remit or forgive our sinnes by doing all such acts whereby we might finally enjoy the benefit thereof when hee shall rayse us from death to give us the possession of eternall life That he might deliver us Heer is another end or effect of Christs death subordinat to the former and therefore somewhat more remote from it namely our deliverance from the servitude of sin which though causally on his part it be a deliverance yet effectually on our part it is our Repentance The Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie to exempt take out or pluck out in delivering from some sodain danger and delivering in a speciall maner namely powerfully and hastily plucking or snatching away the party by force and speed As Peter was delivered by the Angel out of prison from the hand of Herod the night before he should have been slaine wherof Peter making relation useth the same word Act. 12.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayth he the Lord hath sent his Angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod Or as Paul was delivered by Lysias the Colonel who with an army or band of men rescued him from the Jewes when they were about to kill him as Lysias relates Acts 23.27 where he useth the same word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sayth he which in our last English Translation is there rendred rescued To the same sense the Scripture useth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to exempt redeeme or rescue From this present evill world The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. out of the sinfulnesse that he might deliver or pluck us out of that sinfulnesse which reigneth in the men of this present world For evill is heer put for sinfulnesse and the world for the men of the world or worldly men whose maners conditions and actions are evill sinfull or wicked If our deliverance be good as comming from Christ it must needs be then the terme or state from whence we are delivered must needs be evill Yet the evill heer meant is not the evill of punishment because thence we are delivered by the Remission of sinnes whereby the punishment is taken away as was intimated in the former clause of this verse Nor the evill of Affliction from which we are many times delivered and from which we pray for deliverance as 2. Thess 3.2 That we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men i. e. From the afflictions and violences which we suffer under them But Affliction cannot be heer meant because that is not an end or effect of Christs death for he died not to deliver us from affliction but rather to animate us against it and to encourage us to suffer it But the Evill heer intended is the evill of sin or rather that degree of sin which is wickednesse as it is opposed to sins of Errour and Frailty such wickednesse as Idolatry Murder Adultery c. For so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie and the substantive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in King JAMES his Translation is constantly Englished Wickednesse Wherefore To be delivered from this present evill world is not meant locally as if we should be taken away from being in the world or be so separated from worldly men as not to feare any affliction from their violences or any corruption from their examples for then we must altogether go locally out of this world But the words are to be understood Morally for a separation from their wicked courses by abstayning from all wickednesse and in undergoing a course of life contrary to the common course of this present evill world framing our selves to the workes of love and to the wayes of holinesse according to the precepts and rules of Christ This distinction betweene a locall and a morall separation is taught us by Christ when he prayed to his Father for his Disciples Joh. 17.15 I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world but that thou shouldst keepe them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the evill i. e. From doing that evill which is wickednesse And so I understand Christ when he taught us to pray Matt. 6.13 And lead us not into temptation but deliver us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from evill i. e. Not only from suffering of that evil which proceeds from the wickednesse of others but chiefly from our doing of any evill which is wickednesse For we pray that God would not lead us into temptation now when we are tempted whether by meanes of affliction or otherwise the purpose whereat the temptation aymeth is not our suffering of evill but our doing of it See heere the nature of true Repentance Repentance is a separation from wickednesse For it is a deliverance or separation or turning from evill not from that of affliction which is the suffering of evill but from that of sin which is the doing of evill Yet not from all sin in every degree of it as errours and frailties for unto such a Repentance as to bee wholly sinlesse no sinner ever yet did or ever can attaine in this life But it is a separation from that degree of sin which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. malignity malice or wickednesse which consisteth either in a wilfull custome of sin or in the act of some one sin whereof the pravity amounts to a custome Repentance then is a liberty or freedome from wickednesse for when Christ by forgiving our wickednesse delivereth us from it then he causeth our repentance and when we by forsaking wickednesse are delivered from it then are wee come to Repentance Unto this Repentance many have attayned