by doing whereas it is he and he alone that hath merited to us Grace and Glory and all title to Heaven Not to say that a Charter of life from such a noble Superiour as Christ by the purchase of blood and of such blood the blood of God Act. 20.28 is some better then to have eternall liveliehood and free-hold from our duty and lubrick best works which are polluted with sin and by which though we were Evangelically conscious to our selves of nothing yet should we not be therefore justified 1 Cor. 4.4 for the righteousnesse in which is Davids blessednesse before Christ and Abrahams before the Law and ours under the Gospel is in forgiving of iniquity covering of sin not imputing of sin Rom. 4.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. But in all the Scripture our sins are never said to be pardoned and not imputed to us by our own most Evangelick doing for we are justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus Rom. 3.24 not by the Redemption that is in us and are washen from our sins in his Blood Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14 Mat. 26.28 Rev. 1.5 and sufferings not by our Evangelick doings and if such a case could stand the Martyrs sure might well be justified by their own blood and since no pardoning washâ—ng Law-satisfying vertue can be in faith works or our Evangelick deservings they can not justifie us nor keep and occupy the Chair of Christ. And the fault were the lesse if our works were onely called the way to the kingdom not the cause of raigning but they are called perfect both in their nature and conforme to the rule and also in order to the end to justifie us before God and to save us And if so all in Christ may say we have no sin contrary to Scripture Jam. 3.2 1 King 8.46 Eccles. 7.20 Prov. 20.9 Jam. 2.10 Yea though he that is guilty in one offends in all yet in the sight of God all flesh shall be justified this way Psal. 143.2 Nor can it be said that such works are perfectly conform to the Gospel because the doers beleeving in the lowest degree fulfills the condition of the Gospel But where it is said that the Gospel commands only faith in the lowest degree Then the Centurions faith the faith of the woman of Canaan and the greatest faith shall not be required in the Law For the condition of the Covenant of Grace cannot say they be required in the Covenant of Works and it is not required in the Gospel under the pain of sinning against the Covenant of Grace and of damnation for then all who have not faith in the highest degree should be damned and violate and break the Covenant of Grace contrary to the whole Gospel which saith that these who have weak faith are justified and saved and so the greatest faith shall be will-worship and a work of supererogation And because this way saith that all and every one of mankind are under the Covenant of Grace then 1. there shall be none living under the Law 2. no Law but only to beleeve in CHRIST shall lay an obligation on any Jews Christians under pain of wrath And if James be to prove that we are justified by works and yet mean that both faith and works concur as causes though faith more principally how can Paul deny that we are justified by works If Peter and John jointly work a miracle and heal the creeple man suppose the influence of John in the miracle be more yet it is not to be denyed that Peter wrought the miracle Nor doth the Scripture say that we are more principally justified by faith and lesse principally justified by works but the places alledged for salvation by works if works have a causative influence specially Matth. 25. speaks more for the preheminence of works Nor doth the Scripture insinuate any thing of the first and second Justification or of growing in Justification in having our sins not imputed to us to our very day of death and the Question must be Rom. 4. whether Abraham was justified by works done before circumcision or not Rom. 4. when as faith was not reckoned to Abraham when he was in uncircumcision and the blessednesse of righteousnesse by faith cometh both upon circumcision and uncircumcision vers 9. and he had faith and righteousnesse and was in Christ and regenerated when he was justified Though some taught Justification by the works of the ceremoniall Law yet Paul Gal. 3.10 states the Question of works agreeable to the Morall Law that are absolutely perfect and must be done by Grace And Paul might justly in the Epistles to the Romans and Galatians have excepted himself David Abraham and all the regenerate for they are justified by giving almes to the poor Mat. 25. as was Rachab by receiving and lodging the spyes The English Divines say How could the Scripture conclude from Abrahams being justified by works whence he offered his Son Isaac unlesse by works here we understand a working faith the Apostle must mean the same by works vers 21. that he meaneth by faith 23. for he cannot say vers 23. the Scripture was fulfilled in Abrahams being justified in the work of offering his son v. 21. which saith Abraham beleeved God and it was counted to him for righteousnesse Except it must be meant that the work of offering his son Isaac was counted to him for righteousnesse Now the letter of the Text expresly vers 23. saith that beleeving God was counted to Abraham for righteousnesse then the work of offering his Son must either be the beleeving declared by offering his son and faith working by that act of offering or if they be two sundry things he must then say this in effect Abraham was justified by the work of sacrificing vers 2â— causatively before God Ergo the Scripture is fulfilled vers 23. and Abraham is justified by beleeving causatively before God vers 23. which we cannot ascribe to the Apostle according to their minde who make faith and works the two collaterall and joint causes of Justification before God as if one would say Peter wrought the miracle Ergo the Scripture is fulfilled that Iohn wrought the miracle So Abraham was justified by works vers 21. Ergo Abraham was justified by faith 23. 2. The faith which Iames debarres from Justification must be the faith Iam. 2. by which Paul strongly proves Rom. 3. c. 4. we are justified without works If faith and works concurre as collaterall causes in our Justification before God as the Papists contend but the faith which James excludes from Justification is no faith at all But only 1. fair words to the hungry and naked and giving them supply for no necessity either of hunger or nakednesse and which cannot save and so is no faith and so can have no saving influence with works to justifie and save but such is the faith which James excludes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 14 v. 15. the
much feeling of pain argues much life And such as in this regard say I thank God I was plagued and pained but now nothing ails me I have peace I am rich I have need of nothing Revel 3.17 I am all whole must be in a dangerous case Indeed the complaining of want of justification and of the righteousnesse of God in a believer and a raising of the foundation as Psal. 31.22 Jonah 2.4 I am cast out of thy sight are both false and bastard-feelings and hastie unbelief for this is a reflection upon and a reproaching of the Office of the Healer of sinners This is contrair to faith and the former is a complaining of the body of sin that can hardly be sclandered so a complaining of self and the feeling of inherent corruption weakens not but strengthens faith And complaining thus and triumphing in a believed justification do well consort in Paul Rom. 7.24 O wretched man c. v. 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord and Rom. 8.1 Then every feeling of sin is not contrair to faith as Mr. Town and other Antinomians teach some godly tender feeling foments faith Q. 6. How cometh it to passe that seldome feeling of sin wanteth unbeleef Ans. Our looking in a Legall not in an Evangelick way upon sin doth occasion unbelief for looking to the sicknesse of the sinner is but abused when this use is made of it that the question which Christ hath aboundantly answered Ah he hath not who satisfied and payed my ransome justified me also by the Redemption that is in him but the strong body of sin which leads me captive Rom. 7.23 doth also lead rather mislead me to doubt whether the ransome was sufficiently payed and I sufficiently and freely by his grace and the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus justified as Rom. 3.24 And because the sinner feels the stirring and too vigorous acting of a body of sin which is his own work he removes the foundation-stones laid by Christ and questions the well done work of Christ and thrusts in his sickle into Christs harvest which is upon the mater to say Ah my sanctification is nought or small Therefore Christs satisfaction is weak so the man laying the burden upon the wrong back will take and pull off the burden that Christ in his own body did bear on the tree as 1 Pet. 2.24 and wrestle under his own body of sin himself and he thinks he will do the busines better himself then Christ. This is that which Antinomians imput to us groundlesly but it is our sinfull weaknesse so to be troubled at the indwelling of a body of sin as we doubt of and call in question the work of Justification and the satisfaction of Christ. But there is good cause why the sinner quarrel with himself and complain of a body of sin and yet not only quarrell with Christ but exalt Christ and by faith close with the absolutenesse of his gifted satisfaction and righteousnesse And this is as easie by the Grace of God as we see the more that a gracious soul abases himself as one carnall and sold under sin Rom. 7.14 as one in whom there dwells no good as touching the flesh v. 18. in whom sin dwells v. 20. as one brought into captivity to the Law of sin and a wretched man 24. so much the more doth he exalt Christ the only deliverer Rom. 7.25 Rom. 8.1 23 33 34 35. and why should not our blacknesse commend Christs beauty our deadness exalt his life our sinfull wretchednesse his glorious office in saving and our emptinesse and drynesse his fulnesse of the anointing who is all fulnesse CHAP. XXVIII Christ died not to blot out the sense of sin but rather to quicken a Godly sense thereof THe more of Christ and his sufferings be apprehended the more Godly sense of sin so far is Christs death from bloting out all sense of sin For if sense of sin be all one with a simple reflecting knowledge that we once sinned then the Godly in this life from grace not from the stirring of the Law do both know and acknowledge what they were 1 Tim. 1.13 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord c. I was before a blasphemer and a persecuter and injurious but I obtained mercy Tit. 3.3 We our selves were also sometimes foolish disobedient c. Yea the glorified cannot before the Throne sing the glory of the Lamb slain and the price of Redemption payed Rev. 5 12. to redeem them from sin but there must be even in glory this sense of their debt though without heart break or sorrow Then it cannot be a Doctrine of the Gospel that paying of our debt and the ransome doth score out of a gracious memory the counts of a payed debt The more I know what Christ hath done the more I should kisse and imbrace the gracious surety and these kisses of Glory and that song worthy is the Lamb c. say that grace and the faith of the price payed do inlarge rather the holy memory and sense of sin then obliâ—erate it Hence the translated out of sense of grace cast back their eye to the pit the drudgerie of bondage they were once in Epâ— 2.3 4 5. Tit. 3.3 4 5. 1 Tim. 1.13 14. with loving and praising the riches of grace And must it not be good to read old counts and weep for joy and cast and dart up praises to him who is at the right hand of the Father and sorrow for old debts and love much him who freely pardons 2. If sense of sin be taken for the unbelieving feeling of and judging my self cast out of his sight and condemned whereas yet I am in Christ and it is God who justifies me who is he shall condemn Rom. 8.33 34. We shall agree with Antinomians this is indeed the hastie sense of unbeleef Psal. 31.22 Joâ— 2.4 Hence let them be rebuked who say not that Christ in the Gospel hath taken away this sense of sin Yea many redeemed of the Lord are weary and laden but they render themselves weary and then sinfully complain that Christ will not ease them In which unconverted ones in the dead-throw are more to be justified then they the one being under a reall burden and the spirit of the Law acting upon them the other act the Law at their own hand and will receive the spirit of bondage to fear again whether it be reason or not He is the less to be pittied who casts himself with his own hand in prison 3. There is a Gospel-sense of in-dwelling of sin bringing forth the mourning of the dove and tears that are so innocent as they wrong not Christ or his work of redeeming and justifying Of this Rom. 7.24 Christ sure takes not this away Beleevers lodge a body of sin in them as sighing patients and as captives half against their will at least their renewed will does contradict this guest Rom. 7.14 15 16 17 18 c. 23 24.
promised in the Covenant of Works p. 47 48. Wilfulnesse of unbelief Some doubts are to be left to GOD only to solve p 48 49. How the Lord is the God of Adam p. 49. No promise of influences is made to Adam p. 49. CHAP. IX What life is promised in the Covenant of Works p. 49 50 Whether or no did Adam and all the Reprobates in him lose all right to the creatures p. 50 51. A threefold right 1. Naturall 2. Providentiall 3. Spirituall What right Reprobates and unbelievers have to the living â—aâ—ing c. p. 53 54. What way God is ours p. 55 56. A furniture of Grace and a want of Christ. p 56. CHAP. X. The Arminians ground that God was in a maner compelled to appoint the New Covenant p. 56 57. The naturall antecedent love of God a dream p 57. CHAP. XI The threefold Covenant of some considered p. 57 58. And of the Arminians p. 64 considered and rejected The Law as propounded to Israel was the very Covenant of Grace p. 60 61 62. and the Covenant in the Old one with that of the New Covenant but differenced â—n some accidents p. 63 64. CHAP. XII Self-searching to know under what Covenant We are a spirituall condition and why p 65 6â— The threatnings under the New Testament more spirituall p 67 68. What it is to be under the Law ibid. The combate between the flesh and the Spirit and the combate in naturall men differenced p 68. Compelled convictions argue a Law Spirit ibid. It s easier to be sound in the faith then to be Godly p. 69. Of the legall terrors ibid. Of literall and legall convictions and these of the Gospel p. 70. Marks of such as are under the Law p. 70 71. A sweetnesse in the hardest command because holy ib. An heaven in duties p. 71. A new nature stands for a command ibid. CHAP. XIII Covenanting externall visible professed conditionall and Covenanting internall invisible reall absolute and how they differ p. 72 73 74. Infants are within the Covenant p. 73 74 75 76. And to be baptized and invested with Covenant priviledges p. 76 77 78 79. It s false that none are in Covenant under the New Testament but converts ib. The Covenant made with Abraham and us the same p. 80 81. Nor is that Covenant a civill Covenant p. 81 82. The New Testament Kingdome is spirituall though there be seals in it and externall worship p. 82 83. Of federall holinesse ibid. Externall Church priviledges of the Covenant are given to Nations and societies p. 83 84. It s not the Physicall but the Morall root that is the first subject of the Covenant conditionall and externall p 84 85. The formall ground of right to Baptisme p. 85 86. The places Acts 8.37 Mark 16.16 opened and are nothing for but much against Anabaptists p. 85 86. The text Acts 2.39 opened is strong for Infant baptisme p. 86 87. A conditionall Covenant is properly a Covenant though it be not ever a fulfilled Covenant p 90 91. No means are proved by Law or Gospel to save infants by the opposers of infant Baptisme p 91 92. Two diverse considerations of the Covenant one in abstracto as a simple way of saving sinners and so all in the Visible Church are in the Covenant another in concreto as it contains the Lords will of pleasure and as it is acted upon the heart and so the Elect are only in Covenant p 94. The new heart is only commanded to some and to others it is both commanded and promised p 95. CHAP. XIV The place Gen. 17. opened p. 95. Circumcision and Baptisme compared p 95 96 97. What blessings and priviledges must infants want if they be without the Covenant p 98 99 100. The place Mark 10.15 16. Luke 18. Math. 19. Of such is the Kingdome of heaven opened p. 100.101.102 What blessing Christ bestowed upon the infants whom hee took in his armes p. 102 103 104. A Covenanted seed is promised to be added to the Church of the Jews 104.105 Considerable differences between external and internal Covenanting 107.108 The place Rom. 11.6 If the root be holy so are the branches 110.111 By the holy Root cannot be meant the predestinate to Glory only 113 114. But visible Professors fathers and children p. 115 116. The children are in Covenant not by birth but by such a birth p. 116 117. Covenant holinesse is not the compleat and adequat cause of reall ingrafting in Christ. p. 116 117 118 CHAP. XV. Other considerable differences between externall and internall Covenanting p. 118 119. There is no universall Grace subjective or objective given to all Rom. 10.18 Psal. 19.3 p. 119 120 121 122 123 124. Nor power of believing given to all p. 124 125 126. CHAP. XVI The judgement of men esteeming such visible Covenanters to be reall converts before they can be admitted makes all Egypt Assyria the Kingdomes of the world all Judea Baptized to be reall converts in the judgement of Iohn Baptist Paul and the Apostles p. 129 130 The invisible Church is the first subjâ—ct of the promises of speciall note c. p. 131 132 Hypocrites have no warrand to challenge the seals from any command of God as M. Thom. Hooker sayeth p. 132 CHAP. XVII Who are Hypocrites p. 133 134 What Hypocrisie is p. 135 Parties in the Covenant of Grace as acted upon in heart p. 137 The Word and the Spirit p. 138 Of God speaking himself ib. Prophesies that now are differ from Scripture Prophesies and how p. 139 Revelations made to the Godly when they are in much nearnesse to GOD p. 140 141 Marks of a spirituall disposition p. 142 143 144 145. To do a duty as a duty and not as delightfull is a spirituall disposition p. 144 Not as successefull but as a duty p. 145 CHAP. XVIII The nature characters properties of the new heart and the new spirit of Covenanters p. 145 146. The heart the man p 146 The good heart ib. How rare a peece the heart is p. 147 Of the raigning evils of the heart ib. Why we are more shamed of lying then of pride p. 149 The concurrence of the Word to the act of infusion of a new heart a mysterie p. 149 150 The Atheisme and impossible lies of the heart p. 150 151 The signes of the new heart p. 151 152 CHAP XIX The place of Evangelick Works in the Covenant 2. Possession of glory and right to glory different 3. A twofold right to glory 4. We are not justified by Works 5. The place of declarative justification by Works Jam. 2. discussed 6. Faith and Works different 7. Possession of life and right to life cleared 8. Faith and finall beleeving both commanded in the Law Finall unbeleef not the sin forbidden in the Gospel only 9. How life is promised to our Works Evangelick p. 153 154 155 156 157 seq Our mistakes of God p 15â— 152 The faith that James speaks of is not true faith pâ—60 â—60 The
Covenant of Redemption is explained in three eternal acts 1. Designation of one 2. Decree and destination 3. Delectation in the work p. 302 303. The attributes of God declared herein p. 304.305 The Fathers eternall delighting in the Son 309 307 The strength of Gods love to man p. 306.307.308 CHAP. VIII The differences between the Covenant of Suretyship made with Christ and the Covenant of Reconciliation made with sinners 2. The conjunction of the Covenants 3. How the promises are made to the Seed The place Gal. 3.16 opened 4. Christ suffered and acted ever as a publike head p. 308 309 310. CHAP. IX The 13. Argument from the necessity of Gods call 2. Of Typicall sprinkling of the blood of the Covenant and of the Testament The place Heb. 13.20 opened Of the place Heb. 7.22 the act of Suretyship the assurance of our state p. 316 317 318. How the promises are made to Christ p. 317 The peculiar nature of Christs Testament as such a Testament p 318 319 Of the Suretyship of Christ. p. 323 324 Punishment suffered by the Surety can remove punishment from the guilty man but cannot remove formally the inherenâ— guilt and how this was done by Christ. p. 323 324 Christs undertaking for all p. 326.327 Of the place Prov 8.22 23 24 c. p. 306 307 308 327 Arminius yeelds a Covenant between the Father and the Son p. 327 328 And how for Jehovah cannot promise a seed to Christ as a reward of his work by their way having no Soveraigne power over the will p. 328 329 330 Of such as are his seed Oâ— the Covenant of the Lord with David p. 836 837 Ps. 89. opened ibid. p. 338 339. Mic. 5.2 p 339 CHAP. X. Christ procures the Gospel to be Preached to Reprobates but undertakes not for them A necessary distinction of the Covenant as Preached according to the approving will of God and as acted upon the heart according to the decree of God The place Jer. 31 Heb. 8. This is my Covenant opened p. 339 340 341 342. The distinction of the approving wil of God of his wil of pleasure p. 342.343 Antinonians confound the efficient cause of the obedience and the objective cause or the rule of the Word p. 345 346 The purpose and scope of the Holy Ghost is not Heb. 8. and Jer. 31. to speak or treat of the Covenant of Grace as Preacheâ— in the 〈◊〉 but as acted upon the heart that so Christ may be advanceâ— as a more spirituall and effectuall teacher and Priest then Moses Aaron c. p. 346 347 348 Which two are confounded by Antinomâ—ans CHAP. XI Of the promises made to Christ in the Covenant of Mediation p. 349 350. A twofold justification of Christ p. 349 Christ had a promise of influences Adam had none at all p. 350 351 Our mistake touching comforts and duties p. 351 Christs satisfaction p. 351 352 We may flee to the Covenant becauâ—e of Christ p. 352 353 Rods are booked in the Covenant oâ— Works Deut. 28. and in the Covenant of Grace to both the Covenanters Psal. 89.30 31 c. p. 353 CHAP. XII The condition and properties of the Covenant of Redemption p. 355 356. No such condition is required of Christ as of Adam p. 356 The paying of the price of blood and dying is the formall condition of the Covenant of Redemption upon the part of Christ p. 356 357 The holy qualifications of Christ in the Covenant of Suretyship p. 357 358 These qualifications how to be followed by us p. 354 Christs Grace of headship what force it may have upon us p. 360 361 The properties of the Covenant of Suretyship 1. Freedom 2. Graciousnesse 3. Eternitie p. 361 362 363 The exposition of that place 1 Cor. 15.28 p. 3â—3 364 Christ even after the universall judgement a mediatorie Head King and Lord p. 366 367 368 Errata Pag. 2. lin â—9 read Immortality p. 15. l. 19. r. no-beings p. 17. l. 29. r. no-beings p. 2 r. l. 1 2. r. God therefore p. 22. l. 31. r. God it p. 28. l. 26. r. Isa. 42. p. 39. l. 10. r. abiding Life p. 43. l. 24. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 51. l. 27. r. is in the substance p. 53. l. 2. r. no grinding of p. 55. l. 16. r. floor p. 70. l. â— r. literally p. 92. l. 10 11. r. decreed p. 96. l. 5. r. ground p. 103. l. 13. r. as symbolick p. 104. l. 36. r. that the. p. 134. l. 14. r. but cannot p. 136. l. 21. r. here p. 140. l. 13. r. seated no discursive p. 141. l. 33. r. gnawing p. 160. l. 26. r Menochius p. 166. l. 26. in maâ— r. spectasset p. 168 l. 17. r. it is not only p. 169. l. 29. r. head p. 186. l. 33. r. Gal. 14. p. 195. l. 1. r. thereof p. 201. l. 20. r. partaker p. 206. l. 11. r. have it so p. 218. l. 29. r steep for sharp p. 221. l. 11. r. not only not quarrell p. 239 l. 15. r. depends not upon p. 249 l. 1. r. Arminius p. 251. l. 29. r. acceptation p. 269. l. 26. r. arts p. â— l. 3. r. who are not dead to opinions p. 282. l. 14. gave thee p. 299. l. 29. r. in his hand p. 309. l. 36. dele Joh. 8. p. 314. l. 24. r. are p. 316. l. 10. r. he that said p. 333. l 18. r. agrees to be p. 344. l. 15 r. and will have THE COVENANT OF LIFE OPENED CHAP. I. What is to be spoken of the COVENANT of LIFE shall be reduced to these Heads 1. The nature and differences of the Covenant of Works and that of Grace 2. The Mediator of the Covenant of Life 3. The application of Covenant-Promises 4. Of Covenant-Influences of Grace under the Gospel Of the latter especially of the last not much hath been spoken by any in a practicall way CHAP. II. Propositions touching ADAMS Covenant-state THe Apostle 1 Cor. 15.47 The first man is of the earth earthie the second man is the Lord from Heaven speaking of the two eminently publick persons the noble heads of great Families makes the condition of the first Adam to be animal and earthly that of the second Adam to be spiritual and Heavenly And without doubt to be born of the house and seed of the second Adam John 1.12 13. must darken the glory of the first birth so as there is no great ground to boast of the skin and empty lustre of Nobility and good blood Although when the creature called I and self do creep in to lodge in a poor feeble piece of clay that clay so lustred must be some God The flower and choisest of Adam his Paradise-state is an earthly condition as is evidenced by his eating Gen. 2.9 16. sleeping 21 his being placed in a Garden to dresse it 8 16 17 his marriage 23 24. his Lordship over birds beasts fishes Gen. 1.28 But in the second Adam besides all these
