creature both reasonable and unreasonable is constantly and exactly governed according to the Order of the Decree in the best way to the best end viz. the Glory of the Creatour This Order can no more be violated then God can be disappointed of his Will Man even in violating Gods Command fulfilleth Gods Decree The Order of the Command is either the Law of Nature the Rule of the unreasonable creature whose Government according thereunto see in this Chapter a little after the beginning Or the Moral Law the Rule of the reasonable creature whose subjection thereunto is the greatest difficulty Touching which together with what the Reader may be pleased to recall of that which hath been spoken to this purpose immediately after the place fore-mentioned it may suffice at present to answer this Objection which Answer is yet easily and readily upon occasion applicable unto the Angels so far only as it concerneth the Government of ungoverned man The containing of man in subjection to the Rule is Government The subjection of man to the Rule is either obediential i. e. active-obediential or obligatory and penal Obediential in this sence consists in our yeilding obedience unto the Command Obligatory consists either in our bonds of duty or guilt whereby we stand bound over unto punishment in case of breach Penal consists in our suffering of the punishment denounced in the Curse for our disobedience unto the Command As the obediential subjection of the Saints satisfactory in their surety and gratulatory in their own persons together with their castigative and obligatory obedience respectively demonstrates Gods government of his Saints on the one hand so doth the obligatory and penal subjection of the Reprobate demonstrate Gods government of the wicked on the other hand and of both according to his Word Gods containing of the Saints in an obediential subjection to the Law sheweth his Government of them Gods containing the wicked in obligatory and penal subjection to the Law so as he reserveth them all in the bond of duty and prison of guilt unto the time of Judgment then to suffer the punishment held forth in the Curse proportionable to their disobedience unto the Rule sheweth his Government of them Both shew his Government of all More particularly The principal Objections against the divine Government of all things taken from the pretended disorder of the second Causes are either such as strike at the Wisdom or such as strike at the Justice of the Governor Touching that Objection taken from the seeming disorder of the second causes as striking at the Wisdom of God We are to know that Wisdom is the discerning the right way unto the best End Now that the way of God consisting of Creation and Providence is the best way to the best End is clear first From the natural Justice of God whereby giving unto himself that which is his it is necessary that he doth all his work as becometh such an Agent that is by such means and in such order as is most suitable unto their End Secondly From the end of all things and all events The end of all things is either subordinate viz. the good of the creature looked at in it self Or supream viz. the manifestation of the glory of the Creatour God ordereth things in such a way as though it serveth not most to the good of the creature considered in it self though it be also a truth concerning the Elect that their happiness is included therein yet such as serveth most unto their chief good and last end namely the Manifestation of his own Glory We must distinguish between the Order of the Decree and the Order of the Command Disorder in respect of the Command is Order in respect of the Decree Thus both order and disorder in respect of the Command are order in respect of the Decree The Wisdom of the first cause shineth in the folly of the second cause The Order of the Creatour disposeth of and runneth through the confusion of the creature The face of Providence is oftentimes like unto some picture which if you look upon it on the one side casteth a deformed shape but if you behold it on the other side it presenteth you with a most grateful aspect Faith seeth beauty where reason seeth only confusion What sight more horrid then the sufferings of Christ if looked upon in the wisdom of man few more glorious if beheld in the Wisdom of God He hath made every thing beautiful in its time Eccles 3.11 See more in the seventh Consection of the Doctrine of the Decree Chapter 4. Man was not of the Counsel of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the making of the Decree Who hath been his Counseller Rom. 11.34 Neither can man in this life trace God in innumerable steps of his Execution thereof His ways are past finding out ver 33. The Path of a ship upon the Sea after a small space of time is not to be trackt by him that followeth it The way of Providence is a deeper Sea it is as high as Heaven what canst thou do deeper then Hell what canst thou know The measure thereof is larger then the Earth and broader then the Sea Job 11.8 9. Then I beheld all the works of God that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the Sun because though a man labour to seek it out yea further though a wise man think to know it yet shall he not be able to find it Eccles 8.17 Touching those Objections that strike at the Justice of the Governour they are fetched from 1. The Permission of sin as suppose the sin of Adam or of any other hainous transgressions amongst the Sons of men Carnal reason seeing wickedness in the place of judgment and iniquity in the place of righteousness thence inferreth that man hath no preheminence above a beast God regardeth the death of the one no more then of the other that is in way of Government he regardeth neither Eccless 3.16 18. 2. From the deferring of the punishment of man for sin which the wicked abuse as an argument that God taketh no judicial notice of their sin They slay the widow and the stranger and murther the fatherless yet the God to whom vengeance belongeth not shewing himself they say The Lord shall not see it neither doth the God of Jacob regard it Psal 94.6.1.7 3. From things falling out alike to those who are alike Eccles 8.4 and 9.2 Hence carnal reason supposing a man loseth nothing by ungodliness nor gets any thing by godliness concludes all events are casual and that the only Compendium of relief unto man against the temptation of so unequal administration of things is not to care for any thing but to eat drink and to be merry Ecclesiast 8.15 and 9.3 4. From the Adversity of the godly there is a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness this was Asaps temptation Psal 73. If he were according as some think the Authour thereof Verily
the sinner either in himself or in his Surety 3. That it is his glory by revealing and impartially executing such a measure of wrath in case of transgression upon the work of his own hands to manifest the Majesty of him who is offended the goodness of the Command that is transgressed the evil of sin and the vileness of the sinner Justice in God is his constant Will to render unto every one that which is theirs The Justice of God Rhetorf de Gratia Exeroit 2. cap. 3. is considered either in respect of himself or in respect of the reasonable creature in order to to himself whereby he is a necessary debtor to himself It is called essential justice in order to the reasonable creature whereby he hath freely made himself a debtor unto them it is called Relative Justice In the Essential Justice of God Vid. Twiss de reprob lib. 1. digress 1. Justitia condescentiâ—e is contained that which is called the Justice of Condecency or Comeliness which necessitates not God to constitute any rule of Relative Justice betvveen himself and the creature only in case he be pleased to constitute any it necessitares him so to do it as becometh such an Agent and as serveth best unto his end and which being done continueth inviolable and infallible The Essential Justice Constancy and Truth of God permitteth not any defect or alteration concerning the Execution of his Decree after he had once decreed it notwithstanding before the Decree he was free to have decreed or not to have decreed that Decree Relative or Moral Justice is an external Work of God whereby he proceeds with man according to the Law of righteousness freely constituted betvveen him and them rendring to every one what is due unto them thereby either by way of recompence in case of obedience or by way of punishment in case of disobedience For our better understanding of this Moral Justice of God in respect of man Consider 1. That nothing can be due from God to man as of himself 2. That which is due from God to man is from the free and meer good pleasure of God Non enti nihil debetur nam valet argumentuÌ„ est id cui aliquid dâ—betur Ergo est Twiss ubi supra 3. That this good pleasure or Will of God is the Rule of Righteousness 4. That God proceeding to Execution according to this Rule of Righteousness constituted by his good pleasure can do no wrong Nothing can be due from God to man as of himself the creature of it self being a meer nothing and God being all he cannot become a debtor to the creature either of good or evil otherwise then he is pleased to make himselfe a debtor Should God be looked at as a necessary Debtor unto the creature it must either be to the creature not yet in being or to the creature in actual being but he cannot be a Debtor to the creature yet not in being for to it nothing can be due but Creation and that should be due unto nothing Thence it would follow that God were bound to create every creature that were possible to be created and that also from Eternity Neither can he be a Debtor to the creature in actual being to which if he can owe any thing it must either be the continuation of it in its being or annihilation In Deo neque est justitia commutativa nedum distributiva propriè Rhetorf ubi supra If God doth not ovve unto the creature its creation he cannot owe unto it its continuation Continuation being nothing else but the continuance of Creation he that is not bound to give a creature its being for one instant which is done in creation is much less bound to give unto a creature its being for many instants which is included in continuation Besides Were God bound to continue the creature in actual being for one year by the same reason he vvere bound to continue them for ever Neither can he ovve unto the creature in actual being annihilation for then neither could the godly enjoy Eternal life nor the vvicked be punished vvith Eternal death to ovve annihilation is to ovve nothing The vvorth of the creature in order unto God is not intrinsecal For who hath first given to him a d it shall be recompensed unto him again Rom. 11.35 2. Whatsoever is due from God to man is from the meer Will and good pleasure of God Moral Justice flovveth from the good pleasure of God the Manifestation of the Glory of God in a way of justice is the end the permission of sin is the means that this should be the means and that should be the end is vvholly of the Will of God The Creation of man is an effect of Gods good pleasure That Prohibition of Adam to eat of the forbidden fruit upon the transgression of vvhich followed the death of mankind vvas an Interdict of Gods free-vvill The Moral Lavv it self is an effect of Gods good pleasure What reasonable man but will yeild that the being of the Moral Lavv hath no necessary connexion vvth the Being of God That this Moral Lavv should be a constant rule of manners and that all mans actions should fall vvithin the compass of this rule Quod talis sit natura illius rei quae est peccatum recurrendum semper est adfont mâ—â—dtissimum â—ei aeternum bene-placitum Idem ibid. Zanch. de Natura Dei lib. 3. cap. 4. quaest 12. cap. 5. qu. 3. is from the meer Will of God That the actions of men not conformable to this Lavv should be sin that death should be the punishment of sin that this punishment should be suffered in our ovvn persons or in our Surety as should seem good unto the Lavv-giver all these are the constitutions of God proceeding from him not by vvay of yecessity of nature but freely as effects and products of his Eternal good pleasure 3. This Good Pleasure or Will of God is the Rule of Righteousness The Will of God is God himself vvillng his Will is the Rule of our vvills Whose Will else should be the Rule The Will of God is the cause of all things the constituted Rule of Righteousness therefore being an effect it must needs proceed from the Will of God othervvise there should be an effect vvhich vvere not resolved to the first cause That vvhich is the Fountain of all good is the Rule of Righteousness but Gods Will is the Fountain of all good All Laws vvhich have their beginning in time as the Lavv of Nature the Lavv of Nations the Moral Lavv all Civil Lavv vvhether fundamental or positive that are conformable to the Moral Lavv as all ought to be flovv from the Will of God vvhich is the Eternal Lavv That vvhich is just in it self is the Rule of Justice to all other things that are just But the Will of God is just in it self because the Will of God is God himself vvilling God is essentially
