by faith without the works of the Law But that they might not seeme directly to crosse the Apostle they say we are not justified by the works of the Law that is exact and every way perfect whereunto wages is due by debt but by works of grace graciously esteemed for righteousnesse when in the rigour of the Law it is not exact and perfect righteousnesse But first we reade that God hath set forth Christ to be a propitiation Rom. 3. 24 25. by faith in his bloud that by the faith of Jesus we might receive remission of sinnes but we find not that he hath ordained Christ to be a propitation through works that by works we should be saved And if God have not taught any such manner of Justification it is not for us to receive it We reade of two waies of Justification by faith and works but of a third manner by faith and works both as joynt causes or con-causes we find nothing in Scripture Secondly By the doctrine of faith we are bound to acknowledge and confesse that Christ Jesus by his eternall Priest-hood is not only the sole meritorious cause of all grace or righteousnesse inherent requisite to finall absolution but these presupposed in the party to be absolved he is likewise the sole immediate cause of finall absolution or justification Without observation in some measure to all the Commandments of God we cannot enter into the kingdome of heaven but we enter not for the obedience we have performed To what use then doth our inherent righteousnesse or observance of Gods commandements serve us If it hath been sincere and â—â—fained though imperfect yet the faith that brought it forth will make a sincere and faithfull plea for mercy in the day of tryall in which he that hath been an hearer only and no doer of the Law or hath done in part what God would have done but not sincerely nor faithfully shall not be heard Our imperfect obedience then is not the immediate cause of our absolution but the obedience and righteousnesse of Christ By the immediate and next cause we understand such a cause as is necessarily accompanied by the effect and without whose participation the effect never doth nor can be-fall any such a cause as whosoever is partaker of is by participation of it forth-with absolved such a cause as who so can probably hope to be partaker of he may upon the same degrees of probability hope for finall absolution such a cause as who so doubts or feares least he shall never be partaker of in this life must upon the same termes doubt or despaire of his absolution or salvation But if workes be accounted for the exact righteousnesse of the Law unto us not the obedience of Christ received by faith but the works of holinesse in us are the absolute cause of remission of sins and acceptance unto life And what else doe the words sound as they be interpreted but that as exact obedience to the Law should have been the matter or cause of Justification from justice so sincere obedience by the estimation of grace is the matter of Justification by grace They will say I know faith and workes are onely the condition without which remission cannot be obtained but faith is not a bare condition without which the thing cannot be for that is no cause at all but an instrumentall cause and workes if they be any cause of Justification instrumentall they cannot be but the matter whereupon and for which we are justified or accounted righteous Workes doe not embrace Christ but if causes of Justification they must challenge to themselves and therefore how faith and workes should be conjoyned as con-causes in Justification it is impossible to conceive seeing the one that is faith attributes all In eo qâ—od solvimus est aliquâ—â—atio meriti to the free-grace of God the other that is workes challenge to themselves the one will aspire no higher but to be the instrumentall cause of free remission the other can sit no lower but to be the matter of Justification if any cause at all For if works be accounted to us in the roome or place of exact obedience in free Justification doe they not supply the place are they not advanced to the dignity of works compleate and perfect in Justification from justice 3. If faith with workes be accepted for righteousnesse to Justification then faith justifieth not as it imbraceth the promises of mercy and by it we partake in the merits of Christs death and obedience but as it doth give assent to the truth of the Gospell and adhere and sticke to the Commandements for in that sense it is an act or exercise commanded in the Gospell and not only as it doth receive Christ and the promise of forgivenesse But in Scripture every where faith in Christ in the Lord Jesus or the Gal. 3. 13. 1 Pet. 2. 24. bloud of Christ is said to justifie not faith in other promises threatnings or Commandements 4. How can it be proved that in the matter of Justification the Apostle doth oppose faith to workes exactly perfect and compleat only and not to the workes of grace done according to the prescription of the Law as it was given to the Jewes to be a rule how people in Covenant ought to walke To him that worketh Rom. 4. 4 saith he the wages is of debt but he that worketh is not only perfectly just but he that is mercenarie that is to him that worketh for his reward as if the reward should be given him for his worke For thus the Apostle argues When wages is given to an hireling or mercenary it is of debt But Justification or life is not given of debt but of grace Therefore it is not given to him that worketh or to the mercenary Properly God oweth nothing to him that fulfilleth the Law either exactly or sincerely when they doe nothing but their duty and there is no proportion betwixt God and them but because they seeke righteousnesse and life by workes if God should retribute to them a reward he should be thought to doe it as it were of debt The Law was given to be a rule of direction to them that be in Covenant and workes of the Law are workes done according to that prescription which the Apostle here excludes from being any cause of Justification though he that walkes according to this Law being not an hearer but a doer of the Law is blessed in his deed But of this more at large in the next Chapter 5. Consider the opposition which the Apostle makes betwixt his owne righteousnesse which is of the Law and the righteousnesse Phil. 3. 9. which is of God by faith I count all things saith he but as dâ—ng that I might winne Christ and be found in him not having mine owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith If then the righteousnesse of
