immortality then shall be brought to passe the 1 Cor. 15. 14. saying that is written death is swollowed up into victory death remaineth in themselves by their sin and their life in Christ by Christs righteousnesse If Believers had inherent power of righteous action to bring forth of themselves and from their inherent power actions of righteousness as Adam had the power to do them then the Prophet I say would not have said of himself and the best men We are all as an unclean thing all our righteousnesse is as filthy rags Isa 64. 6. and David would not have said There is none that doth good no not one and Paul would not have said in Psa 14. 〈◊〉 ◠Rom. 7. 18. me that is my flesh dwelleth no good thing and again I find no means to perform that which is good Were not that Antichristian pride in any man now to say of himselfe I have power by my inherent holinesse to do that which is good and righteous in the sight and estimation of God the proudest Pharisee said to deny our selves is to deny our holinesse and goodnesse in our selves Quest Is there no operation of the Spirit of Christ in Believers upon the corrupted man soul and body is there no mortification of sin and corruption and no sanctification of the man by the Spirit or to the man in soule or body Answ Yes that must needs be so There are foure excellent creatures manifest in this world which all in the Scriptures are held forth to resemble Christ and the holy Spirit in their operations upon the bodies neere and object to them which foure creatures are the Sun Fire Water and sweet odours The Sun of this world is held forth in the Scripture to resemble the Son of righteousnesse Jesus Christ in his operations and actions to Believers Unto you that feare my Malach. 4. 2. name the Sonne of righteousnesse shall arise and health shall be under his wings He saith the Prophecy alluding to the rising of the Sun of the world upon the earth and the body therein in mens appearance and apprehension to the comfort and refreshing of them for being as the Sun of the world to Jesus Christ ariseth and manifesteth himselfe to Believers when and as he pleaseth in their apprehensions to the comfort and refreshing of the whole man And as the Sun of the world arising doth heat the colds object bodies so that the heat thereof heateth the cold bodies neere them by reflection yea and melteth some hard bodies by the heat thereof and yet the naturall coldnesse of those bodies and the hardnesse remaine still in them naturally as appear in the stay of the heat to those bodies So the Sonne of righteousnesse arising in Believers doe heat the neere corrupted man in soule and in body with his holy heat which heat also sometimes reflecteth to others neer yea and melteth the hard corrupt heart and yet the coldnesse and hardnesse of corruption naturally remaine still and returneth in sense and appearance in the stay of the heat of the Son of righteousnesse Jesus Christ by his Spirit And farther as the Sun of the world arising doth in season and time quicken some bodies dead in themselves such as have life in their root which in their time appeare also to have life in themselves So the Sonne of righteousnesse Jesus Christ arising in Believers though the corrupted man the body be dead because of sin as the Apostle speaketh though they be dead in themselves as Colos 3. 3. yet because their life is hid with and in Christ their root because they are rooted in Christ as Colos 2. In the appointed due time Colos 3. 3 of God their hidden life in Christ will be manifest in themselves which shall be to the soule when the corruptible hath put on incorruption and to the body when the mortall hath put on immortality and death be swallowed up in victory as the Apostle speaketh And so the Prophet David said God is a Sun and a shield alluding to Jesus Christ which is the only shield Psa 84. 11 and defence of Believers And so is Jesus Christ and his Spirit in Believers in the Scripture resembled to the fire of this world in respect of the operation thereof upon the bodies neere The Lord wil be as a wall of fire about Jerusalem saith the Prophet A wall of fire will defend and keep safe any City from hurt of adversary and enemies So Jesus Christ is a wall of fire to save his Elect Believers from the divell hell sinne the law and death that they shall not hurt them The gates of hell shall not prevaile against them Mat. 16. 18 saith Christ that they may say with Paul O death where is thy sting O grave or hell where is thy victory The sting 1 Cor. 15. 55 56 57. of death is sinne the strength of sinne is the Law But thanks be unto God that hath given us victory through our Lord Iesus Christ which hath beene a wall of fire unto us from these our adversarie And further Jesus Christ and his holy Spirit in Believers is in the Scriptures resembled to fire in the operations thereof because as fire melteth purifieth things so Jesus Christ by his Spirit and the word of his Spirit melteth the hearts of the Believers as Iosias heart melted at the hearing of Gods word 2 Kings 22. 19. and also purifieth their corrupt hearts as Peter saith God gave the Holy Ghost to the Gentiles which purified their hearts by faith or believing And for this it is said Christ will Act. 15. 9 baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire and Gods word is as fire Ierem. 23. 29. Yet it is to be observed that although gold or other metall be melted by the fire the hardnesse thereof returneth and remaineth naturally in and to the same as is seen in the stay of the heat of the fire So though Christ by his Spirit and spiritual word melteth the corrupt hard heart of believers yet the corrupt hardnesse remaineth still naturally and returneth in the stay of the operation of the Spirit And as although the fire purifieth the gold yet the gold must be after melted and purified by the sire as the Prophet saith seven times that is oftentimes before it be pure gold Psa 12. 6. and is not pure gold so long as any drosse remains in it in any part thereof but still drossie gold So although Jesus Christ by his Spirit often melteth and purifieth the corrupt heart of believers yet so long as corruption remaineth which remaining remaineth in every part of soul and body so that no part is pure and holy before God in man himself whatsoever it be in mans estimation but still corrupt in the whole and so shall be till corruptible hath put on incorruption and mortall hath put on immortality And Jesus Christ and his Spirit in Believers are in the Scriptures resembled to water for