truth c. 12 p. 281 Peace of conscience what c. 14. 324 The state of the beleever is a state of perfect peace with the grounds thereof c. 14. p. 324 325 Perfection in God what c. 1. p. 20 The perfection of the whole creature is in God eminently c. 15. p. 332 A person in the Divine Nature what c. 2. p. 22 What constitutes a person in God ibid. Difference between a created and an increated Person c. 2.23 A Person how distinguished from a Person c. 2. p. 27 A created Person what c. 3. p. 37 The Person of Christ what c. 11. p. 249 The soul by faith receiveth the Person of Christ yet not personally but objectively c. 11. p. 250 A Personal property what c. 2. p. 28 The Personal notions in number five and which c. 2. p. 30 Positive Attributes what in number six c. 1. p. 16 Poverty legal and preparatory before faith and saving after faith c. 8. p. 184 185 Preparatory work what c. 6. p. 130 Preparatory work taken in its extent what c. 7. p. 141 Works Preparatory properly or in the judgement of charity c. 6. p. 129 130 Preparatory works by way of meer order c. 6. p. 130 Four objections against Preparatory work answered c. 6 p. 139 140 Preparatory work no whit darkneth free grace c. 6. p. 139 The heads whereunto the Preparatory work of the Gospel may be referred c. 7. p. 152 Three cases of conscience concerning Preparatory work c. 7. p. 160 161 c. The notion Preparatory as concerning preparatory work distinguished c. 8. p. 164 The peculiar wayes of Gods Presence with divers creatures c. 1. p. 8 A preservative against temptations concerning the justice of God c. 5. p. 122 Actuall Providence what c. 52 p. 102 Q. Soul-Qualifications what c. 8. p. 163 Saving-Qualifications taken properly or improperly c. 8. p. 164 165 Taken properly what c. 8. p. 164 The variety of Judgements touching the relations that Qualifications before faith have unto conversion c. 8. p. 165 Texts of Scripture against the ascertaining salvation to any Qualification before faith c. 8. p. 166 167 Ten arguments to the same effect c. 8. p. 167 to 175 Our best Qualifications as also our operations before faith are sin c. 8. p. 174 Authorities against ascertaining salvation upon a Qualification before faith c. 8. p. 175 to 179 Nine Objections against the not ascertaining salvation upon some Qualification or Qualifications before faith fully answered c. 8. p. 179 to 190 The four Celestial Qualities of the glorified body opened c. 15. p. 350 351 352. R. Receiving Christ is either active or passive c. 12.267 Reconciliation twofold one before the other after our conversion c. 14. p. 316 The Ministry and Word of Reconciliation why so styled 2 Cor. 5 18 19. c. 9. p. 215 Relative Attributes in number seven c. 1. p. 10 Relative Attributes put no change in God ibid. Repentance legal or saving c. 7. p. 153 Preparatory or legal Repentance what c. 7. ibid Repentance legal or preparatory before faith or saving after faith c. 8. p. 184 185 Reprobation is not an act of Justice c. 4. p. 66 67 68 Reprobation is not the cause of sin though the antecedent thereof c. 4. p. 69 None in this life can ordinarily conclude they are Reprobate c. 4 p. 84. The Gospel why called a Revelation c. 7. p. 152 Revelation of Christ so far as is necessary to salvation what c. 7. ibid. The Law not the Decree is the Rule of life c. 4. p. 80 81 Seven Rules to be observed in propounding of the Doctrine of the Decree c. 4. 82 83 84 85 S. Faith in what sense it is affirmed to be a part of Sanctification c. 11. p. 255 256 To ascertain salvation before faith is to ascertain it to a worke or as it were to a worke c. 8. p. 174 Saving faith what c. 10. p. 219 Saving faith the effect of Election c. 10. p. 199 Before the grace of faith there is nothing that is saving c. 8.170 Seeking Christ without faith and with faith what c. 7. p. 159 Though we cannot seek Christ in faith yet it is our duty to pray c. 7. p. ibid. Jesus Christ findeth the soul while it so seeks him as yet it cannot seek him c. 7. p. 160 The souls selling of all is either legal or saving legal what and how distinguished c. 8. p. 182 183 Saving threefold and what ibid. Simplicity in God what c. 1. p. 5 Adams sin original sin actual sin what c. 7. p. 142 143 144 God is not the author of sin c. 4. p. 61 to 67 As God is not the author of sin so be is not a meer permitter thereof c. 4. p. 66 God delighteth not in the death of a sinner c. 4. p. 73 Man is the cause of sin c. 4. p. 70 Sin is the cause of punishment c. 4. p. 71 Acknowledgement of the Sovereignty of God in point of shewing or not shewing mercy is a point of our humiliation c. 7. 158 The term special to be attended in this Proposition faith is the effect of sperial grace c. 10. p. 228 The Spirit of Christ received by beleevers what and why so called c. 11. p. 249 150 How the soule receives the Spirit of Christ c. 11. p. 250 The Angels and Spirits of the just made perfect how they speak one unto another c. 15. p. 347 T. High cause of Thankfulnesse to be seen in the Decree c. 4. p. 99 A Trance what c. 15. p. 339 The usefulnesse of the doctrines of the Trinity c. 2. p. 31 32 33 34 What Terms are to be avoyded in speaking of the Trinity c. 2. p. 29 V. The effects of the beatifical Vision c. 15. p. 334 The fault of Vnbelief lyeth wholly upon our selves c 9. p. 205 206 It is impossible for an Unbeleever how ever qualified to please God c. 8. p. 173 Every Vnbeleever is in such a condition to which the Scripture speaks wrath c. 8. ibid. God to be taken in the best sense in his tender of grace to an Vnbeleever c. 9. p. 215 T is a truth concerning every Unbeleever how ever qualified that if Christ sheweth him mercy it is meer mercy if hee doth not shew them mercy he doth them no wrong c. 8. p. 172 173 The Vnderstanding of God Angels and men in respect of the manner thereof how distinguished c. 1. p. 16 17 The Personal Vnion what c. 3. p. 38 The manner of the Personal Union c. 3. p. 40 Three most eminent Unions and which c. 13. p. 283 284 The Union betwixt Christ and the Beleever held forth in Scripture under divers lively metaphors c. 13. p. 284 Union between Christ and the Beleever what c. 13. p. 285 The whole Person of Christ is Vnited to the whole Person of the Beleever c. 13. p. 286 Vnion between Christ and the Beleever is reall substantial and supernatural c. 13. p. 290 Union followeth Vocation in order of Nature c. 13 p. 291 Vocation what c. 12. p. 257 Vocation is wrought in an instant c. 12. p. 282 283 W. Waiting on the Lord Jesus in the use of means with preparatory hope what c. 7. p. 159 The Will of God is the first and universal cause of all things c. 4. p. 91 The Will of God is one c. 4. ibid. The Will of God is absolute c. 4. p. 93 No motive of Gods Will besides or without himselfe c. 4. p. 58. seq The All-decreeing and All-disposing Will of God is a ground why we should sanctifie him in all our changes c. 4. p. 99 The distinction of the absolute and conditional as also of the antecedent and consequent Will in God both unsound c. 1. p. 17 18 The Will is determined by God in its operations c. 5. p. 110 and 114 Wisdome in God what c. 1. p. 16 Christ as God-man the object of Divine Worship c. 3. p. 47 FINIS
4. art 7. that we are justified by faith alone because it imbraceth him that justifieth us namely Jesus Christ Beza Cum Apostolo fide sola nos justificari dicimus eo quod amplectitur eum qui nos justificat nempe Jesum Christum Faith justifieth not as an inherent quality and gift in us Willet synop cent 4. err 56 by any worthinesse thereof but as it apprehendeth Christs righteousnesse and this to us and a little after So that in faith reputed for righteousnesse we are not to respect the worthinesse of the act of beleeving in it self but in respect of the Elect Dr. Willet Consensum patrum cum orthodoxis reformatis in hac hujusce propositionis explicatione videat qui volet apud Chamierum panstrat Tom. 3. l. 22. c. 5. apud Polanum Symphon cathol cap. 12 For the cleerer understanding the justification of a sinner by faith let these three acts be considered the one looked at as succeeding the other in order not in time First God actually imputes the active and the passive Mediatorly obedience of Christ unto a beleever Rom. 4.6 therein God is freely giving Secondly The soul having before in order of nature not in time received Jesus Christ as its head and Saviour by the same faith receiveth his obedience as the matter of its righteousnesse herein the soul is taking Rom. 5.17 Rom. 6.11 Gal. 3.13 Thirdly God hereupon in the court of Conscience judicially declares and pronounceth the sinner to be righteous and to have right unto eternal life by vertue of the promise Joh. 5.24 Rom. 3.22.30 The righteousnesse of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By faith through faith upon them that beleeve which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that beleeve By this act of grace the person of the sinner is justified in himself really yet not inherently but imputatively his state changed who before justifying faith was a childe of wrath even as others untill now the persons of the Elect not being accepted in themselves neither are their actions accepted but now our persons being accepted our actions are capable of being accepted Gen. 4.4 Faith 1 Acknowledges that we are justified for the righteousnesse sake of another viz. Christ God-man 2 Acknowledgeth that our justification is free 3 Renounceth our own righteousnesse First We need the righteousnesse of another and the righteousnesse of this other is sufficient the least sinner needs no lesse the greatest sinner needs no more the least sinner cannot be saved without it the greatest sinner needs no more to be saved God cannot save any Infant without the righteousnesse of Christ the righteousnesse of Christ is fully able to save all beleevers See the Sinfulness of Sin that nothing but the righteousnesse of him who is God could expiate it See the Righteousnesse of Christ which taketh away all sin Faith acknowledgeth the least sin unpardonable without it the greatest pardonable by it Were we onely guilty of Adams sin we could not be saved without it Were we guilty of all the sins of the Elect we might be saved by it To think any sin little is a great sin t is a greater to think that Christs righteousnes is not above all sin our disobedience is but the disobedience of man but the obedience of Christ is the obedence of him who is both God and man the disobedience of man is infinit only improperly in respect of the object the obedience of Christ is infinite properly in respect of the subject that which is infinit hath no limits but the pleasure of the disposer Davids childe needed the righteousnesse of Christ for its justification and Manasseth needed no more To think any sin little is no little sin t is to excuse sin to accuse justice in sentencing our sin in Adam or original sin with death to lessen nay so far to frustrate the righteousnesse of Christ The Pharisee puts confidence in his not having done so ill yea in his having done better than other men Luke 18.11 That he had so done was good but that he put confidence in it was bad If thy hope be more in thy little sins then in Christs great mercy Woe be unto thee had there been but one man to have been redeemed Christ must have dyed and Christs death was sufficient to have redeemed all men T is a sin for the least sinner not to despair of righteousnesse in respect of himself Isa 5.7.10 T is a sin for the greatest sinner to despair concerning the righteousnesse of Christ He that beleeveth not be he never so righteous shall be damned He that beleeveth hath he been never so unrighteous shall be saved 2 The beleever acknowledging his righteousnesse to be the righteousnesse of another to be merited by another acknowledgeth it to be free it cost Christ to the full but it cost us nothing being justified freely by his grace Rom. 3.24 Justification is called the gift of righteousnesse Rom. 5.11 the free gift the gift of grace vers 15 Grace in this verse noting the love of God it self the gift by grace Justification as an effect of that love God will either not justifie at all or justifie for nothing t is the glory of grace to be free and mans prirce to come without mony The experience of this truth is compared to buying because the sinner parts as hardly with his righteousnesse as the covetous man doth with his mony Isa 55.1 And when they had nothing to pay he frankly forgave them both Luke 7.42 God will take nothing for our Justification as it is repugnant to the whole so to each part of grace not to be free To attribute any thing to man in way of condignity or congruity were to lessen the sinfulnesse of sin to exalt man to betray Grace and to take so much from Christ This truth God standeth much upon as is notably to be seen in the manner of Naamans cure a figure of the free recovery of a sinner both from the power and guilt of sin hence the Prophet healeth him for nothing and though urged refuseth and that not without an oath but he said As the Lord liveth before whom I stand I will receive none and he being urged to take it still refuseth 2 King 5.16 Where God forgiveth sin be forgiveth much no sin is in it self little Luke 7.47 Simon the Pharisee who looked at sin as a little thing was not forgiven at all where God forgiveth little or much he forgiveth all for nothing That which is said of the Lilly compared with Solomon Consider the Lillies of the field how they grow they toyl not neither do they spin and yet I say unto you that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these Matth. 6.28 29. is most true of the Beleevers compared with the Lillies The Garments of fine linnen the righteousness of the Saints far exceed the glorious aray of the Lillies yet they do not so much as spin for it Thirdly
