a way of Satisfaction Impetration Merit or Intercession it were true but as he words it it may be very Erronious and it is to Scrue an Error he doth thus express it Hence because he finds Repentance and Faith are so necessary to our Salvation he hath in his Pulpit endeavoured to inform Men how Christ repented and that he repented for us and though he doth not-publish it in this Sermon as he did elsewhere That Christ believed for us yet you 'll see presently how much he endeavours to convince us that he did so for if he believed whilst humbled it was for us and it 's imputed to us as he oft in this Book affirms Had I Mr. M's liberty what would I call this Error for though it 's in Christ's Strength and Grace that we Repent Believe turn to God and do good Works yet if we do not these as our Personal Acts Misery will be our Portion If you not I believe not you shall die in you Sins John 8. 24. Except you not I repent you shall all perish saith Christ Luke 13. 3. I say Except your Righteousness not mine exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Matt. 5.20 Had Mr. M. been an Auditor he had not said Lord thou understandest not the Gospel it 's thou art to do these things this is the deep Counsel of God however legally thou speakest He might as well say it 's thou Christ shall perish as thou Christ art to repent 2. Faith is a prime and principal part of our Being conformable to the Image of Christ c. He is the first Pattern and original Copy of Believing P. 62 63. Reply Is Christ's Faith the Pattern of Faith in Christ I remember somewhere Dr. Goodwin speaks of God's trusting Christ till he was Incarnate and of Christ's trusting the Father since the time of his Sufferings Yea we may easily grant that Christ believed God's Promise and as a Man depended and relied on God's Power and Truth But this is no other Faith than Adam in Innocency acted than the Law of Works directed to By this account we may think better of the State of Pagans than most do for without Gospel-Revelation they may believe in God trust him and depend on him But what is this to the account the Scripture gives of Faith in Christ Did Christ come to himself as a Saviour Did he receive himself as a Crucified Redeemer Did he eat his own Flesh and drink his own Blood for Eternal Life Did he plead his own Merits and rely on his own Righteousness for Pardon and restored Peace Did he consent to be married to himself Did he look to himself for Healing Or to use Mr. M's account of Faith in this very Page Did he go out of himself unto himself for all Yea take part of his Description of Faith in Christ p. 39 40.1 The Subject of Faith is the Heart of a convinced broken-hearted Sinner c. The very Nature of Faith and the acting of the Soul in it is such as doth imply and include a Sight and Sense of Sin and Misery and a lively heart-influencing Conviction of utter Helplesness in a Man's self and unworthiness to be helped by God c. Reader Doth Christ's Faith in the Nature of it imply a Sense of utter Helplesness and Unworthiness in himself or of his Sin and Misery The Reason he gives for Justling out such as Abram and setting up Christ for the original Copy of believing in himself is this The Humane Nature of Christ lives and subsists in the second Person leaning on the Eternal Deity of the Son of God it hath its Subsistence in the Bosom of the Godhead c. and hath the Eternal Power of the Deity clasping about it P. 63. The Apostle did not know this Faith when he said that Charity was greater than Faith Well as Sublime as this Reason seems to be I will venture to say This is not that Faith in Christ which the Gospel requires of Sinners 1. I will give you a Reason of Mr. M's which besure is none of the best P. 7. Christ's dwelling in our Nature is no part of the Punishment of Sin for then the Divine Nature only is punished and not the Humane at all nor the Person It 's a bad one for what he brings it since that Assuming the Nature and dwelling in it differ and I have answered it before and it needs a great Allowance to keep it from But if the Sufferings or Acts of only one Nature be not the Sufferings or the Acts of the Person of Christ then the acting of Faith of the one Nature on the other Nature is not acting of Faith upon the Person of Christ and consequently not Gospel-Faith which is to be acted on the Person of Christ here the Humane Nature believes but that is not with him Christ that believes it believes on the Divine Nature and that with him is not Christ who is believed on What now is become of Christ's Believing even by his own Reasoning 2. The Object of Faith in Christ is God-Man Mediator a Crucified Christ c. but the Deity of the Son of God abstractedly considered is not God-Man Mediator c. Truly if our gospel-Gospel-Faith is specified by this I see not the need of Christ's Incarnation or Death yea or regard thereto 3. This leaning and especially to the purposes assigned to this Act of Christ's Humane Nature is not all that which is Essential to the Faith in Christ which the Gospel requires But why should I Scribble the little Paper left It 's like the Reasons he gave for Christ's Repenting viz. The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me and he was a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with Grief 3. He plainly discovers his Mind to be that Faith is an Act of the Soul whilst spiritually dead and unregenerate P. 61. He joins with such as say Faith is the means and way of our being made spiritually alive rather than our acting Life as being already brought into a state of Life as the Bodies Clasping hold on the Soul by the animal Spirits which are Corporeal things is rather the means of Life than an act of Life c. P. 62. Suppose that the principle of Grace begotten and created in us in Regeneration contain in it the Habit of Faith which I will not now call in question Yet c. P. 32. All our new Obedience and all the Graces of the Spirit comprized under that one word Love are the Effects and Fruits of our being justified P. 60. In Vnion by Faith which is the cause of this Union we are brought immediately into a state of Spiritual Life first Relative then Qualitative c. Repl. Here with the Arminians he denieth the habit of Faith necessary to the actings of Faith He is contrary to the Assembly of Divines who tell us That God in effectual Vocation takes away
as free from Condemnation as if they had never sinned and accepted and entitled to eternal Glory as if they had kept the whole Law Rom. 8.1 There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit These are in that State wherein the Curse is restrained from arresting them Yea they are Heirs joynt heirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 the Gospel-Covenant is their Charter of right which is secured by the Death of Christ the Oath of God and Sacramental Seals The Death of Christ is to be considered not only as what purchased the Covenant-Blessings of which I have spoken before but also as what ratifies the Covenant to our Faith by Death its irrevocable as a Testament and it must be sure or the Lord of Glory had never died to secure the ends of it his Death is too great a thing to admit a doubt of the certainty of that Charter by which the Effects of that Death are granted Christians being thus free and thus accepted and entitled proclaims them Righteous Exh. Be comforted notwithstanding your Faults and Weaknesses whilst your Hearts are upright in God's Covenant What is not a just Challenge to the Sincerity of thy Faith ought not to make thee conclude thy self Accursed or quit thy hopes of Glory Failings may cause Mournings that we are so Imperfect when they ought not to perplex us as if we were in a lost Condition The same Mouth that delivered the Curse against Sinners in the Law hath published Forgiveness and applied Redemption to Believers though Sinners by the Gospel Gal. 3.13 14. If your Faults be objected Christ hath answered them If the Weakness of Graces be objected Christ hath made up that If the Greatness of Gospel-Benefits be objected it 's Christ hath purchased them and they are bestowed not for thy Graces but for Christ's Obedience though it be to such as even thou art if a sincere Penitent that they are given for the Gospel-Rule doth only appoint the Persons who receive the Benefits but not ordain us to make the Satisfaction for the Sin to be pardoned or to purchase the Glory to be received Wilt thou not let Christ appoint his own Legatees to his own Bequeathments and rejoyce in the Gifts whilst thou art the Person to whom he declares they belong If he had promised Heaven to a meer Sinner as such thou oughtest as a Sinner to expect it with Joy But he hath promised it to all believing Saints however imperfect and must not thou with Comfort look for it and not quit thy hopes till thou cease to be a believing Saint Yea he hath ministred further to thy Joy That he will influence thy Soul by his Warnings against Apostasie by Sacraments and by constant Supplies so that thou shalt Persevere 10 Pro. Christians become thus Righteous upon believing by the Righteousness of Christ imputed to them in their Justification and by the continuance of this Imputation they remain Righteous Upon our first believing we are justified Rom. 3.29 and there is a constant Imputation of Christ's Righteousness to the Believers for his continued Justification Did Men cease to be Believers God would cease to impute the Righteousness of Christ to them Did God cease to impute Christ's Righteousness Men would cease to be justified and did we cease to be justified we should be subject to Condemnation But blessed be God he will cause the true Believer to persevere in Faith and so he shall remain in a justified State God will preserve the Habit of Faith enable him to frequent Acts of Faith and still prevent damning Infidelity he will keep thee from a prevailing distrust and rejection of Christ as a Saviour Luke 22.32 and from reigning Disobedience to him as thy Lord. I shall explain this great Truth of Justification by the imputed Righteousness of Christ which may be conceived of according to the following Heads 1. There is a making us Righteous as it is a giving a Believer a right to Pardon Absolution from the Curse Adoption and Acceptance which is by imputing the Righteousness of Christ to the Believer We must be made Righteous before a just God can pronounce us so or deal with us as such there must be a right to Pardon e're God will Pardon this right to Pardon is given by God's imputing to us the Righteousness of Christ and the effect of that imputing Act seems to be the first Consideration in the Change made in our State as justified For the better apprehending of this you may remember I have before informed you that Christ's Righteousness may be considered 1 As the full Performance of the Conditions of the Covenant of Redemption which included a full Conformity to the Law of Works yea and morâ— 2 An adjudged Right to the promised Reward for his performance of those Conditions Now both these are imputed to the Believer in this first Consideration Of giving a Believer a right to Pardon c. 1. The Righteousness of Christ as it was the Performance of the Conditions of our Salvation is mediately imputed to the Believer God adjudgeth that what Christ did and suffered for the actual Remission of Sinners was really done and suffered for us it belongs to us we are the designed Objects of that actual Remission to procure which for us that Obedience was rendred Iohn 3.16 God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting Life Here we see that God gave his Son to do and suffer what he did that Believers thereby might not Perish but eternally Live Now by Grace beinâ— Believers that we may have a right not uâ— Perish but Live we have what the Son â— given did and suffered reckoned and accounteâ— to us God looks on what Christ did as donâ— for us and esteems us Believers them whom his Son did that for and therefore by his gracious Ordination we are the very Persons thaâ— have a right to Pardon of those Sins for whicâ— we were liable to Perish and excluded from Life I say Christ's very Performance of the Conditions is imputed mediately in this manner If one give me my Liberty which he voluntarily purchased for me at a dear Rate he mediately gives me what he paid for my Ransom though immediately I receive my Liberty and a right thereto whereas the redeeming Price was paid to my Detainer in whose hands I was Captive So it was to God that Christ made Satisfaction and yielded the Meriting Price yet it is applied and reckoned so to the Believer that he receives the same Blessings thereby as if himself had rendred it because it was for his Title to those Benefits that it was rendred by Christ. Yea by this Imputation it becomes his Security for all saving Benefits and pleadable with God by him with respect to what is purchased for Believers thereby as if he had endured and performed the things Christ did Since God
do his Commands that they may have right to the Tree of Life Mr. M. saith you are gone if you expect it Christ saith Luke 21.36 Watch and Pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man Mr. M. tells you he thinks it Inconsistent with Faith to do so 11. They effectually strike at Christ's Government in one of the Principal Means he hath pitched on to administer it by in our present State for with them it 's Damnable to be excited to Duty by hope of any good upon Obedience or by fear of missing that Good if we obey not And so in Truth Promises and Threats are Nullities as to God's Government Hence Mr. M. resolves all the Reasons of Obedience into Motives of what God hath done for us Page 70. Indeed they are Motives but they are not the only Motives nor the chief Motives that God makes use of nor what are fittest to impress Mankind yea or Christians whilst they be so Imperfect and encompassed with Sâ—ares We see they restrain not Wrath Malice Faction c. in too many How dare Men say Is it Damning to submit to such Arguments which God so often useth from future Rewards and Punishments because he sometimes moves us from past Privileges or present Decencies Yea though you should add the Authority of the Precepts whilst you divest them of all Promises and Threatnings to invigorate Mens Compliances therewith We say Frustra est praecipere quod impune potest negligi Christ saith Iohn 13.17 If you know these things happy are you if you do them John 12 48 He that rejecteth me and receives not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken that shall judge him Gal. 6.7 8. Be not deceived God is not mocked what a Man soweth that shall he reap For he that soweth to the Flesh shall of the Flesh reap Corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap Life Everlasting I might transcribe the greatest part of the Bible to prove this 12. They dreadfully Contradict themselves in all the profitable Sermons they preach Mr. M. saith it 's a Damnable Error in me to say that God gives any Benefit in a way of Reward or Encouragement upon Believing though not as a Debt or as if Faith merited ought yea and it 's in and for Christ's Righteousness that it is given Yet hear himself Page 68. Oh get Faith see that you Believe for in this way it will come to pass that the Righteousness of Christ shall be upon you If a Man should ask him Doth God command me to believe Ans. Yes But doth God by you perswade me to believe by this Argument That Christ's Righteousness shall be upon me Ans. Yes sure or it 's a meer Delusion Q. Well but shall I have it upon my Believing A. Yes it is in this way But will it be upon me if I believe not Ans. No I have told you Page 66. Your Souls shall go down into Hell Qu. Do you intend that I may tell my own backward Heart If thou wilt believe thou shalt have an Interest in this Blessed Righteousness and so urge the Worth of this and the Necessity of Believing upon my Soul I suppose Mr. M. must here suspend But if I ask may I expect assuredly when I am through Grace enabled to believe that upon this God will put the Righteousness of Christ upon me and make good the word wherein he caused me to hope viz. That if I did Believe the Righteousness of Christ should be upon me Here Mr. M. by his Principle must cry out O No this is to follow a Soul-destroying Error if there be any in the World Page 46. But Sir I will not plead my Faith as any Merit but only plead the Promise God is pleased to make to my Faith and rely on that word now that I have Faith Mr. M. yet that 's Damnable for then it comes in a way of Reward Then I ask again If that be Damnable Pray why did you use this Motive in the name of Christ to perswade me to believe How could it be a Motive to Faith if I was not to expect it upon believing And if I was to expect it before I believed in case that I would believe Why may not I expect it now that I do believe I know not what Answer Mr. M. will make unless 1. It 's something done by Man Or 2. God will be still at liberty to perform or not perform the Benefit though he did promise it Or 3. He will not perform it in the way he promised it that is He promised it as an Encouragement to you if you would believe but he will not accomplish it as an Encouragement now thaâ— you do believe nor seem so much to approve of your Faith The first were Silly because it was a Man was perswaded to do this eveâ— to believe for I hope it 's a Humane Act though by the Spirits Power The second is to impeach the Truth of God's Word The third is a weak Foppery as if it were a Dishonour to God to give the Benefit in the way he chose to use it as a Motive to the Duty especially when as Mr. M. owneth it 's by the Gospel-word that God puts this Righteousness on us which is the very same Word whereby he urgeth this Benefit as a Motive to Man's Believing If I again ask Why Mr. M. would by this Motive thus perswade Sinners to Believe He would I hope say This is the way God hath ordained to convert them to the Faith But why dare he Preach thus when it implies what he calls a Damning Error or else it 's a meer Mockery I 'll answer for him He had a mind to venture a Contradiction rather than be wholly useless to those People whom he designed to frighten from the Ministry of others as Damnable that he and his Party might be more considerable Reader Would'st thou know whence comes this Confusion I 'll tell thee it is Because they consider not 1. That though the Gospel be not a Law wherein Governing Justice displays it self in the Adjustment of Benefits to the Duty yet therein there is a Governing Authority in a way of Grace suitable to the State of Men in the dispensing of the Fruits of Christ's Death 2. That a Reward of Grace is quite another thing than a Reward of Debt 3. That all Gospel-Benefits are given in Christ's Right and are the Effects of his Righteousness applied to all that partake of them 4. That all Gospel-Precepts and Promises do Authoritatively appoint and describe the Persons that are Parâ—â—kers of Benefits for the sake of Christ's Righteousness but not their own and not put Men on purchasing these Benefits 5. Yet these do fully distinguish them that shall partake of the Benefits from others that shall not partake of them The Gospel doth hereby fix a