34.15 16. 1 King 11.2 Ezra 9.2 12. Nehem. 13.23 Judg. 3.6 7. Judg. 4.2 3. Except there be some middle between a cursed and a blessed seed a seed in the Church and in Covenant and the seed of the Serpent of Heathen without the Covenant 2. A middle between the Kingdom of darknesse of Satan and the Kingdom of God of his dear Son Contrair to Eph. 2.2 3 4. Acts 26.18 Col. 1.13 14. 1 Pet. 2.9 10. Eph. 5.8 which is unknown to Scripture Yea the Covenant is made to Christ and his seed Gal. 3.16 and the same blessings of Abraham comes on us Gentiles Gal. 3.13 14. But he and all his seed were blessed and in grace by the externall call of the Covenant Ezek. 16.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. Deut. 7 7 8. Rom. 10.25 I will call them my people that were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved And this externall calling is of Grace and so Grace no merit as well as predestination to life is grace or for grace For whosoever are called not because Elect but because freely loved of such a God and without merit called Father and Son they are in a state of graceâ— But so are all within the Visible Church If any object by Christs comming all the Nations old and young are not become the Nations of the Lord and of his Christ but only true Believers even by our Doctrine Answ. They are become the Kingdoms of the Lord not only because they are truely converted but because they are the chosen of God in the Office-house of Christ and Christ reigns over them by the Scepter of his Word whom he is to convert And external Covenanting with God is of it self free Grace and a singular favour bestowed of God Psal. 147.19 20. Deut. 5.1 2. Mat. 21.42 43. Luke 14.16.21 2. It is free Grace that God will have hypocrites and real infidels to beget children to him that are internally in Covenant with him and fills up the number of the Elect by Reprobate Parents who are instrumentall to the in-coming in the world and into the Visible Church of many Heirs of Glory and in so doing there is a Church right communicated from Reprobate Parents to their Children that are Heirs of Glory 3. Externall Covenanting goes before internall Covenanting as the means before the end and the cause before the effect For faith comes by hearing of a sent Preacher Rom. 10.14 and the Preaching of the Gospel is a saving means of begeting a new heart and of a new spirit Hence 1. All must be first externally in Covenant before they can be internally and really in Covenant 2. God is a God simply to some and no more but a God to them in regard of outward Church priviledges as the Word Seals Protection Peace Hedge of Discipline his planting and watering by a Ministry But he is to speak so more then a God to others Hos. 2.19 I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse in judgement and in loving kindnesse and in mercy Now the Lord is joyned to back-sliding Israel in an externall marriage Covenant But Jer. 3.14 not in righteousnesse in loving kindnesse and mercy in reference to the rotten party In regard of which he saith v. 2. Plead with your mother plead for she is not my wife neither am I her husband Zech. 8.7 Thus saith the Lord I will save my people from the East Countrey and from the West Countrey 8. And I will bring them and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and they shall be my people and I will be their God in truth and in righteousnesse Then he is not to all a God in truth and righteousnesse fulfilling the first and substantiall promise of ingraving the Law in the heart not that he keeps not Covenant even to external confederatâ— to wit the conditionall Covenant for if they should beleeve they should be saved but he promised not a new heart and faith to them 3. Because he is a God externall to the Elect and that of free Grace therefore he is a God in truth and righteousnesse to ingrave his Law in their heart But externall confederation is not the adequate cause for then he should give a new heart to all with whom he externally Covenants but the adequate cause is confederation external tali modo out of his discriminating love and free grace he is a God to some 4. He is a God to his Elect that he may ingrave his Law in their heart and inward parts so that the promising to be a God tali modo is the cause and the ingraving of a new heart is the effect Jer. 31.33 Jer. 32.38 And they shall be my people and I will be their God That is the cause 39. I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever for the good of them and of their children after them See the same order Ezech. 11.19 20. though the words ly not in that order there and here And Heb. 8.10.5 God is not then a God to any because they have a clean heart and the Law ingraven therein for then they should be in Covenant before they be in Covenant And so this is true because he is our God in truth and righteousnesse therefore we beleeve but this is not true because we beleeve therefore he is our God except we argue from the effect to the cause But to return Calvine on Matth 19.14 We hence gather that the grace of Christ is extended to Infant age for whole mankind had perished Beza Infants are also comprehended in the free Covenant Pareus its unlawfull to â—â—barre these from baptism and the Church whom Christ â—â—ds come to him c. Obj. But Christ commands not they be baptized Answ. Nor doth Christ in this place command the Parents to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord Nor speak the Evangelists of any Parentall duty shall we from that conclude it was not Christs mind that the Parents take care of the fourth fifth Command Pareus saith it was neither time nor place Mat. 28.19 he bids baptize all 3. He who prayed for them blessed them laid his hands upon them invited them to bring Infants to him of all which Infants were as uncapable as of the use and ends of Baptism and of actuall confession of sin and of beleeving judged they ought be Baptized 4. It s never to be found where any are Baptized but the Head of the Family is Baptized And when we read that houses were Baptized 1 Cor. 1.16 Acts 16.33 There is no more ground to say Infants are not Baptized then to say when the Lord saith to Abraham Gen. 12.2 I will blesse thee and make thy name great And 22.17 in blessing I will blesse thee And when the Lord saith Isai. 19.25 blessed be Aegypt my people he should mean he would blesse Abraham
and adultery in David or any justified man from being sins against the Law of God But because our works of grace have an intrinsâ—call power of meriting and justifying communicated to them by the merits of Christ they must be far more our formall righteousnesse before God then Adams righteousnesse was his justification and life before God And if our works of grace have no power of merite or worth communicated to them from Christs death then must it follow though Christ had never dyed our works may have the same gracious esteem of God the same power of meriting of justifying and saving they now have Yea and since Christ hath redeemed us from our vain conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 by his blood Why but as he hath redeemed us from hell and purchased salvation to us by giving us grace by our own good works after conversion to redeem and justifie and save our selves so he hath redeemed us from our vain conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 by giving us grace to do such works before we be redeemed from our vain conversation and before we be converted as we may merite our conversion and Redemption from our vain conversation If it be said he absolutely and without any condition that is required on our part by his blood redeems all whom he hath given his Son Christ to die for from their vain conversation 1. All mankinde without exception for by their way he hath died for them all must be redeemed from their vain conversation and converted Nothing can be more false 2. The Gospel to no purpose and the Gospel-Commands shall in vain crave obedience or so much as the duty of hearing the Gospel from such as are not yet redeemed from their vain conversation or not yet converted For that Redemption is promised to them â—bsolutely without any condition required of them saith this way Obj. If works have a causative influence on the possession of glory as working on wages and fighting on victory then must they have influence on just possession also For possession except it be just is no possession but usurpation Answ. Possession is essentially the enjoying of any thing pleasant gainfull yea or honest whether the title be just or unjust The Title is accidentall to the Possession Obj. 2. He that possesseth the Crown possesseth the Diamonds and pretious stones and the worth of the Crown Therefore he that possesseth life possesseth the right and title to it Answ. True but hence it followeth not but possession and right to what we possesse do differ in their nature Nor do we properly possess the right of possession for the right or title is modus rei non res the maner of and the due or the undue way of the possession thereof Obj. 3. Is not possession of eternall life from Christ as well as the title or right to the Crown from Him Ans. True both are from Christ but not the same way Possession of the Crowne is the enjoying thereof and is from free grace and we as willing and sanctified agents make use thereof But Christ alone bought with his blood the title and right to it And when he gave his life for the rightfull and due possession of glory to us we did contribute nothing either request or help to procure the title and the grace to enter in to the possession by faith is the fruits also of free grace Nor can it be denyed but our good works by which we enter into possession of the Crown are also the fruit of Christs death but yet not so as there is any meritorious or federall power of deserving the possession communicate to our works Only they are made by Christs death the oblidged way to the possession of life Obj. 4. How then is there a promise of the life to come made to Godlinesse 1 Tim. 4.8 Answ. That promise is neither a promise of the Covenant of Works for by the deeds of the Law no flesh can be saved Nor is it a federall promise of the Covenant of Grace strictly so called except any would say that it is called a promise especially for faith which is speciall Godlinesse and the acknowledging of the truth which is according to godlinesse Tit. 1.1 and so a promise made to the Godly in so far as he is in Christ by faith and in Christ is the promise of life 2 Tim. 1.1 Nor 3. is the promise of a title and right which is made to Christ our Ransone payer made to our Godlinesse as if it did buy our right to life eternall or were the price thereof 4. Life is promised to Believers who work not because they work And 5. the Lord in these only showeth the order of bringing men to glory not the causes of the right and title to glory except we say the mowing of the first quarter of the Meadow is the cause of the mowing of the second because it makes way to the mowing of the second and the mowing of the second quarter is a cause of the mowing of the third and so forth untill all be mown As because God gives grace to work to run to use means therefore he giveth of free grace the crown of life in the possession thereof Obj. Adams Law-obedience should only have so and by this way been the cause or way to the possession Ans. Not so if Adam had perfected his obedience he should have claimed life by right of sinlesse federall merit ex pacto without suiting of it by any title of grace merited by CHRIST not so we It s true beleevers are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worthy Rev. 3. but that is legally in Christ the Head not that the meritorious worth of Christ goeth out of himself and renders our works intrinsecally meritorious CHAP. XX. Whether or not suffered Christ for any sin against the Gospel only such as unbeleef finall which is conceived to be the only sin against the Gospel That Christ died not for all without exception The unwarrantablenesse of that Doctrine how the Law commands justifying faith and repentance how not IT may appear that Christ suffered not for any sin which is onely against the Gospel such as finall unbeleef If any sins be considered in any other respect as against the Gospel only then Christ was not to suffer for any such sin so considered for where no death is threatened none is explicitely due and where it is not so due to the sinner nor should have been execute upon him there it could not have been due to Christ nor executed upon him For the Gospel threateneth not death to any sin but finall unbeleef and rebellion and for that Christ never died therefore Christ died not for any sin as against the Gospel nor suffered that which is no where threatened But this is most doubtsome and cannot well stand It s true that Christ suffered not for finall unbeleef it being the proper sin of some reprobates to wit of such as hear the Gospel Joh. 8.21