and thereto every Beleever may and must attaine in this life or else his faith is not effectuall unto salvation And this Repentance is really one and the same thing with holinesse though betweene them there may bee some rationall differences as the words in divers mens understandings may bee diversly dilated or restrayned For holinesse may bee in a person who never sinned as is that of God of Christ and of Angels but when the subject of holinesse is a person that was a sinner and the terme from whence it began was sin then such holinesse is repentance and in this life the holinesse of Beleevers is no other although therof there are diverse degrees wherein some far exceed others The Motive unto repentance or holinesse of life or the cause that should invite and draw us unto the workes worthy thereof or which is all one the Means whereby Christ delivereth us from the evill or sinfulnesse of this present world is the remission or forgivenes of our sinnes For to what end or effect did Christ die for us It was to this end to testifie and confirme the New Testament that it might be in force unto us and that we might have a present right to the Legacies therein devised or promised whereon one is the Remission or forgivenesse of our sinnes And to what end or effect are our sinnes forgiven
death then it must needes follow that hee had dyed for the Gentiles And 2. Tim. 2.10 That hee endured all things for the Elects sake that they may also obtaine the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternall glory And this was not the singular charity of Paul alone But it is also the duty of every Believer to lay downe his life for his brethren especially when the matter concernes their salvation for heereof the death of Christ is both the reason and the example 1. John 3.16 Heereby perceive wee the love of God because hee layd downe his life for us and wee ought to lay downe our lives for the brethren Likewise of every true Martyr by whose constancy I finde my selfe confirmed in the truth it may bee truely sayd that hee dyed for the good of my salvation Yet notwithstanding all other persons besides Christ are in this kinde onely subservient unto Christ and the benefit which I have by their death doth onely second my blessing by his Who loved mee The Motive that induced Christ to give himselfe for mee was his Love to mee For as the fruit of his death was my good So the roote of it was his love for because hee loved mee therefore hee dyed for mee Certainely a reall love not in word or in tongue but in deede and in truth testified and certified by his death for by the outward passion of his death hee declared the inward affection of his love And certainely a liberall love for seeing love delights to give what could hee give mee more then to give himselfe for mee For the greatnesse of his love unto mee is heere signified by two circumstances that inclose and stand about his Love One before it by the greatnesse of his person in that hee was the sonne of God for what greater person was there in the world who was mortall and able to dye for mee The other after it by the greatnesse of his passion in that hee gave himselfe to death for mee for what could hee possibly doe more for my sake then to lay downe his life for mee Seeing beyond this there can bee no greater love and hence hee himselfe commends the greatnesse of love John 15.13 Greater love hath no man then this that a man lay downe his life for his friends His love therefore was the Cause of his death and his death was the Effect of his love For hence in severall passages of Scripture his Love and his Death go hand in hand as the Cause with the effect As Ephes 5.2 Walke in love as Christ also hath loved us and given himselfe for us And Ephes 5.25 Husbands love your Wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himselfe for it And 1. John 3.16 Heereby perceive wee the love of God because hee layd downe his life for us Yet the love of Christ unto mee was not the sole and onely cause of his death for mee so as to exclude the love of the Father from being concurrent with the love of Christ For God the Father also loved mee and loved mee so eminently and so principally that his love was the cause why Christ loved mee and therefore consequently Gods love unto mee must needes bee the cause why Christ dyed for mee and must needes bee also the supreame cause that hath no higher cause above it For Christ therefore dyed for mee because hee loved mee and hee therefore loved mee because God loved mee But why God loved mee I know no cause beside his love Yet that Gods love to mee is the cause why Christ dyed for mee is manifest from severall passages of Scripture as John 3.16 For God so loved the World that hee gave his onely begotten Sonne i. e. Gave him to dye for his love to the World was the cause why hee exposed his sonne to death And Rom. 3.25 God hath set forth Christ to bee a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse i. e. His kindnes which is the effect of his love And Rom. 5.8 But God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us And 1. John 4.10 Heerein is love not that wee loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins And the greatnesse of Gods love heerein is manifest also by two circumstances One of the Person dying a person of that Majesty and of so neare alliance unto God that hee was the sonne of God and his onely begotten sonne Which must needs argue in God an excesse and high degree of love For hee that is so free as to give up his owne sonne for mee doth