1. Against the fear of falling away Psal 34.19 Many indeed are the troubles and temptations of the righteous but the Lord will deliver them out of them all Satan his Instruments are very powerfull they do and shall deceive many especially in such times as these But the Elect of God and such onely are effectually called shall not be deceived For saith our Saviour Christ Mat. 24.24 There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very Elect. The Elect may be long deceived before their conversion they may after their conversion also be brought off for a time from some of the sound principles they have professed and from much of the practice of Christianity wherein they were forward as I am perswaded many are in these dayes whom God will cause in his good time to remember from whence they are fallen and repent and do their first Works And the most faithfull of Gods Elect are deceived all their dayes in lesser matters both in judgment and practise But the Elect of God shall not be utterly deceived in those things that are essentially necessary to be known and done Whosoever then thou art that sincerely fearest God rejoyce in thy firme and setled condition The Love wherewith the Lord hath loved thee is everlasting love Jer. 33.3 his mercy he will keep for thee for evermore Psal 89.28 the kindnesse of thy Redeemer is everlasting kindnesse Isa 54.8 The Covenant that God hath entred with thee is an everlasting Covenant Isa 55.3 Heb. 8. 8 9. c 13.20 The spirit i Scriptura non uno loco inculcat Spiritū S. electis datum inhabitare corundem corda Si autem inbabitat igitur domicilium fixamque sedem ibi deligit neq zimaginabimur cum excurrere vagari redire quod malum spiritum facere consucvisse Christus Mat. 12. testatur Zanch. Epist l. 1. Datur electis Spiritus S. ut arrbabo haereditatis coelestis Eph. 1. Nemo autem qui promissis pactisve vult stare arrbabonem reposcit quin potius in hoc totus est ut promissa sive pacta praestet ne tum quidem ubi illa praestiterit arrhabonem repetiturus Consequitur ergo Spiritum S. apud cum cui semel datus est relinqui Quod eo quoque comprobatur quod Eph. 4. dicuntur credentes per Sp. Sanctum in diem redemptionis obsignari Zanch. ibid. of Sanctification already given thee is the earnest of thy Inheritance Eph. 1.14 Thou art sealed by it to the day of redemption Eph. 4.30 It is sent unto thee not as a wayfaring man to tarry but for a night but to abide with thee for ever Joh. 14.16 The seed of grace is an incorruptible seed 1. Pet. 1.23 The life of grace is everlasting life For he that truely believeth hath everlasting life Joh 3.36 Ch. 5.24 Thou believest the record that God hath given of his Son and this is the record that God hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life 1 Joh 5.11 12 Everlasting life is already begun in thy soule and the Lord is faithfull who will establish thee to the end 2. Thes 3.3 Satan indeed desireth to have thee that he may sist thee as wheat but Christ hath prayed for thee that thy faith may not faile Luke 22. 31 32. The powers that are against thee are great but the power that is for thee is k Nemo fallit redemptorem tuum nemo circumvenit nemo premit Aug. in Psal 103. v. 3. greater Thou shalt be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 The Lord that hath already rescued thee out of the jawes of Satan that was ready to devour thee as David rescued the Lamb out of the mouth of the Lion will carefully watch over thee that thou maist no more become a prey He that keepeth thee will not slumber Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep The Lord is thy keeper the Lord is thy shade upon the right hand The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil he shall preserve thy soule the Lord shall preserve thy going out and coming in from this time forth and for evermore Hear how Christ the great Sheepherd of thy Soul speaks for thy comfort John 10.27 28 29 30. My sheep hear my voice I know them and they follow me and I give unto them eternall life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand My Father which gave them me is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of my fathers hand I and my Father are one And how confidently doth Paul triumph against all opposition Rom. 8.35 37 38 39. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword Nay in all these things we are more than conquerours through him that loved us For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Thou hast cause indeed to feare Satans and the Worlds temptations and thine own inbred corruption with a feare begetting care for the prevention of the evil but let not thy feare cause thee to cast away thy confidence in Christ thy Saviour but in assurance of his help and protection fly unto him at all seasons and say as David did in another case Psal 66.3 What time I am afraid I will trust in thee Forsake not him and he will not forsake thee In this case I may say as Azariah said to Asa and all Judah and Benjamin The Lord is with you while ye be with him yea the Lord hath said I will not faile thee nor forsake thee A repetition of the same thing in Scripture is like Pharaoh's doubled dream which sheweth that the thing shall certainly come to passe which is foretold or promised Now we have here the Lord doubling his promise I will not faile thee nor forsake thee Note also that whereas two negatives in the Greek Language deny the more strongly we have here no lesse than five negatives two in the former and three in the latter clause of this promise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If we should translate the words literally it would be thus I will not not faile thee neither will I not not forsake thee Enemies indeed thou hast and the worst are in thine own house I meane which is worse in thine own heart Feare with a cautious but not with an incredulous feare Remember thou art here a member of the Church-militant among many Enemies warre thou must and adventure hazards and difficulties yet be not dismayed l Eisi diabolus peccatum
in his Epistle to Titus c. 2. pressing the duties of severall ages sexes and orders of people to ver 11 useth this with other weighty arguments that Christ gave himselfe for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purify unto himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good works ver 14. Thus also Peter exhorting the elect to be active in the wayes of holinesse not fashioning themselves to their former lusts 1. Pet 1. from ver 10. to v. 18. useth this as a most forcible argument among others ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold from your vaine conversation received by tradition from your Fathers but with the precious blood of Christ Arg. 1 The First Argument is drawn from Gods honour that is the chief work of Christ our Saviour wherein God is most honoured but God is most honoured in the saving his people from their sins therefore is this the chief work of Christ c. That that is the great or chief work of Christ wherein God is most glorified will need little proof for that must needs be the greatest work that most effectually atteineth the highest end And what end higher than the glory of God which was the supreme end of all Christs undertakings Joh. 17.4 That God is most glorified in the saving his people from their sins is manifest by its contrary God is most yea onely dishonoured by the sinnes and not all by the sufferings e As a cause or occasion given of his dishonour although the wicked take occasion to blaspheme God when his people are brought low Psal 79.10 12. of his people Gods people by their holinesse glorifie him and he is much honoured in the midst of their sufferings whereas Sin dishonours him in the midst of ease and abundance of mercies Gods honour Will well agree with the sufferings of his people but Sin is directly injurious to his glory though by accident he gets himselfe glory by it as he at first produc'd light out of darkness Thus God is much honoured by the great sufferings of Job while he sinneth not Job 1.20 21. yea God is so much honoured that he makes his boast against Satan of his Servant Job cap. 2 3. And the Lord said unto Satan hast thou considered my Servant Job that there is none like him in the Earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evill and still he holdeth fast his integrity although thou movedst me against him to destroy him without cause And on the contrary how much is God dishonoured by our sinfull ease and prosperity yea most dishonoured by it in