from thee and deliver thee from evil upon thee that there is much good and vertue in thine or their prayers thou makest an Idol of prayer Mark this well When the Israelites had fiery Serpents among them which stung many to death God by Moses set up a Brazen Num. 21. 8 9. Serpent to figure Christ that whosoever was stung he commanded to look upon the Brazen Serpent set up and he should be healed and as many as looked upon it after Gods command and according to Gods Ordinance were healed But afterward the people made it an Idol burnt incense to it accounting the goodness and vertue whereby they healed to be in the Serpent of Brass not in Jesus Christ which it figured therefore the servant and Instrument of God King Hezekiah 2 Kin. 18. 4. 1 Cor. 15. 56. brake it in pieces This fiery Serpent is among us it doth sting all with sinne unto death The sting of sin is death saith the Apostle Jesus Christ hath set up Prayer in the room of the Brazen Serpent to his church and people to be a figure and representation of himself unto them that if we his people will return unto prayer according to his Ordinance and look upon him represented in prayer as he hath commanded then we shall all of us be sure to be healed as all were healed that were stung by the fiery Serpent of the Israelites But if we fall to esteem vertue goodness power and strength in our prayers to do us the good to be able to move God and to prevail with God to do us the good we make an Idol of our Praver and we and our prayers shall perish I know there are many in these modern times professing Christianity and having sundry names for their different waies as Papists Arminians Anabaptists Brownists Presbyterians Independents and others and all zealous of the commandements of our God and the duties thereof especially they of those sorts which for the manifestation of their zeal and increase of Proselites make many private meetings and Conventicles for prayer and performances of other duties commanded to edification of men in their wayes whereby they think they please God pacifie God move God and prevail with God to do them good But alas in all these they rob Christ of his honour and make an Idol of their Prayers and performances for that they give the honour that is onely Christs to please God to pacifie God to move God to prevail with God to do men good unto their own performances which in truth are corrupt and sinful and therefore cannot please God Object But these will say We do all that we do to the honour and service of God Answ The greatest Idolaters have ever said so and no question had intention thereto we cannot think but that the Israelites that made and worshipped the golden Calf did say they did it to Gods honour and service and intended it so and they that did bow the knee to Baal did it and intended it to Gods honour and service And the Papists that bow to the image of Christ say they do it and intend it to the honour and service of Christ and yet the same is idolatry So these may do and intend all their Prayers and performances to the honour and service of God and yet that they do be idolatry whilest they give that honour to their own Prayers and performances which is onely Christs It seemeth that the Apostle Paul did finde many of the Israelites in the like zealous condition touching the commandement of God as these profess themselves to be unto whom he wrote in these words 〈◊〉 bear you record you have a zeal of God but not according Rom. 10. 2 3. 4. to knowledge for you bring ignorant of the righteousness of God and going about to establish your own righteousness have not submitted your selves to the righteousness of God for Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth There are three things marked by the Apostle in those Israelites answering to these zelotes 1. They were zealous of God his honour and service so are these 2. They were so zealous in ignorance because they were ignorant of the righteousness of God meaning in Christ and would not submit unto that which is all righteousness that is in Gods sight righteousness to please God to pacifie God to move God to do men good so are these 3. They would establish their own righteousness the righteousness of their own performances to have power to please and pacifie God to move God and prevail with God to do them good which must needs be understood by establishing their own righteousness for nothing can please and pacifie God move and Rom. 10. 4 prevail with God but true righteousness which Christ faith the Apostle is the only performer and finisher of to those that believe Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth In this glass such as go about to please God by their performances 1 Iob. 5. 