is clear because the mercy of God the grace of God the good-will of God is put in Scripture for the only motive and impulsive cause of Redemption Ephes. 1. 7. 8. 9. In whom we have Redemption through his blood even the forgivenesse of sins according to the riches of his grace wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he had purposed in himself 3. The Scripture sheweth us that there is an innumerable multitude of redeemed persons and a sort of universality of them extended unto all nations and ages and states of men so that this hudge multitude for whose redemption Christs blood was shed Matth. 26. 29. is justly called by the name of a world an elect world Ioh. 3. 16. to be called out of that reprobat world for which Christ refuseth to interceed Ioh. 17. 9. the truth of this mater the redeemed do acknowledge in their worshiping Christ their Mediatour Rev. 5. 9. and they sang a new song saying Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kinred and tongue and people and nation These are the all men whom God will have saved and doth save 1 Tim. 2. 4. these are the all men of whom the Apostle speaks 2 Pet. 3. 9. God is patient toward us to wit his elect not willing that any of us should perish but that we all should come to repentance And this the Apostle giveth for a reason of the Lords deferring his coming till all the elect should be brought in of whom many were not yet converted in the Apostles time and many were not yet born and if Christ should not delay his coming till they were born and brought in to reconciliation with God the number of the elect should be cut short 4. In no place of Scripture is it said that all and every man are elect or every man is given to Christ or every man is predestinat unto life in no place of Scripture is it said that Christ hath made paction with the Father for all and every man without exception But by the contrary it is sure from Scripture that Christ hath merited and procured salvation for all them for whom he entered himself Surety Their sins only were laid on Christ and in him condemned satisfied for and expiat Isa. 53. for these and in their place he offered himself to satisfie Justice for them he prayed them only he justifieth and glorifieth for the sentence of the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. 15. standeth firm in Christ all are dead to the law for whom and in whose room Christ did die And therefore for these his people the law is satisfied from these the curse is taken away to them heaven and all things necessary to salvation are purchased and shall infallibly in due time yea invincibly be applied Christ hath not sanctified consecrat and perfected all and every one Heb. 10. 14. only for his sheep predestinat he laid down his life Iohn 10. 15. 16. 26. he did not buy with his blood all and every one but his Church called out and severed from the world Acts 20. 28. he saveth not all and every man from their sins but his own people only to wit whom he hath bought with his blood to be his own Matth. 1. 21. whom he hath purchased to be his own peculiar whom he doth purifie and kindle with a servent desire to bring forth good works Tit. 2. 14. Such as Christ hath redeemed he loveth them infinitly and counted them dearer to him then his life But many shall be found to whom Christ shall say I never knew you to wit with approbation and affection Matth. 7. 23. They for whom Christ hath died shall sometime glory against all condemnation but so shall not every man be able to glory Rom. 8. 34. 35. Christ never purposed to lay down his life for those whom going to die he refuseth to pray for only for those who are given to him out of the world will he pray and die and rise and will raise them to eternall life Ioh. 17. 9. So far is it from Gods purpose and Christs to redeem all and every man that he hath not decreed to give every nation so much as the externall necessary means for conversion and salvation Psal. 147. 19. 20. He sheweth his word unto Iacob his statutes and his judgements unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any nation and as for his judgements they have not known them And for this wise and holy course of hiding the mystery of salvation from many even wise men in the world Christ Jesus glorifieth and thanketh the Father Matth. 11. 25. I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight The second article AS to the second article of the Covenant of Redemption concerning the price of Redemption and the sitting of the Redeemer for accomplishing the work of Redemption God would not have silver or gold or any corruptible thing 1 Pet. 1. 18. He refuseth all ransome that can come from a meer man Psal. 49. 8. But He would have His own co-eternall and only begotten Son to become a man to take on the yoke of the law and to do all His will that He alone might redeem the elect who by nature are under the curse of the law He would have Him the second Adam to be obedient even to the death of the crosse that by His obedience many might be justified Rom. 5. 19. This is clearly confirmed by the Apostle Heb. 10. 5. 6. 7. 10. commenting upon the 7. and 8. verses of Psal. 40. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure then said Christ coming into the world Lo I come in the volumne of the book it is written of Me to do thy will O God by the which will we are sanctified by the offering up of the blood of Iesus once for all 2. By Christs obedience we understand not only that which some call his active obedience nor that only which some call his passive obedience for his active and passive obedience are but two notions of one thing for his incarnation subjection to the law and the whole course of his life was a continued course of suffering and in all his suffering he was a free and voluntary agent fulfilling all which he had undertaken unto the Father for making out the promised price of Redemption and accomplishing what the Father had given him command to do His obedience even to the death of the crosse did begin in his emptying himself to take on our nature and the shape of a servant and did run on till his resurrection and ascension As for these his sufferings in
the end of his life which he suffered both in soul and body they were the compleating of his formerly begun and running obedience but were not his only obedience for us or his only suffering for us for he had done and suffered much from his incarnation before his last passion and death but the highest degree of his obedience whereby he bought deliverance unto us from sin and misery and whereby he bought unto us immortality and eternall blessednesse in heaven was his death on the crosse compleating our ransom 3. Whereas some have said that one drop of His blood was sufficient to redeem moe worlds then one if there wre any moe it is but an inconsiderat speech and destitute of Scriptural authority for when Christ had suffered all things before the time of His death it behoved Him to be crucified also Luke 24. 26. but it behoved Him not to suffer more then justice required for a ransom but only as much as was agreed upon and no less could satisfie Now this commandment He received of the Father that He should lay down His life for His sheep Ioh. 10. 18. For the wisdom of God thought good to testifie His own holiness and hatred of sin and to testifie His love to the elect world and riches of His grace toward them to whom He would be mercifull by inflicting no less punishment of sin on the Mediator His own dear Son taking upon Himself full satisfaction to justice for all the sins of all the Elect given unto Him to redeem then the death both of His body and soul for a season And indeed it was suteable to His holy and soveraign Majesty that for the ransom of so many thousands and millions of damnable sinners and saving of them from everlasting torment of body and soul no less price should be payed by the Son of God made man and surety for them then His sufferings both in His body and soul for a season as much as should be equivalent to the due deserved punishment of them whom he should redeem and it became the justice of the infinite Majesty offended to be reconciled with so many rebels and to bestow upon them heaven and eternal blessedness for no less price then the sufferings of the eternal Son made man whose humiliation and voluntary obedience even to the death of the cross was of infinite worth and value and therefore he yieldeth himself to the sufferings agreed upon in the covenant of Redemption both in body and soul. Of the sufferings of Christ in His soul. OUr Lords sufferings in His body did not fully satisfie divine justice 1. because as God put a sanction on the law and covenant of Works made with us all in Adam that he and his should be lyable to death both of body and soul which Covenant being broken by sin all sinners became obnoxious to the death both of body and soul So the redeemed behoved to be delivered from the death of both by the Redeemers tasting of death in both kinds as much as should be sufficient for their redemption 2. As sin infected the whole man soul and body and the curse following on sin left no part nor power of the mans soul free So justice required that the Redeemer coming in the room of the persons redeemed should feel the force of the curse both in body and soul. Ob. But how can the soul die seing it is by the Ordinance of God in creation made immortal Ans. The death of the soul is not in all things like to the death of the body for albeit the spiritual substance of the soul be made immortal and not to be extinguished yet it is subject to its own sort of death which consists in the separation of it from communion with God in such and such degrees as justly may be called the death of the soul from which sort of death the immortality of the soul not only doth not deliver but also it doth augment it and perpetuat it till this death be removed Obj. But seing the humane sould of our Lord could never be separated from the permanent holiness wherewith it was endued in the first infusion of it in the body and could never be separated from the indissolvable personal union with the second person of the God-head assuming it how could His soul be subject to any degrees of death Ans. Albeit the con-natural holiness of the soul of Christ could not be removed nor the personal union of it be dissolved no not when the soul was separated from the body yet it was subject by Christs own consent to be emptied of strength-natural to be deprived for a time of the clearness of vision of its own blessedness and of the quiet possession of the formerly felt peace and of the fruition of joy for a time and so suffer an ecclipse of light and consolation otherwise shining from His God-head and so in this sort of spiritual death might undergo some degrees of spiritual death The degrees of the suffering of Christs holy soul. AMong the deprâ—â—s of the death suffered by Christ in His soul we may number first that habitual heaviness of spirit which haunted him all the dayes of His life as was foretold by Isa. 53. 3. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief We hear He weeped but never that he laughed and but very seldom that he rejoiced 2. He suffered in speciall sorrow and grief in the observation of the ingratitude of them for whom he came to lay down his life we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not Isa. 53. 3. 3. The hardnesse of mens hearts and the malice of his own covenanted people and the daily contumelies and despightfull usage he found from day to day increased his daily grief as by rivolets the flood is raised in the river he was despised and rejected of men Isa. 53. 3. 4. He was tempted in all things like unto us and albeit in them all never tainted with sin Heb. 4. 15. yet with what a vexation of his most holy soul we may easily gather by comparing the holinesse of our Lord with the holinesse of his servants to whom nothing is more bitter then the firie darts of the devil and his suggestions and sollicitations to sin especially if we consider the variety of temptations the hainousnesse of the sins whereunto that impudent and unclean spirit boldly sollicited his holinesse Matth. 4. and withall the importunity and pertinacy of the devil who never ceased partly by himself partly by those that were his slaves and partly by the corruption which he found in Christs disciples to pursue presse and vex the God of glory all the time he lived on earth 5. The guilt of all the sins crimes and vile deeds of the elect committed from the beginning of the world was imputed unto him by accepting of which imputation albeit he polluted not his Conscience yet he burdened his soul binding himself to bear
due to us in full measure but also because that which Christ suffered in the point of torment and vexation was in some respect of the same kind with the torment of the damned for in the punishment of the damned we must necessarily distinguish these three things 1. the perverse disposition of the mind of the damned in their sufferings 2. the duration and perpetuity of their punishment and 3. the punishment it self tormenting soul and body The first two are not of the essence of punishment albeit by accident they are turned into a punishment for the wickednesse vilenesse and unworthinesse of the damned who neither will nor can submit themselves to the punishment and put the case they should submit are utterly unable to make satisfaction for ever do make them in a desperat dolefull condition for ever though obstinat sinners do not apprehend nor believe this but go on in treasuring up wrath against themselves pleasing themselves in their own dreams to their own endlesse perdition Of these three the first two could have no place in Christ Not the first because He willingly offered Himself a sacrifice for our sins and upon agreement payed the ransom fully Not the second because He could no longer be holden in the sorrows of death then He had satisfied Justice and finished what was imposed on Him and His infinit excellency made His short suffering to be of infinit worth and equivalent to our everlasting suffering The third then remaineth which is the reall and sensible tormenting of soul and body in being made a curse for us and to feel it so in His reall experience And what need we question hellish pain where pain and torment and the curse with felt wrath from God falleth on and lyeth still till Justice be satisfied Concerning which it is as certain that Christ was seased upon by the dolours of death as it is certain in Scripture that He could not be holden of the sorrows of death Acts. 2. 24. Quest. But what interest had Christ God-head in His humane sufferings to make them both so short and so precious and satisfactory to Justice for so many sins of so many sinners especially when we consider that God cannot suffer Ans. Albeit this passion of the humane nature could not so far reach the God-head of Christ that it should in a physicall sense suffer which indeed is impossible yet these sufferings did so affect the person that it may truly be said that God suffered and by His blood bought His people to Himself Acts 20. 28. for albeit the proper and formall subject of physicall suffering be only the humane nature yet the principall subject of sufferings both in a physicall and morall sense is Christs person God and man from the dignity whereof the worth and excellency of all sort of sufferings the merit and the satisfactory sufficiency of the price did flow And let it be considered also that albeit Christ as God in His God-head could not suffer in a physicall sense yet in a morall sense He might suffer and did suffer for in as much as He being in the form of God and without robbery equall to God did demit His person to assume humane nature and empty Himself so far as to hide His glory and take on the shape of a servant and expose Himself willingly to all the contradiction of sinners which He was to meet with and to all railings revilings contempt despisings and calumnies shall it seem nothing and not enter in the count of our Lords payment for our debt Obj. But how could so low a downthrowing of the Son of man or of the humane nature assumed by Christ consist with the Majesty of the person of the Son of God Ans. We must distinguish in Christ these things which are proper to either of the two natures from these things which are ascribed to His person in respect of either of the natures or both the natures for infirmity physicall suffering or mortality are proper to the humane nature The glory of power and grace and mercy and superexcellent Majesty and such like are proper to the Deity but the sufferings of the humane nature are so far from diminishing the glory of the divine nature that they do manifest the same and make it appear more clearly for by how much the humane nature was weakned depressed and despised for our sake by so much the love of Christ God and man in one person toward man and His mercy and power and grace to man do shine in the eyes of those that judiciously look upon Him Obj. But seing Christs satisfaction for sinners doth not stand in any one part of His doings and sufferings but in the whole and intire precious pearl and compleet price of His whole obedience from His incarnation even to the death of His crosse how cometh it to passe that in Scripture the whole expiation of our sins is ascribed so oft to His passion and particularly to His blood Ans. This cometh to passe 1. Because the certainty and verity of His assumed humane nature and the certainty of His reall suffering and the fulfilling of all the leviticall sacrifices did most evidently appear unto sense in the effusion of His blood 2. Because the expression of His sufferings both in soul and body appeared in the effusion of His blood for in the garden while His body was not as yet touched or hurt by man from the meer pains of His soul drops of blood fell down out of all His body to the earth 3. Because His blood-sheding and death was the last act of compleeting the payment of the ransom to the Father for us which payment began in His humble incarnation and went on through all His life and was compleeted in His bloodshed and death whereof our Lord gave intimation on the crosse when He cryed as triumphantly victorious it is finished The use of this article of the covenant of Redemption WE have at some length spoken of the price of Redemption and of Christs defraying the debt by His passion 1. That hereby the merit of our sins may the more clearly be seen 2. That the sublimity and excellency of divine Majesty offended by sin may appear 3. That we may behold the severity of Gods justice till He have satisfaction and reparation in some sort of the injuries done to Him 4. That the admirable largenesse of Gods mercy may be acknowledged and wondered at For in the price of Redemption payed as in a mirror we may see how greatly the Lord hateth sin how great His love is to the world in sending his Son Christ amongst us how heavy the wrath of God shall lye upon them that flee not to Christs satisfaction for their delivery how great the dignity and excellency of the Lord our Redeemer is for whose cause reconciliation is granted to all that take hold of the offer of grace through him how great the obligation of believers is to love God and serve him and how