those that are redeemed from the guilt and punishment of sinne The grosse miscarriages of Gods people give occasion to the Enemies of God to blaspheme his name and wayes Thus when David had foulely offended saith the Lord by his Prophet Thou hast given great occasion to the Enemies of the Lord to blaspheme 2 Sam. 12.14 The crimes of Professors are ever the most scandalous yea the sins of Gods dearest children are most offensive to God himselfe because they are also committed against the greatest mercy and loving kindness The Lord in this case is ready to say with the Psalmist Psal 55.12 It was not mine Enemy that reproached me then I could have born it But when a Sinner is saved from his sins God is much honoured both before Angels and Men. Arg. 2 The second Argument is drawn from the greatnesse of the evill of sin above suffering That must needs be the greatest work in our Salvation whereby we are saved from the greatest evill but sin f It is better for a man to be cast into the torments of Hell among the Damned than to be overcome with any Sin Hookers Souls Prepar pag. 16. See Master Burroughs his Treatise of the Evill of Evills is the greatest evill and therefore our Salvation from it must needs be answerable That sin is the greatest evill is evident for many reasons 1. It is the procuring cause of all other evills and therefore must needs it self be the worst of evills The cause is ever more eminent than its effect whether for good or evill a good cause is better than its effect and an evill cause is worse That sin is the onely procuring cause of all evills is without controversie for as sin entred in the world death entred by sin and death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Rom. 5 12. And the wages of sin is death saith Paul Rom. 6.23 Death temporall with all the evills of life as sicknesse wounds sorrowes and whatsoever else tendeth to Death and Death eternall All the horrour of hell is the fruit of sin the foundations of Hell are laid upon sinne Hell the worst of torments was built meerly for sinners therefore sin must be the worst of evills And because that sin is the Souls greatest evill and unhappinesse it is that when God comes to deliver a Soul out of meer pity and bowels of compassion his Eye chiefly pities them and his Bowells yerne over them because of their misery in sinne it selfe as you may read at large Ezek. 16. the former part of the Chapter And the saving mercy that he sheweth his love in is opposed to hardning in sinne rather than damning for sinne Rom. 9.18 He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth And the punishment of sinne with sin we account the greatest judgement 2. Sinne is Mans greatest evill because it hinders him from the enjoyment of the greatest good which is God himselfe It is sinne onely that separates between God and the Soule this is the onely partition wall Isa 59.2 Your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sinnes have hid his face from you 3. Sinne is the greatest evill because of all things it is most displeasing to God the chiefest good yea there is nothing displeasing to God but sinne primarily and this is an abomination to him and therefore Sinnes are called in Scripture abominations Ezek. 9.4 And the Lord said unto him goe through the midst of the City through the midst of Jerusalem and set a marke upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the Abominations that be done in the midst thereof Prov. 15.9 The way of ths wicked is an Abomination unto the Lord. And God doth so loath sinners for their sinne that he will not abide them in his sight The foolish shall not stand in thy sight thou hatest all workers of iniquity saith David Psal 5.5 But the evill of suffering is not at all in it selfe displeasing unto God Yea he himselfe who is infinitely good is the Author of it and there is no evill of suffering but what comes from him as the principall efficient Can there be evill in the City and the Lord hath not done it Amos 3.6 As by being saved from sinne Arg. 3 Man is
inquit scimus ex parte prophetamus cum dutem venerit id quod perfectum est quod ex parte est evacuabitur Deinde ut quomodo possee aliqua similitudine ostendere quantum ab illa quae fatura est distet haec vita non qualiumcunque hominum verum etiam qui praecipua hîc sanctitate suut praediti Cum essem inquit parvus quasi parvulus sapiebam c. Aug. de Civ Dei lib. 22. cap. 29. and upon the whole man at the great resurrection then shall the whole man be wholly perfect perfect Soul and perfect Body united together and when they are brought to the heavenly Canaan the Canaanites shall be no more in the land as thornes in their eyes and goads in their sides no more arising of sinne in the Soule no more imperfections cleaving to their Seraphicall Hallelujahs nothing wanting that may be further desired to the compleating of their happinesse Thus Christ is not like a foolish builder that laid a foundation and was not able to finish it but he layes the foundation and carrieth on the building of grace here which he compleatly perfects and beautifully adornes in glory hereafter In this great work of saving his people from their sins Christ is all and in all He is all Meritoriously purchasing grace for them He is all Efficiently working grace in them He infuseth grace preserveth grace increaseth grace and perfecteth grace He is not like unto Moses that brought the children of Issrael out of Egypt and died when he came neere to the borders of Canaan Nor like unto Joshua that brought them into Canaan but began the work where Moses left But both of them together will more fitly typifie the work of Christ our Saviour a Ipse Christus is propriè est qui nos vocat fide vesipiscentia donat ac credentes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 justificat regenerat vivificet servitque in vitam aeternam Zâ—nch de dispens salutis per Christum Thes 17. who brings his people out of bondage from under their hard taskmasters leads them safe through the wildernesse of this world and peaceably setleth them in their everlasting rest having subdued all their enemies under their feet Quest But why are we not perfectly saved from sin by being wholy Sanctified at once even at our first conversion Answ 1. Some say this is done for the greater exaltation of Gods free Grace to make us the more sensible of what he hath done for us that we may have no cause of glorying in our selves but may give all the glory unto God But this Answer seemes to me to be of no great force For had we bin Sanctified wholly at once the work would have been no lesse of grace then now it is there would have bin nothing of our merit in it If a Physitian should undertake freely and upon his own care and charge to heal a poor sick person who is not able to give him a Fee is it not as free if he thought it fit to cure him perfectly in a day as if he take seaven yeares to perfect the cure Neither should we have bin lesse sensible of what the Lord had done or have gloried the more in our selves or the less in God Yea had we bin perfectly Sanctified all at once should we not have bin the more sensible of so weighty and suddaine a change and have gloried less in our selves and more in God in that state of perfect Sanctification then now we are able to doe in a state of imperfection We set up our own and diminish the due praises of God our Saviour till we come to a state of perfect holinesse 2. Neither dare I adventure to say with some that this is done to keep us humble and low in our owne eyes 'T is true I know that our daily imperfections are matters of humiliation and the consideration of them should make us the more humble But were we perfectly sanctified we should be perfectly humble and there would be no room for pride Neither doe I apprehend any great weight in what other particular reasons I have seen given for it For I doe not remember any speciall reason given in Scripture It is sufficient that God hath revealed it his will to have it so and we are abundantly bound to be thankfull for our deliverance whether it be sooner or later compleated We lost our stock of grace sodainly and are long in recovering our losse We were wounded in a moment but are not so soon healed Our Chirurgion was able to have wrought the cure in as little time as we made the wound But let us waite the Lords leisure for the healing of our Souls in his own order without too curiously prying into the reason of his method Though the work of Salvation from sin be wholly the work of Christ Instrumentall