so ingrost the truth that others may not in some points be righter then they or that they may not be guilty of running too farre in any one point either by the power of prejudice or heat of opposition or some other disadvantage temptation or imperfection this is such arrogancy as modest Christians should not be guilty of Much lesse should they be unwilling to heare and try whether it be so or not Undoubtedly there are many differences that seeme real and momentous through mis-informations and prejudice which indeed are but in words or methods or of inferiour nature And abundance of good might be done by drawing differences into a narrower compasse and discovering the true point of disagreement and cutting off all the superfluous contentions were it not that by zealous censorious faction and by men that know not what Spirit they are of the world is swayed by reproaches and prejudice and the matter brought to that passe that none can set their hand to so blessed a work til they first resolve to subject themselves to the scorne and slanders even of Divines and to cast overboard their interest and reputation even with zealous godly men And how few are they even among those that can contemn the censures of the openly profane that are able to deny themselves so far as to conquer in this assault We look on the ignorant vulgar as fooles and therfore pride it selfe can spare their applauses But when wee take such pious persons and Learned Divines to be men of valuable judgments that are able indeede to honour or dishonour us How hardly will a proud heart lie down to be trod upon Think not that I injuriously dishonour the pious or the Church guides in supposing any or many of them to be such and become such instruments to hinder the work of Christ and to further the cause and kingdom of the divel were they perfect Saints it would not be so But he that observeth not the sad imperfections of the best of Saints and how farre they make them serviceable to the enemie and that all men even the best are vanity and lyars and that the Churches greatest danger is from it selfe more then from all enemies without yea and that every one is the greatest enemy to himselfe he knoweth not himself he hath sure beene a sleepe at least these 12 years and not seen the discoveries that our late tryals have made and he hath more of the Popish opinion of perfection then is safe To be ignorant after our convincing experiences is to be mad Well may the best of Divines say to them that call them Rabbie and see wholly with their eyes and bow down to their understandings as the Angel said to John Rev 22.9 see thou doe it not for I am thy fellow servant and of thy brethren and of them which keepe the sayings of this book Which I speak not to diminish the just estimation and authority of the Ministry which I am blamed by some for maintaining to be so great and which God of late hath vindicated by delivering their most raging enemies Quakers and such like to be plainly possest or ruled by the divel nor yet do I lay these accusations upon all seeing by the great mercy of God we have many of eminent moderation and sobriety and I observe among the best that within this year or two their zeale for the Churches unity is very much increased for which I heartily blesse the Lord. But the number of such is too smal and of the selfe conceited and contentions so considerable as cannot be hid For my owne part when I remember that it is but about the sixth part of the world that are Christians all the rest being Pagans Infidels and Mahometans and of that sixth part how few the Protestants are in comparison of the Papists the Greeks the Abassines and the rest and of the Protestants how many countries are Lutherans besides all others I confesse I have no great zeale to confine the Church to the party that I best like nor to shut Christ out of all other Societies and coope him up to the congregations of those few that say to all the rest of the Church Stand by wee are more holy then you In a word and a plaine word I am loth to make Christ only the head of the Calvinists in stead of being the head of Christians and Catholicks and loth he should cease to be the head of the body and become only the head of any party or faction and therefore I would contribute the utmost of my endeavours to reconcile the differing members of that body If I have digressed unprofitably I crave pardon and returne to the subject of this Exercitation And because the Reverend Authour seems to mee in some few passages to have exprest his mind somewhat obscurely or in terms lyable to mis-construction I shall adventure upon a presumption of his consent to give the Reader a key for the understanding of them and to tell him my thoughts of some of them in particular leaving the rest to his judgment As to the nature of pardon of sin from which all the consectaries of this Treatise are drawn I conceive there are three distinct species of it arising from the three parts of Gods regiment of mankind 1. As God is Legislator he doth conferre on all believers a right to impunity or dissolve the obligation to punishment in regard of the Law of works he doth this as he is about that law by relaxing it In regard of the Law of grace he doth it as the free Legislator thereof And it is this law it self or promise that is his instrument of doing it and the act of that Law which is his pardoning act it is conditional to all before faith It is actual pardon to those only that believe I conceive