in Christ And so the Apostle saith Tit. 3.5 Not by workes of righteousnesse which wee have done but according to his mercy he saved us that is according to his eternall mercy and grace he shewed favour and compassion to us and pardoned our sins And the expression of the Apostle is worth observing Epes 1.4 where speaking of the eternall grace of God hee saith That God placed his grace upon us that wee should be holy and without blame before him in love He doth not say that God elected us because wee would be holy and without blame but He elected us that wee might be holy and without blame before him in love good workes are not the cause but the consequents of Grace Nay I add more that as God did not foresee our good workes so not our faith neither faith is not the cause of grace but grace is the cause of faith God therefore enables us to believe in time because God loved us from eternity The Apostle speaking of them of Achaia saith that they believed through grace and Apollos helped them much that believed through grace Acts 18.27 It is by grace that we beleeve it is not by faith that we are made partakers of Grace Thus we are saved by grace in the purpose of God from eternity in the eye and sight of God who seeth all things absent as if they were present and speakes of things before they are done as if they were done In the next place grace in Scripture is confidered not onely as it is in God and as it is as eternall as God himselfe but the Scripture speaks of the grace of God as it is manifested forth to us in Jesus Christ and so wee are saved by Grace God discovering his grace to us in his Sonne Jesus Christ So the Apostle speaking of grace 2 Tim. 1.10 saith But now is manifested to us by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel Hee speakes first of grace as it is in God and as it is as eternall as God himselfe then he speakes of eternall grace manifested to us in the Gospel of his deare Sonne It is by the preaching of the Gospel that the eternall grace of the Father in the Sonne is made known to us And this grace is called sometimes the Grace of God the Father Rom. 1.7 Sometimes it is called the grace of Jesus Christ and sometimes the grace of them both because Jesus Christ is God one God in one divine essence with his Father And as God in his grace is said to forgive sinnes Mica 7. who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth sin saith the Prophet So Jesus Christ is said to forgive sinnes the Apostle bids us to forgive one another as Christ hath forgiven us Col. 3.13 As there is grace in the Father to forgive sinnes so there is the same grace in the Sonne The Apostles doubted not but that they should be saved by the grace of Christ as well as those that were circumcised Act. 15.7 And by this grace we are saved God discovering now his grace to us in his Sonne Jesus Christ the eternall Sonne of the eternall Father This grace in Scripture is made known to us as the sole cause of our justification and salvation Grace is so held forth for justification that all things besides grace are excluded Wee are justified by grace exclusively all other things being shut out When God justifieth a man he eyes that man onely in his owne grace and when God justifieth a man in the Court of his owne Conscience he strips him of all his own workes of his owne love to him and to the brethren and gives him onely a sight of owne grace This grace doth exclude all merit if there were any merit in the creature man could not be saved by Grace the Apostle cleares it to us by that passage Rom. 4.4 To him that worketh the reward is not reckoned of grace but of debt If a man could worke or merit any thing toward his justification and salvation then it were not of grace saith the Apostle the reward is not of grace but of debt If a man worke then he expects wages as due to him he may by right and justice clayme what he deserves so if wee did worke for salvation wee might require God to bestow and give us what wee had wrought for But true grace shuts out all merit and workes in the creature if we could bring any merit of the creature to joyne with his grace grace should be no more grace as the Apostle Rom. 11.6 If wee looke upon Grace as it is in God so before God wee were saved in his eternall thoughts he in his own purpose and Grace having elected us to justification and eternall salvation in Glory by his Sonne Jesus Christ Yet he never holds forth his Grace to us but in the countenance of his Sonne Jesus Christ in whom the glory of his justice shines bright with the glory of his grace He shewes us that he hath laid all our sins on his Sonne that his justice hath received full satisfaction from the sufferings of his Sonne for all our sinnes and so comes to discover his grace to us in the pardon and forgivenesse of our sinnes Thus Christ and the Apostles constantly in their preaching discovered the grace of the Father in the Son As our Saviour to Nicodemus God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeveth on him should not perish Joh. 3. And the Apostle to his Corinthians God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe 2 Cor. 5. God doth not make knowne his love for the forgivenesse of sinne but by Jesus Christ I confesse that wee are saved by grace in respect of God before wee know the Grace of God in Jeius Christ But wee cannot see this grace untill wee behold it in the face of the Lord Jesus Wee behold the love of God in giving the Lord Jesus to be the atonement sacrifice and propitiation for our sins before wee can read the everlasting love and favour of the Father to us in his Sonne Eternall love is the primarie cause of our salvation and justification but it cannot be apprehended by us untill we apprehend in the first place our Redemption in Jesus Christ And when Christ is embraced as a Saviour in the Armes of Faith wee rise higher in our thoughts by the power of the Spirit and are brought to look upon the eternity of love And have liberty to read every line in his eternall volume which doth concerne our eternall life and salvation and are fully confirmed in the point of Gods eternall election without the prevision of good works which should be wrought by the Creature As the Apostle doth prove at large in the 9th to the Romans And if any man will dispute or rather cavill against this truth I shall say with the Apostle Rom.
and these urgodly men are of the number of the damned We wonder to see a generation of men sprung up among us that make nothing of Christ or the Father wee wonder to see men undervaluing and vilifying the grace of God neglecting all Christian duties and denying the word of God to be the word of God But it was so in the Apostles times there were such crept into their Congregations and why should it seeme a strange thing unto us that it is so now in these dayes of Babylonish confusion and Egyptian-darknesse seeing it was so in the bright dayes of light in which the Apostles lived who Prophecyed that in these latter dayes perilous times should come and men should depart from the faith That wee may not stumble in our Christian race at these abusers and scandalizers of grace let us know that grace is grace though men abuse it think not that grace is not grace because it is abused but know that the true doctrine of grace may and must be abused by wicked and ungodly men As the spider sucks poyson where the Bee sucks honey So where the Saints suck sweetnesse and honey the wicked and ungodly men suck poyson Where the godly fetch all their joy and comfort delight and refreshment there wicked men meet with their ruine and destruction The wayes of Gods truth and grace are right and the just and faithfull shall walke safely in them but the transgressors shall fall therein Hosea 14.9 Marke the place and what God speaketh In the same way in which the Saint doth walke to salvation the wicked shall stumble and fall into condemnation A Libertine hearing the doctrine of Grace sucks nothing but his bane from it Though the word be the savour of life unto life to them that believe yet is it the savour of death unto death to some 2 Cor. 2.16 I remember one saith of Medicaments that if they be given by a skilfull Physitian they are the helpfull hands of God auxiliares dei manus but if by one that is unskilfull they are poyson So the doctrine of grace when it is skilfully applyed when the Spirit of God teacheth us to make a right use of it it is the power of God to salvation as the Apostle saith I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ which is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth Rom. 1.16 But when it is unskilfully applyed when the flesh only makes use of this doctrine of grace and there is not the spirit of God to teach us to make a right use of it wee turne it into venome and wee are poysoned to our destruction But let us not be offended at the doctrine of Christ for this It hath bin so formerly it is so and will be so Neverthelesse let us continue in the grace of God and looke up to God that wee may continue in it I have one worde now to speake unto those who for the present are not apprehendors and partakers of this grace and shall conclude for this present You see it is onely by grace that you are saved it is only grace that brings salvation to the sonnes and daughters of men Therefore if God hath convinced you that you are sinners now is the day of grace now is the day of salvation I will shew a short and compendious but a true way to happinesse happy are all you that beleeve what is brought to your eares this day concerning Gods free grace God promised to meet his people at the mercy-Seate Exod. 25. which was a type of Christ and wee can never meet with God to the salvation of our soules but by meeting with his grace in the Lord Jesus The Law is the ministery of death it is the Gospel of grace which is the ministery of life and salvation Looke therefore beyond the Law which is a ministery of condemnation 2 Cor. beyond thy own righteousnesse which is impurity to the eye of Justice beholding thee under the Law beyond thy selfe who art an object of misery horrour and confusion and by a spirituall eye of Gods owne making behold his grace in Christ for lost and undone sinners Hearken to what God speakes to thee he invites thee exhorts thee and beseecheth thee to be reconciled he tells thee that thou canst not be justified by thine owne workes but by his free grace that thou art not to be saved by what thou hast done but by what Christ hath done and suffered Though thou hast broaken the Law Jesus Christ hath kept it He is the end of the Law for