thereby further give mee to understand that hee would willingly give mee all that ever hee hath And beyond this can there bee any greater love or can any love bee more free Yet such was Gods love to mee in the death of Christ Rom. 8.32 Hee that spared not his owne sonne but delivered him up for us all how shall hee not with him also freely give us all things The other Circumstance is of the persons for whom Christ dyed for they were sinners and ungodly wretches persons deserving death themselves and altogether unworthy that any one should dye for them and therefore much lesse the sonne of God Peradventure for good and godly men some man would dye but would any man dye for sinners and ungodly wretches But Christ dyed for us while wee were yet sinners and ungodly and therein God commended the greatnesse of his love to us Rom. 5.7 Peradventure for a good man some would even dare to dye but God commendeth his love towards us in that while wee were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Hence there will follow these three verities 1. Gods wrath was not the cause of Christs death For wee cannot finde any such Doctrine delivered in the Scriptures But from severall expresse Scriptures wee have clearely shewed that the cause of Christs death was Gods love unto us and that love was not ordinary and vulgar but singularly and intirely the greatest that ever was in the world Wee were indeede the children of wrath i. e. lyable to Gods wrath and worthy of it Yet it doth not thence follow that God was then actually wrath with us for God who is rich in grace and mercy may in a divers respect actually love them who actually deserve his wrath And when Christ dyed for us wee were then dead in sinnes i. e. guilty of death by reason of our sinnes Yet it thence followeth not that our sinnes were punished in the death of Christ for God may actually pardon their life who actually are guilty of death This God may doe de jure and hath already done it de facto and hee hath done it for this end that thereby hee might shew the exceeding riches of his love and grace in his mercy and kindnesse towards us through Christ Ephes 2.3 Wee all had our conversation in times past
in Christ yet they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospell but lived as did the Jewes These labouring a compliance betweene Moses and Christ did teach and professe that the Law and the Gospel the Old and New Testament were all one and the same or at the most that the latter was but an addition or supplement to the former and that there was no coming unto Christ and to the Gospell but by passing first through Moses and the Law These were Operaries and Rituaries i. e. so much for the Workes and Ceremonies of the Law that they made Workes the cause conservant to continue justification and therefore after their faith and justification in Christ to the end that they might continue and abide in that state they continued in the Workes of the Law as in practising the use of Circumcision in abstaining from divers meates both of Flesh Fish and Fowle and especially from all meates that had beene offered unto Idolls in observing divers seasons of dayes moneths times and yeares And proceeding yet further at last they came to this that they made Workes also the cause procreant of justification to constitute create and begin the state of it for therefore they urged their Workes especially Circumcision upon the Gentiles as necessary unto salvation Of this Sect were they who are mentioned Acts. 15.1 And certain men which came down frō Judea taught the brethren and sayd Except ye bee circumcised after the maner of Moses ye cannot be saved Certain men i. e. certain Judaizers And they who are mentioned here in this cap. v. 12. For before that certain came from James i. e. certain Judaizers Also they in the Church of Rome and of Colossa whom Paul notes in his Epistles to the Romans and Colossians and they Phil. 3.2 whom Paul there cals Dogs evill workers and the Concision and they in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus who were given to Jewish Fables to endles Genealogies and strivings about the Law The Cause of this their Judaisme was at first partly their zeal to the Law of Moses whereof they acknowledged God himself the Author partly their envy and hatred against the Gentiles that they should be made partakers of Gods grace in Christ from which by this meanes they endeavoured to discourage the Gentiles But afterward this Judaisme was advanced partly out of vain-glory to insult over the Gentiles in forcing them to the Laws and Customs of the Jews and partly out of policy that living as did the Jews they might enjoy the Priviledges of the Jews and thereby not become liable to that persecution which lay upon the sincere Christian The Effect of this Judaisme was that the walking therein was not onely an errour against the truth of the Gospel but also a scandall against the growth of it a damage and mischiefe to the planting and spreading of it for heereby it came to passe that the unbelieving Gentiles were unwilling to receive it and the believing Gentiles were ready to desert it 3. The third party of Christians were the Gentilizers for so they may bee called seeing here in this verse Paul denotes them by this phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. to Gentilize or as our English Translation renders it to live after the maner of the Gentiles These also in respect of their faith were Christians for they believed in Christ but in respect of their life they were Heathenish