4.5 Matth. 12.36 37. they are everlastingly punished And if Christ have suffered on the Crosse for all the sinnes of the Reprobate how are they judged and condemned for these sins as the Scripture saith And what Scripture saith they are condemned for the guilt of only unbelief or that Pagans are condemned for Gospel-unbelief where as Sodom Gomorrah Mat. 10.15 the men of Niniveh Mat. 12.41 Tyrus and Sidon Mat. 11.21 and such as have sinned without the Law Rom. 2.12 13 14 15. are freed of Gospel-guiltinesse and condemned for sinnes against the Law and yet this same way saith that there is a Gospel-Covenant made with all even thousands of Pagans who never heard of a Gospel never ingadged themselves by any profession to take the Lord for their God in Christ yet Christ bare their sins on the Tree and made his blood applicable to them by a Gospel-Covenant if they shall beleeve Whence they must all break the Covenant of Grace of which many of them never heard and be condemned for no sins but the last act of Sodomy gluttony parricide for the Gospel threatteneth not death to any sin but to finall unbelief say they There are not any sinnes committed against the Gospel but they are also sinnes against the Law because God incarnate and Immanuel is God and leaves not off to be God consubstantiall with the Father because he assumes the nature of man Then as the first Command oblidgeth Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac when God shall reveal that Command and Moses and the people are by that first Command to believe their deliverance out of Egypt and so if the firâ—â— Command oblidge us to believe and obey all Commands and Promises and Threatnings of God revealed and to be revealed because the Lord is God then must Christ God Redeemer and Immanuel be beleeved by this Command and so finall unbelief and finall despising of Christ God Redeemer is as directly against the first Command and so not a sin only threatned and forbidden in the Gospel as simple unbelief and simple despising of Christ God Redeemer For the believing final believing and unbelief and unbelief continuing to the end differ in the accident of duration not in nature and essence As a Rose that grows for a moneth only and a Rose of the same nature that groweth and flourisheth for three moneths Otherwise Christ could not have pronounced Peter blessed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 16.17 in the present for believing in the present for he should not have been blessed to the end as Solon said of his blessed man And this cannot but subvert our faith crush the peace hope consolation of weak Believers to whom undoubtedly the promise of perseverance iâ—â—bsolutely made Jer. 31.31 35. Jer. 32.39 40. Isai. 54.10 Isai. 59.20 21. Joh. 4.14 Joh. 10.27 28. 2. If there be as formall a transgression of the fiâ—st Command in finall unbelief as in unbelief simply considered and in the other sins of Judas and other Apostates Why but as Christ bare in his body the sins of unbelief and satisfied for them he must so also bear the sins of finall rebellion and unbelief And shall we believe that Christ payed a satisfactory ransone of blood upon the crosse for the yesterdayes unbelief of Judas and not for the dayes unbelief If it be said No man can break the Gospel-Covenant for it is an everlasting Covenant Ans. It s an everlasting Covenant but yet all who sin against the commanding love and authority of our Immanuel especially they so professing to be his do truly break the Covenant but they so break it as it leaves not off to be the Covenant of life both to the breakers if they repent and beleeve and to others for so is the nature of this Covenant and so it is everlasting but the Covenant of Works if once broken ceases to be a Covenant of life for ever because the nature of it is to admit of no repentance at all Obj. Does not the Law command the sinner offending God to mourn and be humbled and confesse Ans. It doth But it injoines not repentance as a way of life with a promise of life to the repenter as the Law or as a Covenant of Works commands to its native and proper Covenanters obedience and every single act of obedience as a way to obtain the reward of a Law-life nor does the Law as a Covenant of Works command justifying faith and reliance upon God Redeemer or Immanuel but rather as the Law of Nature or as the Law of thankfulnesse to a Ransoning and Redeeming God the Law does this Though in a speciall Covenant way the Gospel command faith in Christ. Obj. But finall unbeleef as against God Redeemer and so considered is the only breach of the Covenant of Grace He that beleeves not is condemned as the man that rejects the only remedie of sin Ans. The only breach of the Covenant of Grace is too narrow to be the adequat cause of damnation for many Pagans who never heard of Christ and are under no Covenant but that of Works are condemned not for not beleeving in him of whom they never heard Rom. 10.14 nor for breach of the Covenant of Grace but for breach of the Covenant of Works 2. Unbelief may be called the nearest cause of damnation to such as 〈◊〉 within the Visible Church as the wilfull refusing of medicine which only and infallibly would heal the sick man of such a disease is the cause of his death but is the Morall cause For the disease it self is the Physicall cause or the materiall cause of the mans death And without doubt uncleannesse covetousnesse sorcerie lying idolatrie c. and many the like sinnes beside unbeleef are 1 Cor. 6.9 Eph. 5.5 6. Rev. 21.8 Rev. 22.15 Jud. 6.7 8. 2 Pet. 2.17.10 11 12 13 2 Thes. 2.9 10. 1 Pet. 4.3 4. 2 Pet. 2.2 3 4 5. the causes of the damnation of many visible professours where as this way saith Christ did satisfie upon the Crosse for all thâ—se sins and the damned of visible professours suffer in hell only for finall unbeleef And it seems unjust that both Christ and they should suffer satisfactory punishment for these same sins done against the Law And as strange that Châ—â—st should die for any and not die for their sinnes since the Scripture useth the word of dying for sinnes Rom. 4.25 delivered from our sinnes Christ is a pâ—opitiation for our sinnes and the same way not for ours only but for the sinnes of the whole world he died for sinners Heb. 2.17 that he might make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people that is for the sinfull people or sinners Heb. 9.28 so Christ was once offered to bear the sinnes of many That is to bear the sins of the sinfull many that he died for Heb. 10.12 But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sin sat down on the right hand of God that is after
and not two 1 Joh. 5.11 And this is the witnesse that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath given us life eternall and this is in the Son 12. He that hath the Son hath life He that beleeveth hath the Son dwelling in his heart by faith Eph. 3.17 2. Faith before it come to seed and full harvest brings solid peace and comfort and saveth So Christ to the blind man Luke 18.42 thy faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath saved thee not a bare miraculous faith but that which apprehends remission of sinnes as he speaks to the woman who did wash his feet with tears Luke 7.50 and to the paralytick man Mat. 9.2 seeing their faith be of good cheer go in peace thy sins are forgiven If they be but forgiven conditionally so they beleeve to the end whereas they may fall away 1. What comfort and good cheer 2. What peace being justified by faith Rom. 5.1 3. What glory in tribulation Rom. 5. have they more then Judas the son of perdition What Covenant of life and of peace are we in What difference between our Religion and the Religion of Cicero Seneca and of all Pagans if Christ furnish not to us solid unshaken help and consolation And what a trembling hope have they that they be and are to fear they shall be in the condition of Apostate Angels to morrw What saith then Christ Mat. 9.22 Mark 5.34 Mark 10.52 Luk. 8.58 Luk. 5.20 24. Mark 5.34 Mark 9.24 yea and much more saith the Holy Ghost of our case even of everlasting consolation 2 Thessal 2.16 strong consolation Hebr. 6.18 all comfort 2 Cor. 1.4 lively hope 1 Pet. 1.4 Heb. 6.18 19. then Heathens can say Nay otherwise not so much for they promise not so much 3. Our lively faith is to believe our perseverance in lively faith as promised to us Jer. 32.39 40. Isai. 54.10 Isai. 59.20 21. Joh. 10.27 28. Joh. 4.14 1 Pet. 1.3 4 5. Joh. 11.26 27. As we believe life eternall and that purchased by the merite of Christs death the one as well as the other then faith as finall cannot be the condition And who can think that God commands faith in God Immanuel in the Covenant of Works But faith in God Immanuel to the end is not commanded in the Covenant of Works but only in the Covenant of Grace 4. Faith justifies and saves as sincere be it great or small but if it justifie not and save not but as it endures to the end then no man is compleatly justified and saved and united to Christ untill he die Since faith as all other graces in a child of God is imperfect and still growing 2 Pet. 3.18 and we are to pray Lord increase our faith none shall be justified and saved but he that hath the greatest faith if faith only which endures to the end be the condition of the Covenant and such a faith as groweth and indures to the end For take one who for twenty years believeth the first two years he being united to Christ hath right to Christ Joh. 15.1 2 3 4 5. Joh. 17.21 22. Joh. 14.16 Joh. 16.7 8 13. Joh. 4.14 Joh. 7.37 38 39. he shall not be judged not condemned hath passed from death to life shall never die Joh. 3.36 1 Joh. 5.11 12. Joh. 4.24 Joh. 11.25 26. then should he die the end of the first year of his believing by the Scripture he must be saved else he must be damned who yet died in true faith and yet never fell away which were strange But by this opinion either the remnant sound believing should be no condition of justification and salvation because the man is justified and saved without it and the faith of one or two years gave him right to Christ and saved him Ergo the remnant faith is not a condition of the Covenant but a persevering by grace promised and a persevering in that faith as also by their way who make persevering faith the only condition of the Covenant of Grace 1. Faith and works are confounded whereas to be saved by faith is to be saved before and to be justified before we can do good works and the jus or title to righteousnesse and salvation coming only from the price and Redemption that is in Jesus Christ is not more or lesse and growes not more then the worth of the ransone of the blood called the blood of God Acts 20.28 does grow and it is to be justified by grace and by faith and then works come in as the fruit of our justification and salvation Eph. 2. Ye are not saved by works lest any man should boast in a righteousnesse of his own coming from no merite of Christ which buyeth determinating grace and indeclinably leads and bows the will Otherwise we may boast that is glory in the Lord who worketh all-our works for us Psal. 34.2 Isa. 41.16 Isa. 26.12 The salvation and righteousnesse is the gift of God What then shall be the room of works He answers No room at all as causes of justification and salvation by an excellent antanaclasis as learned Trochrig for he answers We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus to good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Then by grace we have the full right to righteousnesse and salvation by the ransome of blood which is Christs Papists and Arminians dare not bring in Evangelick works or faith as an Evangelick work here though they be too hold 2. Being once made the creation of God in Christ and having obtained right by the blood of Christ to salvation we walk by his grace in good works as leading us to the possession of the purchased inheritance 3. The Authors of this stand for the Apostasie of the Saints and they cannot eschew it who make this finall faith that takes in in its essence good works as the soul of it or charity as Papists say as the form of it the only condition of the Covenant Quest. But is not life eternall given and promised only to faith which continues to the end Ans. Faith is considered two wayes In its nature 2. In its duration and existence As to the former saving faith is of that nature that it is apt to endure it hath a sort of immortality so the promise in titulo jure is made to that faith only which is of that nature that it must endure to the end and the promise of life and remission is not made to a saving faith under the accident of enduring to the end or for the years suppon thirty or fourty years or eight hundred years or above that Adam or the Patriarchs lived in the state of beleeving for a faith of some hours only shall save the repenting thief as well as a faith of many years And 2. life eternall in the possession is promised and given only to the faith that continues to the end not because of the duration because a longer enduring faith hath merit but that is
be also spirituall and lively and seek of us the lost Image of GOD by way of commanding yet there is no promise of the Spirit made in the Law neither gifts nor grace and both are given by the Preaching of the Gospel 2. No miracles are wrought by the Law to confirm the Doctrine of the Law for it is not new nor is the gift of miracles given as a reward of Law-obedience miracles in genere causae finalis are wrought to avenge Pharaoh and the Aegyptians Law-obedience but the miracles are wrought by the Name of Jesus Act. 4. and for the confirming of the Gospel and for the good of the Church See Gal. 3.1 2 3. CHAP. XXVI Of the property of the Covenant of Grace the perpetuity thereof Quest. VVHerein stands the eternity of the Covenant of Grace And what other properties there be of the Covenant Ans. The Law and Covenant of Works is a rule of everlasting righteousnesse and so may be called an everlasting righteousnesse containing precepts of the Law of nature intrinsecally good such as to know love fear trust in him as the only true God and in this sense it is an eternall Covenant But 1. it is not eternall in the positives of the second and fourth and fifth Commands the way of worship the means as Ceremonies Sabbath Magistracie and such like which are not to continue in the life to come and so neither faith nor hope in God through Christ 1 Cor. 13.13 Rom. 8.24 25. 2 Cor. 5.7 nor a Temple nor Ordinances nor the Kingdom of Christ as now dispenced are to be the binding rule for eternity to such as are confederats of the Covenant of Grace Rev. 21.22 23. 1 Cor. 15.24 though more of the smell and remnants of the Covenant of Grace of the Lamb of praises to him who was slain Rev. 5.9 11 14. be in the life to come then of the Law-Covenant in regrad of our standing in a state of glory for evermore by the Mediator to keep the nature in an eternall union for evermore by the Lord Christ his being cloathed with our nature glorified for ever Rev. 3.21 Rev. 5. Rev. 7. Rev. 20. Rev. 21. Ch. 22. And in that we shall be ever with Christ God-Man Luk. 23.42 Joh. 17.24 1 Thess. 5. 