causes of Sanctification both in Purchase and application as hath been already shewed yet he is pleased to fit and make use of instruments for bringing in and leading on his people in the waies of holinesse The instrument that Christ makes use of in the first Sanctification of grown persons for infants such in whom Grace is wrought are sanctified without meanes is his Word or Gospel Rom. 10.17 Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God And the Gospel is called the power of God unto Salvation Rom. 1.16 Our Saviour Jesus Christ hath abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel 2 Tim. 1.10 which is termed the word of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.18 19. And the word which is able to save our Soules James 1.21 And saith Paul to the Thessalonians 2 Ep. 2.13 14. God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and beliefe of the truth whereunto he called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ The word discovers our sin and misery Rom. 7. James 2.9 Rev. 3.17 And directs us to the Fountaine of Grace for healing and help Isa 55.1 2 3. Zach. 13.1 Mat. 11.28 29. Ioh. 17.37 38. The Word being but an Instrument workes not without the spirit of Christ which is the Principall Efficient b Instrumentum non movet nisi moveatur as we say The instrument moves not unlesse it be moved As a Sword cuts not without some hand to weild it so the Word though it be sharper then a two-edged sword slayeth not corruption nor converteth the Soule but as it is set home by the power of the Spirit and this may be one reason why the Word of God is called the word of the Spirit Eph. 6.17 Dr. Gouge upon the place gives two reasons why the Word of God is called the Sword of the Spirit 1. In regard of the Author of it 2 Pet. 1.21 2. In regard of the nature or kind of it for it is spirituall and so opposed to a materiall sword made of mettall which may be
their dainties and hope we will make no bones of the rest for after we have thus feasted with them a while they may expect us willing to fast with them too seeing Ignorance is become the mother of our Devotion But through the mercy of God though many have surfeited yet it is not become an epidemicall disease Yea blessed be his name he hath reserved to himself for the good of his Church a considerable party of faithful Ministers whom he hath furnished with ability and courage earnestly to contend for that faith that was once delivered to them that were Saints indeed Yea England is at this day furnished with a greater number of godly able and faithfull Ministers of the Gospel than any of the generations of our Ancestors before us or than is found in any other nation throughout the world A second sort of those that hinder the salvation of others are such as are enemies to the Churches Reformation No doubt but the keyes of Doctrine and Discipline are both Christs ordinary meanes for the saving of soules yea the severe censure of excommunication called a delivering up to Sathan is but for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 5.5 And the sharpnesse of Discipline as Paul likewise tells us is a power that the Lord hath given us to edification and not to destruction 2 Cor. 13.10 And if so then the resisting of this work of Christ tends to the saving of the flesh and destroying of the spirit directly to destruction and not to edification Bitter Pills and purging Potions are for the health of the body though harsh to the taste and as those that hinder the sick from the means of recovery are plainly accessary to their death so is it in the case of our present Church-distempers How doe some plead the disadvantage of these times as those that cried out The time is not come that the Lords house should be built Hag. 1.2 others are ready to scorne and deride the work as Sanballat and Tobias because of the weaknesse and paucity of the builders But if the work be the Lords as I doubt not but it is he will surely declare that his strength is made perfect in weaknesse Others by reason of their wilfull exorbitances are bent to reject the yoke of Christ as too heavy for them though easie in it self and to say in their hearts Who is Lord over us Oh that such would seriously consider that saying of Christ Luke 19.27 But those mine enemies which would not that I should reign over them bring hither and slay them before me Remember likewise what I lately told you that those that would be free from the reach of Christs Discipline are fitter to be ranked amongst Heathens and Infidells than to be retained and priviledged as members of the Church of Christ 1 Cor. 5.12 What have we to doe to judge them that are without do we not judge them that are within Those that are without indeed are free from the rod of Church-discipline but those that are within ought to be ruled by it 3. A third sort of those that hinder the work of Christ in the saving of his people from their sins are Church-dividers such as cause divisions and contentions in the Church of God The Church is called Gods building and Ministers are called builders in Scripture and the work of edification or building consists in mortizing pinning and firmly joynting the parts together to which the Apostle alludes Col. 2.2 being knit together in love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is metaphoricall and signifies to frame and fix together as Carpenters firmely joyne beames and other timber for the strengthening of their building And if so then unmortizing unpinning and pulling downe for such is the work of division doth not raise but raze the building is the ready way to the ruine and destruction of it The materiall Temple was built by Solomon in a peaceable reigne and by the peaceable and united endeavours of them that laboured in the Building and when Iosiah repaired the decaies of the Temple he gave money to buy timber for couplings 2 Chron. 34.11 But when axes and hammers were lifted up to hew down and knock in pieces how fast was the beauty and strength thereof destroyed And how like is the voice of dividers to the voice of the Sons of Edom who at the sacking of Jerusalem cried Raze it raze it even to the foundations thereof Psal 137.7 The Church also being here in a militant condition is fitly compared to an Army an Army terrible with banners Cant. 6.4 10. An Army in the field though the particular parts of it be committed to the oversight and conduct of severall Captains and other Officers yet are they all one Army under one Generall who gives them all one word and one field-mark whereby his Souldiers may know and owne each other in the Battel and their beauty strength safety and terriblenesse to the Enemy lies in their order unity and cordiall cleaving each to other under their Generall who is Commander of all So is the Church of Christ one body under Christ one Lord Generall knowne by one Word or profession of Faith signed by one Baptisme and animated by one Spirit engaging in one Cause and encouraged with one Hope and by intire adhering each to other all joyntly following the conduct of Christ the faithfull Captaine Generall of their Salvation they become beautifull strong safe and the more formidable to their spiritall Enemies And aptly to our purpose the Apostle exhorteth that we stand fast in one Spirit p Sat hostiū externorum habemus Satis digladiatum pugnatum est à nostris nonne gravissimo vulnere Ecclesiarum nostrarum caeterarum Christi Tempus esse ut illud Pauli recte perpenderemus Quid si invicem mordetis videte ne invicem consumamini Joan. Pistorii Ep. ad Joan Sturm Zanch. Ep l. 1. Phil. 1.27 Those that understand any thing belonging to military Policy know that it is much better to fall upon an enemy in severall Parties than to let them draw up together in one Body much more to take the opportunity when they are full of mutinies among themselves When the Moabites thought that the Kings that came against them with their Armies had fallen one upon another they cryed Vp Moab to the Spoile Had it been true according to their thoughts they could not have had a greater advantage But doubtlesse Sathan doth not mistake his opportunity of making a prey and spoyling thousands of soules by the advantage of our late and present distracting divisions Jerusalem was a type of the true Church under the Gospel When David had conquered the Jebusites taken the castle of Sion and the whole city was united under his government and in one way of worship he himselfe being a type of Christ the King of his Church then was that Psal 122.