righteousnesse for every one that beleeveth in and by the grace of God Behold God standing at the doore of thy heart in the Ministery of the Gospel of grace and salvation let the doore of thy hears fly open unto him by beleeving and he will feast thy soule As Christ said to Zacheus so I may say to thee who beleevest what I speake this day salvation is come into thine house God is the God of grace therefore thinke not to please him by any thing but by eyeing of his grace Christ is the Sonne of grace he came to reveale the grace of his Father If thou wouldest with Simeon take Christ and salvation in thine armes graspe not thine owne workes for justification but beleeve what is proclaymed forth to the world concerning salvation onely by grace The Spirit is the Spirit of grace and if thou beleeve thou shalt be assured of sealed to redemption by grace There is no salvation but by grace and no apprehension of grace but by beleeving which is the next thing presented in the Text to our consideration Salvation is not by working but beleeving yee are saved by grace through faith But wee must be enforced to let alone the fuller enlarging of this point untill God shall give us another opportunity For the present I have done * ⎠* Salvation onely by Beleeving SERMON III. Ephesians 2.8 9. c. For by grace yee are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God IT hath allready been proved unto us that good workes cannot save us And likewise the grace of God for the salvation of sinners without works hath presented it selfe unto us with the strength sufficiency and glory of it It may now be questioned by some by what meanes the Grace of God in Christ may bee applyed unto our selves and apprehended by us Our Apostle doth fully satisfie us concerning this affirming that it is not through working but beleiving Yee are saved by grace through faith The Apostle doth not affirme that wee are saved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propter fidem for our faith for the worth merit dignity or excellency of it But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per fidem through faith faith being the gift of grace by which grace is revealed and applyed unto us Grace is the principall cause of our justification faith is the Organ or instrument given unto us by God for the
me that I should deliver in a Sermon these words Let Believers sinne as fast as they will there is a fountaine open for them to wash in But it being demanded by some whether I did deliver it by way of exhortation the accuser was so ingenious to acknowledge that it was not delivered as an exhortation And therefore it is probable that your Brethren of the new Province have had so much grace to leave it out in their charge though it be in the same page in which they have taken out the other Articles and it will be for your credit more then for mine to leave it out in your next Edition You may as well take out that part of a verse in Revel 22.11 He that is unjust let him be unjust still and he that is filthy let him be filthy still and conclude that God in Scripture exhorteth men to be unjust and filthy as to draw out scraps and fragments out of my discourses to perswade the world that I in my preaching exhort people to commit sin which I doe desire to destroy in my selfe and those who heare mee by preaching the grace of God in Christ Your learning if not love might have taught you to have put a more favourable construction upon these words The word let is not always used by way of exhortation as appeares by those words Rev. 22.11 But sometimes by way of supposition and doth frequently signifie as much as the word though doth And take it in this sence it is as seasonable a truth as I can in desire of your good leave upon your spirit Though you who professe your selfe a believer have sinned as fast as you can in my apprehension against the lawes of love and the Commandements of the Lord Jesus yet there is a fountaine opened in which if God give you faith you may wash your selfe from these sins In the meane while I shall comfort my selfe that there is nothing charged upon mee but the same hath beene charged upon those who were more filled with the Spirit for preaching then I am They were charged with the same thing by some ignorant or malicious hearers as appeareth by Rom. 3 8. And not rather as we be slanderously reported and as some affirme that wee say Let us doe evill that good may come whose damnation is just You may now expect that before I put a period to my answer I should speak something to your reproachfull railing speeches against me But you know who said men have learned to reproach me and speak evill of me but I to suffer reproaches Didicerunt illi maledicere ego pati And I shall learn of the Angel to say this to all my defamers The Lord rebuke you Zech. 3.2 And shall intreate God for his Sons sake to give grace and patience to his afflicted and oppressed servant Amen Mans legall righteousnesse is no cause or part of his justification EPHES. 2.8 9. For by grace are yee saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Not of works lest any man should boast THERE are two things which men ought chiefly to know Their misery by sin and their happinesse by the grace of God in Christ And by the wicked unfaithfulnesse of our memories wee are more apt to forget these two things then to forget any other points whatsoever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Know thy selfe is a lesson as difficult as it is old and common How hard a matter is it for a man to remember himselfe as to know what he is in himselfe The King of Macedonia thought it needfull that his Page should every morning put him in remembrance that he was a mortall man And every spirituall man doth finde it necessary that the Spirit daily should become his remembrancer to put him in mind that he is a sinful man So likewise it is a hard matter without the power assistance of the Spirit alwayes to know the rich full and free grace of God as it is held forth in the Gospel to poore sinners The last of these as it is the most sweet and excellent lesson so with the greater difficultie it is retained in our memories This is a Doctrine which if it were preached unto us every day wee should forget it every day The daily teaching and hourely learning of it cannot wholly free us from the ignorance of this truth But as farre as we are carnall and fleshly wee are strangers to the knowledge of it So that he that thinkes he perfectly knowes the doctrine of justification by faith alone I dare professe to that man that he knows nothing of this doctrine of justification as he ought to know As long as we live upon the earth we may be learners of this doctrine Paul after he had been a scholler and an aged teacher in the schoole of Christ many yeares did then professe that he endeavoured to forget his own workes and legall righteousnesse in reference to his justification and pressed forward to know more of the mystery of Christ labouring to be found in the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Phil. 3.10 Therefore though I have formerly spoken of the chiefe point that lieth in these verses yet I know it is needfull and necessary for mee to speake of it againe that you that have heard it opened may heare more of it as well as for those who have not heard the point so clearly fully unfolded unto them to whom God may make my discourse beneficiall if he accompany mee with his presence Wherefore I have pitched upon this subject at this present in which the summe of all divinitie is comprized For faith and love is the summe of all that we preach Faith towards the Lord Jesus and love towards God and all those that are united to him in the same Spirit with our selves And the Apostle layeth down both these in these verses shewing first clearly the doctrine of justificatiō through faith alone without works and then shewing that though we are justified without workes yet how in the Spirit wee are carried forth to performe all good works for he saith Wee are created the workmanship of God unto good works ver 10. In these words these particulars present themselves to your best attentions First that salvation and justification is by grace that is by the free favour of God Tee are saved by grace Secondly He sheweth how we are saved by grace in a way of beleeving not working Yee are saved by grace through faith Many pretend that they look on grace but it is thorough the spectacles of their own works but he that doth truly eye grace he looks on grace in an act of beleeving and not through working Thirdly The Apostle discovers the nature of true faith which is the unfained faith of the Elect. First negatively he informeth us that this faith is not of our selves There is not a fountain in our selves from whence a true and lively faith springs it floweth not
not required but forbidden God doth not bid us to worke but he forbids us to worke for justification It is not he that worketh that is justified but he that worketh not but beleeveth in him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is accounted for righteousnesse Rom. 4.5 When the Apostle presseth men to beleeve and perswadeth them to entertaine the doctrine of grace that he preached in those Exhortations there is a vertuall forbidding of working for life When he bids them onely to beleeve Act. 16.3 it is as much as if he had bid them not to work Consonant to that speech of his A man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith of Christ Gal. 2.16 He excludeth works that he may establish men in the doctrine of faith and prohibiteth working for justification Lastly We are not to desire the presence of good works that we may be justified A man is not onely to goe thus farre to be convinced that he is not justified by works but he is to be convinced of this that the presence of good works are not needfull and necessary to him when he comes to God for justification I am not onely to professe that my works have no influence into my justification or are the cause of it but that good works in the presence of them are not needfull and necessary to justification Good works are inefficatious to justification and not needfull to be present in the person that is to be justified Here some flie off from the truth they acknowledge that we are not justified by works yet they require the presence of good works in the person who is to be justified But God when he efficatiously works upon us convinceth us that not onely our good works have no causalitie in justification but likewise convinceth us that there is no necessitie