a most wise course so to execute the decree of election and Redemption as he shall be sure to bring in his own to himself and not open up his counsell in particular to the discouraging of any as is told by the father Isa. 52. 13. My servant shall deal prudently and prosper The chief mean appointed is the preaching of the Gospel to all nations commanding all men where the Gospel is by Gods providence preached to repent and believe in the Name of Jesus Christ and to love one another as he hath commanded them Acts 17. 30. and 1 Ioh. 3. 23. and they who refuse to obey are without excuse Another mean is the bringing of so many as professe their acceptation of the offer of grace by Christ Jesus them and their children into the bond of an expresse solemn covenant that they shall submit themselves to the doctrine and government of Christ and teach their children so to do as Abraham the father of believers did Gen. 18. 19. Matth. 28. 19. 20. make disciples of all nations or make all nations disciples to Me. A third mean is the sealing of the covenant by the Sacrament of baptism Matth. 28. 19. 20. make all nations disciples to Me baptizing them in the Name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost A fourth mean is the gathering them into all lawfull and possible communion with others his disciples that by their Church-fellowship one with another they may be edified under their officers appointed in Christs Testament to feed govern and lead them on in the obedience of all the commands which Christ hath commanded his people in his Testament by which means he goeth about his work and doth call effectually sanctifie and save his own redeemed ones leaving all others without excuse Concerning all these and other means and maner also of executing his decree it is agreed upon between the Father and His Son Christ as His holy Spirit hath revealed it to us in Scripture All which may be taken up in two heads the one is the agreement about the doctrine and directions given to His Church the other is about actions operations and all effects to be brought about for making his word good Concerning his doctrine Christ saith Ioh. 12. 49. 50. I have not spoken of my self but the Father who hath sent me he gave me a commandment what I should say and what I should speak and I know that his commandment is life everlasting whatsoever I speak therefore eveâ—â— as the Father said unto me so I speak Concerning actions and operations and the executiou of the decrees it is agreed also between the Father and the Son Ioh. 8. 16. If I judge my judgement is true for I am not alone but I and the Father that sent me and vers 29. He that sent me is with me the Father hath not left me alone for I do alwayes these things that please him and Joh. 6. 38. I came down from heaven not to do my own will without the consent of the Father but the will of him that sent me In a word the consent and agreement of the Father and the Son Jesus Christ our Lord is such that the Son â—oth nothing by his Spirit but that which the Father â—oth work by the same Spirit from the beginning of the world Ioh. 5. 17. My Father worketh hitherto and I work and Col. 1. 16. for by Christ were all things created that â—re in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible â—hether they be throns or dominions or principalities or 〈◊〉 〈…〉 created by him and for him He is alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending the first efficient and the last end of all things Rev. 1. 8. because for the glory of Christ the creation the covenant of works and the covenant of grace were made and had and shall have their full execution all for the glory of God in Christ by whom all things were made and do subsist CHAP. V. Of the Covenant of works WE have spoken of the first divine covenant wherein God and God incarnat are the parties it followeth to speak of the next divine covenant to wit the covenant of works between God and man Adam and his posterity made in mans integrity In which covenant God is only the one party of the covenant and man created with all naturall perfections is the other party In this covenant mans continuing in a happy life is promised upon condition of perfect personall obedience to be done by him out of his own naturall strength bestowed upon him as the Apostle teacheth us Gal. 3. 12. the Law is not of faith but the man who shall do these things shall live by them And unto this law or covenant of works is added a threatning of death in case man should transgresse the sense whereof is â—old by the Apostle Gal. 3. 10. cursed is every one who doth not abide in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them The difference between the law and the Covenant of works THe word Law is sometime taken for the mater or substance of the law of nature written in the hearts of our first Parents by creation the work of which law is to be found in the hearts of their posterity unto this day And in this sense the word Law is taken by the Apostle Rom. 2. 15. the Gentiles saith he shew the wrok of the Law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witnesse c. Sometime the word is taken for the formall covenant of works as Gal. 3. 10. as many as are of the works of the Law that is under the covenant of works are under the curse for it is written cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them 2. The law as it is taken for the covenant of works differeth from the law of nature written by creation in the hearts of our first Parents first because the law of nature written in the heart of man in order both of nature and time went before the covenant made for keeping that law because the covenant for keeping that law was not made till after mans creation and after his bringing into the garden to dresse it and to keep it Gen. 2. 16. 17. Secondly God by vertue of the law written in manâ— heart did not obliedge Himself to perpetuat mans happy life for albeit man had keeped that law most acuratly God was free to dispose of Him as he saw fit before he made the covenant with him But so soon as he made the covenant he oblieged himself to preserve him in a happy life so long as he should go on in obedience to his law and commands according to the tennor of the covenant do this and live Thirdly death was the naturall wages and merit of sin albeit there had no covenant been made at all for sin against God deserveth of its own nature
fellowship of God promised to him if he continued fast in obedience and what terror could be so great to afright and skar him from sin as the threatning of death bodily and spiritual if he transgressed Quest. But the profane curiosity of man dareth to ask a reason why God did not make man both good by nature and immutably good also Ans. It is indeed proud curiosity to enquire for reasons of God's holy will which hath its own most sufficient reason in its self and may satisfie all his subjects who will not devilishly prefer their own wisdom and counsel to his But we shall content our selves soberly to answer the question thus To be both originally or by nature good and unchangeably good also beseemeth God himself only as his property and prerogative which it became his Majesty to reserve to himself as the fountain of all goodness and not to communicat this glory either to Man or Angel in their creation that the due distance between God and the natural perfections of the creature should not only be provided for but made manifest to the creature also It 's true Christs humane nature was so sanctified in his conception that there was no possibility that sin should be in it but let us consider that Christs person which did assume the humane nature into personal union with his God-head is not a creature and to assume the humane nature into a personal union with his divine nature is the proper priviledge of God over all blessed for ever And what the humane nature of Christ hath of holiness it hath it not of it self but of grace from the second person of the God-head who did assume it And the Angels that stood when the mutability of angelical nature was manifested in the fall of many of them did stand by the grace of free confirmation of them in their station Fifthly God in covenanting with man made way for the demonstration of his most holy Justice in the execution of punishment which was not only the natural wages and deserved reward of sin but also by paction and covenant appointed by mutual consent of parties if man so much obliged to God should break so equitable and easie a command as was given to try him by being fore-warned of his danger Sixthly this way of covenanting with man was a most holy and fit mean to manifest the vanity and instability of the most perfect creature except in the exercise of all its abilities and habits it do acknowledge God and in every thing less and more constantly imploy him and depend upon him Last of all this was a most holy mean to bring forth to light the grace and mercy of God in Christ providing a remedy for fallen man before he fell and to open up the decree and covenant of Redemption in due time to be brought about by Christ to the glory of God in Christ by whom and for whom all things were made Col. 1. 16. Quest. Had this Covenant of works no Mediatour no Surety ingaged for Adam and all his posterity Ans. No Mediatour was in this Covenant for the party on the one hand was God and on the other hand was Adam and Eve our common parents standing upon the ground of their natural abilities representing and comprehending all their natural off-spring and according to the condition of the Covenant in their own name and name of their posterity promising obedience and receiving the condition of life if they continued and of death in case they failed Gen. 2. 17. In whose sin we all have sinned Rom. 5. 12. Now the necessity of a Mediatour did not appear in this Covenant so long as it stood that afterward in the making of another Covenant it might more timously appear First because man being created holy according to the image of God was the friend of God while he had not sinned and again his service while he stood in obedience was very pleasant and acceptable to God because so long freely and sincerely he served God according to the command and rule written in his heart Quest. After that his Covenant was broken was it not abolished altogether seing it could not now be any longer perfectly obeyed nor save us who are sinners Ans. Albeit this Covenant being broken on mans part did become weak and utterly unable to produce Justification by works or eternal life to us by our inherent righteousnesse yet on Gods part the bond of this Covenant doth stand firm and strong against all men by nature for their condemnation who are not reconciled to God Wherefore all that are not renewed and made friends with God by another Covenant of faith in God incarnat the seed of the woman who destroyeth the work of the devil do lye bound under the bond of this Covenant of works as Christ testifies Ioh. 3. 18. He that believeth on me is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already to wit by the force of the Covenant of works violated by them and are nor delivered from the curse by Christ the Son of God till they fly to him And this doth the Apostle confess speaking of himself and other elect Jews before their regeneration Ephes. 2. 3. We also were children of wrath even as others for whosoever is not reconciled to God by Christ against him doth the sentence of the Law and curse for violation of the Covenant stand in force for sinning against the Covenant doth not loose the man from the Covenant neither from the obligation to obey it nor from the punishment of breaking it Obj. But seing a man is utterly unable to obey the Law or to keep that Covenant doth not his utter inability excuse him and dissolve the bond Ans. No wayes Because that inability is the fruit of our sin and is drawn on by our selves nor doth God lose his right to crave the debt due to him because the Bankrupt is not able to pay what he oweth For even among men such as have mis-spent their patrimony are not absolved of their debt because they are not able to pay the debt yea even the children of the mis-spender of his goods do stand debtors so long as the debt is neither payed nor forgiven The Covenant of works therefore being broken the obligation standeth to make us give obedience so much the more in time to come and because of the curse pronounced for the breaking of the Covenant in time past the obligation to under-lye the punishment for by-gone sins doth stand and so both the obligation to underlye the punishment and the obligation to give obedience do stand together while a man is not absolved from the Covenant of works by entring in a new Covenant whereby the debt is payed and the sinner absolved Whosoever then conceive that they may be justified from by-gone sins by their own obedience in time to come either by way of doing or of suffering they but deceive themselves dreaming they can do impossibilities for the punishment to
water in a glasse which howsoever it be troubled and tossed remaineth most pure and free of all muddinesse Obj. But at least was there not a conflict in our Lord between his faith and the temptation to doubting Ans. We grant not only a conflict of Christs humane naturall strength with the burden of affliction but also a conflict and wrestling of his faith against the temptation to doubting for wrestling doth not alwayes argue the infirmity of the wrestler for the Angel who is called God Hos. 12. wrestles with Iacob and in God was no infirmity Again wrestling doth not argue alwayes infirmity but doth only evidence the wrestlers power and the importunat obstinacy of an adversary who being repulsed and cast down doth not at first leave the field but riseth up again insists and presseth on so long as it pleaseth the most powerfull party to suffer the adversary to make opposition Obj. But you must grant that in the conflict of Christs humane naturall strength with the affliction and burden of the punishment laid upon him by the Father he was overcome and succumbed and died Ans. Yes indeed but we must put a difference between the conflict of naturall strength with the burden of affliction and the conflict between faith and a temptation unto sin in the conflict of holy humane nature in Christ with the punishment of our sins laid on Him it was not a sin to have his naturall strength overpowered and to lye down under the burden and to lay down his life and die but it was a main part of His obedience it was the performance of His promise and undertaking to yield himself to Justice and to die for us that we might be delivered from death eternall But in the wrestling of His faith with the temptation unto doubting it had been a sin to have yielded in the least degree and that which could not consist with the perfect holinesse of the Mediatour Surety for sinners Obj. But did not the perplexity of His thoughts and the anxiety of His mind diminish something of the vigour and constancy of his faith Ans. It did diminish nothing of the vigour and constancy of His faith for there is a great difference between the troubling of the thoughts and the hesitation or weakening of faith as there is also a great difference between the perturbations of the mind and the perturbation of the conscience For as the mind may be troubled when in the consideration of some difficulty it cannot at first perceive an outgate mean-time the conscience remaining sound and quiet so may the work of the mind 's discoursing be interrupted and at a stay for a time faith mean time remaining untouched wholly sound and quiet For example upon the sudden receiving of a wound or upon an unexpected report of some great losse such as befell Iob the wheels of the reasoning faculty may be at a stand for a time and the conscience in the mean time be quiet yea and faith in the mean time remain strong as we see in Iobâ— first exercise Now if this may be found in an holy imperfect man in any measure why shall we not consider rightly of the exercise of the holy one of Israel suffering in His humane nature the punishment of our sin Let us consider but one of the passages of our Lords exercise Ioh. 12. 27. 28. Now saith He My Soul is troubled wherein behold the perplexity of His mind smitten with the horrour of the curse due to us coming upon Him then cometh forth what shall I say wherein behold reason standing mute and altogether silent only He lets forth the confession of His perplexity presently after this He subjoyneth Father save Me from this hour wherein behold Holy nature trembling and shrinking to fall into the wrath of the Father and according to the principles of holy nature testifying the simple abhorrency of His soul from such an evill as is the wrath of God His Father which had it not been for love to save our souls He could not have yielded his humane nature to endure or bear it therefore He considering that we were but lost for ever if He should not suffer wrath for us He repeats the sum of the Covenant of Redemption agreed upon But for this cause came I unto this hour And last of all shuts up His speech and exercise in the triumphing voice of victorious and untainted faith Father glorifie thy Name and here He resteth wherewith the Father is so well pleased as that from heaven He speaketh to the hearing of the multitude standing by I have both glorified it and will glorifie it again 10. Among the deepest degrees of the suffering of Christ in His soul we reckon that desertion whereof Christ on the crosse giveth an account crying out My God My God why hast Thou forsaken Me By which speech He doth not mean that then the personall union of the natures was in him dissolved nor yet that God had withdrawn His sustaining strength and help from the humane nature nor that the love of the Father was taken off him nor that any point of the perfection of holinesse was taken from him but his true intent is to shew that God for a time had taken away sensible consolation and felt joy from His humane Soul that so justice might in His sufferings be the more fully satisfied And this is the forsakeing of Him here given to us to understand In which desertion Christ is not to be looked upon simply as He is in His own person the Son of the Father in whom He is alwayes well pleased but as He standeth in the room of sinners Surety and Cautioner paying their debt In which respect He behoved to be dealt with as standing in our name guilty and paying the debt of being forsaken of God which we were bound to suffer fully and for ever if He had not interposed for us 11. The last degree of Christs sufferings wherein He may be said to have descended into hell so far as Scripture in the old Testament or the hystory of Christs passion in the new will suffer us to expound that expression is that curse wherein the full wrath of God and the dregs of that horrible cup was poured forth upon His holy humane nature while heaven and earth and hell seemed to conspire to take vengeance on Him and fully to punish our sins in the person of Him our Surety by that cursed death of the crosse which was the evidence foretold of the malediction of God lying on Him in so far as was necessary to compleet the punishment of losse and feeling both in soul and body And therefore not without ground have Orthodox divines taken-in Christs suffering in His soul and the detaining of His body in the grave put in as the close and last part of Christs sufferings as the true meaning of that expression He descended into hell not only because these pains which Christ suffered both in body and soul were
death of soul and body by the rule of simple justice whether the sinner had consented to the punishment or not But man by entering in the covenant actually gave a formall voluntary consent that death should sease upon him if he should sin as Evah beareth witnesse in her conference with the serpent while she doth repeat the condition put upon the breaking of the particular command given by God and accepted by man Gen. 3. 3. Fourthly when the covenant of works is abolished so far as it can neither justifie nor condemn the man that is â—led to Christ and entered in another posterior covenant of grace the naturall obligation of the man slandeth still for taking direction from and giving obedience to the law for it remaineth still the rule of a mans walking and it is impossible that a meer man should be exeemed from the authority of God over him and from subjection due by nature to his Creatour for upon this account that man is a reasonable creature understanding Gods will about his behaviour toward God he is alwayes bound for ever to love God with all his mind heart and strength and his neighbour as himself Neither can the naturall merit of sin be taken away nor death deserved be eshewed but by forgivenesse of it for Christs merits The covenant then was superadded unto the law in the deep wisdom of God for this way of dealing with man by a Covenant was of its own nature a most fit mean unto mans felicity and unto the glory of God How the Covenant of God with man was a mean to mans felicity THe Covenanting of God with man tended of its own nature to mans good and happiness First because a singular respect and honour was put upon man when he was made a confederat friend of God for if it be an honour to a mean and poor man to be joyned with a King or Prince in a formal bond of mutual friendship how much greater honour is it unto man to be joyned in a bond of mutual love and friendship with God Secondly before the making of the Covenant man had no promise made to him by God but so soon as the Covenant was made the Lord did freely obliege himself to give and made to man a right to ask and to expect of God with a ground of certainty to obtain of him such things as without promise 〈◊〉 he could not ask or at least he could not certainly expect to have granted unto him Thirdly before the making of the Covenant nothing hindred the Lord if he had pleased to command man to return to dust whereof he was but after the Covenant it pleased God by his own free promise to obliege himself to perpetuat mans happiness wherein he was made so long as he should go on in obedience Fourthly by the making of the Covenant a door was opened and a fair entry to a higher degree of felicity then he possessed by his creation for when a natural life and earthly felicity was given to Adam to enjoy upon the earth God by the Covenant made paction with him upon condition of perfect obedience to give him a life and felicity super-natural opposite unto death bodily and spiritual which was threatned unto him if he should transgress the command Fifthly Adam by the Covenant had a sort of help to make him keep the Law written in his heart more carefully and cautiously and a prop to make him stand more fixed for on the one hand he was advertised and forewarned of the danger of sinning that he might beware to offend God and on the other hand he was encouraged and allowed to serve God more chearfully and to perform due obedience to God the more diligently for in the Covenant the greatest reward that could be thought upon was set before him and promised unto him to wit eternal life upon his obedience and the greatest punishment threatned if he should dis-obey both which served greatly to move him to be constant in his obedience How Gods covenanting with man served for Gods glory IN Gods covenanting with man his glory did notably shine and shew forth it self to man First the goodness and bounty of God did manifest it self therein for in making a Covenant with man the Lord demitted himself and in a maner humbled himself to deal with man for the standing of mutual friendship between himself and man for ever and when we consider this as the Psalmist saith Ps. 8. 4. What is man that thou are mindfull of him and the Son of man that thou visitest him So may we say what is man or the Son of man that thou shouldest enter in covenant with him Secondly by covenanting with man God did show his wonderfull moderation for God is soveraign Monarch and absolute Emperour over his own creature to make of it what he pleaseth yet in covenanting with man he did sweetly temper his supreamacy seeking as it were to reign with mans consent And when because of his soveraign Authority and absolute Right and Interest he might have put upon man harder commands and conditions of the Covenant and these also altogether righteous and just he choosed to use such moderation that he would require nothing of man except that which man should and behoved in reason judge both a just and an easie yoke and in accepting the condition of the Covenant acknowledge it to be such Thirdly the Lord declared his wisdom in covenanting with man because when he had made man a reasonable creature he choosed to draw forth a free and voluntary service most suteable to his reasonable nature and that in a most sweet way to wit not only by giving unto man a most equitable Law but also by setting before the man by way of paction the highest reward that he could be capable of even life everlasting Fourthly in covenanting with man God did most wisely and holily have a respect to the glory of his own both soveraignty and holiness because after he had made man by nature good and holy albeit mutable and subject to change if the man pleased to essay another way he took course to help the mutability of his free will not only by setting a reward of obedience before him but also by a threatniug of punishment if he should transgress and so on the one hand and the other to hedge him in and guard him against all temptation unto sin that neither he should be forced by any external power to sin nor by any counsel or suggestion or moral swasion whereunto only man was exposed in the tryal of his obedience should have so strong motives to draw him to disobedience as the promise of God and the threatning should have force in all reason to keep him fast to his due and loyal obedience Thus was Adam fore-warned and fore-armed against whatsoever without himself might assault him for what reward for disobedience could be offered unto him so great as the favour of God and everlasting life in the