rule There is no repugnancy between these two propositions 1. It is the duty of man to beleeve 2. It is not the purpose of God to give him grace to cause him to beleeve Obj. 8. The Event out of which according to the Decree of God cometh good yea that great good of the manifestation of the glory of God ought not to be counted sin nor is the doer thereof to suffer vengeance But sin is that event out of which cometh this great good Therefore why should sin be accounted sin or the doer thereof suffer vengeance See Rom. 3.5 7. Ans This Objection is framed in the person of man I speak as a man vers 5. not as from God and being both blasphemous and absurd the Apostle censures it in the same place with an holy abomination God forbid vers 6. Sin in it self tendeth only unto evil it is by accident that it becometh a means of any good 'T is the occasion Lambertus Danaeus censuit periculosam istam Gregorii magni sententiam ubi loquens de culpa Adami sic ait O foelix culpa quae talem tantū habere meruit Redemptorem Twisse de Praed l. 1. part 1. Nisi esset hoc bonum ut essent mala nullo modo sinerentur ab Omnipotente bono August Twiss referente Cr. 3. l. 2. Vid. Cr. 3. l. 2. not the cause of the manifestation of the glory of God That sin which in its own nature tends only unto evil is turned into an occasional commendation of the Righteousness and other Attributes of God doth not at all excuse sin but commends the wisdom and goodness of him that brings good out of evil yea a far greater good out of sin then sin it self is an evil So of the Objections The Decree is to be propounded in the same order in which God hath revealed it in his Word God knoweth best how to reveal his own mind And we speak well when we speak after him In particular these Rules are to be observed Rule 1. What order is to be observed in propounding the Doctrine of the Decree Not Gods Decree but the Command is the Rule of Faith and Obedience Rule 2. Consider of the Decree as proceeding according to the order of the End and the means conducing to that End hereby finding the End of God in them that perish not to be the death of a sinner but the manifestation of the glory of his Justice in punishing man for sin and the blameable cause of death to be sin appears the unwarrantableness as well as the offensiveness of such expressions as God made man to damn him c. together with the groundlessness and sinfulness of blasphemous charging God with cruelty in his Decree of Reprobation O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy help found Hosea 13.9 Here God removeth from himself the being the cause of the destruction of Israel He also denyeth solemnly Ezek. 18.23 32. yea with an Oath Ezek. 33.11 That he taketh any pleasure in the death of a sinner Say unto them As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Turn ye turn ye from your evil ways why will ye dye O house of Israel Death as we saw before is considered as the destruction of the sinner or as an execution and declaration of Justice God delights in it as it is a declaration and execution of Justice but not as it is the destruction of the sinner In the execution of Justice upon a Malefactor we must distinguish between punishment and destruction Punishment is from the Judg destruction is from the evil doer Punishment proceeds from the Author of the Rule of Justice as the efficient Cause but destruction from sin as the meritorious Cause Though punishment as it destroyeth the creature be an evil to Nature yet as it is a declaration of Justice it is a moral good 'T is true Condemnation followeth infallibly upon Reprobation yet so as Reprobation is the antecedent not the cause of sin sin both an antecedent and cause of condemnation None are condemned because reprobated but because they sin Notwithstanding man be reprobated yet if he had not sinned he should not have dyed Rule 3. We must not separate between the end and the means That Diabolical Sarcasme and bitter scoffe invented to the abuse and derision of the Doctrine of the Decree is not only an untruth but implyeth a contradiction viz. If I be elected howsoever I live I shall be saved and if I be not elected live I never so well I shall be damned Satan in this Sophism divides the end and the means asunder which God hath joyned together The Decree consists not of the end without the means nor of the means without the end but of both together Both end and means are contained in one Decree Yea so far is the Decree from admitting such an inference as that the contrary infallibly followeth thereupon and in point of Election is not only necessarily concluded but irresistably caused Faith repentance new-obedience and perseverance being the effects of Election Acts 27.24 God had decreed by the ship-mens staying in the ship to run the ship a ground near the shore so as that all there might escape safe to land He concludes unsafely from thence that saith Do now as they will Stay the ship-men in the ship or not there shall no man perish For except the ship-men abide in the ship ye cannot be saved ver 27. Just so do they reasonlesly and to their own destruction conclude who notwithstanding God hath from the beginning chosen us to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth 2 Thes 1.13 Yet infer if they were elected live as they will whether they believe or not be sanctified or not they shall be saved There was one saith Augustine of our society who when his brethren expostulated with him Quidam in nostro Monasterio qui corripientibus fratribus c. August de bono persever l. 2. c. 75 why he did some things which ought not to be done and why he did not some things that ought to be done answered What kind of one soever I now am I shall be such an one as God hath foreknown me to be Who truly saith that Ancient said the truth and by this truth profited not in good but so much profitted in evil that forsaking the Society of the Monastery he became a Dog returned to his vomit again and as yet what he will be is uncertain Rule 4. We must be carefull to distinguish between the Doctrine of the Decree and the Personal Application thereof in point of Election and Reprobation The Doctrine of the Decree is commanded to be taught and learned and is many ways useful both before and after faith respectively But the Personal Application thereof before faith in point of Election or during this life in point of
his ordinary Dispensation of the Gospel calleth not sinners as sinners but such sinners i. e. qualified sinners immediately to believe FOr the better handling this Position it may be convenient to observe the following Method 1. Premise some distinctions 2. Describe preparatory work 3. Prove the Point by Texts of Scripture by Types of Conversion by Reason by Examples 4. Satisfie some principal Objections The term preparatory nothing works so fore-going Distinct 1. as that they imply conversion to follow after is to be considered either in respect of God so only those common works which are in the Elect are preparatory i. e. properly preparatory because in them only vocation or conversion followeth thereupon Or in respect of us and so these common works in all are preparatory yet in the judgment of charity only Forasmuch as we are to hope concerning all where we see them that they are the fore-runners of conversion and till conversion we can but hope concerning any the Secret of Gods intention touching this or that person in particular being not revealed until vocation The first may be called Preparatory in respect of Gods intention the second in respect of the judgment of charity Preparatory Work is said to be so Distinct 2. either by way of meer order asserted by the Orthodox according to the Scriptures or by way of Causation Merit and Congruity asserted by the Papists and Arminians contrary to the Scriptures Calling Distinct 3. is either extraordinary as in Elect Infants dying in their Infancy or ordinary Of this last the question speaks Ordinary calling to believe Distinct 4. is either mediate or immediate Mediate when we are called to believe yet so as that some other duty or duties are to be done before we can believe thus all are called to believe that live under the Gospel Immediate when we are not only called to believe but the very next duty we are called unto is to believe so are all they called to believe that living under the Gospel are in measure preparatorily i. e. in respect of Ministerial capacity nextly disposed thereunto By preparatory Work Preparatory Work What we understand certain inherent qualifications coming between the carnal rest of the soul in the state of sin and conversion wrought in the Ministry both of the Law and Gospel by the common work of the Spirit concurring whereby the soul is put into a Ministerial capacity of believing immediately i. e. of immediate receiving of the Lord Jesus Christ Before sinners are invited immediately to believe Arguments from Scripture they must be such sinners qualified sinners 1. Sinners that are sensible of sin as appeareth from these Scriptures Matth. 9.13 Mark 2.17 Luke 5.31 32. I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance He came not to call all sinners for the righteous here mentioned are sinners but such sinners sick sinners the Text can admit no other interpretation Sensible of their death in sin Rom. 7. For I was alive without the Law once but when the commandement came sin revived and I dyed And the Commandment which was ordained to life I found to be unto death Paul was dead before though he thought otherwise but now he is sensible of his death he found that he was dead Sensible of their bondage both in respect of the guilt and power of sin Rom. 8.15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but ye have received the spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The state of bondage was alwayes until faith the Spirit of bondage signifieth the sensibleness of that bondage We must distinguish between the state of bondage and the Spirit of bondage Sensible of their want of Christ Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters c. Thirst doth not only signifie a want of water but a sensibleness of that want Luke 15.14 17. And when he had spent all there arose a mighty famine in the Land he began to be in want And when he came to himself he said how many hired servants in my Fathers house have bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger Hunger especially such hunger doth not signifie only a want of bread but a sensibleness of that want Sensibleness of a lost estate Luke 15.32 For this thy Brother was dead and is alive again and was lost and is found The elder brother was in a lost i. e. a perishing estate as is also every irregenerate Son of Adam but the younger brother was lost i. e. Sensible of his lost estate Lostness signifieth that a man is out of the way perceiveth that he is out of the way and also that he cannot find the way i. e. cannot believe repent desire c. See more Chap. 7. under the Head of a lost estate 2. Sinners that are broken hearted Isai 61.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Broken hearted and bruised Luke 4.18 That are weary and heavy laden Matth. 11.28 Sinners that are prisoners in a pit where is no water Zach. 9.11 Sensible of their misery and of their being destitute of any remedy The Prophet comparing the spiritual captivity of the soul to the corporal captivity of the Jews in Babylon sheweth That Christ finds the soul not only in a pit but in a waterless pit in a pit wherein there is no succour He will not mix his blood with our water Sinners that mourn in Sion Isai 61.3 The cable must be unreavelled before it can pass through the eye of a neédle so must the soul be broken before conversion Matth. 19.24 Believers as Abigail had Nabal before she had David have experience of two Husbands the Law and Christ But first of the tyrannical Dominion of the Law in respect of its rigour malediction and irritation before they are married unto Christ Rom. 7.1 3 4 T is not only a truth That the Elect uncalled are foolish things weak things base things despised things nothings but that they also see it so You see your calling Brethren 1 Cor. 1.26 27 28 29. To this purpose the Apostle Gal. 3.24 The Law is our Schoolmaster to lead us unto Christ The Law is threefold Moral Ceremonial Judicial And answerably had a threefold Paedagogical or Schoolmasterly Discipline leading the soul unto Christ The Moral Law by its accidental direction as sickness occasioneth us to seek after the Physician The Ceremonial by direct signification and its duration The Judicial by its distinction of the Nation of the Jews from all other Nations and likewise by its duration This Schoolmasterly Discipline of the Ceremonial and Judicial Law is ceased with the Laws themselves but that of the Moral Law still remains by convincing of sin denouncing of the curse making us to despair in respect of our selves and so enforceth us to seek for help out of our selves in Jesus Christ So John preached Matth. 3.2 Repent ye for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand So Christ preached Matth.