because they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel but lived after the maner of the Gentiles For these labouring a compliance betweene Philosophy and Christianity interserted mingled and blended the Gospel of Christ with Pythagorisme and Platonisme with Epicurisme and Stoicisme The severall Sectaries or followers heereof either turning the grace of God into wantonnesse or pretending to exercise their Christian liberty were somewhat divided amongst themselves not onely in their Doctrines and Opinions but also in their practice and conversation For some as the Pythagorists abstained from Wine drinking onely water they abstained from all kinde of flesh eating onely herbes and they abstained from mariage disallowing that state holding it good for a man especially a Philosopher not to touch a woman Others as the Epicures were heerto so contrary that they would abstain from nothing not from bloud nor things strangled nor any kinde of flesh eating meats offered unto Idolls not from fornication nor incest nor other uncleannesse not from drunkennesse at the Communion 1. Cor. 11.21 For in eating every one took before other his supper and one the Pythagorist was hungry and another the Epicure was drunken Yet these different sects agreeing all in the fayth of Christ tolerated one another in other matters as anciently they had done before their conversion that in the maine they might all side against the Judaizer Wherefore taking advantage of Pauls doctrine against works and boasting that Paul was their Apostle as indeed he was they became Fiduciaries and Libertines i. e. They were only for faith and liberty neglecting despising and disgracing works as no way necessary to salvation as no cause at all of Justification neither procreant to constitute or build the state of it nor conservant to continue and maintaine it Of this sect were they Rom. 14. who did eat only hearbs and they who did eat all things They 1. Cor. 1. who made divisions and contentions saying I am of Paul and I of Apollo and I of Cephas and I of Christ They 1. Cor. 5. who were puffed up in the behalfe of the incestuous Corinth They 1. Cor. 6. who held fornication lawfull They 1. Cor. 7. who held mariage unlawfull or unexpedient They 1. Cor. 8. who would eat meat offered unto Idols and would eat it in the Idols temple They 1. Cor. 15. who denyed the Resurrection to come and they at Ephesus who affirmed that it was already past They Coloss 2. who spoyled men through Philosophy beguiling them in a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels In a word they in generall who are censured and taxed in the Generall Epistles of James Peter John and Jude The Cause of this their Gentilisme was partly their vaine-glory in being gifted men and puffed up with the gifts of the Holy Ghost as the gift of fayth of knowledge of tongues and of prophesie partly their Sensuality in abusing their Christian liberty unto licentiousnesse and loosenesse following their carnall appetite and walking after the flesh partly their Animosity in opposing and crossing the Judaizer whose doctrines and practises especially that of Circumcision they detested and abhorred The Effect of this Gentilisme was the very same with that of Judaisme for this walking or living thus after the maner of the Gentiles was not only an error against the truth of the Gospel but also a scandall against the growth of it a damage and mischiefe to the planting and spreading of it especially amongst the Jewes for heerupon the event was that the unbeleeving Jewes were unwilling to
calls it Rom. 2.29 and Rom. 7.6 and 2. Cor. 3.6 the spirit of the Law according to the tacit intent true meaning and purpose of the Law-giver for times and things future above and beyond the common construction which the words and clauses of the Law afford This mysticall sense for the spirit of the Law was not understood at least not plainly and fully by the people of Israel to whom the Law was given neither could it be understood of any unlesse God revealed it from Heaven in a way extraordinary as privately was done in some measure unto some speciall persons but publickly it was never revealed untill it was Preached and published by Christ who was the first that did away the vaile of the Law and brought to light that true sense and minde of the Law whereof the former sense which even unto this day 2. Cor. 3.15 is a vaile upon the heart of the Jew was a figure and a shadow in foreshewing some representment of those things which should have a future existence under the new covenant which is little else but the new and true sense of the old For according to this sense of the spirit the Promises of the Law were to be Celestiall and eternall blessings in the Kingdome of Heaven whereof the principall and finall is a divine holinesse like that of the Angels pure and perfect without any spot or staine of sin and the accessories to that blessed state in Heaven are eternall life eternall rest eternall joy and eternall glory in the eternall company of eternall persons The judgements penalties or curses of the Law for the spirit of it were to be infernall and eternall death with all the losses and miseries thereto incident quite contrary to the former blessings The Precepts of the Law for the spirit of it were to be all Moralities for the legall moralities and all the ceremonies excepting onely those which were especiall figures of Christ were to be refined and exalted into the evangelicall moralities of poorenesse of spirit purenesse of heart mourning meekenesse