sin must be made manifest by the law and the merit of sin committed must be shown forth that the man to be converted may see himself in a lost condition and that he must certainly perish except he flee for refuge to Christ the Redeemer that by him he may have remission of sin And after a mans conversion the believer must by the precepts of the law be convinced of his duty and inability to perform obedience except by grace power be communicated unto him from Christ both to will and to do And when he hath gotten grace to give obedience in some measure yet must he examine his best works by the rule of the commands and acknowledge the imperfection of his service that he may be more and more humbled in himself and glory only in the imputed righteousness of Christ and withall give unto Christ the glory of any good thing which he hath in any measure done well 7. The threatnings also all of them must so be applyed in general as both converted and un-converted may be forced to run to Christ who only can deliver the un-converted from guiltiness and wrath and death eternal deserved by sin and who only can deliver those who are converted from the deserved punishment of their sins and from the execution of the sentence which the law pronounceth and who only can make them eshew and hold off the way which God hath cursed And it is easie to judge how much cause of humiliation the godly shall have by daily comparing their actings with the law and how dear and precious Christ must be to them who giveth unto them as many deliverances from death as they commit sins and do fail of their oblieged obedience to God 8. A sinner already convicted of sin and impenitency and hardness of his own heart and who is grieved for the same must not be skarred nor deterred from going unto Christ till first he attain such a prescribed measure of contrition as he conceiveth his sins do call for which measure un-skilfull Physicians do rigidly exact of sinners who are desirous of repentance pretending for their rigidity their fear lest if such sinners should be so easily admitted unto Christ the work of repentance should be marred in them and presumption should have way and be fostered in them this fear is needless because it belongs to Christ alone to give repentance and he came to call sinners convicted of sin and destitute of repentance in their own estimation and sense unto repentance that he may give them repentance We grant that there is a danger lest a sinner lightly touched with the sting of the conscience do not well weigh the weight of his sin and the merit of it and that he go to Christ with his lips only when his heart is far from him but on the other hand there is no less hazard left he who is destitute of repentance in his own sense and not permitted to go to Christ to have it may either be driven to dispair or conceive that by his own pains on his own heart repentance must be wrought before he go to Christ whom God hath exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance unto Israel and remission of sins Act. 5. 31. We must be wary therefore lest a burdened conscience in any measure being excluded from going to Christ till he be in such and such a measure humbled set himself so upon bodily exercise of ordinances without daring to go to Christ as that he put some merit in effect upon his bodily exercise which he useth to bring himself unto contrition or else turn desperatly careless and leave off all using of means We need not fear that instantly upon a sinners coming to Christ he shall find too soon consolation and so not be humbled as need were for Christ is only wise and can prudently deal with the sinner coming unto him he hath eye-salve to give his proud merchant to let him see his blindness poverty and misery as well as gold and garments to the poor and naked but if any be proud and rich in their own conceit and approach toward him without sense of sin he can suspend them from comfort till first he rebuke and chasten them and keep them off from felt access a while till they be truly humbled and thirst in earnest after pardon and imputed righteousness 9. As the narrow way to the kingdom of heaven must not be made straiter then God hath made it So neither must the way be made broader then God hath made it and reignies loosed to mens lusts as if believers sins were either none or but light ones for God is not a favourer of sin and whosoever do turn the grace of God into wantonness undoubtedly they are ignorant both of the Law and of the Gospel Wherefore the Law and the Gospel must be so tempered that on the one hand none who would be at Christ and through him at mortification of their sinfull nature be discouraged and on the other hand that no man boasting of his profession of faith be strengthened in his iniquity for this is the true sense and intent of God both in his threatnings and promises that none despair hearing threatnings but repent and live and that none presume to sin upon hearing his gracious promises but walk in fear before him Ezek. 33. 10 11 12. to v. 20. and Christ doth blot out from the number of the saved all them who break off and make void any of the precepts and do teach men so to do Matth. 5. 19. 10. Because God doth make use of the same arguments in his Word both for moral swasion and for effectual operation of saving faith and bringing forth fruits of new obedience therefore the force of God's arguments and inducements as occasion is offered must so be opened up and sharpned and pressed that the hearers being soundly convinced of the holiness equity verity and necessity of the Lords commands may at least be morally perswaded to yield unto them And to this end that hearers must be exhorted that they call to mind and weigh such and such arguments unto duties that by reasoning with themselves they may prevail by Gods blâ—ssing to believe the Word of God So did Paul directing his speech to the governour Felix brash the castle of his conscience with this engine that he near by took it in Act. 24. 25. and so did he deal with Agrippa whom he near-by perswaded to become a Christian Act. 26. 28. and this was his endeavour to perswade all his hearers to believe the truth he taught 2 Cor. 5. 11. Knowing therefore saith he the terror of the Lord we perswade men And the same Apostle hath taught all Christs disciples to exercise the faculty of reasoning in the mater of strengthening their faith and purpose of obedience that having set before them the arguments which the Word of God doth furnish they may sum up the truth in
and of the duty required of them that are delivered by Christ. The second is a false religion or damnable errour in judgment about the maters of salvation and Gods worship In which errour so long as a sinner doth lye he cannot be humbled for the damnable course he is in or put question about his way The third is dissembled unbelief and atheism covered over with gross hypocrisie which under hand doth reject the rule of examination The fourth is the brutish stupidity of the cauterized conscience The fifth is a vain pretense of fear to examine themselves least it drive them to desperation The sixth is a lazy delaying of examination from day to day The seventh is immoderat care for things of this life 4. Concerning all these impediments hindering self-examination these three things are observable in general 1. albeit all or some of these evils may fall upon the reprobat yet are they not their proper maladies for some of the elect before their regeneration may lye for a time under one or moe of these evils Wherefore the Pastor hoping the best of all because he knoweth not the marks of reprobation must deal with all his hearers to guard them against all these evils that the elect whom God will bless with the faith and obedience of his commands may be saved Secondly we must distinguish between a voluntary examination of the conscience whereunto the godly do in their best condition set themselves daily and a forced examination and wakning up of the conscience whether the sinner will or not This sort of examination may come either by preaching of the Word an example whereof we have in â—elix the Governour who at the hearing Pauls discourse of vertues and vices fell a trembling Act. 24. 25. Or this wakening of the conscience may come by affliction whereof we have an example of Ioseph's brethren whose consciences did lye sleeping securely under the guilt of distressing their brother Ioseph but by affliction at length were wakened Gen. 42. 21. The Pastors part here is not only to exhort men to a voluntair examination of themselves but also by the sword of the spirit must labour to open the apostums of proud sinners discovering unto them as occasion serveth their wickedness and denouncing the wrath of God against them if possibly the Lord shall give them repentance as he did to the hearers of Peter Act. 2. 37. Thirdly let not a Preacher be too sollicit and anxious about the success of his labours when he hath to do with obstinat sinners whose consciences cannot be wakened neither by challenges nor threatnings nor exhortations But after he hath used means publickly and privately let him commit the mater unto God who will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth It may suffice him that all Christs sheep will at length hear his voice Only let not the Pastor despair utterly of any man but even toward those that are excommunicat let him follow such a course as may reduce them unto repentance as the Apostle giveth direction 2 Thess. 3 14 15. For removing of the first impediment of self-examination BUt that we may speak more particularly of the cure of these seven evil diseases for removing of the first impediment to wit gross ignorance it is not needfull to say much of catechetick instruction seing in all Churches it is presupposed there is some form of a Catechise wherein the rudiments of saving knowledge are set down by way of question and answer for the use of children and of the ruder sort come to years Only we offer to those that intend the holy ministery this overture for disposing and preparing people for a more easie up-taking of some formed Catechise Because most part of formed Catechises are somewhat larger then they can be read at one time or being read can be explicat any other way then by parcels so many questions and answers at one time and so many at another time which how hardly it can be all explicat to the whole congregation in a long time experience may bear witness therefore it may serve to good purpose if so many of the ruder and ignorant sort as may well be gathered together into one place at one time the Pastor should profess before them all that he purposeth to hold forth unto them a short sum of saving doctrine in six or seven heads of doctrine so that in the space of an hour or thereby before they dissolve their meeting they may if they be attentive and willing to learn have some measure of found light and understanding of the grounds of true religion After which preface used let him so shortly or plainly as he is able speak something first of the creation of the world by God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost the only one true God in three persons and something also of the creation of Adam and Eve our first parents according to Gods Image in wisdom holiness and happiness and something of the covenant of works made between God and them including their posterity the summe of which covenant is this Do this and live but if thou sin thou shalt die Secondly let him speak somewhat of the breach of the covenant of works by our first parents in whose loynes we are all made guilty of death according to the tenor of that covenant Thirdly let him speak of the remedy provided in the counsell of God before time but revealed timously after the fall of our first parents to wit the covenant of Redemption between God and God the Son designed Mediatour Christ Jesus our Lord the sum whereof is Gen. 3. 15. the seed of the woman shall tread down the head of the serpent c. That is to say it is agreed in the counsell of God that the second person shall be born of a woman and suffer for the sins of the elect and destroy sin and death the works of the devil Fourthly let him speak of the covenant of grace and reconciliation between God and believers in Christ the summe whereof is this whosoever do acknowledge their sin and flye to Jesus Christ for relief from sin and wrath shall not perish but have eternall life Fifthly let him speak of the two seals of this covenant to wit Baptisme and the Lords Supper whereby the covenant with the benefits held out therein to all believers is sealed Sixthly let him speak of the necessity of amendment of life and bringing forth of good works for glorifying God and probation of the sincerity of their â—aith Last of all let him speak of the day of Judgment when Christ shall come in the clouds and perfect to all his elect and believers in him all his promises of righteousness and eternal life and cast all the wicked and unreconciled into the fire of hell The same course may be taken with ruder ignorants in private whose conscience is wakened with terrour After that about the space of an hour
the Pastor hath spoken to all these heads shortly and repeated again and inculcat at some other few meetings till the people have somewhat understood the business then he may draw forth these seven heads in some few questions taking answer of the people in their own words as they have conceived the purpose These grounds being laid the Pastor shall find by Gods blessing some desire and appetite raised in the people after more knowledge of these grounds and hope put in them to overtake a formed Catechise and to have it by heart as may be To which end the people must be encouraged by promises on the one hand and stirred up by threatenings on the other hand such as are Ioh. 17. 3. and 2 Thess. 1. 7 8. and other like places Now when the people or any ignorant before is begun to understand these seven grounds they must be pressed to make use thereof and that 1. they should acknowledge their sins and deserved judgment according to the covenant of works which curseth every sinner for every sin 2. That they should flye for refuge to Christ according to the covenant of grace And 3. that every one who is fled to Christ for grace and mercy must take on his yoke and endeavour new obedience of his holy commands by his grace and furniture For removing of the second impediment THe second impediment of self-examination which is an unrenewed mans infection with some deadly errour in religion and this is not easily removed for the conscience that is deceived by errour absolveth the sinner from the crime whereof the errour maketh him guilty how grievous soever it be and therefore so long as he lyeth in the errour he securely contemneth all accuâ—ations and threatenings for his errour and erroneous practice till he be convinced of his errour And usually four causes do concur to obdure him in his errour The first is the cunningness and malice of the devil who when he cannot altogether obscure and suppress all the articles of saving doctrine nor banish the Scripture out of the world he useth by his emissaries of old destinat to this damnation to spread doctrines of devils in the visible Church whereby so far as he can he may detain men in their sins The second cause is the wisdom of the flesh which is enimity to God and therefore very bent to defend every lust whereunto men are inclined and to sight against the truth of God contrair to their lusts The third cause is the multitude of these who consent with the perverted conscience and avouch the same errour The fourth is the righteous judgment of God who upon such as receive not the truth in love sendeth powerfull delusions and efficacy of errour that they may beleeve a lye and so be damned who have not received the truth in love but have pleasure in unrighteousnesse 2. But because the Pastor cannot know any mans reprobation in particular and therefore must take the best course he can for every mans salvation who is under his charge if the erroneous person cannot be content to fall upon Christian conference in private with the Pastor it seemeth not expedient to fall flat at the first upon the errour wherewith he is infected but to hold upon agreed unto principles and from these grounds lay open the merit of these sins whereof the erroneous party will grant himself no lesse guilty then other men will be â—ound to be and labour to convince him that for these common sins no ransom can satisfie Gods justice save the perfect obedience which Christ gave to the Father even to the death of the crosse in name of all that flee unto him for the benefit of Redemption If the erroneous party can condescend to cast himself wholly on Christs mercy offered in the Gospel for pardon of acknowledged sin then at another time the conference may be further followed and the danger of the errour may be laid out before the erroneous and he no more urged for the time but that he would consider what hath been told him and that he would by prayer for Christs cause beg light from God in the point questioned And so go on with him in all meeknesse and evidence of love to his soul as the Lord openeth a door for using of all means that may reclaim the party erroneous 3. But if the errour be likely to infect the flock let the Pastor openly refute the errour or heresie and that not only by hinting at some arguments against it but of set purpose once at least solidly shewing how contrair it is to the word of God and what are the fearfull consequences thereof that it may become in the sight of the judicious no lesse vile and odious then gross transgressions against the second table of the law which sort of sins is more hated of naturall reasonable men then sins against the first table for naturâ—s light is sharper sighted in the mutual duties of man to man then in the maters of God and Religion wherein a man hath no light at all in speciall save that which is by revelation of Scripture The true intent and meaning whereof if a man be ignorant of it or shall mistake it the conscience runneth headlong without the least secret check after the errour and darkness which men naturally love more then truth and light For removing the third impediment THe third impediment of self-examination to wit infidelity dissembled and covered with grosse hypocrisie whereof the man himself is conscious and studieth to hide and delighteth himself in his cheating of others of all evils is most hardly cured Of this sort of hypocrits are they who think they can give a reason of all their wayes to any man And because they respect the laws of the kingdom wherein they live more then the Scripture therefore they cover over all their avarice and cruelty with practice of law that beholders think what they please can say nothing against their following of the civil law for such men fear not God and are not afraid for his judgment And albeit they largely commend the piety of holy men before some auditors to whom they conceive their speach will be plausible yet under hand and among such as themselves are they do but laugh and scorn all such piety as puts men in hazard of any worldly inconvenience for in those mens eyes the simplicity of the godly is foolâ—shnesse and their faith in God in their estimation is madnesse especially if for defence of the truth of Religion they suffer persecution These hypocrits the Psalmist calleth unwise and foolish Psal. 14. 1. The fool hath said in his heart there is no God and vers 6. You have shamed the counsell of the poor because the Lord is his refuge Such men as these albeit they faign themselves to be holy yet in heart they are haters of all true saints in whom the sparks of grace and solid Religion doth appear for so saith the Lord of them Psal. 14.
