and his Angels for saith the text he was reckoned amongst the transgressors Luk 22 37. Therefore his cry upon the crosse was according to truth My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee which words implyed two things First that this twofold Separation of God from him in his apprehension was more dreadfull then he could reach in his humane comprehension and therefore cryed My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee Againe his words further imply that his separation was onely on Gods part never on his for he in this darknesse where was no light and this depth where no humane nature could feele any bottome yet hee kept union in faith and flames of love to God and his Neighbour in a right relation to the worlds redemption and therefore hee said My God my God as never letting him goe So raising his Soule from that depth of death under Gods flaming wrath by Faith and love and so rendred his Soule to God from his body and his body to dust a whole burnt offering saying Father into thy hands I commend my spirit therefore this was the first and great Resurrection of the Lord Iesus Christ in which hee raised himselfe by his own power from the depth of infernall death yea the most certaine death that is death in the substance as it was said in the day that thou eatest thou shalt certainely die the death Object It may be here objected Christ knowing his Fathers power to be infinite and therefore all things possible to him consequently Christ in his prayer willed this cup to passe him absolutely Answer Answer It doth not follow for although Christ did know as indeed he did that to God all things were possible in respect of his power yet hee knew this cup could not possibly passe him in respect of Gods justice he being the second Adam and therefore he willed it not absolutely Object Againe it will then be replyed that Christs prayer was vaine and consequently a sinne Answer It doth not follow for if he had not prayed that if it were possible to let that cup passe he had then sinned against the Law of nature which bound him to love himselfe consequently unfeynedly to desire to avoyd the destruction of himselfe But because in respect to Gods justice he submitted in Faith and love in a full resignation of himselfe to his Fathers will therefore he was right in both and wrong in neither Object But it will be againe objected that his prayer on the crosse implyed sâ—me ignorance in this great worke because he saith why hast thou forsaken me consequently he sinned Answer It doth not follow for it is one thing to be ignorant of what a man is not able to know by the perfections proper to his kinde and another thing to be ignorant of what he is bound to know but Christs ignorance was of the first sort because that vast distance of the twofold separation was more then his pure naturalls was able to comprehend as before is explained Againe although he was at the neerest brink of a totall and finall desperation yet hee sinned
the ten Fathers before the flood by beliefe of truth reached the Oracle of life from hand to hand through their generations page 53. 54 That God would rather have glorified his mercy in the salvation of the old world then his Iustice in their destruction yet all that perished in that flood perished not eternally p. 55 That upon Noah his offering in a figure Christs satisfactory sacrifice God renewed his mercy universally to the world page 56 57 A particular description how Noahs first off-spring carried themselves to God ungratefully for that mercy and how God proceeded against them for that page 58 From whence all hellish Paganisme did originally spring page 59 Because of mans apostasie from God in the object of justification therefore hee confined the Oracle which conveyed that object to narrow bounds three times pag ibid. What the number of eight did signifie in reference to Noah page 56 In what sense Christ is the Saviour of all men especially of them that believe page ibid. That God the second time predestinated man in Christ by covenant with Abraham man being by his universall apostasie then fitted to destruction page 60 61 In what sense God hated Esau loved Iacob p. 65. 72 73 That the Church of the Gentiles shall never totally depart from Christ as hath the Church of the Jewes p. 122. 123 In what sense God hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth page 74 How man comes now to be necessitated to sin p. 83. 84 85 What most properly is Gods Booke of Life page 88 That in heaven amongst the Saints there is no difference of degrees of glory page 89 90 That God gave rules how hee would have man put Christ to death so as hee would be well pleased with them that did it page 82. 83 That the Saints faith is not the condition of the covenant of grace page 87. 88. The Law of Moses distinctly explained page 67 What absurdities doe follow the misapprehending of Moses Law page 78. 79 What made the way to eternall life narrow to mankinde yet in that narrow way man might and some did attaine eternall life Chap. 7. That God directed the second Adam as well as the first by Allegories to his eternall happinesse in the work of the worlds redemption to which he was borne in five relations P. 100 A definition what that truth is to which Christ was the faithfull and true witnesse page 101 What righteousnesse of Christ it is which is imputed or accounted to man in generall or to the Saints more speciall page 113 That God never reprobated man personally to unavoydable damnation page 112. 113 That his powring out of his spirit extraordinarily upon all flesh was twofold page 115. Of the Jewes rejection in wrath page 85. 86 Of the Jewes reception to mercy page 86. 87 Of the Lords Supper or in what sense Christs flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drinke indeed page 66 Of Baptisme page 37. 38 A definition when the spirit of a man under the covenant of grace is dead in sinnes and trespasses page 121 A definition what man is a righteous man Chap. 11. A threefold degree of justifying faith page 128 Justifying faith defined and also the perfection of it page 131. 132 Other faiths distinguished from justifying faith pag 130 In what sense Christ is a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedeck page 123. 124 The different operations of justifying faith perfect and imperfect page 138 139 What reward God rendreth to the Saints for their good and evill workes done in the body page 140. 141 142 The manner how God perfecteth Iustifying faith in the Saints pagâ— 134 to 138 That the naturall liberty of the will is no barre to keepe man from an undissoluble union with God in the object of justification page 150 151 Of Manassâ—s Salomons Pauls and Peters different backslidings pag. 149. 150 God loved Abraham Daniel and David being considered personally no more then the persons of other men generally page 150. 