of my future condition that assurance reflexive of which this is one ingredient cannot be a divine Faith but at the most an humane yet such as perhaps I may have no doubting mixed with nor reason that I should so doubt For at the conclusion of life having finisht his course and persevered Saint Paul could say without doubting henceforth there is laid up for me a crowne of righteousnesse Which if another man be not able to say with that assurance 't will not presently be want of Faith in him as long as this want of assurance proceeds not from any distrust of the truth of Gods promises but onely from an humble conceit of his owne repentance that 't is not such as God requires of him And if that place 2 Cor. 13. 5. Know ye not that Christ Jesus is in you except you be reprobates be objected to prove that all are Reprobates that know not that Christ is in them the answer will be satisfactory that the words rendred in you signifie very frequently in the Scripture and peculiarly in a place parallell to this Exod. 17. 7. among you or in your congregation And so the sence will be best dissolved into a question and answer know you not by the miracles preaching the demonstration of the spirit and of power that Christ Jesus is among you by way of interrogation for so 't is in the Greeke and the meaning appeares by the context to be Know ye not discerne you not your selves that the power of the Gospell is come among you by my Apostleship and then by way of answer Except you be reprobates you are obdurate insensate creatures undoubtedly unlesse you doe S. You have shewed me the difference betwixt Generall and Particular Faith and I shall not follow that matter any farther but I pray helpe me in one difficulty We are said in Scripture to be justified by faith and we heare much talke of a justifying faith I pray tell me what Faith this is to which Justification is attributed C. First let me tell you that Faith in whatever acception is no proper efficient cause of justification for such is onely God through the satisfaction of Christ accepting our persons and our weake performances and not imputing our sinnes in which act nothing in us can possibly have any so much as inferiour instrumentall efficiency the most that can be said is that 't is a condition without which God that justifies the penitent beleiver will never justifie the impenitent infidell and therefore 't is observable that 't is no where said in Scripture that Faith justifies but that we are justified by Faith which particle by is a peculiar note of a condition not a cause S. But then what Faith is this which is the condition of our justification C. That Faith which we shewed you was Abrahams Faith or infewer words the receiving the whole Christ in all his offices as my King my Preist my Prophet whereby I beleeve the Commands as well as the Promises of the Gospell or take the Promises as they are i. e. as conditionall Promises And this a cordiall practicall beleife a firme resolution of uniforme obedience and Discipleship faith made perfect by workes Ja. 2. 22. Intimating that without the addition of such workes such obedience Evangelicall it would be imperfect unsufficient to this end that is to our Justification The same is called in a parallell phrase faith consummate by love Gal. 5. 6. which indeed we render working by love but the Greeke and Syriack signifies consummate by love that is by acts of Christian Charity and therefore in two parallell places is thus varied in one we reade instead of it the new Creature Gal. 6. 15. in another the keeping the Commandements of God 1 Cor. 7. 19. S. But how then is it so often said that we are not justified by workes Gal. 1. 16. and Rom. 3. 28. that we are justified by faith without the deeds of the law C. I have in effect already told you and shall in a word again tell you The word workes and deeds of the law in those places signifies perfect legall obedience or circumcision and the like Judaicall out-dated Ceremonies and Faith the Evangelicall Grace of giving up the whole heart to Christ without any such perfect obedience or Judaicall observances and so 't is truly said we are justified by Faith without them i. e. without such workes such perfect obedience yet not excluding but including that Evangelicall obedience for without that Faith is dead saith Saint James 2. 17. and then sure not able to justifie any And therefore you may observe in that Apostles discourse Ja. 2. he affirmes that Abraham was justified by workes v. 21. and makes that a parallell phrase to that of the Old Testament Abraham beleived God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse v. 23. where as justification and imputed to him for righteousnesse are phrases of the same importance so are workes and beleiving also S. The reason of it I conceive is because Faith alwaies brings forth good workes or if it doe not it is no true Faith C. I am not altogether of your opinion for I conceive it very possible for me to beleive and yet not to live accordingly The truth is that is not a justifying Faith or such as even now I defined and so no truefaith in that sence but yet it may be a true Faith for so much as it is I may truly without all doubting beleive the promise of mercy and salvation