just Either Relative Justice is regulated by the Will of God or the Will of God as vvilling relative justice is regulated by it But the Will of God cannot be regulated by any Rule precedaneous unto it because it vvould thence follovv that he vvere not infinitely just Hence the Demerit of sin being according to the Order of Justice for the demerit of sin intends nothing else but that which is due thereto according to the constituted rule of moral righteousness between God and man and the order of justice proceeding from the free good pleasure of God it followeth that the demerit of sin receiveth its nature measure and limits from the Will of God according as he hath revealed himself in the Moral Law so that the damned in Hell suffer not more nor less then they deserved yea had God pleased to have inflicted a greater punishment for sin it had been just as also if he had pleased to have inflicted a lesser punishment for sin it had been just The sinners demerit is such whereupon it is free for God to deny mercy and just for him to punish sin but a sinner which hath been intimated formerly hath not merited that God should shew no mercy for then it would be unjust with God to pardon sin 'T is an unmoved and received Proposition God doth not will things because they are just but things are therefore just because God so willeth them 4. God proceeding to execute justice according to this rule of righteousness doth no wrong can do no wrong Summi boni offensio mercbatur summaÌ„ poenam h. e. creaturae aeternam destructionem Vrsin Expl. Catech. Part 1. qu. 7. God being an infinite Being against whom sin is committed and the person suffering for sin being but finite The Object offended being God the person suffering being but a man the evil of punishment cannot exceed the evil of offence Thus David willing to justifie God mentions the object against whom he sinned as a reason whereupon to infer the justice of the punishment Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and clear when thou judgest Psal 51. 4. The offence of the chief good might well deserve the greatest punishment that is the eternal destruction of the creature Christ the Surety suffering death for all his Elect amongst which are children guilty of no actual sin it was therefore just that those children should dye Besides nothing hinders why those words of David personating Christ even in the very hottest of his passion upon the Cross as acknowledging God to be holy O my God I cry in the day time and thou hearest not but thou art holy may not be understood of the justice of the wrath of God The curse being executed upon him who was made sin for the Elect sake and not restrained only unto the Justice of the Promise belonging to the Elect for Christs sake This appears further from the Office of God viz. that he is Judg of the World Is God unrighteous that taketh vengeance God forbid for then how should God judg the World Rom. 3.5 6. So Abraham That be far from thee to do after this manner to slay the righteous with the wicked and that the righteous should be as the wicked that be far from thee Shall not the Judg of all the Earth dâ—right Gen. 18.25 From the Wisdom of God which dictateth this way and no other to serve best to the manifestation of the glory of God Lastly From the Nature of God who is essentially just and his Will as was said before is the Rule of Justice To grant that God can will Injustice as such is to grant that God can be unjust that is to grant that God cannot be God We cannot acknowledg the Justice of God if we do not acknowledg sin The acknowledgment of the righteousness of so great an evil of punishment as is contained in the Curse necessarily presupposeth an answerable evil of offence in sin We cannot acknowledg Grace if we do not acknowledg both sin and Justice Impunity where punishment is not just is but abstaining from an act of Injustice and no act of Grace If Damnation were not just the gift of Salvation in some respect were not Grace The due acknowledgment of the Justice of God makes the sufferer more quiet and patient God the more glorious sin more sinful sinners more awful Unjust therefore in case of punishment for sin is mans complaint of God in point of Justice First Because God punisheth no man but for sin God now having freely bound himself to such an order of Justice is relatively just necessarily yet this relative Justice proceeds to execution by accident that is in case of sin Gods Decree and Justice notwithstanding if man had not sinned he should not have dyed Secondly When God punisheth for sin he delighteth not in the death of a sinner Ezek. 18.23 32. and 33.11 Punishment here is to be considered as it is an execution of Justice but not as it is the destruction of the creature God delights in it as it is the execution of Justice but not as it is the destruction of the creature Punishment is to be looked at as a natural evil or as a moral good As it is the destruction of the creature it is a natural evil i. e. an evil to Nature as it is the execution of Justice it is a moral good O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy help Hosea 13.9 The living man afflicted should complain of his sin not of his suffering But we are not hence to infer that we ought to be content to be damned To justifie God is our duty but to be contented to be damned is no where commanded nay if taken without limitation it is prohibited because to be contented to be damned is to be contented to be an Enemy and to sin against God and that for ever the condition of the damned including an everlasting state of enmity and sin against God Paul Rom. 9.3 wisheth himself for his brethrens sake accursed from the fruit of the love of Christ not from the love of Christ he vvisheth to be vvithout the vision and fruition of Christ not to be the Enemy of Christ he vvisheth to perish not as an Enemy of Christ but as a Saviour to his Brethren he vviseth to them his Salvation but he doth not vvish unto himself their Damnation The like is to be judged of Moses request Exod. 32.32 6. Inexcuseableness is that effect of the legal Work of the Spirit vvhence the Soul lying under conviction of the nature of the Command sin guilt and the Justice of God against sinners notvvithstanding any former shifts cavils contradictions or vvhatsoever else against the mutableness of our Creraion Adams sin original sin actual sin or the Justice of God is vvholly left vvithout any excuse of or defence for it self so as novv God is justified in
that necessary and infallible connexion with Eternal life whence salvation may be certainly promised to the person so qualified Or Saving Qualifications are taken improperly First Causally viz. instrumentally for the external means whereby a saving work is wrought so that act of hearing the Word by which faith is begotten in the heart is called saving 2. In respect of the purpose of God and so all previous dispositions intended by God as preparative unto a saving work afterwards to be wrought by him are by some called saving But we are to know that a saving work in the two last sences neither being saving properly nor having a personal promise of salvation made thereunto and therefore indeed is no saving work falleth not under the compass of this question By Faith we are to understand the Faith of Gods Elect which we ordinarily call justifying or saving Faith Concerning the varity of judgements The various judgements concerning the question touching the relation that qualifications before faith have unto conversion Some erre on the one hand with the Enthusiasts not giving them their due by denying any preparatory use of them more on the other by giving them too much we all being prone thereunto by reason of that legal self the remainders of which are yet dwelling in us Albeit we take so much from Christ as we overgive to them whose differing tenets together with their gradual aberrations from the truth and defections even unto the Pelagian heresie it may not be unprofitable in this place to take a brief notice of beginning with the last Pelagius affirmed that man merited grace by the Works of Nature Acta Scripta Synod Art 3 4. The Missilienses by Prosper called the reliques of Pelagians and commonly Semi-Pelagians affirmed that man by previous dispositions performed by the strength of nature obtained grace as a reward The Papists teach Bellarm. de Justif l. 1. c. 2 Zeged sum doct Papist That there are certain pre-requisite and preparatory Dispositions that merit the infusion of grace and justification which to them is the same and more then conversion is with us with the merit of congruity The Arminians taxe the Orthodox Acta Scripta Synod ubi supra Pemble alii for asserting all acts before faith to be sin and teach that there is in a man not regenerate that is vvithout faith a hunger and thirst after righteousness a hatred of sin and such other like acts which ought to be accounted acceptable unto God unto the communicating of further grace that to all such God giveth sufficient grace to believe and leaveth it in the power of such a soul vvhether it will believe or not Others vvith vvhom the fore-mentioned are not to be named reverend learned judicious and pious though they justly abhor the tenets of the fore-mentioned yet seem to teach that there are some qualifications before faith that are saving vvhereunto faith and salvation may be ascertained This tenet religiously premising all due reverence and high esteem in the Lord unto the persons This discourse I hope in the Spirit of Christ craveth leave to examine and also to propound the following considerations for the negative alvvays asserting That it is our duty to encourage orderly to the uttermost to believe in Christ and to hold forth the increase of hope according as the preparatory work doth increase yet not so far as certainly to promise faith or salvation or to deny yea or not to teach the soul before faith however qualified to be the object of and to lye under the si credideris that is the If you believe of the Gospel So as it remains a truth concerning the Soul yet without faith however qualified that if God shevveth it mercy it is free and meer mercy if he doth not shevv it mercy he doth it no vvrong and that his purpose to shevv or not to shevv mercy thereto is yet unrevealed Texts of Scripture against ascertaining Salvation to any qualifications before faith Mark 16.16 He that believeth not shall not be damned John 3.34 He that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Rom. 14.23 Whatsoever is not of faith is sin Heb. 11.6 But without faith it is impossible to please God 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the faith prove your own selves Know you not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates John 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life John 15.5 For without me you can do nothing Rom. 8.9 Now if any have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Mat. 7.17 18. Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit Mat. 12.33 Either make the tree good and his fruit good or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt 1 Cor. 13.2 3. And though I give my body to be burned and have not charity it profiteth me nothing Which charity they that are without justifying faith have not it being the effect thereof Gal. 5.6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love Rom. 8.2 For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death To assert the death of sin before the in-dwelling Spirit of Christ Jesus is to assert the effect before the cause So of the Scriptures the Arguments follow Arg. 1. To promise salvation before faith and consequently before Christ holds not correspondency vvith the rest of Gods Dispensation of his Acts of grace who so orders the administration thereof as that Christ may have the preheminence in all things Which appeareth by the follovving induction of some particulars God his love to his viz. Election is in Christ Ephes 1.4 The Meritorious Procuring of the effects of this love to be applyed viz. Redemption was wrought by Christ In the first actual application of this Love by effectual Vocation the Soul passively receiveth Christ by the infused grace of faith for unto Dr Ames putting the Souls passive receiving of Christ before the active I fully consent and conceive it manifest that the nature and very form of faith consisting in receiving of Christ it thence followeth that if the Soul acting faith that is by the second act of faith receiveth Christ actively then by the grace of faith viz. by the first act it receiveth Christ passively If then Gods Love to his be in Christ the meritorious procuring the effects of this Love to be applyed be by Christ the first actual application of this Love be the receiving of Christ judg whether it be agreeable to that administration which giveth unto Christ the preeminence in all things that the revelation of this Love which is clearly