151 In what sense the Saints raigned with Christ a thousand yeeres page 166. In what sense justification is referred to faith pag. 77. That the will of man is no more freed from sin and free to righteousnesse then it is freed by Christ therefore to attribute any thing well done by man from the force of his pure naturalls absurd page 150. 151 That God willed not Adams fall to the damnation of man yet God willeth the damnation of all that perish eternally page 150. 154 A briefe description of the Antichrist p. 155. 156 157 From the whole Treatise as opening the maine scope of the Scriptures is definitively laid downe what was Gods decree before the world was after the counsell of his owne will concerning the eternall state of mankinde page 167. 168 Errata PAge 5 line 15. for God reade good p 6. l. 32. erfections r. perfections p. 7. l. 4. boded r. lodged p. 11. l. 12. Adaras r. Adams p. 13. l. 42. farth r. earth p. 19. l. 36. conditiâ—n r. condition p. 23. cap. 4. l. 5. after work r. of p. 73. in marg untorne r. unborne p. 79. l. 29. blot out farre p. 86. in marg externall r. eternall p. 93 l. 25. wrath r. worth p. 99. l. 9. type r. high p. 114. l. 8. uncircumcised r. circumcised p. ib. l. 29. God r. Gods p. 117. l. 14. at Ephesus r. to the Ephesians A TREATISE OF FREE GRACE CHAP. I. Opening the first Adams pure Naturals which was his first Estate THe first Adam in this world passed through foure Estates two before his fall the third was his fall the fourth was that estate after his fall The first produced him good and not evill and this was the estate of the creation The second propounded to him good and evill and this was the State of the Covenant betweene God and him The third was his transgression namely his fall and this produced him the losse of all good and an hereditary possession of evill totally and eternally The fourth was the State of the Restauration of the world by the second Adams Redemption and this propounded to him and all mankind good and evill The Estate of the felicity of the Creâ—tion produced to Adam a fourefold good First his Personall perfections secondly his continuall support of the same thirdly an onenesse or selfenesse with the parts of the whole creation fourthly the perfections of the whole creation led his reasonable soule in love by his senses to a perfect union with God Of these in their order First his Personall Perfections are described by Moses Gen. 2 7 in three particulars first the Lord God formed man of the dust of the earth and that was the perfection of his body secondly he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and that was his soules creation by infusion thirdly man became a living soule that is compleatly composed in his Vegetative Sensitive and Rationalls or in his Personall
at God as the eye doth follow the light So that if Adam was created in knowledge after the Image of him that created him as certainly hee was then mans originall righteousnesse in his pure naturals was this namely Col. 3.10 Eph. 4.24 man * Mans original righteousnesse operating understandingly from the effect to the cause from the whole creation to the Creator according to the rules of the perfections of the creation as to him in whom he and they did live move and had their being The reason why thus to operate was his naturall righteousnesse is because it was right according to the perfection of that truth which shined in the perfections of the creatures to him Againe his holinesse in his pure naturalls was this his operating according to the perfections of the creatures in the Mans originall holinesse purity of his perfect love to God in all through all and above all living not so much amongst the perfection of the creatures where he was as in God whom he so loved and the reason why in these perfections of love was conteined his naturall holinesse was this Because by it hee did not onely set God above all creatures but also by it hee did rightly dedicate himselfe to Gods use onely and alone with al his soule with al his heart and with all his strength for it is the property of love to adde to the perfection of the thing loved more then to it selfe as wee see in Ionathan and Moses c. That Adam had this in the perfection of it is proved thus if all love in men generally doth arise from that agreeablenesse which is betweene the subject and the object as certainly it doth then in Adam most of all because to him the Subject God the Object did shine in all the perfection of the creation in a sutable agreeablenesse in all things in all respects as before is proved Therefore in Adam there was the truth of that perfect love to God againe and not onely the truth but the uttermost extent of love in the strength thereof for if the beauty of the Object being transparant to the Subject will draw forth all the strength which is in the Subject to it selfe as in Iâ—nathan to David 2 Sam. 1.26 Exod. 32.32 and Moses to God then much more did it draw forth Adams love to God as the most transparent object of beauty being an object of infinite goodnesse excitively drawing out his soule in all his strength in a liking and uniting affections in all through all and above all And from this Principle in his minde did naturally * The first originall of the first Table of the moâ—all law spring the first Table of the morall Law namely to love God with all the soule and with all the strength and here I will note these five observations for conclusion of this Chapter First that man in his innocency in the perfections of his righteousnesse and holinesse was but the receiver of all his good as his being passively by creation and his blessednesse actively by reception as by his sense his reason will and affections he enjoyed God And what had hee that hee had not received for it is proper to God alone to be being and blessednesse in himselfe and of himselfe Therefore both men and Angels are but receivers of all their good from God Secondly here observe that the perfection of the creation in the estate of pure naturalls had no dependancie upon Adams Personall perfections or his perfect operations whereby they could keepe or lose their created perfections by him therefore it was from some other cause whereby they became subject to fall into vanity for in this estate Adam depended upon them for the support of his Personall perfections and operations but not they upon him for they were created in their flourishing perfections before Adam was All being made first in their immediate dependancie upon God but hee last therefore in this estate they had no such dependancie upon him Thirdly here observe that man perfect in holinesse and righteousnesse did not by false apprehensions interpose the good in the Creatures betwixt God and him to cut off his blessed union of love to God nor God from him for hee by that perfect love loded himselfe and all that created good in Goâ— from whom it came and so returning to God the glorâ— of all his workes which hee had created and made and so gave God full content Fourthly observe that in the estate of perfect Creation of the world God establish'd his Glory to returne to him in a mutuall concordancie of mans good and no otherwise and