for the presence of good works in us before justification And this is cleare because when the Spirit comes he shews us that we are to come to the throne of grace not as men already made righteous and holy but as men unrighteous and unholy to be made holy by Jesus Christ So that good works are not necessary as a qualification or disposition in the person to be justified This is that glorious Gospel which carnall reason cannot apprehend mans learning cannot reach which the worlds wisdome accounteth foolishnesse and which the Devill and worldly men will alwayes oppose and persecute What saith the zealous Pharisee Will the God of love justifie him that hates him Will the God of justice sitting upon the throne pronounce the sinner guiltlesse Yea Pharisee he will What saith the Scripture He justifieth the ungodly What is an ungodly man but he that hates God that is an enemy to God that doth not for the present love God And when a man looks to his grace he must looke on himselfe as an unrighteous as an unholy ungodly man He is not bound to come as the Pharisee but as the Publicane He is not to come thus qualified I love God and the people of God I desire to obey God I am thus qualified therefore I shall be justified and no sinfull man that hath not these qualifications to fit him for justification God bids sinners while they are in their bloud to live Ezek. 16.6 Christ cometh to call sinners to repentance or changednesse of heart by the discoveries of grace For God doth not command us to come as men loving him or loving his people that we may be justified but when we see our selves sinners ungodly and the chiefe of sinners then he commands us to come to the throne of grace and offers justification and salvation to us freely without works as Paul saith This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chiefe 1 Tim. 1.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am the first of sinners so it is in the Greek Primus non tempore sed malignitate The first not in time but in sin and malignitie This is the truth which Paul preached and which he accounted not onely worthy of acceptation but all acceptation for the sweetnesse and excellency of it If other truths are worthy of acceptation this is worthy of all acceptation If a man seeth that he hath a heart that will not suffer him to love God that he hates the people of God yet heareth the Gospel preached that there is grace offered to sinners to the chiefe of sinners if this man beleeve if he come and trust the grace of God he hath as good an assurauce for heaven as heaven can give as God gives to any that he intends to save and make happy with himselfe to eternitie By this wee see that wee are not to bring good works because their presence is not necessarily required Though wee see all evill present with us and all good absent wee may rest upon the promises of grace for justification which is the plaine direct way to true and perfect holinesse Now in the next place I shall give you considerations to prove that wee are not justified by works that are done after conversion This will appeare as clearly as that which I have delivered concerning the needlesnesse of the works of the Law for our justification before our justification The first reason which I shall lay down is this Those things are not the cause of justification which follow justification and true faith but good works follow justification and true faith therefore good works are not the causes of justification The cause precedes the effect good works are the effect of justification right reason therefore will teach us that they cannot precede justification The worke of the justification of a sinner is done compleated before works are done and therefore works can have no hand in our justification That old rule is as old as the doctrine of justification and as true as it is old Bona operanon praecedunt justificandū sed sequuntur justificatū Good works doe not precede in the person who is to be justified but follow the person that is justified From which it will follow that a man is not justified for good works that follow faith because he is justified before he hath those good works good works in order of nature following true faith true faith working by love Gal. 5.6 I am not to love that I may beleeve but I must beleeve Gods love that I may love God Joh. 4.19 Wee love him because he first loved us Wee are first purged from dead works by beleeving and then wee serve the living God Heb. 9.14 God hath sworn that justification shall goe before sanctification Luk. 1.73 He first delivereth us from our sinnes our soules deadly enemies and then wee serve him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse as Zachariah being filled with the holy Spirit doth sweetly powre forth the holy water of this soule-refreshing truth Luk. 1.74 75. Redemption doth antecede
purification He hath redeemed us from all iniquitie to purifie us to himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good works Faith which looketh upon the grace of him who is invisible is the mother-grace Radix bonorum operum fides Faith is the roote good works are the fruit there must be the roote before the fruit But some man may say may wee not see the fruit before wee see the roote as wee see some fruit upon trees while the root lies hid and from the beholding of the fruit may wee not very rationally conclude that there is a root so from the beholding of our good works the fruit of true faith may wee not conclude that there is faith though it be not in it selfe visible unto us To this I answer That this similitude proves not the thing for though it be a truth that good works may appeare first to men yet faith is first visible to us in our own spirits and it is impossible that I should see the truth of good works except I first see the truth of faith Evident sanctification doth evidence unto us the truth of our justification but sanctification is not evident our justification being not evidenced to us in the first place If it be manifested in our spirits to us that our works are good it will presently be manifested unto us that we have true faith But this is not manifested in our spirits that our works are truly good works and such which cannot be done by an hypocrite untill the truth of our faith be manifested unto us I will make this evident by this reason A man must see his good works as done either under the Law or under the Gospel and look upon them either in the glasse of the Law or the glasse of the Gospel if a man look upon them in the glasse of the Law and doe rightly and spiritually understand the Law he shall be so farre from drawing an assurance of his justification from them that he shall behold himself cursed and damned with all his good works For the Law curseth every man that cōtinueth not in the doing of all things which are commanded by God It is indeed a divine looking-glasse in which things to be done or avoyded are discovered Lex est divinum speculū in quo facienda fugienda refulgent Aug. but it will sentence us to death for the least spot or wrinkle which it doth discover so that it is impossible that a man should see himselfe justified in the glasse of the Law But thou wilt say he may look upon his love sinceritie and works in the glasse of the Gospel And to this I answer that if he look upon them in the glasse of the Gospel which is Jesus Christ then he must put himselfe under the Gospel and look upon himselfe as a man in Christ that so he may see his works good by Jesus Christ which he will never be able to see without the eye of faith which seeth things invisible Heb. 11. and by which wee look upon Christ 1 Joh. 2.1 dwell in Christ Ephes 3.17 Live in Christ Gal. 2.19 And doe living works acceptable to God by the life of Christ in us Heb. 11.4 By faith with open face wee behold as in a glasse the glory of the Lord and are changed into the same Image from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3.18 and see that our good works are the effects of Christs love discovered in himselfe and in his Gospel to our soules And therefore when John doth informe us that we shall know that wee know him if we keep his Commandement He doth propose beleeving as the first Commandement of God without which we cannot assure our selves that we are obedient to his other commands 1 Joh. 3.23 This is his commandement that we beleeve in him whom he hath sent Good works after a man hath faith are not the cause of justification but the consequent they follow a mans justification they doe not precede the act of justification they neither precede the act of Gods grace by which he justifieth a sinner neither doe they precede justification in the Court of Conscience But being justified by faith we have peace Rom. 5.1 in our Consciences This was the doctrine which was frequently preached by those heavenly Carpenters which did first strike at the hornes of the beast Vt dilectio oriatur necesse est praecedere fidem hoc est fiducia misericordiae It is necessary saith Melancthon that faith which is a confidence of Gods morcy doe precede love And in another place Non nititur fides nostra dilectione sed tantum misericordia promissa ut constat nec existere dilectio potest nisi sit apprehensa remissio Faith is not grounded upon our love but the promised mercy of God so that it is manifest that there cannot be true love unlesse remission of sinnes be first apprehended Another reason is from the imperfection of workes wrought by a man after he is justified If any man that is justified look on his works and doe not behold them in the glasse of the Gospel he shall reade his own condemnation for his works There is an imperfection in our works seeing wee doe not love God so perfectly as we should with all our heart all our minde and all our spirit but while the regenerate part through the power of the Spirit runs after God and loves God the fleshly part runneth after sinne and hates God Therefore seeing there is such imperfection in the works that we performe that the best of us are unprofitable servants and that the most holy amongst us doe that for which he may be damned every day if God should not deale with us in the Gospel but in the Law it will follow that a man cannot be justified by the works that he doth after he hath faith and is converted doth works which are wrought by the Spirit of grace It may here be objected that the good works of Saints are perfect For an answer to this I referre the Reader to what shall be delivered from those words That he which is borne of God sinneth not I come now to the next Consideration which is this That wee are not justified by the practise of any Gospel-Ordinances which are commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ There are some who it may be are convinced that they are not justified by works yet I know not what new kinde of Popery they have found out for they thinke to please God by submitting to Ordinances and finding out the true Discipline and government of Christs Church therefore you shall finde a kinde of spirit of bondage in them if they be not satisfied concerning the true discipline government Ordinances of the Lord Jesus Christ Wherefore I shall endeavour to demonstrate this and shew clearly that as we are not justified by works before or after conversion so we are not justified and saved by the submitting to any Ordinance of the Lord Jesus Christ Salvation is not in
saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Spirit By this passage it is evident that mercy doth precede regeneration and is the cause of spirituall renovation Vocation and justification by faith doe follow predestination if Paul speake the truth Rom. 8.30 Whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justfied them he also glorified God loved us when wee had no beings in our selves or among any creatures to assure us that he did not love us for any thing in us there being nothing at all in us when God first loved us The love of God is not like the love of man man loves something which he sees lovely but God sees nothing in the object which he loves but all the motives and arguments lie in the bosome and breast of God which move him to love his creature Man cannot love before he have some lovely object proposed to him but God loves before we have either being or holinesse Wee beleive in God love him and are made lovely before him in time because he loved us before all time The man spiritually wise doth see his happynesse wrapt up in the eternall bowells of Grace and laid up in the everlasting bosome of unchangeable love for him Fond therefore is there conceit shallow there apprehension and understandings dull who beleeve that any thing done or beleeved by the creature in time can be the primary cause of the creatures salvation to whom grace was given for salvation from eternity 2 Tim. 1.2 c. This doctrine of free grace doth overthrow and annihilate the wisdome of the wise the learning of the learned the righteousnesse of him who is most righteous and a stranger to grace The naturall man with his best sight seeth not a righteousnesse beyond the righteousnesse of his own righteousnesse As the wisdome of the spirit is foolishnesse to the naturall man so the wisdome of the flesh is foolishnesse with God Though there be a spirit in a man by which he may have great knowledge and understanding in the things of nature and reason yet it is the spirit of the Almighty which giveth understanding Job 32.8 Untill this spirit and power from above come upon us wee call light darknesse and darknesse light sinfulnesse purity purity imperfection But when this doth enter into us all our righteousnesses appeare as filthy raggs and we are made willing to rest upon that grace for righteousnesse which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began 2 Tim. 1.9 Then wee clearly see the wisdome of God in shewing mercy on whom he will shew mercy and having compassion on whome he will have compassion Then we cannot but acknowledge that it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Then the objections of camall reason are fully answered the acute arguments of the wordly wise and learned against free grace are dissolved the Sophismes of the Antigratians are sufficiently confuted and we are saved and satisfied with the glorious discoveries of Gods eternall grace in Christ Jesus Againe this should engage us all that know this saving grace to exalt and extoll this grace of our heavenly Father Grace apprehended by us doth oblige us unto thankfulnesse It is fit that they should glorifie God for his grace who see themselves glorified by grace The Prophet Isaiah setteth forth this unto us Isa 45. last In Jehovah shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory He that is justified in the grace of Jehovah will certainly glory in the grace of Jehovah Let us therefore glory not in our selves not in our labours sufferings actings or endeavours but in this grace of the Father according to the advice of the Prophet Jeremiah 9.23 24. Thus saith the Lord Let not the wise man glory in his wisdome neither let the mighty man glory in his might Let not the rich man glory in his riches But let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindnesse judgement and righteousnesse in the earth Let our holy boasting be in this righteousnesse Let the resolution of the sweet Singer of Israel be the resolution of every one of us Psal 71.16 I will make mention of thy righteousnesse even of thine onely God forbid saith Paul that I should glory in any thing save in the Crosse of the Lord Jesus Christ So let every good Christian say God forbid that I should glory save in the grace of God Let Pharisees and Hypocriter boast of their owne workes and legall righteousnesse But let true Saints boast onely of the grace of the mercifull and favourable Jebovah What is ingenuously acknowledged concerning himselfe by Paul 1 Cor. 15.10 By the grace of God I am what I am may be acknowledged by all Saints By grace wee are what we are and therefore glory is to be given to grace Gods gracious love was placed upon us before wee were lovely Jer. 31.3 He loved us with an everlasting love He loved us when we were unlovely when he saw us polluted in our blood then was the time of his love Ezek. 16.6.8 His grace and love hath made us lovely what cause then is there that wee should glory in this grace and love It is an excellent speech of Bernard to this purpose Tibi illibata maneat gloria meum benè agitur si pacem habuero Take thou all the glory it is enough for us that wee have the peace In Psal 130.3 the Psalmist professeth that if the Lord should marke iniquities no man should be able to stand before him If thou Lord shouldest marke iniquities O Lord who shall stand The interrogation is equivalent to a negation who shall stand that is no man shall stand Wee that should quickly fall to ruine had wee no better ground to stand upon then our owne workes what reason have we to blesse God for grace who onely stand by grace If we could stand before the judgement Seate of God standing cloathed in the menstruous raggs of our owne workes righteousnesse performances there were some ground for us to glory in our owne works but seeing it is thus that if God enter into Judgement and deale with us by the Law we cannot stand before him therefore let us glory onely in him With heart and tongue give him praise for what he hath done for thee by his grace who hast cause to be ashamed for what thou hast done against his grace A King of France thought himself bound to praise God that God had made him a King and not a begger What cause have wee to praise him for his grace who of sinners hath made us Saints If devout Bradford when he saw a blinde or a lame man did take occasion to blesse God for the use of his limbes eye-sight is it not consonant to reason that wee should publish forth the praises of Gods
surety who hath paid our debts hath bestowed upon us so that by faith though wee are assured of Gods love in the first place yet wee are not only assured but likewise Christ is applied unto us we are united unto him and doe enjoy all things in him and receive all good things from him Seventhly We are saved by faith which is so to be understood that by the mis-vnderstanding of it wee may not detract from the glory of Gods grace and from that everlasting righteousnesse which we have in Iesus Christ who is Jehovah our righteousnesse Ier. 23.6 Abraham when he beleeved and his faith was counted unto him for righteousnesse had a vision of God and his word did inwardly appeare unto him Gen. 15.1 and he beheld God as his shield and exceeding great reward and supreme righteousnesse so a beleeving man doth so looke upon faith as his righteousnesse that he doth then behold God in Christ as his supreme righteousnesse for his justification Isa 45.25.1 Cor 1.30 As Adam when hee was Justified by his righteousnesse and true holinesse did so looke upon his owne righteousnesse for justification that hee did at the same time behold God as his chiefe good and righteousnesse so a beleeving man doth so looke upon faith as his righteousnesse by which hee is saved that hee doth at the same time behold God in Christ as his cheife righteousnesse Though hee acknowledgeth faith his righteousnesse in its place yet he accounteth it as nothing in comparison of that righteousnesse which hee hath in God and his Son Jesus Christ And saith with the psalmist Psal 71.16 I will goe in the strength of the Lord God I will make mention of thy righteousnesse even of thine onely Hee doth not by this undervalue the righteousnesse of faith hee prizeth it above the world and all things in it which carnall men doe value at so high a rate But according to the minde of him whose gift faith is hee sets the gist in his heart and esteeme belowe him who is the giver of it Hee seeth salvation to bee more from the giver of faith then faith it selfe Hee looketh upon faith not as the cause of justifiing grace but looketh upon justifiing grace through Christ as the cause of that faith by which he is justified and saved And doth know that his juificaticaon is perfected by grace and in the person of the Lord Jesus before it is completed and effected in him by faith Hee well understandeth that Christ and the soule are betrothed by faith and yet he is not ignorant that he is betrothed to God for ever in righteousnesse and in loving kindnesse and in mercy Hosea 2.19 He is enlightned to see a reconciliation by grace in the person of Christ before God before his reconciliation by faith in his spirit He considereth that when he was an enemie he was reconciled to God by the death of his Son Rom 5.10 Which reconciliation was before his faith and yet denyeth not reconciliation by faith He knoweth that what he beleeveth concerning Gods grace and his redemption and justification by the blood of Christ was true before hee beleeved it and yet hee beleeveth that faith is his righteousnesse for justification Hee confoundeth not the righteousnesse of faith with the righteousnes of God in Christ by whom he is justified But giveth unto God Christ what is to be attributed to God Christ for justification likewise attributeth