reason or common sense they are carried to destroy themselves some way Such persons can hardly be called voluntary and deliberat self-murtherers because they are neither able to observe and discern their own condition nor their danger wherein they are nor any circumstances which might hinder them from the mischief and therefore it cannot properly in this case be called desperation because the miserable person is not so much capable of reason as to consider the grounds and motives of hope or despair But voluntary self-murther proceedeth from properly called desperation because the wretch after deliberation how to escape from misery lying on and coming on when all reason of hope seemeth to fail him he casts away any further inquisition after the remedy and out of apprehension that he can be in no worse case after his death then he presently feeleth and that he can no other way be rid of his present torment then by death wittingly and willingly putteth hand in himself In this voluntary self-murther sometime the sense of wrath for sin committed doth predomine as in Iudas the traitour his desperation and self-murther sometime the apprehension of more worldly misery more bitter then death doth predomine as in King Saul who choosed rather to fall on his own sword then fall alive into the hands of the Philistines 1 Sam. 31. 4. and in Achitophels hanging himself when he foresaw what misery should come upon himself when his counsel was not imbraced by Absalom 2 Sam. 17. 23. 4. To speak of self-murther in general requireth a Treatise larger then our purpose doth permit it sufficeth us to speak a little to it as the temptation thereunto and desperation of finding Gods mercy is a hindrance of regeneration To this end where any fear or suspicion of any intention toward this fearfull sin doth appear all meeknesse should be used by all that have interest in the person suspected that may serve to save the vexed party from such a mischief God must be in-called and requested for relief unto the patient Physicians should be called and moe Pastors then one if they can be had the soul in danger must by friends be watched and waited on in a prudent maner night and day that he never be alone If the person be capable of reason he must be dealt with freely to confesse his temptation and purpose toward this sin the causes moving him must be inquired after and if they be other then sense of sin and fear or feeling of Gods wrath then course must be taken to make the party sensible of sin and to fear Gods wrath and to consider that if they give way to that sin they are tempted unto they do no lesse in effect then cast themselves in hell where the justice and wrath of God shall lye upon them without hope of ease or ending of their everlasting torment from which fearfull destruction they may be preserved both in soul and body if they shall acknowledge their sin and flye to God in Christ offering grace and pardon of sin and delivery from hell and right unto heaven promised to all and every one who shall imbrace Jesus Christ for their redemption And for these whose vexation is mainly from the conscience of heinous sins and felt wrath of God pursuing them the grace offered in the Gospel must be cleared unto them and inculcated if they can be moved to give reasons of their fear and to propone their doubts who knoweth what blessing may follow on their free dealing and from faithfull answers from Scripture returned unto them Conferences of experimented Christians may with profit be made use of in the patients audience whereby the party may receive both increase of knowledge and some beginnings of comfort Among other means godly persons who have in their own exercise had experience of such temptations and have gotten victory by flying unto Christ may serve much by their conference to encourage them In some of those tempted souls tokens of good hope will shortly appear in others it may be none can conjecture what shall be the event till the time declare it whether justice or mercy was intended of God for both in the elect who are cured of this disease and in the reprobat who perish in their sin the same symptoms may appear if the anxiety and expressions of the one and the other be compared Therefore care must be had of every one under such temptations whatsoever the event may be and the Lords blessing waited for in the use of the means Scripture sheweth us how hard exercises Gods dear children have been under Beside many other Saints we shall only name two witnesses the one is Heman the Ezrait that precious soul not much inferiour to Solomon in wisdom 1 King 4. 31. of whom no man could say he was a weak brain and hypochondriack or melancholious person whose sad exercise stands registrated Ps. 88. for many mans comfort The other witnesse shall be Iob. whose perplexities we read in his dispute with his friends and how he tasted of this bitter temptation also Job 7. 13 14 15. When I say my bed shall comfort me my couch shall ease my complaint then thou skarest me with dreams and terrifies me with visions so that my soul chooseth strangling Behold there is a very sad exercise of the most holy and righteous man on earth there is a sore temptation even unto self-murther but how is this temptation over-come first he doth not hide his temptation but openeth it up in the worst shape this giveth the temptation vent he will not conceal it nor be Sathans secretar in this and this is one mean to weaken the temptation Then he presenteth it before God and poureth out his complaint unto the Lord and this giveth him the victory So let all souls tempted unto desperation do and cleave to God in Christ and they shall be victorious also CHAP. XI Concerning them that absolve themselves without warrand THe third rank of those that impede their own regeneration remaineth to be spoken of Of this kind are all they who after they have slightly exmined themselves and are convinced of sin and of deserved death if they were dealt with in rigour of justice do unwarrantably absolve themselves deceiving their own conscience by a fallacy false sylogisme or captious reasoning and from the conscience as from a blinded or seduced Judge do draw forth a sentence of absolution to themselves which God doth not allow All such persons do either lay down some false principle or ground for absolution of sinners or if they lay down a true ground they make wrong application of that ground to themselves and so beguile themselves miserably The first sort SOme do grant themselves to be sinners but do perswade themselves that God is so mercifull as he will not destroy any man for sin which principle being once laid down no wonder such men go on in their own way and sing a requiem to their own souls Of this
sort of men the Lord doth speak Deut. 29. 18 19. shewing that he makes his covenant with his people lest there should be among you saith he a root that beareth gall and wormwood And it come to pass when he heareth the words of this curse that he bless himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my own heart to add drunkenness to thirst It is possible few shall be found so impudent as that they dar in expresse termes professe this their mis-belief of Gods justice yet they are not a few who foster this error in their heart who having as it were made a Covenant with death and hell are far from fearing to perish in their sins In this sort are all they to be ranked who conceive that all the threatnings in the Scripture are given forth to the intent that men being bridled by terrors might compose themselves to a more humane and social life among others who lest they should seem Atheists in word do cry up Gods mercy bounty and love to man so as they make small reckoning of the Lords truth and justice even as if the justice of God in punishing rebels could not consist with his mercy to the penitent or as if the end of creating man could not be obtained if obstinat sinners be destroyed 2. The main cause of such error is an obstinat purpose to walk after the counsel and imagination of their own heart and because they cannot quiet their conscience in following their own wayes except in promising to themselves impunity in their sinning they presume confidently to go on in their own wayes against all threatenings and so do blow their consciences blind Such profane presumption although it deserveth to be beaten with a rod rather then to be reasoned with yet let the Pastor deal with the presumer as he ought to do with other desperat like sinners and in the first place let him propose for remedy of this evil what the Lord doth speak against such a person Deut. 29. 20. The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against that man and all the curses that are written in this book shall lye upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven And as he findeth this work upon him So let him deal with him 2. Some are near of kindred to such persons who do not reject all threatenings yet do think in their heart that none are in danger except grosse flagitious and notorious sinners but as to themselves they conceive because they are not the worst of men they are without the reach of divine justice especially if their conversation be according to humane laws so regulated as they have the reputation of honest neighbours With such men Christ dealeth Luk. 13. 1 2 5. when word came concerning the Galileans whose blood Pilaâ— mixed with their sacrifices Christ saith to them Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all Galileans because they suffered these things I tell you nay but except ye repent you shall all likewise perish This is the remedy prescribed by Christ to such men 3. Some there are who hope to be absolved before God and do absolve themselves in their own conscience by their good works and obedience done to the law Of this sort was Paul before his conversion who till the time that the spiritual light of the law brake in upon his mind and killed the conceit of his own inherent righteousnesse was no mean man in his own eyes Rom. 7. 9. Such was the rich young man in the Gospel who said to Christ that he had keeped all the commands from his youth up till Christ did prove him a covetous Idolater who put a higher price on his riches then upon Christ and the kingdom of heaven Such were the Pharisees who by their obedience to the law such as it was doubted nothing to absolve themselves and that God should absolve them also But that the met-yaird should be no longer then their cloath or the law of further extent then their imagined possible practice they admitted no metonymie or figurative speech in the law whereby under one branch of a duty commanded all duties of that kind are comprehended and all faults contrary to the duty are forbidden As for example they counted not the sixth command to be violat except the man did take away his neighbours life nor the seventh command broken except by grosse adultery and violation of the marriage-bed nor the eighth command transgressed except another mans goods were openly or privately taken away whose mistake Christ doth correct Matth. chap. 5. and 6. 2. Such men as those are far from repentance far from humbling themselves before God and seeking remission of sin through Christ for they are ignorant of the righteousnesse of the Gospel by faith in Jesus Christ and of the way of coming to ability for doing any acceptable work by faith in Christ and therefore they go about to establish their own righteousnesse Rom. 10. 3. and 9. 31. 32. The false ground which they do lay for their own absolution is this they think to be justified by their works against which ground the Apostle hath pronounced condemnatory sentence Rom. 3. 20. By the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in Gods sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin 3. With this sort we may joyn these who not only come short of the obedience due to the law but also are in conscience convicted of many transgressions of the Lords law yet they conceive that God will not exact of them or of any man who is about to obey his law more then the man can in the common infirmity of flesh overtake and do perswade themselves that God will be satisfied with all them in whom is a willingnesse to obey the law their false ground which they lay is this that God will accept a mans will for the deed And to this purpose they do abuse the Scriptures Isa. 1. 19 If you be willing and obedient you shall eat the good things of the land And 2 Cor. 8. 12. If there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not 4. But here is their error whereupon they purchase from their conscience mis-informed an unwarrantable absolution first they lay down for a ground that they must be justified by works 2. Because they know they do come and shall come short in obedience they turn the condition of the covenant of works into other terms then God hath appointed and make the will of a man to obey the law so far as he is able to be the condition of the covenant which God disclaimeth 3. They deceive themselves in this that what is spoken to converted believers in Jesus Christ already justified by faith aiming at new obedience they do apply to themselves lying under the curse
faith and to follow hard after the growth of sanctification without which no man shall see the face of God and let us so extoll the covenant of Grace and freedom of the believer from the covenant of Works that we neglect not to keep up the authority of the moral Law and the commands thereof as the perpetual rule of new obedience the use whereof is very profitable in the whole course of a Christian life to hold forth the duty of believers in Christ and to shew unto them by their short-coming in duties the poyson and power of corruption remaining in the Saints and to make them sensible of the necessity of flying daily to that imputed righteousnesse by faith in Christ and of drawing strength from Christ to bring forth more aboundant fruits whereby Christ shall be more and more precious in our eyes and be acknowledged absolutely necessar for our justification sanctification and salvation 15. When question is made concerning Christian vertues and operations of the holy Spirit in us the order of Gods working held forth to us in Scripture is carefully to be marked by us which is that sense of sin should go before faith in Christ for the Law is a pedagogue to Christ for he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Matth. 9. 13. And faith in Christ goeth before the fruits of faith and the fruits of faith before the sensible approbation of them and approbation of the fruits by Scripture goeth before the sensible fealing of the believer and the quieting of the conscience in its approbation of what the Scripture approveth for after we have believed we come to be sealed Ephes. 1. 13. Now for the not observing this order many real Christians do make unto themselves a very un-comfortable life for albeit they be convinced of sin and humbled in the sense of their own inability to help themselves and are fled to Christ for pardon and help and do lead a life blamelesse yet do they unhappily suspend the acknowledging of the work of faith bestowed upon them and do disquiet themselves so as they cannot rest on Christ but do quarrel the reality of their faith till they shall feel and perceive with approbation of their conscience such and such fruits of faith in themselves and that in such a measure as they have fore-imagined to be the necessar evidences of faith yea and they refuse to account themselves persons justified because they cannot perceive such mature fruits in themselves as they conceive must not only be but be acknowledged also to be in the justified person before he can lay hold on justification Such persons do in effect invert the order which they should observe for when it were their part to flye unto Christ the only Mediator because they come short of new obedience and because they are loaden with sin that in him they might have God reconciled to them and by his Spirit pouring in of his grace in their souls to make them more holy they take another and contrary course by suspending their faith upon their works and do exact of themselves works before faith and so do weaken their own faith and hinder it to bring forth such fruits as they do require It is reason indeed to prove our faith by our works and it is just that such a faith be accounted dead which is not accompanied with the purpose and endeavour to live holily justly and soberly But it is against all reason and equity to condemn weak faith accompanied with the purpose of a new life as if it were no faith because it hath not as yet brought forth so fair and fully ripe fruits as the weak believer would It were their wisdom when they perceive such impotency to do what is good and such strength of the body of death in them to flye unto the Redeemer so much the more and in him to seek remission of sin and strength to bring forth good fruits and to be sucking juice and sap out of him as the true Vine for if we come to him and abide in him we shall bring forth much fruit Iob. 15. 4 5. For faith in Christ in order of nature goeth before good works for only they who come to Christ and abide in him do bring forth aboundant fruit and not they who upon the apprehension of their want of fruits do loose or slacken their grip of faith and upon discouragment are ready to depart from the living God 16. The like wisdom is required in dealing with the consciences of men concerning the preparatory dispositions of such as may confidently come unto Christ to be justified sanctified and saved for albeit it be true that all that come to Christ ought to come in the sense of their sin and acknowledgment of wrath and death deserved for their sins ought to come with contrition of heart with godly sorrow for their sins and a humble renunciation of all confidence in themselves yet must not such persons as do not satisfie themselves in the measure or sincerity of such preparatory dispositions in themselves be keeped back or debarred from coming to Christ because they not only want as they conceive both the humiliation and sorrow of heart for sin and fear of wrath required in such as have accesse unto Christ but also do perceive in themselves such blindnesse of mind and vanity thereof such stupidity of conscience and stubbornesse of a proud heart as is not fit as they conceive to be received by Christ or fit to be comforted by him such persons I say are not to be forthwith debarred from coming to the throne of grace for oft-times sincerity of conviction compunction and humiliation is to be found in such as are displeased with their own short-coming in such preparatory dispositions more then in many others who make a fairer shew and profession of their godly sorrow and humiliation and are well pleased with themselves in that respect We must be wary also while we require sorrow and humiliation and other like preparatory dispositions in them who may come unto Christ least we secretly import and insinuat a sort of merit to be in such dispositions so as if he that doth not perceive himself thus qualified could expect no good at Christs hands except he have in his hand such preparatory dispositions as if it were a price of purchasing adresse to Christ. But let us hold this fast that the more poor and empty a man be in his own eyes he ought to draw the more near unto the riches of grace in Christ because in him only are to be found all the treasures of every saving grace and preparatory dispositions for receiving thereof he is that exalted Prince who giveth repentance unto Israel Act. 5. 31. he is the author and finisher of faith unto whom all they who in the sense of their want of repentance and faith do sigh in themselves ought and safely may come that they may have from him a more ample
aiming to walk as reconciled children and servants unto God uprightly laying forth their burdens and desires before him daily all these I say are believers in Christ and may assure themselves of reconciliation for there is no more in the Apostles and Ministers commission required for entering of the humbled sinner into a covenant of friendship save this we request you in Gods name and in the name of God incarnat Jesus Christ the Mediatour we beseech you be reconciled to God v. 20. Now we judge that humbled sinners fled to Christ and purposing to amend their lives by his grace will not be found unwilling to accept this offer of reconciliation but will declare their hearty consent to this offer and so may be convinced that a covenant is closed between God and them and that God hath given unto them saving faith how weak soever it seemeth unto them for the consenting unto and accepting of this offer is the condition required for entering in covenant and the proper act of saving faith Fifthly the Apostle holdeth forth the ground-right of this covenant and reason whereupon the sinner fled to Christ may be assured of justification because in the covenant of Redemption past between God in three persons on the one hand and the second person of the God-head as Mâ—diaâ—oâ— and perfect Redeemer by price-paying on the other hand it is agreed finally ended and decreed that Christs satisfaction made for the imbracer of this offered reconciliation shall as certainly make the believer judicially righteous and justifie him as Christ was judicially made sin or a sacrifice for the sins of the redeemed for God saith he v. 21. hath made Christ to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him Therefore as Christ the only Mediator by accepting the covenant of Redemption had the sins of the redeemed imputed unto him albeit there was no sin at all nor could be in him and was punished for them unto the death of the crosse So the humbled sinner by flying unto Christ and accepting the offered covenant of reconciliation hath Christs satisfaction imputed unto him albeit he can see nothing in himself but a masse of inherent sin and shall not enter into condemnation but be brought to life-eternal through Jesus Christ our Lord. Both the covenant of Redemption made with Christ in the Redeemers name and the covenant of Reconciliation made with us through Christ are of Gods making and so must stand and cannot be dis-annulled for ever The other place 1 Cor. 1. 30. holdeth forth the right which God hath made to the believer unto the unsearchable riches of Christ whereunto the weakest believer fled from sin and wrath unto Christ as the refuge and perfect remedy from both may claim namely wisdom righteousnesse sanctification and redemption by him and that by covenant and decree registrat in this and other places of Scripture as judicially declared and adjudged unto all and every believer in him So that they may and should make use of Christ as made unto them wisdom to direct them justification to justifie them sanctification to perfect them peece and peece in holinesse and redemption to support them under and deliver them from all bonds of misery For the better understanding of this rich passage we shall take it up in four sentences pronounced from the holy Spirit by the Apostle in every one whereof these three things are insinuat and imported first our need of Christ 2. his ingaged help and supply and 3. our duty to lay hold upon and make use of him according to the right and interest in him made unto every believer The first sentence is this Christ is made unto us wisdom which importeth first that not only we are by nature blind and ignorant of our sin and misery blind and ignorant of the way of salvation and right maner of serving God but also after that we are illuminat by grace and made in some measure to know our last condition and to flye unto Christ for delivery we are compassed about with much darknesse and foggy mists of doubts errors and mistakes and have need to be in every step of our way directed and powerfully taught by Christs Word and Spirit to know what is that good and acceptable will of God Secondly it importeth that as Christ is the treasure of all wisdom and knowledge who hath revealed in the Scriptures the whole counsell of God concerning our salvation So he is judicially made over unto us as anointed Prophet to his Church to make known unto us the way of life by his Word and Spirit Thirdly it imports our duty to receive him as the great gift of God and to give up our selves to his teaching to imploy him and depend upon him as Prophet appointed to us for direction by his Word what to believe and how to live before God Whereupon the weakest believer may trust in him for guiding them in the use of the Scripture and exercise of the means appointed by him unto salvation because he is made of God unto us wisdom and intimation thereof is made by his Apostle The second sentence is this Christ is made of God unto us righteousnesse which presupponeth first that we are by nature destitute of righteousnesse condemâ—ed as unrighteous by the law and unable to deliver our selves from condemnation and when we are fled to Christ and delivered from condemnation that we are not able to stand in that state but by our daily sins wherein we fall do deserve to be condemned as unrighteous Secondly it imports that Christ is not only righteous in himself and able to satisfie divine justice for our sins but also hath undertaken to pay and actually hath payed the price of our redemption by his obedience unto the Father even to the dâ—ath of the Crosse and hath taken on him the office of high Priest to apply unto us absolution from our sins make us accepted and to be dealt with as righteous and to keep us in that blessed estate by his intercession Thirdly it imports our duty to lay hold on Christ our Cautioâ—er by vertue of our right and interest in him granted and intimat unto us and so to rest on him that whatsoever Sathan Conscience or Law violat by us shalâ— say we who are fâ—ed from sin and wrath to him may oppose this sentence of our absolution registrat here Christ is made unto us righteousnesse judicially by the decree and decreet of God The third sentence is this Christ is made unto us of God sanctification which presupponeth that in the justified believer there are remaining still the reliques of sin inherent from which we are not able of our selves to deliver our selves but have need of divine power to mortifie sin in us and to repair the image of God by increasing holinesse in us Secondly it importeth that Christ the Mediator the holy one of Israel hath not only payed the price of our redemption
