Godward Therefore hee cannot choose but bring forth the good fruit to man-ward of Sanctification This is largely taught in the whole fifth and sixth chapters of the Epistle to the Romanes where it is shewed that free justification as the cause and sanctification as the effect doe alwayes follow unseparably one the other Hence it is that S. Iames 2. 14. doth so sharply taunt carnall professors of free justification saying What doth it profit my brethren for a man to say hee hath faith and hath not works Can that faith save him No But shew me thy faith by thy works And here mark how he saith not shew God thy faith by thy works nor shew thy selfe thy faith by thy works but shew me that am thy Christian Minister that have the charge of thy soule and have the keyes given me of the Kingdom of heaven to binde thee and loose thee Matth. 16. 19. shew him thy faith by thy works or thy Christian neighbours that dwell round about thee and deale with thee shew them thy faith namely that it is true and sound by thy works that is by thy sanctified words and deeds that flow from love and a godly conversation For know O thou vaine man that faith without such works is dead Seest thou not that by the example of Abraham and Rahab that faith was effectuall operative and powerfull by works and by their works was their faith made perfect that is declared to bee sound and true But as the body without the spirit is dead so faith also without sanctified words and deeds flowing from true love is dead verse 26. This even Christ himselfe teacheth also Mat. 5. 16. saying Let your light namely of free Justification so shine before men how shine by sanctification that they may see the beames of your good works and glorifie your father which is in heaven Thus a Christian as Saint Iames speaks is made perfect and entire lacking nothing why because he is pure as the Sunne to Godward by free Justification faire as the Moone to Manward by sanctification and terrible as an army with banners by zeale of Gods glory Cant. 6. 9. This is the established doctrine of our Church this is true Protestancy this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to goe with a right foot to the truth of the Gospel Gal. 2. 14. If any man can shew me a better way I will endeavour to run with him in it But if this be the old way that we bee commanded of God Ier. 6. 16. to ask after that old Abraham and all the ancient saved fathers walked in mentioned Heb. 11. And not only the old way but also the good way which only bringeth rest and peace unto our soules For being justified by faith wee have peace with God Rom. 5. 1. Then let us embrace one another in the truth of this way Let no man be so wilfull and obstinate to his owne damnation as to say with the stubborne lost Jewes Wee will not walk in it Ier. 6. 16. FINIS Abrahams Stepps of Faith The two maine saving points of Religion the deep consideration by Gods holy spirit and thorough marking whereof causeth our true conversion peace of conscience and assurance of free salvation by Iesus Christ Being the expresse word of God and the established Doctrine of our Church at the restoring of the pure Gospel of Christ into this land enjoyned to the Ministers of England by the godly authority and publick consent of Parliamēt to be taught to the people for suppression of Errours and Popery for the quieting of consciences in the matters of religion for the beating down of sin and all vitiousness of life out of the Land consisting of these two main points mentioned Iohn 17. 3. This is eternall life to know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent FIrst that the filthinesse of sinne is such to Gods infinite pure and righteous nature that God cannot but detest curse and abhor the creature that hath any sin in his sight as these and such like Scriptures teach Esay 59. 2. Deut. 27. 26. 2 Pet. 2. 4. Rom. 5. 12. Deut. 28. 15. to 20. Because sin being spirituall high Treason against the highest Majesty 1 Sam. 15. 23. and the Image of the Devill doth make the creature spiritually foule filthy loathsome and abominable in Gods sight though no curse and punishment should follow upon the same as these and such like Scriptures teach Iob 15. 15 16. Hab. 1. 13. Mark 7. 20. to 25. Yea and makes the best good works of the most sanctified children of God to be sin and all their righteousnesse of sanctification to be as soule filthy menstruous rags as these and such like Scriptures teach Rom. 7. 18. Esay 64. 6. Rom. 4. 5. Gal. 3. 22. And we must look so deepely into the truth of this first point that wee bee throughly affected with the same as the Prophet Esay was chap. 6. 5. the neglect whereof is the main cause that the huge multitude yea of many zealous workers doe perish in the dead Faith Because they know not God that is his righteousnesse that is his holy and righteous nature where in we were most blinded by the fall of Adam Esay 46. 