in and by which God convey's them Concerning these benefits of Christ consider three things 1. The Difference 2. The Order 3. The Nature and use of them to the Soul I. There is a four-fold difference of them First Election is before time and presupposeth nothing but the first caus of God's good pleasure and will justification reconciliation and the rest in time and presuppose Christ really theirs and issue immediatly from him Secondly in respect of the benefits that follow Christ In which respect Vocation differ's from all the rest for Vocation is not the fruit of Faith as the rest are but of Election seeing whom God elected hee called to know it the rest are fruits of calling to faith as to bee justified adopted c. Thirdly in respect of those which concern us in this life and those that reach to a better The former beeing such as reliev the necessitie of our present condition in which wee are imperfectly conformed to Christ in his estate of humilitie and beset with sin Satan and enemies of this nature are our justification reconciliation adoption and the like which all shall ceas as faith hope and patience shall in respect of the evils they do here conflict withall those that concern the life to com belong to that Image of God renued in us in righteousness and holiness which abide for ever begun here in grace and perfected in glorie Fourthly in respect of the benefit it self which shall abide for ever instead of an earthly paradise with old Adam wee shall enjoy heavenly mansions with Christ in the presence of GOD and there have this image and our mortalitie perfected In all agree that they are the work of the Spirit of Christ setling all his benefits upon the believer II. The Order of them 1. Is Vocation or regeneration as it concerneth the way and mean of begetting to God 2. Is Vnion 3. Is Regeneration 4. Is Justification 5. Is Reconciliation 6. Is Adoption 7. Is Redemption 8. Is Sanctification immediately issuing from it containing the mortifying and quickning work of the Spirit 9. Is Glorification III. The nature and use of them to the Soul 1 Vocation wch is a work of the Spirit issuing from election whereby whom the Lord hath chosen to bee his hee bring 's to know it And that by the voice and call of the outward Word and inward Spirit crying to their souls thus Com out of her my people and return to mee Com out from thy former corrupt estate of sin subjection of Satan curs miserie lewd customs error of the wicked hell and return to that blessedness which thou hast lost Calling is that whole workmanship of God whereby hee pull's the soul from a bad estate to a good bee it longer in working or shorter darker or cleerer easier or harder it 's the drawing of it from darkness to light Act. 26. 18. From whence it 's drawn is an unregenerate estate That whereto is faith between these the whole work of God is Calling It stand's in these two parts 1. The prepareing Work 2. The finishing The former is that by which the Lord findeing the heart uncapable of a promise bring 's it and prepare's it to bee such an one as may see it self capable and under condition of believing such an one as may believ The later is that by which the LORD doth finish the work of faith with power which is the condition of the Gospel without which no man can partake any of the priveledges following For it succeed's the condition of the Law and in stead of Do this saith Believ this and live Note well these Preparation is the condition of faith and faith the condition of the covenant These preparations are partly Legal partly Evangelical When the Spirit of God by both leav's such an impression in a troubled soul under the spirit of bondage it com's by the sight of the Gospel to so much hope as work 's the heart to mourning and brokenness to desire mercie to esteem it and to bee nothing in its own eies in comparison of it together with diligent unweariedness till it have obtained it All which are the preventions and assistance of the spirit of Calling drawing the soul home to God by such steps and degrees as the soul is capable of II. Vnion which is the work of the Spirit of Christ making the Lord and the Soul one spirit and causing the soul to partake by vertue thereof all that power of his both in priveledges and graces which follow For it 's sure the soul can no more receiv ought from God till it bee one with him by Christ then Christ could merit any thing for us till the Deitie and flesh were really united and no more then the bodie and soul can impart or receiv to or fro till they bee one Till wee bee one with God in Christ wee are without him in the world The Lord abhorring all relations that want Union but if once united then hee is in us wee in him hee dwell's in us wee in him as an inhabitant in his hous and the soul in the bodie hee is one with us wee are of him 1 Cor. 1. 