composed wherein we have an Encomium of their happy condition If it was Jerusalems happinesse then to be so united is it not her misery to be so divided If it were a lovely sight then to see the tribes of the Lord going up together to give thanks to the Lord how sad a sight is it now to see the Tribes going some one way some another building Temple against Temple and rearing Altar against Altar The Souldiers that parted the Garment of Christ would rather cast lots than divide his seamlesse Coat but those that cause division and contention in the Church spare not to rend not the coat but the mysticall body of Christ The Jews that crucified pierced Christ his hands and his feet but those that cause divisions in the Church set him upon the rack to rend limb from limb and member from member as is intimated in the words of Paul to the Church of Corinth when they were full of factions and schismes 1 Cor. 1.13 Is Christ divided If Christ cried out Saul Saul why persecutest thou me when he persecuted his Church and made havock of it and accounted it as an intolerable injury done unto himself not onely because he hath a sympathising affection with his Church but also because his Church is his Body and is called Christ to wit Christ mysticall 1 Cor. 12.12 Verily Christ might take up a greater complaint against those who by their divisions subdivisions would teare him limb-meale and if Paul were smitten down unto the earth when he heard the voice of Christ from heaven methinks those that are Dividers in the Church should be pierced to the heart if they did but consider and minde the many affectionate calls of Christ in his Word for unity and peace and the sad complaints by reason of divisions and contentions and his judgements threatned against the authors and promoters of them Consider but that one threatning Rom. 2.8 9 But to them that are contentious indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish We live in times wherein we have great expectation of the fulfilling of glorious Gospell-prophecies and promises and I doubt not but those that concerne the unity and peace of the Church are to be numbred amongst them Zeph. 3.9 For then will I turn to the people a pure language that they may call upon the name of the Lord to serve him with one consent Jer 32.39 And I will give them one heart and one way that they may feare me for ever Neither will these be esteeemed the meanest Gospel-mercies for it is said in the latter end of that verse For the good of them and their children after them But how farre are we from the accomplishment of these things yea what probability is there of it in our daies q O miseram Christi Ecclesiam quae subinde veteribus optimis patribus ac doctoribus orbatur ae novis verō imperitis ac furiosis hominibus invaditur dilaniatur Zanch. ep ad Bulling If one heart and one way be for the good of a people and their children after them as that fore-mentioned text tells us then our heart-divisions and different waies are to be looked upon as a sore evil both to us and our children after us And 't is much to be feared that the children that are yet unborne will fare the worse for our present breaches Think not that the dislike of any one party alone or sinister respects lead me to speak thus much against dividing practises Judge not my reproof and complaint to be superfluous neither plead for this as Lot did for Zoar say not 't is a little one but heare a little besides what is already spoken what further aggravations of this evill are found in Scripture 1. Consider how plain are the words of Paul Rom 16.17 18. Now I beseech you brethren mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their owne belly and by good words and faire speeches deceive the hearts of the simple When the Apostle bids us mark and avoid them doth he not rank them with profane and grosse sinners we are commanded to withdraw from every brother that walks disorderly 2 Thes 3.6 And saith Paul 1 Cor. 5 11. If any man that is called a brother be a fornicator or covetous or an idolater or a railer or a drunkard or an extortioner with such an one eate not If the command of withdrawing from such and the prohibition of eating with such is because they are scandalous the argument is of force to prove Church dividers to be scandalous also for the Apostle enjoyns us to avoid them as he commands us to avoid fornicators c. therefore are Church-dividers equall yea I might adde and justly too more dangerous sinners Fornicators Swearers Drunkards and such like are accounted grosse Sinners and so they are and unfit for Christian communion because their abiding within unreformed tends to the ruine of the Church but how is it that they that are of rending and dividing principles and practises are not esteemed scandalous also when Scripture speaks so much against them and their practises tend more immediately to the Churches overthrow Breaches in the roof and walls of an house by which raine beats in and rots the timber-work will cause a decay and ruine of the whole in time if not repaired But pulling beam from beam post from post and rafter from rafter is the most speedy way to ruine the house Godly persons are or ought to be carefull to avoid communion with grosse sinners and some judge it necessarily infectious if they communicate at the Lords table with a scandalous person Whosoever is of that minde and judgement should be as fearfull to receive the Sacrament with a wilfull Church-divider as with a common Drunkard But when the Apostle saith Obj. marke them that cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine ye have learned and avoid them we must understand it of those that divide by some hereticall and false doctrine onely and not of those that dissent in some smaller matters about Discipline or the like Answ 1. Whatever the Apostle particularly intended I am sure the doctrine of Unity Peace and Love is none of the least of what our Saviour Christ and his Apostles taught and those then that cause divisions and offences teach and act expresly contrary to so great a truth and a most necessary duty 2. If there be an unity in the truth with those from whom they divide how will they justifie their practice when they make a causelesse breach Nay will it not aggravate their sinne Impium enim sacrilegum est divortium quo in Christi veritate consentiunt distrahere For it is a wicked and sacrilegious divorce to pull those asunder who consent in the truth of Christ r Scismaticos facit non diversa fides sed communionis disrupta societas Aug.