to faith what is due to faith not looking up ō faith as his righteousnes without the object of it but alwayes looketh upon faith for his justification as it hath reference relation to its object which is the favour of God in Jesus Christ And if he shall be asked whether hee bee more righteous by grace and Christ or by faith He will acknowledge that hee is rather justified by grace and the blood of Christ Ro. 5.19 Seeing more righteousnesse for him in the object of faith then in faith by which he beholdeth the object and yet still maintaineth that faith is his righteousnesse for justification according to the mind of the Apostle We are saved by faith Eightly We are saved by faith not for the purity and holynesse of it as it is a gift of the sanctifiing spirit For then upon the same ground we should take in Love and other fruits of the spirit which the Apostle doth shut out as having no influence upon us for our justification which the Apohle doth prove in the following words where he saith that we are saved not of workes Because we are Gods workemanship created to good workes Good workes are not the causes of our new creation and justification but the consequents of our new creation through faith So that it is clear that we are justified before sanctification is wrought in us or good workes done by us We are justified by faith without them By which it is evident that faith as an holy gift or quality doth not save us We are saved therfore by faith as that righteousnesse by which we do at the first lay hold upon his grace in his Son for justification by which wee are united unto God and are made one with him Ioh. 17.21 are puryfied from the guilt of sinne in our hearts Act. 15.9 And have peace with him through our Lord Iesus Rom. 5.1 Whom we see imbrace by faith as the Apostle setteh forth the nature of faith Heb. 12.13 And he that thus beleeveth shall be saved he that beleeveth not shall be damned Ninthly We are saved by faith Because by faith we are not onely enabled to beleeve the generall truth of the gospell concerning his grace to those who beleeve in him but because through faith we are enabled to give credit to Gods truth and to rest upon it in reference and relation to our selves Thus Abraham who for the excellency and examplarinesse of his faith is worthily stiled the father of the faithfull did beleeve what God did speake unto him not onely as a truth which might be beneficiall unto others but hee looked upon Christ in reference to himselfe Gen 15. And saw his day and seeing of it was glad Hee looked upon God not onely as a shield and great reward but his shield and great reward By true faith we receive Chrst and his benefits for our selves Paul doth informe us that his life in the flesh was by faith in the Lord Jesus who loved him and gave himselfe for him Faiths sweetenesse doth lye in this that by it we doe not beleeve Christ to be a Saviour and righteousnesse but our Saviour and righteousnesse Therefore Luther affirmed that the sweetnesse of Christianity lay in pronounes When a man can say my Lord and my God and my blessed Iesus This was the faith which the Apostles preached which will be manifest unto us if we consider their intentions when they exhorted men to beleeve They did not intend that their hearers should beleeve in generall that Christ was the Saviour of
formam et finem Arg. 4. Sanctification in the feare of God is alwayes perfecting whilest we live here in this life 2 Cor. 7.1 and therefore it is not perfected untill the life to come Answ Sanctification is said to be perfecting here in reference to that which is in the flesh which is to be put off that sanctificaiion may come in the place of it not in reference unto that which is already wrought as though that sanctification were not already perfect if we take perfection as it is opposed to that which is sinfull 2. It is said that our Saviour encreased in wisdome Luk. 2.52 will you say that his wisedome was sinfull at first because he did encrease and grow in it You may as well say so as conclude that our sanctification is sinne or sinfull because it doth grow or increase to a greater perfection Arg. 5. If our workes be in themselves perfect then might Paul have desired to have been found in them before God Answ I deny the consequence For these good workes are not wrought in us that they may be the cause or matter of our Justification and therefore Paul will not appeare before God in them for Justification But Paul and every true Saint being justified by faith without them doth dare to bring them in the presence of God as secondary evidences of Gods love to him According to that of John 1 John 3.14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the Brethren hee that loveth not his brother abideth in death ver 19. And hereby wet know that we are of the truth and shall perswade our hearts before him Which you maintaining them to be sin and sinful doe not doe Arg. 6. If the new man doth not sinne then he is not the man who is pronounced to bee a blessed man Psal 32. Rom. 4. Answ This is a plaine fallacy You take the new man here physically whom wee take according to Scripture Spiritually and Theologically Justification to speak properly is neither of the new man nor old man but of the person in whom there is an old man and a new man And this man is justified from the sinnes of the old man by the work of the spirit in the new man which doth carry him to the grace of God in Jesus Christ Arg. 7. Pauls best workes were accounted by him but as drosse dung therfore they were not perfect Phil. 3. Answ 1. This may be very well understood of his workes done under the Law As the preceding words do seeme to hold it forth where he speaketh of his Jewish priviledges and Pharisaicall righteousnesse And secondly the words following will seem to carry it this way because hee saith that hee accounteth all things dung for the excellent knoweldg of Christ by which is evident that he speaketh of all things as they stand in opposition to the knowledge of Christ 3. This argument maketh nothing for you because you account this knowledge sinfull But let us take it as you do and an answer is presently at hand to wit that the Apostle doth not speake these words absolutely but comparatively They are all dung in comparison of Christ and in reference to their uselesnesse to justification Dung will as soone justifie a man from sin as that love which floweth from faith Arg. 8. This that the new man sinneth not doth in a very high measure if not altogether overthrow all the offices of Christ 1. His Kingly office as having none to rule not the old man for hee savoureth not thet hings of God he is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be not the new man for he needs not the government of Christ hee is already perfect and cannot sin 2. His Priestly office which is to make propitiation for the sins of those which shall be saved now the new man who only shal be saved never did nor could not commit any sinne 3. His Propheticall office For whom should he teach the new man needs not his teaching seeing he with all his works is already perfect and can be no otherwise The olde man is not capable of his teaching Answ I have already detected the fallaciousnesse of this argument in answering to the 6th Argument Yet give mee leave to prove in few words that this doctrine doth magnifie Christ in the glory of his spirituall offices First in his Kingly office the glory of a king doth lye in subduing his enemies And in this the glory of Christ considered as a King doth appeare that hee doth vanquish the enemies of us his Subjects by ruling in our hearts with his Scepter of righteousnesse According to that of the Psalmist that hee shall rule in the midst of his enemies By this wee see his regall power over the old man Again the glory of a King is wrapt up in the willing obedience of his Subjects and this is made good in the new man His people being made willing in the day of his power For what is here objected that the new man needs not the government of Christ It is as if one should say that a man doth make void and overthrow royall government because he maintaineth that the Kings Subjects are willingly obedient unto him But you say that they are perfect and therefore his government is needlesse The spirits of just men are made perfect Heb. 12. And will you therefore conclude that the government of Christ over them is needlesse But to passe this by 2. It will appeare that the Priestly office of Christ is not overthrown but established rather by this doctrine for first we hold that no man liveth as a new man who doth live under the guilt of sin and therefore by the eye of the new man wee are daily to looke upon Christ as a Priest in whom is no finne who by one offering hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 Again the Priest was to offer up the sacrifices of the people for them and by this doctrine we establish Christ in his Priestly office which we could not do if we should say that there were nothing in us but what is sinne and sinfull in us The people were to bring something which was good to be offered up by the Priest to God The blinde lame and sicke were not to be offered unto God Mal. 1.8 Neither is that which we doe that is sin or sinfull offered up by Jesus Christ to the Father but that which is good And thus wee establish Christ in his Priestly office by affirming that there is something good in the new man which is the matter of acceptance 3. Wee doe not overthrow his Propheticall office by this truth For he doth daily teach us in the new man Whereas you say that he needs not his teaching wee say that the new man hath his dependance upon Christ for wisedome knowledg and understanding And as a burning Lampe doth daily stand in need of oyle to be powred into