therefore the state of Creation produced man good and no evill for God looked upon all and saw it was all good as liking it well Fiftly observe that although Adam did beleeve God to be being and blessednesse in himself and of himselfe and communicating all blessednesse to him yet this estate to Adam was not an estate of Faith for Adams beliefe of all this did arise to him by naturall demonstration from the perfections of the Creation according with the perfection of his Senses and Reason and so to his will Therefore all to him was but Naturall but in an estate of Faith to live by Faith in God First for the thing beleeved it must be Supernaturall Secondly man his minde must depend for the attayning of it upon the credit he gives to the word of God which only declares the thing to him but so was not this Estate and therefore this was not an Estate of Faith to Adam But his next estate to this was an Estate of Faith namely the worke of the Covenant which is the next ground to be treated of And so much for Adams first Estate being naturally perfect in all CHAP. II. Opening the Covenant betweene God and man GOD having revealed to Moses the Creation of the World hee in the next place makes knowne to him a Garden that was Planted by God himselfe without the helpe of man in which place comes in the second Estate of Adam before his fall and his entrance into this Garden was to enter into Covenant with God and God with him for good and evill for this Estate did not propose good only to Adam as did the Estate of Creation * Adam was by God fitly enabled to perform the Covenant in the behalfe of God and the world before God called him to so weighty a bâ—sinesse and the reasons why God led Adam from one perfect State to a higher aâ—e primarily two first because the created perfections of this world could not direct or admit him to enjoy God answerable to his vast comprehension being a Spirit so neare the Angelicall nature secondly because God was delighted to receive his glory at as high a pitch as his reasonable creature could apprehend or comprehend its felicity to all eternity but good and evill was in the Covenant propounded unto him I call it a Covenant
further objected the second Adams body and soule were seperated and his body raised from the grave not a spirituall but a naturall body of flesh and blood therefore mans naturall body of flesh and blood doth inherit the Kingdome of God in the glory of Angells The second Adam must be considered as a sinner not in his nature Answere nor an actuall transgressor but imputatively a sinner for he was so made sin for us that we might be made the righteousnesse of God given us imputatively in him But if the first Adam had kept the Covenant then no sin therefore no separation of God from him or the soule from God which was his death nor of Soule from Body which was but the shadow of death but he should have ascended in perfect union of love naturall and supernaturall to God and his Neighbour in the perfect union of Soule Body and should have knowne no separation in either for their bodies should have been made spirituall by a change as shall all mens which shall be found living at the generall judgement of the second Adam as Saint Paul affirmes 1 Cor. 15.33 As for Christs body being raised a naturall body of flesh and blood and continued so forty daies on earth it was for a speciall end that his body was detained from being glorified that space namely to be a firme object of Faith even to mens senses to confirme beliefe in them that Hee was Hee that had fulfilled all righteousnesse for the restauration of the world that he might say to doubting Thomas and truly toâ— reach hither thy finger and behold my hands and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be not fâ—ithlesse but believe and therefore to this purpose he shew'd himselfe to five hundred Brethren at once Iohn 20.27 Lu. 24.39 But that touch which hee propounded to Thomas hee denyed to Mary saying touch me not and gives her this as a reason why she must not touch him namely because hee was not ascended to his Father implying by his speeches to these two Thomas and Mary First that to man doubting the truth of him as the object of justification the touch of his crucified body was a helpe Secondly to Faith confirmed in his Resurrection as was Maries his body spiritualized and * Christ body being now made a spirituall body Essentially considered and not a body of flesh and blood then how can that be true that he wil come in the flesh and raigne in this Elementary world 1000 yeares glorified by his Ascention was its most proper object of beliefe Ioh. 20 17. Col. 3.1 Yet I do not meane that the glorious body of Christ is or that mans body should have bin nor shall be made a meer Spirit as is the reasonable Soules of mankinde but I meane that the Lord Iesus Christ is and mans body shall be changed into a Nature farre nearer the nature of the reasonable Soule then it was created or now is yet a body still and every man his own body but every way more able to answere the righteous desires and motions of the reasonable Soule much like the Angells which immediatly accord to doe Gods will to his eternall praise and glory Againe as concerning the creation I doe not meane that it should have bin if the first Adam had stood nor now shall be by the second Adams fulfilling the same Covenant and more be made so spirituall a Nature as are the highest Heavens the most immediate expressions that shadowed forth the Divine glory to men or Angels but I meane it should have bin and shall be partaker of the same generall nature supernaturallized as shall be the bodies of mankinde in some degree But if Adam had kept the Covenant then it should not growingly have travailed as now it doth to be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God for then because no sinne no corruption or vanitâ— but in its naturall perfections together with mankinde in his pure Naturalls it should have more sweetly travailed to its supercelestiall perfections And so to Man it should have bin as the Suburbs of the Celestiall glory but now as must mans Body As mans elementary body shal be changed into a spirituall body so shall the elementary bodies of the terrestriall and and caelestiall Globes be chaÌ„ged into a spirituall nature and thus much of the glorious libertie of the Sonnes of God shall this universe be partakers of so it must be changed as saith the Text Thou shalt change them and they shall be changed that is as saith Saint Peter into a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse implying it shall then no more detaine man evill or unrighteous or Divells as now it doth but as it was made for man righteous in perfection of the Creation and ordayned by the Covenant to a supernaturall perfection with man supernaturally righteous in the improvement of the Covenant so it now shall be againe by the second Adam restored to the glorious liberty of the Children of God as Saint Paul affirmes it travailes untill now Rom. 8.21 22 23 