Salvation indefinitely and generally unto all upon the condition of beleeving not definitely particularizing and describing the persons and subjects in whom this qualification shall be wrought The Gospel propounds Salvation unto the Elect and non-elect yet unbeleeving not revealing Election or Reprobation in particular so as it is not only a truth That it is the duty of every one that hears the Gospel to beleeve and that whosoever beleeveth shall be saved but also it ministers equal hope unto all answerable to their preparatory proceeding of beleeving and being saved The Gospel holds forth Salvation before faith indefinitely not definitely generally not particularly conditionally to every one not absolutely unto any one it so giveth hope of Salvation to every hearer as it assureth none of Salvation but the Beleever This further appears in that an indefinite Proposition is logically resolved into a Categorick and a connex-singular Hence this indefinite Proposition Whosoever beleeveth shall be saved containeth a Command and a singular or particular-conditional Promise The Command Beleeve the particular-conditional Promise If you beleeve you shall be saved which conditional promise manifestly implyed Mark 16.16 John 3.16 is elsewhere formally expressed Revel 3.20 So that to preach the Gospel according to Christs method unto one without faith which is to offer free Salvation by Jesus Christ to every creature viz. to every perishing sinner that heareth it whether man or woman upon the condition of beleeving in Christ is to preach it with a Command and a conditional Promise Thus Beleeve If you beleeve you shall be saved not with a Command and an absolute personal Promise Thus Beleeve for 't is certain you shall beleeve and be saved So to do were 1. To deny Faith to be the first and firstly-formal condition of the Gospel by placing parting-withall or some other saving qualifications before it 2 To alter the method of the preaching ef the Gospel from Whosoever beleeveth shall be saved to Whosoever parteth withall or hath some other like qualification shall be saved 3. To preach part of the Decree sc Election in particular before the Gospel Argum. Ind bita misericordia 5. If it be a truth concerning every unbeleever however qualified that if Christ sheweth them mercy it is free and meer mercy if he doth not shew them mercy he doth them no wrong then there is no certain personal or particular promise of mercy under which Faith and Salvation and every spiritual blessing in heavenly things is contained made unto any unbeleever But it is a truth concerning every one yet not a believer however qualified That if Christ sheweth them mercy it is free and meer mercy if he doth not shew them mercy he doth them no wrong Rom. 9.15 16. whereby shewing mercy understand though not only effectual vocation viz. the creating of the grace of faith whereby the soul is made a believer and actually one of God his people 1 Cor. 7.25 Rom. 11.30 31. 1 Pet. 2.10 Arg. 6. No one whilest he is in such a condition wherein whilest he continueth it is impossible to please God can be ascertained of salvation But every unbeliever however qualified whilest an unbeliever is in such a condition wherein it is impossible he should please God Heb. 11.6 Therefore no unbeliever however qualified can be ascertained of salvation Arg. 7. All those who are in such a condition to which the Scripture speaks wrath certainly viz. that they shall be damned unto those whilest such the Scripture doth not promise salvation certainly But every unbeliever in that he is yet dead in trespasses and sins Ephes 2.1 is in such a condition to vvhich the Scriptures speak wrath certainly Ephes 2.3 Mark 16.16 Therefore Arg. 8. That Proposition that affirmeth salvation to be personally ascertained unto them who are in such a condition wherein the Scripture pronounceth them to be under the Law Rom. 7.6 under the Curse Gal. 3.13 under sin Rom. 11.32 is not sound Otherwise the Scripture should curse and bless speak life and death to the same person in the same condition and consequently contradict it self But this Proposition ascertaining salvation to some qualification before faith affirmeth the Scripture to ascertain salvation unto them who are in such a condition vvherein the Scripture pronounceth them to be under the Law the curse and sin for such is the condition of every one before faith under the Law Rom. 7.6 Under the curse Gal. 3.13 Under sin Rom. 11.32 Therefore Arg. 2. No Proposition ascertaining salvation unto such a qualification which is a sin is good But this Proposition ascertaining salvation unto such a qualification as is performed by one without faith is a Proposition ascertaining salvation unto a sin Therefore Meer restraint from sin is not sin but the unbelievers restraint from sin is sin his best actions are painted sins because his person not being accepted his action cannot be accepted and selfe is predominant The best works of an unbeliever vvhat common grace soever be found in them are sins for the reason before mentioned Good works of believers though they have sin in them yet they are not sins because their persons being accepted such actions of theirs wherein grace is predominant are also accepted in the Righteousness of Jesus Christ Hence the very parting with sin that is before faith is a sin Arg. 10. No Proposition ascertaining salvation unto a work or as it were unto a work to speak proportionably to Apostles Phrase Rom. 9.32 is good But this Proposition ascertaining salvation unto a qualification before faith is a Proposition ascertaining salvation unto a work or as it were unto a work Because no action performed by an unbeliever can be an act of faith their best actions must either be acts of faith or not of faith therefore works or as it were works A Promise of salvation made unto a Work though not for a Work in any person before faith is legal Because the person that is without faith is under a legal state Therefore all his actions proceeding from him in that estate must needs be legal So of the Arguments the Authorities follow The first Effect of Predestination is Christ himself Zanch. de â— Nat. Dei lib. 5. c. 2. Th. 2. dwelling in our hearts by his Spirit as a Mediatour and Saviour Primum igitur praedestinationis Effectum est Christus ipse ut Mediator ac Servator in cordibus nostris per Spiritum inhabiâ—ans The Elect before they are called to Christ can never be certain of their Election Zanchy Electi antequam vocentur ad Christum nunquam de sui Electione certisunt He speaks too indistinctly who promises certainty of salvation unto men we more considerately who promise it only to believers Chamierus Nimis indistinctè loquitur Cham. Tom. 3. lib. 13. cap 17. Num. 20. qui kominibus promittit certitudinem salutis nos consideratiùs qui tantum fidelibus To whom doth the Promise oblige God except it be unto him who
Electionem quamvis in Dei arcano decreto sunt signati homines determinati nominatim specialissimè attamen nulla est specialis determinatio in Scripturis nusquam enim scriptum est Hoc fac efficacitèr vocaberis Beleevers only are bound to gather the intention of God Idem ex 2. c. 2. and the eternal Decree concerning them by name Soli credentes tenentur Dei intentionem aeternum decretum circa se nominatìm colligere There is no consolation unto the Elect before faith Idem ex 1. c. 2. Mr Rutherford Electo nulla consolatio ante fidem The Promise saith Dr Preston is made to the coming Dr Preston Ser. 3. of effectual faith Idem Ser. 1. on Rom. 1.17 of Faith and not to the preparation Elsewhere the same Author mentions parting withall to use his own words amongst the afterclap conditions that is such conditions as are required of the Soul after the match is now made that is after faith as you may see plainly in the place Obj. 1. To be dead to the Law is a saving qualification But Rom. 7.4 we are said to be dead to the Law that we may be married unto Christ Ergo. There seemeth to be some saving qualification before faith Answ This Text in that it seemeth to occasion the most considerable Objection calleth for the more diligence in the clearing of it The Apostle in answer to an Objection made in the person of the beleeving Romans against the great service of yeilding of themselves unto God by obedience whereunto they were exhorted taken from the fear of the dominion of sin Chap. 6. vers 14. having encouraged them with an unanswerable and assuring Argument taken from their present condition 1. Negatively for you are not under the Law 2. Affirmatively but under grace in the same vers He having also in the following part of the Chapter provided against the abuse of the latter part of his Answer by removing an abominable Inference erroneously gathered therefrom vers 15. in the beginning of the seventh Chapt. resumeth the first that is the negative part of his Answer concerning their not being under the Law illustrating and carrying on his argumentation by way of comparison fetched from the example of marriage obliging the wife unto her husband during the term of his life and no longer In this Comparison the Law that is the dominion of the Law is compared to the husband the Soul unto the wife it s two parts you have thus The first part of the Comparison or Proposition The wife freed from the dead husband she being freed is marryed unto another being marryed she bringeth forth fruit The second part of the Comparison or Reddition The Soul dead to the Law that is as much as freed from her dead husband the Soul freed is marryed unto Christ the Soul marryed unto Christ bringeth forth fruit unto him Where observe the Apostle notwithstanding the matter in framing the Comparison rather led him to say the Law being dead as appears upon the comparing the first fourth and sixth verses yet the sence remaining the same he rather useth this phrase we being dead to the Law the better to decline as judicious Interpreters conceive the offence of the Jews who being over-addicted unto the Law would more difficulty have endured that phrase of the Law being dead From the two first members of the Reddition the Objection ariseth thus If in the order of our spiritual Marriage the Soul is dead unto the Law before it be marryed to Christ then there is a parting with all a cutting off from or dying unto sin and consequently a saving qualification before faith But so it is in order of our spiritual Marriage Rom. 7.4 Therefore Thus we have the Objection with its rise for the further and full satisfaction whereof Consider 1. By the Law in this place we are to understand the dominion of the Law over a sinner hence it is compared to a hard and cruel Master Rom. 6.14 to a hard or cruel husband Rom. 7. beg 2. The dominion of the Law hath divers acceptions in the Scripture and is taken sometimes for that power of the Law whereby as an occasion it provoketh and stirreth up the corruption of the heart in the irregenerate Rom. 7.8 But sin taking occasion by the Commandment wrought in me all manner of concupiscence