by the works of offering Isaac receiving the spies fighting the Lords battels suffering persecution of Saul For Iames if he say any thing for this cause that good works are the formall cause of our righteousnesse our merits and in the very place of the satisfaction of the blood shed by Christ we shall so be formall causes not of the declaratory act of justifying for that may be thought to be the Lord our Justifiers act yet of our own Justification and so should we fight and run for the Crowne of inherent righteousnesse of works as well as for the Crown of Life And what Scripture is there for that 3. A man shall be as just and sinlesse as he may say I have no sin I am just And in order to the Covenant of Grace which forbids no sin as some for this way do teach but finall unbeleef he no more needs forgivenesse of sins and the blood of sprinkling nor pardoning grace then the Elect Angels or Adam in the state of innocency and to that Prov. 20.9 as to that Eccles. 7.20 1 Ioh. 1. Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin The man Evangelically justified can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sinne 4. Noâ— needs such a man pray forgive me my sins as I forgive c. for he is justified from all Law-sins who is inherently holy and Evangelically just And so the Gospel is a new Law which does not forbid all sins that the Law forbids and the man is not under sinne though he sinne against the love of Christ. According to that if ye love me keep my Commandements Joh. 14.15 so he once ere he die beleeve For the Law say the Authors forbids not unbeleef nor any Evangelick unthankfulness against the Law of a ransome-payer which yet I judge the Law of Nature and Nations condemnes The Covenant of Grace forbids no sin but finall unbeleef and the beleever can not be guilty of that except he fall away 5. And it may justly be asked whether the beleever Evangelically justified who needs no grace of pardon of Redemption from sin in order to the Covenant of Grace needs the grace of renovation to keep him to beleeve for he needs no pardon for the weaknesse of his finall beleeving for the smallest weak faith is a fulfilling of the Covenant of Grace To these adde if James mean by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faith alone v. 24. by which he sayes we are not justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no other then the dead faith ver 20. and the faith which cannot save the faith of fair words to the hungry and naked when the vain man gives him nothing necessary for his body 16. the faith without works 17. the faith that cannot be shown to men 18. such a faith as devils 19. and vain hypocrites boast of 20. then sure the conclusion is for us and agreeable to the scope of Iames v. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye see then a man is justified before men and to himself and so really declared before God justified and saved by works as the fruits of saving faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not by faith only which is dead and without works For 1. he cannot exclude saving and lively faith For that beleeving God is counted to Abraham for righteousnesse saith Iames ver 23. for then the conclusion should contradict the premisses and he should say Abraham was justified by sound and lively beleeving Ergo we are not justified by only sound and lively beleeving 2. The Adversaries Socinians and Arminians who by this Text say we are justified by works know no Gospel-faith by which we are justified but faith including essentially new obedience the crucifying of the old man the walking in the Spirit and repentance as else where I cite Therefore when Iames saith we are not justified by faith only he must mean a naked dead assent as in the former verses We are not justified and that is it which we say Iames denies not but sayes that Abraham beleeved Gen. 15. 6. It is only beleeving but lively and not dead not a naked assent which was counted to him for righteousnesse and Gen. 15. Rom. 4. he was thereby justified and therefore Paul and Iames are well reconciled And the faith here excluded must be a dead faith not a lively faith and a true faith as the body without the soul is a true body and hath the nature of a true body though it be no living body So say they the faith that Iames excludes is a true faith when as it is evident it is no more true faith then the faith of Devils and Hypocrites 3. It is false by the Papists way and Arminians also that we are not justified by faith only which is a true and generall assent to the Word of God for they teach that in the first Justification we are justified by faith only without works as Paul proves but in the second Justification when a man of just is made more just say they he is justified by works as saith Iames c. 2. Now by this they are forced to say Iames speaks not of the first Justification but of the second but beside that the Scripture knows not two Justifications Iames must deny that the unconverted hypocrites and Rahab the harlot were justified by only faith as Paul saith and it were most incongruous to teach unconverted ones who never knew the first Justification how they were not justified in the second Justification And if James be speaking of the nature and causes of the same Justification before God only with Paul and not of the effects thereof it were false that James saith with reverence to the holy Lord that we are not justified by faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without works for Paul sayes it and proves it strongly from the Scripture and never insinuates that we are justified in a second Justification by works And sure he should not have denyed all the Jews all the Gentiles all the world Rom. 3 9 19 29 30. David a man according to Gods heart and much in communion with God when he penned the 32. Psalm and Abraham a beleever and effectually called Gen. 12. and justified when he Gen. 15.6 beleeved the promise of the seed Rom. 4. to be justified by works in their second or their Evangelick Justification Yea when James saith we are not justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only he must mean fidem solitariam a faith solitary which hath no works conveying it as man sees not with eyes that are solitary and plucked out of the heart and separated from hearing smelling and the senses though faith if true and properly so called as they say this is must justifie as the eye sees only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the eâ—re onely not the eye hears now this faith hath a causative influence in Justification as well as works if it be proper and true faith as they say
It is sinfull doctrine to say that CHRIST takes away this sense of sin For 1. this is the very true tendernesse and gracious smitings of heart under any guiltinesse As 1 Sam. 24.5 2 Sam. 24.10 Davids heart smote him after he had cut off the lap of Sauls garment and numbred the people 1 Joh. 3.20 Job 27.6 And in some it is the naturall conscience accusing and challenging after sin is committed now CHRIST came not to extirpate conscience nor the power of feeling and discerning the obligation to wrath that the conscience apprehendeth after sin is committed nor the legall evill deserving of sin nor the contrariety between it and the Law 2. Christ by his death gives repentance and mourning for sin Acts 5.31 Eze. 12.10 11. 3. Christ commends this Jer. 31.18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself 2 King 22.19 Because thine heart was tender and thou hast weept before me I have also heard thee saith the Lord. Luk. 7.44 She hath washed my feet with tears 4. If Christ by his death should remove this hee should bring on by his death a heart passed feeling and burnt with a hot iron which is condemned Eph. 4.19 1 Tim. 4.2 5. It speaks a gracelesse rockinesse of heart to sin and not care for it Act. 18.17 18. Pro. 30.20 Far lesse would the Lord have us to dream that a Christan is annihilated and melted into God where they leave off to know will desire feel act or do any thing but God is all and all in this life and that to the eye of faith though not to the eye of reason all sense of sin is destroyed this is a destroying and overturning of all of Law Gospel of all humble walking with God and removes all necessity of fearing hoping believing praying hearing and changes us over into blocks PART II. Of the Mediatour of the Covenant CHAP. I. Q. WHat room or place hath Christ the Mediator in the Covenants A. He hath place in the Covenant of Works as a satisfier for us 2. As a doer and an obedient fulfiller thereof in all points And he is Mediator and Surety of the Covenant of Grace 2. The first Adam marres all the second ADAM who makes all things new mends all The first Adam was a publick sort of stirresman to whom was committed the standing and falling of all mankind and in reference to man the standing of Heaven Earth and Creatures in their perfection and he spoiled all put all things a-reeling The second ADAM received in his arms the whole Creation that was a-falling for in him all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stand fast Col. 1.17 And he bears up all by his mighty word Heb. 1 3. He satisfied for our sins and for our breach of the Covenant of Works 2. He is a full doer and fulfiller of the Covenant of Works most perfectly by doing 1 Joh. 3.7 He who does righteousnesse is righteous As he who suffers for the broken Law fulfills the Law Rom. 6.7 He that is dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is freed justified from sin in the obligation of it to punishment So Paul vers 8. If wee be dead with Christ we beleeve that we shall live with him This dying is to beleeve that he died for us at least it excludes not that And if we keep the Law we are not oblidged to suffer for the Law does