12. 13. this is the first point The second point is that by the power of Gods imputation we are so clothed with the wedding-garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse that all our sinnes being done away and abolished out of Gods sight we and all our works are freely made of unjust just before God that is perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely by faith only without works as these and such like Scriptures doe teach Dan. 9. 24. Esay 45. 24 25. Esay 53. 11. Rom. 5. 16 17 18. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Rom. 5. 19. Rom. 3. 23 24 28. Tit. 1. 15. Hereby we may see that the parts of free Justification are two First that by the blood and wedding-garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse all our sins are done away abolished not out of us 1 Iohn 1. 8. that we may live by faith Gal. 2. 20. but from before God or out of Gods sight 1 Col. 2. 22. and we and all our works are made pure and cleane from all sin freely in the sight of God as these and such like Scriptures teach Esay 44. 22. Iohn 1. 29. Esay 43. 25. 1 Iohn 1. 7. Revel 1. 5 6. Heb. 9. 26. Act. 10. 15. Act. 15. 8 9. Heb. 1. 3. and 9. 13 14. Col. 1. 22. And this was the Prophet Esay's remedy against the filthinesse of his sin in Gods sight chap. 6. 6 7. Secondly that the same wedding-garmēt of Christs perfect righteousnesse doth also make us and all our works of unjust just before God that is perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely without our perfect workings as these and such like Scriptures teach Esay 61. 10. Rom. 3. 21 22. Eph. 5.
sepulchre with their tongues they have used deceit the poyson of Asps is under their lips whose mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse their feet are swift by anger and malice to shed blood destruction and misery are in their wayes and the way of peace they have not knowne there is no feare of God before their eyes And whereas the naturall man in the dead faith will by his civill honest and supposed sanctified life put all this away from himselfe to such as are profane and grosly wicked saying that this is spoken of them that are meerly and wholly in the estate of nature and that so peradventure he might have been such a one but now thanks be unto God he is not such a one yet the true sanctified children of God that are truly enlightned to see the spirituall meaning of the Law doe grant and truly feele that by their daily and continuall spirituall breaches of the Law they are truly such indeed as Paul here describeth so shut up under sin both they and all their best sanctified good works Gal. 3. 22. that there is not one that doth good no not one Whereby they feele that every mouth even of the most sanctified is stopped and all the world is found subject to the judgement of God A cleare example of the truth hereof is Paul himselfe who although he was one of the most sanctified amongst men yet he cried out saying The Law is spirituall but I am carnall sold under sinne for to will is present with me but I finde no meanes how to performe that which is good Rom. 7. 18. And thus feeling in himselfe with the Prophet Esay that all his righteousnesse of sanctification was as foule menstrous filthy rags Esay 64. 6. because in all his good works he brake the tenth Commandement and so as much as lay in him did destroy himselfe in all his good works Hosea 13. 9. Even death it selfe being in the pot of his most sanctified good works and best actions therefore hee cried out O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 7. 24. This is to bee slaine by the Law this is to understand the Law rightly especially the tenth Commandement And this is the first means to come out of this dead faith and to call others out of the same being throughly marked and deeply considered 2 The second meanes to come out of this dead faith and to call others out of the same is truly to understand and open unto others the excellency of free justification That as the spirit hath convinced us and all our best works of sinne by the looking-glasse of the Law so the spirit may also convince us of free given righteousnesse Joh. 16. 8 9 10. namely that wee and all our works are of unjust made just that is perfestly holy and righteous from all spot of sin in the sight of God freely by faith only without works And mark how I say not simply free justification but the excellency of free Justification must be diligently looked into and deeply considered in foure principall respects 1 First in the most excellent and glorious causes of it being the glorious work of the whole Godhead wherein God the Father in giving his sonne and God the sonne in pouring forth his blood and life and God the holy Ghost in applying it to us and in cloathing though mystically yet truly our souls and bodies with this wedding garment and in creating the new eyes of faith to see these spirituall riches doe all work severally and wonderfully to effect the same upon us and that also freely onely by free grace that is God respectign no goodnesse or worthinesse in us to deserve the same but rather that we feele our wretched misery nor respecting no evils or unworthinesse in us to hinder the free taking of his rich grace That it might be to the praise of the glory of his free grace wherewith hee hath made us freely accepted in his beloved one Eph. 1. 