certain Rule of Judgment and doth infallibly direct Mens Hopes Fears and Expectations Also it governs Mens Endeavours after Graces and Duties as the certain Means on our part of coming at the respective Benefits graciously promised in and by Christ to or upon those Graces or Duties But these things I have before largely insisted on This Damning Error comes to no more at last than this The Gospel-Covenant is Conditional not as to the first Grace but as to the subsequent Benefits and so that God requires us to believe and repent that we may escape the Wrath of God and that there are Promises made to Graces All which the Assembly of Divines in plain words assert therefore how many are undâ—â— Mr. M's Condemnation Nay it 's well if 〈◊〉 was Innocent when he Prefaced Mr. 〈◊〉 Book called The Blow at the Root for there all that I assert in this Point is affirmed 2 Charge He is the Man that makes the State of Believers to be undecided and in Suspence during this Life This is my Second Damning Error Reply He is very unfair in wording this who would not infer either 1. That I affirm that all true Believers are not in a State of Salvation Or 2. That an Elect Person that is brought to believe Savingly will Apostarize and Eternally Perish 3. Or that a Believer during this Life may not be assured of his Eternal Happiness But he knows in his Conscience that I do often in the plainest words assert the contrary to each of these Take a few Instances out of my Book I affirm that we are Justified the same Moment as we truly believe in Christ and the Blessing is not Suspended for any time longer And an Elect Person once Justified shall by Christ's Care be kept in a Iustified Stated Gospel-Truth stated p. 104 105. Again I affirm That Assurance is attainable in this Life as the Effect of Faith Page 74. I affirm that a Penitent Believer shall be Saved if he die before he hath time for further Obedience Again The Essential Blessings of the Gospel become the Inheritance of a Believer as soon as he is united to Christ Page 125 126. Do not say the Elect Believer will not fall away I think the same yet is it the less true that even he should Perish if he fall away Nay Doth not God by these Threats contribute to keep hi◠〈◊〉 Apostasie P. 138. See Defence P. 9. 2. I 'll give thee the Ground upon which he wordeth this Charge P. 55. I said the Reason why I use the word Condition is because it best Suits with Man's Relation to God in his present Dealings with us as Subjects in trial for Eternity And P. 136. How unsuitable is it to the present State of Mankind that Christ should govern us without Promises and Threatnings He is a King and we are his Subjects and we are 1. his Subjects in a State of trial for another World 2. We have great Remains of Sin within us and Temptations without us These are the places that give him the greatest Umbrage Now where is here that a Believer's Case is undecided 3. Let us briefly examine where the very true Difference between him and me consists for certainly therâ— is one though he thinks it the best Defence of his own Opinion to misrepresent mine or else he had gained little by calling it Damning The Difference is not 1. Whether all true Believers are in a State of Salvation 2. Whether they shall Persevere 3. Whether it be by the Influences of Christ through the Spirit that they do Persevere 4. Nor whether the Influences of the Spirit and Perseverance and the Certainty of their Salvation thereupon be the Effects of Christ's Righteousness and purchased by his Obedience All these I affirm But the real Difference is 1. Whether God require Believers to Persevere in Faith and Holiness as the means of their continuing in a State of Salvation 2. Whether it be a blameably legal Fear to be Solilicitously Cautious in resisting Temptations and striving in Christ's Strength to Persevere least we Eternally Perish 3. Whether if a Man have once believed yet if he should fall under the reigning Dominion of Sin and Corruption he ought to suspect that he is not in a State of Salvation These three I affirm and Mr. M. denies or I can make nothing of his words which thou must joyn together P. 50. If thou hast indeed believed with the Faith of the Operation of God and they Conscience knows it thou mayst then conclude assuredly That whatever thy Sins have been or whatever thy Defects and Corruptions now be yet this Righteousness of God is upon thee thou hast it and dost stand in it Reply The Faith is an Act past the Conclusion is at present whatever a Man's Corruptions be the only Evidence of the past Faith is â—he Knowledge of Conscience which is not Infallible And by the way I can prove That by his Opinion as that first Act is before Regeneration so no other or after-Act of Faith is necessary to continue our Justified State Again He exposeth such P. 63. as hold that we stand in it this Righteousness by our own Faith And P. 64. their Continuance in Obedience and the not failing of their Faith is one of the Privileges of their State and the Effect and Fruit of their having this Righteousness of Christ upon them and not the Means or Cause thereof You see the not failing of Faith is not so much as the Means of our continuing to have this Righteousness on us for of its first being on us he makes Faith a Cause P. 51 52. I need not shew how oft he calls all Fears about this Perseverance in our State Legal I have not time to argue these therefore shall only touch on each 1. God doth require Believers to Persevere in Faith and Holiness as a Means of their Continuance in a State of Salvation Rom. 11.20 22. Because of Vnbelief they were broken off and thou standest by Faith Be not high-minded but fear Towards thee goodness if thou continue in his goodness otherwise thou shalt be cut off 2 Cor. 1.24 By Faith ye stand How Conditionally is it proposed Col. 1.22 23. Now to present you Vnblameable in his sight If ye continue in the Faith and be not moved away from the Hope of the Gospel Here our Unreprovableness and Reconciliation in the Body of Christ's Flesh through Death as to Continuance is stated on this If you continue in the Faith Heb. 10.35 to 39. Now the Iust shall live by Faith but if any Man draw back my Soul shall have no Pleasure in him But we are not of them that draw back to Perdition but of them that believe to the Saving of the Soul It 's by Faith we live this Believing is to Salvation as drawing back is to Perdition How many are the Promises of Salvation to Perseverance and Threatnings of Death against Apostasie And these uttered to Believers Yea are
the Heart of Stone and gives a heart of Flesh renewing their Wills and by his power determining them to that which is good and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ Conf. Cap. 10. A. 1. Q. 2. Man is altogether Passive therein until being quickned by the holy Spirit he is thereby enabled to answer this Call and to embrace the Grace offered and conveyed in it Large Cat. A. 73. Faith justifies a sinner in the sight of God not because of those other Graces which do always accompany it or of good Works that are the fruit of it Here we see that there is a quickning regenerating Work and Change on the Heart and Will in order to the Act of Faith and that there is no Faith unaccompanied at any time by other Graces and that by good works they intend not such Graces c. Did not Mr. M. tell us p. 60. that in effecting our Vital Vnion there is a Vital touch as I may say between Christ and us and a Clasping on each other Is there a Vital Touch before Life or a Clasping while we are Dead Doth the Mind see Christ whilst it 's Blind or the Will embrace him whilst it 's morally dead impotent unperswaded and averse Do we consent to Christ and Covenant with him whilst Satan Sin and Enmity Reign in our Faculties or open the Door to Christ whilst these keep the Keys God saith the natural Man receiveth not the things of God because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 but Mr. M. saith yea it 's while they are natural that they see Christ and close with him Here 's a knowledg of an ignorant Mind here 's a coming and receiving without Life Here 's a Faith the Gospel Covenant never promiseth for it 's not included in God's Writing his Laws in the Heart The whole stress of Salvation is laid by him on an Act of a dead unregenerate sinner and Men are justified while the Soul is not turned from darkness to life nor from the power of Satan unto God Acts 26. 