33. So much for the fourth point namely what is the issue or intended end of Gods Covenant with the first Adam Here observe First as God shaddowed out himselfe to mans perceivance * Or these shadowes may be called discoveries or light because the Apostle gives this definition that that which manifesteth is light Eph. 5.13 1. by the perfection of the Creation 2. by the supernaturall prefiguration of the Covenant 3. and will in the glory of the elect Angells by the most immediate expressions of his essentiall perfection whence observe That Gods essentiall glory essentially considered is unperceiveable by men and Angells and only knowne to himselfe and the ground is by reason of that vast distance that is betweene an infinite Essence and creatures that are at best but finite But yet further observe that so farre forth as God doth expressively manifest himselfe to men and Angells by objects sutable to their apprehensions so farre forth he is to them an object of Love and most tranquill Consolation and so farre forth as he appeares such a good and much more then they can comprehend so farre forth he is to men and Angels an object of divine worship and adoration but on the contrary so farre as God doth shadow out himselfe to men and Angels in objects proceeding against them and contrary to them and more then their apprehensions can comprehend so farreforth he is to men and Angels an object of dolor dread and ever sinking desperation Secondly observe that in either Estate Adam could not convey to his posterity more then what himselfe enjoyed therefore as in his second Estate by Covenant hee could not convey his naturall perfections alone if he had kept Covenant but both naturall and supernaturall joyntly together because then his naturall holinesse was a means by improvement to a supernaturall
this fruit to the ruine of him and all the world and his posterity if hee had not beene remisse of all comprised in the conditirn of the Covenant Now as Adams remissenesse brought on this sinne of omission so his sin of omission brought on his sin of commission namely the eating of the forbidden fruit for when the divell in the Serpent told them saying yee shall not die at all and also that their obedience to Gods commandement denying themselves that fruit was the onely thing that kept them from having their eyes opened to be as Gods to know good and evill thereupon the Woman seeing the Tree and that the fruit was good for food saith the Text and that it wâ—s pleasant to the eye and a Tree to be desired to make one wise Gen. 3.16 Shee tooke the fruit thereof and did eat and gave it to her Husband also and hee did eate to Gods great dishonour esteeming his truth as false and God himselfe to them as a meere imposture and so magnified Satan as faithfull beleeving his lyes for truth because they imbraced them with a plenary consent and thereby they ventured the world their posterity and themselves upon his lies and so became the Generation and Offspring of reprobate Divells for it was with them now as it was with the Divells as the Angels became Divells not by change of their Essence but by change of their operations not abiding in the truth so this made them and us * And as we aâ—e pâ—rtakers of the diaâ—olicall nature by union with his will opeâ—ations as Iâ—hn 8.44 so on the contrary are we partakers of the divine nature not essentially but by the union of our will with his word by which we fly the corruptions that are in the world through lust 2 Pete 1.4 17. Iohn 17.21.22 23. as Divells by full amity to Satans will and enmity to God in beliefe of Satans liâ—s And thus was this sinne finished And so much for the first branch namely The evill of Adams transgression Secondly the evill of punishment followes yet not evill punishment because it was just and therefore good and just because according to the equall Ballance of the conditions of the Covenant that was good or evill as Adam did obey or disobey and therefore because Adam transgressed the Covenant justice now required these particulars First the extinguishing the perfections of the Creation from us because it was dependant on Adams worke in the Covenant and hee by eating the forbidden fruite denyed its perfection therefore it to him in justice must not only be stript of aâ—l perfections but on the contrary by Gods power turned into defections crosse operations and hideous representations to mans toâ—turous torment as the first fruits of his remote damnation because th s was the contrary evill In this third â—â—tate man was more deepely dead in sinnes and trespasses then hee can be in this world in his fourth Estate although hee be twice dead and pluckt up by the roots Secondly under this dreadfull Estate Justice now required that in it be that could of stones tell how to raise Children to Abraham should finde a way to raise a Posterity of Aâ—aâ— which to the last of man kinde must have bâ—n produced in conceptions births breedings dâ—spositions and operations totally evill like the generations of Serpents yea as reprobate Divells for if all must have bin equivalently contrary in evill to the precedent good as we see it must therefore so in this particular Thirdly as the prefiguration of the Plantation was the most immediate meanes to leade man by Faith to his highest end in eternall felicity Justice requireth contrarily that now thâ—s Plantation must be turned into the most certaine demonstration within the confines of the creation of our full terminating in eternall tortures to all eternity As Adam by refusing Gods truth refused the place and fellowship of Glory with the elect Angells by choosing Satans he so on the contrary Justice now required that he and his posterity must descend successively to the place prepared for the Divell and his Angells in fellowship with them as to our last and everlasting Habitations Mat. 25.41 for now all man-kinde and Divells were in Reprobation As the Latitude of Gods glorious Attributes are displayed in â—aking shaping and creating the supercelestiall Heaven of Heavens to be the most immediate expressions which demonstrate the glory of Gods Essentiall perfections to the ultimate felicity that men or Angells can be capable of On the contrary of this place for Torment Justice required that the Latitude of Gods Attributes glorious in power and wisdome must be stretcht out at as equall a distance to make shape or create this place with most dreadfull visions of the Almighty in the most torturing torments that the nature of Divells or mans body made spirituall can be capable of for a Spirituall body is not a body glorified no more then to be a Spirit but it is powerfully capable to inherit the glory of Angells or the misery of Divells to which we all should have descended none excepted for the Covenant was for al and al alike therefore in this vast depth of Gods pure justice we must ever have bin sinking in despaire never to come to the bottome thereof for the wrath of God must have bin feeding it as with Rivers of fire and brimstone