and Relations But Cyphers are without Significations All Duties smell so rankly of the Cask To satisfie is more than humane Task Oh GOD and MAN what will become of Me If Satisfaction be not made by Thee As it is true the Sore is solely Mine Is is as true the Salve is solely Thine JUSTIFICATION Justification that 's one of the Depths of God For a Person to be acquitted from Sin and Death the WAGES thereof to be also accounted righteous unto Life and Glory the REWARD thereof is not this one of the Depths of God Is not Justification an absolute Act of Free-Grace and consequentially one of the Depths of God God doth not justifie a Sinner for any thing that he finds or sees in him the Act as to the Sinner is altogether free and is it not then one of the Depths of God Thus Rom. 4.5 But to him that worketh not That worketh not for reward so Paraeus But believeth on him who justifieth the ungodly They were ungodly but they are godly God makes them holy as well as righteous and justifies as well as sanctifies Righteousness of LIFE must follow Righteousness of FAITH God justifieth the ungodly but Wo to that Man who justifieth the ungodly God would not justifie the ungodly but for the righteousness of another and shall we justifie the ungodly in their own unrighteousness God justifies the ungodly not in their Sins but from their Sins thorough a sinless CHRIST His faith is counted for righteousness Not for our Merit but for the Merit of Christ not inherent in us but communicated to us by his Spirit not from the Act of Faith abstracted from the Object of Faith There is a Soul-solacing Difference between Moses the Servant and Christ the Son the one condemneth the other condoneth the one accuseth the other acquitteth the one chargeth the other dischargeth the one judgeth the other justifieth all his Jedidiah's and JEWELS Justification is a Jowel but this Jewel only hangs upon the Ear and this Chain only hangs about the Neck of a person given unto Christ and unto whom Christ is given Socium habet Neminem We may say of Christ as was once said of Caesar he may have a Companion but he must not have a Competitor Is not that TEXT sweeter than the Honey or the Drops of the Honey-comb Being justified freely by his grace thorough the redemption that is in Jesus Christ The whole Act of Justification in this Text Rom. 3.24 hath its Description in Law-Terms Here is the Criminal who is the Sinner the Plaintiff who is Satan the Witness which is Conscience the Advocate who is Christ and the Judge who is God Is not Justification then one of the Depths of God This Justification is described from the efficient and the impulsive cause EFFICIENT This is Grace Being justified by his grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By grace here is not meant a meer external proposing of the word of God as the Pelagians say nor any work of Sanctity within us as Papists say but the Grace and Goodness of God without us The Grace of Himself IMPULSIVE This is implied in the word Freely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Being justified freely by his grace Without Cause saith Beza From free Gift or meer Liberality saith Toletus Without our Merits saith Lyra. Without our Merits either foreseen or present saith Paraeus To be justified by Grace is to be justified freely but to he freely by Grace justified Aut praevisis aut praesentibus is to be justified with all imaginable Freeness Yea with a Freeness uninimaginable Is not Justification now one of the Depths of God But as this impulsive cause is internal so 't is external which is Redemption Being justified freely by the grace of himself thorough the redemption which is in Christ Jesus Is not Justification now one of the DEPTHS of GOD Here is Justification from the efficient and impulsive cause Freeness of Grace together with the Active and Passive Obedience of Christ The Price was Jesus Christ saith Vatablus He by his Action and Passion redeemed which most aptly may be subjoined that it may be exclusive as to the Glory of humane Works But how can Justification be free Qu. 1 when there is the Intervention of a Price It may be free Yea Sol. freely free ex parte Hominis as to Man though it be not so ex parte Christi as to God-Man This Liberation as to Justification may well be ascribed and attributed unto divine GOODNESS because it was of the Goodness of God that Christ was given Thus John 3.16 So God loved the Word that he gave his only begotten Son c. Here is a God not a Man loving the World a lapsed World a lustful World a wicked World a wickedly-wicked World A SIC without a SICUT Yea so So God loved the World Here is the Emphasis 't is an Emphatical SO a SO to a wonder a SO 't is above all wonder This So signifieth the Vehemency of his Love saith Chrysostome God loved the world so vehemently so admirably saith Polanus But how doth this appear In giving a Son not a Servant His Son not his Servant His begotten Son not his adopted Son Nay his ONLY begotten Son This was such a Gift as none but a God could give Had this God such another Gift to give but Himself and in giving