this pardon is the main observable Act that Scriptures and Divines do commonly treat of And that it is the same in substance with justification constitutive though some respective difference is imported in the terms 2. As God is judge of the world according to his lawes so he hath a sentential remission of sinne or justification But there is this difference between these two terms Remission of sin doth more properly signifie the legal or donative remission and lesse properly the judicial sentence it being in strictest sense the Prerogative of a Ruler as he is above all law to pardon the faults against the Law and not of a Judge who as such must be regulated by law yet the word Pardon may be applied to the sentence too But contrarily justification signifieth very fitly both acts legal and judiciall but more fully and strictly the sentence then the grant And therefore justificatio juris justificatio judicis is a most necessary currant distinction but justificatio judicis is the more proper phrase But remissio juris et judicis is tolerable but the later member somewhat less proper 3. As God is the executioner
and thing yet had not been continued under some new name e. g. Apollinis tripos Concessus Apostolicus Aarons Brest-plate Vrim and Thummim Englands Oracle The Church Vertual or the like Notio secunda as unto whom all dissenting persons and parties both in our own and in all the Nations throughout the world might have had recourse for resolution in the great things and truthes of God But seeing that it was concluded by themselves that their company so constituted was no longer profitable to the Commonwealth I believe that Mr. Eyre is now convicted that their longer sitting was not like to be profitable for the Church whereupon I shall conclude that it was for want of foresight that Mr. Eyre did so far luxuriate in their high praises as to say That of any company of men on earth they were the fittest to umpire in such Theological Disputes as are betwixt him and his old School fellow Mr. Benjamin Woodbridg Let the second Negative Proposition be this viz. No sin is actually pardoned till a person bee made capable of it or put into a capacity of receiving or enjoying it This Proposition carries its owne evidence in the body or bowels of it for nothing is before it can be I shall therefore immediately apply my self to the resolution of the following Question Quest When is a person capable of receiving the actual pardon of his sins Or When are the Elect capable of receiving or actually enjoying that pardon which was so long since purposed purchased promised to and for them Answ 1. When they need it Quest When do they need it Answ When they are or do become sinners have committed sin or are guilty of sin Till sin be past pardon is to come To pardon sin before it is committed is to pardon sin that is no sin it is to pardon that which is not which is a contradiction and a meere impossibility for where there is no guilt there can be no pardon As a man is not capable of an Almes till he be miserable and indigent so nor of pardon till he be peccant Or as a man is not capable of a cure by Physick and Chyrurgery till he be sick and wounded so nor of pardon till he be sick of sin and wounded by it These similitudes are the rather apt because Gods pardoning sin is said to be his taking compassion on us Mic. 7.19 Luke 18. 13. God compassionate me a sinner saith the Publican and his healing us Isai 53.5 Hos 14.4 This is a remote capacity The next particular doth declare and set forth the sinners proximous or immediate capacity of pardon 2. Then are the Elect capable of actual pardon when they are in Gods way fit or fitted for it Quest When is that Answ When they see their sins I speak of persons adult or of ripe age confesse them repent for them believe in Christ See Act. 10.43 To him give all the Prophets witnesse that whosoever beleeveth in him shall receive remission of sins Luke 24.47 And that repentance and remission of sin should be preached in his name among all Nations Acts 5.31 Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance to Israel and remission of sin observe Repentance is given first and then remission As the ground is not capable of receiving the seed of the Husbandman till it be plowed so nor are the Elect capable of receiving the precious seed of pardon till the fallow ground of their hearts be plowed up by Repentance to speak in the metaphor of the Prophet Jeremy chap. 4.4 In this sense that saying of the Evangelist is most true according as by some it is interpreted John 1.16 Of his fulnesse we receive and grace for grace i. e. by reason of one grace we receive another even as the God of all grace doth give one grace in order to another e g. for or by reason of the grace of faith repentance and conversion all which were merited by Christ God gives us the grace of Remission according to that Proverbial saying among the Jewes and in this case appliable Habenti dabitur As God doth by Grace adapt or make us fit and meet for glory Col. 1.12 Giving thanks to the Father who hath made us meet for the inheritance among the Saints in light So by one grace God doth make us meet for receiving of another And as the Wedding Garment did fit and make meet the Guests for the Wedding Supper so doth Faith Repentance and new obedience being as the Wedding Garment fit or make meet the sinner for partaking in the pardon of his sins which is as the Wedding Supper This particular is the rather to be