to our torâ—urous torments to all eternity therefore endlesse easelesse remedilesse in darknesse never seeing light Esay 30.33 Againe mans conscience beholding the evill of his sinne how easily really certainly hee might once not only have avoâ—ded this torment but on the contrary might have attained to the height of all felicity to all eternity This worme would to Adam and will to all men which will needs be perishing be ever gnawing with griefe and never cease and so all man-kinde should hereditarily throughout all generations discend as travailing together to the foresaid place of their ultimate miserie and infelicity with this Creation as stript of its precedent perfections into crosse defections and operations c. Yet man not then sunke downe to his ultimate misery by Separation of his Body from his Soule as now man doth but in a personall union both of body and Soule together For the justice of the Covenant could not admit so much rest to mans Body as to sleepe in the dust nor any time of respit of execution for a day to come to judge the world buâ— immediate execution was to passe according to judgement In the day â—hou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death But this Judgement pass'd not to execution according to justice because that as by the offence of one judgement passed upon all men to condemnation Rom. 5.16 even so by the righteousnesse of one the free guift came upon all men to the justification of life And so we are come to Adam and our fourth Estate in the restauration of the world by Redemption in the second
downe to be the sixth day of the weeke and ninth houre of that day implying this was the day of the week and houre of that day in which he first in the Lambs blood did render up his life figuratively then in the type and now in the truth the one answering the other in the circumstance of time in the agreeablenesse of the type with the antitype And therefore rightly doth Saint Iohn take it for granted that Christ was the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world Rev. 13.8 For the world received that sixth day a threefold beginning The first was the spire of perfection by creation Secondly the world received the beginning of supernaturall perfection founded in the covenant with Adam When all being lost by Adams fall the foundation for recovery of all was laid in the second Adams worke of the Covenanâ— the same sixth day and ninth houre of the same day and therefore hee was the Lambe slaine in the beginning for to God and to faith the worke of a perfect rest was then finished by Christ from the foundation of the world although unbelieving man enters not this rest neither by faith here nor by fruition hereafter as Heb. 4. Again the unconceiveable danger required that Christ as the second Adam in the Lambs blood must enter the worke in that minute that Adam fell otherwise justice must have proceeded immediatly to bring the judgement past to condemnation to an unconceiveable execution therefore hee entred the worke of the Covenâ—nt the same minute thâ—t Adam fell rendring his dearest life to Divine justice figuratively in the blood of the Lamb as slaine from the beginning of the foundation of the world Revelat. 13. vers 8. Againe he onely and alone in that point of time did undertake this worke because hee onely and alone was the spotlesse Lambe or the sinlesse man in that figure and therefore onely and alone fit for that worke Again he only and alone was the lamb of God personally God-man in this figure therefore he only and alone fitly able under flames of scorching wrath to undertake the satisfaction of the justice of the Covenant by perfect flames of burning love in his pure naturalls as a meanes by love supernaturall to attaine the supercelestiall felicity of the glory of Angells by taking upon him the imputed guilt of Adams sin and that dreadfull execution which immediately must have past for the same So much for the third point That by Christ his undertaking the worke of the Covenant hee removed for ever the judgement which passed on all men to condemnation and therefore it never passed to execution not so much as to any one mans damnation for Adams transgression For Christ no sooner undertooke to answer the justice of the Covenant in the type but in stead of immediate execution God in Christ manifested himselfe reconciling the world to himselfe not imputing their sinne seeking to save that which was lost saying to Adam Where art thou What hast thou done c. Gen. 3. verse 9. Secondly and that hee was so reconciling is more manifest in the 15. verse For God having cursed the Serpent hee then manifested the deliverance by Christ saying to Satan in the Serpent I will put enmity betweene thee and the woman and betweene her seed and thy seed it shall breake thy head and thou shalt bruise his heele Thirdly whereas the justice of the Covenant required the production of all mankind unnaturally from crosse operations in the powers of the whole creation as is described Chapt. 3. yet now comes God and gives us a naturall production of all mankinde by a mercifull promise in a two-fold respect First to the seed of the woman with no promise of addition of sorrow to his conception or production that is Christ as the first in nature borne from the dead fall of Adam of every creature restoring Gods Image in all Gen. 3.15 Col. 1.15.16 17 18 19. Secondly a promise of a naturall conception and production of all mankinde but with the addition of the taste of sower herbes of sorrow for unâ—o the woman he said I will greatly increase thy sorrow and thy conception In sorrow shalt thou bring forth thy children verse 16. Fourthly justice from the Covenant required mans personall support from the power of God in the torturous powers of the Universe But now God gives a nutrimentall support by food naturall and onely with a taste of the sowre herbs of sorrow Gen. 3.17 For unto the man saith God because thou hast harkened unto the voyce of thy wife and hast eaten of the tree which I commanded saying Thou shalt not eat of it but saith not in the words of the Covenant thou shalt certainly die the death but saith onely this Cursed is the earth for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eate of it all the dayes of thy life c. Fifthly the justice of the Covenant admitted no separation of soule and body but our descent to our deepest torment must have bin in personall union of soule body together But now there is a separation and mans body hath a time of rest in the dust this is implyed in this Text Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt returne againe And now put all this sorrow together and then it is no more but this Even sowre herbs for man to relish his sweet mercy in the Lambe of God by whom hee passeth over all his wrath for Adams transgression by which we were unrecoverably rejected and reprobated with divels from God by the justice of the Covenant but according as God fore-appointed Christ and chose us in him before the foundation of the