18. it were worth asking hâ—m whose Act this Act of Faith is It 's not a Humane Act unless you can suppose the Mind and Will can Act without any Vital Principle yea against it's own prevailing Principle Here then must be a force and unactiveness too in our very acting and it 's a strange Clasping of what we hate and abhor I doubt here may come in again Christ's believing for us However he must think 1. That our Faith after we are alive is either a Faith specifically distinct from that which justified us or it 's still an Act not effected by a regenerate Principle but is somewhat either below Life or above Man even when he is spiritualized he seems to bid at both His Simile is for the first the Spirits which he saith are Corporeal Clasp about the Soul for Life so it seems our Faith is a dead thing always never made Life or Living any more than those Spirits are made Soul otherwise it loseth its Clasping meetness as they would do in ceasing to be Corporeal Yet other times he makes it look like a Divinity Clasp about us 2. I do now see a little why the Man is so against God's giving us any saving Benefit in any way of Reward though not of Debt It 's because Faith is the only thing ordained not required as a Physical means on our part and this is so low a thing that a dead sinner may act or so sublime as not to be a Humane Act. 3. Again I see why he doth still confine our Justification to the end to the first Act of Faith yea and deny the immediate influence of Faith on our Justification for if you should bring it among Duties or to be under the Notion of a Duty all is spoiled No it must be a meer Physical Band of Union not enjoined by God as our Ruler but appointed as the Corporeal Spirits for Ligaments I dare not touch the Philosophy part of that lest if I name Embrio he should Curse me anew 4. I know now at last why he thought me a Pelegian the selfish reason why he writ it to London I knew long since because I in a Printed Sermon put the Act of Faith after spiritual Life it seems I should have said with him That in Vnion with Christ as one mystical Person which is by the efficient causality of Faith we are brought into a state of Spiritual Life Relative in our Iustification and Adoption and then and thereupon Qualitative c. p. 60. His Proofs for Faith before Life because Christ promiseth Life upon believing are contemptible as if further spiritual Life and Pardon and Eternal Glory be not Life as well as Hell is Death ' and some sinners twice dead 4. The Faith he so much insists on hath not all the Essentials of a saving Faith I know many Worthy Men distinguish between Faith quae justificat and qua justificat and no doubt the Soul hath an especial respect to Christ as Priest and his Righteousness in order to Justification But our Discourse is of the Faith quae justificat What that Faith is he tells us p. 62. Faith is a going out of our selves unto Christ for all And p. 40. The Hearts acting towards this Object in its believing is most properly in a way of trust and dependance and affiance Rep. 1. We have just seen it wants a Vital Principle as it is the Act of an unregenerate dead Soul Now this brings it in the Judgment of most Divines to be no saving act at all no saving Faith because the Act of a Natural and Dead Sinner 2. I need not mention that it is no obediential Act And note That when our Divines deny that Faith is not Imputed as an Act of Believing or as an Evangelical Act of Obedience they say it 's not as such imputed as our justifying Righteousness which I grant But they positively affirm that the Faith by which Christ's Righteousness becomes imputed is an Act of evangelical Obedience Confess Chap. 11. A. 1. Again 3. I will not insist how far the Assent of this Faith is limited as to its Object as well as its Nature 4. I do grant That by Gospel-faith we trust in and depend on Christ as our only Saviour and that by it we go out of our selves to Christ for all Attonement Merit Causality of Acceptance of all we do and Strength and Grace to enable us to all 5. Yet see how much more the Assembly includes in saving Faith Confess Chap. 14. A. 2 By this Grace Faith a Christian believeth to be true whaever is revealed in the Word for the Authority of God himself speaking therein and acteth differently upon that which each particular Passage thereof containeth yielding Obedience to the Commands Trembling at the Threatnings and embracing the Promises of God for this Life and that which is to come but the principal Acts of saving Faith are accepting receiving and restin
wherein I except my self Mr. M. hath done more to favour Socinianism than all those whom he accuseth 1. By calling such Semisocinians whose doctrin and Principles will approve themselves to most Men to be Orthodox Many will abate their prejudice against the real Socinian as not being so bad as the word imported 2. He falls in wholly with the Socinians in denying Christ's Incarnation to be a part of his Humiliation and deprives us of the force of one of the greatest Texts for the Deity of Christ Phil. 2.6 7. 3. He supports the Socinian Cause and one of their strongest Topicks against the Satisfaction of Christ by speaking still of God as a Creditor Sin as a Debt the Law as a Money Bond Christ as a Money Surety whereas all our Divines find it impossible to defend that Doctrin without denying this Metaphor and therefore plead that God is to be considered as a Rector Sin a Crime Sinners Criminals Christ a Sponsor in consistency with his being Redeemer Mediatour Saviour Sacrifice and Priest c. For if Sin were a Money Debt why could not God forgive it without Satisfaction as well as other Creditors do c. 4. He grants the absurdity in the sense objected by the Socinians and still opposed by our Divines viz. That we are as Righteous as Christ in equality Turretin Instit Theol. p. 714 715. proves that licet c. though we are justified by Christ's Righteousness imputed non sequitur nos non minus justos esse quam Christum it doth not follow that we are no less Righteous than Christ So doth Dr. Owen of Iustif. p. 509 510. All our celebrated Opposers of Socinianism do the same Mr. M. may say as well of these as he doth of us for denying it as they do They have a heart-hatred of standing in the Righteousness of Christ. 5. The Socinians have their whole Cause favoured against the Deity of Christ or at least the Arrians by what he asserts concerning the Person of the Son of God He makes him such a God as was capable of a real Glory to be added to him that as God he might be under God's frowns and displeasure might quit and forgo the actual enjoyment of that Love Glory and Inheritance which as Son of God he was entitled to and possessed of before his Incarnation not in a way of manifestation nor as to his Humane Nature but in reality and as to his Divine Nature in which alone he acted before his Incarnation a God capable of an acquired Right superadded to his natural Right to those very Riches Love and Glory which he enjoyed before he was Son of Man And also that the Humane Nature belongs to the Constitution of the Person of the Son of God as it is now p. 8. c. Are not these bold Strokes which I have before fully proved to be his Assertions Though Charity binds me to acknowledge that I think he designeth not to oppose the Eternal Deity of the Son of God by Assertions so unsuitable to the Divine Essence and so mistaketh what God is rather than who he is 6. I might add he blasts all the opposition made by our best Authors against Socinianism by branding even them as Semisocinians To say nothing of his representing the Doctrin of imputed Righteousness in a manner not defensible and tempting to most Mens being Socinians unless they have a better Notion of it Few will believe that we did legally do and suffer what Christ did that we are as Righteous as Christ and that the Gospel enjoineth no Duty as a Condition on us for obtaining the blessed Effects of Christ's Merits which be the only ground of his quarreling thus hotly with us Men of his suspicious temper will judge he designeth to favour Socinianism by calling us Semisocinians 12. Mr. M. Attempts to instruct us how to Preach but with an evil insinuation and in some things very contrary to Apostolical Preaching Thus your Teachers should instruct and lead you This is the Apostles direction to Titus that he should teach them that have believed to be careful to maintain good works not to teach and press sinners in their Vnbelief to fall to doing of good works first and overlook believing wholly or to postpone it after them p. 69. Repl. 1. Which teacher of his Hearers doth teach any to postpone Faith or overlook it wholly or delay it at all If by Believing he means a due accepting of a whole Christ yea do not they direct them to expect all from God through Christ and look to Christ as he in whom all fulness is But our Author is one of them who think Christ is never Preached unless his Name be mentioned and that as a Priest too His revealed Truths and enjoined Laws c. are not Preaching Christ. 