his Son he giveth Himself Oh greatest God! here is the greatest Love An only CHRIST is given from above But if Iustification be free Qu. 2 why then is Faith required Can this be free when that is imposed Faith is the Gift of God Resp Sine Pretio et Praemio Thus Eph. 2.8 By grace ye are saved thorough faith By grace Favore Dei gratuito Zanchy By the Favour of God without reward or hope of recompence Ye are saved Ye are justified so Tirinus Thorough faith Not as the Hand but as the Instrument Though he speaks here not only of the Habit but also of the Act of FAITH yet this Act must not be taken without the Object In order to Salvation or Justification there must not only be the Grace of God but also Grace from God to believe in the Person of Christ And this Faith not of your selves Not from the strength of Nature so Estius Or Dignity so Bodius Or Desert so Menochius Or Desire so Zanchius It is the Gift of God This FAITH comes to us from the gratuitous and spondaneous Liberality of God The Apostle therefore deservedly adscribeth and assigneth this Faith to the Goodness of God and emphatically cals it his Gift Christ hath made our Sins HIS that he might make his Righteousness OURS is not Justification now one of the Depths of God He that justifies himself condemns himself for his very Justification is an Accusation He that would be justified by his WORKS must not have one ill Action amongst all his Actions One Flie in the Box of Ointment corrups all One
blood live When thou wast saith Caryl wrapped in and defiled with thine own blood Sin and Misery then I had pity on thee and spake Life to thee Every Soul tumbleth in Blood till sprinkled with Blood The Blood of Man is Filthiness the Blood of God-Man is Holiness GRACE comes not by Generation but Donation Did ever any finite Intellect perfectly travel the Heights and Depths the Lengths and Breadths of Free-Grace For Free-Grace to out-bid and out-vie not only the Deserts but also the Desires of Man is not this one of the Depths of God Thus Eph. 3.20 Now unto him that is able to do superabundantly so the Greek above what we are able to ask or think c. What Pensil can draw to the life the vanishing Features of a Soul beautified with GRACE The whole Fabrick of Salvation from the Cell in Nature to the Chair in Glory is founded in Free-Grace The whole Alphabet of Salvation from the Alpha to the Omega thereof is purely legible in Free-Grace Thus Eph. 2.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By grace ye are saved This is so blessed a Parenthesis that without this Parenthesis there had been no Blessedness This is a weighty and a worthy Text here is the Mercy that 's Salvation and here is the Medium that 's Grace by grace ye are saved This is a Text of worth and of weight here is the Motive that 's Grace and here is the Mercy that 's Salvation by grace ye are saved Salvation is a choice CHAIN but every Link of this Chain is made up of Free-Grace I may assert it with the greatest Confidence and with the greatest Innocence that Free-Grace is the Wheel Primum Mobile which sets all a going in Heaven and in the Heart For God to love before loved yea for God to love when and while hated is not this one of the Depths of God For the Mercy of God to be over all his Works yea and over all his Workers too is not this one of the Depths of God For that GOD who is incapable of Addition or to be greater incapable of Substraction or to be lesser to Write rather in Honey than in Gall and to draw lines of Love than of Wrath is not this one of the Depths of God For the Grace of God to be greater than the Sin of Man and for the Ephah of God to be fuller of Mercy than the Ephah of Man can be of Iniquity is not this one of the Depths of God Thus Rom. 5.20 But where Sin abounded Grace did much more abound FREE-GRACE doth lead the Van that 's freely-free No Native but a Donative to Thee This is the Wheel that set's a going all In Heaven in the Heart and fince the Fall Hath ever done So let it be for Ever Thus do I pray and would retract it Never By Grace ye saved are Now is not this To sordid Man a sweet PARENTHESIS Are Judgments Deep what are Gods Mercies then They well-come are unto the Sons of Men. Salvation's Sions Chain but every Link Of Free-Grace is made up I more then think The two POLES distant are yet these will meet When Free-Grace and Free-Will each other greet In saving Man a Captive to the Devil And freeing also from a double Evil. The PENSIL draws the Features of the Face Oh God of Gods my Glass doth run apace While therefore I am running of my Race Oh Deck this Soul of mine with saving Grace ELECTION Election that 's one of the Depths of God The Romanists speak of an universal Election but the very name of Election carries in it a Confutation For none can be said to be elected if all be elected he that electeth cannot be said to take all Neither can it be said that Election is nothing else but Dilection for Dilection was antecedaneous and praevious unto Election Election is an absolute Act of Grace and is it not then one of the Depths of God Thus Rom. 11.5 