not oblidge man in absolute sense both to perfect doing and to perfect suffering copulatively but to one of them But if we be legally dead with Christ as his death so excellent doth exhaust sins punishment and is a perfect satisfaction therefore we are freed or justified from sin not to suffer or satisfie by suffering for it as Rom. 8.3 For what the Law could not do so that it was weak by accident not of it self through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likenesse of sinfull flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the righteousnesse of the Law the passive righteousnesse in suffering for the breach of the Law might be fulfilled in us 2 Cor. 5.2 And Isai. 53.5 But he was wounded for our transgressions c. 6. The Lord laid upon him the iniquity of us all But though some suffer as the reprobate do and suffer in this life the beginning of satisfactory judgement yet are they not loosed from active obedience to the Law as the Law though they cannot having once sinned be under the Law as a Covenant of Justification and life nor is any flesh under that Covenant now Q. What place hath Christs righteousnesse here Ans. Pareus with some others distinguish between the Righteousnesse of Christs person which contains his essentiall Righteousnesse as God the habituall and actuall conformity of the Man Christ and the perfect holinesse of the Man Christ. Such a High Priest became us as is holy harmlesse c. Heb. 7.26 And The righteousnesse of his merit in the satisfaction of his suffering the satisfaction is the formall cause of our Justification which is counted ours this latter righteousnesse is acquired the former is essentiall Now the active obediēce of Christ falls under a twofold consideration 1. As the Man Christs perfect conformity to the Law of God so as man he was oblidged to do and suffer all that he did and suffered even to lay down his life for man But had he been only man his righteousnesse had neither been by condignity meritorious no◠yet satisfactory for us But 2. The whole course of Christs obedience from his birth to the grave by doing and suffering is to be considered as the doing and suffering of so excellent a person his being born his praying preaching dying coming from a Person God-Man Now the Law required not praying preaching of God-man the blood of God or the dying of him who was God-Man And so all these being both so excellent and then so undue have respect of satisfaction to God 2. The active obedience of Christ all that Christ did and suffered were performed by him in his state of humiliation In which he was poor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 8.9 for us so also by the same ground a weeping man hungry thirsty weary for us made lower then the Angels by the suffering of death Heb. 2.9 Humbled by partaking of flesh and blood because of the children Heb. 2.14 Emptied himself for us Ph. 2. This was as Pareus well saith perpetua quaedam passio paena peccatorum nostrorum fuit tota vita Christi All these have a respect of punishment and suffering For since Christ was both a viator and a comprehensor and such a holy sinlesse person he ought to have had the actuall possession of the Crown of Glory from the womb and so should have been free of weeping hunger thirst wearinesse groaning sighing sadnesse persecution reproaches c. all which adhered to all his active holinesse and therefore in that his actions were
purpose of heart to obey either obedience or faith formally 5. If to be justified by faith in Christ as not only Jesus who saves but as Lord who commands then we are justified by love for we are to love him not as Jesus only but also as Lord 1 Cor. 16.22 Eph. 6.24 especially since all the works of the Law come under the command of love Matth. 22.3.7 Luk. 7.27 Deu. 6.5 Rom. 13.8 6. All these thy faith hath saved thee Matth. 9. Luk. 7. only beleeve must be of this truth thy good works hath saved thee only do good works And it is strange that Paul saith Eph. 2.8 By grace ye are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God 9. Not of works lest any man should boast Nor could Paul make an opposition between grace and works as in Rom. 11.6 if the grace of beleeving and good works were one in the New Testament for so we should be saved by works and not by works And Paul by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 takes that away Yea but we are saved that is justified and delivered from obligation to wrath by the works of free-grace He answers nay but neither are we saved or justified by these works of grace as by means or causes For we are first saved and justified before we can do good works for good works are the fruits of free-grace since v. 10. we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus and so justified and saved in Christ Jesus to good works that we should walk in them Yea and Paul undenyably removeth this doubt 1 Cor. 4.4 I know nothing by my self that is by his grace I am free of such sinnes as bring condemnation and so he must abound in works of grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet thereby and notwithstanding of all my inherent holinesse by works of grace I am not justified 7. There should be no ground of gloriation and boasting more then this by the Socinian and Arminian way if we should be justified by works which come from free-will not determined by any grace either habituall or actuall which is merited by the death of Christ but do proceed from pure free-will which separateth the beleever from the non-beleever Then might we glory and boast that we are not in the debt of Christ or of his grace for that which is our formall righteousnesse before GOD and so no flesh can say they are justified by grace but that we are justified by nature the same way that Adam should have been justified without being beholden to CHRIST or to his death Asser. 3. There are not properly the same causes of the possession of Life Eternall and of the righteousnesse of Life Eternall The ransome of Christs blood is only the cause of the right For jus or right to Life Eternall is a legall and a morall thing eâ—s morale and hath a morall cause as a man hath right to such a City being the Lord and owner thereof by birth or money or conquesse or by gift or grant of a Prince or of the Citizens themselves but possession and injoying the houses and rents of the City is a Physicall thing ens Physicum and hath a Physicall cause as eating drinking lodging sleeping wearing of cloaths to defend the body from the cold So the legall right a man hath to the bread and lodging he hath in an Innes but the Physicall causes are hunger appetite bodily necessities so require and his pleasure to make use of such necessities Hence the eating drinking may be Physically good and the right jus legale very bad he may have no right to the bread when he comes to it only by spoil and rapine So the legall right jus legale to life eternall is the ransome of blood that Christ payed our Goel our friend and kinsman to make the inheritance ours but that great I may say almost Apostolick light Mr. John Calvin saith good works are as it were the inferiour causes of the possession of life So simple possession is one thing and quâ— jure aut titulo but by what Law-right he possesseth is another thing But 1. Good works are necessary necessitate praecepti by the command of God and promise 1 Thes. 4.4 1 Cor. 6.20 Eph. 2.10 Matth. 28.20 and where it is said 1 Tim. 4.8 Godlinesse is profitable to all things having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the promise is opposed to the Law And that is a strong Argument Gal. 3.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If the inheritance be of the Law it is no more of promise but God gave it to Abraham by promise Covenant-promise What is that to the Galatians and to us Gentiles Mâ—ch every way For three notable points are therein 1. The heavenly inheritance promised to the seed to Christ and his ver 16. not a pâ—or earthly Canaan as Sociniâ—ns and Papists say were promised to Abraham and his seed except they say that an earthly Canaan was promised to Christ. 2. That Covenant-promise of an heavenly inheritance made to Abraham the same is made to the believing Galatians the Gentiles and their seed else Paul saith nothing for the Doctrine of Justification by faith to the Gentiles contrair to the purpose of the Apostle 3. There is an inheritance by Covenant-promise a promise of eternall life made not to works as the price that buyes the right for sure then Christ must have dyed in vain 3. Works are not necessary simply necessitate medii for then we must exclude all Infants But the necessity of a Precept inferreth a necessity of means ordinary to all capable of a Command that they do good and sow to the Spirit that they may reap of the Spirit life everlasting Gal. 6.8 3. They are necessary for the glory of God Math. 5.16 1 Pet. 3.1 2. 1 Pet. 2.12 4. They are necessary by the law of gratitude which is common both to the Covenant of Works and of Grace as we are debters to God for being so to God-incarnate as ransoned ones for everlasting life 1 Cor. 6.20 Luke 1.75 1 Pet. 1.18 and eternall well-being But such as will have our works the formall cause of our justification they put them in the chair of Christs merite and they must be meritorious as Adams legall obedience should have been yea but not but by and of gracious estimation God so esteeming them say they True but as is proven neither was Adams obedience meritorious but by Gods estimation Yea and Calvine gives a power of meriting ex pacto to our works But our works of grace are dyed and washen in Christs blood and justified that they may justifie us But the Scripture speaks nothing of justifying of works or not imputing sin to our works Antinomians dream of a freeing of both the person and works of a justified man from Law-obligation and that is a way indeed to justifie works of murther