of their sin before they be also condemned to the same pit of hellish howling CHAP. V. FIrst let me exhort you in generall to get your hearts deeply possessed with the consideration of this truth 1. Use of Exhortation That the great work of Christ our Saviour is the saving of his people from their sinnes This will be of great concernment to the glory of God and the good of your own and others soules as will more fully appeare in the following discourse The not understanding and want of consideration of this is the cause of great contentednesse in sinne among profane and earnall persons They look onely upon judgement as the great evill they are liable unto as for their sinnes they love and delight in them as if there were no evil in them So little do most consider of the evill of sinne that were it not for fear of the judgement annexed to the Law and denounced against sinners they would have no thoughts of ever-leaving their sins the Language of many poore carnall soules declares as much Tell a profane person of his evill courses so as to convince him of his sinne he will answer he hopes he may repent hereafter and God may have mercy on him at the last The example of the Thief on the Crosse much takes with him but for present reformation he hath no minde to it Tell me plainly thou that livest in known sinnes being convinced in conscience of the evill of them and that yet there is no saving work wrought upon thy heart Tell me I say and let Conscience answer when thou hast had good motions upon thy heart from the Spirit of God in thy solitary seasons or when thou hast been plainly shewed by some powerfull Sermon what thy state is how sinfull and damnable Hath not thy deceitfull heart wedded to corruption silenced the voice and quieted the workings of conscience by telling it this work of turning to God and seeking his grace is indeed necessary to salvation but this is a work that may be done hereafter and so it be done any time t is well enough though in sickness or old age And doth not this plainly shew that thine ey is only upon the evil of suffring for sin not upon sin it self for were sin accounted a greter or as great an evil as suffering yea were it accounted an evil of any moment at all there would be no pleading for a little more slumber a litle more folding of the hands to sleep in sin Were sinners as sensible of the evill of sin as of the pain of scorching flames oh how would they awake and rouze up themselves plead no longer for the flesh to delight it self in sensual pleasures Is it not ignorance in this point that is the cause why so many in these times will not account a Sermon of repentance or holinesse worth the hearing and that the Preacher that spends much time upon such subjects is esteemed no better than ignorant of the mysteries of the Gospel Is not ignorance of this doctrine the cause why so many self-conceited self-sending teachers meddle so little with the propheticall and kingly office of Christ and insist almost wholly upon his Priestly office and handle that but by the halves too They are much upon the satisfaction which Christ hath made to God for sinne by his fulfilling the Law and suffering for us but the purchase of sanctifying grace is little taken notice of Verily every office of Christ is very necessary to the saving of his people His Propheticall office is necessary to their teaching and enlightning in the waies of holinesse his Kingly office is necessary for the subduing of rebellious lusts and affections for the conducting of them and leading them on in the paths of righteousnesse and his purchase as he is our Priest of sanctifying grace is as necessary as his obtaining pardoning grace for us The not laying of this to heart is surely the cause of so much slightnesse and remissnesse even in many of the children of God themselves in their whole spirituall course Tell me truly thou that fearest God and dissemble no longer to thy own injury and Gods dishonour Hast thou not many times said thus in thy heart I am verily perswaded my estate is good before God that I have true grace and an interest in the precious merits of Jesus Christ and though I be not so carefull watchfull and spirituall as I might be though I give way to such and such lesser evils and neglect such and such smaller duties yet having an interest in Christ who is able to save me to the uttermost all these will be pardoned and done away in the day of account and being not under a covenant of works but of free-grace for the remission of sinnes I need not be so very scrupulous Whence now comes such evill and carnall reasonings in thy heart but from hence that thou little considerest that the great work and care of Christ is to save thee from thy sinnes Thou lookest upon suffering as the greatest evil and upon sinne as little in comparison of it thou thinkest free-grace is chiefly yea almost wholly if not onely to be admired in the remission of sinnes and magnified in the justification of Gods Elect diminishing his grace in their sanctification O how exceedingly is God dishonoured not onely by wicked men but even by his own children also for want of rightly considering wherein their salvation lies O learn now if thou hast not hitherto considered it that it is the great work of Christ to save his people from their sinnes And to that end weigh well the arguments confirming the Doctrine And to the end thou maist be further helped in thy understanding of this truth of so great importance study againe and consider better very many Scriptures that speak of the work of salvation by Christ and see whether thou hast not exceedingly straitned the sense and meaning of them by conceiving them to speak of salvation from the fruits of sin onely when they specially intend salvation from sinne onely Did not these words in the text He shall save his people from their sinnes and these words Behold the lambe of God which taketh away the sinnes of the world seem to thee to be meant onely of the guilt and punishment of sinne O learn now more clearly and fully to understand the sense of Scripture concerning Gospel-grace and know that Christs saving his people by sanctifying them as well as justifying them is the very stream both of the old and new Testament And here that I may help your understanding a little I shall instance 1. In the Sacraments and Types 2. In the Promises 3. In the Prophesies of the old Testament 4. In the Sacraments of the new Testament 5. In the Gospel-invitations together with some other texts of Scripture Sacraments ordinary 1. For the Sacraments which were ordinary in the old Testament Circumcision of the flesh signified circumcising that
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long suffering for a pattern to them which shall believe on him to life everlasting 1 Tim. 1.15 16. 4. Consider how averse thou wast to the work of grace upon thy owne-soul Rom. 8.7 The carnall mind is enmity against God not an enemy but enmity it selfe The saving mercy then thou sharest in was neither deserved nor so much as desired by thee yet the Lord pitied thee when thou wast in thy blood and hadst not an heart to pity thy selfe and said unto thee live he hath prevented thee with his goodnesse and was found of thee when thou soughtest him not O let thy heart and mouth be filled with the high praises of God and c Tamen quod nos oneratos obrutosque peccatis à contemplatione suae lucis aversos ac tenebrarum id est iniquitatis dilectione caecatos non omnino deseruit Misitque nobis verbum suum qui est unicus ejus filius quo pro nobis in assumptae carne nato atque pâ—sso quanti Deus hominem penderet nosceremus atque illo sacrificio singulari à peccatis omnibus mundaremur ejusque spiritu in cordibus nostris dilectione diffusa omnibus difficultatibus superatis in aeternam requiem contemplationis ejus ineffabilem dulcedinem veniremus Quae corda quae linguae ad agâ—ndas ei gratias satis esse contenderint Aug. de civ Dei l. 7. c 31. Quantum tibi sumus debitores Domine Deus noste tanti redempti pretio tanto salvati mysterio tanto gratis adjuti benificio Quantum à nobis miseris es timendus amandus honoâ—andus reverendus laudandus benedicendus qui sic nos amasti salvasti sanct ficasti sublimasti Quis diâ—ere quis cogitare sufficiat Aug conf Theo. par 2. c. 14. say Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed my soule and hath raised me up a horn of salvation My soule doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour For he hath regarded the low estate of my forlorn soule He that is mighty hath done great things for me and holy is his name and his mercy is on them that feare him from generation to generation Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy name Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits Who forgiveth all thine iniquities and healeth all thy spirituall diseases Who redeemeth thy life from destruction who crowneth thee with his loving kindnesse and tender mercies I will blesse the Lord while I have a day to live yea the terme of this life is too short to praise thy name O Lord. O let my soule for ever live that being filled with the fulnesse of God and love of Christ which passeth knowledge I may admire and praise the breadth and length and depth and height of thy richest grace and may with the heavenly quire of Angels sing blessing and glory and honour to God in the highest and to the lamb of God that taketh away my sin who sitteth upon the throne to all eternity Amen Hallelujah Exh. 5. Blesse God for every act of sin the Lord hath delivered thee from so far as thou canst observe it Hath Satan at any time assaulted thee with his temptations or hast thou been sorely endangered by thy own corrupt inclinanation to commit sin and hath the Lord prevented thee by any meanes whatsoever Thou hast cause to blesse his name If we have gotten a remarkable victory in warre we take it for our duty to set apart a day of thanksgiving for it If we are recovered from sickness or delivered from any eminent temporall danger we think we are bound to returne praise to God and so we are And should we not be as thankfull yea more thankfull for Gods manifold gracious preservations of us from spirituall dangers Suppose thou wert travailing on a journey with a great charge of money about thee and a company of robbers set upon thee and when their hands were in thy pockets and their Swords and pistols at thy brest God should by a speciall providence bring passengers that way who come in in the very nick of time to save thee both from wounding and robbing Wouldst thou not looke upon it as a speciall favour and be thankfull to God for so great a deliverance and be thankfull and loving to those that came in for thy help Thus is it in thy spirituall condition Thou art as a wayfaring man travailing towards home and thou carriest a precious treasure about thee and how oft hath Satan and his instruments set upon thee to rob thee of what they can and wound thy soule And how oft hath the Lord delivered thee by sending in seasonable checks of conscience motions of his spirit reproofs counsels and advice of Christian friends and instructions by his messengers whereby thou hast been delivered And hast thou not cause to blesse the Lord for thy preservation and for the meanes whereby thou wast preserved Are not spirituall dangers greater then temporall and is not the consequence of them more dangerous if they prevaile And is not the mercy of such a deliverance the more highly to be prized 1 Sam. 25. and God more highly to be praised David hath herein given us a very pertinent example When he sent his servants to Nabal for provision and Nabal returned them back empty with a churlish answer David partly by the instigation of Satan and partly by the heat of his own provoked passion rashly resolved to destroy Nabal all that pertained to him before the morning light and was marching up with four hundred men at his heeles for the execution of his purpose But the Lord sent in Abigail by his gracious providence with seasonable and spiritual counsel whereby David was prevented of the execution of the evil he had intended Now David was presently apprehensive of so great a mercy See how heartily he blesseth God for keeping him from the sin of self-revenge and blesseth the instrument also whereby he was preserved 1 Sam. 25.32 33. And David said to Abigail Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which hath sent thee this day to meet me And blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood and from avenging my self with mine own hand And again ver 39. When David heard that Nabal was dead he said blessed be the Lord that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal and hath kept his servant from evil Thus consider with thy self Hath the Lord at any time delivered thee from the attempts of thy spiritual enemies whether by violent onsets or by more subtill contrivances Call upon thy heart to affectionate praise and thanksgiving for so great a
mercy and say Satan with the world and my own corrupt flesh have handed themselves together and assaulted my soul with greatest violence They came upon me furiously to swallow me up quick and I was unable to withstand them for they were stronger than I. Then cried I unto the Lord in my distresse I said thou art my refuge I fly to thee for help Save me O my God and deliver my soule from the hand of mine enemies I have no power or might against them but mine eyes are upon thee In the day that I cried the Lord answered me and strengthned me with strength in my soule He saved me from my cruel enemies he set my feet upon a rock and established my goings He hath put a new song into my mouth even praise unto our God I will love thee O Lord my strength The Lord is my rock my fortresse and my deliverer my God my strength in whom I will trust my buckler the horn of my salvation and my high tower I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised As for God his way is perfect the word of the Lord is tried he is a buckler to all them that trust in him Who is God save the Lord and who is a Rock save our God My spirituall enemies conspired against me with one consent they communed of laying snares privily for my soule saying Who shall see them They took crafty counsel against me to take me unawares and my feet were almost gone my steps had well nigh slipt I was almost taken in their net But the Lord was my helper he preserved my soule Blessed be the Lord who hath not given me up as a prey to their teeth d Gratias tibt ago piissime Deus qui me de multis angustiis triâ—ulatienibus calamitatibus usiseriis infirmâ—tatibus de multis foveis laqueis peccatis da multis infidiis visib lâ—um invâ—sibilium mimicorum de multis malis opprobriis adversitatibus corporis animae bactenus liberare dignatus es dirigens miscricorditer marabiliter vitam meam inter adversa prospera ita ut nec adversa me valde dejicerent nec prospera elevarent Posuisti enim propietate bonitate froenum tuum in maxillis meis non me dercliquisti penitus in manuarbitrii mei habens curam mei paterna pictate non permittens me amplius tentari supra id quod potuerim sustinere Ubi erat locus peceandi non crat voluntas quando voluntas erat non fuit locus Sit itaque tibi laus benedictio sit gratiarum actio c. Aug. Cons Theo. par 2. c. 17. but hath delivered my soule from death mine eyes from teares my feet from falling My soule is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowler the snare is broken and I am escaped Blesse the Lord O my soule for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Thus consider I say what particular deliverances of this kinde thou hast received Hast thou been set upon by violent temptations to Atheisme Blasphemy or the like and hath the Lord preserved thee Hast thou been allured by pleasing baits to Lust Pride Covetousness or such like Evils hath the Lord withheld thee from them O consider what abundant cause thou hast to be thankful spiritual deliverances are not to be slighted And know that the more thankfull thou art for such mercies already received the better shalt thou be able to resist future temptations Exh. 6. Use this as an argument with thy self to make thee willing to leave this unhappy inticing world and thy sinful condition here for so it is in great measure at the best for that happy condition wherein sin shall be no more but thou shalt be perfectly saved from it O check thy self for being so busie in building tabernacles on earth and saying in thy heart It is good to be here Was it not thy sin alone that made thee miserable was it not this that defaced the Image of God in thy soule and cast thee from the Paradise of God to the very Brink of Hell Did not Christ come into the world live a wearisome life and die a miserable death to save thee from thy death in sin was not sin the burden of thy soule and the sorrow of thy heart under which thou groanedst when the Lord first awakned and rouzed thee out of thy carnal security Did not thy sin cause thee to cry mightily to God for salvation and deliverance when thou sensibly perceivedst thy lost condition And was not this the work that Christ took in hand when he called thee effectually to himself Hast thou complained of sin and professed to hate it thus long How comest thou now to plead a forbearance for thy mortall enemy Sure thou canst not dream with the dreamers of this age of a state of perfection here in the body Doth not experience tell thee that corruptions arise