that cleaveth unto their best works being graciously pardoned I have sworne and I will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous Psal 119. 106. judgements Did the Prophet think himself able punctually to fulfill the Law How will that stand with his Prayer Enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living Psal 143. 2. be justified No but he knew sincere and willing obedience which he promised and would performe should be taken in good part And this is further apparent by the prayers of the faithfull Judge me O Lord for I have walked in mine integrity Remember Psal 26. 1 11. Isai 38. 3. Neh. 1. 5 9. Psal 25. 10. Dan. 9. 4. Jer. 31. 32. how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight It never came into the heart of these Worthies to conceit they had been able to justifie themselves before the barre of Gods justice in any particular action great or small as if it had been without all defect or staine being tried in the rigour of justice nor could their integrity ought availe them if no obedience did find acceptance with God but that which is every way compleat It is said of Josiah that he turned 2 Kin. 23. 25. to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might according to all the Law of Moses that he declined not to the right hand or to the left Of David that he kept the Commandements 2 King 21. 3. of God and his Statutes that he kept the Commandements of 1 Kin. 11. 34. 1 King 14. 8. 1 King 15. 5. God and followed him with all his heart to doe that only which was right in his eyes that he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the dayes of his life save only in the matter of Vriah the Hittite and 1 King 22. 43. of Jehoshaphat that he turned not aside from doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord Of Asa that his heart was perfect before the 2 Chro. 15. 12. Lord all his dayes Of Asa and the people that they sought the Lord with all their heart and all their soule From these passages we cannot prove either that these servants of God did or that it is possible for men in this life to fulfill the Law exactly or that the Law is given with such moderation as that the imperfections which did cleave unto these and the best servants of God were no sinnes because in phrase of Scripture the words will not beare that weight it may be confuted by Text it selfe setting down severall imperfections even in them who are said not to have turned aside from the Commandements and it is directly contrary to divers other passages of holy writ But thence we may soundly gather that the Law as it was given to Israel doth admit and allow of sincere and unpartiall obedience though it be imperfect and answer not to that exactnesse which is required These words Doe this and live must not be interpreted as if they did promise life upon a condition of perfect obedience and for works done in such exactnesse as is required but they must be expounded Evangelically describing the subject capable of life eternall not the cause why life and salvation is conferred and by doing sincere uniforme unpartiall obedience not exact fulfilling of the Law in every title is to be understood Doe this and live what is it more then this If ye will obey my voice and doe my Commandements Psal 112. 1. ye shall be to me a peculiar treasure Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord and delighteth greatly in his Commandements Psal 106. 3. Blessed are they that keep judgement and he that doth righteousnesse at all times Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the Law of Psal 119. 1 2. the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies and that seek him with the whole heart Who so looketh into the perfect law of liberty Jam. 1. 25. and continueth therein he being not a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the worke this man shall be blessed in his deed To them who by patient Rom. 2. 7. continuance in well-doing seeke for glory and honour eternall life which passages are to be understood of sincere and upright walking and shew who are justified and to whom the promises of life pertaine but not why they are justified And in like manner that of the Apostle The doers of the Law are justified may be expounded Rom. 2. 13. Evangelically not of them that fulfill the Law which should be justified by their works but of them that soundly obey who are justified of grace by faith not for their works And hence it appeares what works the Apostle opposeth to faith in the matter of justification not only perfect works done by the strength of nature of which sort there be none at all but works commanded in the Law as it was given to Israel such as Abraham and David walked in after they were effectually called such as without whose presence faith it self could not be existent such as are necessary in the person justified these works are opposed to faith in the matter of justification not that faith can be without them but because they cannot be causes together with faith in Justification And of necessity if faith be opposite to works exactly perfect it must be opposite to them that are imperfect and stained in part that be impurely pure because the Covenant of Grace calleth for perfection though it accept sincerity and in all reason perfect righteousnesse should rather be accepted for righteousnesse unto life than that which is imperfect and falleth short of that which is required For the better administration of this state and nationall Covenant it pleased God to ordaine sutable Ordinances for the teaching and applying of this Covenant scil of Ministery and Priesthood The first of these the Apostle openeth setting down the state of the Gentile and Jew before Christ came compared both together and how both stood in comparison to the Church after Christ in regard of this Ordinance of teaching As the Gentile Gal. 3. 23 24 25. before Christ was a man constrained to live without a shelter the Jew at the same time is better provided for for he had the Law taught to cover his head in a storme that it be not too violent But we after Châ—ist dwell in well-grounded yea seiled roomes that we need not to feare the blowing beating or flowing in of the Sea raine or wind for we have the Ordinances of the Gospell The Gentiles before Christ ran wild like beggarly bruits without all schooling the Jew a great deale better for the time being he had a Schoole-master to teach and nourture him even