and not two 1 Joh. 5.11 And this is the witnesse that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath given us life eternall and this is in the Son 12. He that hath the Son hath life He that beleeveth hath the Son dwelling in his heart by faith Eph. 3.17 2. Faith before it come to seed and full harvest brings solid peace and comfort and saveth So Christ to the blind man Luke 18.42 thy faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath saved thee not a bare miraculous faith but that which apprehends remission of sinnes as he speaks to the woman who did wash his feet with tears Luke 7.50 and to the paralytick man Mat. 9.2 seeing their faith be of good cheer go in peace thy sins are forgiven If they be but forgiven conditionally so they beleeve to the end whereas they may fall away 1. What comfort and good cheer 2. What peace being justified by faith Rom. 5.1 3. What glory in tribulation Rom. 5. have they more then Judas the son of perdition What Covenant of life and of peace are we in What difference between our Religion and the Religion of Cicero Seneca and of all Pagans if Christ furnish not to us solid unshaken help and consolation And what a trembling hope have they that they be and are to fear they shall be in the condition of Apostate Angels to morrw What saith then Christ Mat. 9.22 Mark 5.34 Mark 10.52 Luk. 8.58 Luk. 5.20 24. Mark 5.34 Mark 9.24 yea and much more saith the Holy Ghost of our case even of everlasting consolation 2 Thessal 2.16 strong consolation Hebr. 6.18 all comfort 2 Cor. 1.4 lively hope 1 Pet. 1.4 Heb. 6.18 19. then Heathens can say Nay otherwise not so much for they promise not so much 3. Our lively faith is to believe our perseverance in lively faith as promised to us Jer. 32.39 40. Isai. 54.10 Isai. 59.20 21. Joh. 10.27 28. Joh. 4.14 1 Pet. 1.3 4 5. Joh. 11.26 27. As we believe life eternall and that purchased by the merite of Christs death the one as well as the other then faith as finall cannot be the condition And who can think that God commands faith in God Immanuel in the Covenant of Works But faith in God Immanuel to the end is not commanded in the Covenant of Works but only in the Covenant of Grace 4. Faith justifies and saves as sincere be it great or small but if it justifie not and save not but as it endures to the end then no man is compleatly justified and saved and united to Christ untill he die Since faith as all other graces in a child of God is imperfect and still growing 2 Pet. 3.18 and we are to pray Lord increase our faith none shall be justified and saved but he that hath the greatest faith if faith only which endures to the end be the condition of the Covenant and such a faith as groweth and indures to the end For take one who for twenty years believeth the first two years he being united to Christ hath right to Christ Joh. 15.1 2 3 4 5. Joh. 17.21 22. Joh. 14.16 Joh. 16.7 8 13. Joh. 4.14 Joh. 7.37 38 39. he shall not be judged not condemned hath passed from death to life shall never die Joh. 3.36 1 Joh. 5.11 12. Joh. 4.24 Joh. 11.25 26. then should he die the end of the first year of his believing by the Scripture he must be saved else he must be damned who yet died in true faith and yet never fell away which were strange But by this opinion either the remnant sound believing should be no condition of justification and salvation because the man is justified and saved without it and the faith of one or two years gave him right to Christ and saved him Ergo the remnant faith is not a condition of the Covenant but a persevering by grace promised and a persevering in that faith as also by their way who make persevering faith the only condition of the Covenant of Grace 1. Faith and works are confounded whereas to be saved by faith is to be saved before and to be justified before we can do good works and the jus or title to righteousnesse and salvation coming only from the price and Redemption that is in Jesus Christ is not more or lesse and growes not more then the worth of the ransone of the blood called the blood of God Acts 20.28 does grow and it is to be justified by grace and by faith and then works come in as the fruit of our justification and salvation Eph. 2. Ye are not saved by works lest any man should boast in a righteousnesse of his own coming from no merite of Christ which buyeth determinating grace and indeclinably leads and bows the will Otherwise we may boast that is glory in the Lord who worketh all-our works for us Psal. 34.2 Isa. 41.16 Isa. 26.12 The salvation and righteousnesse is the gift of God What then shall be the room of works He answers No room at all as causes of justification and salvation by an excellent antanaclasis as learned Trochrig for he answers We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus to good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Then by grace we have the full right to righteousnesse and salvation by the ransome of blood which is Christs Papists and Arminians dare not bring in Evangelick works or faith as an Evangelick work here though they be too hold 2. Being once made the creation of God in Christ and having obtained right by the blood of Christ to salvation we walk by his grace in good works as leading us to the possession of the purchased inheritance 3. The Authors of this stand for the Apostasie of the Saints and they cannot eschew it who make this finall faith that takes in in its essence good works as the soul of it or charity as Papists say as the form of it the only condition of the Covenant Quest. But is not life eternall given and promised only to faith which continues to the end Ans. Faith is considered two wayes In its nature 2. In its duration and existence As to the former saving faith is of that nature that it is apt to endure it hath a sort of immortality so the promise in titulo jure is made to that faith only which is of that nature that it must endure to the end and the promise of life and remission is not made to a saving faith under the accident of enduring to the end or for the years suppon thirty or fourty years or eight hundred years or above that Adam or the Patriarchs lived in the state of beleeving for a faith of some hours only shall save the repenting thief as well as a faith of many years And 2. life eternall in the possession is promised and given only to the faith that continues to the end not because of the duration because a longer enduring faith hath merit but that is
by accident in regard of the right to life and because God hath commanded persevering in faith life is given only in possession to such a faith as endures but we cannot say that the accidentall endurance and existence of faith for so many years doth save and justifie as the living so many years makes a Child an heir to a great estate for his being born the eldest son makes him his fathers heir CHAP. XXIV What faith is required in the Gospel THere is a legall faith a duty commanded the object of which is twofold 1. Truths relating to the mind revealed and to be revealed So Adam had a habit or habituall power to beleeve the Law and the Gospel upon supposition it should be revealed As a whole man beleeves skill in his Physitian to prevent diseases ere they come and to remove them when come It s folly to say Adam stood in need before he fell of a supernaturall power to beleeve Evangelick truths if he beleeved God to be true he had such a power as to beleeve all was true that God should reveal 2. Adam had a faith of dependencie to rely upon God in all possible evils feared 2. The promise of life is not made to Law-faith more then to Law-love or Law-fear or Law-desire more then to any other but the promise is made to Evangelick-faith that layes hold on CHRIST as our righteousnesse But for obeying the Commands Adam was to live Gal. 3.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in them by doing them Ezek. 20.11 As Lavater there is no absurditie if it be said men shall live that is merit by free paction life eternall but then saith Calvine if a man keep the Law he needs not the Grace of Christ. Obj. If faith be imputed as it layes hold on Christs Righteousnesse it must be the meritorious cause of Justification and by its inherent dignitie for there is nothing more essentiall to faith then to lay hold on Christs Righteousnesse Ans. If faith were imputed as righteousnesse according to the act of laying hold on Christ it were true but the act of faith is not imputed but that which faith layes hold on it being an instrument to wit the Righteousnesse of Christ it is not an act of beleeving saith a Jesuit And though they say the works Evangelick are from the habit of grace so was Adam a patient when God concreated his Image and habituall righteousnesse in him But Arminians and Jesuits do not say nor darre not that predeterminating Grace is from Christs merites therefore yet the sinner may more boast then Adam and say I have justified my self by the acts of free-will which is indifferent and from under all the bowing and determining or swaying of the Grace of Christ for the free-will should have so whether Christ had died or not died CHAP. XXV Q. WHether is Christs Righteousnesse imputed and made ours because we believe and apprehend it ours or do we believe because it is ours first before we believe Ans. There is a twofold imputation one legall another which for Doctrines cause we call application or reall though the legall imputation be also reall but not to us as the former the Lords act of laying the iniquity of us all upon Christ Isa. 53.6 and the Lords making him sin for us that is a sacrifice for sin 2 Cor. 5.21 evinces necessarily the truth of this the former imputation For 2 Cor. 5.21 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not imputing their trespasses unto them If it be expounded of actuall reconciliation of persons it may say something for the other imputation but the other imputation is clear Rom. 4.3 Abraham beleeved God and it was counted to him for righteousnesse v. 7. Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered v. 8. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sin v. 9. Faith that is that which faith beleeved as hope is put for the thing hoped for Col. 1.5 Rom. 8.24 was imputed to Abraham for righteousnesse though Gomarus give another exposition to wit that by faith or the act of beleeving we obtain this to be reputed righteous and it suits better with the Text. And as to the former imputation God could not in justice wound Christ for our transgressions nor bruise him for our iniquities nor could the Lord break him nor deliver him to the death for us all except God had both made him the sinner that is imputed and reckoned him the sinner in Law for intrinsecally and inherently he was not the sinner but holy harmlesse c. and laid our debts upon him Isa. 53.6 and except he had been willing to have been counted the sinner and had said thou hast given me a body here am I to do thy will Psal. 40.7 Heb. 10.6 7. this reckoning of Christ to be the sinner is not only in the eternall decree but also a laying of our iniquities upon him in time Isa. 53.6 or a dealing with him in Law in punishing him as the sinner And 2. by using the humane nature as an instrument of our Redemption on the Crosse. Antinomians take this imputing of our sins to Christ and reckoning Christ to be the sinner to be the justifying of the sinner which is a grosse mistake for so without beleeving all that Christ died for should be justified upon the Crosse. But the Scripture is so far from ascribing Justification to any but to a beleever that it saith Abrahams faith was imputed to him for righteousnesse Now the faith of multitudes for whom Christ died when he suffered on the Crosse is a very nothing Many are not born and a nothing or a non ens cannot be counted for righteousnesse It is to be observed that payment made by the surety absolveth the debter so as the Law except it be the generall Law of gratitude requireth no act of love of faith of service from the debter nor doth the Law of suretyship in its essence and nature require that the Creditor sub eo titulo should pay the homage of faith indeed when the Creditor is both the Creditor and the offended Party and also the supream Law-giver GOD he may require of the captives the obedience of faith So would justice which saith we should hurt none give to every man his own presse that the debter repay to the surety so far as he is able to make up his losses but to pay the obedience of faith as a part of the ransome due to offended Justice is no Gospel-Law nor any part thereof nor can it bea◠truth except we deny the reall satisfaction made by Christ which both Papists do weaken when they mix the merit of faith therewith and Socinians deny 4. The satisfaction performed upon the Crosse for sinners though it be for a certain particular number determined of God quoad numerum numerantem quoad numerum numeratum both as touching the number so many not all
acts of saving faith p. 16â— 162 James must speak of two sorts of faiths p. 162 163 The Arminian Argument to prove that James speaks of declared justification answered p. 165 166 How faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only justifies p· 170 171 The Socinian and Arminian faith and Papists formed faith includes new obedience and repentance p 172 173 Contrarâ— to the Scripture which differenceth between faith and new obedience p. 174 175 176 Right to life eternall and possession of life eternal differ in their nature and causes p. 176 177 The necâ—ssity of Works p. 177 178 Possâ—ssion of life and right to life differ p 178 179 180 And contrare objâ—ctions removed ib. CHAP. XX. Whether or not suffered Christ for any sin against the Gospel only suâ—h as finall unbeleef which is conceived to be the only sin against the Gospel That Christ died not for all without exception The unwarrantablenesse of that Doctrine how the Law commands justifying faith and repentance how not p. 181 182 c. Sins against the Gospel are also sins against the Law p. 188 189 CHAP XXI Whether the Lord Mediator as Mediator command the same good Works in the Covenant of Grace which are commanded in the CovenaÌ„t of Works p. 192 193 Christ layes one way Evangelick commands upon the Elect and another way upon the Reprobate p. 198 How the Reprobate are still under the Covenant of Works how not p. 192 CHAP. XXII No promise of perseverance to Adam p. 194.195 Nor any promise to him of influences of Grace p. 195 196 4. Classes of obediences considerably compared among themselves p. 196.197 198 Christs obedience most perfect most of his own p. 196 Most undue or least of debt coming from God man so most meritorious p. 197 Angels obedience 2. Of their own but not so as Christs of his own and so lesse meritorious p. 198 3. The obedience of Adam more of his own then that of Angels yet lesse obedience ibid. 4. Gospel-obedience hath least of the nature of obedience p. 198 199 CHAP. XXIII The Law of Works râ—quired not simplie doing but doing to the end p. â—00 208 CHAP. XXIV Whether faith as true or faith as continuing to the end be the condition of the Covenant of Grace p. 201 202. Faith which endures to the end but not quatenus as it indures to the end is the condition of the Covenant of Grace p. 201 202 Faith in the first lively acts saves and justifies p. 202 203 CHAP. XXV Whether is Christs righteousnesse imputed and made ours because we believe and apprehend it ours or do we believe because it is ours because we believe p. 206 207 Faith presupposeth three unions 1. Naturall 2. Legall 3. Federal and maketh a fourth p. 208 209 There be four or five sundry Adversaries against whom the holy Ghost in Scripture contends in the point of justification p. 210 211 The dominion of the Law p. 211.212 What is meant by the oldnesse of the letter p. 213 How we are freed therefrom ib. A threefold bondage of the Law ib. Of the dignitie of the Gospel above the Laâ— p. 213 214 CHAP. XXVI Of the perpetuity of the Covenant of Grace and the considerable differences between it and the Covenant of Works p. 214 215 216 217. How it continues with these that are asleep in the Lord Mat. 22. Exod. 3.6 p. 216 Of the graciousnesse thereof p. 216 217 CHAP. XXVII Of Law-fear and Gospel-fear p. 217 218. Of the Law-fear of falling away and the Gospel faith of persevering p. 218 219 Why feelings of sin seldome wants unbelief and should have the faith of a payed ransome p. 221 222 CHAP. XXVIII Christ died not to blot out all sense of sin but rather to quicken a godly sense thereof p. 221 222 223 Contents of the II. Part. CHAP. I. Christs roome in both Covenants p. 225 Of Christs active and passive obedience how they concur as one satisfaction p. 229 230 CHAP. II. WHerein stands our right to Christ and the satisfaction made for us by Christ 2. Faith is not the cause of our right 3. Christs incarnation and dying are not favours meâ—ited by Christ. 4. How Adams sinne and Christs righteousnesse are ours p. 230 238. CHAP. III. How Christ suffered for us in our room and place 2. He died not for all and every one 4. How many wayes Christ may be said to die in our stead 4. The Lords so dying for all makes not all saveable in Christ nor the Gospel preachable to all Nations 5. Christ died in the stead of the elect p. 236 237 238 239. Though we did not substitute him in our place p. 249 250 The differences between Chrâ—sts dying and the punishment due to the Elect p. 250 251 252 The legall oneness between Christ and us p. 251 To die 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for us is to die in our stead in all eminent languages p. 253 Christ died not for sins and in the stead of sins as he died for sinners p. 256 CHAP. IV. How we are in Christ dying and crucified in him 2. A twofold crucifying of us with Christ. 3. A discourse of mortification 4. The actings of the mortified 5. That we are to be mortified in our affections p. 257 258 259. Though we die personally yet we died in Christ legally p. 259 We are not to desire a Law-wakening p. 259 â—60 What mortification is p. 261 The influence of Christs death on mortification p. 262 Four sorts of actings in mortification p. 265 266 We must be mortified to all sort of created things p. 268 269 270.271 Forbidden desires p 270.271 CHAP. V. The Covenant of Suretyship or of Redemption between God and the Mediator Christ. 2. Christ is not a meer witnesse but the Author of the Covenant 3. The Socinian way of Wâ—rks cannot quiet the conscience 4. Christ is upon both sides of the Covenant 5. Justice mediates not 6. Reasons of the entrance of sin CHAP. VI. That there is a Covenant of Suretyship between JEHOVAH and the Son is proven by 11. Arguments p. 290 291 292. Christ calling to the Lord his God proves this 291.292 2 Christ is a Servant Messenger Shepherd not by nature but free compact and agreement p. 292 3. Ar. Christ offered his service freely p. 293 4. Arg. There is giving and taking between God and Christ. p. 293.294 5. Arg. Christ received the seals whither he needed seals or not p. 29â— 296 6 Christ with the Father dispensed with the Law p. 296 7. Ar. Rich promises that speak a Covenant made to Christ. p. â—96 8. Ar. The Prophesies of Christ and the promises of and to him p. 298 9. Ar. Ask of me Ps. 2. 10. Arg. The work and wages of Christ prove it p. 299 And O how low a wager and how high a designe p. 300 11. Arg. Christ is admitted by an oath and the use of it against Apostacie of Believers p. 300.301.302 CHAP. VII The