30. in him Joh. 17. flesh of his flesh hee is our husband and wee are his spous and therefore hence issueth all virtue vigor and power into us that is meet for our support either earthly or spiritual till our union bee perfected in glorie In this Vnion four things are considered 1 The Necessitie of it 2. The difference of creäted Union from gracious Union with the caus of it 3. How this Union is wrought in the soul 4. The Effects which follow upon it First Vnion with God is necessarie to all that would partake his graces It was in the Creation till the Lord had breathed the spirit of life and himself into him Adam could have no communion with God so it is in this second Creätion No benefit no fruit thereof can com to the soul till this second creätion and union bee But by this as by a channel the rest follow Reconciliation with amitie Adoption with worship and libertie c. The second thing is the difference of Vnions The Union of grace is not like that of creätion neither in the measure nor in the instrument of it Not in measure for in the creätion there was a total and immediate Union in that kinde and it was a perfect one haveing God's image in it without set or impeachment This Union of grace is an imperfect Union for measure in this life beecaus the relicks of corruption and old Adam as dross mixing themselvs with the soul suffer not God and it to knit fully Secondly instruments of Union are unlike That of the Creation needed no other tie or band save the immediate presence of God in his image which had then no sin nor let to divide it That Union which now is encumbred with lets and enemies must needs bee maintained by a band of greater perfection then
God and they Scriptures what enemies have they to darken and dull them their sences understandings and heart what enemies of the wicked have they without them III Husbands Wives to dismay them telling them that they cannot bee assured in this life of their salvation How do enemies affright them with malice threats big-looks disclain and scorn putting them in fear they shall never escape out of their claws In this varietie of affliction what is there to sustain them What is it which teacheth to kiss the rod take up their cross and bear the indignation of the Lord till hee plead their caus and bring forth their light Surely the strength of their Captain and Conqueror the Lord JESUS who hath told them In the world they shall have affliction but bee of good comfort I have overcom the world It 's hee that tell 's them till God's season of their suffering bee com so much so long and that very cross God hath ordeined for them no enemie shall do them hurt And when they do hee will make it tolerable and easie unto them do them good for their sakes that hurt them But above all they are made Conquerors and their chin is kept above water they fight under hope of victorie and say with the Church Micah 7. 8. Rejoice not over mee Oh mine enemie for when I am down I shall rise and when thou art fallen thy wound shall bee incurable Lastly it comfort 's them by faith in the conquest of our Lord Jesus against the power of death and the grave For as it was with their head hee could not bee held in it so with them their flesh rest's in hope of that triumph This conquest make's us happie in all our miserie For why Even by that verie death which is the last enemie and the gate of utter miserie to the wicked the Lord open's a door of full and final redemption to the faithful Their lowest ebb is the next step to the highest tide of their soul's happiness and final freedom from all sin sorrow and enemies Wee shall bee as much out of Gun-shot of them as the Lord Jesus himself was after his Conquest VII Branch Applying of Christ's Merit The Applying work of Christ's merit is that solemn part of his Mediation for the sake whereof hee forsook the earth and was exalted above all principalities and sitteth at the right hand of God his Father that by his intercession alwaies made for his Church hee might applie to all the members the power of this satsfaction that it might work faith in those that want it and confirm it in those that have it Therefore hee is called Advocate that the Church may enjoy the fruit of his death continually And as the ends hereof are many to wit to present the prayers of his people unto God to hold them close to his Father and keep them in his love to cover their dailie offences and continue their justification and acceptance to unite them one to another and to protect them from enemies so especially to bless the Ministerie of the Gospel for the breeding Faith in the souls of the Elect by the preaching of this his Blood and Death So that when wee see the prevailing power of the Word and Sacraments in the weak ministerie of flesh what shall wee asscribe unto it but the power of this applying work of our Advocate who convey's favor of life of brokenness of heart faith and regeneration thereby into the souls of his and in this respect hee is the key of his Fathers bosom and fountain to unlock and set it open beeing sealed before for Judah and Jerusalem to wash in Vse I. As it is singular for all uses to the Church in general and all the lively members thereof in all concernments of it whatsoever as acceptance of their praiers beeing perfumed with the sweet incens thereof protection of their persons safeguard against enemies sustentation of their souls in grace perseverance and the like so especially seeing by the blood of Jesus wee have a liveing way made unto us by his flesh let us draw neer with a pure heart in assurance of faith Oh! it should bee