2. But may one call Sinners to no Duty till they are Believers Must they not be prest to examin themselves pray read the Word hear it Preached fear God teach their Families love their Wives meditate consider strive with their Hearts resist Temptations believe the Scriptures nor relieve the Poor till they be Believers Peter was to learn of our Author to Preach for though he knew Simon Magus to be in the gall of bitterness yet he bids him then repent of this thy wickedness and pray God if perhaps the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven thee Acts 9.22 perhaps he 'll say he believed true in such a manner as I fear some that pretend high to Faith exceed not Paul gives such an account of much of his Ministry at first to Jews and Gentiles Acts 26.20 That they should repent and turn unto God and do works meet for Repentance the Baptist was an ill Teacher and Christ's Sermon on the Mount Mat. 5. and Paul's at Lystra Acts 14.15 16. needed Mr. M's direction Paul saith to unbelievers We are Men of like Passions with you thus far he 'll agree and Preach unto you that you should turn from these vanities unto the living God that made Heaven and Earth c. a good Work is pressed before they believed Here Mr. M. would have told him you Paul should not teach thus But what are his Reasons 1. They that believed in God should be charged to excel in good works therefore they that believe not in Christ should not be pressed to endeavour to set upon doing any good Work Hos. 5. 4. They must not so much as frame their doings to turn unto the Lord. 2. A few words after through Faith that Righteousness will be upon you and being upon you it will produce good Works Here it seems as I have oft heard it urged Ministers should not urge you nor you strive and labour after good Works this Righteousness will produce them but are all that I hope have Faith so abundant therein as not to need Spurs Do all that pretend to it shew that they have it by it's Fruits and how can we know them And is its being upon us the
of ours to any of these Purposes and this is all they pretend But if it prove that Christ never intended his Righteousness to be instead of true Faith and Repentance Sincere Love to God and Men and Perseverance in True Holiness and Fruitfulness And that Christ will judge us according to these as things he required to our actual enjoying of promised Benefits in his Righteousness They who pursue and by Grace have these will be safer than such as neglect them yea Mr. M. owneth P. 67. Such are thy bounden Duties and God will Damn thee for neglecting them It were easie to shew how these Men contradict each other as well as themselves but I forbear exposing them That the Faâ—her of Light and Love would guide all of us into the way of Truth and Peace is the unfeigned Prayer of Thy Servant in the Kingdom and Patience of Christ Daniel Williams THE Errata's are such as may easily be Corrected Any who consider what Men I have to deal with will excuse my frequent Repetitions and sometimes less accurate words as object for subject when I would most plainly distinguish between Justifying Righteousness with its Causes and the Person partaker of it SERMON I. Of Christ's Obedience Rom. 5. the last part of the 19th Verse So by the Obedience of One shall many be made Righteous THE Text represents to us First A saving Priviledge and Dignity Made Righteous It supposes us Unrighteous ere we are made Righteous and so subject to the Curse till we are Absolved as well as Disobedient to the Gospel while Unconverted The Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oft though not always denotes an act of Authority as Mat. 25.21 Luk. 12.14 42. Act. 6.3 c. thus it s properly enough applicable to the Matter before us We are constituted Righteous Juridically and all other Benefits included here in the term Righteous are Authoritatively Conferred and this according to a Divine enacted Constitution of which hereafter Secondly The sole procuring Cause of our being made Righteous It s by the Obedience of One This One is the Lord Jesus He alone was capable to make fallen Men Righteous by his Obedience and it s by his Obedience that Sinners are constituted Righteous Mercy prompted the recovery of miserable Man Wisdom contrived this as a way sufficient effectual and congruous to that End God as our Judge and Ruler admitted and accepted this and in his adjusted way applies it for our Pardon and Adoption Faith is the Moral Instrument or Condition of that Application the Gospel Promise is the express Sign of the Divine Will or the Instrument whereby God doth apply it But the different Interest of each of these prevents not the appropriation of all the Causal Merit to this Obedience God justifies regenerates and saves but it s with an Eye to this as the only procuring Cause Thirdly The Subject actually partaker of this Blessing Many they are Men and not Devils Fallen Men and not Innocent Many and not simply few nor yet all though it s for final Impenitency and Unbelief that any of the Sons of Men remain Condemned These many are equal to the number of Godly Believers in all Ages Fourthly The futurity and certainty of many being made Righteous both which the Future Tense imports Shall be made Righteous it notes Futurity With respect to the effect of Adam's Sin it 's said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were made Sinners That Guilt is entailed on all his Seed and Filth derived to them as soon as they subsist yea its true they were all Offenders and Corrupted in Adam as being Seminally in him But by Christs Obedience it s affirmed many shall be made Righteous i. e. when it is applied and not before The Elect since Christs time remain Unrighteous whilst Unbelievers notwithstanding that Christs Obedience is long since finished as well as all Believers before Christs coming were made Righteous by this Obedience tho' it was not then actually performed Heb. 11.14 15. The Reason of both is the same viz. That we are made Righteous not immediately in the moment of Christs Obeying nor meerly on the Acts done but upon Gods applying this to us by the Word of his Gospel and Work of his Spirit Therefore believing Abraham was made Righteous many Ages before Christ Obeyed Rom. 4.22 And the Elect Corinthians were unjustified all the time of their Infidelity though Christ had finished his Work before 1 Cor. 6.11 The Gospel Promise confers Righteousness for Justification on all Believers and none but Believers tho' Christs Obedience be that for which alone when they believe any are justified This Righteousness is offered to all Hearers on the terms of the Gospel Its designed Infallibly for all the Elect but neither offer nor design constitutes any Man Righteous There must be another act even imputation and that terminates on no other object but the Believer 2. The Words denote certainty q. d. many shall eventually be made Righteous by it A may be made Righteous if they will believe is a Mercy to Mankind above Devils But a meer may be is too low a reward for Christ and incongruous to an Obedience so Astonishing Strange were it that the Lord of Life should Die for Sinners and it remain contingent whether any of them should Eternally speak his Praises or be happy by his Merits But my Text is an unerring Prediction which will be still accomplishing till Christs shall Judge the World His Seed he shall see whom by his knowledge he will justifie Is. 53.11 He will not violate the Gospel Constitution by justifying the Unbelievers because he is Elected but the Elect shall believe that they may be justified by his Obedience The Eternal Counsel shall be executed in the way enacted by Governing Grace 5. The Redditive Note which refers to the first clause in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So The Apostle had said As by the Disobedience of one many were made Vnrighteous So c. He principally intends hereby to affirm That by Christs Obedience all his Regenerate Seed shall as certainly be made Righteous as Adam's Natural Seed were made Sinners by his Disobedience Christs Obedience is as effectual to the one as Adam's Disobedience was to the other Adam is said to be the Figure of Christ v. 14. They were two publick Persons in this respect All Men were made Sinners by Adams fall all Men that ever are made Righteous are made so by Christ's Obedience This is the main scope of the Apostles reasoning in the Parellel between the First and Second Adam but he intends not to infer a Similitude in all things between Christ and Adam who in so many things differ Nay in this Chapter you have sundry instances of that difference given Doct. By the Obedience of Iesus Christ GodMan our Redeemer many shall be made Righteous Good News to a lost World that thô we are undone as Adam's Posterity yet help is laid on Christ who is mighty to save Psa.