21 may see their idolatrous faces clearly Babes saith the Apostle keep your selves from Idols Quest. But these will say Wherefore doth God command men to do the duties of his commands if the doing of the duties do not please and pacifie God and move him to do them good Answ For resolution therein look back to that which hath been said before of the benefits of Gods commandements to men Quest. Have not true Believers care and zeal to do the duties of Gods commandements Answ Yes that they have in all humbleness and reverence for the care zeal and devotion of the duties of all godliness is wrought up in them by the Spirit of Christ which they as branches of the Vine Christ abiding and alive in him do bear and hold forth and they are not so wrought up in them to bear and hold them forth that they should thereby please and pacifie God or prevail with God to do them good ut to manifest evidence and witness to them that God is pleased with them and pacified towards them in Christ whose fruits they are that they bear and hold forth And that Christs performances in himself have prevailed and will ever prevail with God to do them good that all shall work together for the best unto them and herein is the joy and the rest of true Believers Indeed I hear there are some because they hear there is no goodness in their Prayers and duties performing to please God no promise to prevail with God to do them goed therefore they give over prayer c. I wish these would observe if any of the Israelites stung with the fiery Serpent did not return to the Brazen Serpent the figure of Christ to look upon it they were sure to die Even so they which refuse to return unto Prayer the figure and representation of Christs Spirit in man which Christ hath set up for a figure and represent on
mankind as thereby every man that will may recover Gods favour and love may pacifie and please God by doing his holy commands taught and preached unto him and remaining in him by nature and so attain God heaven and salvation lost by the first man This was that of Palagius exploded for heresie 4. The fourth sort say that there is a God and Diven and hell and all mankind lost in Adams transgression and notwithstanding the losse and death in Adam there is o Adams indowment left to all men power and free-will to heare the Gospell of Jesus Christ crucified for the redemption of all men being preached unto them and hearing they may believe if they will for faith cometh by hearing yea by hearing Rom 10. 17 power is given them to believe and live c. some say although dead before for the dead shall hear the Ioh. 5. 25. voice of the Son of God and they that hear it shall live saith Christ The performance of Jesus Christ and Redemption is for all men but life and salvation cannot be to any of mankind that will not and do not hear the Gospell of Jesus Christ crucified preached unto them and believe And this Jesus Christ was indeed foreknowne say they of God the Father before the world to be given to perform for all men unto life and to redeeme all men but was not given till his manifestation in the flesh which did then undertake with God and performed for all men if all men would hear and believe And so their salvation hath beginning and first ground from mans own will and his own work he may thank himself first if he be saved and after thanks are due to Jesus Christ Robbery and idolatry They deny Gods choice of men in Christ of mercy love and fâ—ee grace and ordination of them chosen to eternall life before the world and his manifestation of the same by his Spirit when he pleaseth in 〈◊〉 A despâ—sing of Gods everlasting love goodnesse and free grace in Christ and of his power thereto in his pleasure of choosing dead men to life and specially Gods choosing of them They deny God which saith thy salvation is only Hos 13. 9. of me thy damnation of thy self And Peter the Apostle of Christ that saith there is no salvation in any other Act. 5. 12 thing but in Jesus Christ all this meant freely of grace love and mercy without meanes of man It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in Rom. 9. 16 God that sheweth mercy willing hearing and believeing by the command to naturall men are meanes of man as they take it in his own naturall power If they be wrought up by the spirit in man they are meanes only in the estimation of man unto salvation But the Apostle of Christ tell us they are onely manifestations evidences witnesses and assurances of our salvation wrought up by the Spirit in the Rom. 8. 16 branches of the Vine Jesus Christ and not means Christ hath no meanes but himselfe to save man for man to please God or prevaile with God is to save himselfe by merit for if man can please God he can prevaile with God to save him God will not damne him that pleaseth him so he saveth himself by pleasing of God 5. The fifth sort say there is a God and Divell Heaven and Hell that Adam and all men were lost and dead upon the first transgression that God foreknew all so and of mercy love and free-grace did choose some of mankind in his Christ which he gave before the world to undertake and redeeme them chosen by his death and performances To whom he sendeth his quicking and sanctisying Spirit by his Ordinance of Prayer Preaching and hearing c. whereby they believe and repent and are then first justified before God and by the sanctification of the same Spirit and first grace they have life and inherent holinesse and righteousnesse in themselves as Adam had by Creation whereby they are themselves accepted with God and are inabled to do the works of holinesse and rightnousnesse the works of the holy command themselves before God as agents thereof and thereby please God pacifie God and prevaile with God to do them good and they say it is therefore that they teach and exhort men to pray believe repent and do duties commanded that so they may serve God please pacifie and prevaile with God to doe them good to save them is for man to merit life and salvation God cannot damne him that pleaseth him These go about to establish their owne righteousnesse which they suppose they have by the sanctification of the Spirit for sanctification and other fruits and works of the Spirit wrought up in man the branch to beare and hold forth are not so that man the branch should or can please the Father the husbandman thereby but to manifest evidence and witnesse that man that the Branch abideth in Christ the Vine and that Christ the Vine pleaseth his Father the husbandman not that that which they