observed because it is useful as otherwise so specially for these two purposes 1. To prevent and redresse the presumption of impenitent and ungodly sinners who are apt to expect to reap where they have not sowed and to gather where they have not strawed I mean who do usually expect an harvest of comfort in the pardon of their sins and to reape in mercy when they have not sowen to themselves one seed the least mustard seed of grace or one graine of righteousnesse to speak in the phrase of the prophet Hos ch 10.12 2. It is useful whereby to obviate or answer the common objection of the Antinomians wherby they would involve us as guilty of impeaching the freedom of Gods grace in the pardon of our sins because we affirme with the Scriptures that pardon of sinne cannot actually be enjoyed without the performance of such and such conditions the performance of which said conditions is notwithstanding of and cannot be without Gods free grace given to us and enabling us for that end and purpose I shall close this particular with the words of that very Learned and godly man Mr. Anthony Burges in his book of justification p. 18. There goe more causes to the pardon of sin besides the meritorious cause faith the instrumental cause which is as necessary in its kind for this great benefit as the meritorious cause is in its kind that though Christ hath born such a mans sins yet they are not pardoned till he doe believe for as the grace of God which is the efficient cause of pardon doth not make a sinne compleatly forgiven without the meritorious cause so neither doth the meritorious without the instrumental but there is a necessity of the presence and the cooperation of all these Caution Though I have not expresly made mention of the merits of Christ through his bloud shed in order to a sinners being made capable of pardon Neverthelesse 1. I doe acknowledg and let it be knowne that the intervention of his merits are necessary to the said sinners capability of pardon Whether his merits be so absolutely necessary hereunto as that God could not have pardoned a sinner without it although that be a question in the resolution whereof Learned and Godly men doe differ Mr. Owen the Learned Deane of
worthy Author even as he seems to explicate himself saying p. 49. God pardeneth sin and removeth the guilt of it totally and perfectly so that a sin cannot be more pardoned then it is it is as absolutely forgiven as can be desired it can be no better pardoned then if we were in heaven But upon consideration I found a necessity to declare my dissent from him in that Proposition together with its explanations for the sins of the Elect are not in this life pardoned at all * Though the sins of the Elect are actually pardoned in this life yet not absolutely as to the continuance of their pardon the continuancewherof is not absolutely promised but upon condition of their Perseverance absolutely as to discharge from eternal damnation and therefore I see no just reason why any one should say with Mr. Burges That they are pardoned as absolutely as can be desired and if absolute and conditional do vary the degrees of perfection as for ought I know they do I see no warrant to say That when God pardons a sin he doth it perfectly It s true God doth it perfectly so far as upon grounds of reason and Religion the Saints can expect or desire to have it done in this life viz. conditionally upon their perseverance in Grace yet not so perfectly because not so absolutely as when they come to heaven And I have thought it my part the rather to professe my dissent in this particular because such a Position as this The Saints here are as perfectly and absolutely pardoned as can be desired doth give ground and countenance to those unwarrantable comforts which the Antinomians having spun out of their own fancies do frequently tender to their Disciples saying unto them in these words or to this effect Make not the least doubt of your Salvation you shal as absolutely go to Heaven as if you were already in heaven your sins are as absolutely pardoned as the sins of the Saints that do now reign with Christ in glory of which said Apocryphal and unwarrantable way of comforting the Saints I shall have occasion to speak somewhat more hereafter in a peculiar Consectary CHAP. XXII That forgiveness of sin is a Transient and not an Immanent Act in God proved and cleared Several Descriptions of Actions Immanent and Transient set downe Mr. Baxter vindicated in a passage about this distinction wherein Mr. Kendal hath as the Author thinks causelesly excepted against him Transient Actions are of two sorts and unto what sort of transient Actions forgivenesse of sinne is to bee reserred CONSECT XV. 15. IT followes That forgivenesse of sin is not an immanent action in God but a transient action I shal the rather endeavour to prove and to clear this inference for the following Reasons 1. Because some of our eminent Divines not minding to distinguish here as they use to do in other things betwixt Gods purpose to pardon and his actual pardon of a sinner have erroneously asserted That forgivenesse of sin is an immanent action in God 2. Because the aforesaid erroneous Assertion is of very ill influence and consequence it being as Mr. Baxter hath well observed and warnes us therefore of it one of the maine props and pillars of Antinomianisme 3. Because Mr. Baxter sayes in his Aphorismes of Justification p. 174. That albeit he is of opinion with others That forgivenesse of