found the spirit of consolation with-drawn from him and the wrath of God breaking his bones and consuming the marrow thereof Ps. 51. 8 9 10 11 12. Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice c. 2. In answering this doubt we must proceed sutably to each degree severally In curing this case in the fiâ—â—t degree let the afflicted admit all the just aggravations of his sins against the Law which the conscience doth presse for by extenuation of sin neither is Gods justice glorified nor the conscience satisfied and consolation or hope of remission of sin must not arise from the few number oâ— lightnesse of sins but from the multitude and largenesse of Gods mercy and therefore we must not cut short the reckoning with the Lords law nor must we diminish the weight and estimation of our evil deservings but course must be taken that by the sense of guiltinesse the judgment of the afflicted person be not so confounded â—nd perplexed as if his case were desperat and possibility of salvation were passed but rather let the afflicted humble himself under the mighty hand of God who alone can destroy and make alive and who usually bringeth down to death and brink of hell and bringeth back again and who alone doth work wonders This doubt then arising from the multitude of sins may be loosed first by a fresh consideration of the infinit excellency and worthinesse of Christ Jesus God manifested in the flesh and of the incomprehensible value of the price of redemption payed by him for all who flye unto him for the Father hath declared himself satisfied by him in behalf of the redeemed for whom he did offer himself Matth. 3. 17. saying This is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well pleased And Heb. 7. 25. â—his is he who is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him Secondly by consideration of the infinit largenesse of Godâ— bounty grace and mâ—rcy wherein he hath set no bounds to himself in pardoning and abolishing the sins of those that come unto him how grosse and grievous soever they have been Isa. 44. 22. I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins return unto me for I have redeemed thee And Isa. 1. 18. Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scaâ—â—et they shall be as white as snow though they be red as crimson they shall be as wool And Matth. 11. 28. Come unto me saith Christ all ye that labour and are heavy loaden and I will give you rest Thirdly by the consideration of the many examples and experiences of the mercy of God manifested in the pardon of hainous sinners both in the old and new Testament set down in Scripture of set purpose to invite such as are troubled with the sense of their manifold sins to come unto Christ the Mediator or to God in Christ reconciling the world to himself by not imputing sins to them who embrace the offer of grace and reconciliation tendered unto them in the Gospel As to the second degree wherein the doubt is augmented by the addition of the sins against the Gospel unto the sins against the Law by despiseing or slighting the means of salvation offered in the Gospel true it is that the despising or slighting of the offer of grace in Christ cannot be sufficiently aggreged because the sins of Sodom and Goâ—orah will be found lighter being laid in the ballance with the contempt of the Gospel Matth. 10. 14 15. yet notwithstanding when God is entered in reckoning with a sinner and is begun to challenge him for his sins against the Law and the Gospel also and hath by his terror humbled the man there is mercy insinuated unto that person in the bosome of the threatening Wherefore the soul born down with the sense of ill-deserving by his sins against both Law and Gospel must be exhorted to humble himself before God and flye in unto Christ who of set purpose 〈◊〉 he might answer this doubt hath declared that whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man it shall be forâ—iven him to wit if he repent this injury done to Christ Matth. 12. 32. and he standeth knocking at the door of luke-warm Laodicea with an ofter of coming in to them and supping with them that shall open to him notwithstanding they have slighted him long in their senslessenesse of sin nakednesse and misery As to the third degree wherein the afflicted doth suspect that he hath sinned against the holy Ghost because he hath sinned against the light of his conscience and diâ—ement of the holy Spirit let the afflicted consider that the sinning in actual grosse out-breakings against the light of the conscience is indeed a high provocation of God to his face for which the offender is to be humbled all the dayes of his life Secondly let him learn to glorifie Godâ— Justice who hath made a proud rebell to be scourged with scorpions and sore bitten with the remorse of a slighted and contemned conscience Thirdly let those particular transgressions objected to be done against the light of the conscience be examined with their motives and circumstances and out of the bitter rod of Gods correcting the offender that he should not perish with the world let the afflicted take up the Lords love in judging him that he may not be condemned As also let the Pastor or the prudent friend who goeth about to comfort the afflicted carefully observe if the afflicted be grieved for grieving of the holy Spirit if he desire and long after the consolation of God whom he hath offended if he purpose to walk more circumspectly afterward and eshew the snare he hath taken into or what other evidences of repentance can be seen in him whereof use may be made to assure the afflicted that he hath not sinned unto death Because the sin against the holy Ghost as it is described unto us in holy Scripture is either a malicious refusing and opposing wittingly and wilfully of Christ Jesus after that the Spirit of Christ hath convinced the person that Christ is the Redeemer and this was the sin of some Pharisees desperat professed and irreconciliable enemies to Christ Mat. 12. 24. to 33. or it is a totall apostasie from Christ after they have known him to be the Redeemer joyned with a malitious oppugning of the christian Religion as it is set forth Heb. 10. 26 27. to 32. and whosoever falleth in this sin he neither repents him of it nor desires to repent or be reconciled with God And therefore let the humbled and afflicted penitent longing to be reconciled unto God through Christ and to find the sense of his favour granted or restored not suspect himself any more guilty of this sin but let him make use of the offer of grace in the Gospel and of the example of penitents mentioned in Scripture Who knoweth how soon the
Lord may take the penitent in his fatherly embracements and comfort him abundantly Mean time till the sensible comfort be given unto him let him hold fast the promises made to them that flye unto Christ. CHAP. IV. Wherein is solved the doubt of the regenerat man raised by his suspicion whether he be elected or not IT cometh to passe sometimes that a sinner lamenting his sins and seeking liberation from sin and misery doth call in question whether he be regenerat because he hath a deep and fixed suspicion that he shall possibly be â—ound not among the Elect and by consequâ—nce be found a reprobat of whom if ye ask a reason why he saith so he can give no solid answer only he will tell you he can perceive no certain signs and evidences of his election yea that he findeth nothing in himself but that which may be found in reprobats and that he is affraid he be found one of that number and that this suspicion hath taken deep root in him that he cannot rid himself of this doubt and fear 2. This case we must confesse is very dangerous except it be timously cuâ—ed for here faith is taken as it were by the throat and the ground of hope is like to be razed The suspicion of Gods decree is dayly fostered and augmented and the afflicted person not only doubteth of Gods good-will to him but is tempted unto desperation By this means the command of God to believe the promises and consolations of the Gospel seem to him to be offered to him all in vain the hope of successe or profiting in the use of the means appointed by God is undermined so long as this suspicion is entertained yea all the exercises of religion become burthensome out of a fear he shall follow the exercise thereof to no purpose and so the duties of religion are oft-times left undone or cast off for a time if the tentation grow strong and continue with him without cure or comfort thus he standeth upon the border and precipice of some sort of desperation if his fear and suspicion be not removed in some measure 3. For cure of this case the Pastor or prudent friend as in all his conferences with the afflicted So here in speciall must seriously pray to God that he would blesse the means of information and consolation which he is about to use for the satisfying of the afflicted To this end therefore first let all the reasons whereby the afflicted pretendeth to make his reprobation probable be resumed and refuted as frivolous all of them And certainly they cannot but be found frivolous because God hath not given any certain evidence or sign of reprobation so long as a man is alive except that sin unto death the sin against the holy Ghost in a malicious refusing rejecting and hostile opposing of Jesus Christ wittingly and willingly for as to finall unbelief and impenitency no man can passe sentence upon any person that hath heard any thing of the Gospel so long as breath is in him for God can convert a soul to himself in the pangs of imminent death as he did the thief on the crosse All the evil which the afflicted can say of himself cannot prove him a reprobat the hight which his reckoning can rise unto to fortifie his own suspicion of himself is only to give appearance that he is 〈◊〉 regenerat mean time we preâ—uppone the afflicted person under this tentation to labour under the sense of manyfold sins which do furnish strength unto the tentation and to be hungry and thirsty for righteousnesse and to be desirous to draw near to God in Christ if he could be delivered of his suspicion of Gods purpose and affection towards him And therefore his christian friends are bound in charity to expound this his hunger for righteousnesse and thristy desire of reconciliation through Christ to be a begun work of gracious regeneration and so also a hopefull sign that he is elected Secondly after refutation of his pretended reasons for his suspicion and fear this suspicion must be set before him as a strong tentation of Sathan and a soul-murthering lie thrown as a fiery dart at him such as the Apostle Ephes. 6. maketh mention of of set purpose to beat the shield of faith out of his hand Wherefore he must be exhorted to resist the Tempter and that so much the more as Sathan out of envy and malice doth slander God and the begun work of grace in the man and all to vex the soul of him whom he cannot keep in his snare Thirdly the giving so much way to this wicked suggestion must be represented to the patient as an act of ignorance and folly yea an act of iniquity and injury unto God and to his own soul for what a madnesse is it to pry in upon the secret counsell of God and to neglect his revealed will set down in Scripture what presumption to intrude our selves upon his secret decrees and to cast behind our back his open commands given to us To refuse obedience to Gods ordinances given to us for our salvation except he shall firstâ—â—ll us what is his purpose about us in particular To open our ears to the false suggestions of the devil a lyar and murtherer from the beginning and stop ouâ— ears from hearing the voice of God speaking to us in Scripture Wherefore let the afflicted under this temptations take heed to what is said Deâ—t 29. 29. The secret things belong unto the Lord our God but these things that are revealed belong uâ—to us and our children for ever that we may do all the words of this Law Let the Lords Command be first obeyed and then the decree of God concerning the believer in him shall be timeously revealed for his promises are agreeable with his decrees and his promises are offered to us that thereby his decrees may be brought on unto a just and gracious execution Fourthly let the afflicted call to minde what benefits the Lord hath bestowed upon him from his infancy and in special that he hath offered and doth continue to offer Christ Jesus unto him if he will receive him for wisdom righteousnesse sanctification and redemption and upon this ground he is bound to give unto God a good construction in every sort of dispensation toward him and look upon God as his friend and father CHAP. V. Wherein the regenerat mans doubting of his regeneration because he findeth no power in himself to believe in Christ is answered SOmetime it cometh to passe that the renewed man after a long time standing in the stare of grace falleth in doubt about the work of grace in himself because when God doth change his dispensation toward him and bringeth him to tryal by trouble wherein he is found weaker then he expected he beginneth to suspect whether the former work of grace hath been found or not and his reason is because he findeth by experience often repeated that in straits and difficulties when he
do acknowledge that they deserve death for their sins do confesse they stand in need of Christ do thirst for his righteousnesse do desire earnestly to be united unto him by faith do follow the exercise of Religion and do endeavour to keep their consciences undefiled in all things and yet for all this do not only doubt whether they be renewed but also do esteem it a presumptuous rashnesse in them to approach unto Christ or to cast themselves over on him by faith before they be more seriously humbled before they feel a more hearty sorrow and grief before they feel the pangs of the new birth more sharp before they be more pressed with the burthen of their sins and do feel in themselves the spirit of fear and trembling and bondage in a higher measure From whom if you ask a reason of their doubt they shall answer that they are not yet called to come unto Christ because these are only called to come unto Christ who are weary and loaden in the superlative degree and are so born down with the weight of sin as they cannot be more and not despair for so do they interpret that saying of Christ Matth. 11. 28. Christ is sent only to the contrite and broken in heart who sit in the dust under the spirit of bondage that is to say as they take it to them who are under grief unspeakable as they expound Isa. 61. 1 2 3. So in their opinion Christ came to save only those who in their own sense are lost that is who are on the brink of desperation wherefore in respect they are not gone down deep enough as they think into this gulf and hell of anguish and sorrow they dare not approach or look toward Christ. Mean time they lye daily mourning and weeping and will not grant that their grief is worthy of the name of grief which sorrow they cannot dissemble or hide but do bewray it in their countenance habite walking and frequent sighing and will professe that they can hardly think they have right to eat or drink of Gods creatures and were it not for fear of adding yet more sin to the former they would not eat or drink at all oft-times they chatter as swallows and sigh as the turtle dove and oft-times their bowels sound out as if their parents or children or nearest relations were dead and yet for all this do not satisfie themselves in sorrow but do complain that they are stupid and senslesse of their sinfull and miserable condition wherein they do lye bound and though they do confesse that sometimes they mourn yet they alledge their mourning is but like the early dew or morning cloud that goeth soon away All the while it is in vain to offer to the afflicted consolation in Christ because saith he I am not one of the mourners in Sion whom he will comfort and in this their mistake they do confirm themselves by another error saying that the measure of repentance and sorrow should answer unto the measure of sin my sins saith he go far beyond the sins of others This and the like objections they cast in whereby they do obstruct their own way unto Christ and keep themselves aback from him till they be satisfied with their own prescribed measure of sorrow which case indeed deserveth much compassion for who would not commiserat their case who being in a very miserable condition dare not seek relief from their own misery which they do feel and all because they are not yet more miserable and when they are asked cannot determine what measure of affected humiliation they would stand at as sufficient 2. In the cure of this case as much must be yielded to the afflicted as reasonably can be and first it must be confessed that it is the duty of all who approach unto Christ to come in the sense of sin and acknowledgment of their miserable condition and that the due deserving of their sin is everlasting death It must be confessed also that the measure of compunction contrition and lamentation for sin may possibly be exceeding great as we see in the experience of Heman the Ezrait Psal 88. 11. I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted And David Ps. 38. This also further must be yielded unto him that the operation of the spirit of conviction by the law doth ordinarily and of its own nature go before the spirit of adoption or the operation of the spirit of the Gospel according to the covenant of grace so that no man can in earnest embrace Christ as a Physician as Mediator and Saviour of his soul except he be sensible of his disease acknowledge his natural enmity against God and his own lost condition being by nature under the curse of the Law Secondly when these things are agreed upon the afflicted person may be posed concerning the measure of the sorrow for sin whether it must be the same in every convert to wit in that extremity and superlative degree which he doth miss and desiderat in himself and how long that sorrow in this eminent measure must continue By this question he cannot choose but be at a stand and unable to answer with Scripture-warrand for the Scripture doth indeed require serious repentance but the measure of sorrow and sadnesse it doth not prescribe for Matth. chap. 3. v. 2. 6. many upon the hearing of Iohn Baptist preaching were convicted of their sins and did confesse their sins in the general and forthwith were baptized by him And Act. 2. 37. 41. three thousand souls at the hearing of one sermon of Peter were convinced of their sin pricked at the heart repented and fled to Christ for grace were converted baptized and entered members of the Christian Church all in one day Again the afflicted may be posed with another question seing he desiderats such a measure of sound hearty sorrow in himself before he can make his addresse unto Christ out of what fountain mindeth he to draw this sorrow of himself he hath it not and from Christ by his grounds he cannot seek it for he saith for want of his imagined measure of sorrow for sin he dare not approach unto Christ because as he alledgeth none are called to come unto Christ except such only as are in a superlative degree weary and loaden and so full of the spirit of heavinesse that he must be at the point of desperation near by But the Scripture doth teach us that Christ is that exalted Prince to give repentance unto Israel in what measure of sorrow he pleaseth and that therefore such as are convinced of and in any measure sorrowfull for offending God should run unto Christ that he may give them a better measure of repentance Thirdly the evils and danger which accompany and follow upon this practical error may be represented unto the afflicted for first by this his error he giveth way to Sathans tentation who when he perceiveth the