Sometimes for the accusing and damnatory sentence of the Law Sometimes for the rigor whereby it exacteth perfect personal and constant obedience by virtue of that principle wherein we were created after the Image of God and that for our Justification 3. That the dominion of the Law in the first sence namely that power of the Law occasionally and by accident to provoke and stir up sin in the irregenerate is the dominion intended in this place is manifest Rom. 7.5 8 9. and Chap. 6.14 15. from the joynt consent of Interpreters that the Law is to be taken in the same sence in both these places It cannot be interpreted of the dominion of the Law in either of the two last sences That dominion of sin which death unto the Law here mentioned freeth us from is the dominion of the Law here intended But the death unto the Law here mentioned freeth us from the dominion of the Law in the first sence as we saw in the Texts last cited but not from the dominion of the Law in the two last sences because the death unto the Law here mentioned precedeth union dead unto the Law that we should be married unto another and union precedeth Justification But freedom from the dominion of sin in the two last sences follow union the first of them supposing the second presupposing Justification Hic vero agitur de mortisicatione peccati justitia nobis per Christi Spiritum inchoata neque hic spectatur deminatio peccatorum quatenus imputantur vel non imputantur sed quatenus corruptio viget aut non viget in nobis Beza in Rom. 6.14 But in this place 't is spoken of the mortification of sin and righteousness inchoated in us by the Spirit of Christ Neither is the dominion of sin here looked at as it is imputed or not imputed but so far forth as corruption beareth or doth not bear sway in us 4. To be dead to the Law in the first sence is for lust to be so mortified that it cannot take occasion to sin from the restraint of the Law it is to be freed from the raigning power of sin Rom. 6.7 which grace is given in Vocation and is called habitual Mortification we dye to the Law in the two last sences in Justification That Text Gal. 2.19 signifieth Mori legi Rom. 6. significabat mori peccato per regâ—nerationis gratiam hic paulo aliter morilegi est idem quod renumiare justitiae legis Pareus in Gal. 2.19 saith Pareus a little otherwise viz. to renounce the righteousness of the Law This Text then rightly understood affirmeth
that which none denyeth namely that a Beleever is dead to sin before Marriage-union between Christ and the Soul that is before the act of faith for Marriage-union is not without the act of faith on our part which also is acknowledged by them with whoÌ„ this discours argueth But it doth in no case affirm which must be carefully attended to that we are dead to sin before the grace of faith The death of sin is in order after the grace of faith in Vocation The infusion of faith and grace infers the death of sin the immediate effect thereof as the income of life expelled death in the Shunamites child 2 King 4. The Sum is That before our Marriage union with Christ I mean before in order of nature not in time there is first The grace of faith 1. The death of sin 3. The act of faith and this last according to your own grant before the act of faith is both the grace of faith and the death of sin Before the death of sin is the grace of faith Before the grace of faith nothing that is saving Obj. 2. Matth. 13.44 Selling all is placed before buying But by selling we are to understand parting with sin By buying believing Therefore there is a saving Qualification viz. Selling of all or parting with sin before faith Ans In answer to this Objection it will be convenient First to distinguish the terms viz. selling of all or parting from sin which may be applicable and useful for the resolving of sundry other occasional objections and afterwards speak to the Text. The souls selling of all or parting from sin is either before faith viz. Preparatory or Legal so called not always from the means namely the Law by which such a parting with sin is wrought but also from the state of the soul still continuing under the Law notwithstanding any Gospel-work And it is nothing else but such a measurable conviction of the impotency and unprofitableness of all lusts and carnal confidences which the soul before counted gain as that novv it letteth them all go as loss so far as it ceaseth to live upon them any longer Rom. 11.24 Philip. 3.8 Matth. 18.25 Luke 15.14 17. It is the same in effect with a lost estate This preparatory parting from sin is either external consisting in the conforming of the outward man unto the practise of known duties and the restraint of the outward man from knovvn sin Philip. 3.6 2 Pet. 2.20 Or Internal consisting in the legal restraint of the invvard man from sin for this Restraint being understood savingly and properly is in appearance only but not in truth whether to our selves or others together with such spiritual gifts and enlargements as are wrought by the common Gospel-work of the Spirit Or else the souls parting with sin is after faith viz. saving which is threefold 1. Habitual namely the death of sin or destroying of the body of death Rom. 6.6 Chap. 7.14 which is wrought by the infusion of the Spirit of life in Vocation herein the soul is passive it being the immediate effect thereof as the in-come of life was the expelling of death in the Shunamites child Or as the cessation of darkness is the effect of light coming into the air Here is the cessation of the reign of sin 2. Repentance viz. Evangelical part of which consists in sorrow for sin as sin and aversness from sin as sin in which the soul is active 3. Mortification which is a part of Sanctification wherein the soul is also active The Distinction premised the Text remains to be spoken to vvhich being a parable it is seasonable in the interpretation thereof to make use of that generally received and commanded Rule viz. That the principal Scope is to be attended the Metaphors not to be urged above what is consonant to other Scriptures where the same truth is taught in proper and simple terms Calvin Cartwright Junius Chemnitius Piscator Pareus in their Commentaries upon the place seem not to understand conversion to be the Scope of this Parable but rather that it intends the constancy of such who are already converted in the profession of the truth of the Gospel though they should be called to suffer the loss of all yea of life it self in testimony thereunto But be it supposed That Conversion is the Scope of this Parable and so the main intent thereof to be that the soul must part with all that maketh it preparatorily uncapable of believing before it can believe yet selling of all is to be understood of a preparatory not of a saving selling of all 1. Because Selling preparatorily fully answereth the Scope of the place 2. Because Selling savingly is the act of a living spiritual man vvhich none can be vvithout faith as selling civilly is the act of a natural living man Adde hereunto That it being supposed that by buying vve are to understand the first act of faith wherein the soul is active and by selling all a saving parting with sin which yet with due submission to better Judgements appeareth not to be the true meaning of the place yet even this interpretation concludes only a saving selling of all or parting with sin before the act of faith according to the sence of the distinction and as you may please to see therein which is not the matter here controverted but it doth not conclude any saving selling of all or parting with sin before the grace of faith which is the question The Sum of this Ansvver is The Text in that it is a Parable through our infirmity is the more apt to suffer by a mis-interpretation If it be taken in the first sence according to the Commentators above-mentioned it concerns not the question If taken in the latter sence whether selling of all be interpreted preparatorily or savingly it doth not conclude the question that is It doth in no sence hold forth a saving parting with sin before the grace of faith Obj. 3. Salvation is promised unto hungering thirsting poverty of spirit seeking repentance c. which are qualifications preceding faith therefore salvation may be promised to some qualification before faith Ans All Objections raised from these and the like promises vvhereof there are many in the Scriptures may receive a full answer by the right application of the distinction of qualifications into Preparatory or Legal vvhich go before faith And Saving or Evangelical vvhich follow faith intimated before in the beginning of the Answer to the second Objection Accordingly there is a Poverty Luke 4.18 Revel 3.17 A Hunger Luke 15.14 Isai 65.13 A Thirst Isai 65.13 A Seeking Luke 13.24 A Repentance Mark 1.15 Matth. 27.3 All without faith and in judgement of charity before faith viz preparatory poverty Poenitentia Legalis Poenitentia Evangelica Bucan loc 30. Poenitentia Interna salutaris Poenitentia Externa disciplinaris Spanh Exc. de grâ—â—â— Sect. 32. Sitis totalis indigentiae fruitionis complacentiae partialis Ames Coron Art 5. Recipiscentia
the passive voyce as being received by Christ before he makes mention of himselfe in the active voyce as having actively received Christ Receptie respeciu hominis est vel passiva vel activa Medulla l. 1. c. 26. Upon this Text Doctor Ames grounds that Spiritual and profitable distinction of a double receiving of Christ Passive and Active Passive whereby the Spiritual principle of grace is ingenerated Active proceeding from that ingenerated habit of grace and the operation of God fore-going and exciting thereunto we are received of Christ before we doe receive Christ Christ in working the grace of faith receiveth us by the act of faith we receive him Christ taketh the Soul before the Soul taketh him A third place to the same purpose is Ephes 2.1.5 And you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins even when we were dead in sins he hath quickned us together with Christ The infusion of the habit of Faith or Grace into the Soul is the quickning of the Soul until then the Soul is dead as a dead body so a dead Soul is passive in respect of its quickning or being made alive That the infusion of saving faith or saving grace is the infusion of Life appeares thus The Spirit of the Command and Promise viz. that infused grace which inclineth us to obey the Command and receive the Promise is Life the Image of God in Adam which consisted in a conformity to the Command was his spiritual life the spirit of Faith is the spirit of the Command 1 Joh. 3.23 this is his Commandement That we should beleeve on the name of his Son Jesus Christ that it is the spirit of the Promise is out of doubt Joh. 3.33 As the Image of God in Adam which consisted in conformity to the command was his Spiritual life so the Image of God created anew in the Soul is life either this is life or what can be life As the spirit of sinne is the spirit of death so by the rule of contraries the spirit of effectual saving grace is Spiritual life He that hath the Sonne hath life 1 Joh. 5.12 But every Beleever hath the Sonne From the nature of the grace of faith receiving of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour being of the essence and form thereof as a natural principle of natural sense motion and action is natural life so a supernatural principle of supernatural sense motion and action is supernatural life But such a Principle is saving faith and each other saving grace No Life-lesse principle can enable the Soul to a Life-act it cannot be reasonably conceived how a Beleever as a Beleever should not be alive The summe is this text holds forth an Active-quickning Christ enlivening a dead passive Soul So from Scripture the Arguments follow First from the supernatural nature of the Habit of saving faith or of the habitual frame of the New Creature In receiving a supernatural Habit Theologi vocant habirum