sin is a transient action neverthelesse as he saith he had never the happinesse to see that point cleared by any 4. Albeit Mr. Baxter himselfe hath endeavoured to clear it and it is not my purpose to contradict him in ought that he hath said in that behalf neverthelesse I think it expedient that there should more be added for clearing the point for Mr. Baxter defining remission of sin to be a dissolving or taking away the obligation to punishment not at all mentioning the effectual taking away of punishment it self but leaving that as I suppose his intent to be understood hath endeavoured to demonstrate the transiency of the act of forgivenesse barely with respect to the taking away of the said obligation to punishment Because hee speaks of Justification or Remission in Law sense and not in execution as being another distinct sort or part of pardon As his endeavour therefore hath been in that particular so I shall endeavour to cleer the transiency of the act of forgivenesse of sin as it respects the taking away the punishment it self which I shall desire to do with such modesty and sobriety as finding great cause to approve what Mr. Burges about this very Point doth speak in his entrance thereupon saying We are in meer darknesse and not able to comprehend how God is said to act or work Now for the better cleering of the point in hand I shall set down in the first place what an immanent and transient action is and what is the difference betwixt them and to that end it will bee expedient to have recourse unto what Phylosophical Authors in their metaphysical Divinity have said in the same and in special I shall set downe the Descriptions which the acute and learned Scheibler gives of them Met. lib. 2. p. 233 234 235. Actio immanens dicitur ab immanendo quod scilicet in agente maneat quod tamen intelligendum est non positive sed negative nempe Actio immanens qua talis est est in agente hoc sensu quia non transit ad patiens in ipso autem agente non est per modum adjuncti seu per positivam inhaerentiam in ipso sed simpliciter ad ipsum comparatur ut ad causam This Explication is the rather to be minded because in this sense only can wee attribute an immanent action to God viz. Negativè non Positivè because God or the Divine Essence is not capable as of other compositions so of this viz. of Subject and Accident such compositions being a against the absolute simplicity of the divine nature for which cause I think Mr. Baxter * And the rather because to speak precisely Actiones non habent modum essendi In sed modum essendi Ab. did very wel having said that those who speake of immanent acts in God by immanent in God must needs meane Negatively not Positively to adde this as the reason thereof saying for acts have not the respect of an adjunct to its subject but of an effect to its cause Where by the way let me crave leave to give notice to the Reader that I cannot but wonder at Mr. Kendals haste and oversight so much to mistake Mr. Baxter as to charge him for rendring that as a reason of one thing which hee plainly renders as a reason of another For Mr. Baxter having given it in as a reason why immanent acts cannot be ascribed unto God positively but negatively for acts have not the respect of an adjunct to its subject but of an effect to its cause Mr. Kendal doth argue against him as if hee had rendred
for Justification and Remission of sin are all one as I shal demonstrate in the sequel of this Exercitation do work in or upon the sinner a real change and as to the reality therefore of a change there seems to me to bee no difference at all and yet there being sundry kinds of real changes or all real changes being not of the same kind this to my seeming is the difference betwixt them viz. That Gods sanctifying a sinner doth work a real change in the sinner from Corruption to Grace from the evil of sin to the good of holinesse which for that cause may not unfitly be stiled a real moral or holy change and Gods justifying or pardoning a sinner doth work in him or upon him a real change from the evil of misery or punishment to the good of happinesse and which for that reason docendi gratiâ I may stile a real physical or political or happy change but why this change should be stiled purely relative and be denied to be real in way of contradiction to that of Sanctification I for my part am not as yet convinced this change being such in reality and in very deed as is wrought in or upon a poor naked and wounded man when of poor he is made rich and of wounded is made whole Thus really as to mee seemeth doth Gods justifying or pardoning a sinner alter or change the sinner from what he was afore as well in person as in relation the subjects of this change as really differing from those who are not justified and pardoned as doth a child of wrath and mercy or as doth a Saint in glory from a Reprobate in hell Solid and judicious Mr. Blake in his Vindiciae Foeà eris in his undertaking to prove Justification to be not an Immanent but a transient act in God doth seem to vary from what hath been commonly taught by our Divines in acknowledging that the Effect which Justification doth work as terminated in a sinner is a * The like also doth Mr. Burges acknowledg in his Book of Justif p. 169. real Effect for otherwise I see no cause why he should parallel Gods grace in justifying a sinner to the grace or favour which Pharaoh did expresse towards Joseph in bringing him out of Prison saying That act of Pharaoh had as real an