to the true penitent and none else which beleife is very fit and proper to set me a reforming and amending and yet 't is possible for temptations of carnall objects to perswade me to deferre this duty nay never to thinke fit to set my selfe to the performance of it the present pleasures of sinne may outweigh in my debauched choice those future spirituall joyes nay I may see and like them and yet for the present embrace the contrary the will of man being a middle free faculty not absolutely obliged to doe or choose what the understanding judgeth most honest i. e. what Reason and Faith and the Spirit of God commandeth to be done The truth is if this faith get once to be radicated in the heart to rule and reigne there if the will chooseth what Faith recommendeth then it bringeth forth all manner of good workes and so then 't is the consummation of Faith by Charity and Good workes that God accepteth in Christ to justification and not the bare aptnesse of faith to bring forth workes if those workes by the fault of a rebellious infidell will be not brought forth S. But is there no one peculiar act of Faith to which justification is particularly imputable C. That to which justification is promised is certainly the giving up of the whole soule intirely unto Christ accepting his promises on his conditions undertaking Discipleship upon Christs termes But yet 't is possible that some one
act of faith may be more excellent and acceptable in the sight of God then others as that humble act of the faithfull servant that when he hath done all acknowledges himselfe unprofitable and so excludes all glorying which the Apostle makes very necessary to justification Rom. 4. expects all good from Gods free mercy in Christ with-without any reflection on any of his owne performances or againe that of full trust affiance reliance rolling ones selfe on God depending on his all-sufficiency in the midst of all difficulties on the fidelity of him that hath promised when all worldly probabilities are to the contrary but then this must be accompanied with other acts of faith when occasion is offered for them and with use of the meanes prescribed by Christ or else reliance may prove presumption after all And however it is we must adde to our faith virtue c. or else our faith may still be dead livelesse being alone that is unable to stand us in any stead to the desired end S. I could heare you and propose scruples to you for ever on this argument but I desire to carry away onely so much of this subject of faith as may tend to the encrease of all virtue in me and I am sensible how long I have detained you on this theme and therefore I shall importune you no farther about it but yet onely vary not end your trouble and advance to the next Theologicall Grace that of Hope and desire your directions in that particular C. This Grace is subject to some mistaking and therefore I shall desire you to marke carefully what I conceive of it S. What is Hope C. It is a patient comfortable expectation of the performance of Gods promises belonging to this life or a better S. What is the ground of Hope C. Some sure word of promise assented unto by faith S. What is the object of Hope C. It is made up of two things 1. The thing promised 2. The Cause or Author of it 1. The thing promised or the performance of that promise Such is the Resurrection of the dead which nature cannot helpe us to see any thing into but being beleived by faith becomes the object of Hope And 't is observable that seven times in the Acts of the Apostles the word Hope referres to this one object the Resurrection or future state or life in another world which indeed is the supreme object of the Christians Hope and all other things but in an inferiour degree and as they referre to that and in order to that great treasure of our rejoycing Though the truth is as there be promises of this life as well as of another as that God will give us all things necessary for us and the like So is there a Secular Hope or an Hope of this life and an object of that Hope S. What is that Secular Hope C. A reliance on God that he will send me whatsoever is good for me S. What is the object of that Hope C. Good successes good things S. Am I bound to hope that all things that are good for me shall befall me C. I must answer you with some caution First Those promises are conditionall All things shall tend to good to them that love God If we be lovers of God then that promise belongs to us not else And consequently then we are to hope it not else Ye that feare the Lord hope in the Lord saith the Psalmist S. But is every true servant of God bound to hope that God will give him all secular good things as wealth peace honour and the like C. There is another condition required in him first before that promise belongs to him and consequently before he is bound to that hope S. What is that C. To pray for them for the having and finding is promised to none but to them which aske and seeke yea and to use the meanes ordinary and lawfull which are in order to that end as labour and the like among which mercifulnesse and liberality is one to which the promise of secular wealth is most frequently made and the contrary threatned with want S. Well then must the servant of God