daily and hourly in thy heart which is a continual spring of sin Thou canst not walk work or go about any worldly businesse but sinful vanities are still flowing from that fountaine within thee Thou canst not hear pray or perform any part of Gods worship but this cursed carnal inmate calls away thy heart to other objects Check thy heart for gadding recall thy thoughts from wandring and how soon will they be gone again though thou make it thy daily work to watch pray and strive against sin thou canst prevent it but in part though thou daily weedest out the rambling tares and choaking thistles that hinder the growth of the good seed yet thou canst not rid thy field of them but they spring up afresh every morning If thou art negligent for a while what head do they get and how hard is it to bring them under again Is not this thy sad condition and art thou unwilling to be delivered from it Is sin so delightful a companion If it be so to thy flesh it cannot be to thy spirit or else thou art not spirituall Didst thou rejoyce when thy Redeemer brought thee out of thy worse than Egyptian bondage and art thou unwilling to enter into the heavenly Canaan of rest Is it better to be alwaies wandring e Cui peregrinatio dulcis est non amat patriam Si dulcis est patria amara est peregrinatio Aug. in Ps 86.7 in the wildernesse of sin wa st thou glad to see the foundation of thy happinesse laid and art thou loath to see the superstructure reared and completed Did it revive thy spirit when Christ first drew thee out of thy sinfull state and art thou afraid at last lest he should perfect thy deliverance Death is indeed in it self an enemy to nature and a part of the curse due for sin and therefore cannot be desirable for it self But learn to look beyond it unto Christ thy Saviour whose presence is most desirable as Paul did having a desire to depart and
caeterique hostes nostri videntur nos premere vincere tamen non potuerunt quia coercentur imperio Christi dutis nostri sub cujus pedibus protriti jacent conculcati Daven in Col. c 2. v. 15. Permittuntur tentare fideles oppugnare sed nunquam expuguare ibid. Troubled thou shalt be on every side yet not distressed perplexed but not with cause of despaire persecuted but not forsaken cast downe but not destroyed Thine Enemies like Pharaoh and his host may pursue after thee and bring thee to a strait that the power of Christ thy Saviour may appeare but they shall not bring thee back again to thy former bondage Onely be strong and very couragious and fight the Lords battels Be strong I say in the Lord and in the might of his power and he shall preserve thee by his grace that thou maist not be of them that draw back unto perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the soule Set the Lord then alwaies before thee because he is at thy right hand thou shalt not be moved Therefore let thy heart be glad and thy tongue rejoyce and feare not thy state while thou truly fearest sin as the worst of evils Feare nothing so much as a fearelesse and carelesse condition 2. Here is comfort to such as are in a state of Salvation in assurance of their full deliverance from sin at the last Whosoever thou art that findest thy self to be delivered from a state of sin learne to rejoyce in Christ thy Saviour Rejoyce in the Lord alway and againe I say rejoyce Phil. 4.4 Thou many times bewailest the blots blemishes and deformities that are upon thee and dost therefore and not without cause abhorre thy self in dust and ashes O rejoyce in this that it is but a little while ere all these shall be wholly taken away and thou shalt be absolutely without spot or blemish Are not the reliques of thy sin which now abide within thee the remainder of Satans image and will the Lord suffer it to remain upon any of his ransomed ones Is not the work of grace a draught although imperfect of the Divine nature upon thy soule hath not the Lord as it were begun to draw his own image or picture upon the table of thine heart are not the lineaments and proportion of what it shall be already traced out and will the Lord leave it so No no he will certainly come over it again and again he will shadow and beautifie it till he hath made it a most glorious and beautifull piece Thou wast formerly in bondage to Satan and thy own corruption but through the mercifull power of thy precious Redeemer thou art rescued from the bondage wherein thou wast held Be confident of this very thing that he that hath begun a good work in thy soule will compleat and finish it unto the day of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6 And in that day shalt thou see thy corruptions as the Israelites did their Egyptian enemies dead upon the shore Look back upon them now are not their chariot wheeles already taken off which maketh them drive more heavily than heretofore and is not this a forerunner of their utter overthrow Satan indeed many times furiously rageth and thy corruption strongly worketh because their time is but short and what provoketh them should rejoyce thee The God of peace shall bruise Satan under thy feet shortly Rom. 16.20 And thy now corrupt heart shall then cease from all sinful motions and conceptions Thou shalt then have not so much as a lingring desire or inclination after evil That unruly corruption that now vexeth thee intruding into all thy actions and intermixing it self with all the best of thy services shall then be removed as far from thee as hell is from heaven and thou shalt be able to serve God perfectly without difficulty or distraction That heavenly service will be so pleasing and delightful to thee that thou wilt never be weary of it nor find a more pleasing object than God to set thy heart upon Then thou shalt have no need to watch pray or fight against thy corruption any more When there is no open enemy against a nation nor malignant party within it there is no need of Centinels or Guards nor use of Arms So in Heaven thy spiritual enemies shall be so perfectly destroyed from within and so far removed from without as that thy praying and fighting shall be turned into triumphing and praising and thy watchfulnesse into perfect spirituall security and the whole armour of God as armour shall wholly become uselesse Thou shalt there need neither offensive nor defensive arms and the time of the accomplishment hereof is nigh at hand Lift up thy head then with joy knowing that thy redemption draweth nigh In the midst of thy feares lift up an eye of faith and behold Christ sitting at the right hand of God who shall there abide till he hath made all thine enemies thy footstoole And when thou groanest with Paul under the burden of thy remaining corruptions and criest out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Learn with him also to rejoyce in Christ thy perfect Saviour and say I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. CHAP. VII HAving thus farre spoken of Salvation from sin it self to wit in work of Sanctification I might here proceed also to handle the doctrine of Remission of sins and Justification of the sinner by Jesus Christ which are also included in the words of the Text. For as Christ saves his people from their sins so also from the eternal wrath of God which was due unto them for sin But of that I have heretofore spoken from another Text And what I have already spoken upon this was that which I especially intended when I first entred upon it Yet it will not be amisse for the better understanding of the whole work of mans Salvation and for your better help against some mistakes of these times if I shew you in a few Propositions by way of Parallel how the Lord carrieth on the whole work of mans Salvation in both parts joyntly from the first to the last To which I shall annexe a few Corollaries God did at once that from eternity Prop. 1. decree the whole and perfect Salvation of all his Elect both from sin and wrath by his Son Jesus Christ Rom. 8.29 30. Ephes 1.4 5 6 7. Corol. Therefore we can no more argue our eternal Justifacation because it was eternally decreed then our eternall sanctification or glorification And if there be any such thing as the actual Justification of the elect from eternity how doth the Scripture that every mouth may be stopped make all the world to become guilty before God Rom. 3.19 And to what end should God give us promises of the pardon and remission of sins Promises are of good things to come m The Promises are outward Declarations of Gods will concerning good