hunger and thirst after righteousnes mercifulnes peaceablenes and gladnes under persecution for none of all these are Counsels or advises left unto mans choyse to be done or not done but all of them are Precepts or commands injoyned by Christ who thereupon assureth heavenly blessednes Mat. 5.3 And unto all these the generall or capitall morality is the new Commandement of Love refined also and exalted above and beyond the legall love yea above and beyond that love which moves and workes by the Law of nature as to love mine enemies to blesse them that curse me to benefit them that hate me to pray for them that despite me and persecute me to lay downe my life for my Brother and therefore much more for my heavenly Father whensoever a just cause shall require it Lastly the workes of the Law for the spirit of it were to be Cordiall wrought inwardly in and upon my heart by Circumcising of my heart by Sacrificing of my heart by Expiating of my heart in cutting killing and cleansing away the lusts motions and affections of sin And the workes were to be Liberall done in the free and noble way of love answerable to that love and kindnes which appeareth in God in condescending to this divine alliance of being my heavenly Father and of promising me an heavenly Inheritance and answerable to that love and duty which is due from me who am made the son of God and his heyre to eternall blessednes And finally the works were to be Perfect so exact and compleat as to performe an universall and perpetuall obedience to every precept not transgressing any one at any time so sinlesse and blamelesse that none of them should need any pardon or forgivenesse so upright and holy in the sight of God as to merit and deserve those divine and heavenly blessings as their proper and due wages The full meaning therefore of the Apostles Negative in this verse is this A man is not justified by any workes whatsoever no not by the spirituall workes of the Law i. e. his Moralities or morall workes by poorenes of spirit meekenes purenes of heart meeknes mercifulnes c. being measured by the spirituall sense of Gods Law are not cordiall liberall and perfect enough to make him a title whereby to acquire and have a true right of divine alliance with God and of the heavenly Inheritance consequent to that state This Negative the Apostle proves in this Chapter by three severall arguments which are not to be here anticipated but shall be specified in their due places in all which he mentions workes with restraint of them to the Law but his arguments hold against works in generall and in his Epistle to the Romans he handles the very same Doctrine of workes in generall without any restraint of them to the Law proving it there by the same arguments alleaged heere yet because there he produceth two arguments which here are omitted I shall therefore mention those two and but onely mention them One is Rom. 3.27 and the same is also alleaged Ephes 2.9 If mans title or cause procreant whereby he acquireth or hath a right of divine alliance and inheritance with God come by his owne workes then all boasting on mans part cannot be excluded for man doth naturally boast of his works particularly of such workes whereby he acquires some great alliance and inheritance especially of such as would make him a divine alliance to be the son and heire of God The other is Rom. 4.4 If mans title c. be by his workes then by the Law of equity heavenly blessednes becomes a debt and is due unto him as his wages which he hath earned by his worke Now these two respects that man should be able either to boast of his blessednes or to earne it are both derogatory to the love grace mercy and kindnes of God for where is Gods grace and his kindnes when either I can boast of my earnings or he is drawne to pay his debt But concerning the literall workes of the Law there may hereupon be inferred these two consequences 1. That the literall workes of the Law are no title whereby a man is justified procreantly or acquisitively to the spirituall promises thereof For if the spirituall workes which are farre more sublime and more pleasing to God make man no title to the spirituall promises as was proved before much lesse can the literall workes doe it which are farre lesse 2. That the literall workes of the Law were no title whereby the Israelites were acquisitively justified to the temporall promises thereof For when God gave them the Land of Canaan to possesse it hee utterly disclaymes their workes and their uprightnes from being any title whereby they acquired their right of possession Deut. 9.5 Not for thy righteousnesse or for the uprightnesse of thy heart doest thou goe to possesse their Land but for the wickednesse of these Nations the