may be found in humane Histories who from the principles of nature and civil education have led a more innocent and blamelesse life than many who glory in their Christian profession for whose conviction and condemnation Pagans and Infidels shall arise in the day of judgment and be brought forth for a witnesse against many called Christians and who shall be beaten with fewer stripes than many who are counterfeit Christians and do disgrace the profession of Christian Religion But we have here to do with these that are indeed regenerat and indued with saving faith who endeavour to be holy and do lament their imperfections and do not give over the use of the means whereby they may profit in holinesse albeit with grief and fear they go on heavily suspecting they meet at last with disappointment and be excluded from the kingdom of heaven for their coming short of Scribes and Pharisees in the point of righteousnesse 2. In this case first the complaint of the afflicted concerning the imperfections of his life and fruits of faith in as far as it is true and just must be admitted granted and confirmed and the afflicted must be taught upon this consideration to be seriously humbled in the presence of God that he may profit in self-denyal and more and more renounce all confidence in his own works or inherent righteousnesse To which purpose let him consider yet more the body of death and original sin not yet throughly mortified in him let him look upon and acknowledge in his present case the bitter roots of infidelity and inclination to depart away from the living God even then when he is most called and hath most need to draw near and adhere unto him upon the sight and consideration whereof he shall perceive a necessity daily to renew the acts of repentance and faith in Christ. Secondly let the necessity and timeous use-making of the imputed righteousnesse of Christ be shewed unto him which righteousnesse if the Lord had not set before us for a refuge what should become of us in the examination of our works and felt imperfection of our inherent righteousnesse And here the afflicted must be exhorted in the sense of his own un-righteousnesse to run alwayes toward Christ to have his nakednesse hid by the garment of Christs imputed righteousnesse and exhorted to apply and imbrace more and more straitly the righteousnesse of Christ our Cautioner who is judicially by the Father adjudged to the believer fled unto him for righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Iesus who is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption And here let the friend comforter of the afflicted insist that he may consider the value of the ransom paid for us and of the righteousnesse purchased unto us for the only garment able to hide our nakednesse Thirdly let the afflicted person understand that it is righteousnesse with God to be displeased with his children when they esteem little and make little use of the dear bought righteousnesse which Christ hath purchased and that in wisdom and righteousnesse Christ doth not increase the inherent righteousnesse of those who slight him in the mater of his imputed righteousnesse for we are not justified by the perfection of inherent righteousnesse which in this life is impossible but by the perfection of Christs righteousnesse imputed unto the believer in him Fourthly when the Pastor or prudent friend perceiveth the afflicted now convicted of his mistake and error and to be brought to acknowledge that the justification of a sinner doth come by the imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ alone without respect to the works of the law and that the justified man must set himself to bring forth good fruits in the gracious furniture which Christ hath promised to the believer Now I say let him enter upon the comparison of the righteousnesse of the penitent believer in Christ with the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees and then shall it be clear to the afflicted person that the righteousnesse of the weak Christian shall far exceed the righteousnesse not only of Pagans but also of Scribes and Pharisees of the highest pitch and that for three reasons the first is this the Pharisee cutteth short the interpretation of the law unto the measure of his own external obedience lest the law whereby he seeketh justification should condemn him but the Christian acknowledgeth in all things the spirituality and perfection of the Law and doth not reject any duty which the Law doth command but finds himself bound to obey the Law in all things and to aim to be perfect as his heavenly Father is perfect The second reason is because the works which the Pharisee or Scribe doth are all counterfeit and corrupt in regard they arise from the strength of the natural man and are done for his own glory and carnal ends and not for the glory of God but the works of the Christian exercising faith in Christ proceed from the power of the spirit of Christ in him and are done to the glory of God by him The third reason is because the righteousnesse of works which the Scribes and Pharisees did affectat is altogether impossible and maketh void the grace of God for if righteousnesse be by works it is no more of grace it overturnes that heavenly way of justification by faith in Christ for the righteousnesse of the Pharisee by works cannot consist with the righteousnesse which is by faith of grace but the righteousnesse and justification of the Christian by faith in Christ is possible and ready at hand to every one who renounceth all confidence in his own worthinesse and slyeth unto Christ for grace and this is a most perfect way of righteousnesse which dependeth upon the obedience and satisfaction of Christ imputed to the believer in him Which righteousnesse only can stand in the judgment of God as perfect which only doth open the fountain whereby the power of the holy Ghost runneth down upon the man justified by faith in Christ to enable him to bring forth the acceptable fruits of new obedience By this comparison it doth easily appear that the righteousnesse of the weak believer in Christ doth far exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees and thus may the afflicted be solved of his doubt arising from comparison of his righteousnesse with the righteousnesse of the Pharisees 3. If these grounds of satisfaction laid before the afflicted do not satisfie but his wounds do break up and bleed afresh let us examine his reasons O! saith he what I have been aiming at in the way of new obedience I suspect is not accepted of God because I find not these fruits of the Spirit which the Apostle speaketh of as evidences of a new creature Gal. 5. 22. love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse and temperance the defect and little feeling of these fruits doth argue that God doth not approve my works For answering of
of eternal life Other some doubting of the soundnesse of their conversion because the â—error of God and fear of condemnation and hell prevailed more with them for changing their course then the love of God and true holinesse did and both the one sort and the other do conceive the chief rise of their change to have been natural or carnal self-love fearing harm and loving life 2. For removing of this doubt we grant that there are many who after some notable delivery from death or some notable benefit received or after some sharp rod of chastisement for their sin have changed their outward way of living left off grosse vices and led a more civil and blamelesse outward life and yet have neither seriously repented them of sin nor seriously fled in unto the grace of Jesus Christ offered in the Gospel neither knowing what saving faith is nor carefull to know it but of such we do not speak here for we are speaking of the true convert and renewed man who in the sense of sin is fled to Christ in the sense of his unworthinesse maketh the grace offered his refuge and in the sense of indigence looketh up to Christ and seeketh supply of him in all things and by the holy Spirit is striving against sin endeavouring in some measure of sincerity to bring forth the fruits of faith and repentance and yet for all this he doubteth of the sincerity of his own conversion for the reasons foresaid To this souldier and wrestler we say as before we said to him that doubteth of his conversion because he cannot design the time of his conversion it is not material by what way or means or motives a man is brought unto Christ provided he doth come and indeed adhere to Christ it is all one whether the rise of the mans turning from sin to God was love alluring or terror driving him whether a benefit or a sharp rod whether fear or hope did at the first beginning of his change move him to seek God provided God manifested in the flesh Christ Jesus the Redeemer of sinners be now his beloved Lord and precious in his eyes for he that is most sweetly allured to come to God and without much fear is converted who possibly after serious conviction of sin and deserved death is not keeped long at the door of mercy but forthwith is admitted to the throne of grace and tenderly entertained by the Spirit of consolation may fall in hard exercises afterward This is evident in the experience of the Prophet David in whom his brethren living in the same family with him did not perceive any signes of a sorrowfull or heavy heart as his brother Eliab's words do shew 1 Sam. 17. 28. I know thy pride and the naughtiness of thy heart Thus did Eliab judge of David's chearfull carriage whereof also we have some evidence that David was of a ruddy and beautiful countenance and for some years of his youth did passe the time pleasantly serving God with his songs and harp while he was feeding his sheep in the wildernesse now none can justly question his conversion all this time or his sincerity in this service yet afterward he was otherwayes exercised for oft-times he felt the power of the Law upon his spirit and was tossed with the terror thereof and made to mourn and weep heavily Such doth Iob's condition seem to be in his youth as it is described Iob 29. but afterward in the tryal of his faith what a conflict with temptation he had the sacred History doth testifie Therefore there is no reason why any in whom these evidences of a true Israelit are found in any measure should suspect the sincerity of his regeneration because he hath been gently handled in his conversion for it may come to passe that the same person may fall in firy tryals and so hard temptations as he may fall in doubt of his conversion in regard of the sad afflictions inward and outward whereby he is exercised In which case he will be found to be mistaken no lesse then he was mistaken in the former case and condition for some dear children of God may possibly both in their conversion and most part of their life be exercised with the terrors of the Law and yet retain fast hold by faith on Christs grace in their deepest afflictions For instance we offer that precious soul Heman the Ezrait who came near unto Solomon in the point of wisdom 1 King 4 31. and yet how bitter his afflictions of spirit were the 88. Psalm beareth witnesse specially v. 13. 14 15. But unto thee have I cryed O Lord and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee And why castest thou off my soul why hidest thou thy face from me I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted c. And therefore there is no just cause that any in whom the evidences of faith and repentance may be found should call the sincerity of his own conversion in question how hardly soever he seem to be handled of God for whosoever is joyned to the Lord Jesus and will neither suffer himself to be driven from him nor yet will endure sin to remain in himself uncontrolled is certainly a true convert As for these who for some temporal cause are come to Christ as many did come in the dayes of his flesh that they might be delivered from some temporal evil or obtain some temporal benefit and for that cause do doubt of their conversion or sincerity thereof they need not dispute much about the occasions of their first seeking after God provided that they have learned what Christs grace is and do seek righteousnesse and salvation in him for we read in the Evangel that sundry that they might be cured of leprosie palsie blindnesse c. came unto Christ who afterward came and adhered to him by faith as the only Redeemer and Saviour of their souls from sin and misery Wherefore in such doubtings let not the afflicted trouble himself nor call his conversion in question but let him give all diligence to strengthen his faith and to increase in holinesse making his calling and election sure by well-doing for if he do this he shall neither be found idle nor unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus as the Apostle promiseth 2 Pet. 1. 8. CHAP. XI Wherein the converts doubt of his being in the state of grace arising from heavy afflictions and grievous tentations is solved SOme true converts sometime fall into great suspicionâ— of their regeneration of their effectual calling and of the love of God unto them and that because they meet with sore outward afflictions and are assaulted also possibly with horrible inward tentations which do befall them unexpectedly and are ready to swallow them up for whereas after divers conflicts in their conversion and peace of conscience following after these sad exercises of mind they hoped to have injoyed Gods peace still after
a notable defection from aiming at the measure felt in his first love at his conversion for we speak not here of daily distempers which the convert doth mark and mourn for and is about to have healed by bringing his wounds unto Christ to be cured in the exercise of faith and repentance daily The second is the not observing of this decay of love or the mans ignorance of his duty to entertain communion with Christ in the sense of his daily sins wants and wounds for the removing and curing whereof Christ is to be loved daily no lesse then at the man his first conversion The third is the mans being well pleased with this condition so long as his conversation is blamelesse whereof we have an instance in the condition of the Ephesians Rev. 2. whose labour in the work of the Lord zeal against hypocrits patience in troubles for Christs cause is commended by Christ. But he reproveth them first because they had left their first love and did not only come short of the measure of their first love but did not lay to heart this sin did not repent it or take course to have that measure recovered thou hast left or laid down thy first love that is 1. thou hast remitted and come short of that measure of love which formerly thou had 2. Thou hast not been displeased with thy self in this thy defection 3. Thou hast laid aside the care of recovering the measure of thy former love This condition is very dangerous as is manifest in the experience of the Galatians who falling from their first love did cast themselves open to superstitions and errours and in danger to be cut off from Christ by their defection from the faith of the Gospel once received The reasons for which we say this defection in love is dangerous are three the first is this the greatest measure of love to Christ and rejoycing in him is lesse then his excellency and merit at our hands doth deserve If therefore we shall slide from our duty in aiming to hold up this measure of love to him which we have once attained and cease to grow therein because his new mercies are daily letten forth upon us from day to day in effect we judge our first love hath been too too vehement and so Christ is lightly esteemed of as if he were not still to be loved withall our mind heart and strength The next reason is this when love to Christ to his Ordinances and sanctified ones beginneth to relent and cool incontinent the external exercises of religion and righteousnesse begin to fall short of this principle of love and to go on more and more slowly and so peece and peece to decay for as when a tree is smitten in the root it may retain for a time green leaves but after a time it withers and neither â—eareth ripe fruits nor leaves So also in the exercise of plety and righteousnesse if love toward God our Redeemer and delection in his service and obedience inwardly be diminished it may readily come to passe that the very outward works yea and the profession of duties due to Christ be taken away also and this is the judgment wherewith Christ doth threaten Ephesus I will come upon thee and remove thy candlestick out of his place except thou repent Rev. 2. 5. The third reason is because Christ who is altogether lovely and love it self the very Son of the Fathers love is a jealous God and cannot long indure not to be met with love from them to whom he hath manifested his love Therefore he doth make hast to correct this slighting of his love and to manifest his wrath against these that lye still well pleased with themselves under this condition I will come unto thee quickly saith he and remove thy candlestick Rev. 2. 5. 2. That the conscience of the true convert who is lying in this condition or is declining from his former measure of love may discharge its duty more easily and solidly it is needfull that the man being convinced of his fault first consider how reasonable it is that he should return to his first love or formerly felt measure of it for the forgivenesse of his manifold sins wherein he lay before his conversion for the translating of him from darknesse to the glorious light of Christs Kingdom should never be forgotten the proof which he hath gotten by his conversion that Christ hath loved him and given himself for him should be alwayes called to minde with hearty affection the great need of Christ wherein he standeth for renewed pardon of sins for furnishing him with his Spirit to mortifie the deeds of the flesh and to bring forth more ripe and abundant fruits of new obedience should bind him to abide and grow in his love Secondly let him consider how usefull and profitable unto us is fresh green and growing love unto him for love to him makes us frequently to think of him frequently with delight to speak of him to seek after more and more near-communion with him to have our conversation with him in heaven where he sits at the right hand of the Father and to live in heaven where our love is more then where we sojourn in this world Love makes us love what he loveth and hate what he hateth love sharpens our desires after God in Christ kindles and inlarges our affection toward him as the beginning of the 63. Psalm doth make evident And if the Lord shall seem to with-draw himself love makes the true convert follow hard after him Ps. 63. 8. Love makes â—old to encounter all difficulties and troubles which may meet 〈◊〉 in the course of following after him much water cannot quench love in Gods service love keeps a man 〈…〉 strong and stout against his enemies in 〈…〉 patient in profession sincere in pursuing duties 〈…〉 all conditions submissive and after evidencing of his affection with the Psalmist Ps. 116. 12. to â—ay with the same Psalmist What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits toward me Ps. 116. 12. Thirdly 〈…〉 convert who is begun to cool in his love to Christ 〈◊〉 to remembrance what a felicity he felt when he entertained love to Christ when the loving kindnesse of the Lord was better to him then his life and sin was more formidable then death when Gods Commandments were not grievous but the joy of his heart when Gods Word seasoned and sanctified his bitterest afflictions Fourthly let him consider at what a losse he is of many spiritual comforts whereof he hath deprived himself and in how many sins of omission at least he hath fallen since his declining from his first love and what miseries he hath drawn upon his own spirit at least if not also temporal chastisements joyned therewith and after comparison of his condition when his love was servent with his present condition since his fall from his sometime-measure of love let him humble himself before Christ and flye in unto his rich
from him in fatherly wrath yet must he not yield to the weakening of his faith but rather yet more humble himself in the sense of his sins which have stirred up wrath against him and flye in to Christ and lay hold more closely upon his grace because God being offended is not pacified nor pleased save only by flying in tâ— Jesus Christ. Quest. II. Q. But what will you say unto them whose confidence is weakened whether they will or not whensoever they apprehend God angry against them and especially when they feel that God being provoked justly removeth gifts and benefits comfortable from them Ans. It is not to be doubted that the confidence of many true converts is shaken and weakened in this case but the question is what shall be said unto them We answer that they must acknowledge that they have leaned too much upon these carnal props the failing whereof maketh them to fall 2. Let them be humbled yet more because of such sins as have provoked God to change his dispensation toward them 3. Let them lean more upon the only rock of free grace in Jesus Christ offered in the Gospel for the comfort and relief of all those who in the sense of sin and unworthinesse in the sense of their ill deserving and of any measure of apparent fatherly wrath that hereafter however it fair with them they may rely upon Jesus Christ who is the only foundation to build our selves upon and whose grace is sufficient to help and uphold them who have their recourse unto him in every condition whether it be adversity or prosperity Quest. III. Q. ALbeit common benefits are not sufficient evidences of Gods favour yet new obedience of faith and fruits of the spirit are sure signes of Gods special favour bestowed only on the Elect Seing then as these signes when they are present serve much for the strengthening of faith so also when they are amissing have as great force of reason to debilitat faith yea seing faith without fruits is dead may it not be concluded where no fruits are no faith is Ans. If the question be of the universal want of all fruits of faith such as is to be found in all unrenewed men whose fruit cannot be good so long as the tree is evil whose seeming service cannot be acceptable so long as they remain unreconciled to God through Christ let the question be yielded unto But we are speaking of the true convert in whom there is a missing of the measure of formerly felt fruits and that in the time present wherein by some temptation or tryal their faith is sifted and winnowed And here indeed there is a vast difference between them that were never humbled in the sense of their sins nor led for relief from sin and misery unto Jesus Christ and the true convert who hath renounced the works of darknesse and hath fled unto Christ and consecrated himself to his service and who is set upon a new course of life hath brought forth new fruits of repentance faith love and hope and hath felt consolation in this course and now under exercise of conscience looketh upon himself as barren ground doth lament his impotency to bring forth good fruits and while he is under this exercise liveth in a sad condition blamelesse and free of scandal-giving great ods between this man and a man yet in nature We grant in the unrenewed man who is a stranger to the life of grace and true godlinesse the sentence holds No fruits no faith but as for the convert who hath had comfort in Christ and brought forth good fruits in some measure he must not reason from his present dead condition felt and lamented barrennesse to the denying of true faith in Christ or to the weakening of his saith or marring his confidence further then to acknowledge he hath leaned too much on his formerly felt fruits and hath not grounded himself wholly on Christ and the rock of free grace in him but may and should maintain his faith in Christ against his discouragment that he may be inabled to bring forth more ripe and aboundant fruits Quest. IV. Q. BUt what shall be said to humbled converts who looking to the holy Law of God and finding no fruits such as should be do passe sentence in the time of tentation upon all their works as unworthy of the name of the fruits of the Spirit and then do dispute against their own faith by the Apostles words Iam. 2. 20. faith without works is dead Ans. If the conscience do pronounce according to the truth as the mater is indeed it cannot be denied but faith without works is dead and God is greater then the conscience and knoweth all things But when the conscience is misled by a tentation powerfully pressed in by Sathan in the time of some sad affliction and appearance of Gods displeasure the testimony of the conscience is not a sufficient proof to infer so hard a conclusion for it cometh to passe oft-times that the convert who liveth blamelesly and entertaineth the love and purpose of well-doing in his heart followeth the exercises of religion constantly is not negligent in his calling and is ready upon occasion offered to let forth the fruits of love to his neighbour for all this sometimes walketh in darknesse and under desertion seeth no light as Isaiah 50. 10. In this case it may be he set all his works at nought as no wayes answerable to the Lords Law I see nothing saith he but sin in me I see no fruit of true faith in me I feel no operation of the holy Spirit in me save the work of convincing me of sin and unrighteousnesse In this case we must not give credit to the afflicted but convince him rather of his error and in special of his leaning too much weight on his works before this sad exercise fell upon him for when a convert maintaineth his faith in Christ only so oft and so long as he findeth in himself the fruits of new obedience but when he hath new experience of the power of the body of death and findeth the course of good behaviour and bringing forth good fruits to be interrupted in himself incontinent he resiles from his confidence such a man certainly giveth evidence that he hath relyed too much on his former felt righteousnesse an himself for he doth as if he durst not for sin approach unto Christ and so he falleth in Peters case who looking on his own sinfulnesse and the brightnesse of Christs Godhead shining in a recent miracle cryeth out Luke 5. 8. depart from me O Lord I am a sinfull man for Peter in this case did forget Christs mediatory office and that he stood so much the more need of Christs drawing near to him as he was a man convinced of sinfulnesse Another answer we give to this question the afflicted person must not think that he wants altogether the fruits of faith albeit he find them to be short of the