6. And for this cause doth God bestow this benefit upon us that is upon the young children of Christian parents usually and ordinarily in our baptisme even when wee were little Infants God pitying our misery when we could not pitty our selves and washed us from the spirituall blood of our originall sinne Ezek. 16. 6 9. with the washing of the new birth and renewing of the holy Ghost that we being iustified by his grace should be made heires of eternall life Tit. 3. 5 6 7. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having made us pure and clean by the washing of water through the word That hee might even when wee were little senselesse Infants and thereby as good as double dead to all sense and feeling in trespasses and sinnes and by nature the children of wrath make us to himselfe a glorious Church not having now at this present time as the Greeke and Latine participles signifie one spot or wrinkle of sinne or any such thing but are holy and without blame Ephes 5. 26 27. Because wee are made thus perfectly pure and clean before God not onely from that one offense of our originall sinne but also from all the many actuall sinnes of our whole life even in our baptisme even when we are Infants that is utterly helplesse in our selves that all this blessednesse may be the more freely upon us And that as Saint Paul saith Although the iudgment was by one offense unto condemnation yet the gift is not so but the free gift is of many offenses to iustification Rom. 5. 16. So that if by one mans offense death reigned by one much more they that receive that abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousnesse shall reigne in life by one that is Iesus Christ vers 17. And thus wee see that as there is no difference of young or old but all have sinned and are deprived and come short of the glory of God so all that receive this free gift of righteousnesse are justified freely by Gods grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ Rom. 3. 23 24. And thus much of the excellent causes of free justification briefly touched 2. Secondly wee must consider deeply the excellent nature it self of free iustification in that it is the head and chiefest benefit of the Gospel whereby by the power of Gods imputation we are so clothed with the wedding garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse that of uniust we are made iust before God that is so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God freely by faith alone without works That as St. Paul speaketh wee are made the righteousnesse of God in him that is in this faith in him The excellency of which benefit was so rightly marked and so diligently considered by Chrysostome that he thereupon breaketh out into these words of ioy and admiration of the same saying Qualis sermo what a saying is this what heart or understanding can
prescribeth how wee Ministers may our selves come out of this most dangerous DEAD FAITH and call others out of the same into the true lively and justifying Faith Try all things and keepe that which is good 1 Thessalon 5. 21. And accept Christianly in good part the good will of him that is glad Christian READER if hee may speake or write a word that may edifie thee in thy most holy Faith Iud. 20. Vse it in the feare of GOD. And thus I leave thee to the Word of his Grace which is able to build further Thine in all Christian affection JOHN EATON THE DISCOVERY Of the Most Dangerous Dead Faith AMongst divers and sundry causes of peoples being offended at and of cavilling against the expresse Word of God and the Protestants description of the Wedding garment of Christs perfect righteousnesse by which the justified person is made so truely and so perfectly holy and righteous from all spot of sinne in the sight of God that God doth and by his actuall power can see no sin in his justified children freely by faith onely without workes Revel 3. 18. The chiefest cause of all their cavills containing in a manner all the rest is the Dead faith it being not able to understand the mysteries of Christ as Saint Paul testifieth to the carnall Corinthians saying the naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. For the removall of which Dead Faith four main things are here especially to be considered First we must mark how far the Dead Faith will goe in the profession of the Gospel and how like it is to the true lively justifying and saving faith being as like the true faith both in it selfe and in resembling all the actions of the true faith as the Image in the Looking-glasse is like and doth imitate the party that looketh into the same because the Dead Faith consisteth of these three parts First such as are in this Dead Faith may have great knowledge of the whole word and will of God and may joyne therewith the reading of all the Doctors and Expositors in the Church and also may be zealous Preachers of the same as Saint Paul declares Rom. 2. 