world that wee should be holy and without blame before him in love so hee elected us in his beloved from reprobate divels with whom in justice wee were to remaine But because this deepe mysterie is wrapt up in that of Genes 3.15 and Rom. 5 18. therefore I will briefly open these two Texts before I passe to the fifth point viz. Unto Satan he said I will put enmity between thee and the woman and betweene thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heele And whereas God saith to the Divell I will put enmity between thee the woman is first implyed that God only could as the case then stood produce this enmity in this word I. Secondly that his will was resolved so to doe in this word I w ll That the Divell formerly conceived if he could but get the woman into amity by beliefe of his lies then the justice of the Covenant would not admit to dissolve that amity much lesse to put enmity but to Satan saith God I will put enmity betweene thee and the woman Now here ariseth a three-fold quere first what is meant by this word put secondly what is meant by this word enmity thirdly what is meant by this word woman First this word put implyeth this that by divine Justice all righteousnesse
so by him then were all men saved from the imputative damnation of Adams transgression wherefore in this respect all mankinde is the heele of Christ in this relation But from this relation Satan drawes us in our remissenesse by lying vanities to forsake our own mercies and so to perish not for Adams transgression but for our owne against this grace in Christ and so are bruised by Satan for thou shall bruise his heele Secondly as God is the Saviour of all men from Adams imputative damnation so more especially hee is the Saviour of them that beleeve and that in two respects First by pardoning their owne personall transgressions against this universall mercy Secondly by estating them in that eternall life by Faith in Christ which they lost by their owne sinne and in Adams for saith Christ he that beleeveth in me hath eternall life and is past from death unto life And because these men by beliefe of truth set to their Seales that God is true in his guift of Christ and his righteousnesse imputed and in the perfection of parts in some degree of inherent righteousnesse witnesse Gods truth against Satans lies or lying vanities Therefore Satan by tentations and other envyous operations as by Cain to Abell doth bruise this heele of Christ or but his heele for this company of the Faithfull here Militant in comparison of that with Christ triumphing in heavenly glory is but the heele of Christ and thou shalt bruise his heele Thirdly because the second Adam did apply all the power of his pure Naturalls of holinesse and righteousnesse a meanes witnessing Gods word of truth for good and evill opposing Satans lyes therefore Satan by himselfe or men adhering to him did by envious operations as he did by Cain to Abel crush Christ himselfe yet it did not extinguish his Faith and love to God and his Neighbour in the least degree but drew it out the more as in due place it will appeare Yet all these envious operations being but extended to the affliction of his body and soule being his nature humane the lowest nature in his Sacred Person therefore it was but his heele as it was foretold thou shalt bruise his heele Fourthly againe as if God should say to Satan true it is that in the first Adams faithlesse fall from me thou didst devour all both heele body and head but against this the second Adam whom I wil raise up in the nature of all men of the seed of the woman to him doe thy worst yet thou shalt but bruise his heele at the most and thou shalt bruise his heele So much for opening of this first out-breake of the object of Faith once given to the Saints in this fourth estate of man Gen. 3.15 As Adams traÌ„sgression and the guilt and punishment was from the justice of the Covenant reckoned or imputed to al mankind in the fall even so by Gods mercy in the free guift of Christs righteousnesse reckoned or imputed to all was that sinne guilt and punishment removed from all and therefore noÌ„e ever perished for that transgression for although Adams eat ng the forbidden fruit and the demerit of it was not any mans indâ—vidually but Adams yet God in the justice of the Covenant did reckon or impute it to all and every individuall of mankinde as if it had bin their own act and demerit even so although Christs righteousnesse and merit of it was his own onely and alone individually considered yet that righteousnesse and merit being to satisfy Gods justice in behalfe of the world it was therefore by Gods free guift in mercy reckoned or imputed to all and every individuall of man generally and to man beleeving more specially as is declared but what this righteousnesse is which was so imputed see the end of the 8. Chap. Againe Rom. 5.18 the Apostle saith for as by the offence of one judgement came upon â—ll men to condemnation even so by the righteousnesse of one the free guift came upon all men to the jâ—stification of life from these words I will make these briefe observations following First that in the next verse before this Christs righteousnesse is called the guift of righteousnesse but in this Text it is spoken as if Christs righteousnesse were the procuring cause of the guift of it selfe as imputed to come upon all men and the truth is so it was for had not Christs righteousnesse in the figurative lamb to the justice of the Covenant in every respect answered the imputative unrighteousnesse of Adam the righteousnesse of Christ could not imputatively by free guift have come as it did upon all men to the justification of life for till the justice of the Covenant was so satisfied although God was willing to impute it to life yet he could not for as God cannot lye so he cannot deny his truth but all mankinde must certainly have dyed according to Gods-word that death in the day that Adam did sinne Secondly here note that this free guift of Christs imputative righteousnesse came at this time on all men unfought for or unthought on by them for when God brought this guift to them Adam runne away from him therefore here God waâ— found of them which sought him not Thirdly here observe that this free guift of righteousnesse came upon al men when there was not any d) See this justification before mans faith and without faith cleared in the answer to the 10 Objection in Chap. 4. Faith in man for we by Adam faithlessely betray'd Gods truth and at this time as in our naturall roote in his loynes runne from the God of truth Therefore Faith foreseene was now no cause or instrumentall meanes of all mens salvation or election from Divells in Adams imputative damnation 4. Againe observe that this guift of imputative righteousnesse conferred upon all men viz justification for saith the Text It came upon all men to justification Therefore mans Faith can be but the receptive instrument of this justification and justification with Faith or justification without Faith is all one except that in the last mans receptive instrument is of use and this presents unto us two things first a definition of Iustification what justification then was men having not as yet the guift of Faith Secondly what it was not And first in a word this justification by Chriâ—ts impâ—tative righteousnesse was this the pardon and the removall of the imputative sinne guilt and punishment due for Adams transgression as farre as the East is from the West and so gave man a gracious acceptance and at this time this was the justification of all men Secondly mans owne works of righteousnesse was not his justification nor no good works foreseene for as now man by the fall his works were onely so euill as the Divells so all mens works but Christs works in this fourth estate of Restauration at best are but in the perfection of parts by reason of the Serpentine seed which hereditarily runnes down in the