by the payer no more a satisfaction for that man nor for Devils Is too near to the nature and to being a part of the satisfaction If one pay a summe that fully exhausts the debt of such a broken man upon condition the broken man say Amen to the paying thereof otherwise it shall be as not payed he must take up the summe again if the broken man refuse to say Amen to it for if he take it not up again but it be payed and fully satisfie for and exhaust the debt the mans debt is payed and the Creditor in justice cannot exact one farthing from the broken man Now nothing given to the Justice of God by way of satisfaction for the sins of unbeleevers was ever repeated or taken back again by Christ. Nay but say they the ransome was not payed at all for Judas but only upon condition that he beleeve but he never beleeved and therefore it was never payed for Judas Answ. This is that we say that Christ gave no reall ransome at all for the sins of Judas by way of satisfaction But they say that there is as well a ransome payed for all the sins of Iudas finall unbeleef excepted to free him in justice from eternall stroaks as for all the sins of Peter to free him only it is not accepted of by the Creditor because Judas by faith assented not unto the bargain But assenting or not assenting accepting or not accepting that are posterior to the payment are nothing up or down to the compleatnesse and perfection of the satisfaction made for the exhausting of Justice for Justice receives not two satisfactions or ransomes for Judas one upon the Crosse from Christ another in Hell from Iudas yea and it must follow that reall payment was made to Justice for all the sins of Iudas upon the Crosse and that he suffers for none of them in Hell but for only finall unbeleef which is no sin against the Covenant of Works and the Justice thereof but only and formally against the Covenant of Grace so that as yet satisfying of Divine Justice for sins must be halfed and parted between Christ and Iudas which the Scripture teaches not Also the Father either accepts the ransome of Christ because it is intrinsecally and of it self sufficiently satisfactory or because Iudas does beleeve it is so The latter cannot be said for beleeving adds nothing to the intrinsecall sufficiency of the satisfaction as not believing diminishes nothing from the sufficiency thereof Yea and so the Fathers formall reason of accepting of the satisfaction of Christ must be terminated upon our poor act of believing whereas the formal ground of the acceptation thereof is the intrinsecall excellency and worth of the Sacrifice being an offering of a sweet smelling savour to God Eph. 5.2 And because he offered the ransome of the blood of God-man of the Prince of life Act. 20.28 1 Cor. 2.8 and offered himself to God Eph. 5.25 26. Heb. 9.14 Mat. 20.28 1 Tim. 2.6 Rev. 1.5 nor is there any sufficiency in his death from the worth of beleeving And the reason why he accepts it for Peter not for another is the election of grace It is true the blood is a price refuseable but it is this way refuseable because the Lord might have followed a Law-way with Adam and all his sons and have denyed to give his Son a Ransome for us but it is not refuseable because of any insufficiency in the Ransome Now faith is to satisfaction as the approximation of and the laying on of dry fewell to the fire which is only a condition of burning but the fire is the formall cause of burning Yea if we speak properly faith is not so much as a condition without the which offended Justice is not satisfied nor is it a condition by any Scripture of the world without the which God laid not our iniquities on Christ for whether we beleeve or not God laid our iniquities upon him and made him sin for us Isa. 53.6 2 Cor. 5.21 Therefore by necessity of Justice he must accept that Ransome intrinsecally so sufficient which did restore more glory to God then the sins of all for whom Christ died took from him Nor is it imaginable to say that any act of obedience or beleeving can perfect the satisfaction of Christ and make it sufficient yea or causatively make it ours For God by no necessity of Justice but of his own free pleasure requireth faith as a condition of our actuall reconciliation for beside that he might have required any other act of obedience as love he might have accepted the Ransome without inquiring any act of obedience on our part as the Lord bestowed a calme Sea and deliverance from shipwrack upon the Idolatrous Sea-men upon the very act of casting Ionah in the Sea without the intervention of any saving faith on their part As a gracious Prince may send a pardon to free a condemned Malefactor from death and may command that it be valid in Law for him without the mans knowledge and far more without his acceptance thereof upon his knees especially since by a speciall paction between the Father and the Son he restored abundantly more Glory to God by suffering for all for whom he died then they took from God by their sins and that restitution was made to Justice without the interveening of any act of the creatures obedience But the truth is it is much to be doubted whether they who hold such a satisfaction to be given of God for the sins of all Elect and Reprobate but so as it shall not be valid in Law nor effectuall to quiet Justice but they must all suffer eternall vengeance and perform personall satisfaction in Hell to Justice except there interveen an act of obedience of the creature to make it effectuall do really and sincerely acknowledge against Socinians a reall satisfaction and compensation made to offended Justice by Christ For how is it reall and not rather scenicall and formall which may and should be null and in vain if the creature make it not reall by beleeving And especially if God out of his grace which is absolutely free work in us the condition of beleeving Can God give his Son as a Ransome for us upon condition that we beleeve if he himself absolutely work the condition in us They will not admit this CHAP. V. God intended a Law-dispensation but for a time 2. Adam how he was ordained for a Law-life 3. How predestinated to Glory in Christ how not 4. That the Heathens have no more Universall Grace then Devils 5. No ground for such grace IT is apparent that God intended not a Law-dispensation in Paradise to stand for ever For 1. nothing is spoken of Adam after the fall but of his procreating of children of the Patriarchs of Adams dying and of his actings before the fall the place of Paradice being scarce well known which sayes the Lord had a farther design to lay aside
to the necessitie of good works but the followers of Flaccius Illyricus dissented The Authors of the book of Concord condemne these of Flaccius their way and deny a necessity of efficiency in works to deserve salvation but yeeld a necessity of their presence that the work of salvation be not hindered 3. These distinctions are necessary 1. There is a jus and right to Gospel life eternall And 2. there is actuall possession of life eternall 2. There is a twofold jus One by the purchase of merit and the payed ransome of blood There is a right secundary by promise every promise giveth a right in a manner but its unproper 3. There is promise of life formally federall 2. There is a promis◠of life consequentèr federall 4. There is an order of things one going before the other as the Antecedent and the Consequent and in order of cause and effect 5. Law-obedience doth much differ from Gospel-obedience as Law-commands from Gospel-commands 6. GOD sent his Sonne to justifie persons but not to justifie works not to make inherent obedience perfect or our righteousnesse before God Asser. 1. If the new Covenant be considered strictly and formally in its essence he that beleeveth whether his faith be weake or strong is justified and saved Joh 3.18 36. Joh. 5.24 Act. 15.9 10 11. Rom. 3.16 Rom. 4.1 2 3 4 5. Rom. 5.1 for faith justifieth as lively faith and not as great or small Otherwise none should be justified and saved but the strong beleever whereas Christ died for the weak in the faith Rom. 14. Hence Mr. Sibs excellently Know that in the Covenant of Grace God requires the truth of Grace not any certain measure and a spark of fire is aswell fire as the whole element thereof we must look to Grace in the sparkle aswell as the whole flame all have not the like strong yet the like precious faith whereby they lay hold and put on the perfect righteousnesse of Christ a weak hand may receive a rich Jewell a few grapes will shew that the plant is a vine not a thorne There is a roome in heaven for thee who judges thy self for the number of lambes and babes weak in the faith in this Kingdome do far exceed the number of the strong and aged in Christ for the Scripture names the whole flock little ones babes his sheep they are not a flock of fathers and strong ones Asser. 