perfection which the Law doth require albeit he find not the fruits whensoever he would exact them albeit he find them not in that measure as he hath found them before For as trees are not to be esteemed dead or barren which bring forth fruits in due season albeit they bear not fruit in winter So faith is not to be esteemed dead which as occasion is offered bringeth forth the fruit at one time of mercy at another time of justice and equity at another time the evidence of zeal at another time of love and other vertues albeit when occasion or opportunity offereth not it doth not exercise such and such vertues yea albeit sometimes when occasion calleth for the evidencing of such and such gracious vertues the convert be somtime found in-laking or short of doing duty or guilty of doing contrary to duty faith must not be counted dead for all that Because it may come to passe that faith may be so wounded and fall sick and languish and fall in a swound that it cannot bring forth fruits till it be recovered of its sicknesse as we may see in Ionah David and Peter whose faith fainted but failed not altogether It is true they suspected they were cut off and gone when they were in hard exercise but after that they did look up to the mercy of God in Christ draw near unto him and did shew themselves alive in the Lord and to be in the state of grace Last of all we answer that the regrate of the humbled soul of its barrennesse and short-coming of bringing forth fruits as it would is no small evidence of life and sense in the inward man And of such a disposition it may be said as it is written Cant. 2. 13. The figtree putteth forth its green figs and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell For he that is fled to Christ and laments his barrennesse is a lover of doing good works and of bringing forth the fruits of the Gospel Quest. V. Q. BUt how can a man maintain his faith in Christ who after examination findeth no evidence at all of his conversion and that all his former life hath been spent in the unfruitfull course of corrupt nature and the mater is so indeed he hath lived after the course of this world a stranger to the life of God and grace Ans. Let such a mans examination and sentence of himself stand being according to the truth but this sentence of himself must not hinder him from believing in Christ or from flying to him for refuge for remission of sin for reconciliation and furniture of grace to bring forth better fruits then he hath brought forth before he hath proven against himself that in time bygone he hath noâ— been a regenerat man hath not been a believer in Christ but he hath not cut off himself from flying to Christ and believing in him for time to come for he must put diâ—ference between these two questions whether I have been of the number of sincere believers in Christ heretofore and whether I must now â—lye to Christ for time to come that I may be found hereaâ—ter and henceforth a true convert believing in Christ His former want of good fruits altogether doth prove him not to have been a believer in Christ for time by-past which is the first question and the same want of all good fruits heretofore doth answer the other question for his present duty and in time to come to wit that now except he will perish he must flye to Christ and believe in him In proving of this assertion that I have heretofore for such a space of time been a true convert I must bring forth the evidence of my faith by my works as the Apostle Iames appointeth shew me thy faith by thy works and I will shew thee my faith by my works But in proving this other assertion to wit I must now flye to Christ while the offer is made to me of reconciliation left I perish it will suffice to produce first my want of good fruits and next the commandment of the Gospel charging me to flye to Christ for refuge in time leâ—t I perish And so a man must maintain the way of believing in Christ Jesus for time to come whether he find he hath been a 〈◊〉 or a barren branch in time by-gone or not Quest. VI. Q. SEing the Apostle 2 Pet. 1. 10. commands us to make our calling and election sure by well-doing how can it be called carnal confidence which in part doth lean upon good works For seing assurance and certainty of our effectual calling is not attained unto but by reasoning from our good works that we are called effectually and are elected how do not our works support the assurance of faith concerning our calling and election and so may be leaned unto Ans. A man may make use of his good works for confirmation of his faith and yet not lean his confidence upon his works but upon the grace of God who hath called him of his free grace and made him imbrace the offer of his free grace and given unto him both to will and to do of his free grace and made him to be Gods workman-ship created of Gods free grace unto good works wherein he hath made him to walk Thus grace is by Gods word and working cleared up to the believer to rest upon without laying too much weight upon the mans work but if a man lay hold on Christ and his free grace only then when he observeth in himself such and such fruits of faith and looseth or slacketh his grips of Christ when he feels deadnesse and indisposition to good works justly we may call this a carnal confidence in his works for when he ought with Paul Rom. 7. 24 25. so much the more to flye in to Christ and his righteousnesse as he findeth the body of death powerfull in him and in-born sin strong to hinder his obedience he doth contrary wayes abate of his confidence languish and decay in his faith and look like a departer from Christ we must say he putteth carnal confidence in his own works Quest. VII Q. BUt seing it is impossible to perswade me of the truth and sincerity of saving faith in me except I do observe in me and can bring forth my good works to prove the reality of faith in me how is it possible that I should not lean weight on my good works seing the proof of my faith is by my works which proof if I have not I am at a stand I cannot prove my self to have been a true believer in Christ I cannot perswade my self that I have been and am a true believer in Christ Ans. 1. The observation of the fruits of faith in me is not the only proof of my believing in Christ for the very act of imbracing the offer of reconciliation made to me in the Gospel and flying unto Christ for a refuge when I am chased by the Law by the
conscience and felt wrath pursuing me for sin may be clear to me by its own light and scriptural evidence albeit it being possibly the very instant of my conversion I cannot produce any fruits or evidences of my conversion past or else what shall be said of malefactors on the scaffold presently to be put to death and possibly not wakened in conscience before not fled to Christ before What shall be said of sick persons near unto death who being self-condemned do betake themselves in their last agony unto the grace of God in Christ offered to self-condemned sinners in the Gospel 2. I must put difference between a reason to prove that I have believed and a reason why I may and must now believe The reason to prove that I have believed is from the effect to prove the cause thereof to wit faith to be in me but the reason why I may now and must believe is from the cause to infer the effect that should be in me the cause of believing in Christ is Gods command to self-condemned sinners which command I must now obey left I perish and so if I find fruits I prove I have believed because I feel the love of God shed abroad in my heart and that I love God who hath freely loved me and here I reason from the effect to prove that the cause of this fruit to wit saâ—ing faith hath preceeded and is gone before Again I prove that I should believe because the offer of the Gospel and of free grace in Christs made to all self-condemned persons renouncing confidence in their own worth or works is made to me with a command to believe in the Son of God Christ Jesus for which cause I may and ought to cast my self upon his grace who justifieth the ungodly flying to him without the works of the Law 3. I must put difference between my having fruits of faith in me and my observing and finding these fruits in me for a true convert may have both faith and fruits and for the time being under tryal and temptation may be so darkened that he can see nothing in himself but sin and apparent wrath pursuing him for sin as may be seen in Ionah in the belly of the fish Ionah 2. 4. and David Ps. 51 9 10. 4. I must put difference between my perswasion that I have been and am a true convert and a sincere believer and my perswasion that I have right reason and good warrand to believe in Christ in my lowest condition howsoever then I find my self emptied of all signes of saving grace in me for the time yet my perswasion that I should in this sad condition flye to Christ and believe in him doth serve to make me consent heartily unto the offer of the covenant of grace in Christ doth serve to make way for my justification and looseth all doubts and objections of Sathan tempting me to mis-believe and to run away from Christ and the offered mercy in him 5. And last of all I must put difference between making use of good fruits brought forth by me for confirmation of my faith and my putting confidence in or laying weight on these good fruits for many true converts do here fail and do not mark the mistakes for when they find love to God and his Saints with fear and holy reverence and such other like signes of grace in their hearts and outward fruits thereof in their life then they do believe in Christ and rejoice in him but when at another time they find hardnesse of heart profanity and perversenesse of a wicked nature in themselves they are like to quite their interest in the covenant of Grace and to stand aloof from Christ like strangers when they should most be humbled and creep in to him for remission of sin aâ—d hiding of their nakednesse by his imputed righteousnesse And what is this in effect else then in the first place to lean on their works and holy disposition as if there were merit in them and then after in the next place to believe in Christ who hath furnished them those fruits whereas they should in the sense of their sin and unworthinesse first flye to Christ and firmly adhere to him by faith that out of his fulnesse they may receive grace for grace according as we are taught to do by Christ himself Ioh. 15. 5. He that abideth in me and l in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me you can do nothing CHAP. VII Concerning the case of the convert in some point of doctrine deluded and pleasing himself in this condition TO speak of delusion and bewitching in the general requireth a large Treatise It shall suffice our purpose to speak of it as it hath place in the point of doctrine and practice erroneous Which we describe thus Delusion is a powerfull operation of a lying Spirit whereby he obtrudes to men some noysome error in doctrine or practise contrary to true doctrine fairded over with sophistical deceits and doth perswade inconsiderate souls effectually to receive the error for truth and to defend and spread it in their rash zeal For explication of which description we say 1. delusion is a powerfull operation of a lying Spirit wherein Sathan in Gods judgment is permitted to put forth his power in lying effectually Therefore in all his effectuall delusions there is a concurring righteous judgment of God in loosing reins to the rempter that by delusion one sin in one degree may be punished by a following sin in a higher degree No wonder therefore that a lying Spirit do work more effectually when he is not restrained by the powerfull hand of God 2. We say that delusion is in some dangerous error tending to the damage of the Church and hazard of souls And this we say not as if we did think that any sin doth not draw with it the merit of death for the wages of every sin is death but because Sathan is not so busie to spred and foment such errors as are lesse perillous as he is active in such errors which do most tend to pester the Church and divert the professors of religion from the path way of saving doctrine And to this purpose he essayes all means that he may obscure and darken the truth and devise and spread abroad the most pernicious errors Mean time he is not idle in sowing and spreading lesser errors that he may stir up contention and jangling in the Church whereby precious time which should be spent for mutual edification may be idly wasted in needlesse disputes and mens minds may be prepared to receive grosser errors Thirdly we put some difference between errors in doctrine and errors in practice albeit there cannot be one error in practice whether it be in the external worship or government of the Church or in outward conversation which being stiffly maintained hath not some error of judgment and doctrine joyned with it or else it should not be contrary to sound doctrine
strengthened and set forward to glorifie God in Christ in necessar duties As for the maner and measure to be keeped in the use of things lawfull prudence must be asked of God who will direct us in this as in other Christian duties CHAP. XVI Concerning the converts suspicion that his softness of heart is nothing but a natural disposition to weep upon any occasion VVHen the Lord hath taken away from the sinner a heart of stone and hath given unto him a heart of flesh so that he dar not any more harden himself against the threatnings of Gods Word but doth tremble at the hearing thereof as speaketh Isaiah 66. 2. and in his prayer doth pour forth his heart ordinarily with tears he may as experience hath taught fall in a suspicion of this ordinar or frequent melting of heart as if it were nothing else but a childish or woman-like temper of body and spirit and no evidence of contrition for spiritual causes which the Scripture requireth and commendeth in the penitent 2. In this case there is danger on either hand if the convert be not wary and circumspect in this condition for on the one hand he is in hazard of making light account of the work of God who hath taken from him the heart of stone and given him an heart of flesh On the other hand he is in hazard of laying too much weight on his tears if once he be satisfied about the suspicion he hath of his own tears and made clear that they were proofs and evidences of his sincerity in his prayers to God That there is a danger on either hand experience hath taught for some sincere converts having entertained the suspicion that their tears in prayer proceeded from the soft temper of their natural complexion disposition of spirit have resisted their inclination to mourn and striven against letting forth of tears so far that they have become so dry for a long time and have prayed more perfunctoriously then before that when just causes of grief and tears were given unto them they were not able to bring forth one tear for easing of their grieved heart On the other hand experience hath taught that some looking upon the expressions of the Saints in Scripture concerning their tears have laid so much weight upon their tears as they have numbered in a manner all the drops of their eyes and from the lesse or more quantity of them made reckoning of their own better or worse condition and of Gods acceptation of their prayers lesse or more 3. This tendernesse of heart and easinesse to be moved unto tears for spiritual motives is a rare gift Few they are who with sense of the body of death and original sin bearing them down do lament their natural sinfulnesse in their best condition with Paul Rom. 7. 24. Few shall be found so affectionat to the glory of God and salvation of peoples souls as to pour out tears both in secret and openly for promoving thereof as the Apostle did Act. 20. 19 21. and 2 Cor. 2. 4. Few like Timothy whose heart was so tender that the Apostle could not but observe his tears and remember them 2 Tim. 1. 4. Yet we doubt not that from age to age sundry be who by the grace of God have this constantly melting heart according to the measure of Gods free donation some with tears some without tears And therefore if there be found in such mourners an honest endeavour to walk circumspectly let not the suspicion that their tendernesse is but natural weaknesse of spirit or bodily complexion be entertained Only let the giver of the grace of a tender heart be relyed upon and not their tears as if they were any more then witnesses of their honest affection in spiritual exercises for such prayers may prove sincere and acceptable to God both when they cannot mourn and also when their heart seemeth withered hard and dry CHAP. XVII Concerning the converts suspicion that all his devotion is but lip-labour which is not joyned with a tender and melting heart and with Gods sensible approbation AS some are suspicious of their condition because of their ordinar tendernesse and melting of heart So other some are suspicious of their condition because they find not their heart tender and soft in their devotion All converts do agree in this that God must be worshiped in spirit and truth and that it is not acceptable worship to God if a man draw near him with his lips when his heart is far from him whereupon every convert when he is mindfull of his duty goeth about to worship God with understanding and inward affection of heart to confesse sin deprecat wrath ask of God things necessar interceed for others give thanks to God for his benefits and praise him for his works and working so as his affections may be conform to his expressions and the conscience may approve both his words and his hearty affections and God may with his peace and consolation approve the worshiper But some converts are who albeit in sincerity they worship God yet they count all their devotion to be but lip-labour except they find their affections wakened up and their heart tender and some vigour of spiritual life in their exercises and the sense of Gods approbation of their worship by giving sense of his peace and consolation to them in their worship Hence oft-times doth suspicion arise without just ground that they are deserted of God that he is displeased with them and this suspicion being entertained doth send forth complaints and bringeth on coldrifenesse in prayer and discouragement 2. This unjust suspicion of the grace of prayer the Lord doth oft-times chastise by with-drawing peace and comfort and order in prayer and of words also that he who complained that his devotion was but lip-labour because he sound not such measure of affection as he would have had nor that consolation which he wished to have shall find himself in worse taking after his complaining then he was in at first when he began to suspect his condition It is true that confusion of mind and want of words to expresse the case wherein he is may fall on a convert by reason of afflictions and manifold temptations and yet he may be free from this suspicion of Gods affection and acceptation of his person and prayers as the Apostle doth teach us Rom. 8. 26. Likewayes the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered But when this cutting short of the gift of prayer in any measure doth follow after suspicion of Gods respect and good will toward the complaining and discouraged convert it is a fatherly chastisement from God threatning the convert with a greater measure of desertion and heavier temptation except he repent his folly and return to God whom by his suspicion and misbelief he hath offended 3. For remedy of