an assurance as any is in Heaven which will hold good when the hope of the Hypocrite will come to nothing Let no objection keepe thee from comfort but believe what thou hast heard if thou art a sinner conclude not that Christ belongs not to thee because thou art a sinner but say I am a sinner therfore Christ belongs to me Christ came to save sinners As the bright beames of the Sun dispell all mists and clouds so the truth of this doctrine if thou understand it in the light of the Spirit will dispell all thy doubts and objections of unbeliefe They will vanish and thou that camest hether under a spirit of bondage shalt goe away with a spirit of adoption and assurance The true Gospel believed will quickly bring true comfort to thy soule If any of you want comfort and assurance it is because you believe not Christ doth knock at the doore of our hearts and if by believing the doore be opened He will feast with us It is unbeliefe which doth bolt the doore doth keepe him out and doth keepe joy from us The gates of Heaven are shut upon workers and open to believers shut to those who come with money in their hands but open to those who are content to enter without paying any thing for their entrance The gift of God is eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6. ult Whosoever will may drinke of the waters of life freely Rev 22.21 But if wee will not drinke without money wee shall not drinke one drop of the water of life We see that at a play-house they will not open the doore and let people in without they give mony But it were a disgrace for a King if none should see his Pallace but such who would give money If wee thinke to enter into heaven by doing good workes that wee may be saved by what we doe wee make heaven like a play-house but if wee looke on heaven as the Pallace of the great King of heaven and earth let us know that wee may enter without money It were a disgrace to the King of heaven if he should suffer none to come within his doores to come into his Pallace but those that would give something to come into it if wee have nothing to give for heaven wee have as much as God demands if wee doe nothing wee doe as much as God requires Manifestè beati sunt quibus sine labore vel opere aliquo remittuntur iniquitates et peccata teguntur Nulla ab his requiruntur paenitentiae opera nisi tantum ut credant Ambrose It is plaine that they are blessed unto whom without any labour or paines sinnes are remitted and iniquities covered No workes of repentance are required of these this is onely required of them that they doe believe For he that worketh not but beliveth in him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Rom. 4.5 So much for this time Salvation is only by Gods grace SERMON II. Ephesians 1.8 For by grace are yee saved through faith and that not of your selves c. I proved the last day that there is no salvation for any man by any workes or righteousnesse of his owne I shall now proceed in the next place to prove that Wee are saved by grace onely By grace in this place wee are to understand the free favour of God to his poore undeserving creatures That which is translated grace here in other places is translated ravour So it is said that our blessed Lord and Saviour increased in wisdome and stature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in favour with God and men Luke 2. ult So it is said that Joseph found favour in the sight of Pharaoh King of Egypt Act. 7.10 And it is said that David found favour before God ver 46. The grace of God is the same with his favour This grace or free favour of God to poore creatures is held forth to us in Scripture First as it is in God and so it is set forth to us as that grace and favour of his which is as eternall as himselfe And in this respect we are said to be saved from eternitie in this eternall grace and favour of his as the Apostle sets it forth 2 Tim. 1.9 where he saith that wee are saved not according to our works but according to his owne purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began This grace is the primary cause of our justification God justifies and saves none in time but those who were justified and saved before him from eternity It is said of Abraham that hee was the Father of many Nations Rom. 4.17 He was not then the father of many nations if we look upon his progenie posteritie for he had not a grand-child then but he was the Father of many Nations before him whom he believed even God that quickenth the dead and calleth things that are not as if they were So wee were saved before God in the eternall grace of God before we had a being among the creatures In the same sense that God is said to determine the times and the bounds of all mens habitations from eternity Act. 17.26 So wee are said to be saved by the grace of God Because God from eternity loved us in Christ and saw us in his own eternall grace and favour Otherwise wee should make God like unto the creature which seeth things when they are done and are visible among the creatures but God hee foresaw things from eternity He speakes of things as being when indeed they have not a being among the creatures but have a being in his owne eye And so wee had a being in the grace of God and in the eye and sight of God before wee had a being in our selves and a being among the creatures And we are in this grace of God from eternity not for any works that God foresaw would be done by us God did not love us from eternity because he foresaw that wee would be industrious painfull and zealous to glorify his name There was nothing at all in the eye of God from eternity that moved God to set his grace and favour upon us but his grace It is contrary to truth which is affirmed by some that God foreseeing that some men would be industrious painefull doe good workes and live holily and righteously did therefore make choice of them and set his grace on them And that foreseeing the idlenesse sloath prophanenesse ungodlinesse and impenitencie of others he rejected them God as hee loves us in his grace from eternity so this grace was placed upon us without any foresight or prevision of our own workes The Apostle doth clear this plainly to us in the forementioned place where he saith not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace intimating thus much to us that it was onely the eternall grace of God which moved God to be good and gracious to us
all the Commandements of the Lord Jesus The cause of this legallnesse in their spirits is because they doe not see salvation firmly setled upon him that beleeveth The spirituall man beholdeth justifing grace in beleeving without his obedience to commands for externall worship and good workes and doth live joyfully and comfortably in the sight of his justification though he knoweth that it is possible that he may be ignorant of many things which other Christians may have the knowledge of And in these dayes of darkenesse contention confusion and disorder what man can have solid and lasting joy who is ignorant of free grace for justification If it were necessary to the assurance of justification to know whether the Episcopall Presbyteriall or Independent Government were the Ordinance of the Lord Jesus whether sprinckling of Children or dipping of professing beleevers were the institution of Christ in the Labyrinth of the controversies of our times how few would attaine to an assurance of their justification How would poore creatures be perplexed and disquieted in their consciences not certainly knowing in which of these wayes they should walke for their justification and salvation But that the promise might be sure to all the seed Rom. 4.16 to those who lived in the times of the Law as well as to those who live in these times of the Gospel salvation is promised not to workers but beleevers to all true beleevers in all ages and places to us who live in the time of the Babylonish-Apostacy as well as to those who were hearers of the Apostles and Members of those Congregations which were gathered and governed by them Sixtly By faith the grace of God in Christ is applyed unto us and we are justified by it as the spirituall instrument formed by God in the Spirit for the application of Christs benefits to our consciences A man that lived in the time of the Law looking upon the blood of his sacrifices did behold himselfe purged purified and sanctified in his flesh by it Heb. 9.13 So a sinner looking upon the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is applyed unto him and his conscience is purged from dead workes to serve the living God ver 14. Faith though it be called a worke 2 Thess 1.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet wee are not justified by it as it is a worke or gracious quality but as it is the hand of the Spirit by which wee receive and are made partakers of those treasures of grace which are freely given unto us in Christ Jesus Christ bath already done what is to be done by way of satisfaction to the justice of his Father and hath already made peace by the blood of his Crosse Col. 1.20 what he doth in us now is to satisfie our consciences concerning our full redemption by him that you in beleeving may be filled with peace of Conscience being perswaded that wee are of the Father in the Son who by the Father is made unto us wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 Faith being nothing but a light comming from God Christ discovering God and Christ to our spirits and uniting our spirits to God in Christ By faith we beleeve what is recorded concerning the grace of God in Christ As the Prophet to my apprehension holdeth it forth in those expressions of his Isa 53.1 Who hath beleeved our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed In the latter part of these words the Prophet doth interpret the former part he beleeveth the report of God to whom the arme of God that is his Sonne Jesus is revealed And when a man beleeveth in Christ Christ is revealed to that man Faith being the first thing that is wrought in the spirit of a man whom God doth justifie in his owne conscience by which the grace of God in Christ is revealed unto him for his justification Justifying faith when it is wrought by the powerfull operation of the Spirit in the heart doth remove prevailing doubts concerning our justification the faithfull beholding the all-righteousnesse of free grace applying to his conscience the clensing vertue of the blood of the Lord Jesus Faith is a gift of the Spirit establishing the soule Isa 7.9 If ye will not beleeve surely ye shal not be established The soule can never be firmely setled and quieted but by beleeving Unbeleife doth question and doubt of the promises of free grace for justification But when in the power of faith we are carried above it with Abraham Rom. 4.20 we stagger not at the promise through unbeleife but the spirit is fixed and stands immoveably upon the truth of grace God saith in the Covenant of his grace Heb. 8.12 I will be mercifull to their unrighteousnesse and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more Hee that beleeveth doth set his Seale to the truth of God in beleeving the promise Iohn 3.33 He is confident that God is faithful who hath made this promise to the children of men and by beleeving the great and precious promises of grace he is made partaker of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 By