infusum per se quiaper se sua natusra postulat ita non alitèr fieri suarez Meraph Tom. post disp 44. sect 13 n. 6. or Principle the Soul is passive saving faith or the habitual frame of the New Creature is a supernatural Habit or Principle therefore in receiving saving faith or the habitual frame of the New Creature the Soul is passive Supernatural is that which exceeds the power of Nature and is received of the Soul by way of inspiration only as the gift of Prophecy or both by inspiration and infusion as the habits of grace such habits the Schools call Habits infused of themselves their very nature denying them to be otherwise attained either by acts or any created cause whereby they are distinguished from Habits infused by accident such as are the gifts of Tongues and the gifts of healing which though they are ordinarily acquired and gotten by acts of study and practise yet have sometime been infused as in the Apostles time In receiving that supernatural saving habit or principle before which the soul hath received no supernatural saving habit or principle the soul is passive But the grace of saving faith is such a supernatural saving habit or principle received before which the soul hath received no supernatural saving habit or principle Therefore in receiving the supernatural saving habit or principle of faith the soul is passive From the nature of the subject of saving faith which is wholly unable to confer any causative power towards the producing of such an effect In receiving a miraculous impression the soule is passive but the infusion of the habit of faith or principle of life in Vocation or Conversion is a miraculous impression Vocation is a miracle it being no lesse a miracle to raise a soul from spiritual than a body from natural death therefore in receiving the infused habit of faith the soul is passive notwithstanding God oft-times makes such use as he pleaseth of men in working a miraculous effect in them yet because in such works the whole efficiency alwayes flows from God and none from man Men are passive in receiving such miraculous effects or impressions Moses putting his hand into and plucking it out of his bosome Exod. 4.7 Naamans dipping himself seven times in Jordan 2 King 5.14 conferred no more power to the curing of their Leprosie nor the womans touching the hem of Christs garment Mark 5.28 29. to the healing of her issue of blood than if they had done nothing In receiving that saving power to do before which there is no such active saving power the soul is passive we cannot do any thing whilst we are but yet receiving power to do but in receiving the habit of faith we receive that saving power to do before which there is no such active saving-power Therefore in receiving the habit of faith the soul is passive Vocation is compared to Circumcision of the heart Deut. 30.6 to Creation to powring out of the Spirit so is the habit of faith there called Tit. 3.6 to quickning or making alive As therefore the person circumcised was passive in Circumcision the creature in its creation the subject quickned in its vivification and the subject into which precious water is powred is passive in respect of the water powred thereinto So the soul in Vocation which is all these spiritually as being that work wherein the heart is circumcised quickned hath inherent saving grace created in it and powred out into it by the Spirit must needs be passive The contrary tenet makes us in the creation of faith to be our own creators in part An assertion as full of pride as empty of reason it makes us in part authors of our faith a high degree of spiritual facrilege against the glory of Christ and grace of the Gospel Obj. 1. The Soul before and in receiving of grace is active in respect of the use of means therefore not meerly passive Sol. Passive is taken either absolutely for that which is simply passive and
In the putting on of the Garments of Christs righteousnesse there is a putting off of the filthy rags of our own righteousnesse In this sense Christ cloaths only the naked and he that is cloathed savingly owneth his own nakednesse and the unrighteousnesse of his own righteousnesse Our unrighteousnesse strikes against the Law but our righteousnesse takes away grace that is against God this against God and Christ that makes us need the remedy this keeps us incurable by it that is against the command this is against the promise Gal. 3.14 that makes the Law weak Rom. 8.3 this submits not unto the strength of the Gospel Rom. 10.3 the beleever accounts much of the righteousnesse of Christ and loatheth his own Phil. 3.8 he abhorreth himself for his own high account of his own righteousness onr own righteousness is called our shame Phil. 3.15 Christs righteousnesse is our glory Isa 55.25 In the Lord shall the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory The beleever how great a sinner soever formerly though a Murtherer Adulterer Lyar c. by this one act of beleeving Jesus Christ and his righteousnesse yeeldeth more obedience unto God than ever he committed disobedience honoureth God more than ever he hath hitherto dishonoured him pleaseth God better than if he had ever continued in innocency and never sinned God makes much account of the obedience of faith because faith makes much account of the grace of God It is a name of honour unto Christ to be called Our Righteousnesse Jer. 23 6. and a name of honour to the people of God that according to their duty they are known to acknowledge Christ according to this name And this is the name wherewith He shall be called The Lord our Righteousnesse Jer. 33.16 Object Bellar. de Just l. 1. c. 10. If we are justified by faith then faith is in order before justification and consequently the act is before the object whereas on the contrary the act depends upon the object and not the object upon the act To this effect Bellarmine Answ 1. We may distinguish between the being of Justification and our being justified that is between Justification taken in an abstract sense viz. without the receiving-subject thereof namely the beleever And Justification taken in the concrete sense i. e. together with the beleever Justification considered in the abstract i. e. simply and in it self in which sense it signifieth remission of sins and righteousnesse to acceptation prepared though not yet conferred upon the Elect hath before faith a being not onely in the purpose of God but also in the Covenant between the Father and the Mediator and in the purchase of Christ This truth held forth in the Gospel makes the object of faith and thus the object is before the act Or thus distinguish between Justification actually procured and actually applied Justification was eminentially procured before faith Docet A minius Christum satisfactione sua nactum esse jus peccatorum remittendorum non peccatorum remissionem Twiss de permiss l. 2. er 4 p. 84. in respect of those who beleeved before Christ dyed when it was as entire to God to justifie for the merit sake of Christ to dye as it is now for the merit sake of Christ dead it is actually procured for those who beleeve after the death of Christ though it be not actually applied before faith This actuall procuring of Justification as did also the eminential procuring of it before Christ giveth a being to Justification as considered in it self and constitutes the object of justifying faith Justification is compared to a garment our being justified to the putting on of that garment the garment is made before it be put on Justification is compared to a pardon our being justified unto the Delinquents being pardoned the pardon is procured before the Delinquent is pardoned These then are both truths First Justification hath a being before the Elect do beleeve Secondly That the Elect are not justified before they do beleeve Justification is the object faith is the act the object is before the act our being actually justified is an effect faith is the instrumental cause the cause is before the effect That Justification is actually and absolutely procured for the Elect before faith and shall infallibly be applied to them all in time seemeth to reach the scope intended by the godly Learned whose spirits have more particularly laboured to hold forth the full truth in this precious part of the soul-reconciling and soul-supporting mystery of the Gospèl To say that we are justified by vertue of a singular promise in the Court of Conscience and in our own persons in which sense the Scripture constantly saith that we are justified by faith is not that I know affirmed by any The grounds of this Distinction are thus evidenced Justification was in Gods Decree before faith before sin yea from all Eternity Gal. 3.8 whom God hath set forth that is fore-ordained Rom. 3.25 The Justification of the Elect is absolutely and actually procured for them by Christs satisfaction before faith Col. 2.14 The hand-writing of Ordinances cannot be limited to the Ceremonial Law onely because it had respect unto the Gentiles then living to whom the Ceremonial Law belonged not God hath declared his acceptation of this satisfaction of Christ whereby he hath actually procured Justification for the Elect before faith It is no small part of the Ministry of Reconciliation that God imputed unto Christ the sins of the world of the Elect before they did beleeve and will not impute them unto the Elect 2 Cor. 5.18 19. this great Gospel-truth is of special use to beget justifying faith in the heart of a sinner the same Apostle confirms Beleevers concerning their salvation Rom. 5.10 from this argument namely that their reconciliation was wrought for them when they were enemies that is unbeleevers Here then is a twofold Reconciliation mentioned one at the death of Christ before Paul or the Romans some of them at least here spoken to were beleevers The other at our Conversion The first Reconciliation though it was vertually wrought before by the Lamb slain in Gods appointment acceptance together with his own consent from the beginning of the world Rev. 13.8 yet it was not actually wrought untill the death Christ for this satisfaction sake God imputes not sin unto the Redeemed for he cannot impute sin to Christ and the Elect both yea he accepteth us in the Beloved Eph. 1.6 Loving the persons of the Elect Rom. 11.28 though hating theirs sins and also their state under the curse of the Law Ro. 6.14 Ch. 7.6 Eph. 2.3 The second is wrought at our Conversion when the enmity of nature is slain by the infusion of grace our persons are justified in themselves and our state changed by faith in Christ Jesus This place then seemeth not to be understood as that Rom. 4.5 God justifieth the ungodly viz. objectively that is such who were ungodly till they were justified