â— 29. 1 Thes 4. 1â— Rom. 12. 1. in the sight of the Lord and what is pleasing in his sight are for substance one and the same and so a Exod. 15. 26. Deut. 6. 18. and 12. 25. and 13. 18. and 21. 9. 1 King 9. 12. Numb 23. 27. 1 King 9. 12. 2 Chro. 14. 15. translated by the Seventie The Scriptures mention an uprightnesse of heart and uprightnesse of life and conversation Uprightnesse of heart is an holy conformity of heart and soule to the good will and pleasure of God Thus we reade God saveth the upright in heart Psal 7. 10. The ungodly shoot privily at the upright in heart Psal 11. 2. Shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart Psal 32. 11. O continue thy righteousnesse to the upright in heart Psal 36. 10. All the upright in heart shall glory Psal 64. 10. Doe good O Lord unto them that be good and to them that are upright in their hearts Psal 125. 4. Good and upright is the Lord. Psal 25. 8. His will is the most certaine rule of equity and rectitude and our hearts are then upright when they stand in an holy conformity to the good pleasure of God This is sometimes expressed by the phrase of preparing the heart to seeke God 2 Chron. 19. 3. 2 Chron. 17. 6. or lifting up the heart in the wayes of God And herein is implied 1. An holy disposition of mind will and affections bending themselves to the good pleasure of God approving affecting exercising readily whatsoever he requireth I know also my God that thou tryest the heart and hast pleasure in uprightnesse As for me in 2 Chr. 29. 17. the uprightnesse of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things 2. A godly fervency of heart which maketh that in choosing and embracing good things it is equally more remisse or fiery and strong as the goodnesse of the things be greater or lesse of greater or lesse necessity and importance Thus an upright heart hath respect to every Commandement but his greatest care is about the weightie matters of the Law holinesse and justice and the more excellent the duty the more circumspect and forward is he in the performance of it The upright love thee or they love thee in uprightnesse Cant. 1. 4. that is with a strong and vehement love which is without dissimulation or guile Therfore saith David I esteeme all thy precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way Psal 119. 128. 3. An upright mind in all purposes and actions doth aime directly at the right marke and propose the true end by just and approved meanes A right end never hath a crooked rule leading unto it and a right heart doth neither look awry nor goe by a crooked rule Thus it is said of Ezra that he had prepared his heart to seeke the Law of the Lord and to doe it and to teach in Israel Statutes and judgements Ezra 7. 10. Act. 8. 21. And on the contrary when Simon Magus would have bought the gifts of the holy Ghost with mony Peter rebukes him saying Thy heart is not right in the sight of God Uprightnesse of life is a conversation way or course of life agreeable to the word of God in that calling or vocation wherein God hath placed us Thus it is said of David That he walked psal 37. 14. 1 King 3. 6. Prov. 14 2. Pro. 29. 27. Isa 26. 7. with God in truth and uprightnesse of heart And he that walketh in his uprightnesse feareth the Lord. He that is upright in the way is an abhomination to the wicked The way of the just is uprightnesse He that speaketh uprightnesse shall dwell with the everlasting burning This is expressed by the phrase of going with a right foot Gal. 2. 14. of ordering our steps aright Prov. 4. 26. and making even pathes for our feet Heb. 12. 13. Uprightnesse is an universall and constant cleaving to the Lord notwithstanding all occurrences that might divert or turne us out of the way All the upright in heart shall follow it or shall follow Isa 33. 14 15. him that is they shall cleave to the Lord and goe after him continually and never forsake him although they endure many and great evils for his names sake An upright heart is an heart fixed and established in respect of the object or maine businesse Psal 94. 15. Psal 78. 37. Jam â— 6. 7. opposite to a double divided mind wavering between two different objects unstable inconstant turned with every blast resolving now this anon that one thing to day another to morrow this in one company that in another And the pathes of uprightnesse are contrary to all crooked wayes which leade unto death Doe good O Lord unto those that be good and to them that are Pro. 21. 8. Prov. 2. 13 15. Psal 25. 4 5. upright in their hearts As for such as turne aside unto their crooked waies the Lord shall leade them forth with the workers of iniquity We may take the description of an upright man from the Psalmist in other words He hath cleane hands and a pure Psal 24. 4. heart and hath not lift up his soul unto vanity A pure heart is the foundation of an holy life and words and works as it were the building setled upon it Uprightnesse is chiefly commanded most highly esteemed and principally commended in the Saints For this cause Israel was called Jeshurun Deut. 32. 15. 33. 5 26. Isa 44. 2. because uprightnesse is the thing which God requireth in every true Israelite God that trieth the hearts of all thâ— sons of men taketh pleasure in uprightnesse The froward and unstable are abomination to his highnes 1 Chro. 29. 17. but such as are upright in their way are his delight The offerings of an upright heart are free and voluntary which God graciously tendreth lovingly accepteth The Sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination Prov 15. 8. Job 8. 6. Psal 25. 21. to the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight God will not cast off the upright nor leave his soul in adversity If thou wert pure and upright surely now he would awake for thee and make the habitation of thy righteousnesse prosperous God will make it known that he doth regard the upright though for a time they be in affliction they shall not be forsaken or left desolate Marke the Psal 37. 37. end of the upright for the end of that man is peace The wicked may flourish for a time like the Bay-tree but suddenly they shall wither The upright may be kept under for a time but he shall bud and blossome apace in his season and his prosperity shall endure The upright shall dwell in the Land and the perfect shall Prov. 2. 21. Psal 37. 29. Prov. 14. 11. remaine in it The righteous shall inherit the Land and dwell therein for ever The Tabernacle of the upright