in Justification and upon this the rest depend Hereby we are made Righteous in Christ's Righteousness Though we be not personally Innocent yet Christ's Righteousness which fully answered the Law is judicially applied so as to give us a sure right to be dealt with as to Eternity as if we had been Innocent and Perfect which is what we principally need and as much as we are capable of considering we are Sinners and that we did not provide the Ransom nor substitute him that became so 2. God hereupon actually forgives adopts and gives the Earnest of Glory to Believers thus invested in the Righteousness of Christ and on the account of that Righteousness This is Executive Justification in part and indeed all Benefits peculiar to the Members of Christ are conferred in a way of Execution hereof unless as we may consider such Benefits as follow Pardon and Adoption to refer to Justification as including an additional Right resulting from Gods pardoning and adopting Acts. The reason why I add this is that Pardon gives a Right to impunity and Adoption gives a Right to the Privileges of Children and so with respect to Forgiveness and Adoption a Believer may be called Righteous and frequently in Scripture is called so though inclusively of Christ's Righteousness because it 's for that we are so forgiven and adopted Forgiveness is of so great importance in Justification that upon the account hereof we are said to be Blessed Yea it 's put frequently for the whole of Justification Rom. 4.6 7 8. it 's so in the Lord's Prayer Luk. 11.4 yea it 's so put in our Creed 3. God judicially sentenceth the Believers thus made partakers of Christ's Righteousness and thereupon pardoned and adopted to be them who have a Right to Impunity Favour and Glory and accepts them as such notwithstanding all challenges and accusation Rom. 8.33 34. Who shall lay any thing to the Charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the Right Hand of God who also maketh intercession for us This doth not only obviate the Accusation of Persecutors against such as are chosen to suffer but it answers all Challenges against every Believer gathered out of the World by the Spirit pursuant to God's Eternal Election for against the unconverted Elect God himself hath much to Charge and he lays it to their Charge by his Law-condemning Sentence But as to the Converted here 's a general defiance and a large enumeration of what tend to their defence God justifies them and this for the sake of Christ's Death and that the Death of him who is risen and being risen is enthroned and being enthroned intends their Security by his Intercession It 's true if they be charged to have been sinners they must own it as a true Charge But what then must they Dye for their Sin No God declares they are pardoned and this upon a Righteousness more then adequate to the Law of Works and they have no lower a safety from their Guilt than Christ's Title who died that Believing Sinners might not Dye but Live Indeed if the Charge be That these are not Believers then God Acquits them another way of which hereafter This is Sentential Justification which is Virtual now and will be solemnized at the great Day 4. It is the Gospel whereby God justifieth us as his Instrument God in his his Word having declared that he will Iustifie him that Believes Rom. 3.30 and that we are justified by Faith Rom. 5.1 and Commanding us to Believe with a Promise That we shall be Justified if we Believe He doth by this very Declaration of his Will Justifie the Believer This promise effects what it includes assoon as the Object is answerable to the Tenure of the Promise By this he Imputes Christ's Righteousness to the Convert and so makes him Righteous declares him Righteous and treats him as Righteous in for and by Christ's Righteousness and this assoon as he Believes There needs no more to express it now than this Word of his Mouth unless as we may add the Sacramental Seals and also such influences and acts of Power whereby such Benefits are conferred as are Executive of the Justifying Sentence and so far are a Divine Declaration of our State as Justified 5. The Object of God's Justifying Act is the living humbled converted Believer who by Faith cometh to accepteth of and rusteth in Christ as an entire Saviour The promise of this Mercy being to such yea confined to such and Unbelievers declared to have God's Wrath abiding on them especially when this Gospel is that Word of the Lord whereby we are Justified Gal. 3.22 Ioh. 3.36 and 8.24 Rom. 10.4 We must then Believe but it is not Faith unless it be a coming to accepting of and trusting in a Christ it is not a Christ if he be not a whole Saviour When will we Believe if we be not convinced and humbled How can we Believe if we be not quickned by the Spirit Yea of what sort of Faith is it if we are not purposed in our Heart to turn from all Sins Self and Idols to Christ and to God by him Which turning is oft the Word by which the Spirit oft expresseth Faith it self Ezek. 18.21 30.1 Pet. 2.25 Acts 26 18. By what is said you may Answer the main Enquiries that occur to your Mind concerning Justification Qu. Who Justifies us Ans. God as our Ruler Qu. What doth God do for us or on us when he Justifies Ans. 1. He Imputes Christ's Righteousness to us whereby we have his Right to our Pardon Absolution c. 2. He actually forgives absolves and adopts us in Christ's Right and for the sake of his Obedience And by this forgiveness absolution and adoption he further gives us a Right to Impunity the in-dwelling Spirit Perseverance and Eternal Glory 3. He pronounces us free from all Accusation and Challenges that would import a present liableness to Eternal Death or bar to Eternal Glory we having Christ's Righteousness and thereby our Pardon Absolution from the Curse and our Adoption for our Plea and Defence Qu. What is our State by being thus Justified Ans. We are accepted with God free from Eternal Condemnation and entitled to Life as if we had not sinned but kept the whole Law to this time Yea we have some greater Benefits than we forfeited as Union with Christ the in-dwelling Spirit and Perseverance whereby we are secured from forfeiting Eternal Life for the future Qu. By what Instrument or Sign of his Will doth God Justifie us Ans. By the Gospel-promise Quest. Whom doth God Justifie Ans. The true Believer whether he know himself to be so or no and no others Yea God in Justifying a Man doth as far declare him to be a Believer as he declares him to be Justified Qu. When doth God Justifie a Sinner Ans. Assoon as he is a Believer and not before
his and the Fathers Pleasure it was us he was to Buy but it was he alone stood obliged to Pay He engaged to die for us but that is not engaging for us as Principals that he would die a thing which we never were obliged to He did not engage we should not Sin nor if we sinned that we should make satisfaction but he engaged that he would satisfie God that we might not die for our Sins even one Christ for all of us once to die instead of our eternal Death 2 R. Were Christ a proper pecuniary Surety in his Death and Obedience there would be no room for God's Forgiving us any Sin or giving us any Mercy as of Free Gift unless he forgave us more than Christ satisfied for or bestowed what he did not merit This is evident for if my Surety be bound with me to a Creditor for a Thousand Pounds if my Surety pay as my Surety this Thousand Pounds the Creditor forgives me nothing I pay him all So as to Merit If I buy a Jewel for an Hundred Pounds and give Bond for it with a Surety bound with me for that Sum if my Surety shall pay that â—undred Pounds can the Seller be said to give me that Jewel No. I in a Law-sense paid him because my Surety did it Whereas the Gospel lays the Stress of our Felicity upon Forgiveness Rom. 4.8 Acts 13.38 And though Justice do not suffer as having received Glory by Christ yet that is not to exclude Forgiveness but to make way for Forgiveness in a Consistency with his Perfections And further God no more sells us any Blessing notwithstanding Christ's Merits than Christ sells them to us Whereas he must sell all Benefits and forgive no Faults if he be considered as a Creditor and Christ our Money Surety Obj. God may be said to forgive us being he admitted Christ to be a Pecuniary Surety though we pay by him Ans. That goes a very little way towards Forgiveness yea and to refuse it in Money-Matters is hardly admittable by the Rules of Equity It sounds low to hear a Creditor say You were bound to me for a Thousand Pounds which I was paid by one that I allowed to be your Surety and because I would take it from you by him I forgave it you though I got from you legally by your Surety every Farthing of your Debt This is not Forgiving and such a Change whilst the very Debt in kind is paid is not an Abatement Obj. God procured Christ to be our Surety and therefore he forgave us Ans. In Solution of Money this will not amount to Forgiveness If one owes me Ten Pounds for which I cast him in Prison and finding him Insolvent do I forgive him if I get one that wisheth him well to pay it for him I befriend him but am paid all my self even by him in his Surety without forgiving I know nothing more Suspicious to be an Error than what tends to overturn the Doctrine of the Forgiveness of Sins which is the great Support of a poor Sinner and of this the Notion of strict Money-Suretiship whereby we paid all to God is guilty whereas if you consider God as Ruler and Christ as Mediator making Satisfaction for Criminals by enduring Punishment in their stead we avoid all the Difficulties which that of Money-Debts perplex the Work of Redemption with The Socinians main strength lies in Objections from Sin being as a Money-Debt and Christ's Death being the Payment of a Debt even the Idem This is perceived and therefore denied by our best Authors against the Socinians as Lubbertus Essenius Turretin Owen Stillingfleet c 3 R. Were Christ a proper Pecuniary Surety in the same Law of Works with them then every Believer would be entitled to the same Reward as Christ is entitled to yea and as much or more than Christ. This is evident for if I Covenant with another that in Consideration of my paying a Thousand