an heart of unbeleefe wee depart from the living God Heb. 3.12 but by faith wee draw neere to God and apply Christ to our selves Faith being contrary to unbeleife as in the nature of it so in its operations An unbeleever doth not give credit to the truth of the generall promises of Gods grace and so remaineth unjustified in his conscience A beleever in faith nothing wavering James 1.6 doth give credit to what is reported And the Gospel commeth to him not in word only but in power and the holy Spirit and in much assurance 1. Thessalonians 1.5 Object But some may be ready here to object this against what I have delivered that though I doe acknowledge that by faith grace in Christ is applyed unto us yet in effect I say no more then what I delivered before when I proved that by faith the grace of God in Christ is first manifested and made over unto us Answ They misapprehend me when they conclude that I make faith onely an assurance of because I doe maintaine that it is the first evidence and witnesse of our justification Faith doth assure but it doth not onely assure us of Christ but doth apply Christ and makes a difference between assurance and application which I illustrate by this similitude Suppose one should lye in Prison for debt his debts being paid and he not knowing it and afterwards knowing that his debts were paid hee should rejoyce in the newes and enjoy his liberty this man doth not by the newes which he heareth enjoy only comfort but his liberty so it is with us before we beleeve we lie in prison and yet our debts are paid by Iesus Christ when the newes is brought by the spirit to the eare of the soule wee rejoyce in hearing the newes but besides this presently wee enjoy our liberty and all those riches which our
love saith the Apostle He will remember the good works of men borne of God at the great day of judgement The good workes of some are manifest before-hand and they that are otherwise cannot be hid 1 Tim. 5.15 They cannot for ever be hid because God will make mention of them at that day But hee hath engaged himselfe by oath to remember our sins and sinfull actions Hebr. 8. And therefore the works of the spirituall man are not sin or sinfull Arg. 8. There is no law against the workes of a spirituall man or the fruits of the spirit of grace and therefore they are not sin because where there is no law there is no transgression But there is no law against these This is plain by that passage of the Apostle Gal. 5.22 The fruit of the spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance against such there is no law Object They are here considered as they are precisely the fruits of the spirit and as they ought to be done by us and so they are no sins but consider them as acted by us even with the spirits assistance and so they are defective and sinfull Answ The Apostle doth not speake of the fruits of the spirit as Tully of his Oratour Plato of his Common-wealth Moor of his Utopia as of things no where to be found But be speaks of the spirit as in us and the fruits of it as in us And doth plainly tell us that if we are led by the spirit we are not under the law and that there is no law against the fruits of the spirit But I shall have occasion hereafter to speake more fully of some places where the Apostles and servants of God doe speak plainly of these works as done in us that so I may break the neck of this distinction which is made as a Catholicon or salve for every sore Arg. 9. God doth give a testimony concerning his Saints that they are righteous and holy which is spoken in reference to their spirituall nature and actings and therefore they are righteous and holy The judgment of God is according to truth hee being the God of truth Doth not God give this testimony of Job Job 1.1 That he was a perfect man and upright one that feared God and eschewed evill And though man may oppose this yet it feemeth by Gods speech to Sathan that the Devill could not contradict it Job 2.3 And the Lord said unto Sathan hast thou considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth a perfect man upright one that feareth God and escheweth evill Did any thing which was sin or sinful procure this honourable title to David that he was a man after Gods owne heart 1 Sam. 13.14 Doth not the Scripture of truth inform us concerning Zacharias and Elizabeth his wife that they were both righteous before God walking in all the Commandements of God blamelesse Luke 1.6 They did not onely walk in the great Commandement of God concerning faith for Justification but in all the Ordinances and Commandements of God Is not Lot called a just and righteous man who was vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked 2 Pet. 2.7 And was his sinfull soule vexed with their evill deeds or his righteous soul speak in the language of Gods Word and ye must acknowledge that it was his righteous soule vers 8. God is not like unto some indulgent parents who by their fond indulgency doe account that to be a vertue which is the fault of their children and them to be vertuous who are vile God calleth nothing righteousnesse which is sin or sinfull Nor those to be perfect and upright which are not so indeed and therefore seeing God doth call his children righteous holy and perfect wee may not be affraid to call them so unlesse wee will be affraid to follow his judgment Object They were righteous before God by Justification and before men by holy walking Ans We deny not their justification before God by faith but with all we affirme that they were righteous before him by their holy walkings As these places doe sufficiently prove with others which we shall hereafter speak of Let us not delude ous soules to think that righteousnesse sanctification is to the eye of men only The purest sanctification of a Saint is not so visible to men as unto God Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visite the fatherlesse and Widowes in their affliction and to keepe himselfe unspotted from the world which will be further manifested by our next argument Arg. 10. Almighty God is a God of pure eyes who cannot behold any iniquity any sinfull thing or sin with an eye of approbation But this God who cannot approve what is sin and sinfull this God approveth and professeth that he is well pleased with the performances of his Saints therefore the performance of the Saints cannot be sin or sinfull The Apostle in Philip. 4.18 Professeth that the worke of the Philippians in sending to relieve his wants was an odour of a sweet smell a sacrifice acceptable well pleasing to God God hath pure eyes and pure nostrils and therefore if it had been sin or sinfull it could not have pleased his eye nor have beene an odour of a sweete smell unto his nostrills Object They are so but not in their owne nature Answ If they be not so in their own nature they are filthy and odious in their own nature and yet accepted by grace If one thing which is filthy and odious in its owne nature be accepted why should not other things which are filthy and odious in their owne nature be accepted for good workes If this can be made good Whoredome and Adultery will prove good works which hath been asserted by some who have said that the filthinesse of whoredome being done away the action is well-pleasing to Almighty God as well as any good work Arg. 11. One end and intention of God in electing of us was that he might make us holy that he might make us good trees to bring forth good fruit Though God doth not elect us because wee doe believe or because wee doe love yet hee hath elected us that wee may believe and that we may love So that wee frustrate one end that God hath in electing us if we doe not grant that God gives us a new nature and new hearts According to that of the Apostle 2 Thes 2 13. We are chosen unto salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth And in Eph 1.4 He hath chosen us in him that we should be holy and without blame before him in love Object We doe apprehend our election imperfectly which is the cause of the sinfulness of our works Answ By reason of that which is in the flesh we cannot so perfectly see our election as wee shall doe hereafter Yet in the spirit for the present we doe so fully apprehend it
his command The fayling is not from the new but the olde man The whole man or person is under the command so that a man yea every man doth sin because he doth not doe in his person as he is a man what is commanded Charge the fault where it is to be charged upon the flesh which is the cause of a mans sin and then look upon grace which hath abolished sin and you shall finde the new man conformable to the will of God and the man good and holy in part to wit in his regenerated part It is further objected that Christ biddeth us to cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit which no man doth It is granted and therefore we deny not but that every man sinneth if we take him physically But as farre as we are in the Spirit Wee are cleansed from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit so that the new man doth fulfill it and Christ doth reign in him though the flesh prove a Traytor and rebellious against his commands Arg. 18. Another argument may be brought from the consideration of the Image of Christ If this were true that all the works of the Saints were in their formalitie sinne this would follow that the Image of Jesus Christ were an Image of unholinesse and sin I ground my argument upon that place of the Apostle 2 Cor. 3.18 Wee all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Here the Apostle shewes that the Saints are changed into the Image of Christ Now if there were nothing but sin and unholinesse sinfulnesse in those who are looked upon as spirituall as some conceive it wil follow that the Image of Christ into which they are changed must be an image of unholinesse If my love be unholinesse I am changed to that image of love which is in Christ and so it would follow that the Image of Christ doth consist in unholinesse Object If there be perfect sanctification in the new man then wee may bee justified by it Answ I deny that it doth not follow We shall have perfect sanctification at the resurrection and yet you will not say that we shall be acquitted from our sinnes by it which wee have committed upon earth but by the grace of God in the blood of Christ 2. We are justified before sancification and therefore it will not follow that we are justified by it Because that is done before the other is wrought in us 3. That a man may be justified by his sanctification It is necessary that a man should be so wholy