fall by whom not only the Elect but the whole frame of nature received benefit In the Creation God raised up a great Family wherein he made Adam the head and all his posterity inhabitors the frame of Heaven and Earth his domicile the creatures his servants this Family upon the fall was broken up the present Master turned out of his imployments the children beggered the servants returning to God their Soveraigne and the whole frame of the creature under attainder God thus defeated if I may so speake sets up a second Family called the Family of Heaven and Earth wherein Jesus Christ the womans seed Gen. 3. 19. is the Head Matth. 28. 18. Ephes 1. 22. Col. 1. 19 20. stiled the second Adam Lord of all things in Heaven and Earth and that with more soveraignty and amplitude of injoyment then ever the first Adam had the whole creature being put under his feet The children of this Family are the faithfull who be the adopted Brethren Rom. 8. 15. sometimes called the seed The servants be the wicked and those of two sorts either such as attend in the Church neerer about Christs person or further off as in farme-houses for baser offices The creatures by a second ordinance from their former Master free are stated upon Christ though they beare some brands of evill from the sinne of their former Master the domicile though not so beautifull returnes to Christ So the Covenant of Grace entring upon the breaking up of the former Family investeth Christ with all as purchaser of the lost creature from revenging justice and as Lord of all things in Heaven and Earth who freely conferreth the heavenly inheritance upon the adopted sonnes and brethren and vouchsafeth earthly blessings and some spirituall common gifts to the wicked which may be called servants both those that more neerly attend his person and those that be further off But of this more hereafter CHAP. III. Of the Covenant of Grace in generall THe Covenant of Grace is that free and gracious Covenant which God of his meere mercy in Jesus Christ made with man a miserable and wretched sinner promising unto him pardon of sinne and eternall happinesse if he will return from his iniquity embrace mercy reached forth by faith unfained and walke before God in sincere faithfull and willing obedience as becomes such a creature lifted up unto such injoyment and partaker of such pretious promises This Covenant is opposite to the former in kind so that at one and the same time man cannot be under the Covenant of workes and the Covenant of grace For he cannot hope to be justified by his perfect and exact obedience that acknowledging himselfe to be a miserable and lost sinner doth expect pardon of the free mercy of God in Iesus Christ embraced by faith The condition of the Law as it was given to Adam excludes the necessity of mercy reaching to the pardon of sinne and the necessity of making a new Covenant argues the former could not give life Heb. 8. 7. He that is under grace cannot at the same time be under the law and he that waites for Salvation of meere and rich grace to be vouchsafed cannot expect it as the deserved wages of his good worke from justice and not of mercy What then may some say is the Law abolished or is it lawfull for Christians to live as they list because they be not under the Law Not so but the Law hath a double respect one as the unchangeable rule of life and manners according to which persons in Covenant ought to walke before and with the Lord and in this sense it belongs to the Covenant of grace The other as it is propounded in forme of a Covenant as if he must necessarily perish who doth neglect or breake it in the least jot or tittle and in this sense the Covenant of grace and workes are opposite The matter of Evangelicall precepts and of the Morall Law is the same but the forme of promulgation is not the same the rule is one but the Covenants differ Materialy the Law that is the matter and argument of the Law as a rule stands in force but if formally it did continue as a Covenant there could be no place for repentance nor for the promise of forgivenesse or mercy reaching to the pardon of sinne or the quickning of them that be dead in trespasses The Covenant of workes is of justice the Covenant of grace is of grace and mercy which cannot agree and take place in one and the same subject for he that tryâ—th justice perceiveth not the force of mercy è contra This might be common to both Covenants that God doth freely give reward because he was not bound unto it by any Law and that is done of grace which we are not tied unto by Law but in the Covenant of Grace he gives the reward of meere and rich grace and that to the creature which hath deserved Hell This Covenant entered immediately upon the fall and so may be called a Covenant of Reconciliation not of friendship At the very instant when God holy and true was pronouncing judgements upon the severall delinquents in the fall setting downe his sentence against the Tempter both in his instrument the Serpent and the maine Author Sathan he brings in the party who should execute the same in which execution is unfolded the Covenant of grace for the Salvation of the creature that the Serpent had destroyed that God might be knowne in wrath to remember mercy At the very fall and before judgement was pronounced upon the delinquents that were tempted the Covenant of mercy was proclaimed that by vertue of this Covenant God might prevent further waste of his creature which Sathan might haue wrought upon his new advantage in following his good successe and that the tempted might have some comfort before their judgement least they might have been swallowed up of wrath The Authour of this Covenant is God considered as a mercifull and loving Father in Iesus Christ as a Creator he strooke Covenant with Adam in his integrity as a Saviour he looked upon the poore creature plunged into sinne and misery by reason of sin The cause that moved the Lord to make this Covenant was not any worth dignity or merit in man for man never had ought which he had not received and now by his disobedience had deserved to be cast off for ever neither was the present misery into which he had cast himselfe the cause that moved the Lord to receive man into favour for the Angels more excellent by creation as miserable by their fall he hath reserved in chaines of darknesse The sole moving cause why God made this Covenant Bonitatis Dei donumest quod liberare nos voluit quod verò aliter quam tali modo liberare nos noluit pâ—ccatorum nostrorum est meritum was the love favour and mercy of the Lord. Deut. 7. 7 8. Only the Lord had a delight in thy fathers