6. There is a remnant according to the election of grace A remnant comparatively is very little to the whole piece There are very few among very many that are elected and 't is the election of GRACE Election is made up of Grace made out of Grace It is such an Election as Grace makes an Election of Graces making And if by Grace then is it no more of Works otherwise grace is no more grace But if it be of Works then is it no more grace otherwise work is no more work The two sorts of righteousness by the Covenant of Works and by the Covenant of Grace are altogether incompatible Whatsoever is given for the MERIT of Works is not freely given and consequently is not Grace For as Aug. speaks elegantly against the Pelagians Grace Gratia non est Gratia ullo modo nisi sit gratuita omni modo is not said to be Grace in any sense or any way if it be not free every way It loseth the nature of a work if done to merit by for if elected partly for Works and partly by Grace then the merit of Works is no Merit For if Merit first enters it excludes Grace and if Grace first enters it excludes Merit Now if Election hath for its efficient cause the Purpose of God for its formal cause the Mercy of God for its material cause the Blood of Jesus for its final cause the Glory of God and the Salvation of Man is it not then one of the Depths of God The ARMINIANS say Non eligit dignum sed eligendo efficit dignâ—m that Election is posterior to Faith to Works to Perseverance but these are posterior unto Election God elects not the worthy but having elected them makes them worthy They also are under a notorious deception and prodigious Delusion who say Election is Christ the Seed not the Persons of Men and Women Christ is if I may so write Gods first Elect. Thus Isa 42.1 Behold my Servant whom I uphold mine elect in whom my soul delighteth Christ was chosen by God to be SAVIOUR Man was chosen in Christ to be saved There are those who are called the elect of God Thus Col. 3.12 Put on therefore as the elect of God Bowels of Mercies c. Now the elect of God are elected in Christ Thus Eph. 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the World that we should be Holy and walk without blame before him in Love Here is the elector this is God He. As he hath chosen The elected Us. Here is the person in whom these are elected this is Christ In him And here is the end of this Election That they might be holy c. They were not elected because they were holy or because they would be holy PAUL Electum Vas. was an elect Vessel Now God elected Paul as Paul not as a Believer or a holy person Election is absolutely free there was no Praevision of any Qualification in Man as a Motive to God
into the Kingdom of the heavens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the Greek There must be Conversion If ye be not converted And there must be Submission and Humility And become as little children The Child of a Prince without aversation and dedignation wil associate himself with the Child of a Peasant Conversion is the proper work of Omnipotency by his Spirit in his Word is it not then one of the Depths of God The ARMINIAN saith put all the Operation of Grace that need to be put into one Ballance a man's Free-will ballanced against it wil weigh it down wil turn the Scales and determine the Case whether a man shall be converted or no shal accept of Grace or no. Now by this Heterodox Opinion it will follow that not God by his FREE-GRACE but Man by his FREE-WILL is the efficient cause of his Conversion 'T is true the Soul worketh in the very Moment of Conversion Thus Acts 9.6 Lord what wilt thou have me to do I thought I had done wel before and could have said unto any Opponent Quid mali feci What Evil have I done But I am of another Mould now and of another Mind now Lord what wilt thou have me to do Saul was now in FIERI in making and reflect the Beatings of his Pulse Lord what wilt thou have me to do I have been doing my own Wil but now I would do thy Wil. I have been doing the Wil of Satan but now I would do the Wil of God I have been doing without thee and against thee but now I would be doing from thee and for thee Lord what wilt thou have me to do So Lydia Acts 16.14 Whose heart the Lord opened There was Christ's work That she attended to the things which were spoken of Paul There was her work Paul was a curious Pracher but he did not open her Heart To the Ears may a Paul preach but to the HEART must a CHRIST preach Whose heart the Lord opened The Metaphor is taken from opening a Door or Lock The Opener is he who hath the Key of David Rev. 3.7 opening and no man shutting shutting and no man opening The Babes of Grace act in the very Birth Yet know that in order of nature the work of God is before the work of the Soul and the work of the Soul dependeth upon the work of God The one as the Cause the other as the Caused the one as the Efficient the other as the Effect the one as the Spring the other as the Stream the one as the Root the other as the Fruit. No preparation is antecedaneous as to God For the preparations of the heart in man Pro. 16.1 