in their calling and that as they find the imperfections of their service so they are forced to renounce all confidence in their own righteousnesse and to flye to the righteousnesse of Christ as the only true garment able to hide their nakednesse yet they are for the most part heavy in their spirit seldom they rejoyce but many times they weep and howsoever they maintain confidence in Christ for the state they stand into yet when they consider their ordinar heavinesse of heart they doubt what to think of this their sad condition Ans. This condition if well considered is very usefull albeit not alwayes comfortable for the Lords dispensation toward such a person thus exercised is well tempered and wisely mixed for he neither suffereth the heavy in heart to cast away his confidence in Christ nor to be idle and unfruitfull in his vocation nor to glory in his own works or put confidence in them but so keepeth him up to the duty of more and more esteeming of Christs righteousnesse and drawing of strength from him by faith that he goeth on in his course uprightly albeit not fed as he would be by the consolations of the holy Ghost 2. For remedy whereof let him quiet his mind for after examination of his own natural inclination he shall find the reason of the Lords dispensation toward him sparingly giving unto him such measure of consolation as he would have to be this least he should abuse the same and lean more to the sensible feeling thereof then to the word of faith and therefore however he find heavinesse of heart through manyfold tentations let him hold on his way in the obedience of faith he shall after a whiles patience and wrestling meet with as much peace and consolation as may suffice a pilgrim walking from strength to strength till he appear before God in heaven where all tears shall be wiped away from his eyes Mean time let this ground be holden fast that God mixeth the cup of his own children as he findeth it fit for their edification The third question is concerning the converts who for not looking on their originall sin and the out breakings thereof are in doubt what to think of their former condition SOme converts are who after a quiet possession of peace injoyed in a blamelesse conversation among men and in the exercises of religion uprightly before God after examination of their condition more narrowly do find that the conscience for a long time hath been silent and hath not changed for the motions of original sin but suffered them to go on securely under the guiltinesse of the daily sprouting forth thereof In this case as they dare not cast away their confidence in Christ nor their holy purpose of walking uprightly before God So they cannot justifie the silence of their conscience which hath suffered the motions of sin although not consented unto to go away without challenge or reckoning made for them and here they are in straits and doubt what to judge of their own condition Ans. In this case the silence of the conscience is not to be excused And the peace of the convert albeit it may be sound in order to the converts state in grace yet the condition wherein he is is not good but mixed with much security for to make the condition of a convert to be good it is not only required that his conscience be keeped free from grosse pollutions but also that he be daily aiming at mortifying of sin and that to this end he daily give an account unto God of his wandering and vanity and of the observed out-sproutings of the bitter root of original sin that he may after his best behaviour perceive a necessity of that prayer taught us by our Lord for daily remission of sins and so may daily have the answer of God from the Evangel saying Son be of good cheer thy sins are forgiven unto thee For there is a twofold absolution of the convert one is in order to his person which Christ calleth the washing of the whole man the other is in order to his daily imperfections and blemishes of his conversation which Christ doth call the washing of the feet By vertue of the first sort of absolution the child of God flying to Christ is judicially declared free from condemnation by the other the believer making use of the fountain opened up in Christ is exeemed from his acknowledged uncleannesse This is clear from Christs words Ioh. 13. 10. Mean time we confesse that the motions of sin in our mortal bodies are so innumerable that no man can overtake them yet must they be counted for an heap at least as David doth teach us Ps. 19. 12. Who knoweth the errors of his life cleanse me from my secret sins And this same lesson doth the Apostle teach us Rom. 7. 24. Wretched man that I am saith he who shall deliver me from the body of this death I thank God through Iesus Christ. Wherefore let the convert go on in his formet godly and righteous behaviour and conversation not mis-regarding the sproutings of original sin but giving account thereof unto Christ as said is that he may glorifie that righteousnesse of Christ by faith and injoy peace with God not only in order to his state but also in order to his condition daily The fourth question is how the convert may know and be certain of his justification VVHen the true convert heareth the different opinions of Theologues concerning the act of justification of a believer some saying that it is an act of God immanent whereby he willeth the absolution of the believer some saying that it is an act of God emanent and transient from God upon the spirit of the believer some saying it is the sentence of the Judge absolving the believing sinner from the curse of the law The believer here possibly is at a stand and knoweth not how to answer the question till his doubt be loosed For the satisfaction of the convert first we may safely say that it is not material whether the convert be able to take up the quiddity and formal notion of the act of iustification provided he be a believer in Christ and know that the believer in Christ is justified before God and that being justified by faith he hath peace with God and can apply these truths unto himself in the exercise of repentance and new obedience But if possibly the convert cannot be satisfied till his doubt be answered let him consider that he must distinguish between justification actively taken as it proceedeth from God and justification passively taken as it is terminat on the justified man as it is taken actively these four things are to be distinguished 1. Gods eternal will and decree to absolve from sin and wrath every believer in Christ. 2. Gods actual revealing in time this his gracious pleasure in the Gospel 3. Gods judicial application of this general sentence to the believer in the point of his conversion
private when he finds an indisposition of mind unto it SUndry converts when they perceive the unfitnesse of their spirits to offer immediat worship to God in prayer praises or thanksgiving especially in private do fall in doubt with themselves whether it be better to delay the offer of their worship till they find themselves well disposed for it or to go on as they may albeit they apprehend their lips polluted and their hearts far away from God Their fear on the one hand is lest they should pollute the worship and take Gods name in vain on the other hand they fear lest they fall in the guiltinesse of omitâ—ing a prescribed duty The question shall be what the doubting convert should determine and do 2. For answer this case is spoken unto before 2. Book Chap. 17. in as far as the convert determineth not and doth not what is right but goeth wrong and pleaseth himself in his bad condition But here we speak to this case as the convert is in doubt only and desireth to be keeped from deceiving himself In which case we say that as it is the converts doubt so we must confesse that this case of indisposition and unâ—itnesse for spiritual exercises is very frequent and is ordinarily and oft-times a chastisement of us drawn on by our selves because we do not watch unto prayer we do not study to keep our hearts in the fear of the Lord all the day long we do not foster that tendernesse of conscience which might furnish us mater of humiliation and of thanksgiving to God upon observation of our faults against God and of Gods favours daily and hourly remarkably running toward us Hence it is when our ordinar time of secret worship doth come we find our vaiging minds hardly called home from their wandering our conscience challenging us for our loose and uncircumspect walking our affections dull and dead and all the powers of our souls taken as with a palsie that we cannot bestir our selves in worship as we should and would Therefore in this case let the convert be humbled and confesse his fault and take with this chastisement and â—â—ye unto Christ who heareth and taketh away the iniquity of our pollution of holy things and let him nor defer his worship till another occasion but wrestle against all impediments and follow out the work in hand blessing God for his pointing out unto him his wants and weaknesse his wandering and vanity of mind his slipping and sliding in his wayes and for opening unto him a â—ountain in Christ for washing his pollutions and healing his wounds And that the convert may be encouraged to aim at and follow on this way let him consider that the converts worship may be pleasant and acceptable to God when the convert is much displeased with himself in the discharge of it for there is a worshiping of God in faith without sense and feeling of the hearts inlargement and there is a worshiping of God with felt enlargement of heart The worshiping of God in faith is pleasant unto God albeit the worshiper in perplexity and wrestling with temptations and corruptions be much displeased with himself The worshiping of God with inlargement of heart is pleasant both unto God and to the worshiper also as Ps. 119. 32. David gives us to understand I will run the way of thy Commandments saith he when thou shalt enlarge my heart But when this inlargement by sensible assistance of the holy Ghost is not perceived the Psalmist is but a dead man in his own estimation yet he doth not forbear or delay to worship God as well in bonds as in freedom Quicken me saith he according to thy loving kindnesse Therefore let the convert in this case 1. follow the example of the Psalmist who Ps. 5. 3. resolveth to call on God with his voice that is to follow the work of prayer externally pre-suppose his spiritual powers were bound up and he unable to back his peâ—itions with suteable affections My voice saith he shalt thou hear in the morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up And Ps. 27. 7. Hear me when I cry with my voice have mercy also upon me and answer me 2. For his incouragement in this case to go on in his worship let him confesse unto God the truth as it is presenâ—ed unto him by his conscience and say O Lord my God these are my sins which I ought to acknowledge before thee with tears which for the present are dryed up c. These are thy favours and benefits wherewith I am loadenâ—d which I should acknowledge with joy and sense of thy goodnesse c. but thou Lord delights in truth in the inward parts Ps. 51. 8. This will be found our reasonable service which the Apostle calleth for Rom. 12. 1 2. The eight question is how to satisfie the convert doubting what is the sin which God pursueth by long-lasting affliction IT falleth forth oft-times when a true convert being a long time pressed under some lasting crosse or calamity doth inquire after the special causes of his affliction and when he cannot be clear what to determine doth doubt what to think of his condition for he acknowledgeth his sins common to him and other converts to be innummerable but apprehendeth that it is some special sin pursued by God which is the cause of his affliction which because he cannot condescend upon he is at a stand and doubteth what to think or do 2. For answer we say 1. such a case is more troublesom then dangerous for so long as he is observing his sins common to him and other converts and in the exercise of repentance is daily humbled before God for his known sins he must not be anxious albeit he know not the particular sin pursued as he apprehendeth for albeit the Lord afflict no man but such as have sin in them yet he doth not alwayes in afflicting of his children pursue unknown sin in them For sometime he afflicteth his child to preveen his sinning hedging up his way with thornes lest he should follow after beloved lusts Sometime he doth afflict him to try his faith to teach him patience meeknesse temperance and other virtues such as are dying to the world seeking after things spiritual compassion toward others in affliction 2. When the afflicted hath composed his mind to reverence Gods dispensation whatsoever it is or shall be then let him yet again look upon his affliction and it may be he shall read in the rod what is the Lords quarrel 3. Whether he shall find the special cause of his affliction or not let him turn all his indignation zeal and hatred against the body of death the bitter root and bulk of actual sins and watch diligently over the motions of original sin or concupiscence in himself 4. And let his whole exercise stir him up to have Christ in greater estimation to make use of Christs righteousnesse imputed to believers and
to invocat his holy name for the right use-making of his affliction The ninth question is how remission of sin may be said to be granted in respect of sins to come IT is commonly said that the convert in his justification hath the remission of sins by-gone and sins to come whereupon the question is moved how this can stand with daily renewed remission of daily sins on the one hand daily renewed remission seemeth not necessary first because we believe that remission of all sin is the priviledge of all believers in Christ and the abridgement of the special articles of faith set down in the Apostles Creed as it is called holdeth this forth 2. Because it is certain that Christ in his death did compleat the payment of the price of redemption from all sin as 1 Ioh. 1. 7. The blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth us from all sins 3. We are said to be not under the law but under grace and so fred from the curse of the law 4. Because if daily remission of sin be necessar to be granted then it presuppones that both original sin and every actual sin flowing forth from it daily must be taken notice of reckoned for and repented of daily which is impossible On the other hand the convert seeth that every transgression of and disconformity to the law is sin and the Apostle 1 Ioh. 1. 8. speaking of himself and other converts saith If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us And Christ hath taught us as oft as we pray for our daily bread to pray also for the remission of sins The question is how the doubt of the convert may be cleared 2. For answer We must grant to the convert that original sin remaineth in the believer and is not only an exceeding sin as the Apostle calleth it Rom. 7. 13. but also is the fountain of all actual sins which doth pollute the conscience and sometimes also the outward man 2. We must grant also that there cannot be an actual and properly called remission of sins which are not yet committed for no man is guilty of that fault wherewith he cannot be charged for such a remission were a dispensation and licence to sin such as the Pope granteth to his slaves to gratifie them in allowing their vile lusts for inriching himself with the price of that iniquity 3. If such an actual remission of sins were given in justification the once justified person could never become a daily debtor by his daily transgressions contrary to the declaration of Christ in one of the articles of the Lords prayer 3. For solving the doubt then we must distinguish the significations and acceptions of remission of sin For 1. it is taken for remission purchased by Christ by virtue of the covenant of Redemption in favours of the elect but not applied unto the elect before the mans conversion Heb. 10. 12 13 14. But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever sat down on the right hand of God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his foot-stool For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified 2. It is taken for remission promised by Christ to all that shall believe in him to be bestowed on them so soon as they shall turn to him Act. 26. 18. Thirdly it is taken for the sentence of absolution judicially applyed and adjudged to the actual believer Eph. 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace 4. For the actual remission of all sins past before his conversion Rom. 3. 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God 5. For a constant right to daily remission of sin and accesse to the fountain opened up in the house of David that is to all the children of the houshold of faith in Christ Zech. 13. 1. In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness 4. So then the convert hath first the actual remission of all sins preceeding his conversion and withall his state changed from being a child of Sathan to be a child of God Secondly he hath right unto daily remission of sins as they fall out after conversion for Christ speaking of the remission had in the time of conversion calleth it a washing of the whole man Joh. 13. 10 He that is washen needeth not to wash save his feet but is wholly clean to wit for the state of his person accepted in Christ and for the application of his right unto daily remission Christ teacheth all his disciples daily to pray for it which Christ calleth the washing of the believers feet Joh. 13. 10. 5. For answer to the objections made against the necessity of daily renewed remission of sin let it be remembred that the article of our Creed is so far from making daily remission of sin not necessar that of necessity it must be extended not only to the remission of sins past before conversion but also to the right made unto us for daily remission of the sins which run daily from the relicts of corrupt nature not fully mortified for otherwayes the believer could not have quiet consolation in the daily exercise of renewed repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. 2. As to the second objection concerning the perfect purchase made by Christ of remission by-past and to come It doth prove indeed that there is no other sacrifice for sin nor price of redemption from sin save that which was compleated on the crosse but it doth not prove that we must only once make application of this purchase for Christ keepeth the full purchase in his own hand and doth let forth the application thereof as we stand in need in his own order and by degrees till he perfect us in sanctification and glorification also 6. As for the third objection we must not think that when we are loosed from the Law as a covenant of Works we are loosed also from the commands of the Law for the covenant of Works prescribed in the Law is posterior both in order of nature and time to the natural writing of the Law in mans heart Rom. 2. 15. And therefore when the covenant of the law of Works is taken off the authority of the Law to direct and command all moral duties doth remain and can no more be dissolved then the obligation of the reasonable creature to be obedient to the Creator can be abolished and therefore when the believer falleth in a transgression he meriteth death and destruction as the wages of sin But Christ our Advocat who liveth for ever to make intercession for us holds off the execution of deserved wrath and giveth to the believer the grace of renewed repentance
from the body of this death and while he searcheth how it cometh to passe that such a body of death lodgeth in the children of God and so powerfull relicts of sin remain in the justified man he cannot satisfie himself considering that God doth hate sin and maketh the new creature hate it also which God could easily take away in a moment in the day of the converts reconciliation and justification 2. For answer to this question if a reason of Gods permission of the relicts of sin to remain in the Saints all the dayes of their life be asked after a reason superiour to the most holy will of God to permit it can none be given nor should it be sought after But to quiet our minds in this case these following considerations may suffice 1. it is the will of the Lord our God our wise and loving Physician to renew and restore his image in his children piece and piece till it be brought to perfection in all the lineaments parts and degrees thereof and to heal our sinfull sicknesses and infirmities not in an instant but by little and little as he seeth fit this way of bringing his work to perfection by degrees he keeped in the creation of the world which he did not perfect in a moment but in six dayes So also the seed that is casten in the ground every year he doth not bring forth to maturity for mens use in lesse time then some moneths He doth not form infants in the womb and bring them up to their appointed stature and strength in lesse time then a number of years And for the relicts of sin how odious and loathsome soever they are in themselves yet he can in his deep wisdom make use thereof in a most holy way for the good of penitent converts for as it was fitting that a difference should be put between the militant Church on earth and the triumphant in heaven So it is the Lords wise will to exercise his militant children in conflicting against sin and misery in this life that the next life and triumph over sin death and hell may be the sweeter when it cometh and more desired till it come 2. Secondly as the Lord after sub-duing of the Canaanites did not forthwith cast them altogether out of the holy land but suffered a multitude of them to live for the exercise of the Israelites with warfare and for teaching his people by their own experience that the victory which they had obtained over the Canaanites was not purchased by their sword or bow but was given unto them from the Lord of hostes who led forth their armies and prospered them So doth he not abolish the relicts of sin in his Saints in this life after their conversion that they may know that the victory which they have received over the devil the world and the flesh in their conversion is not to be ascribed to the power of their own free-will but unto God only For if the renewed convert cannot over-come the relicts of the broken forces of his spiritual adversaries within him which his renewed will would most earnestly expell how can he give the glory of his victory over the devil and the world in his conversion unto the power of his corrupt and unrenewed free-will 3. Thirdly it is required of all that come unto Christ that they deny themselves take up their crosse daily and follow him and to make them so do strong motives are daily furnished from the feeling of the relicts of sin in our selves for how can a renewed convert look upon his own ignorance errors folly and vanity of his mind perversenesse of his will impotency to good and propension unto all sin and not loath himself and so be forced to flye to Christ the Redeemer for relief 4. The remainder of sin being an adversary to all vertues doth furnish work to all the habits infused by God for the daily exercise thereof according as inborn sin doth put forth it self to the hinderance of faith love hope patience temperance c. but in special it serves to bear down pride and to foster humility for this doth the experience of the Apostle shew 2 Cor. 12. 7. Least I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelation there was given to me a thorn in the flesh 5. Nothing doth more manifest the infirmity of the strongest souldiers of Christ then the power of inborn sin brought forth in the conflict against the new creature No sharper spur to prayer and imploring of Gods help then the felt power of the remainder of sin this also doth the experience of the Apostle teach us 2 Cor. 12. 8. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me 6. How much the endurance of this conflict with the remainder of sin doth serve to manifest the greatnesse of the Lords power and largenesse of his grace towards his weak souldiers whom he upholdeth and comforteth in this conflict the answer which the Lord giveth to the Apostles prayer maketh manifest 2 Cor. 12. 9. And he said unto me my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weaknesse 7. We are slow to believe dull to apprehend and learn that which the Word of God tells us of the uglinesse of the body of sin the perverse wickednesse of corrupt nature the filthinesse of the flesh the wiles and deceitfulnesse of the old man and the enmity of our corrupt nature against God Therefore in and by the frequent and renewed conflicts now with one lust then with another we are forced by experience to learn the lesson more and more solidly and believe the truth of the Lords Word speaking of sin that is in us and to ingage our selves to prosecute the mortification of sin unto the death 8. The renewed experience of the power of sin in our flesh should make us so much the more vigilant against it and daily to put on the whole armour of God Because we must fight not only with the flesh but also with principalities powers and spiritual wickednesse which take advantage of the sin that naturally dwelleth in us Ephes. 6. 11. 12. Put on the whole armour of God for we wrestle not with flesh and blood to wit only 9. The conscience of the remainder of sin dwelling in us serveth to move us to pity and to have compassion on the children of Adam and meekly to restore our weak brethren who are overtaken in any offence as the Apostle doth teach us Tit. 3. 2. Shewing all meeknesse to all men For we our selves also were sometime foolish disobedient deceived c. Gal. 6. 1. Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meeknesse considering thy self lest thou also be tempted 10. Last of all the permission of the reliques or sin to remain in true converts all the dayes of their life doth serve to decide the great controversie between