2 Cor. 5.8 Phil. 1.23 17. in an eternall state of glory though not in regard of an advocation and intercession for fallen sinners As 1 Joh. 2.1 2. or of praying that our faith fail not when winnowed as Luk. 22.31 32. In a word there is a mediation of the triumphing reign for the standing of the glorified nature and a mediation for the reconciling of and interceeding for of sinners The latter must cease when the Kingdom is given up by the Sonne to the Father 1 Cor. 15.24 The former is eternall and shall never cease 2. The Law as a possible and standing way of justifying and saving sinners is not eternall but is now ceased to all flesh the Man Christ only excepted but the Covenant of Grace stands as the only way under heaven by which sinners may be saved and after the Covenant of Grace there is no dispensation which Libertines and Familists call more spirituall without Ordinances and a way as they speak of all spirit of pure spirit 3. The Covenant of Grace is eternall in regard in it there is promised actuall grace and continuall influences of grace from the Head Christ the High Priest to keep the confederats in obedience and in perseverence to the end And no such influences either for the habit of grace or for the continuated acts thereof are promised in the Covenant of Works in regard Adam a man and poor men in him do undertake to obey Whereas Christ-Man binds and undertakes as head Covenanter and Surety for all the under confederats and for sinners in the Covenant of Grace Which difference is much to be observed between the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace And for that cause the Covenant of Works is 1. more independent and requires more of mans strength and less grace then the other 2. It stands more by precepts lesse by promises having only one promise of a reward and hyre to the obeyer and consists all of precepts the other though it want not precepts especially it is his command that we believe in the Son of God yet stands most by promises and this Covenant gets the name of a promise or the promise Acts 2.39 Rom. 8.9 compared with Acts 3.25 Gen. 12.3 3. The Covenant of Works hath more of hyre more of man of nature of earning and working and more of mans Covenant where he binds for himself and the other partie for himself without the mutuall help of any of the confederate parties 4. The Covenant of Grace is thus also eternall in that the buried and dead parties Abraham Isaac and Jacob are still in the Covenant of Grace and there remains a Covenant-union between Christ and their rotten flesh sleeping in the dust which is not an union by faith or by any actings obedientiall of dead men as is most evident if we compare our Saviours words Matth. 22.32 with the Lord speaking out of the Bush to Moses Exod. 3.6 and God is not the God of the dead but of the living noâ— is the rising of the body promised in the Covenant of Works nor is there a standing Law-Covenant between the Lord and dead Abraham requiring the condition of faith from buried men Onely there is a warrand to say that the Covenant is everlasting because it goes beyond time and stands with the dead in Christ Matth. 22.32 2. Because two great promises of the Covenant the rising of the body and life everlasting are fulfilled after time is ended Joh. 6.38 39. 1 Thess. 4.14 16 17. and adde to this the publick owning and confessing of the Saints before the Father and the holy Angels which is publick remission and declared justification before the world of Elect Men and Angels Luke 12.8 Matth. 10.32 3. Because after all these to walk among them as their God and dwell among them Rev. 7.15 16 17. when they are cloathed in white Robs and are before the throne serving him night and day and that the Lord should be their God Rev. 21.7 after they have overcome all temptations is fulfilled eternally in heaven Now for God to walk among a people and be their God is to be a Covenanting God to them as is evident from 2 Cor. 6.16 Lev. 26.11 12. Jer. 32.38 Zech. 13.6 2. The second and principle propertie of the Covenant is the graciousnesse and freedome thereof therefore is it made with sinners without hire or price and every article and lith of it is Grace 1. The whole Gospel is the word of Grace Acts 20.32 Col. 1.6 the Bargaine a pâ—ction of Grace and the new Covenant Heb. 8.8 for Grace is a new thing and nature an old thing the condition of the Covenant to beleeve
then the second ADAM No more of this here It is a question the Threatning standing Gen. 2.17 how the active righteousnesse of Christ can be a cause meriting to us life and satisfying the Law when there is no suffering for the breach of the Law which expresly required death in the sinner Not to say that it seems too near to make Christs dying needlesse if his active holinesse do the businesse Nay we cannot so teach CHAP. II. Wherein stands our right to Christ and the satisfaction made for us by Christ 2. Faith is not the cause of our right 3. Christs incarnation and dying are not favours merited by Christ. 4. How Adams sin and Christs righteousnesse are ours OUr right to CHRIST must be considered more accurately then ordinarily it is Whether it floweth from 1. the merite of Christ Or 2. from the grace of predestination Or 3. faith in Christ. 1. Conclusion Grace is either objectivè out of us as the free love of God having mercy on whom he will Or subjectivè merited by Christ to us and bestowed upon us As touching our right to God as incarnate 2. As dying for us 3. As his satisfaction is made ours are of diverse considerations For if God out of free love sent his Son in the world Joh. 3.16 and if he out of free-grace that separateth the race of man from Angels took upon him the nature of man to wit of Abraham and not the nature of Angels Heb. 2.16 Then sure by the merits of Christs death it cannot come that God came in the flesh to save sinners For the effect cannot but come from the cause but the cause flowes not from the effect nor is the effect to wit Christs Incarnation and his dying the cause of that love and free-grace of God which moved God to send his Son in the flesh but posterior unto and latter then that love for because he loved us he sent his Son in the flesh to die for us 2. This cannot then be true Christ by his dying for the Elect merited and deserved that God should be made Man for us for this should be true also by the blood of Christ and by the redemption that is in Christ God sent his Son in the flesh and the Son took on him our nature by the blood of the Covenant nor can this be true Christ merited by his death that he should die for us for so it should be true that Christ by his blood shed his blood for us Where as because he loved his Church freely he gave himself for her Eph. 5.15 Who loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2.20 Hence 1. though grace be the cause of grace as because he of grace ordained us to glory therefore of grace he calls and because of free-grace he calls of free-grace he carries on his work and gives of grace perseverance and glory Yet there is a fountain-grace of election to glory which hath no cause nor merit not the merit of Christ for its cause but is the cause of causes and of Christs merits As one fire may produce another but the element of fire was not produced by another element of fire but by God in creation And one Vine Tree brings forth another but the first Vine Tree was created by the Lord only 2. Conclus Nor have we to speak acurately right to Christs satisfaction nor to his righteousnesse by faith 1. Because the Lords free-grace in laying our sins on Christ Isa. 53.6 and his making him sin for us 2 Cor. 5.21 does rather give the right to his satisfaction God would have Christ to stand for so many chosen of God upon the Crosse and for no other 1 Cor. 1.30 Ye are of him through Jesus Christ who is made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of God to us wisedom and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption Nor is there any act of faith interveening by which Christ became our surety and ransone-payer upon the Crosse and not the surety of others 2. It is ordinary to our Divines to say by faith we do apply Christ and his righteousnesse but if we speak properly application is possession and a putting on of Christ and his righteousnesse Now title or Law-right to an inheritance and possession of it are different natures and have different causes but faith gives not law-right to Christ and his righteousnesse not so much as instrumentally My receiving with my hand gold my eating and drinking the flesh and blood of Christ by faith Joh. 6.53 54 c. doth presuppone some right to that gold but no man can say that receiving of gold and eating of bread and putting on of garments gives a man right to gold bread or garments He that possâ—sseth an inheritance hath some right to the inheritance by birth buying purchase or gift the possession in its nature and causes may be unjust yet it is possession Nor can it be shown what causative influence even instrumentall faith hath in our Law-right to Christs satisfaction and righteousnesse except it were a meritorious cause of our right by way of instrument which can hardly be said 3. We may ask how Christ so died for the Reprobate as his death is a remedie applicable to them by the ordination of God so as they shall have life eternall if they believe For 1. there is either a jus and a Law-right to pardon and life eternall merited bâ— Christs death to the Reprobate or no such thing is merited If neither be procured by Christs merite the Patrons of this way shall say there is no serious offer made to them yea there is a jus a title to life eternall and remission which all the reprobate may challenge even a right to remission and life eternall so they beleeve Well then it is the same right conditional to life and pardon which is purchased to the Elect yea this must be purchased whether they believe or not Then there is no more in the kind of the Law-right to Redemption and life eternall and remission of sins purchased to Peter then to Judas or Cain And therefore hath Christ bestowed as much tender love in dying for the Reprobate as in dying for his friends And Christ saith there is no greater love then this Joh. 15.13 As for the efficacious intention of applying of Christs death to Peter when as God had no such intention of applying it to Judas that is an act of eternall predestination not a fruit of Christs death and as for the grace of beleeving it was purchased to all Reprobate and Elect only the Lord applyes not his death and bestowes not the grace of beleeving upon the Reprobate but for right to faith to remission to perseverance to life eternall this right must be purchased but faith it self is never bestowed upon them But there is a ransome of blood given for faith and purchased by CHRISTS merit But CHRIST is never called the Head of all men Elect and Reprobate but the Head of the Body
the comforter the infant may at once both suck the breasts and also sleep And is one flower more to be smelled then the whole Garden And shall feelings and raptures and manifestations of God in his out-goings be courted and over-courted by us beyond the God of all comforts There is need that the heart be deadened to sense for feeling and sense is fiery and idolatrous and were sense more mortified at the out-goings of faith hope love it were good for our faith should be the more lively and vigorous to lay hold on God Q. Is it not lawfull to be taken and feelingly delighted with the influences of God Ans. Sure feeling of it self is not faulty the fierinesse and excessive fervour of feeling is faulty especially when terminated upon created actings of love faith joy desire hope and not upon influences as coming from the free Grace of God otherwise we are but sick and pained of love of our own gracious actings because they are our own and this is the sicknesse of selfishnesse Ah! a Godhead a Godhead is not known 23. Nor must we be in a too lively way taken with our own stock nor trust in the habit of grace or the new heart for grace in us is a created rose that spreads fair and broad and smels well but it is not God nor Christ that we may learn not to trust in our selves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 1.9 But why but we may trust in our renued selves now furnished with a stock and infused habits the excellent blossoms and blooms of heaven Nay not in our selves thus fitted but in God who raises the dead for it s not possible both to trust in renewed self and in God And Paul never meant that any that professeth CHRIST is to lean upon sinfull self or upon lost and condemned self And sure it is as selfy to be alive to infused habits as to misken Christ and think being once a convert we can send our selves all the rest of the way to heaven without Christ we need not Christ for a Guide or a Tutor it s within us may save us And nothing can be more contrair to a living the noble and sure life of continuall dependencie by faith on the given Leader of the people Jesus Christ then to trust on habits of grace they are not Christ. 25. Ah! who is that mortified as to be dead to the created sweetnesse of joy and the right hand pleasures of God and the formall beatitude of glory and alive to the only pure objective happinesse of glory And yet that is mortification to love and be sick and thirsty for heaven not for the pleasures of the Garden and the Streets of Gold and the Tree of Life and the River of Water of life but for only only God the heaven of heavens And therefore we cannot be alive to pure and the only abstracted and unmixed God head except we be thus dead to heaven 26. There is a deadnesse to the letter of the promise The promise saith M. Ambrose is but the Casket and Christ the Jewell in it the promise is but the field Christ is the Pearle hid in it Christ removed the promise is no promise or but â—aplesse signes 27. We must also be dead to the rayes out-shinings and manifestations of God to the soul here and must transchange God in all presence and all love embracements and no more but he dead to the house of wine to the lifâ—ed up banner of love to love-kisses of Christ to the love-banquets and to the felt lying as the beloved all the night between the breasts for these nearest communions are not God himself There is required a godly hardnesse for receiving sparkles of hell and some draughts of sore trying wrath and the hell of his most wise and righteous frownings and necessary absence and night of hiding himself 28. And should not the Church be dead to providences of fair weather and Court or the blessing of a godly King David Ezekiah and mortified to miraculous deliverances dividing of the red sea defeat of enemies to confirmation of the truth by Martyrdome and sufferings to blood He who is dead to himself and his body and ease and hardned against contradictions of sinners against torment of body cold imprisonment sicknesse death and can in patience submit to all providences is crucified with Christ if God give or withdraw he is dead to both 28. All who are dead with Christ are dead to all dead worship saplesse ceremonies and formall worship Col. 2.20 Gal. 4.9 and are lively in the serving of God and fervent in spirit serving the Lord And rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh Phil. 3.3 Rom. 12. CHAP. V. Of the Covenant of Redemption between God and the Mediator Christ. 