the will of his grace was the prime cause or first mover For according to the good pleasure purpose and counsell of his owne Will hee predestinated or devised this Legacy unto mee Ephes 1.11 In whom wee have obtained an inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsell of his owne Will For in all Testaments what other cause is there of the Legacies therein devised but only the will and purpose of the Testator whose Testament is in that respect called his Will But if the Legacies proceed from the Will of the Legataries then to speake properly the Testament is their Will and not the Will of the Testator And although among men it may fall out that the Testator may bee moved to some Legacy by the Petition of the Legatary or by the intercession of some friend Yet with God it cannot bee thus because his Will was made from the foundation of the World before the existence of any person interessed who could sollicite or move him thereupon Now that Grace which hath no cause moving it but moves of its owne free accord is farre more rich and gracious then that grace which hath a cause which is sollicited and moved by the importunities and petitions of the Receiver For as an Injury done without cause is the more malicious so a kindnesse without cause is the more gracious whereas grace begged is but beggerly grace 2. Because the Effect of Gods grace is rich That effect is my divine Alliance and inheritance to bee the son and heyre of God and certaynely such a state must needes bee a rich condition For when David was sollicited to an alliance with King Saul his Answer was 1. Sam. 18.23 Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a Kings sonne in law seeing that I am a poore man and lightly esteemed And can it seeme a light thing to mee to bee made the sonne and heyre of God seeing that I am a sinfull man who stand condemned to death Is not the grace infinitely greater for man to bee made the sonne of God then for David to bee made the sonne of Saul And the future Inheritance which God hath prepared for mee is so glorious that the plenty or richnesse therof is both ineffable which no tongue can expresse and incomprehensible which no heart can imagine for it cannot enter the eye or the care which are the senses that should convey it to the heart 1. Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things that God hath prepared for them that love him Yet of the City wherein I shall bee seated John had a vision wherein hee saw the richnesse of it Revel 21.10 That the walls were made of pretious stones the gates of pearle the streets of pure gold transparant as glasse the light of the City was the glory of God and of the Lambe and they two were also the Temple of it Certainly the Inhabitants of such a City must needs be not only rich but very glorious and therefore Gods grace in translating mee from the grave which is the den of death and rottennesse to seat mee in heaven which is the mansion of joy and blessednes must needs be very gracious 3. Because the Meanes was rich whereby the former effect is wrought That meanes was the Death of Christ upon the Crosse for the Meanes of his death my alliance and inheritance with God is conveyed unto me a Meanes certaynly very gracious arguing the admirable and singular love of God towards me For it cost God that person who was most deare unto him even his owne and only begotten sonne whose bloud was spilt and spent out to convey the effect of this grace unto mee and that bloud was expended not by an ordinary death but by the bitter painfull and shamefull death of the Crosse whereon he suffered in the condition of a malefactour and of a cursed person Hence we are sayd to be Gods Purchase which he bought at a price 1. Cor. 6.20 Ye are not your owne for ye are bought with a price And for the purchase of us hee payd very deare for the price wherewith wee were bought was the price of bloud Ephes 1.7 In whom we have redemption through his bloud And the bloud of our redemption was precious bloud 1. Pet. 18.19 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 bloud of Christ. For the bloud of Christ must needs bee precious because it was the bloud of God Act. 20.28 Take heed therefore unto your selves to feede the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne bloud And the cause why God expended that bloud was his meere grace according to the richesse and abundance of it Ephes 1.7 In whom wee have redemption through his bloud the forgivenesse of sinnes according to the riches of his grace wherein hee hath abounded towards us Now that grace which is so chargeable to the donour that it costeth bloud must needs be rich and costly My workes then are not the cause of Gods grace because his grace is heerein the supreame and prime cause that hath no cause but is without cause and because grace is not grace if it be of workes though it bee grace when it is granted upon request and because the poorenesse of my workes can never cause the richnesse of his grace But contrarily Gods grace is the cause of my workes if I have any that are good for his grace is the cause of my alliance with him and my alliance with him is or should be the cause of my good workes Neyther is my will the cause of Gods grace because God had first a will to give it me before I had any will to have it and he first called me to take it before I ever called upon him to aske it For in order both of nature and time Gods grace is first and is first given me for this purpose namely to prepare and produce in me those workes of holinesse which is my gratefulnesse or thankefulnesse for his grace for hence John 1.16 Gods grace is called grace for grace i. e. grace for thankes for the word grace doth signifie an antecedent kindnesse done and the subsequent thankefulnesse due for that kindnesse and it is a frequent elegancy in Scripture to repeat sometime in one sentence the same word in another sense when it commonly beareth two senses Which thankfulnesse to God for his grace I can no otherwise really expresse but by my workes of holinesse for that holinesse which in respect of his Law that commands it is my obedience the very same in respect of his grace which requires it is my thankfulnesse Likewise Gods love was first and first shewed to prepare and produce my love for God loves mee not therefore because I first loved him But contrarily because God