2. There is a right to life by promise he that beleeves shall be saved Promissio facit jus creat debitum Godlinesse hath the promise of this life and of that which is to come And because a promise as a promise cannot create an equality betwixt the work and the wages as is proven this is an unproper right and not proper debt and takes not away the nature of a free gift This is no consequence at all the performing of the condition of the Covenant of Works doth justifie Adam by Law-works so as he is no sinner hath fulfilled the Law hath right to life eternall Ergo to beleeve to the end and fulfill to the end and fulfill the condition of the Covenant of Grace doth justifie the beleever by Evangelick works make him no sinner but a perfect fulfiller of the Covenant of Grace and one who hath due right by working to life eternall Certainly then 1. doing Evangelick gives us as good right to eternall life without the price and ransome of blood as doing legall gives to the same life 2. When we sin and fall in atrocious offences Adulteries Paricide Robbing we have as good right to Justification by works and life eternall by Evangelick works suppose he be a robber all his life as was the repenting theef as Adam suppose he had perfectly fulfilled the Law Now though believing be the condition of the Covenant of Grace it is of a farre other nature then perfect doing to the end and constant fulfilling of the whole Law in thought word and deed with all the heart and the soul and mind and all the strength For there is no sin here and so no place for punishing justice or wrath none can so believe but he sins and so deserves everlasting wrath If it be said that by the Covenant of Works he doeth deserve it but not by the Covenant of Grace for Christ hath merited to him life eternall Ans. 1. We speak now of the right that a Believer hath by Evangelick works to justification and life as contradistinguished from the merits of Christ this opinion saith that a man is justified by Evangelick doing because God hath made the like promise and the like jus and right by promise to doing Evangelick that he made to Law-doing if Christs merits be added to qualifie Evangelick works to adde to them the worth that they have then Christs merits must give life eternall by way of merit or a vertue of meriting condignly to our Evangelick doing as Papists say and so Christ hath made us saviours and redeemers of our selves and this is a right to life ex condigno more then Adams most perfite Law-obedience had 2. The Covenant of Grace commanding faith doeth by this opinion command all that the Law of Works doeth but in an Evangelick way that they be done sincerely Ergo it must forbid all sin which the Law forbids But the Law forbids not only unbelief finall unbelief but all the works of the flesh Also Christ must come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to louse and dissolve the Law which he denyes Math. 5. for if the Covenant of Grace condemne nothing but finall unbelief Christ in this Covenant must dissolve the Law but Christ sayeth he that breaks or teacheth men to break these is the least of the Kingdome of God But there is an other jus and right to life eternall by which Christ dying hath satisfied the Law expiated our sins restored as much and more glory to God by passive obedience by his sufferings as we had taken glory from God by our evill doing and so merited to us life eternall If any say abusing that place Rev. 22. 14. that we obtain this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and right to the Tree of Life and to Christ our life and everlasting glory which is our only right the only Charter of blood by keeping the Commandements Evangelically he must say that we first may keep the Commandements Evangelically before we have right to life to Christ and so before we beleeve 2. That we merit Christs right or merite by doing and that by Evangelick works we buy right to Christ and Christs merits and so Christ hath not merited to us a jus and right and title to life everlasting by dying and grace and a gracious right to do his Commandements by his death but that we by doing his Commandements do earne and sweat for a right to Heaven which is to say that we by doing merite and deserve the price of Redemption and that we merite Christ to our selves
much feeling of pain argues much life And such as in this regard say I thank God I was plagued and pained but now nothing ails me I have peace I am rich I have need of nothing Revel 3.17 I am all whole must be in a dangerous case Indeed the complaining of want of justification and of the righteousnesse of God in a believer and a raising of the foundation as Psal. 31.22 Jonah 2.4 I am cast out of thy sight are both false and bastard-feelings and hastie unbelief for this is a reflection upon and a reproaching of the Office of the Healer of sinners This is contrair to faith and the former is a complaining of the body of sin that can hardly be sclandered so a complaining of self and the feeling of inherent corruption weakens not but strengthens faith And complaining thus and triumphing in a believed justification do well consort in Paul Rom. 7.24 O wretched man c. v. 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord and Rom. 8.1 Then every feeling of sin is not contrair to faith as Mr. Town and other Antinomians teach some godly tender feeling foments faith Q. 6. How cometh it to passe that seldome feeling of sin wanteth unbeleef Ans. Our looking in a Legall not in an Evangelick way upon sin doth occasion unbelief for looking to the sicknesse of the sinner is but abused when this use is made of it that the question which Christ hath aboundantly answered Ah he hath not who satisfied and payed my ransome justified me also by the Redemption that is in him but the strong body of sin which leads me captive Rom. 7.23 doth also lead rather mislead me to doubt whether the ransome was sufficiently payed and I sufficiently and freely by his grace and the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus justified as Rom. 3.24 And because the sinner feels the stirring and too vigorous acting of a body of sin which is his own work he removes the foundation-stones laid by Christ and questions the well done work of Christ and thrusts in his sickle into Christs harvest which is upon the mater to say Ah my sanctification is nought or small Therefore Christs satisfaction is weak so the man laying the burden upon the wrong back will take and pull off the burden that Christ in his own body did bear on the tree as 1 Pet. 2.24 and wrestle under his own body of sin himself and he thinks he will do the busines better himself then Christ. This is that which Antinomians imput to us groundlesly but it is our sinfull weaknesse so to be troubled at the indwelling of a body of sin as we doubt of and call in question the work of Justification and the satisfaction of Christ. But there is good cause why the sinner quarrel with himself and complain of a body of sin and yet not only quarrell with Christ but exalt Christ and by faith close with the absolutenesse of his gifted satisfaction and righteousnesse And this is as easie by the Grace of God as we see the more that a gracious soul abases himself as one carnall and sold under sin Rom. 7.14 as one in whom there dwells no good as touching the flesh v. 18. in whom sin dwells v. 20. as one brought into captivity to the Law of sin and a wretched man 24. so much the more doth he exalt Christ the only deliverer Rom. 7.25 Rom. 8.1 23 33 34 35. and why should not our blacknesse commend Christs beauty our deadness exalt his life our sinfull wretchednesse his glorious office in saving and our emptinesse and drynesse his fulnesse of the anointing who is all fulnesse CHAP. XXVIII Christ died not to blot out the sense of sin but rather to quicken a Godly sense thereof THe more of Christ and his sufferings be apprehended the more Godly sense of sin so far is Christs death from bloting out all sense of sin For if sense of sin be all one with a simple reflecting knowledge that we once sinned then the Godly in this life from grace not from the stirring of the Law do both know and acknowledge what they were 1 Tim. 1.13 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord c. I was before a blasphemer and a persecuter and injurious but I obtained mercy Tit. 3.3 We our selves were also sometimes foolish disobedient c. Yea the glorified cannot before the Throne sing the glory of the Lamb slain and the price of Redemption payed Rev. 5 12. to redeem them from sin but there must be even in glory this sense of their debt though without heart break or sorrow Then it cannot be a Doctrine of the Gospel that paying of our debt and the ransome doth score out of a gracious memory the counts of a payed debt The more I know what Christ hath done the more I should kisse and imbrace the gracious surety and these kisses of Glory and that song worthy is the Lamb c. say that grace and the faith of the price payed do inlarge rather the holy memory and sense of sin then obliâ—erate it Hence the translated out of sense of grace cast back their eye to the pit the drudgerie of bondage they were once in Epâ— 2.3 4 5. Tit. 3.3 4 5. 1 Tim. 1.13 14. with loving and praising the riches of grace And must it not be good to read old counts and weep for joy and cast and dart up praises to him who is at the right hand of the Father and sorrow for old debts and love much him who freely pardons 2. If sense of sin be taken for the unbelieving feeling of and judging my self cast out of his sight and condemned whereas yet I am in Christ and it is God who justifies me who is he shall condemn Rom. 8.33 34. We shall agree with Antinomians this is indeed the hastie sense of unbeleef Psal. 31.22 Joâ— 2.4 Hence let them be rebuked who say not that Christ in the Gospel hath taken away this sense of sin Yea many redeemed of the Lord are weary and laden but they render themselves weary and then sinfully complain that Christ will not ease them In which unconverted ones in the dead-throw are more to be justified then they the one being under a reall burden and the spirit of the Law acting upon them the other act the Law at their own hand and will receive the spirit of bondage to fear again whether it be reason or not He is the less to be pittied who casts himself with his own hand in prison 3. There is a Gospel-sense of in-dwelling of sin bringing forth the mourning of the dove and tears that are so innocent as they wrong not Christ or his work of redeeming and justifying Of this Rom. 7.24 Christ sure takes not this away Beleevers lodge a body of sin in them as sighing patients and as captives half against their will at least their renewed will does contradict this guest Rom. 7.14 15 16 17 18 c. 23 24.