as a wel-spring of salvation for everie drie soul to com unto even in the greatest barrenness deadness and fear of heart that the merit of Christ should not belong unto it Therefore go not to the Word and Sacraments any more with a dead and sad heart as if there were nothing in them save an out-side of man's voice and efficacie to perswade behold Christ in them who by his applying power convey's into them strength savor persuasion and grace that his poor people may not hear his Word as a dead letter or receiv the Seals as dumb elements but as divine ordinances assisted with the Spirit of Christ and therefore able to breed faith in the soul and truly to carrie it into the stream of his satiafaction Deceiv not thy self in the condition of faith and assure thy self the Lord Jesus will give thee both meat and appetite the object of his righteousness and faith to believ it also Vse II. Let us bee exhorted to denie our own strength conceits hopes or fears and and as oft as wee go to the Word remember it is a word of reconciliation Vse III. Let all the faithful Ministers of God comfort themselvs in their weakness and defects of preaching in the little success of their labors of woful hardness of heart in their people The Lord Jesus by his spirit of intercession hold's them as his candle-sticks in his right hand hand and hee will uphold gospel ministerie and the power of both in the mid'st of their enemies and although they bee never so furious yet Mic. 2. 7. his spirit shall not bee streightned but his word shall still bee good to such as walk uprightly ARTIC III. GOD'S imputation of the merits of CHRIST'S righteousness to a sinful Soul is the formal caus of our justification IMputation doth import such an act of GOD the Father satisfied as doth take this righteousness and reckon it to the needing Soul as her own although it bee inherent in another to cast upon it an estate of as full and perfect freedom and acceptance as if it had never sinned or had fully satisfied for look how he dealt with our Suretie hee made him sin for us that is imputed it to him as his so doth hee take his righteousness and count it ours that it might bee really ours indeed This doctine of imputation is expressed by divers phrases in the Scripture By the tearm of not-imputeing sin and imputeing righteousness hee intimate's in how many respects Christ hath holpen us to wit both to forgiveness in the one beeing made sin for us and to acceptation in the other by cloatheing us with his righteousness yet so as by both Active and Passive righteousness jointly not severally considered By imputeing righteousness and imputeing faith for righneousness is mean't one thing Not that faith in
faith with cleaving to it for salvation is a doctrine of presumption But wee answer that as their doctrine of Justification is the true doctrine of presumption of their own works so their doctrine of Faith is a meer idol and fancie Vse II. Instruction to all that have beleeved the promise of Grace once and seem caus to cleav to it nakedly to use the same method in recoverie out of their particular falls Vse III. Admonition to avoid all lets such are these 1. Resting in devout complaints of the want of Faith Good complaints made in season to such as can eas us from the depth of a broken heart are good friends to faith but counterfeit complaints are the greatest lets thereof Therefore instead of complaints do as Ester did shee complained of her weakness but rested not in that but went to the King saying If I perish I perish and so found the golden scepter held out to her 2. Sloath and eas dallying is dangerous It is the Divel's may-game to see men shipwrack't in the haven Our nature is to seek grace most when it is most out of season But that is God's season to denie 3. Worldliness Overmuch filling our hands with the delights of this earth as lawful liberties pleasures wealth credit farmes oxen wife posteritie These are the seaeatings of the banks down and destroying all It is as if a man a drowing should hold his gold so fast that hee cannot take hold of a pole to save his life or as if ones hand could not receiv a pearl being full of nut-shels 4. A root of bitternes Go not to the doctrine of Reconciliation with a surfeit of any privie lust which thou wouldest not gladly know and forego for the promise for this will so defile thee that whatsoever cometh in the way thereof will bee defiled Nothing mar's God's bargain so much at the presage that it will cut off our lusts This bitter Root is discovered two waies First it is naturallest of all vices Secondly the oft return of the same sin after the seeming departure of it 5. Carnal reason or els rooted cavils ariseing from an unbelieving heart disputeing against the promise 6. Vnwillingness to submit to God's way of believing Men look God should wait upon us and fill us with goodness while wee are idle But learn to know God's way and yeeld humbly to it in the use of means and bee not your own carvers Submit with an innocent heart to bee led as the Lord will have thee coveting the best measure but resting in God's measure Peter was readie at Christ's command to let down his net against his own experience The Lord deal's out to the poor