Pounds I shall enjoy such an Estate of Fifty Pounds a Year I have a Surety engaged with me for the Payment of that Money I by my Surety pay the Thousand Pounds upon which I have the Legal Right to that Estate rather than my Surety but at most my Surety can have a Right to no more than that Fifty Pounds a Year in common with me by those Covenants 〈◊〉 here be other Covenants between me and 〈◊〉 wherein I engage to repay him that or mâ—â—e in those Covenants he is not my Surety but a distinct Party Hence it follows that we are entitled to be exalted over all and have a name above every name to see our Seed to be regarded as Saviours at least to be Satisfiers to God for our selves and our own Redeemers in Law-sense Obj. Christ paid all Personally and not we and therefore he hath peculiar Rewards and Honour Ans. The Principal and Surety is one Legal Person and therefore if the Law reckon we satisfied in Christ the Reward promised on that Satisfaction is common to us with Christ The Law gives the Honour as it receives the Tribute and distributes the Recompence as it estimates the Obedience One Person in Law made up of us and Christ alike obeyed in Law-sense and then one Person in Law made up of him and us must be alike rewarded as we are reckoned to do all so we are adjudged to have a Right to have all due upon that doing I shall say more of this presently 4 R. If Christ be a strict Pecuniary Surety I think it will be impossible to confute many very erronious Opinions which naturally are deduced therefrom What can be said against our being Justified actually before we believe For if we satisfied the Law in Christ How can our Justification be suspended till we believe unless there be some other Law The Law acquits us as soon as the Condition is performed by us Obj. We do not apply Christ to our selves before Faith Ans. 1 But God by the Law applies him to us if we have satisfied it and he hath applied him already in making him our Money-Surety the Law will execute it self whether we apply or no. 2. When the Conditions are performed by us it 's against the Law to deny us the Reward or at least to continue us under its Curse a Moment yea or to injoyn any Terms on us for possessing the Reward besides its own Conditions which are fulfilled by us The laying of Guilt on our Persons any time is unjust Obj. We are not Christ's Seed till we Believe Ans. All will not own that but if we ever satisfie in Christ it must be when he satisfied it is not to be done now when the Act of Performing the Atonement and Paying the Debt is over Can we by becoming his Seed now be esteemed to pay what he paid so many Years since if we did not pay it then Or can he be our Money-Surety by whom we pay now when he hath done paying and not then when he was
first Testament viz. Before his Incarnation which were pardoned on the prospect of it And by his Death he purchased that his Called might receive the Promise of the Eternal Inheritance Heb. 9.15 As Testator he bequeaths and disposeth by and according to this Gospel Testament what he acquired by his Obedience even to a Bloody Death and by that Death this Testamentary Disposition is irrevocable As Surety he undertakes that his Testament which is also God's Covenant with us shall be fulfilled even on our parts and also unto us And this the Apostle directly applies to Christ's ever-living and interceding as what fitted him for it and whereby he executeth this Suretiship Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost who come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them Heb. 7.24 25. Many Testaments are unfulfilled because the Testastor being Dead cannot see to the Execution of them and so the Legatees are wronged but Christ ever lives and attends to the fulfilling his Testament which is the same with God's Covenant with respect to whâ—â—â— as God's Covenant he still intercedes as well as ever lives You 'll find this Apostle Lodge the height of the Security of Christians against and from Condemnation upon this Intercession of Christ Rom. 8.34 Who is he that Condemneth it 's Christ that Died yea rather is risen again who is even at the Right Hand of God who also maketh Intercession for us He ascribes our Safety to his Living and Interceding rather and more than to his meer Dying for though by his Death he acquired and bequeathed Absolution c. for his Seed yet it 's by his Living again and Interceding he secures and sees his Seed possessed of that Absolution and all other Blessings And if we consider that this Covenant mentioneth here rather Benefits promised to his Seed than Conditions of any Benefits as required either of him or his Seed He seems to be pointed at here more directly a Surety to see God's Promises made good to his Seed than that their New Covenant Engagements shall be made good by his Seed though it 's a great Truth he is a Surety on our part that we shall keep Covenant or we should soon undo our selves I think then it 's past Contradiction That the Covenant Christ is Surety of in this place which is the only place he is called Surety is the Gospel Covenant and if so he can even as a Money Surety hereby be bound with us to no more than what we are engaged to do and suffer by this Gospel Covenant It 's true by the Covenant of Redemption he was engaged to suffer Death in the Humane Nature for Satisfaction and this in our place and also to Obey the whole Law and both for the Salvation of his Seed But in that Covenant he was Principal for God never obliged us to Redemption-Work either by our selves or by any other and therefore Christ herein is what the Civilians call ex promissor He is obliged alone though he acts for another But how strange is it that from Christ's being a Surety of the New Covenant or Testament Men should conclude that Christ is a Money-Surety of the Covenant of Works and as such paid all our Old Covenant Debts as Debts and that altogether in Kind and so as we are accounted to pay that Debt and merit Life by that very Covenant yea and damn all that will not say as they say though to say so makes either Christ's Obedience or his Suffering needless all Forgiveness impossible all Gospel-terms of Application of Christ's Merits Unjust a suspension of a Right to those â—enefits for any time Injurious a Right in Men to Equal Rewards with Christ Inviolable all remains of Displeasure on and the Reign of Sin in the unconverted Elect matter of just Complaint against God and a Claim to any greater Blessings than the Law of Works promised Impossible I might further argue this Point by other Considerations as its Inconsistency with Christ's being a Mediator he being a Party also with Christ's being a proper Redeemer of Sinners any more than of himself yea it excludes the True Gospel Imputation of Christ's Righteousness in our Justification upon Believing as having no Righteousness of Christ's given us for it was Legally in us as much as in him we having Legally performed the Conditions as much as him and so we need not look out of our selves for Righteousness though our Surety did the Acts from whence that Righteousness resulted yet the Law-Right was in us as well as in him with many other All that I aim at by insisting on this Point is to guide your thoughts to true apprehensions of the Doctrin of Satisfaction and secure you against the Vulgar Mistakes and Dangerous Notions that are gathered from the abusive straining of the word Surety Whereas if you consider God as Rector Sinners as Criminals Sin as a Crime making Sinners liable to the Curse according to the Law which Law must be Honoured in the Satisfaction of Justice and Vindication of Divine Government And the Lord Jesus on the Law-givers proposing it freely undertaking and promising in the Covenant of Redemption to submit to â—â—e Obligation of bearing the punishment due to and in the Stead of those Sinners this Punishment being to be endured in the Humane Nature and of equal Weight yea in many things of the same Kind with what they were to endure And the Law-givers promising to Christ for his enduring this Punishment and perfectly Obeying his Will a great and certain Number that should certainly Believe in him and that all Believing on him should in his Righteousness be Pardoned Adopted Sanctified and Eternally Saved in a way of Faith and persevering Holiness to his Glory And that Sinners should have an Offer of these Benefits on the Terms of the Gospel Covenant and the Benefits to be dispensed assuredly in that Gospel Way c. I say in this manner every thing is Consistent and with these Limitations the Terms Sponsor Mediator Surety and Redeemer are Proper and Consistent I proceed to the Second Point viz. To prove that we are not Equally Righteous as Christ and shall have occasion to shew we are not so as to his Suretiship Righteousness 1. We are not Equally Holy as Christ this is a Conformity to the Divine Image and Will and is called Righteousness Have we an Habitual Holiness in a measure comparable to his Or can we pretend to that Purity of Heart and Life or that exalted Obedience to the Will of God which he rendered Our Hearts must condemn such a Thought nay Angels dare not be Rivals with him therein much less can we whose Defects are so manifest and Defilements are so many Iob 40.4 He is our Example proposed but in what can we imitate him in Equality Mal. 11.29 2. It is not true that we performed the Conditions of Redemption and Life Equally with Christ. I suppose they mean this by Suretiship