and the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. Believe it Conversion is without the Sphere of our Activity He that is a BARNABAS the Son of Conversion as the word signifieth is so by the God of Grace and by the Grace of God is not this then one of the Depths of God Nothing below Almightiness of Power can effect the Conversion of the Soul is not this then one of the Depths of God Should JEHOVAH say to all the Angels in Heaven there is such a Person in such a Country and in such a City who is a Gentile-Sinner This Enosh makes Wickedness not his Woe but his Work His Element is Sin and he is out of his Element when he is not sinning when he is not adding sin to sin The poor Man stands as it were upon the Confines of Eternity and as it were upon the Battlements of Hel There is but a Step as it were between Him and Damnation But such are the expatiated Bowels of Benignity in me that I had much rather he should be convinced than confounded that he should be converted than consumed that he should be saved than damned that he should go to Heaven than to Hel Go ye all therefore and lay Siege to his Soul improve your utmost to give him a seasonable and sutable CHECK give him a timely and a true Turn out of the way of Sin into the way of Grace that he may happily escape the wrath to come and not perish for an Eternity All these Angels more than probably upon the Command of this Being of Beings would go for ENS ENTIVM they are all ministring Spirits Heb. 1.14 sent forth to minister for them who shall be heyres of salvation and would improve their utmost Power and Prudence in order to the Conversion of this ISH But returning must give this Answer unto that GOD who hath Beams of Glory as wel as Bowels of Mercy and who is infinite in Power as wel as in Pity Greatest God we went to the Place and found the Person one Hyperbolically sinful sinful to a wonder sinful above all wonder We did set before him the way of Life and the way of Death the way of Deliverance and the way of Destruction We presented him with Precepts and Presidents with Punishments and Promises We did set before him Misery and Mercy the BLACK of Sin and the WHITE of Grace We discoursed of Sorrow and Solace of the Torments of Hel and of the Triumphs of Heaven But as we found him so we left him nothing that we said or did was influential upon him Father of Mercies we could not turn him from darkness to light Acts 26.18 and from the power of Satan unto God We did what we could but we could not take this CITTADEL and cause him to launch forth into this great Deep of CONVERSION which is one of the Depths of God Lord if thou layest not Seige to his Soul thy Self and consequentially make it a Captive to thy Free Grace the Man must dwel with devouring fire and with everlasting burnings notwithstanding all that we have said or done It is not the Word which Man speaketh nor Man which speaketh the Word Libertatem Arbitrii but GOD by his Spirit who converteth the Soul Hath Man before Conversion a Liberty of Wil unto that which is spiritually good Is not Man before Conversion purely passive Yea and after Conversion are not the Cedars in Lebanon Ex puris Naturalibus as wel as the Shrubs in the Valley like a Coach-Wheel that runs not unless it be drawn Can MAN from Himself any more prepare himself for his own converting than a Stone can prepare it self to its own softning Is not Conversion then one of the Depths of God Though the ways of God in Conversion be various his Spirit working when where and how it pleaseth And though the VARIETY of his ways in this noble work doth transcend the Apprehensions of Men if not of Angels Yet there is an undeniable Necessity of it and is it not then one of the Depths of God Thus Acts 3.19 Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out c. Here is Remission but it follows Conversion Is it not a Metaphor taken from a munificent CREDITOR who remitting a
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but accidentally so Tirinus Spiritually and Mystically so Beza One in Love in Consent of Will in Grace and in Glory so Menochius Thus Freinds Acts 4.32 are called one Soul because of the Concord of Souls 'T is a Metonymy wherein the Cause is named for the Effect He that is one Spirit is spritually and wholy Christs by Vnion with him He is not divided between God and Mammon Agitur Regitur between the Spirit and the Flesh but he is led and governed by the self-same Spirit So Eph. 2.12 13. At that time ye were without Christ But now in Christ Jesus c. To be in Christ is to be ONE with Christ and to be one with Christ is to be IN Christ for these are convertible Terms Christ and the Soul out of Christ are TWO but Christ and the Soul in Christ are ONE Is not Vnion then with Christ one of the Depths of God So John 14.20 At that day ye shal know At that day But what day was that In that day when I shal be raised so Vatablus In that day when I shal appear to you a Victor of Death so Grotius In the day of Pentecost espicially so Menochius In a future life so Maldonatus Ye shal know They knew before but then they should