to love them saith Moses and he chose their seed after them Deut. 10. 15. When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine owne blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live Ezek. 16. 6. See Ezek. 36. 32. Luk. 1. 54 55 72 78. This Covenant was made in Christ in and through whom we are reconciled unto God for since God and man were separated by sinne no Covenant can passe betwixt them no reconciliation can be expected no pardon obtained but in and through a mediatour Sinnes were never remitted unto any man no man was ever adopted into the place and condition of a sonne by grace and adoption but in him alone who is the same yesterday to day and for ever Jesus Christ true God and true man Act. 4 12. Heb. 13. 8. The fall of our first parents was occasion of this Covenant for Actus nostrae liberationis divinam bonitatem causam habet Sed aliter actus exactio nimirum paenae per modum satisfactionis caâ—sam eam habet quae ad paenam exegendam irritat id autemest peccatum God suffered him to slip that he might manifest the riches of his mercy in mans recovery Mercy freeing man from misery possible might have taken place before transgression and have discovered it selfe in the preventing of sinne and so of misery but it seemed good unto Almighty God to suffer misery to enter upon man through sinne that he might make knowne the infinite riches of his mercy in succouring and lifting him up being fallen and plunged into a state remedilesse and desperate for ought he knew Besides we may conceive that Almighty God upon just grounds disdaining that such a base creature falne by pride should thus upon advantage of the mutability of his reasonable creature ruinate the whole frame of the Creation and trample the glory of his name under foot and withall looking upon the Chaos which sinne had brought and would further make if some speedy remedy was not provided did out of his infinite and boundlesse love to man though in the transgression and just and dreadfull indignation against Sathan give forth this gratious and free Covenant The forme of this Covenant stands in gratious and free promises of all good to be repaired restored augmented and a restipulation of such duties as will stand with free grace and mercy For the Covenant of Grace doth not exclude all conditions but such as will not stand with grace The Covenant which was made of free love when we lay wallowing in our blood and which calls for nothing at our hands but what comes from and shall be rewarded of meere grace is a Covenant of grace though it be conditionall So the pardon of sinne is given of grace and not for workes though pardon be granted only to the penitent and faith on our part a lively unfained and working faith be required to receive the promise The parties covenanting are two and so are the parts of the Covenant the one in respect of God the other in respect of man A Covenant there is betwixt God and man but no mutuall obligation of debt for such mutuall obligation is founded in some equality but there is no equality between the Creator and the creature much lesse betwixt the Lord most high and man a sinner If man had never offended God almighty who gave him his being and perfection could not have been indepted unto him but as he was pleased to recompence the good of obedience in the creature that never deserved punishment much lesse can God be indepted to the creature that hath offended who can neither endure his presence nor beare the weight of his wrath nor satisfie Justice nor deliver his soule from the thraldome of sinne The obligation of man to God is of double right and debt but it is of rich grace and abundant love that God doth bind himselfe unto man God doth promise in this Covenant to be God and Father by right of redemption and Christ to be Saviour of them that beleeve in God by him and in faith do yeild sincere uniforme willing upright and constant obedience unto his Commandements Jer. 31. 31 32 33 Deut. 31. 6. Ezek. 36. 25 26. Gen. 15. 1 4 5. Jer. 32. 40. 33. 9. Heb. 8. 10 11 12. Isa 54. 7. Hos 2. 19. The stipulation required is that we take God to be our God that is that we repent of our iniquities believe the promises of mercy and embrace them with the whole heart and yeeld love feare reverence worship and obedience unto him according to the prescript rule of his word Repentance is called for in this Covenant as it setteth forth the subject capable of Salvation by faith but is it selfe only an acknowledgement of sinne no healing of our wound or cause of our acquittance The feeling of Luke 13. 5. Act. 11. 18. 2 Cor. 7. 10. Ezek. 18. 27â— paine and sicknesse causeth a man to desire and seeke remedy but it is no remedy it selfe Hunger and thirst make a man to desire and seeke for food but a man is not fed by being hungry By repentance we know our selves we feele our sicknesse we hunger and thirst after grace but the hand which we stretch forth to receive it is faith alone without which repentance is nothing but darknesse and despaire Repentance is the condition of faith and the qualification of a person capable of Salvation but faith alone is the cause of Justification and Salvation on our part required It is a penitent and petitioning faith wherby we receive the promises of mercy but we are not justified partly by prayer partly by repentance and partly by faith but by that faith which stirreth up godly sorrow for sinne and enforceth us to pray for pardon and Salvation Faith is a necessary and lively instrument of Justification which is amongst the number of true causes not being a cause without which the thing is not done but a cause wherby it is done The cause without which a thing is not done is only present in the action and doth nothing therein But as the eye is an active instrument for seeing and the care for hearing so is faith also for justifying If it be demanded whose instrument it is It is the instrument of the Soule wrought therin by the Holy Ghost and is the free gift of God In the Covenant of workes workes were required as the cause of life and happinesse but in the Covenant of grace though repentance be necessary and must accompanie faith yet not repentance but faith only is the cause of life The cause not efficient as workes should have been if man had stood in the former Covenant but instrumentall only for it is impossible that Christ the death and blood of Christ and our faith should be together the efficient or procuring causes of Justification or Salvation When the Apostle Rom. 3. â—â— 22 28 30. Gal. 2. 16. 17. Rom. 4. 2 3. writeth that man