reason is because their mindes by contrary habites were uncapable of a depth or settled reception of the seed of life as is the rocke to retaine any seed to fructification and therefore these could abide no force of triall but fell away and came to nothing Againe the third sort of mens mindes on which fell the seed of life were further disposed for reception of Christ the object of Faith as verse 14. and that which fell amongst thornes which when they have heard goe forth and are choaked with the cares and the pleasures of this life and bring no fruit to perfection implying they went forward in the profession of true Religion yet their fruit fell short of perfection because they came too much in the spirit of Cain glewed to the possessions and pleasures of this world so extinguishing in their soules the operation of Gods spirit in the seed of life and therefore come to nothing Againe the fourth sort of men are further disposed to the object of Faith For they in an honest and good heart from the force of the Gospel which enlivened as in all the rest the principle of amity to God and of enmity to Satan and it being carefully preserved by them came to heare the Oracle of life and so they received the spirit of Faith to receive the object of Faith and so brought forth fruit with patience For verse 15. the Text saith but that on the good ground are they which with an honest and good heart having heard the word keepe it and bring forth fruit with patience Now that all this was spoken by Christ with respect to future times in the ordinary course of his ambassadors in the administration of the seed of life is plaine in the 3 next ensuing verses For when he had said that the end of this heavenly light was to be divulged imply'd in the 16. verse and that by it all secrets shall be discovered as in the 17. verse thereupon in the 18. verse hee exhorts saying Take heed therefore bow yee heare for whosoever hath that is his principle of amity and enmity to Satan preserved in dispositions to God to him shall be given that is the power of Faith to receive Christ the object of life and whosoever hath not that is at least his renewed principle or disposition preserved in him from him shall be taken away even that which he seemed to have as wee see in the precedent sorts of ground all was taken away and came to nothing onely in this fourth sort of men the seed of life and glory remained Therefore O man be faithfull in thy little and God which gave thee that to receive more likewise will replenish thee with more as from the first disposition to the power of faith and in it leade thee from degree to degree of an honest and good heart to bring forth fruit with patience for in it is a threefold strength in the object of faith A threefold degree of justifying faith namely of Babes young Men and Fathers in the faith and briefly of these in their order And first of Babes and of them there are two sorts one by backsliding from Christ the object of Faith these I will onely point at as Hebr. 6. verse 4.5 6. is implyed the strength which formerly they had and Hebr. 5.12.13 is expressed their weaknesse into which they were fallen even such as needed milke unskilfull in the word of righteousnesse needing to be taught againe what was the first principles of Religion even Babes saith the Text but these I passe A second sort of Babes are those which for their union by faith in Christ but newly begun have not had time for further growth in Faith and love to such Saint Peter writes as new borne Babes to desire the sincere milke of the word that they may grow thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 So Saint Paul saith hee could not write unto them as unto spirituall but as unto carnall as unto Babes in that I have fed you with milke 1 Cor. 3.1 So such were the Apostles themselves at their first union with Christ by beliefe of truth as for instance Iames and Iohn esteemed the glory of this world before their sacred function desiring to be chiefe in it but Christ instructed them the contrary Mat 20.26 So likewise Saint Peter childishly esteemes his strength in faith and love to Christ above his fellowes or what indeed it was but Christ informed him to judge better of himselfe and others Ioh. 21 15.17 And in a word at first they in their undergoing their functions or beliefe of the mysteries of Christ were but weaklings for hee saith I have many things to say unto you but you cannot beare them now Joh. 6.12.13 So much for the first degree In the second degree they are more strong as having overcome much of this childishnesse hence Saint Iohn saith I have written to you young men because yee are strong and the word of God abideth in you and you have overcome that wicked one the first Epistle of Saint Iohn 2. 14. and in the 15. and 16. verses hee leaves them a rule to preferre this strength as not to love the world neither the things that are in the world c. And hee foreseeing the danger in this second degree of strength in an honest and good heart namely to fall finally from their union with Christ specially when youth in nature and youth in Faith meete in one and the same subject whence S. Paul forbids a young scholler in Christs Schoole to meddle publiquely with the mysteries of Christ or with great warinesse at least and his reason is lest hee be puft up and fall into the condemnation of the Divell so Saint Iohn layeth downe another rule to preserve this strength saith he let that abide therefore in you which you have heard from the beginning if that which you have heard from the beginning remaine in you yee also shall continue in the sonne and in the father 1 Epist 2. ch 14. 24. 1 Tim. 3.6 implying if young men strong in the faith carefully avoyd the reflect acts of Faith as tending to pride and humbly follow the object of life and glory they may attaine to a perfect age in the object of Faith For although in this second degree be more danger to fall by pride then in the former yet here is more strength to presse forward to the sacred object of justification for a continued acception in that righteousnesse imputed also further power to follow it in point of imitation in an honest and good heart to bring forth fruit with patience to a perfect man in Christ and so much for the second degree of justifying Faith In opening the third degree I will first define what this justifying Faith is Secondly define what the perfection of this justifying Faith is Thirdly in the eleventh Chap. following shew how this third degree or this perfection of Faith is attained in men of an honest and