effect upon Joseph and was terminated in him in his advancement out of Prison for rule in Egypt as though a Physician in case of sicknesse had wrought a cure upon him For my own part I cannot but think that look what real change is wrought in a poor prisoner by his deliverance out of prison or in a wounded man by his cure such a real change is wrought in or upon a sinner by Gods justifying and pardoning him Gods remitting sinners being resembled to or being set forth by healing the broken hearted delivering Captives and setting at liberty them that are bruised And yet notwithstanding the said comparison to illustrate that change which Justification doth work in a sinner Mr. Blake and in that particular I am not satisfied doth expresly deny That Justification doth work any physical change in man and in that saying I cannot but professe my dissent from him The reason why our Divines have commonly denyed that Justification or remission of sin doth work any real change or any change upon the sinner more then relative I humbly conceive to be this viz. Because they do generally look upon remission of sin to be onely a disobligation of the sinner from punishment i. e. from being bound to suffer that punishment which otherwise would have been sooner or later inflicted but seeing remission of sin is as wel Gods taking away of punishment already inflicted upon the sinner as Gods discharge of the sinner from being obliged to suffer that punishment which otherwise according to desert hee would have inflicted at one time or other as in this respect the change is relative so in that respect it is unquestionably real CHAP. XXIV The Description of forgivenesse of sin given by that very learned and godly Divine Dr. Twisse which is by some highly commended as most accurate examined and refuted and the evil consequences of the same detected together with the Authors Apology for his taking upon him in ought to expresse his dissent from men of such prime worth Stars of the first Magnitud as confessedly that Doctor was CONSECT XVII 17. IT followes That that Description of D. Twisse undertaking to acquaint us with the nature or quiddity of Remission of sin is not Vsquequaque quadrant consistent with truth he saying That remission of sin is nothing else but either Gods denying to punish or else his will not to punish His words are Remissio peccatorum si quidditatem inspicias nihil aliud est quam aut punitionis negatio aut volitionis puniendi negatio Lib. 2. pag. 273. It is the latter part of the Doctors description which I do dissent from and shall endeavour to expugne In my entrance hereupon I shal suspect that some will censure my attemps herein as also what I shall in an intended supplement to this Discourse attempt in one point against Mr. Pemble as an act of insolency and unsufferable presumption objecting against mee with such reproach as Mr. Kendal doth against Mr. Baxter for a like attempt against the selfe same renowned Authour saying Sic dama Leonem Insequitur audetque viro concurere virgo Surely Mr. Kendal hath said Satis pro imperio satis pro opprebrio whereby to deter any such as I am from contradicting ought in the said worthy Authours he having concluded his Digression against Mr. Baxter with this Sarcasme Ne tu divinam Iliada tentes Sed longè sequere vestigia semper adora But my Apology is 1. As I do much magnifie the said Authours Dr. Twisse and Mr. Pemble worthily accounted among the most pious and learned Divines that our English Nation hath brought forth so I should abhor my selfe as in dust and ashes should my conscience in the least accuse me of any willingnesse to detract from them or of seeking to magnifie my self in opposing them unto whose inferiours by very many degrees I must ever confesse my selfe inferior not a little 2 An endeavour as in the fear of God with modesty and humility to discover errour in whomsoever and to vindicate the truth specially such Truthes and Errors which are of momentous consequence will be I doubt not acceptable to God however it should prove ungrateful to some men 3. By how much any man is more eminently pious and learned who hath vented and laboured in the support of an Errour by so much the more taking and spreading is the Error like to prove 4. I am verily perswaded that were the foresaid Authors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now living upon earth they would upon all due occaâ—ion declare themselves to be men after Davids heart in this particular even as David was a man after Gods
already about this Point as that I shall not much need to say any thing more For my own part I am singularly glad that Mr. Baxter hath admonished Christians to beware of the Book stiled The Marrow of Modern Divinity that doth harp so much upon that string not for but from The said Book was about six or seven yeers ago commended unto me by a very honest and well meaning Christian which having sought after and throughly read I could not but wonder and not without some little but just indignation that three such most excellent and famous Divines as Mr. C. Mr B. and Mr. S. should by their several Epistles commend such an Interimystical and Cassandrian piece as that Book may in its kind I think deservedly be called and I did thereupon make some Animadversions upon it long since and in special concerning this particular Point From and not For For well I wot that albeit we are to endeavour as much as may be the peace of Gods Churches and I doubt not but goodnesse