shall be joyned to the Lord in that day and shall be my people and I will dwell in the midst of them and thou shalt know that the Lord of Hosts hath sent me unto thee The Prophets describe the Psal 11. 1. Messiah to be the Sonne of David and Davids Lord The Lord said unto my Lord The Chaldee hath it The Lord said unto his Psal 110. 1. Word namely the Messiah or Christ who is the eternall Word of God by whom he made and doth conserve all things And in other places the Paraphrasts put the Word of God for God or Lord and that sometimes when the second person in Trinity is not necessarily to be understood and Isai 1. 14. my soul Targ. my word Jer. 1. 8. I am with thee Targ. my word Isai 45. 17. By the Lord. Targ. By the word of the Lord. Gen. 3. 8. The voice of the Lord. Targ The voice of the word of the Lord or the word the Lord Gen. 22 15 1â— I have sworne by my selfe Targ By my word Psal 103. 13. The Lord. Targ. The word of the Lord. Psal 16. 1. In thee Chald. In thy word Psal 103. 18. The Lord hath Targ. The word of the Lord. Gen. 31. 24. God came to Laâ—an Targ. The word came So Gen. 20. 3. Gen. 28. 15. I will be with thee Targ. my word shall be thy help Hos 1. 7. I will save them by the Lord their God Chald. I will redeeme them by the word of God their Lord. sometimes the word or promise they so render as Psal 119. 76. According to thy word unto thy servant where the Chaldee hath Memar And so Psal 130. 5. And in thy Word or promise I trust But if the second person be not ever meant by the word of God as the Paraphrast useth it yet certainly in many places it must be so understood and that this word was to be incarnate was most certainly fore-told Psalm 102. 11 26. Heb. 1. 10. For the very literall meaning of the Psalmist will enforce thus much that this place was to be meant of God not simply or absolutely but of God incarnate For the eternall duration of the God-head is not measurable by daies or yeares but the incarnation of the Sonne of God or his duration in the flesh may be accounted by number of yeares for the time past yet are his yeares as man to continue without end without any decay or diminution of that nature which he assumed And Psal 68. 19. Psal 103. 13 14 15 16 17. Tit. 3. 3 4 5 6 7. if out of any one place of the Psalmes where he doth intreat of the deliverance of the Church it doe appeare that the Messiah is true and very God by the same reason wheresoever he speaks of the deliverance of the Church God and the Messiah shall be the same But it is most certaine in sundry passages he that is God is also the Messiah And for that reason what is spoken of the mercy of God in the Psalme following may be understood not of the mercy of God absolutely or considered in the God-head only but the mercy of God to be incarnate to be made King and Judge of the earth which may be cleared by the very letter and circumstance of the text For the expected comfort whereupon this Psalmist pitcheth is this The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens vers 18. and his Kingdome ruleth over all And this is that Kingdom and that throne which Daniel fore-told that God long after his time would erect Da. 2. 44. To be born of God what is it but to Joh. 1. 12 13. be born of immortall seed what is that immortal seed wherof St Peter saith we are born again but the flesh and bloud of the Son of Isai 40. 6 7 â— man who is also the Son of God whose flesh is meat indeed whose bloud is drinke indeed which nouâ—isheth us not to a bodily but to 1 Pet. 1. 23 14. a spirituall and immortall life which presupposeth an immortall seed We are begotten and borne againe by the preaching of the Word as by the instrument or meanes and by the the eternall word that is by Christ himselfe as by the proper and efficient cause of our new-birth Thus much St Peters words in that place will enforce us to grant according to the letter For having before declared that the word of God by which we are borne againe doth live and endure for ever he thus concludes and this is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you 1 Pet. 1. 25. Moses also and the Prophets did fore-tell that the Messiah or mercifull one or gracious Saint as he is called Psal 16. 10. should Psal 8. 6. Hâ—b â— 7. Psal 16. 10 Deut. 18. 15 16 17 18 19. Psal 110. 1 2 3. be made for a little time lower then Angels and after crowned with glory and honour and set over the works of the Lords hands that he should suffer death and rise againe be laid in the grave but not see corruption That he should be the great Doctour of the Church a Priest after the order of Melchisedech the King of Kings and Lord of Lords whom God would set upon his holy hill of Sion His death and resurrection Kingdome and Priesthood was prefigured by the Sacrifices and Serpent the Priest hood of Aaron and Kingdom of Israel But of these things more fully in the new Covenant This Covenant was made in Christ the promised Messiah in and through whom the faithfull obtained the blessings promised but according to the administration of this Covenant Moses was the Mediatour and herewith in this expression is embellished above the former The Law was ordained by Angels in the hand Lâ—v. 26 46. Deut. 5. 5. 27. 28. of a Mediatour Gal. 3. 19. that is by the labour and ministery of Moses which though some doâ—â—t of is yet confirmed from this that Christ reserves himselfe to be a Mediatour of a better Testament Heb. 8. 6. There is but one Mediatour true and spirituall scil Christ but Moses was a Mediatour only typicall The Mediation whereby men are truly and effectually united unto Christ cannot fall upon any person who is not endued with infinite power and vertue who is not God as well as man but the Mediation of Moses was of this use to shew what was the true manner of worshipping God but did not inspire force and power to follow it nor reconcile men to God but propound those things whence it might easily appeare that there is need of another reconciliation Moses an Israelite and part of that people with whom God made the Covenant was comprehended under the one part confederate but as he undertook the function of Mediatour imposed upon him of God he was not now simply an Israelite but a Mediatour interceding betwixt God and the people Israel that he might be a more illustrious type of Christ Moses was