soul as once a wise friend deal't with an acquaintance of his hee sent her three tokens a brass farthing a mill-sixpence and a piece of gold bidding the messenger first to give her the farthing if shee took it thankfully then the other Vse IV. Exhortation 1. To self-deniall and renouncing all other waies of cleaving to a deliverance save this of faith counting them all even self and self-love as dung and dross unto it No relique in our nature can comprehend a way of recoverie it must bee onely naked faith given for the nonce to embrace the Lord Jesus by a promise Wee have no preparation of our selvs neither preventing nor assisting nor perfecting Wee cannot co-operate with any grace of God and although wee could yet the common grace of the spirit is not able to reach the work of conversion It com's infinitely short of it There must bee a special spirit infused to apprehend it not onely by supernatural but by spiritual and peculiar grace Grace exclude's all els viz. 1. Common gifts 2. Natural or artificial endowments of learning wit reading memorie judgment strength of parts c. 3. Education and moral virtues 4. Religious performances 5. No self in any kinde 6. Priviledges Onely the Lord Jesus in the merit of his satisfacton of his offer and promise assisted by his Advocateship for the breeding of faith can bring this work to pass Christ by his spirit take's upon him the effecting and perfecting of this work as well as the meriting of it by his death Oh! that this could caus to rest in God offering Christ meriting the Spirit persuadeing by a promise which hath all the fulness of God in it Let us cast our bread upon the waters and forsake our own abilities believing that God can creäte in us of nothing or wors then nothing the grace of faith the priviledg of sonship and adoption that all our happiness may stand in believing as the sea is made all of water 2. To receiv this Offer to esteem and embrace Christ as this all-sufficient store-hous of mercie in grace Remember the issue of Christ's inquirie will bee for faith Luk. 18. 8. Those that have it the Lord will bee admired in them that day 2 These 1. 7. And wo bee to them that want it Better to bee a drunkard a thief though verie damnable then to want faith to give God the lie and to sin against the remedie 3. To bee earnest with God never to lin persuadeing the soul by the promise and the good things of Christ till his persuasion becom forcible and unresistable by an holie necessitie with us There is no power in thy soul to fasten upon this promise except God draw it and make the persuasive of it irresistably and by over-powering it Beseech the Lord not to bee offended with thy long dalliances half-persuasions as not to strive with thee any longer but to draw thee still with uncontrouled power makeing a way in thy spirit and as Jeremie speak's Jer-31 31. causing thee by an inward motive to bee unable to resist When thou findest this work then faith must follow for it is the work which the compelling spirt leav's behinde it causing it in the mid'st of all her contrarieties of dissuasion yet upon due consultation to obey and yeeld I see here I perish but there I may bee happie I will venture therefore if I perish I perish Now for the better drawing of us to so difficult and main a dutie let mee use one motive which I am persuaded will prevail with the most if God vouchsafe to bee with it to set it home that is That our free naked cleaving to a promise will carrie down all thy distempers at once and drown them in as in a sea For whereas thou fearest perhaps thou shalt die or ever thou believ the promise will tell thee if the Lord may bee trusted for the grace it self much more may hee bee so for a time a thousand yeers with him being as one day Thou alleadgest there is nothing at all wrought in thee towards believing But why then darest thou not turn thy back upon God and return to follie Becaus thou hast not what thou wouldst all is nothing unto thee But from what save from free mercie is this that I say not thou
translate us from this our poor walking with him to bee with him and to bee rid of all our clogs which hinder us from so doing and go from this our doing God's will as it is in heaven to do it in Heaven Give GOD the prais FINIS A TABLE Containing the Method and Principal Heads of the whole book Part I. Article I. pag. 1. II. pag. 7. III. pag. 12. IV. pag. 18. V. pag. 20. VI. pag. 22. VII pag. 58. II. Article I. pag. 64. II. pag. 72. III. pag. 107. IV. pag. 113. V. pag. 129. VI. pag. 172. VII pag. 185. III. Article I. pag 216. II. pag. 224. III. pag. 242. IV. pag. 253. V. pag. 272. VI. pag. 291. VII pag. 302 PART I. Artic. I. In Adam mankinde was creäted in perfection of light and holiness pag. 1. According to God's image pag. 1. 1. For matter p. 1. 2. For manner p. 2. 3. In respect of endowments p. 2. 4. In his bodie p. 2. This image of God is more distinctly considered in three things I. In the bodie 1. In the Production of it p. 2. 2. In the Frame of it beeing made p. 3. II. In the soul 1. In the nature of it p. 3 2. In the functions p. 3. III. In the whole person 1. In his reverend and awfull behavior p. 4. 