then the second ADAM No more of this here It is a question the Threatning standing Gen. 2.17 how the active righteousnesse of Christ can be a cause meriting to us life and satisfying the Law when there is no suffering for the breach of the Law which expresly required death in the sinner Not to say that it seems too near to make Christs dying needlesse if his active holinesse do the businesse Nay we cannot so teach CHAP. II. Wherein stands our right to Christ and the satisfaction made for us by Christ 2. Faith is not the cause of our right 3. Christs incarnation and dying are not favours merited by Christ. 4. How Adams sin and Christs righteousnesse are ours OUr right to CHRIST must be considered more accurately then ordinarily it is Whether it floweth from 1. the merite of Christ Or 2. from the grace of predestination Or 3. faith in Christ. 1. Conclusion Grace is either objectivè out of us as the free love of God having mercy on whom he will Or subjectivè merited by Christ to us and bestowed upon us As touching our right to God as incarnate 2. As dying for us 3. As his satisfaction is made ours are of diverse considerations For if God out of free love sent his Son in the world Joh. 3.16 and if he out of free-grace that separateth the race of man from Angels took upon him the nature of man to wit of Abraham and not the nature of Angels Heb. 2.16 Then sure by the merits of Christs death it cannot come that God came in the flesh to save sinners For the effect cannot but come from the cause but the cause flowes not from the effect nor is the effect to wit Christs Incarnation and his dying the cause of that love and free-grace of God which moved God to send his Son in the flesh but posterior unto and latter then that love for because he loved us he sent his Son in the flesh to die for us 2. This cannot then be true Christ by his dying for the Elect merited and deserved that God should be made Man for us for this should be true also by the blood of Christ and by the redemption that is in Christ God sent his Son in the flesh and the Son took on him our nature by the blood of the Covenant nor can this be true Christ merited by his death that he should die for us for so it should be true that Christ by his blood shed his blood for us Where as because he loved his Church freely he gave himself for her Eph. 5.15 Who loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2.20 Hence 1. though grace be the cause of grace as because he of grace ordained us to glory therefore of grace he calls and because of free-grace he calls of free-grace he carries on his work and gives of grace perseverance and glory Yet there is a fountain-grace of election to glory which hath no cause nor merit not the merit of Christ for its cause but is the cause of causes and of Christs merits As one fire may produce another but the element of fire was not produced by another element of fire but by God in creation And one Vine Tree brings forth another but the first Vine Tree was created by the Lord only 2. Conclus Nor have we to speak acurately right to Christs satisfaction nor to his righteousnesse by faith 1. Because the Lords free-grace in laying our sins on Christ Isa. 53.6 and his making him sin for us 2 Cor. 5.21 does rather give the right to his satisfaction God would have Christ to stand for so many chosen of God upon the Crosse and for no other 1 Cor. 1.30 Ye are of him through Jesus Christ who is made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of God to us wisedom and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption Nor is there any act of faith interveening by which Christ became our surety and ransone-payer upon the Crosse and not the surety of others 2. It is ordinary to our Divines to say by faith we do apply Christ and his righteousnesse but if we speak properly application is possession and a putting on of Christ and his righteousnesse Now title or Law-right to an inheritance and possession of it are different natures and have different causes but faith gives not law-right to Christ and his righteousnesse not so much as instrumentally My receiving with my hand gold my eating and drinking the flesh and blood of Christ by faith Joh. 6.53 54 c. doth presuppone some right to that gold but no man can say that receiving of gold and eating of bread and putting on of garments gives a man right to gold bread or garments He that possâ—sseth an inheritance hath some right to the inheritance by birth buying purchase or gift the possession in its nature and causes may be unjust yet it is possession Nor can it be shown what causative influence even instrumentall faith hath in our Law-right to Christs satisfaction and righteousnesse except it were a meritorious cause of our right by way of instrument which can hardly be said 3. We may ask how Christ so died for the Reprobate as his death is a remedie applicable to them by the ordination of God so as they shall have life eternall if they believe For 1. there is either a jus and a Law-right to pardon and life eternall merited bâ— Christs death to the Reprobate or no such thing is merited If neither be procured by Christs merite the Patrons of this way shall say there is no serious offer made to them yea there is a jus a title to life eternall and remission which all the reprobate may challenge even a right to remission and life eternall so they beleeve Well then it is the same right conditional to life and pardon which is purchased to the Elect yea this must be purchased whether they believe or not Then there is no more in the kind of the Law-right to Redemption and life eternall and remission of sins purchased to Peter then to Judas or Cain And therefore hath Christ bestowed as much tender love in dying for the Reprobate as in dying for his friends And Christ saith there is no greater love then this Joh. 15.13 As for the efficacious intention of applying of Christs death to Peter when as God had no such intention of applying it to Judas that is an act of eternall predestination not a fruit of Christs death and as for the grace of beleeving it was purchased to all Reprobate and Elect only the Lord applyes not his death and bestowes not the grace of beleeving upon the Reprobate but for right to faith to remission to perseverance to life eternall this right must be purchased but faith it self is never bestowed upon them But there is a ransome of blood given for faith and purchased by CHRISTS merit But CHRIST is never called the Head of all men Elect and Reprobate but the Head of the Body
salvation upon their own Socinian faith that is their indifferent relying upon the Saviour Jesus and their own holiness watchfulnesse obedience love to God Sure the comfort joy peace assurance subjective that they have in their conscience can be no stronger then the objective and fundamentall certitude of standing persevering overcoming flowing from free-will which is woefully free and indifferent to persevere and stand or not to persevere not to stand but to fall away It s a stronger consolation and the strongest should be the Christians choise that is founded upon the Fathers giving and the Sons receiving of sinners and the faith of salvation to me which relies and leans upon Christs undertaking for me that I shall not be lost nor casten out then upon my undertaking for my self The fifth Argument is from Christs receiving the Seals Who so receives in his body the Seals of the Covenant of Grace Circumcision and Baptism and yet needs no putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh by Circumcision and needs no forgivenesse of sin no regeneration no burying with Christ in Baptism as Col. 2.11 12. Rom. 6.3 4 5. and eats the Passeover and needs not that the Lamb of God take away his sins as Joh. 1.29 since he is holy and without sin he must be under the Covenant and God must be his God in some other Covenant then sinners are for these seals are proper to a Covenanted people strangers and Pagans might not receive them but these in Covenant only Gen. 17.7 Exod. 12.48 Matth. 28.20 Col. 2.11 12. and Christ must have received Seals for other uses and ends then sinners received them to wit to testifie that he was the God of both Jews and Gentiles and that he was the undertaker for us in a Covenant of suretyship for us to perfect a higher command then any mortall man was under to wit to lay down his life for sinners Joh. 10.18 and beside that for our cause he was made under the Law to fulfill all righteousness and so was Circumcised Luk. 2.21 Baptized Matth. 