having prayed and used those meanes hope and be assured that that which he thus prayes for shall be granted him C. Yes either formally or by way of aequivalence either that or something that is better or againe either now or when God fees fitter for him for this must be allowed God to be able to choose for us better then we can for our selves both for the thing it selfe and the time of conferring it For many times that which we aske would if it should be granted be worst for us and perhaps tend to our destruction and then God by denying the particular matter of our prayers doth grant the generall matter of them which alwaies is that which is best for us Sometimes againe he deferres to grant that we may reinforce our impression pray more ardently and for us to be so exercised in prayer and hope is best for us also S. Are we bound then thus to expect and hope in every thing that we pray for C. Yes we are and the want of that is the sinne of wavering or doubting noted by Christ and his Apostles S. Well but you toldme there was another part of the object of Hope besides the thing promised which you called the cause or author of it What is that C. The person that is to make good this promise to me which is God himselfe And therefore we are so often exhorted to hope in the Lord c. For as in the other affections we are not onely angry at the injury or the provoking thing done to us but at him that did it and we doe not onely feare paine and punishment but him also that can inflict it on us so we doe not onely hope for Heaven or for any other good thing but for God as the fountaine of our blisse and through whose mercy it is that it befals us This is called hope in him or as it should rather be rendred Hope on him 1 Joh. 3. 3. And this is a speciall act of Christian hope to be thus unbottom'd of our selves and fastned upon God with a full relyance and trust and dependance on his mercy S. I thanke you for this direction Give mee leave to proceed What be the seasons and opportanities of this Hope C. 1. Time of tribulation Rom. 5. 4. Tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience Hope and Hope maketh not ashamed Where the word which we render experience signifies being approved upon a triall and the sence runnes thus Tribulation is a season and a meanes to worke patience and that patience to produce approbation as of one that is tried in the fire and hath past the test And this a meanes to worke an Hope or expectation of reward and that Hope will keepe from being ashamed of those sufferings and make us rather
doe if he saith he will and illuminated reason having revelation of this will of God's must and doth beleive they shall be done or else makes God a lyar S. What then is it to deny my reason C. Whensoever my reason objects any thing to what God affirmes to resolve that God shall be true in despight of all my apparances and objections to the contrary S. Is there any thing then else in the soule which I am to deny C. Something there is which men are apt to over-value and something there is thought to be which is not and both those equally renounce S. What doe you meane by that something which is over-valued C. Naturall strength which is now so weakened that it is not at all able to bring us to our journies end without some addition of speciall grace of God to prevent assist in that worke therefore all strength in my selfe i. e. all sufficiency in my selfe as of my selfe I must renounce apply my selfe humbly in prayer for and trust and dependance on that speciall grace of Christ to helpe me both to will and doe whatsoever is good and that is to deny my selfe that is all opinion of my owne abilities toward the attaining any supernaturall end S. What is that other sort of things which you say is thought to be but is not C. Any righteousnesse of my owne for as for perfect unsinning righteousnesse he that should pretend to that deceives himselfe and the truth is not in him saith the Apostle and for imperfect righteousnesse such as by the helpe of grace this life is capable of though that be a condition without which no man shall see God be either justified or saved yet must not that be depended on as the cause of either but onely the free mercy of God in Christ not imputing of sinne and so I am to deny my owne righteousnesse renounce all trust in that for salvation S. What now doth self-deniall as it referres to the body signifie C. It signifies renouncing of all the unlawfull sinfull desires of the flesh and even lawfull liberty and life it selfe when they come in competition with Christ so that either Christ must be parted with or these And the same is to be conceived both of estate and good name he that hateth not house and land that is contemnes them not in respect of Christ will not part with any worldly hope or possession rather then doe any thing contrary to Christ's command is not worthy of me saith Christ and If you receive the praise of men how can you beleive he that is not resolved to part with reputation and honour when it comes in competition with Christ can never goe for a good Christian and not onely thus when these things come in competition with Christ's service but even absolutely taken some kinde of self-deniall is required of us by Christ of which the particulars are not specified by him but referred to our voluntary performing them We must not allwaies doe what is lawfull to doe but weane our selves from and deny our selves the enjoying of many lawfull pleasures of the world that we may have the better command over our selves and that we may be the more vacant for Gods service thus fasting c. become our duty yea and revenge or contrary abstinence in case of former excesse S. This grace by the hints you have afforded me I discerne to be a most eminent Christian virtue the God of heaven plant it in my heart But what doe you thinke needfull to adde to this about taking up the crosse C. That it is a precept peculiar to the Gospell that nothing but Christianity could make fit to be commanded us S. What doe you meane by the crosse and by taking it up C. By the crosse I meane any affliction that God in his providence sees fit to lay upon us or to lay in our way toward piety Any punishment which befalls us either for righteousnesse sake or not for unrighteousnesse S. What meane you by taking it up C. 1. Not receding from any Christian performance upon sight of that in the way which in the parable of the sower is not being offended or scandalized or discouraged or falling away in time of tribulation 2. Bearing of it patiently chearfully and comfortably 3. Giving God thankes for it S. Is a man bound to be glad that he is afflicted C. He is 1. Because he sees it is God's will when 't is actually upon him and then he ought to be willing and joyfull that God's will is done 2. Because Christ commands him to rejoice and be exceeding glad Mat. 5. 12. Rejoice and leape for joy Luk. 6. 23. To thinke it all joy Ja. 1. 2. 3. Because it is a conforming us to the Image of the crucified Christ to which every beloved of God's is predestinate Rom. 8. 29. 4. Because it is such a signe of God's love that every one that is not chastened is by that character mark't out for a bastard and no sonne Heb. 12. 8. Which though it be not set down as a duty of ours for which we are to account or againe as a marke by which men are given to discerne whether they are children of God or no yet is it as an aphorisme of observation for Gods ordinary acts of providence now under the Gospell that he is wont to chastise those here whom he best loves which is sufficient motive of joy to him who finds himselfe in that good number S. But is a man bound to give thanks for Afflictions C. Yes he is 1. Because that is the only spirituall Christian way of expressing to God his rejoyceing 2. Because it comes from God and is meant by him for our good a gift or donative of heaven To you it is given Phil. 1. 29. it is granted as a grace and vouchsafement of Gods speciall favour to suffer for Christ and that grace designed 1. To reforme what is amisse 2. To punish here that there may be nothing of evill left for another world 3. Because we are so commanded to glorifie God in this behalfe 1 Pet. 4. 16. and in this respect to sanctifie the Lord God in our hearts 1. Pet. 3. 15. i. e. to hallow or praise him for it S. This is easily assented to if it fall upon me for righteousnesse sake as the Apostles went out of the Temple rejoyceing that they were thought worthy to suffer shame for Christs name but what if it be not so but only that afflictions fall on me I know not how C. They are then not only patiently and thankfully to be received but to be rejoyced in also 1. Because of all kind of chastening the Apostle pronounceth that though for the present it seemeth not joyous but grevious yet afterward it yeildeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse unto them which be exercised thereby Heb. 12. 11. 2. Because there is somewhat behinde of the suffering of Christ to be filled up in our flesh Col. 1.
place unto wrath i. e. to Gods revenge as it followes vengeance is mine I will repay it saith the Lord. S. But how farre doth this precept of not revenging extend To publicke Magistrates or onely to private persons one toward another C. To this I shall answer by these severall degrees 1. That it doth not interpose in the Magistrates office so as to forbid him to punish by way of retaliation if the lawes of the land so direct him for his office being to preserve the Kingdome in peace Christ forbids not the use of any lawfull meanes to that end but rather by the Apostle confirmes it in his hand by saying he beareth not the sword in vaine and adding he is Gods Minister an avenger for wrath to him that doth ill By which is intimated that that sword for vengeance or punishment of offenders which naturally belongs to God onely is as farre as respects this life put into the hands of the lawfull Magistrate with commission to use it as the constitution of the Kingdome shall best direct either by way of retaliation or otherwise and what is done thus by him is to be counted Gods vengeance executed by him and so no more contrary to the prohibition of private revenge then Gods owne retributions would be which yet are mentioned by the Apostle as an argument to prove the unlawfulnesse of ours Rom. 12. 