a great Means of their Perseverance which Divine Wisdom hath appointed Obj. Christ's Righteousness upon us keeps our Faith Ans. And yet keeping our Faith through God's Power keeps that Righteousness upon us to Salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 And know that Christ's Righteousness is applied in Correspondence with the Gospel-Rule It is not upon the Apostate to give him a Right to Salvation but upon the Persevering Believer It is on the Believer for his present Right but it is in Christ for to be still applied to the Persevering Believer for his continued Right Obj. The Believer will not fall away Ans. It is not naturally Impossible but it 's by Grace that he shall not fall away But then God's Helps and Means must be used by him of which these Cautions are not the least and the Connexion between Apostasie and the loss of Salvation is never the less true and so Mr. M's Principal never the less false for if ever he draw back my Soul shall have no Pleasure in him and truly you may as well infer that Faith is not necessary to our justification at first as that Perseverance is not necessary to our continuing so For it was as sure of the Elect. even before they believed that they should be justified It 's sure of the Believer before he persevere that he shall be saved But yet if Faith be necessary to the first so Perseverance is by as express Testimony necessary to the last 2. It is not blamably legal Fear for Believers to be sollicitously cautious in resisting Temptations and sâ—riving in Christ's Strength to persevere and this lest they eternally perish hold fast that which thou hast that no Man take thy Crown Rev. 3.10 was a fit Means to beget Care in holding fast Heb. 4.1 is a Caution the Apostle comprehends himself in Let us fear left a Promise being left us any of us should seem to come short of it any appearing challenge from within themselves was matter of Fear for on Christ's Part there 's no Suspicion It 's a divine Charge Phil. 2.13 Workout your own Salvation with Trembling and Fear not only begin it so but so work it out Nay in no span of Time on this side the Grave is the best Saint exempted Pass the Time of your sojourning here in Fear and the Reason is If you call upon the Father who without respect of Persons judgeth according to every Man's Work 1 Pet. 1. 17. These Men now tell us There is no judicial Process of Believers no Judgment by a Gospel-rule It will not be asked you what Sin you have committed or forsaken or Duty you have omitted or Good you have done but are you in Christ As if these were of no Use to determine whether we are in Christ truly or no and as if a Privilege were the proper matter of a Judicial Trial. Mr. M. may know whose these are Oh Christians Is our Race as yet run our Fight already fought or our Dangers past Are we still in Via or in Termino 3. A Man that hath once believed if he should fall under the reigning Power of Sin and Corruption ought to suspect that he is not in a State of Salvation Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after the Flesh ye shall die but if ye mortifie the Deed of of the Flesh by the Spirit ye shall live was a Truth directed to all the Saints at Rome and let me tell you the Dominion of Sin is a more sure Evidence that Men are now out of a State of Salvation than the Knowledge of their Consciences that they formerly believed is of their ever being in a State of Salvation For this may be a mistaken Knowledge but the other is the divine Word These Conceits are obviated Ezek. 33. 13. when I say to the righteous he shall surely live if he trust to his own Righteousness and commit Iniquity all his Righteousness shall not be remembred but for his Iniquity that he hath committed he shall surely die for it i. e. If because he began to do well and because he hath done so for a Time he ventures to give up himself to a Course of Sin he shall certainly perish for it This is the plain Sense of the Place notwithstanding Mr. M. forced Perversion of it against our expecting any Benefit upon performing any Duty The Apostle Paul thought not himself above this Rule 1 Cor. 9.11 24. I keep my Body under lest when I have preached to others I my self should be a Cast-away What a damning Sentence would Mr. M. pass on Turretin Perkins Mr. Anthony Burgess and most of our old Divines who jointly assert That if David had died before he had repented of the Murther of Vria he had been damned Nay that comfortable Text Rom. 8.1 brands his Position there 's no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit whence it 's evident That if they now walk after the Flesh they shall be condemned at least from its being inconsistent with their present being in Christ whatever they think of their former believing I will not retort damning on Mr. M's Opinion yet to such Souls who credit his Notion That whatever thy Corruptions now be if thy Conscience know that thou hast believed formerly they Salvation is safe I must in pity say thou mayest eternally perish by it For thou canst not judge now it was a true saving Act but according to the Sentence of Conscience and they Conscience may be mistaken yea if thy Corruptions now have Dominion over thee and continue so God warns thee Let no Man eeceive you with vain Words for these things the Wrath of God comes upon the Children of Disobedience Eph. 5.6 3 Charge And whether he do not in Truth disown the Imputation of our Sins unto Christ and of his Righteousness unto us It is like if he live the World will see more fully for he hath given such pregnant Indications thereof as do amount to at least just Cause of Iealousie Repl. 1. Is it come so low as a Jealousie now When he was one that under his Hand affirmed thus of me He teacheth that the Righteousness of Christ is imputed only as to Effects with a Purchase of a Conditional grant viz. This Proposition He that believeth shall be saved and they cite for it though in contrary Words Gospel Truth p. 39. where my Words are these I affirm That Christ by his Righteousness merited for all the Elect that they should in his Time and Way be certainly Partakers of its saving Effects and did not only purchase a conditional Grant of those Effects viz. That Proposition He that believeth shall be saved And besides these Effects being made ours the very Righteousness of Christ is imputed to true Believers as what was always undertaken and designed for their Salvation and is now effectual to their actual Pardon and Acceptance to Life yea is pleadable by them as their Security and is as useful to
next principle of good Works for though it be the Meriting Cause of all as it is in Christ yet holy habits are the next Principle with the Spirits influence And above all must we cease to declare the whole Will of God to all that hear us till we know is Christ's Righteousness upon them Yea is it because they are dead in Sin before Faith that we must not press them to repent fear and love God c. The same reason will hold against pressing them to saving Faith which of themselves they can as little perform And if it be by the Word that God regenerates our Hearers Why may not the Spirit infuse Life by calling Men to Repent c. as well as to Believe and a true Principle of Life will act duly though I think not in the same order of discernable Actings in every Convert But however it 's certain that if by preaching Repentance the Spirit quickens a Soul that Soul is as sure to believe when quickned as it is to repent when it believes And so our Author makes but a spiteful Flourish when he would induce our Hearers to think we teach them amiss because we learn not of him SInce the Printing of my Answer to what Mr. M. calls my Second Damning Error viz. That I make the State of Believers to be Undecided and in Suspence during this Life I have found the word Vndecided in my Gospel Truth Stated P. 55. which I then was Ignorant of though I cast my Eye on the bottom of that very Page My words are The Covenant though Conditional is a Disposition of Grace there 's Grace in giving Ability to perform the Conditions as well as in bestowing the Benefits God's enjoyning one in order to the other makes not the Benefit to be less of Grace but it is a Display of God's Wisdom in conferring the Benefit suitably to the Nature and State of Men in this Life whose Eternal Condition is not Eternally decided but are in a State of Trial yea the Conditions are but a Meetness to receive the Blessing But as I have in my Answer shewed that I oft in Gospel Truth stated affirm That the Elect shall Persevere in Faith and that every true Saint is now in a State of Salvation So I shall only add 1. I do not here mention Believers but Men in general yea rather Unbelievers 2. By Eternally decided any Man may see that I had an Eye only to God's Iudicial Decision at Death and the more Solemn Sentence at the last Judgment when we Die our Warfare is finished and our State as Viatores is at an end 3. What meaneth all the Scripture Cautions even to Believers such as Watch c. Pass the time of your Sojourning here in Fear c. If all our State be decided so while we have many Years Temptations and Persevering Work before us as it will be beyond the Grave Alas how many are long deceived by the meer Form of Godliness and they that are Godly are called to Caution and Care on this very Consideration that they are to be judged 1 Pet. 1.17 which were useless to such as are in termino 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Rev. 2.10 See more in my Answer The Point of the Embrio was not fit for my large insisting on or I could have proved that an Embrio is not an unformed unorganized Mass or Lump c. FINIS The Five following Books have been lately published by the Author of this Discourse Printed for John Dunton at the Raven in the Poultry 1. GOspel Truth Stated and Vindicated wherein some of Dr. Crisp's Opinions are considered and the opposite Truths are plainly Stated and Confirmed The Second Edition 2. A Defence of Gospel-Truth Being a Reply to Mr. Chancy 3. The Vanity of Childhood and Youth wherein the depraved Nature of Young People is Represented and Means for their Reformation proposed Being some Sermons Preached at the Request of several Young Men. 4. A Discourse shewing that Repentance of National Sins God requires if ever we expect National Mercies 5. Man made Righteous by Christ's Obedience Being two Sermons Preached at Pinners-hall with Enlargements c. Also some Remarks on Mr. Mather's Postscript c. AN Essay upon Reason and the Nature of Spirits By Dr. Burthogg Heads of Agreement assented to by the United Ministers in and about London The Fourth Volume of the Morning Exercise There will also be Extant in a few days The Second Volume of the French Book of Martyrs Published by her Majesties Royal Priviledge There is in the Press Remarks upon Bishop King's late Book concerning the Inventions of Men in the Worship of God By the Reverend Mr. Iohn Boyse Malbranch's Search after Truth will also be published in a few Weeks