2. In his honorable entertainment p. 4. Uses pag. 4. c. Artic. II. Adam fell from his Integritie by wilful transgression p. 7. This sin is set forth by two things 1. By the description of the holie Ghost p. 7. 2. By the parcels of the sin p. 8. In the fall consider the causes 1. Remote 1 Changeableness of their will 2. Unarmedness 3. Aptness of the temptation p. 9. 2. More neer and proper 1. Inward tickling of their affection p. 9. 2. Snareing p. 9. Secret assent to the tentation p. 10. Corruptions of heart flowing from this fall are of two sorts Special 1. Pride 2. Securitie 3. Vanitie 4. Sensualitie 5. Discontent 6. Sacriledg 7. Crueltie and injustice c. p. 10. General 1. Distrust of God p. 10. 2. Rebellion against God 3. Unthankfulness 4. Apostasie p. 10. Uses pag. 10. c. Artic. III. Adam's sin made him miserable pag. 12. This miserie hath two branches Miserie of sin Original p. 13. Actual p. 14. Miserie of punishment Of Soul Of Bolie p. 15. Vses pag. 16. c. Artic. IV. The whole race of mankinde is guiltie of Adam's sin p. 16. Vse pag. 19. c. Artic. V. There is no possibilitie for man of himof himself to escape this miserie p. 20. Vses pag. 20 c. Artic. VI. The convinceing Ministerie of the Moral law reveal's our miserie p. 22. c. The works of the Law are of two sorts 1. To the godlie it is a pattern and direction of righteousness p. 22. 2. In the Wicked it work 's two things 1. Knowledg 2. Conviction p. 22. The Law discover's sin 1. By dispelling ignorance p. 23. 2. By remooving the barrs against it viz. 1. Prejudice 2. Custom in darkness p. 23. 3. Hardness of heart p. 23. 4. Dulness 5. Slightness 6. Self-love p. 24. 7. Errors ibid. The Law enlighten's to discern actual sins both 1. In themselvs sundrie waies by her 1. Autoritie p. 24. 2. Harmonie p. 24. 3. Royaltie p. 25. 4. Intâ—gritie ibid. 5. Extent p. 27. II. In the penalties p. 28. The Lord discover's original sin to the soul 1. By the Special tearms of his Word 2. By Comparison 3. By the properties of Original sin 1. It is eminently sinful p. 29. 2. Predominantly ibid. 3. Perpetually p. 30. 4. It is an over-flowing sin p. 30. 5. It is an enslaveing sin ibid. 6. Unlimited p. 30. Vses pag. 30. c. Conviction is twofold 1. Of the judgment which the Law effect's by remooving three Letts 2. Of the whole soul called Terror and Bondage p. 37. 1. Deadness of spirit p. 33. 2. Loos incogitancie and carelesness ibid. 3. Subtiltie and slieness ibid. This Legal Terror is explained by the the consideration of three things 1. The difference p. 30. 2 The nature effects and end of it ibid. 3. The extremities and abuses of it which are two 1. Legal presumption p. 45. 2. Final despair p. 46. Vses pag. 53. c. Artic. VII The LORD leav's not the souls of his Children in this miserie but uphold's them by the hope of the Gospel p. 58. Reasons of the point p. 59. c. PART II. Artic. I. That there is a deliverance ordained and granted to miserable man out of this thraldom Note 1. There is a Deliverance p. 65. 2. Appointed by the Lord. p. ibid. Uses pag. 67. c. Artic II. The onely instrument of working out this deliverance is the Lord Jesus p. 72. The whole work of his Mediation may bee referred to two heads 1. The Qualification of his Person p. 73. 2. The Actual performance of the satisfaction it self p. 74. The Qualification of his person hath two parts 1. Union p. 73. and Unction p. 74. The Performance it self stand's of two parts 1. Meriting this price for all the Flect p. 74. 2. Applying it to them p. 75. These are called wâ—â—l-springs of salvation becaus they are so many grounds of justifying faith whereof there are seven heads I. InCarnation p. 78. II. Divinitie of Christ p. 80. III. The personal Union p. 82. Hence the Unction of 1. Priesthoad p. 84. 2. Prophecie p. 86. 3. Kingdom p. 87. IV. Actual Obedience p. 91. V. Passive Obedience p. 91. VI. Conquesi of Christ p. 100. VII Applying of Christ's merit p. 104. Artic. III GOD'S imputation of the merits of CHRIST'S righteousness to a sinful soul is the formal caus of our justification Expressed by divers phrases p. 108. Vses pag. 109. c. Artic. IV The Gospel and the offer of Grace in it is the Revealer of this deliverance The special properties of this offer are three p. 120. 1. Libertie 2. Simplicitie 3. Fidelitie Uses pag. 121. c. Artic. V. The Lord offer 's Christ to the soul furnish't with all his benefits Concerning these benefits of Christ consider three things I. The Difference p. 140. II. The Order p. 131. III. The Nature and Use of them p. 131. 1. Vocation p. 132. 2. Union p. 134. 3. Regeneration p. 138. 4. Justification p. 145. 5. Reconciliatian p. 148. 6. Adoption p. 153. 7. Redemption p. 160. 8. Sanctificatiin p. 167. 9. Glorification p. 167. Artic. VI. The Church of GOD is the true and onely Object of all the former good things Two things here considerable I. The subject of it the Church it self distinguished into 1. Visible p. 172. 2. Invisible p. 173. 3. Militant p. ibid. 4. Triumphant ibid. 5. Malignant p. 174. II. The Adjunct of the Church the Communion of Saints in which consider 1. Qualification p. 176. 2. Due exercise of Communion p. 180. The Spirit of Communion may bee discovered in two particulars 1. In Preserving Communion and this it doth 1. By Separation of fals