3.13 16 17. did eat the Passeover with the Disciples Mat. 26.18 19 20. Mar. 14.18 Luk. 22.13 14. he in coming under that state in which he must because a man fulfill the Law and be under even Gospel commands so far as they were suteable to his holy Nature testifieth in obeying all commands even of the Morall Law and as the Son of God he was under no such obligation that he was under a speciall ingagement and compact to God for the work of Redemption And we are taught to feel what imbred delight and sweetnesse of peace is in duties when Christ Covenants with God to come under the Law and under the hardest of commands to lay down his life for sinners because it was a Law and command by Covenant that hath most of obedience which hath most of a Law Q. Was Christ such an one as needed seals to his speciall Covenant with the Father Ans. He needed no seals at all to strengthen his faith of dependency for there was no sinfull weaknesse in his faith yet he was capable of growing Luk. 2.52 For the Law requires not the like physicall intention and bendednesse of acts of obedience from the young as from the aged 2. In that the receiving of the seals proves Christ to be Surety of the Covenant of Grace it makes good that he was under the other Covenant and to perform the obedience due to the speciall command of dying as to a command of Covenant 6. Argument is from the Lords libertie If God might in justice have prosecuted the Covenant of Works and Adam and his might justly have suffered eternall death for sin for the Law is holy and just and the threatning Gen. 2.17 just except the Lord had of grace made another Covenant then must the Lord send or not send a Saviour to suffer and be a suffering Redeemer and Surety as pleased him or not pleased him and if Christ may refuse to undertake or willingly agree as pleased him and Christ being Godâ—consubstantiall with the Father might have stood to the Law-way of works For who or what could have hindered him to follow a course of justice against all men then if both agreed to dispense with that Law-way to save man Here is Covenant-condiscension between JEHOVAH and the Son of quieting Law and pitching on a milde Gospel-way 7. Argument from the promises made to Christ He to whom the promises are made as to the seed so as in him they are yea and Amen and he who is eminently the chief heir of the promises as ingaged to make good the promises on the Lords part to give forgivenesse Jer. 31.34 Heb. 8.12 perseverance Jer. 32.39 40. Isa. 54.10 Isa. 59.21 peace Ezek. 34.25 Lev. 26.6.11 12. yea and a new heart Jer. 31.33 Ezek. 11.19 Heb. 8.10 life eternall Joh. 10.28 and to make good the promises upon our part by fulfilling the condition and giving habituall grace Jer. 31.33 Ezek. 36.26 and actuall influences Jer. 31.34 to know the Lord Ier. 32.39 40. Ezek 36.27 to and with him God must strike a Covenant of suretyship that he shall have the anointing in its fulnesse above his fellows without measure to make good all these promises as Mediatour for it is not simply grace and life that the Lord bestows upon his people but grace out of the store-house of the Mediatour God-Man Now this must be given to Christ by promise Gal. 3.16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made he saith not and to seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seed which is Christ He cannot well mean mysticall Christ that is Christ and all his for they are indeed many and numerous as Isai. 2.1 2. Isai. 60.1 2 3 4 5 6. Psal. 22.27 compared with Rev. 5.11 Rev. 7.9 for the promises are made to Christ-God-Man eminently not formally For 2 Cor. 1.20 All the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen For the promise is made to us for Christ and through his grace then the promise is made first to him and more eminently and to us for him Propter quod unumquodqueâ—ale id ipsum magis tale 2. The promises are fulfilled and made good not because we fulfill the condition but for Christ in whom and by whose merit both the grace promised and the grace habituall and actuall to perform the condition be it faith repentance humility c. is freely given to us 3. Christ is he who makes the Covenant and all the promises Act. 7.32 Who said to Moses I am the God of thy fathers the God of Abraham 34. I bave seen I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Aegypt and I have heard their groaning and am come down to deliver them And now come I will send thee unto Aegypt And v. 35. Moses is made a Ruler and a deliverer by the hands of the Angel that appeared to
condition of justifying faith laying hold on him who justifies the ungodly is required of us in our Covenant There is no such condition required of Christ in his Covenant of suretyship The faith of Christ is the faith of dependency but not as a condition of the Covenant of suretyship but in another account Q. But is it not hard that Christ is in one Covenant and beleevers in another It s not hard when the Lord Christs Covenant and our Covenant cannot be separated and when Christs room in the Covenant of Redemption is to be the designed person Covenanting who undertakes for us as the surety witnesse and Angel or Messenger of the New Covenant who makes sure our Writs makes valid and strong our Charters Rights and Evidences of our Inheritance Q. How is it that the promises are made to Christ as to the seed Gal. 3.16 Ans. Our Divines Beza Piscator Deodati the English Divines in their Annotations expound the Seed Christ of Christ Mystical as the Church the body 1 Cor. 12.12 is called Christ. Judicious Pareus saith that the Apostle expounds the Seed not collectivelie of many and of all the posterity of Abraham but individuallie of one Christ from whom flowes to the beleevers not so much the corporall blessing as the spirituall that is righteousnesse and eternall life And so saith he the Apostle saith that this blessing or the inheritance is given to Abraham and believers not by the Law that is by no merit in Abraham but by the promise and by faith in Christ. Among Papists Liranus the promises are made to the seed scilicet Christo in quo impletae sunt non in alio ideo dicitur semini in singulari numero that is to Christ in whom the promises are fulfilled and in none other therefore it is said to the seed in the singular number So also Cajetan Semini autem ejus tanquam cui promissa sunt in quo adimplenda erant promissa Corn. Ã lapide If the word seed semen were taken collectively the promise could not stand for its sure all the Jews were not blessed in the seed Yea many of them saith Calvin were a curse Estius saith the word seed is a collective name and notteth many and hath not in the Hebrew the Plurall Number Augustine saith he will have all Christians following the faith of Abraham to be here noted for they are that seed to which the promise is made whereas Christ is properly he in whom the promise is to be fulfilled and in whom all are one by faith and all are reduced to the Singular Number There is no reason to expound the Seed Christ of Mysticall Christ and of his Seed 1. Because the Seed is he in whom the Nations are blessed both Jews and Gentiles v. 14. And the Seed made a curse for us v. 13. But this seed is only Christ not mysticall Christ head and members for neither are we blessed in Christ mysticall nor was Christ mysticall the Church made a curse for us Nor did the Church mysticall pay a price of satisfaction to offended justice for us v. 19. The word seed seems to have the same signification v. 16. and v. 19. Consider then v. 19. Wherefore then serveth the Law It was added because of transgressions untill the seed come to whom the promise was made Now the seed coming is Christ coming in the flesh to take on our nature If the seed were taken for Christ mysticall the Apostle must say The Law was added because of transgression untill the seed should come that is untill Christ mysticall his Church should come in the flesh which is non-sense 3. Whether the promise be of Canaan and of life eternall thereby holden forth Or of Christ to come of Abraham in whom all flesh shall be blessed or of righteousnesse by faith not by the works of the Law Or of all these coming under the name of the inheritance the promise is made to many in number like the Stars For the Lamb and the hundreth fourty and four thousands standing with him on Mount Zion and the thousands of thousands which none can number Rev. 7.9 are many and may well be called seeds And though they be all one in Christ yet the Apostle must speak too ambiguously when he said The promise of righteousnesse and life is made to the seed that is to Christ head and members for the promise is so made to Christ especially of life pardon righteousnesse as the blessings promised are fulfilled given through for Christ as the only meritorious cause as all grant which way the promises are in no sense made to believers who cannot come in as joint satisfiers with Christ as joint meritorious procurers with Christ of the blessings promised to us 4. The promise is made to the seed coming in the flesh and assuming our nature in a personal union v. 19. as is by confession of all expounded Now this restricts the promise to God incarnate and must exclude the members 5. It runs most connaturally to the Text and comfortably to us if neither Christ Gal. 3.16 be understood as a private man the Sonne of Mary nor yet as Christ mysticall as 1 Cor. 12.12 But as Christ a publike person and Head and Lord-Mediator 1. He represents all the Elect and so the word seed is taken individually He takes all the promises and the weight of the whole Covenant of Grace and Covenant-promises off the Lords hand as the second Adam representing all the Family and House Behold I and the children that God hath given me As the weight of the Covenant of Works and of the promises thereof was upon the first Adam as he should manage these promises so should it fare ill or well with all his seed And so as Christ having the Gospel and Covenant-promises committed to him so should it be with us and this Tutor cannot miscarry and so shall it be well with the Pupils and Minors Were it no more but that Joh. 14.19 Because I live ye shall live also ye shall live by promise the free promise of life eternall it s no small vantage 2. The promises are laid down in Christ as in a publike Lord-Keeper Christ is that excellent Ark in which are the Tables of the Covenant and the Book of the Law and Covenant Deut. 31.26 1 King 8.9 and as the first subject of the promises he keepeth them Yea and Christ is the fountain and originall cause of all the promises for he merited by his blood remission righteousnesse perseverance eternall life all grace which the Lord makes ours by free promise 2. In Christ they are made and published to us so they are dear mercies to Christ they stand Christ at a dear rate they are ours freely for no price or hire 3. Hence nothing hinders but the promises as made to Christ the first Heir and Son of promise for Christ is the chief and principall thing promised and other things