19. Avenge not your selves but rather give place to wrath leave all punishment to God For it is written vengeance is mine By which connexion you may note by the way that the motive why we should not avenge our selves is not that which some revengefull minds would be best pleased with because by our patience our enemies shall be damned the deeper as some would collect from Rom. 12. 20. but because the priviledge of punishing offenders i. e. of vengeance belongs peculiarly to God and to none but those to whom for things of this life he is pleased to communicate it Which I conceive to be the reason why upon this ground of vengeance belonging to God onely set downe in the end of Rom. 12 The thirteenth to the Rom. begins with obedience to the higher powers and their being ordained by God c. This being thus set it will follow 2ly That Christs prohibition belongs onely to those who have received the injuries considered whatsoever they are as private sufferers and those are forbid two things 1. Taking into their owne hands the avenging of themselves 2. and which is the speciall thing in this place the former being not by the law permitted to the Jewes themselves though among the Heathen it was generally thought lawfull to hurt them who had injured us desiring and thirsting seeking and requiring even that revenge which the law of man affords with this reflexion on himselfe for the satisfying his revengefull humour This might Christ very reasonably prohibit it being before not commanded but onely permitted by Moses law though forbid the Magistrate thus to punish offenders he could not without destroying that law which indeed to have done would not be thought reasonable for Christ the greatest part of the world being so farre from Christians even now in times of Christianity Not that it is made utterly unlawfull by Christ to prosecute any who hath wronged me and bring him to legall punishment for that the law of man authorized and not contradicted by Christ may and oft doth require of me and there is great difference betweene revenge and punishment Nor that it is unlawfull to require reparations for an injury done me when the matter is capable of it nor to doe the same for the good that may accrue to my brethren by the inflicting such exemplary punishment on offenders but that to require this for the satisfying of my owne revengefull humour besides or without the reparation of the damage received by me as generally it is when I require an eye for an eye for in that case the pulling out of his eye will contribute nothing toward the helping me to mine againe or againe to require it in contemplation of the farther inconvenience that may possibly befall me another time if this passe unpunished is thought fit by Christ to be interdicted us Christians who are bound 1. By gratitude for what Christ hath done to us in pardoning of injuries to goe and doe likewise i. e. to pardon and not revenge injuries 2. By the law of faith to vanquish such feares and depend on Gods providence to defend us for the future and not to be so hasty and follicitous in using all possible meanes however unlawfull for the future securing of our selves And all this seemes to be the literall importance of that phrase Rom. 12. 19. Not avenging our selves Whatever avenging is lawfull that is not which reflecteth upon our selves and our owne immoderate passions whether that of anger or that other of desire a branch of which is this wordly carking From these two thus set it will appeare thirdly what is to be said of warres betweene one Kingdome and another which are of a middle nature betweene the revenge of the Magistrate upon the offender within his jurisdiction and the revenge of one private man upon another this being betweene equalls and so not of the first kind and yet betweene publicke persons or bodies and so not of the second which consequently will be onely so farre lawfull as it agrees with the first and unlawfull as with the second S. In what respect may warre be lawfull Or is it at all so C. That it is not absolutely unlawfull appeares 1. By the Baptists answer to the souldiers when they came to his Baptisme Luk. 3. 14. where he forbids them not that calling as unlawfull 2. By Christs commending the Centurions faith who was then a Souldier 3. By Pauls using a band of souldiers against the Treachery of the Jewes 4. By Saint Peters baptizing of Cornelius without his giving over the military imployment Now in what respect warre may be lawfull will appeare if we observe the causes of it 1. If it be for the suppressing of a sedition or rebellion at home it is clearely lawfull for the lawfull Magistrate as having the power of the sword 1. To preserve the peace of the land And 2. To punish and suppresse the disturbers of it In which case it is impossible any warre should be lawfull on both sides there being but one supreme power in any Kingdome whether that consist of one or of more persons and to that belonging the power of the sword which whoever else taketh into his hand in any case usurpeth it and therefore ought to perish by the sword 2. If betwixt one Kingdome and another then the warre may be lawfull againe in case one Kingdome doth attempt the doing any eminent injury to another which by a warre may possibly be averted from those whom the Magistrates office binds him to protect An eminent injury I say and that which is more hurtfull then warre or