more gloriously and perfectly know But what should they then so know The UNION between the Father and Himself between Himself also and his Saints That I am in my Father and You in me and I in you Is not Vnion now one of the Depths of God So John 17.21 That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us So v. 23. I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in one c. Here is an Vnion between the Father and the Son Thou in me As the Father and the Son are one by Vnity of Essence Phi. 2.6 And by the Deity dwelling in the Humanity Col. 2.9 So by Co-operation John 14.10 Here is also an Vnion between the Son and the Saints I in them And here is an Vnion between the Saints That they may be made perfect in one Is not Vnion now one of the Depths of God So v 26. And I in them Dwelling in them Now Christ dwelleth in a Christian By a Communication of Nature Thus Heb. 2.11 He who sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one Christ and Christians are of the same Family and have the same Father For which cause he is not ashamed to call them Brethren Though CHRIST did not assume the Person of Abraham or any other Saint yet he did assume the Nature of Abraham and of every other Saint So Eph. 5 30. We are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones We all All who are Believers of the right Stock and Stamp Are members of his body ESTIUS Mystical which is his Church Of his flesh and of his bones We are Participants of the same humane Nature with Himself By the Inhabitation of the Spirit Thus Rom. 8.10 If Christ be in you c. Thus he is by the Spirit Be in you as in his Temple and by his SPIRIT which saith Grotius is called by Tertullian the VICAR of Christ So v. 11 By his Spirit that dwelleth in you By the Operation of Faith Thus Gal. 3.26 For ye are all Jews and Gentiles the children of God thorough saith in Christ Jesus So Eph. 3.17 That Christ may dwel in your hearts by faith c. By the Operation of Love Thus 1 Jo. 4.16 God is Love Not only lovely and loving but also LOVE He is so properly and essentially so Estius He is so causally so Menochius But what follows And he that dwelleth in love dwelieth in God and God in him As the Church is one with the Son by Faith so she is one with the Father by Love Is not Vnion now one of the Depths of God Here UNION in Poem now doth enter Communion herein doth also Center 'T is most prudential now to look about us A CHRIST within us not a Christ without us The Scripture saith the Hope of Glory is And Ever wil be unto each of HIS Communion with Christ may lessened be But UNION shal none dissolved see Who once are One for they are ever so And certainly shal unto Heaven go Similitutes that are adapted best As Fabrick Foundation with the rest But HIEROGLYPHICKS are Yea those Relations Who nearest are and dearest in their Stations But EMBLEMS are let no man henceforth doubt This Vnion with Christ to shadow out Lord Jesus Christ this UNION with Thee The CHANNEL is wherein doth run to Me Thy signal Favours All thy Looks are Loves As unto Me so unto all thy Doves COMMUNION Communion that 's one of the Depths of God When Galeatius that noble Marquess was presented with golden Temptations he replied Let their Money perish with them that account all the Gold in the World worth one dayes Communion with Jesus Christ in the Spirit Is not Communion then one of the Depths of God If Communion with a Saint be a HEAVEN on EARTH what is Communion with a Saviour then With a Surety then With a Soveraign then Certainly this is one of the Depths of God A Friend to the Body may prove a Favour to the Soul Civil Acquantance may be of spiritual Advantage and from Communion with the Saint some come to have Communion with the Sanctifier God brings Naomi and Ruth acquainted and Naomi was Naomi to Ruth beautiful lovely or greatly moving as the word fignifieth That there is such a thing as Communion with the Father and the Son is evidently evident but this is far better experienced than it can be expressed Is not this then one of the Depths of God Thus 1 Jo. 3.3 Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ Our Society Communication or Communion Communion with Christ is a COMMUNICATION of Loves from Christ to the Soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus John 14.21 I wil love him and wil manifest myself to him And Reciprocation of Loves from the Soul to Christ Thus Cant. 7.12 There wil I give thee my Loves Is not this now one of the Depths of God The infinite Disparity that is between GOD and MAN made the great Philosopher conclude that there could be no Friendship between them Communion with God is more in Conversation with God then in Contemplation upon God is not this then one of the Depths of God Thus 1 Jo. 1.6 If we say that we have Fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie and do not the truth So 1 Jo. 2.6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked If the Pythagoreans imitate Pythagoras if the Stoicks imitate Zeno if the Academicks imitate Socrates how much more should the Christian imitate Christ That God might have