2. Christ is not a bare witnesse to confirm the Covenant but the Author of the Covenant 3. The Socinian way of works cannot quiet the conscience 4. Christ is upon both sides of the Covenant 5. Justice mediatâ— not 6. Reasons of the entrance of sin ISai. 49.8 I will preserve thee saith the Lord to Christ and give thee for a Covenant of the people Hence the 1. Question How is Christ said to be given as a Covenant of the people Ans. As Isai. 49 6. he saith I have given thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth that is as Act. 13.46 47. I have thee O Christ to be the Preached Light and Guide of the Gentiles and the Preached Saviour declared and proclaimed by the Preaching of Paul Barnabas and the Apostles and Pastors So I will give thee for the Covenant that is the Preached surety and Mediator of the Covenant Heb. 7.22 Heb. 8.6 When the first Covenant was broken he makes with us an everlasting Covenant even the sure mercies of David Isai. 55.3 2. I will give thee as the only one who is the subject of the Gospel and Covenant of Grace For to Preach Christ and to Preach the Gospel and New Covenant are all one 3. I have given thee to be the confirmer of the promises they are all yea and Amen in thee 2 Cor. 1.20 Gal. 3.16 And 4. by thy death thou confirmes the Covenant and seals it with thy blood Heb. 9.15 16 17 22 23 24. Heb. 13.20 Q. But Socinus denies that Christ is the purchaser or the obtainer by his blood as it were of the New Covenant for he did not by his death procure or merit pardon to us he is only the surety or Mediator of the Covenant And Crellius and he say the cause why the confirming of the Covenant is ascribed to the death of Christ is because as by a slain beast and divided into two parts Covenants of old were established so by the death of Christ the Covenant of Grace was solemnly confirmed and sealed Ans. Christ is so the Surety as Mediator
is not the same Covenant that is made with Christ and that which is made with sinners 1. They differ in the subject or the parties contracting In this of suretyship the Parties are Jehovah God as common to all the three on the one part and on the other the only Son of God the second Person undertaking the work of Redemption In the Covenant of Reconciliation the Parties are God the Father Son and Spirit out of free love pittying us and lost sinners who had broken the Covenant of Works 2. Hence the Covenant of Suretyship is the cause of the stability and firmnesse of the Covenant of Grace It s true Psal. 89.19 David is meant when he sayes I have laid help upon one that is mighty I have exalted one chosen out of the people 20. I have found David my servant For the grace of election made David mighty in the Lord and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and made him mighty to execute his office But this is so to be understood saith Mollerus and others of David as it is also to be referred to Christ upon whom the strength of our salvation is laid and the strength laid Covenant-wayes upon Christ is the cause why David and his seed stand sure in an everlasting Covenant of reconciliation Though the Covenants of Suretyship and of Reconciliation differ yet must they not be separated but faith principally must be fixed upon the most binding Covenant-relation between JEHOVAH and the Son of GOD. Eye Christ alwayes in the Covenant else it s but the sheath or scabbard of a Covenant and a letter to us 3. There be two parts as it were of the Covenant of Redemption 1. A Covenant of Designation 2. Of actuall Redemption The former is eternall for the Lord does not begin in time to dâ—signe Covenant-wayes the Son to be the Consenter to be our Surety nor doth the Son in time begin to consent But the Covenant-consent in 1. Designing of one Person the Son and no other Of 2. Decreeing and fore-ordaining of Him 3. Of mutuall delighting in love and in eternall thoughts in the sons of men to be redeemed 1 Pet. 1.20 Prov. 30.31 Was closed and concluded in an ended bargain from everlasting for the Parties were coexistent and together and rejoicing in one another and in the common work to borrow that expression thinking long till the day of marrying of God and man and untill Immanuels day should dawn Joh. 8. Abraham rejoiced to see my day But as touching the other part the Man Christ untill he should be Man and have a mans will he could not in two wills close with the Covenant of actuall Redemption But the Covenant of Reconciliation is no more eternall then the creation which is eternall in the Decree of God as are all things that fall out in time But this Covenant was made in Paradice though it was decreed from everlasting yet it had no being as a Covenant nor could have any so long as the Covenant of Works did stand But it came in due time the physick and the Physitian Christ the blessed seed not few hours after Adam was fallen came to his sick-bed or rather to his death-bed Blessed be his love who redeemed us in our low condition for Adam had no faith to receive nor hope of a Redeemer Christ came not sought for not sent for not so much as desired by us For how could we desire a thing impossible to our knowledge Or could we thirst for a ransome of the blood of God unknown to Angels or Men This is preveening grace indeed 4. They differ in the subject matter The Covenant of Redemption is 1. who shall be the surety of Redemption to undertake for man Here am I saith the Son thy fellow Zech. 13.7 2. What shall be his work What shall be his wage He shall lay down his life that shall be his work he shall be obedient to his Father to the death even the death of the crosse And his wage shall be He shall see his seed and God shall give him a name above every name But no such work is laid on us nor such a reward to be expected by us in the Covenant of Reconciliation Only here life and forgivenesse is promised to us upon condition of beleeving in Christ and fit it is that Christ be alone none under such a Commandement as He Joh. 10.18 5. The Covenant of Redemption hath different commands 2. Promises 3. And conditions from the Covenant of Reconciliation The Commands of the Covenant of Suretyship are of two sorts 1. Some common 2. Some proper and peculiar The former is that Christ fulfill all righteousnesse Matth. 3.15 obey the whole Law being made under the Law Now the command of being under the Law is two wayes considered 1. As laid upon the Son of God so it is no command but a voluntary desire And so his consenting to take on our nature is a consenting to empty himself and to be under the Law but no act of obedience because he was under no commanding obligation to take on him ouâ— nature But 2. as it is laid upon him now God-Man and the Word made flesh he is under a necessity to give perfect obedience Heb. 10.5 Therefore coming into the world The Son being to enter into the world and to take on our nature speaketh to the Father thus Sacrifice and offerings thou desirest not as expiations to take away sin for they cannot expiate sin A body thou hast framed to me which is the only one sacrifice of the true Lamb of God which taketh away sin Joh. 1.29 and that once for all And there are not any sacrifices ever to come after Heb. 9.26 28. And perfect obedience with all the heart was tendered by Christ from a holy nature he being full of the Holy Ghost from his Mothers womb so as none could accuse him of sin Heb. 4.15 Heb. 7.26 Joh. 8.46 and this obedience had influence in Christs obedience To the 2. to wit to that proper and peculiar command of suretyship that never man was under but only Christ. Joh. 10.18 This Commandement to lay down my life for sinners received I and I only from my Father Psal. 40.6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire mine ears thou hast opened 8. I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart Now thus we are not either wayes under the commands of the Covenant of Grace Who in heaven and earth but Christ could have come under baile and an act of suretyship for us 2. There were promises of an higher nature made to Christ in his Covenant then are made to us in our Covenant of reconciliation to wit dominion from sea to sea A Throne at the right hand of God is not made to Angels Heb. 1.8 13. nor to us nor is there remission and pardon promised to him as to us of this hereafter 3. The
condition of justifying faith laying hold on him who justifies the ungodly is required of us in our Covenant There is no such condition required of Christ in his Covenant of suretyship The faith of Christ is the faith of dependency but not as a condition of the Covenant of suretyship but in another account Q. But is it not hard that Christ is in one Covenant and beleevers in another It s not hard when the Lord Christs Covenant and our Covenant cannot be separated and when Christs room in the Covenant of Redemption is to be the designed person Covenanting who undertakes for us as the surety witnesse and Angel or Messenger of the New Covenant who makes sure our Writs makes valid and strong our Charters Rights and Evidences of our Inheritance Q. How is it that the promises are made to Christ as to the seed Gal. 3.16 Ans. Our Divines Beza Piscator Deodati the English Divines in their Annotations expound the Seed Christ of Christ Mystical as the Church the body 1 Cor. 12.12 is called Christ. Judicious Pareus saith that the Apostle expounds the Seed not collectivelie of many and of all the posterity of Abraham but individuallie of one Christ from whom flowes to the beleevers not so much the corporall blessing as the spirituall that is righteousnesse and eternall life And so saith he the Apostle saith that this blessing or the inheritance is given to Abraham and believers not by the Law that is by no merit in Abraham but by the promise and by faith in Christ. Among Papists Liranus the promises are made to the seed scilicet Christo in quo impletae sunt non in alio ideo dicitur semini in singulari numero that is to Christ in whom the promises are fulfilled and in none other therefore it is said to the seed in the singular number So also Cajetan Semini autem ejus tanquam cui promissa sunt in quo adimplenda erant promissa Corn. Ã lapide If the word seed semen were taken collectively the promise could not stand for its sure all the Jews were not blessed in the seed Yea many of them saith Calvin were a curse Estius saith the word seed is a collective name and notteth many and hath not in the Hebrew the Plurall Number Augustine saith he will have all Christians following the faith of Abraham to be here noted for they are that seed to which the promise is made whereas Christ is properly he in whom the promise is to be fulfilled and in whom all are one by faith and all are reduced to the Singular Number There is no reason to expound the Seed Christ of Mysticall Christ and of his Seed 1. Because the Seed is he in whom the Nations are blessed both Jews and Gentiles v. 14. And the Seed made a curse for us v. 13. But this seed is only Christ not mysticall Christ head and members for neither are we blessed in Christ mysticall nor was Christ mysticall the Church made a curse for us Nor did the Church mysticall pay a price of satisfaction to offended justice for us v. 19. The word seed seems to have the same signification v. 16. and v. 19. Consider then v. 19. Wherefore then serveth the Law It was added because of transgressions untill the seed come to whom the promise was made Now the seed coming is Christ coming in the flesh to take on our nature If the seed were taken for Christ mysticall the Apostle must say The Law was added because of transgression untill the seed should come that is untill Christ mysticall his Church should come in the flesh which is non-sense 3. Whether the promise be of Canaan and of life eternall thereby holden forth Or of Christ to come of Abraham in whom all flesh shall be blessed or of righteousnesse by faith not by the works of the Law Or of all these coming under the name of the inheritance the promise is made to many in number like the Stars For the Lamb and the hundreth fourty and four thousands standing with him on Mount Zion and the thousands of thousands which none can number Rev. 7.9 are many and may well be called seeds And though they be all one in Christ yet the Apostle must speak too ambiguously when he said The promise of righteousnesse and life is made to the seed that is to Christ head and members for the promise is so made to Christ especially of life pardon righteousnesse as the blessings promised are fulfilled given through for Christ as the only meritorious cause as all grant which way the promises are in no sense made to believers who cannot come in as joint satisfiers with Christ as joint meritorious procurers with Christ of the blessings promised to us 4. The promise is made to the seed coming in the flesh and assuming our nature in a personal union v. 19. as is by confession of all expounded Now this restricts the promise to God incarnate and must exclude the members 5. It runs most connaturally to the Text and comfortably to us if neither Christ Gal. 3.16 be understood as a private man the Sonne of Mary nor yet as Christ mysticall as 1 Cor. 12.12 But as Christ a publike person and Head and Lord-Mediator 1. He represents all the Elect and so the word seed is taken individually He takes all the promises and the weight of the whole Covenant of Grace and Covenant-promises off the Lords hand as the second Adam representing all the Family and House Behold I and the children that God hath given me As the weight of the Covenant of Works and of the promises thereof was upon the first Adam as he should manage these promises so should it fare ill or well with all his seed And so as Christ having the Gospel and Covenant-promises committed to him so should it be with us and this Tutor cannot miscarry and so shall it be well with the Pupils and Minors Were it no more but that Joh. 14.19 Because I live ye shall live also ye shall live by promise the free promise of life eternall it s no small vantage 2. The promises are laid down in Christ as in a publike Lord-Keeper Christ is that excellent Ark in which are the Tables of the Covenant and the Book of the Law and Covenant Deut. 31.26 1 King 8.9 and as the first subject of the promises he keepeth them Yea and Christ is the fountain and originall cause of all the promises for he merited by his blood remission righteousnesse perseverance eternall life all grace which the Lord makes ours by free promise 2. In Christ they are made and published to us so they are dear mercies to Christ they stand Christ at a dear rate they are ours freely for no price or hire 3. Hence nothing hinders but the promises as made to Christ the first Heir and Son of promise for Christ is the chief and principall thing promised and other things