sand which is by the Sea shore 1 King 4.29 yet Solomons heart compared with Adams innocency or his own Soul now in glory was but a narrow heart Between Pauls Soul in the body and in glory there is as great a disproportion as between a childe and Solomon 1 Cor. 13.11 Prop. 2. The Soul separated dependeth not upon the Body in respect of its operations It dependeth not upon the body for the knowledge either of immaterial or material objects both being present to the Soul either by the essence of things themselves or by their intelligible species or by the Divine essence supplying all species Three things are required to the operation of the understanding 1. An intelligent faculty 2. Light to illustrate the understanding 3 The presence of the object with the understanding whatsoever is understood must be united with and touch the understanding which is done either by the eminent presence of things in the Divine Essence Zanch. de operibus Dei part 3. l. 2. c. 2 so the soul understands in glory or by the formal presence of the very things so the Angels understand themselves and so we as some conceive see the Light or by the similitude or image of the thing commonly called a Species so we understand intelligible objects in this Life The soul whilst it is in the body dependeth not upon any corporcal organ phantasie inward or outward sense as an instrument whereby it understands but as an instrument to represent the object to be understood which representative faculty of the phantasie being performed and that in a more eminent manner either by the Divine Essence it self supplying those Species or by way of infusion of them at or immediately upon the instant of its separation after the manner of the concreated Species of things in Angels or by occasional abstraction of them from objects The soul separated remaineth free to its operations without the use of the body Angels understand material and immaterial objects Angeli cognoscunt materialia per hoc quod sunt in iis per suas spocies intelligibiles The par 1. q. 57. art 1. Piscat praesatin Ezech. by the SPECIES or that which answereth the species of such objects without Corporeal organs In an extasie rapture or trance of which some reckon about five thirty in the Scripture which are spiritual Visions of the soul during that space retiring as it were out of the body or at the least not making any use of the body therein so far is the soul from not understanding at all or from not understanding so well as that it then understandeth best in this life Paul is taken into the third Heaven heareth unspeakable words which it is not lawful for a man to utter all which we must needs grant might be done without corporeal organs he himself telling us once and again That whether it was in the body or out of the body he could not tell 2 Cor. 12.2 3. Conimb de de anima l. 3. c. 8. q. 8. art 2. Tollet q. 21. Immaterial Objects may be understood by the soul in the body without corporeal organs or sensible species The soul in its separation from the body undergoeth a privative not a positive change It suffereth a change in respect of its information of the body and operations by the instruments of the body It informed the body before but not now It exerciseth the same operations now that it exercised before though not in the same manner then with but now without the body In the state of glory Tho. 2.2 qu. 175. art 4. Conim de anima l. 3. c. 8. qu. 8 art 3. the soul is free to contemplate materiall objects either in themselves by intelligible and sensible species according to the use of corporeal organs glorified or according to their representation in the Divine Essence As grace doth not destroy but help so glory doth not destroy but perfect nature The soul glorified and reunited to the body at its pleasure useth but dependeth not upon the phantasie for the understanding of material objects Prop. 3. The condition of the body in the state of death prejudiceth not the blessednesse of the soul The soul may be blessed though the body be dead We look too much upon the dead carkass and too little upon the living soul Christs body in the grave interrupts not the happinesse of his soul in Paradise As the body in the grave doth neither good nor evil so it feeleth neither good nor evil It is as if it were not Joseph is not Ger. 42.36 The bodies of the Saints at death cease for ever from sin and from all suffering that is felt there is neither sin nor tear in the grave And from suffering it self at the Resurrection The body is neither sensible of the want of the soul nor doth the soul feel any misse of the body The body is neither sensible of good or evill concerning it self nor concerning the soul the soul though it be not touched with any evill yet it is affected with good concerning the body whilst it looks at it as sown 1 Cor. 15.43 As at rest Isa 57.2 As fallen a sleep 1 Cor. 15.6 As in Covenant with Christ Matth. 22.32 all which phrases are proper to the bodies of the Saints The soul hath no grievance for the absence of the body yet it hath contentation in its Rest and a glad expectation of its future meeting Such is the condition of the body in the grave which yet we must so mind as not forgetting the soul in glory The body is at rest the soul is in blessednesse that the one is at rest hindreth not the blessednesse of the other the body is asleep but the soul putteth forth its perfect operations The body is asleep in the custody of Jesus 1 Cor. 15.18 The soul beholds the face of Jesus Jacobs sleeping body troubleth not his communion with Christ and his Angels Gen. 28. Pauls soul in the third heavens misseth not his body though as may be supposed for the time soul-lesse upon earth 2 Cor. 12.2 The condition of the soul dissolved in the Lord is as it were a blessed rapture lasting from our dissolution to our resurrection though the grave be a land of darkness as darkness it self and of the shadow of death without any order where the Light is as darkness Job 10.22 yet is not that long-home of the body so dark and disorderly as the everlasting home of the soul is light and beautiful The godly soul prepared should be no more afraid of death in regard of the body than of its fall into a kindly sleep after weary labour and as glad of dissolution in respect of it self as of going to be with Christ which is far better Phil. 1.23 Prop. 4. The soul from the instant of its dissolution is freed from all imperfections of sin sorrow and infirmity God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes Rev. 7.17 The spirits of just men
2.5.9 But behold a greater building than Solomons is here a house as was said before not made with hands eternal in the Heavens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad excellentiam artificium operis refertur Zanch. whose Builder and Maker is God Heb. 11.10 A most excellent prospect hereof we have in Johns Graphical description of that great City Rev. 21. as a type not onely though haply chiefly of the triumphing Church it self vers 2.9 but also of the place of its everlasting habitation verse 27. where the Holy Ghost gathereth together in a manner the universal excellency of the visible creature to hold forth a legible and heavenly picture of this invisible and supercelestial Mansion Be pleased to take a more orderly view of it as you have it set forth according to its foundations and structure The foundations are twelve garnished with all manner of precious stones and in them the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb engraven The first foundation was Jasper the chief of Gems of which before The second a Saphir blew or skie-coloured the fifth in Aarons Breast-plate The third a Calcedomy of purple colour The fourth an Emrald a stone so green that other green things lose their colour while it is present most pleasant to the sight the fourth in Aarons Breast-plate The fifth a Sardonyx white without and red underneath like the nayl of a man The sixth a Sardius of the colour of blood the first in Aarons Breast-plate The seventh a Chrysolite of such a golden colour that gold looketh like silver to it when they are laid together The eighth a Beryl of a Sea-green the tenth in Aarons Breast-plate The ninth a Topaz of a pleasing green colour the second in Aarons Breast-plate The tenth Crysophrasus a green inclining unto gold The eleventh a Jacinct of a violet colour The twelfth an Amathist the chief of violet coloured Gems the ninth in Aarons Breast-plate It s structure is either outward where we have the matter form wall and gates the matter pure gold like unto cleer glasse ver 18. viz. transparent gold the form sour-square ver 16. Twelve thousand furlongs that is fiveteen hundred English miles square The wall of Jasper ver 18. a hundred forty four cubits in height ver 17. situated to the four coasts of Heaven vers 13. strongly founded vers 14. The gates are in number twelve made of twelve pearls every several gate was of one pearl vers 21. situated East West North and South three looking every way vers 13. having ingraven upon them the names of the twelve Tribes of Israel and twelve Angels for the keepers of them Or inward where we have the streets of pure gold as it were transparent glasse vers 21. It s Temple God and the Lamb Its light the glory of God and the Lamb Its inhabitants vers 24. It s peace vers 25 Glory ver 26. Holinesse vers 27. Its waters a pure river of life Chap. 22.1 Its fruits are the fruits of the tree of life vers 2. This heavenly society is made up of God 2 Of their Society and Christ and the blessed The good of this society in respect of the Blessed themselves chiefly consists in their knowledge one of another communion one with another and content flowing from that communion Known and approved is Luthers answer Num in illa aeterna vita simus alter alterum cognituri Melch. Adam in vita Luth. returned affirmatively upon the desire of the hearers that he would be pleased to speak to his own Query to this question propounded by himself a little before his death viz. Whether we should know one another in eternal life which he proved from Adams knowledge of Eve in innocency whom he had never seen before Gen. 2.23 The knowledge of the Beat fical Vision exceeds the knowledge of Adam David implyeth that he shall know his childe when he comforts himself that he shall go unto it 2 Sam. 12.23 Peter seeing Christ transfigured and Moses and Elias appearing with him in glory whom he had never seen no saith Tertullian not so much as in their pictures Tertul. contra Mar. the use of Statues and Images being prohibited by Law among the Jews takes notice of them Maâ—th 17.4 Luke 9.33 The rich man knew Abraham and Lazarus Luk. 16. Surely then Abraham and Lazarus shall know one another The poor shall know their rich Benefacters when they receive them into everlasting habitations Luke 16.9 Poul shall know the Thessalonians whilst he looketh upon them as his crown of rejoycing at the comming of the Lord Jesus 1 Thess 2.9 The Angels know one another Tho. part I. q. â—6 art 7. and know the Elect in glory The very state of blessednesse denyeth the contrary Austin comforts the Lady Italica after her Husbands death Quosdam nostras migrantes non amisimus sed praemifimus August Epist 6. telling her that she shal know him amongst the blessed Society yea both know and love him better than ever she did in this life Their communion and conference one with another may be gathered from the like in the Angels who doubtlesse speak one unto another though not vocally as we now doe yet in their manner viz. Angelically and Spiritually which is nothing else but a spiritual insinuation instillation or communication of their minds notions and meanings one unto another For Spiritual substances to speak together Tho. part 1. q. 10. art 1. is for one spirit to signifie unto another their notions and minds in a spiritual and therefore in a better manner than we doe As the speech of the Angels Zanchi de operibus Dei part i. lib. 3 c. 19. so the speech of the blessed Souls is a power whereby as they please they make known one unto another what they know themselves our thoughts passe unto him whom we communicate them unto by two doors viz. of volition or will and expression whether by word writing or sign The Angels have but one door through which their thoughts pass namely their wil. To think that the Angels and Spirits of the just made perfect doe not speak mentally that is in their heavenly and spiritual manner communicate their minds one unto another as they see cause is against reason and inconsisting with the state of blessedness To think they speak in this manner is not repugnant to Scripture or Reason though the ful resolution of that quere viz. with what tongues the Angels and Souls departed speak seems to be reserved til we come into Heaven After the Resurrection nothing hinders but we may beleeve Synops. pur Theolog. disp 2. n 42. that the Saints shal speak not only mentally after the manner of the Angels but also when they please vocally after the manner that men now speak and as some conceive probably in the Hebrew Tongue Great must needs be the content of their Communion if we consider either the neer relation of the persons being Members of the