called in as a Mediatour on both parts On Gods when he called him up to receive the Law and all that message which God sent unto the people on the peoples when they desired him to receive the Law and they would doe it Further never was mortall man more neer unto God to whom for this end he is said to appear face to face He called Abraham friend but Moses was Gods favourite Deut. 5 5 27. Againe no man either in love knowledge authority so neere the people which makes them idolize him unto this day Moses thus constituted a Mediatour did first as a Mediatour prevaile with God for the suspending of his justice that it should not breake out upon the people for their failing in highest degrees in morall obedience Secondly with the people he prevailed to bind them in Covenant unto God and make profession of that obedience Exod. 24. 4 5 6. which the Lord did require and call for Thirdly he was never denied any thing from God which was for the good of that people though God denied some of his requests for himself but what was needfull for the good of that people specially spirituall Deut. 9. 18 19 20 21. and 10. 10. and eternall that was procured by the bloud and mediation of Christ blessed for ever The Law was given to one Nation whom God did chuse to Ezâ—k 16. 8. Psal 147. 19 20. be his peculiar people scil Israel with whom God entred into Covenant and it became his He sheweth his Word unto Jacob his statutes and his judgements unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any nation and as for his judgements they have not knowne them Therefore they have not knowne the Judgements because God did not make them manifest unto them as we say a place is full of darknesse because the Sunne doth not enlighten it with his beames Not that God is the efficient cause of their darknesse but that he doth not hinder or remove the cause of their ignorance or he doth not shine upon them by the revelation of his Word That the earth is lightsome this it oweth to the Sunne but that it is darksome to it selfe God is the Authour of all good the cause of our faith but ignorance and infidelity are of our selves And these words He hath not dealt so doe import a meere negation and not a similitude they deny the thing it selfe and not the manner of Psal 76. 1. Rom. 3. 2. the thing alone as might be proved by many instances but this may plentifully suffice that in the whole Scripture we shall never find this phrase to note a negation of the manner of the thing but a negation of the thing it selfe So that this is the meaning of the Prophet He hath not dealt so with any Nation that is he hath not revealed his Statutes and Judgements unto them This Covenant God made not only with the Fathers whom he brought out of the Land of Egypt 〈◊〉 with their posterity Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your God your Captaines Deut. 29. 10 11 12. of your tribes your Elders and your Officers with all the men of Israel your little ones your wives and thy stranger that is in thy campe from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water That thou shouldest enter into Covenant which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day Neither with you only doe I make this Covenant and this Oath ver 14 15. but with him that standeth here with us this day before the Lord our God and also with him that is not here with us this day And that it might be the better established he gave speciall charge and commandement that the words which he had spoken by Moses and the Prophets should be publikely read often inculcated and expounded unto them and that all his visitations of this people whether in mercy whilst they obeyed his voice or in judgement for their disobedience should be registred to remain Deut. 4. 10. and 6. 6 7 8. Psal 78. 6 7 8. upon record as so many ruled cases and presidents and published and rehearsed unto their children that they might learne to set their hope in God and not forget his Commandements But this Covenant was so made with the Jewes that if any stranger amongst them or neere adjoyning Heathen did turne unto the Lord he was not to be excluded When a stranger shall sojourne Exod. 12. 48. Deut. 23. 15 16. with thee and will keep the Passeover to the Lord let all his males be circumcised and then let him come neere and keep it and he shall be as one that is borne in the Land for no uncircumcised person shall eate thereof The good things promised in this Covenant are temporall or spirituall but the temporall as types of spirituall First God promised to give them the Land of Canaan for their inheritance and therein length of dayes riches and honour victory over their enemies protection and peace If ye shall diligently keep all these Deut. 11. 22 23 24 25. and 1. 8 39. Commandements which I command you to doe them to love the Lord your God to walk in all his wayes and to cleave unto him Then will the Lord drive out all these nations from before you and ye shall possesse greater nations and mightier then your selves Every place Deut. 4. 1 38. and 6. 18 19. whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours from the wildernesse and Lebanon from the river the river Euphrates even unto the utmost sea shall your coasts be There shall no man be able to stand before you for the Lord your God shall lay the feare of you and the dread of you upon all the Land that ye shall tread upon as he hath said Thou shalt keep therefore his Statutes and his Commandements which I command thee this day that it may goe well with thee and with Deut. 4. 40. thy children after thee and that thou maist prolong thy dayes upon the earth which the Lord thy God giveth thee for ever And it shall be and â— 33. and 6. 3. when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the Land which he sware unto thy Fathers to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob to give Deut. 6. 10 11. thee great and goodly Cities which thou buildedst not and houses full of all good things which thou filledst not and wels digged which thou diggedst not Vine-yards and Olive-trees which thou plantedst not c. Wherefore it shall come to passe if ye hearken unto these judgements and keep and doe them That the Lord thy God shall keep unto Deut. 7 12 13 14 15. thee the Covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy Fathers And he will love thee and blesse thee and multiply thee he will also blesse the fruit of thy wombe and the fruit of thy Land thy Corne and thy Wine and thine oile