excludes not but includes the Lords taking in members to the invisible and mysticall body which is to be observed against Anabaptists and Antinomians The Lord speaks often of the Covenant of Grace not so much as Preached quâ foedus ennunciatum though it so also must be Preached but as fulfilled by God and acted in an effectuall powerfull way upon the hearts of the elect only and that according to the Lords decree of election and will of pleasure So speaks the Lord of the Covenant Jer. 31.31 32 33. Jer. 32.37 38 39. Ezek. 11.16 17 18 19 20. Ezek. 36.25 26 27 c. Isa. 59.20 21. in a pure Evangelick way and in these places the Lord speaks of the Covenant not so much as it contains our duty as principally it holds forth his Gospel promise what he shall effectually do according to his decree and will of pleasure over-ruling our corrupt will which Papists Arminians and Socinians utterly mistake and will have it to be spoken of the Covenant as Preached according to the Lords approving and commanding will whereas there is not one word of a command in these places and therefore they say that these places speak nothing for the efficacy and mighty power of God in converting sinners 2. The Anabaptists from these places say none are to be baptized but such as are so in Covenant and as have these promises fulfilled in them in whom the Lord hath wrought a new heart and a new spirit and that there is no externall Covenanting under the New Testament But then the whole Gentiles Isai. 55.4 5. Isai. 11.10 Isai. 60.1 2 3 c. all Nations Isai. 2.1 2. all flesh Isai. 40.5 Psal. 65.2 all the Kindreds of the earth Psal. 22.26 27. the Kingdoms of the world Rev. 11.15 should be all chosen to life taught of God such as have the Law of God ingraven in their inward parts as Jer. 31.33 Ezek. 36.26 which is most false Now there are undenyable Prophecies that the Gentiles from the rising of the Sun to the going down thereof Mal. 1.11 shall be under the New Testament the people of God by Covenant Isa. 19.18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25. Then must the generality and mixed multitude of the Gentiles be some other way in Covenant then these of whom the Prophets sâ—eak Isa. 5â— 20 21. Isa. 55.10 Jer. 31.31 Ezek. 11.19 Ezek. 36.26 3. The Antinomians do also owne no Covenant of grace but this wherein the new heart is given and the condition is both promised and given And D. Crispe saith All other Covenants of God besides this run upon a stipulation and the promises run upon conditions altogether upon both sides The New Covenant is without any conditions whatsoever upon mans part Man in tyed to no condition that he must perform that if he do not perform the Covenant is made void by him Ans. Man is under a condition of beleeving and tyed to beleeve so as the wrath of God abides upon him he shall not see life nor be justified if he beleeve not Joh. 3.18.36 Rom. 10.6 7 8 9 2. Man is tyed to no condition which he must 〈◊〉 say which he can perform without the grace of God For have he grace or have he no grace the Holy Lord O if we could plead for him and his High Soveraignty is debter to no man he is so oblidged to beleeve as he sins against the Preached Covenant and forefaults his salvation if he beleeve not and so breaks the Covenant but devils or men cannot make itâ— void he may make it of no effect to himself he being an heir of damnation but being a chosen vessel God shall work him to beleeve and he makes it not void to himself If it be said that the New Covenant is without any conditions whatsoever upon mans pure It says too much for the beleevers being under no debt no obligation of conscience to beleeve or to any duty but as the Spirit their only Law leads them And if the Spirit breath not upon them to forbear adultery paricide sodomie or to beleeve pray praise hear mourn for sin as Peter and David they sin not for sin is a transgression of the Law And when the Spirit breaths not acts not there is no Law and this is most â—ilde Where observe that â— Antinomians and Familists confound the efficient cause of our obedience which is the Spirit of Grace and the objective cause which is the holy rule of the command promise or threatning For though the Spirit be absent and not given at all to men in the state of nature yet do they sin in committing of Sodomie and in not praying for they are oblidged not to sin and commanded in the first Command to pray to a revealed God I know Adam was not oblidged before he sinned to pray to Jesus Christ Mediator as Steven Act. 7. prayed to him The Spirit by grace does help us to obey the command and the Law but the Spirit is not the Law nor rule of out obedience 2. Not only will they have the Spiritâ— to be all the beleevers Law and word and the letter of the command to lay on no obligation but the Spirit as actually breathing and giving actuall influences must be the Law For though the naturall conscience or habituall light say that the man should not commit this wickednesse nor omit this duty seeing present necessity of one starving for want of one drowning in a water crying for my help is a call of God to perform the duty And if the Spirit give inward warning that I should do the duty yet if the Spirit actually breath not and contribute not his actuall influence the man hath no warrand of any command or Law to act without his rule since the Spirit acts not at all and cannot so be guilty in the committing of the most vile abomination for where no Law is no sin is M. Crispe pag. 160. brings this Argument The Covenant is everlasting if the Covenant stand upon any conditions to be performed by man it cannot be an everlasting Covenant except man were so confirmed in righteousnesse that he should never fail in that which is his part but he daily fails so daily breaks the Covenant Ans. To the first act of beleeving which is a performing of the condition of the Covenant there is no other condition required then that Ezek. 36.26 I will put in you a heart of flesh 27. I will put my Spirit in you and cause you walk in my statutes Zech. 12.10 I will powrâ— upon the house of David the Spirit of grace and supplication and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced that is they shall beleeve in me That is a strong confirmation to wit a promise that he will work the condition in us And so is that Joh. 6.37 All that the Father gives unto me shal come unto me that is beleeve in me and him that cometh I will in no wise
act of the free-will grace and infinit wisdome of GOD be added to make good the assumption How the promises are to be beleeved and how in them we are to beleeve both the equity and event of the promises if the condition be performed and how the difference must be made between them and the threatnings The promises as annunciated and as made The Gospel promises to the Reprobate are legal how The Law-threatnings to the Elect are Evangelick and how The elect non-converted how they are not under Law-wrath The Elect non-converted bear no part of the Law-curse but CHRIST bare all Remission of sins and life eternal under the Old Testament Faith is made a cause of satisfaction for sin by all who hold that CHRIST gave a satisfactorie ransome for all and every one Elect and Reprobate Conditionall payment made for the sins of Judas is no payment at all Accepting or not accepting assenting or not assenting to the payment are not causes of the sufficiency of the payment made to justice The formal reason why God accepts of CHRISTS satisfaction is the intrinsecal sufficiency of it and why he accepts it for Peter not for another is the free election of grace How the satisfaction of Christ is refuseable how not Faith a condition of applying the satisfaction only God may accept the satisfaction of Christ without any condition required on our part The conditionall decree of Adams living if he should doe the Law was not predestination to eternall glorie How Adam was chosen to glory in Christ how not The heathen have not universall Grace The high and deep Soveraignty of God is against universall Grace Gods Covenanting with us is a gracious condiscension The errors in temptations which wee create from surmises that we are not chosen to life eternall Better faith view God Christ as self Unbelief quarrels at God and but pretends self sinfulnesse How to beleeve conditionall promises Beings and not beings are debtors to the glory of God All not beings are under the positive decree of God Our pains and sufferings are debters to the glory of God There is more self-denyall in the lifeless and unreasonable creatures in their Covenant of nature theÌ„ in man A threefold consideration of man in reference to a Covenant The Covenant naturall the Covenant in its positives of diverse considerations God neither by necessity of nature either rewardeth obedience or punisheth 〈◊〉 A naturall conscience may and doth know that GOD doth good freely to his creature but it followeth not that God doth good to his creature for that by necessity of nature Communion with GOD in Glory is a reward not due by nature but by the free gift of GOD to the most perfect law-obedience Arminius in Colla. cum Francis Junio ad propos â—2 pag. 547. Anselmus de redemptione certe Domine quia me fecisti debeo amori tuo meipsum totum imo tantum debeo amori tuo plus quam me ipsum Quantum tu es major me pro quo dedisti teipsum cui promittis teipsum Anselm Monolog 40. quid enim summa bonitas retribuet amaâ—ti desideranti se nisi seipsum No merit can wone God for he is greater nor our work Bradward de causa Dei lib. 1. c. 39. p. 343 lit E. It is not just that God shuld reward Adams obedieÌ„ce with life before God made it just Man can never come from under an obligation to his Creator and Redeemer God falls in no sort from his natural dominion though he punish not sin by necessity of nature God should have a perfect dominion over maÌ„ though he had imposed no penall but only rewarding or remunerative lawes upon him The Lords dominion over man is without Scripture or reason restricted to penal Laws Si enim lex talis non seratur necessariò possibile esset ut vel Deus jure suo naturali Dominio in creaturas caderet sic non esset DEVS vel stabilito isto jure creaturam ci non esse subditam Quod implicat contradictionem nam intercisâ obedientiâ quod fieri potuit factum est dependentia moralis creaturae rationalis à Deo illa nullo modo continuari potest nisi per poenam 〈◊〉 Jam verâ— egressus necessarios constituentes non negamus Deum tamen eam libere exercere It s not feazable without a contradiction to say God punisheth sin by necessity of nature and yet in the way measure and time of punishing he is free Suarez in opusc de justit Dei Sect. 2. 〈◊〉 9. fig. 352. God loves defends by necessity of nature his essentiall but not his declarative glory God loves defends the glory of his pardoning mercy no less then the glory of his revenging justice and if he love the one by necessity of nature he must also love the other The place Isa. 42.18 I will not give my glory to another vindicated The Scripture speaks for the most part of the Lords declarative glory God by necessitie of nature should procure his declarative glory and so by that necessitie create the world redeem man if by that necessitie he should love and defend his declarative Glory God must by necessitie of nature hinder the existeÌ„ce of sin and by the same necessitie seek his legislative Glory if he love it as he loves himself by necessitie of nature God might never have intended his glory declarative because if so it had pleased him he might never have made the world If God punish sin by necessity of justice hee must punish Adam and all his sons in their persons by necessity of justice deny them a Saviour The necessitie of declaring the righteousnesse of God in either punishing the sinner Adam or the surety Christ makes not God to punish by necessity of nature The glory of God the manifestation of his glory to Angels and Men are much different Declared glory and fundamental glory are different Qualis enim amor iste esse potest quem in ea re qua nihil opus fuit DEVS ostendit The freedom of punishing sin is objected by Socinus as contrair to the necessitie of reall satisfaction Grace and the measure of it is to be humbly looked on Being life and self are undeserved favours It is mercy that GOD rewards our obedience An admirable soveraignty in the standing of Angels and in the fall of man Gifts and habits of saving grace cannot keep creatures on foot The humbling thoughts that God needs not men nor their service nor any creature shuld take us up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secret in us after actings of Grace No creature can give to God Reasons why none can give to GOD from that excellent passage of David 1 Chro. 29 1â— 12. What dominion the state or communitie hath over private men Such as refuse to give self for God shall be plucked out of their place The unity of such as boast of the proud pronouns my and self Created