and sweetnesse of nature and zeal for peace did so far prevail with those three forementioned Worthies as to procure such Testimonials from them neverthelesse we are not to assert grosse Errours however we may and its fit we should sometimes conceal some Truths for peace sake I shall here therefore insert what I have long since written and upon occasion also preached about this Point as followeth There is much ignorance and errour in opposing these two From and For salvation as things incompatible and inconsistent whereas like brethren they may very well dwel together in unity Know then That Believers may and ought to do good duties both from and for salvation e.g. 1. From Salvation as purposed and appointed by God for them 2. From salvation as purchased and procured by Christ in their behalf 3. From salvation as promised to them in the Word and in the wayes of well doing Thence is it frequent with the Holy Ghost in Scripture to urge Believers unto constancy in obedience with Arguments taken from the consideration of the said Purpose Purchase and Promises for which see Heb. 12 28.2 Cor. 7.1 and 1.6 20. 1 Thes 5 8 9. 2. As a Believer is to work from salvation purposed procured promised I add also As a wicked man is to repent from salvation by God in Christ appointed for him and promised to him upon termes of believing repenting converting and upon those terms made over to him in the Gospel grant so are we all one with another to work to begin and to hold on in the wayes of Righteousnesse for salvation actually and fully in Gods due time to be enjoyed And that every man may and ought in this sort or sense work for his salvation may bee proved by the following Arguments 1. We are expresly commanded To work out our salvation Phil. 2.12 So to run that we may obtain 1 Cor. 9.24 To do that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord that it may be well with us Deut. 6.18 To wash our hearts from wickedness that we may be saved Jer. 4 14. 2. God promiseth to give eternal life to those and those only who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for it Rom. 2.7 So that unlesse we work for our salvation we can never be saved as having no promise of salvation made of God unto us so truly hath Mr. Baxter said That should the Asserters of the said Doctrine so commended in the Marrow of Modern Divinity put in practise their own Doctrine they could not be saved 3. What reason had Saint Paul to assert that a Christians patient suffering of the Crosse doth work glory for him if a Christian may not therein and in all his wayes of well doing work for it 2 Cor. 4.17 18. 4. Consider the examples of the Saints who did the will of God for the obtaining of this end We run strive are temperate in all things saith Saint Paul 1 Cor. 9.25 to obtain an incorruptible Crown Heb. 11.35 Not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better Resurrection Phil. 3.14 I presse towards the mark saith Saint Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the price of the high Calling of God in Christ Jesus and what himself did in this he calls upon all the most perfect not excepted to imitate saying ver 15. Let as many as be perfect be thus minded and v. 17. Brethren be followers together of me 5. Salvation is one great end as of our believing 1 Pet. 1.9 so also of our working i. e. of all the acts of new obedience Rom. 6. 22. Being made free from sin and become servants to God ye have your fruit unto holinesse and the end everlasting life Thence is salvation stiled the Fruit of our doings Isai 3.10 and the reward or recompence of our labors 2 John 8. Luke 14.14 Yea as glory is stiled Grace 1. Pet. 1.13 so is salvation the reward of our works stiled by the name of Works Rev. 14.13 Their works shall follow them i. e. Merces operum the reward of their works shall follow them How absurd and irrational then is it for any one to say That a Christian is not to repent for pardon or to work for salvation it is as if a man should say We must not use means for the end Yea why may I not say That salvation I mean our own and the salvation of others is the maine and utmost end of a Christians working for as much as the glory of God doth therein consist to the height or uttermost and therefore it seems vain for any one to except saying Gods glory is the utmost end for the utmost of Gods glory quoad hoc is in our salvation Yea so inseparable is Gods glory from our glory as that God is not glorified to the uttermost by our glorifying him on earth but by his glorifying us in heaven 2 Thess 1.10 When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe When our blessed Saviour did pray to his Father saying Father glorifie thy Son that thy Son also may glorifie thee making his Fathers glory the end of his owne what is the meaning of Christ in that prayer but that God would strengthen and enable him to go through his approaching sufferings for the efectual accomplishing of that great end for which they were designed viz. the bringing of many sons unto glory according to the expression of the Apostle Heb. 2.11 and according to the supplication of our Saviour saying viz Father I will that those whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory and according to his assertion ver 19. For their sakes I sanctifie my self I add it seems to me to be a thing impossible for any one truly and in a Scripture sense to aim at his own salvation and not to aim at Gods glory I say truly and in a Scripture sense for in a