profitable and pleasant answerable in some sort to the nature excellency and use of the thing known And in this case the heart is not over-ruled contrary to the full spirituall and infallible evidence of divine truth seriously thought upon unto a practicall judgement This is the learning of Christ the teaching of the Father the knowing of things which passe knowledge Christ is not known if he be not acknowledged as he is propounded what perfect Si ignorare accipitur pro non attendere dici potest voluntatem humanam vix unquam peccare sine aliqua ignoratione quia quando voâ—untas peccat intellectus ut plurimum aliud agit nec attendit ad regimen voluntatis knowledge doth perfectly that imperfect knowledge doth imperfectly As the end acknowledged cannot be refused by like right neither can the meanes acknowledged the meanes I say necessary only necessary and without which there is no possibility or likelihood to obtaine the end For will is a reasonable appetite and therefore doth not stirre from such a good as is fully and spiritually represented unto it with evidence certainty profit and delight as the most universall adequate and unquestionable object of the desires and capacities of an humane soule and that both simply and in comparison for the freedome and willing consent of the heart is not lawlesse or without rules to moderate it but it is therefore said to be free because whether out of a true judgement it move one way or out of a false another yet in both it moveth naturally in a manner sutable to its owne condition If it be objected the heart being unregenerate is utterly averse unto any good The answer is that it is true the will must not only be moved but renewed and changed before it can yeeld to Christ But withall God doth never so fully and spiritually convince the judgement in that manner without a speciall work of grace upon the soule whereby the will is framed and fashioned to accept embrace and love those good things of which the minde is thus prepossessed The third help is a formall cause a free gracious disposition or Scimus non impetrari remissionem ante prece â—ed dicâ— decretam esse ante preces eam peti precibus quamvis sit decreta P. Malin de eâ—ect ex fide pag. 316. habite of faith by which the will is inclined agreeable to the disposition of it to come unto God This habite is necessary because without it the will being in bondage stained and defiled it is altogether unable to will or desire that which is spiritually good If there could be a will without such habite man might performe the act of a man spiritually alive before he was made alive So that the full answer to this question viz. what is that effectuall help whereby I come to God is this It is a mixt thing standing partly of that almighty power of his put forth for my good partly of that inward Word and inspiration by and with which his power is put forth partly in that spirit of faith and supernaturall life which his almighty power through his Word bringeth forth in my soule What was that help whereby Christ made Lazarus able to come to him out of the grave of naturall death The principall was Christs power the instrumentall his voyce the formall cause immediately helping to it or working it was the spirit of naturall life which the power of Christ by his Word restored to this dead corps which now was fallen And thus we have the effectuall help or grace by which we come actually to convert which are all given from Gods free grace and favour towards us And when God doth infuse the habite of faith into the minde of one of ripe age he doth cause him actually to beleeve as the nature of the thing it selfe and condition doth manifest For if the Spirit by inlightening the minde and renewing the heart doe perswade and move the soule effectually to embrace adhere unto and love the Lord Jesus Christ then the condition of the thing will not beare that grace should be given effectually but the act and motion of the soule must necessarily follow But though the connection of these two be indivisible yet the flexion or turning it selfe is not indivisible or in a point or moment but it may be sooner or slower more speedy in one more remisse in another The will is necessarily bowed or bended but more vehemently in one more slackly in another freely or willingly in all that are turned and yet necessarily And this first thing is well to be noted for from hence we may gather in what standeth the efficacy of grace effectuall to Conversion viz. In Gods effectuall power put forth to execute his intention which he hath of converting some actually before other some It Quaestio non est de irresistibilitate sed de insuperabilitate finali Nam quomodo traberemur gratia irresistibili cum id ipsum quod nolumus Deo resistere â—it ipsa Deigratia Illud ipsum velle resistere nihil aliâ—d est quam resistere doth not stand in any congruity or temperature of grace correspondent to our nature For this doth argue there is inward an incorrupted connaturall disposition to receive grace This maketh the effect of Conversion as much if not more to depend on the active capacity of the will as on the grace of God For it maketh the grace of God worke it morally and externally by perswasion only and the will of man from a power within it selfe which doth more inwardly enter the effect of Conversion then the other It may be questioned in what order doth the Spirit make us come unto God whether immediately or by some preparation going before wherein it is further to be considered what that preparation is or wherein it consisteth To the first branch of the Question it is truly answered that God doth use so to worke our comming to him by beliefe that he doth first for the most part prepare us thereunto As before we engraffe a Sciens we cut it and set it for incision and if a Timberlogg lie sunke in mudd men set to their tacklings first to draw it out of the mire before they lay it on a Cart to carry it away Thus God doth by his power often worke some preparative change in a sinner before he doth by his power and word worke the spirit of faith in them and make them come unto him So God by afflictions is said to boare the eare and prepare to conversion 2 Chron. 33. 11 12. Act 2. 37. When Manasseh was humbled in great misery he sought the Lord. Thus by conviction of sin others were pricked in heart and said What shall we doe to be saved and then speedily they received the Gospel beleeving Sometimes by extraordinary terrours rising from externall accidents yea hidden naturall causes God is pleased to bring men nearer unto him Thus the Jaylor Act. 16.