Covenant-resurrection nor any Covenant-salvation can be given or promised if they be not in Covenant The New Test. Kingdome of CHRIST is spirituall though there be in it external signes and seals How faith does sanctifie the unbelieving wife to the beleeving husband Mr. Rich. Baxter plain Scripture proof for Infant Baptism 4 Arg. on â— Cor. 7. p. â—8 99. Of federall holinesse The Covenant external is made with a society or visible Church that out of them God may gather heirs of glory What federal holines is The being born where the Gospel sounds of that nation race is the ground of Covenant-holines as well as the faith of the nearest parents The faith required of these to be baptized Act. 8.37 Mar. 16.16 is real saving faith not visible only The formal grouÌ„d of baptizing These to whom the promise is made should be baptized But the promise is made to children Act. 2. The sense of the words the promise is to you and to your children If all be really believers that are in Covenant with God under the New Testament al the Kingdomes of the world which are the Lords and Christs Rev. 11.15 must be believers internally in Covenant with God How these words and to your chilâ—dren are not limited Externall Covenanting the blessing of the Gospel Preached to the Nation is but a Ceremony to the opposers of Infant baptism contrair to all ancient Prophesies Isa. c. 2. c 19 Jer. 23. Isa 11 c. If there be no Covenanting under the N. T. but that of real beleevers there can be no Covenant obligation upon the non-converted to hear to beleeve the Gospel to receive the seals A conditional Covenant hath the compleat essence nature of a Covenant and they are truly in Covenant that are under it Anabaptists provide no sâ—lvation by Law or Gospel or by JESUS CHRIST for the saving of Infants born of beleeving parents more then for saving of Pagans and their Infants It s false that the promise is made to infants to the aged only upon condition of believing How visible professors are really within the Covenant not really within it The new heart is not promised to all who ought to repent and to be baptized What is promised Act. 2.39 whether a new heart be therein promised or excluded Mercies of the Covenant are not alike and the same way promised to the Parents in covenant to wit Elect and Reprobate The Covenant of Grace is considered two ways in abstracto in concâ—â—to The new heart is promised to such special Covenanters not to Covenanters in general and as Covenanters The new heart is considered as a duty commanded And 2. as a blessing freely promised The Reprobate are not in the Covenant of Grace as touching some speciall promise How the Lords Argument for Circumcision fits us for Baptisme A comparing of the command of Circumcision and of the command of baptism in three If actuall faith be required in all to be baptized there shuld be a command of self-examining in the N. T. of all before they be baptized How many wicked absurdities must follow the excluding of Infants from the Covenant of Grace Remonstrant Scrip. Synod ar 1. p. 2. Thes. 9 10. Infants not predestinate to life in CHRIST not redeemed in CHRIST Infants neither capable of heaven or hell by this way Infants saved without Christ not capable of Grace of remission justification Of the children brought to Christ. Of infants as infants the Kingdome of God is not Hyeronymus increpant non quia nollent iis salvatoris manu voce benedici sed quod non dum habentes plenissimam fidem putarent eum in similitudinem aliorum hominum importunitate lassari Chryso Hom. discipuli expellebant pueros causa dignitatis Christi Christs taking in his armes the children blessing them did not act mere resemblances and Emblems The efficacy of Christs blessing the children They came that hee should pray for them Christs blessing of the children not as when the elements are consecrate His blessing either a Law blessing or a blessing of the Covenant of Grace A Covenanted seed is prophecied to be added to the Iews under the New Testament There is Covenanted visible seed prophesied to be under the N. T. Calv. in loc Haec promissio Abrahae data ad totum populi corpus spectabat The Covenant promise is prophesied to belong to such a certain seed If there be not a Covenanted seed under the New Test. the children of beleevers under the New Test. must be a cursed seed It s a state of coÌ„mon grace to be within the Visible Church It s grace that Reprobats are instrumentall to the in-coming to the world and to the Visible Church of the heirs of glory God is a God in truth to some and how to others The cause why we believe is because God is thus and thus in Covenant with us Calvin unde Colligimus ad hanc quoque aetatem extendi ejus gratiam Quid vero ilâ—is precatus est nisi ut reciperentur inter Dei filios Beza Ipsi quoque Infantes in gratuito Dei foedere comprehenduntur The Covenant blessing of the house is the Covenant blessing of the seed The place Rom. 11.16 if the root be holy so is the branches opened The Jews to be born are intentionally holy in the root and when they are born they shall be actually holy The same Covenant in the substantialls is in the Old and New Test. The one Covenant of Grace is called the Covenant of the Lord by way of excellency in the Old and New Test. A short opening of Ro. 11. to v. 17 By the holy root cannot be meant the predestinate to glory only Paul Rom. 11. speaks of a visible not an invisible body Infants of the Jewes are cut off with the root and shal be re-ingraffed with the root The seed are in Covenant not by birth as birth but by such a birth so so graciously priviledged Covenant-holinesse externall is not the adequat and compleat cause of ingraffing really in Christ. Considerable differences between externall and internall Covenanters Personal Covenanters cannot fall away but Nationall conditionall and visible Covenanters may The Covenant of grace is not made with all and every one of mankinde Psal. 147.19 20. There is no universall revealing of CHRIST to Americans and to all mankind which is either subjective by a power or universall grace given to all or which is objective by the light of nature in the works of CreatioÌ„ pointing out Christ as the place Psal. 19 4. mistaken is cited The place Psal 1â— 4 vindicated Carol. Fermaeus in Analys ad Romanos c. 10. p. 205. The true Exposition of the place Psal. 19 4. by our Interpreters P. Martyr in loc Deus ut inquit Psalmâ—s voluit notitiam suam naturalem per creaturas coelestes publicari in universum orbem Ergo Euangelium curavit identidem evulgari Quomodo igitur potestis dicere
scripture The dying for all and every one cannot be coÌ„ditional The promises are so made to all within the Visible Church as all are in Covenant conditionall The unbeleef of justified persons is against the Covenant of Grace and diverse other sins beside finall unbelief are the causes of condemnation All sins against the Gospell even finall unbeleefe are also against the Law and against God Redeemer Immanuel Dicique beatus ante obitum nemo supremaque funera debet How the Covenant of Grace is everlasting yet brokeÌ„ by men The Law commands repentance but not with a promise of life or as a way to life How finall unbeleef is the onelie cause of coÌ„demnation and to whom and how not For whom Christ died he died for their sins and for all their sins There is a world reconciled to whom God imputes no sinne and therefor all the world of Pagans Infidels cannâ—t be such as Christ died for and whose final unbelief he satiâ—fied for The Law the Covenant of Grâ—ce doe not one the same way command faith and forbid unbeleef How the reprobate are under the Covenant of Works Christ one way layes EvaÌ„gelick commands upon the Elect another way on the Reprobate Conditionall perseverance was not promised to Adam The considerable differences betwixt the influences of God given to Adam for his standing in obedience and these influences given to us in the second Adam The obedience of Adam only a duty not a promised benefite our new obedience is both a duty and a promised benefite Four kinds of obediences The excellency of the obedience of Jesus Christ how it was his own properly meritorious The obedience of CHRIST debtfull not dâ—btful in diverse respects Properlie so cal'd satisfactâ—oÌ„ is performed by Christ. Angels obedience properly obedience that â—s of grace and not their own Grace diminisheth of the nature of meriteâ— from the obedience Of Adams obedience how proper it was Gospel-obedience hath less of the nature of obedience then Adams obedience The Law is made as it were Gospel to elect beleevers the Gospel Law to reprobates Obedience from Law and from love how differenced Gospel obedience from grace how excellent and how far above civiliâ—ty in its fairest lustre Tremellius Trostius in Syria Ver. Gal. 3. Qui non fecerit omnia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hyeronâ— Maledictus qui non permanet LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chald. Para. Qui non permanserit Syria Versio Maledictus qui non perâ—â—iceriâ— Arab. Versio Qui non confirmabit Bâ—za Gal. 3.10 Qui non firmarit Magna vis Verbi Jakim Pagnâ— Ari. Montanus Qui non statuerit Faith as lively not as induring to the end the condition of the new Covenant Faith in the first lively act saves justifies How boasting is excluded by grace Boidius Comment Eph. 2. How faith saves not according to the dignitie of its act 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shindlerus notat in cum propter Calv. com Ezek. 20.11 Nulla igitur est in eo absurditâ—s si homines viâ—ant hoc est mereantur ex pacto vitam â—ternam Sed â—i quisâ—legem servat sequetur eum non opus habere Christi gratia Toletus Rom. 3. Adverte fidem non habere ex se officaciam ullam ut actus quidam noster est remitten di reconciliandi sed virtutem totam procedere ex objecto ipso nempe Christo cujus virtutem meritum disposuit Deus per fidem in ipsum applicare peccatori ad justificandum The Adversaries exclude not Law-boasting A twofold imputatioÌ„ of Christ one legall another Evangelick The mistake of Antinomians Obedience to the surety Christ is by a speciall Law Faith presupposeth three unions maketh the fourth We believe that Christs righteousnes may be made ours because it is ours we believe it to be ours also Four or five sort of adversaries who caused various coÌ„siderations of the question of justification in the Old and in the New Test. Of the dominion of the Law Ambro· Mori legi est vivere Deo quia lex dominatur peccatoribus cui ergo dimittuntur peccata is moritur legi boc est liberatur a Lege per corpus Christi hoc consequimur beneficium 〈◊〉 tradens enim corpus suum Servator mortem vicit peccatum damnaviâ— Christ Mystical Christ believers are freed from the law-dominion The Antinomian objectioÌ„ charged upon is answered by him There is a twofold dominion of sin The oldnesse of the letter and the newnes of the Spirit No gifts nor grace can be given by the Law How the Covenant of works is eternall How the Covenant of works is not eternal There is more of the Covenant of grace in the life to come then of the Covenant of works Other differences between the Covenant of Works and that of Grace The perpetuitie of the Covenant of Grace in the life to come Every thing in this Covenant is free Grace How fear of law-fear acts upon a beleever * So the faith of Joseph Mary that Christ their Son shal be great shal sit in the Thron of DAVID his father shal raign over the house of Jacob for ever Luk. 1.32 33. did wel consist with that holy and obedientiall fear of fleeing into Egypt for fear that Herod shuld murther that hopefull young King in his cradle Math. 2. What is to be done under tentations What way a fixed peace is in the children of GOD. A beleever ought not to coÌ„plain of a state of non justificatioÌ„ but ought to complain of a state of non sanctification Why feeling of sin seldome wants unbeleef OfteÌ„ when the believer complains of his own sanctificatioÌ„ because of guiltines lately acted he also unbeleevingly coÌ„plaines of Christ his performed satisfactioÌ„ as if it were weak Christ by his death removes not sense of sin CHRIST died not to remove Gospel sense or any sense of sin flowing from a naturall conscience The room of Christ in both Covenants The first Adam marres all the second ADAM mends all How the Law doth oblidge to both doing and suffering The righteousnesse of Christs person and of his merit Christs active obedience how it is meritorious for us Epist. David Parel de justi ch activa passivâ— 186 Satisfactio est redditiâ— voluntaria equivalentis alioquin indebiti 〈◊〉 alii ex propriis bonis non debitis No satisfaction could be at all except Christ had died because all the satisfaction of a surety might in Law have been refused and the Lord might have eternally punished Adam all his in a Law-way in their persons therefore there was need of a punishment agreed upon between God and the Mediator by a special Covenant this punishment must be satisfactory to the Law which required death Gen. 2.17 and so must Christ-God-man dâ—e The Scripture never speaks of Christs dying but it speaks of this intrinsecall end that they should die to sin and live to God for whom