sanctified that there should be no sin in the man Our good works will not make satisfaction for our bad works A Traytor for an act of treason might be condemned by his Prince though he hath done him much good service If a man would seeke justification by the law who is sanctified in part the law would condemn him for his sin in his unregenerated part taking no notice of any sufficiency in his sanctification to free him from condemnation for his sinne in the unregenerated part Arg. 19. This opinion that the good works of the justified man are sin or sinfull do make divers places of Scripture irreconcileable Men shall never be well able to reconcile many places of Scripture who swallow this as a trueth that whatsoever workes are now done in the Saints are nothing but sinne or sinfull For instance in one place we are bound to disclaime our works and to account all our righteousnesses as filthy ragges to believe in him that justifieth the ungodly And in another place we are said to be redeemed from all iniquity that we might be zealous of good workes Tit. 2. And we are the work manship of God created in Christ Jesus to good workes Eph. 2. By what I have delivered they are easily reconcileable To wit by distinguishing as the Scripture doth concerning good works thus That all the works of man under the Law are but splendid and shining sins and that the spirituall workes of a spirituall man are good and not sin or sinfull in their nature Not that the Scripture makes these good workes that flow from the spirituall man the cause or the matter of our justification but the fruits of the Spirit and the consequents of our justificationâ— It is a speech of Luthers worthy to be writteâ— in letters of gold that the whole world with all the riches of it are of no worth in comparison of good works flowing from faith and wrought by the Spirit of God in the hearts of his people Which how it can be made good I know not if that be true which he and some other Protestant Writers affirme that Omnâ— bonum secundum judicium dei est mortale peccatum every good worke of a regenerate man according to the judgment of God is a mortall sin That which is morally evill is not so good as any thing which is not morally evill That being the greatest evill which is morally evill I have known some professors of the Gospel who have fallen to Familisme and Atheisticall opinions and being asked why they did leave the Gospel they have answered that they could never reconcile the Scriptures concerning works to other places while they were professors of the Gospel Their meaning is while they were professors upon these principles by which they were taught to look upon the works of the spirit in them as sin and sinfull That which is frequently asserted by some Mr. Eatoon Honycomb and others that they are good to men-ward will not make up the breach The Apostle Peter speaking of a meeke quiet spirit which is the ornament of the hidden man of the heart saith that it is of great price in the sight of God 1 Pet. 3.4 The Apostle speaking of his sincerity in preaching the Gospel is not affraid to bring it into the sight of God 2 Cor. 2.17 And John saith 1 Joh. 3.22 That whatsoever we aske we receive of him because wee keepe his Commandements and doe those things which are pleasing in his sight And that he doth not meane believing only is plain by the next verse where he saith That this is his Commandement that wee believe on the name of his Sonne Jesus Christ and love one another And to stop the mouth of the objection which is usually brought against this truth to wit that he speaketh of doing as in Gods precept or command and not as done by us He saith that we receive what we aske because wee doe what is pleasing in his sight I must professe to the glory of God that this distinction hath given me a great light in the understanding of the Scripture And by this I am informed that I am justified without holiness or sanctification and yet that without holiness no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 Arg. 20. This opinion that the good worke
was the speech of one of the Ancients that grace in some Saints is like a spark in the Ocean And thus I have apprehended it in my selfe Yet I see that as it is wrought by grace so it is accepted by grace being not under the law as delivered in the first covenant and yet not without the law to God but under the law to Christ 1 Cor. 9.21 And this hath been a strong motive unto mee to hunger and thirst after the righteousnesse of sanctification commanded and promised in the new Covenant which doth comfort mee with an assurance and confidence that that which is perfected here in part inchoatively shall be perfected in degrees consummatively I can say with David Psal 138.8 The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me he will not forsake the works of his owne hand And seeing the strength and power of the flesh in mee I am carried up in spirit to admire and wonder at Gods omnipotent grace by which through faith which worketh by love I am preserved together with all Saints unto the day of salvation in Christ Jesus who is over all Rom. 9.5 God blessed for ever Amen FINIS SERMON I. ESAY 26.19 Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise awake and sing yee that dwell in the dust for thy dew is as the dew of herbs and the earth shall cast forth her dead THE beliefe of the resurrection is a present comfort in the midst of misery Resurrectio mortuorum fiducia Christianorun Tertul. The resurrection of the dead is the joy confidence and boasting of Christians And therefore when the people of God had made a sad complaint of their low condition in the words preceding my Text our Evangelicall Prophet for their comfort and consolation doth from the mouth of God present them with this sweet and precious promise of a glorious resurrection of their bodies Let poore Saints bee full of complaints let the billowes of misery and trouble be ready to overwhelme their soules and let God but breake in upon their spirits and give them assurance of a blessed resurrection by his grace and all their trouble all their discomforts all their miseries by the light of this Sunne will presently vanish away You may read the complaint in the precedent verse where the Church complaines that she had been like a woman with child in great paine verse 17. Like as a woman with Child that draweth neere the time of her delivery is in paine and crieth out in her pangs so have we been in thy sight O Lord We know the paines of a woman in travell are the greatest paines and the Church to set forth her trouble compares it to the paines and pangs of a woman in travell But that which doth heighten the trouble and misery of the Church is this that though she were thus like a woman in travell and paine and expected to bring forth some great thing and to doe something in the world which might be left as a lasting monument to the praise of God and be a refreshment to her selfe after her throwes and languishment She finds that all was a false conception therefore she saith in the next verse vers 18. We have been with child we have been in paine we have as it were brought forth the wind She swelled big with expectation and thought she should have brought forth some glorious birth into the world but alas all that she hath brought forth hath been but as it were wind we see nothing but a false conception We have not wrought any deliverance in the Earth neither have the Inhabitants of the world fallen ver 18. Here wee see the sad complaint of the Church And in the words I have read to you you may likewise read the Prophet laying downe that which might comfort and cheare the sad and drouping spirits of the people of God in this sad and lamentable complaint of theirs And that is drawne from a sweet promise that God makes to them of a resurrection as if the Prophet had said let it never trouble you though you be the poorest vilest and miserablest creatures here upon the Earth looke beyond the Earth looke for the accomplishment of Gods promise beyond this present life and then you shall see as much cause to rejoyce as you apprehended cause of mourning before What though you doe no great thing for the present on Earth what though your Enemies prevaile over you what though their cursed devices Counsells and Machinations doe take effect against you what though you fall by their hands and can doe no great things to set up Trophees of glory below remember this Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise c. Thus you see what coherence these words have with the context In the words be pleased to take notice of these parts First here is a promise made to the people of God of a blessed resurrection Thy dead men shall live Secondly the confirmation of this that is as some interpret it from the resurrection of the Lord Jesus My dead body shall rise therefore they shall not lye long in the dust together with my dead body shall they arise or else thus if wee leave out together and with which are not in the Originall then this is the meaning Thy dead men shall live my dead body shall they arise at the resurrection they shall rise as my very dead body I have consulted with the Hebrew text and I find no more but that I see no reason wee should put in together with seeing it is not found in the first copy Thirdly the nature of the resurrection is expressed to us Awake The Saints doe as it were awake out of their sleep Death is nothing but sleep to the people of God The Prophet here to take away the sharpnesse and bitternesse of death compares it to a bed wherein a man sweetly reposeth himselfe and after he is refreshed riseth out againe so after the Saints have layne a while in their beds in their graves they awake as the Psalmist saith As for mee I will behold thy face in righteousnesse I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likenesse Psal 17. ult that is at the resurrection when I awake then I shall be satisfied with thy likenesse I doe not enjoy so much of thee here as I desire to doe but then when I awake I shall be satisfied with thy likenesse Fourthly here is the great joy set forth that shall be when the Saints doe arise and that is expressed in that they are bid to Awake and sing When the Saints are raised they are to have a song in their mouthes of joy and the glory of God in their hearts awake and sing But it is otherwise with wicked and ungodly ones they must awake and houle they must awake when they had rather sleepe an everlasting sleep and wish it might be a continuall and an ever induring midnight to their poore soules but