to be received and evill to be removed Leigh on the Promises p. 5. Promissio Dei est denunoratio futurorum bonorum nobis dandorum c. Polan Syntag. l. 6. c. 31. not of such as had an eternall Being A Promise of what is already done or past is a contradiction in termes Prop. 2. When Christ undertook the work of the Salvation of his people he did at once undertake both their Justification and Sanctification Heb. 10. to v. 19. Prop. 3. I take Sanctification here in the sense as our Divines usually do to wit for the whole work of grace upon the soul after its first closing with Christ Christ did make one intire purchase of his peoples Salvation meriting both Sanctifying and pardoning grace for sinfull and guilty men who upon the purchase made had as much right to the one as to the other and no more Isa 53.5 Gal. 3.10 Tit. 2.14 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Hebr. 10. to v. 19. Therefore we can no more conclude Corol. that we were actually pardoned and justified immediately upon the price that Christ paid then that we were actually Sanctified Christ in his Gospell-offer tendereth himself both for our Justification and Sanctification Prop. 4. and commandeth us so to accept of him requiring Faith repentance and sincere obedience of all those that will be his And he that will not imbrace him for Sanctification shall not have him for Justification he that is not willing to have his sins mortified shall not have them pardoned Christ will be a whole Saviour or no Saviour Acts. 3.19 Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out c. Luke 13.3 5.19.27 Hence that offer Acts 3.19 of Remission of sins upon condition of repentance and conversion to God and all others in Scripture of the like nature are not the lesse but the more free because conditionall For the condition that is required is our priviledge Our turning from God by sin is our greatest misery and our conversion or turning to God in holinesse is our greatest happinesse as you have formerly heard 2. what the Lord requireth of his people he communicateth to them his grace for the performance of according to the tenour of the New-Covenant as in the next proposition So that the condition required doth but injoyne us to accept of a double blessing and oblige us to minde our whole Salvation to wit from sin as well as suffering that God may be the more glorified in the riches of his grace They are therefore utterly mistaken yea they much eclipse and lessen Gospell grace and turne most part of the Gospell into Law who call all conditionall promises the voice of the Law and not of the Gospell Suppose a King should offer to a poor unworthy subject two most precious Jewels joyned together in a golden link tendring them to him freely tels him withall Thou shalt not have the one without the other but take them both together as they are tendred Would it be wel for this poor man to say The gift would be more free of greater bounty if I might break that golden link and take one of the jewels without the other it is a diminishing of the freenesse of the gift that you injoyne me to take them both This is plainely the case The Lord hath in the Gospell individually linked together both his pardoning and Sanctifying grace but flesh and blood would fain break this golden link We are naturally willing to have our sins pardoned that we may be freed from suffering but nature is an enemy to Sanctifying grace Christ as the efficient cause 5. Prop. pardons the sins that are past and Sanctifies the sinner when he doth actually convert or bring him home from Satan to God so that those that come unto Christ or believe in him are then made actuall partakers both of Iustifying and Sanctifying grace of Iustifying grace by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse of Sanctifying grace by the reall communication of his grace unto them That as all the children of the first Adam are subject to sin and misery in the day of their generation and birth so all the children of the second Adam Jesus Christ are delivered from a state both of sin and condemnation in the day of their regeneration and new-birth Thus Paul as Christs instrument was sent to the Gentiles To open their eyes to turn them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God that they might receive forgivenesse of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified Acts 26.18 See also 1 Cor. 6.11 And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Here the Apostle maketh a plain Antithesis between what they then were what they had been formerly Ye are washed that is cleansed by the blood of Christ which was signified by the water of your Baptisme both from the guilt and state of sin ye are sanctified ye are justified Now make up the other part of the Antithesis and it must be this Ye were unsanctified ye were unjustified And when was that before they were converted when they lived in such sins as are mentioned ver 9. and 10. they were committers of them and guilty before God excluded from an actuall title to the Kingdome of God Such were some of you but ye are washed c. Eph. 2. to ver 10. Rom. 4.28 ch 5.1 Act. 15.9 Those then Corol. 1. that say Faith doth but manifest our Justification may as well say it doth but manifest our Sanctification for they were both proposed purchased and wrought together Hence Sanctifying grace is the necessary qualification of a justified person because Christ doth not bestow these saving mercies severally but jointly and individually where his sanctifying grace is not communicated his righteousnesse is not imputed and hereby even by sanctifying grace wrought in us we are to try our actuall interest in Jesus Christ Hence those that are perplexed with the sense of Gods displeasure pinched with the want of grace are to come to Christ for help in both kinds Those that say they dare not believe nor lay hold upon the Promises for the remission of sins because they are of unhumbled and impenitent hearts must learn to come to Christ that their hearts may be broken and humbled It is he that gives repentance unto Israel as well as remission of sins The believing sinner Prop. 6. being justified from all the sins that are past and sanctified inchoately The pardon continueth good in Law and the sanctifying grace bestowed is conserved by the same Jesus Corol. Hence the Elect of God though they many times fall to their sore wounding from the lively actings of grace and under Gods just paternal displeasure yet they never fall from a state of grace and their heavenly Fathers affectionate love Psal 89 28. to 34. with Isa 55.3 Prop. 7. Those that are regenerate being but partly renewed although in every part are subject to many infirmities and many back-slidings n Novis peccatis quantum in nobis est abdicamus no à gratia Dei Ita fit ut quotidiana peccatorum remissione upus habeant Sancti omne quia baec sola in Dei familia nos retiret Bulling in 1 Joh. 1.7 and the same Jesus who was the giver and preserver of the forementioned favours multiplieth pardons with renewing grace Hos 14.4 I will heale their back slidings I will love them freely for mine anger is turned away from him Thus in the salutation of both Peters Epistles he prayeth grace and peace be multiplied 1 Pet. 1.2 2 Pet. 1.2 And this renewing grace maketh the soul importunate for pardon of sin and power against sin Thus David when he was restored from his great fall prayed Psal 51.9 10 11. Hide thy face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me Hence the godly are to pray daily for pardon of sin and power against it Corol. Thus Christ taught his Disciples to pray Forgive us our trespasses and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil And here note that as in the fourth Petition he teacheth them and us daily to pray for our daily sustenance so in these Petitions which are adjoyned with a conjunction copulative he teacheth daily to pray for daily forgiveness and for daily preservation against tentations And it were far better for us to be a day without our daily Bread than without our daily Pardoning supporting and renewing grace It is true the Lord hath promised both and will perform what he hath promised yet thus saith the Lord I will for this be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them Ezek. 36.37 And because the Lord hath thus promised his people have the more incouragement and ground to pray Forgive us c. At the hour of death Prop. 8 the souls of the Saints are perfectly freed both from sin and guilt and so translated to heaven Heb. 12.23 Rev. 21.27 Prop. 9. Gloria ista inchâ—atur in hâc vita post mortem corporis fit auctior tandem à resurrectione perficitur Alst Qu. Theo. c. 41. At the general Resurrection and great day of Judgement the redeemed of the Lord shall be sententially justified before Angels and Men and perfectly sanctified in the whole man consisting of soul and body united to become meet instruments for the everlasting praises of God their Saviour To whom be glory for ever AMEN FINIS