by apostasie went the furthest out from God that ever returned and was received to mercy so that in these foure in each condition God hath shewed us the utmost line or length of the riches of his mercy in which hee will be pleased to glorifie his grace to miserable man For if Salomon and Peters spirits had but degenerated into Manasses and Pauls hatred they had fallen into the unpardonable sinne So on the contrary if Manasses and Pauls degeneration had beene from Salomons and Peters life of justifying beliefe or but from beliefe of divine testimony as divine testimony they had fallen into the unpardonable sinne wherefore Saint Paul right saith of himselfe I did it ignorantly in unbeliefe therefore obtained mercy implying otherwise hee had never Object 3 beene received to grace or glory It will be objected mans will is naturally seee (a) Yet the will of man is no more free from sinne nor free to righteousnesse then it is freed by Christ therefore to attribute any thing well done by man from the force of his pure naturals is absurd See the margent pag. 16. and pag. 28. 38. 121. choosing or refusing all objects vlountarily according to it's naturall liberty consequently it cannot be terminated so firmly to Christ as not to fall finally from the object of life Answer If in Justice God to evill men by detaining his spirit from them they then are necessitated to doe evill being servants to sinne and free from righteousnesse notwithstanding this naturall (b) If in that generall apostasie God did reserve the wils of 7000 so to himselfe as that they did not bow the knee to Baal and also will reserve the wills of men to be a Church to him amongst as Gentiles so as that they shall never depart totally from Christ in the object of justification as hath the Church of the Iewes this 1600. yeeres and also in those dayes when he shall call backe the Iewes that he will then so reserve their wills to him in that object as they shall never more depart from being a Church then why may not the wills of these men which so operate to God be for the glory of his justice in the distribution of his mercy so reserved to God in the object of justification as that finally they shall never depart from him in it notwithstanding the wills naturall liberty which is alwayes free in its choyce freedome of their wills in the midst of light manifested to them as in the rejected Iewes we see formerly proved Then why not on the contrary cannot God according to his promise reserve the will of man to himselfe in the object of life so as it shall never finally depart from him in the object of Faith and reserve it 's naturall liberty free as when hee was found of the Gentiles which sought him not perswading Iaphet dead in sinnes and trespasses to dwell in the tents of Shem as at the preaching of Peter 500 in the voluntary freedome of their will returned to him Againe as if it could not be done by God because our reason doth not perceive the manner how he doth it 1 King 66. as for example Hee made the yron to swim and yet it was yron still as it was in its nature when it did sinke to the bottome of the river By the same reason we may question the growth of our bodies for although we see they are growne in height and bignesse yet the manner how they doe grow is invisible to us Likewise our corne which wee sow the manner how it growes is invisible to us and so is the operation of God to this growth of a reasonable soule to him in this object of life as is implyed by our Saviour Mark 4.28 Ioh. 3.8 And from this same ground whence wee know not the specificating internall formes of things it is that we know not God his terminating of the will wherefore wee must in this point live by faith that God doth it according to his Word and so rest It will be objected that although Mat. 25. Christ impartially Object 4 renders to every man according to his worke either as they did rightly use or wrongly abuse the talents yet hee then at first gave some men more talents then others and to some fewer consequently some at the first are indued with more abilities whereby they may attaine this third degree of the perfection of faith and to others fewer abilities consequently Christs proceedings herein was not equally alike to all for it must be farre more hard to some to attaine perfection of Faith then others consequently all could not attaine this stability alike Yet in this unequall distribution Answ Christs proceeding is to all and all alike without personall respects to one more then to another for if hee honoured some men with more excellencies then hee did others as he over did and will to the end of the world yet it was not with any respects of love to those mens persons more then to others but as to a part for the good of the whole and for his owne praise in all as for instance when God gave to Bezâ—led and Aholiab and others the spirit of wisdome more then to the rest was it not to build the Tabernacle and the Temple those figures of his favour in this object of life and glory to build up the Congregation to him in this sacred object of Faith Exod. 31.2.6 Likewise God honoured Daniel Mordecai and Hester but was it not to continue this nationall Spouse to himselfe in that relation and so Moses David and Salomon to the same end Againe in the new Testament to some hee gave the faith of miracles some to speake all languages some the gift of prophecie some Doctors some Apostles but was it not for them whom he predestinated to this glory with Abraham namely the Iewes and also us the Gentiles and for this end it was why he so highly honoured Abraham from the den of divells to be a friend of God that so God might become friends with us in Christ to the glory of his owne grace but whereas sinne in us by our apostasie had abounded against him so he on the contrary by them might in Christ superabound in mercy to us for if the meanes as a meanes be inferiour to the end as certainly it is then their superiority was to make them subject to our good in Gods glory by Christ Jesus Therefore Gods proceedings is equally and all alike without personall respects to any more then others Object 5 It will be objected that all mankind which are damned in eternall misery occasionally perish for Adams offence once committed consequently God willed Adams fall as an occasion or meanes to their damnation consequently by them their damnation is unavoydable for who hath resisted his will Answ I deny that God willed Adams fall so much as an occasion to the damnation of them that perish for as already is proved God willed their rise to