17. saying Behold thou art called a Iew that is one of Gods chosen above all the Nations of the earth and restest in the Law that is in the Word and Doctrine delivered from heaven and gloriest in God And knowest his will and approvest the thing that are excellent being instructed in the Law or Word verse 18. And art confident that thou art a guid of the blind a light of them that are in darknesse verse 19. An instructer of the foolish a teacher of the ignorant having the whole forme of knowledge and of the truth of the Law c. Againe the Law shall not perish from the Priest nor counsell from the wise nor the word from the Prophet Come let us smite Ieremiah with the tongue Jer. 18. 18. For wee have the adoption and the glory and the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the service of God and the promises Rom. 9. 4. and such like Scriptures shewing great knowledge in this Dead Faith Secondly such may have a kinde of strong faith in all Gods graces through Christ and thinke that they beleeve them as well and as truely as any other as these and such like Scriptures teach Thou sayest I am rich and encreased with goods and have need of nothing but thou knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poore and blinde and naked Revel 3. 17. Againe When many beleeved Philip which preached the things that concerned the Kingdome of God and the Name of Iesus then Simon Magus himselfe also beleeved and was baptized and continued with Philip and wondered when he saw the signes and great wonders which were done Acts 8. 12 13. Againe the Apostle saith I would not have you ignorant Brethren that all our fathers were baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea and did all eat the same spirituall meat and did all drinke the same spirituall drinke for they dranke of that spirituall Rocke that followed them and that Rocke was Christ But with many of them God was not well pleased for they were destroyed in the Wildernesse and perished 1 Cor. 10. 2. to 11. Thus we see that many bad guests doe sit downe at the feast of the Gospel seeming in their own opinion to abound in faith and knowledge to whom nothing is wanting but only the not-having on the wedding garment Mat. 22. 12. Thus much of their seeming strong faith Thirdly and lastly such as are in this Dead Faith may have a kinde of great humiliation and earnest repentance As Ahab though hee was a King rent his cloaths in great repentance and put on sackcloth upon his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and walked so mournfully that the Lord the searcher of hearts said Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me mark before me the Lord and not before the world onely and yet was Ahab one in this Dead Faith And againe as David in the true faith repenting said I have greatly sinned in that I have done and have done very foolishly So did Saul in the Dead faith say I have sinned and have done foolishly and have erred exceedingly Thou art more righteous than I for thou hast rendred me good and I have rendred thee evill and hee lift up his voice and wept 1 Sam 24. 16 17. 26. 21. Neither onely may such have this great humiliation and earnest repentance but also they may have a great zeale of Gods glory and an earnest endevour of holy and righteous walking in all Gods Commandements as it is plainly declared Esa 58. 2 3. saying Yet they seeke me daily and delight to know my wayes as a Nation that did righteousnesse and forsook not the ordinances of their God They aske of me the ordinances of justice They take delight to draw near unto God by prayer and fasting and punishing and afflicting of themselves And this they may doe not onely not dissemblingly and for vain glory and praise of men as many grosse Hypocrites and Pharisees did mentioned Matth. 6. but as other Pharisees did of a good intent so zealously ayming at Gods glory in resisting their corruptions and sins and so fervently following righteousnesse according to the Law of God Rom. 9. 31. to the intent to be a holy people unto God by their workes and well-doings that concerning prayer and fasting and all good works and righteousness of the Law they may be unblameable as Paul testifieth of himself and many other Jewes before their conversion to the Gospel saying I beare them record that they have the zeale of God Rom. 10. 2. Instantly serving God day and night Act. 26. 7. So eagerly following the Law of righteousnesse as it were by the works