do in bearing and holding forth the fruit is their righteousnesse to please God but that the righteousnesse of Christ is imputed to them whose righteousnesse only pleaseth God Note Some of these and some of the former sort say that a man that believeth may fall away from the faith and commit such sinne as he may be damned And they say a man in Christ is a new creature in himselfe the old man with his corruptions and sinne is gone the heart qualities and affections will and understanding all are made righteous and sinne is gone from the man himselfe which is in Christ if corruption and sin remain thou art not in Christ And many of this fifth sort affirm that man in Christ is regenerate onely in part a new creature in part a new man in part c. Thus holding forth the new creature and new man is to be a manifest half or part of a man This sense is carnall and monstrous indeed not consistent with that of the Apostle Old things are past all things are made new 6. The sixth for say that there is a God and Divell Heaven and Hell that Adam and all men were lost upon the first transgression that God foreknew all so and of mercy love and free-grace did choose some of mankind in his Christ which he gave before the world to undertake to do the will of God for and redeeme them chosen by his death and performances which chosen he did then also of free-grace predestinate adopt his children ordaine to eternall lâ—fe irrevocable call justifie and glorifie before himselfe although not in manifestation to the creature till fulnesse of time and that he sendeth his holy spirit to them as he pleaseth to work up the fruits of his spirit in them that they as branches may beare them and hold them forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. to the glory of the Father the husband man before men
of their Repentance for the quitting of their sinne and for their righteousnesse thereby before the Mediator the Man Jesus Christ and before all men And upon this great grace considered It was that the same Father in the Church of Christ saith Our righteousnesse is more in Repentance and Forgivenesse of Sinne then in righteousnesse of deeds and performances Although our worke of the Law and Command bee no righteousnesse before God yet our Worke of the command and our Repentance of the fayling our mercy and forgivenesse is righteousnesse before Men This is Christs Law to Men for the order and Government of his Church upon Earth And this is worke enough for Gods people for righteousnesse before Men to the good and profit of men although they presume not to build up unto Heaven unto God in Heaven which is onely Christs Worke as David said my Goodnesse and Wel-doing Psal 16. 2 3 extendeth not to thee O Lord but to the Saints that are upon the Earth Quest How are repenting Believers upon their repentancy unto satisfaction before Men acquitted from their sinne and transgression of the Law and the penalty thereof before Men when as Sorrow Confession Amendment and Proportionable satisfaction for the Transgression is as much as the Law requireth in the penalty Answ As Repentance before men hath place in the Law of Christ So saith Forgivenesse and Mercy before Men place in the Law of Christ If thy Brother Trespasse against thee and if hee repent forgive him and though hee sinne against thee seaven times in a Day and seaven times in a Day Mat. 17. 3 4. turne againe to thee saying It repenteth mee Thou shalt forgive him And so saith the Law of Christ Hee that confesseth and forsaketh his Sinne shall have Mercy And to whom belongeth Prov. 28. 13. this Forgivenesse and Mercy certainely to the penitent Believers as Christ saith If hee repent forgive him hee that confesseth and forsaketh his Sinne shall have Mercy yea and CHRIST saith further Forgive and it shall bee forgiven you Luke 6. 37. If you doe forgive Men their Trespasses your Heavenly Father will also forgive you And if you forgive not Men no more Mat. 6. 14 15. will your Heavenly Father forgive you And againe Judgement Jam 3. 13. mercilesse shall bee to him that sheweth no Mercy and Mercy rejoyceth against Judgement And if hee that sorroweth godly for his Sinne before Men confesseth ingenuously amendeth righteously and bee willing to satisfie before Men for the Trespasse before Men hath Mercy and Forgivenesse before Men of his Transgression before Men Is not this a sufficient acquittance unto the repenting Believer of his sinne and the penalty thereof before men And againe the Law of Christ bindeth as much to Mercy and Forgivenesse to the penitent before Men As it doth to the penalty of Transgressors thereof and to Repentance before Men. Againe the true penitent Offender is acquitted from the Transgression before Men and the penalty thereof by his true Repentance although hee by hard-hearted and mercilesse Men bee holden to the extreame penalty of the Law for his Transgression contrary to Christs Law of Mercy and Forgivenesse For that hee suffereth hee suffereth willingly and rejoyceth in his Tribulation as the Apostle speaketh now hee that suffereth willingly and rejoyceth in his sufferiâ—g by the comforts of the holy Spirit in him hath not the paine of him that Suffereth unwillingly and forced to suffer for the comforts and joy that hee hath of the Spirit of Christ doth slake quench and take away the Sting of the paine That hee may say O Death where is thy Sting as the Apostle saith of such through which comforts and joy of the Holy Ghost many that have suffered Death in the Lord have dyed rejoycing in the Lord and in appearance to Men without paine Whereby they have manifested themselves acquitted of their transgression and the penalty of the Law in the paine And the Repentance of Believers wrought up in them by Christ doth not onely acquit them of the Sinne and the penalty of the Law before Men But it also testifieth to their owne Soules and to other Men also that they are living Branches in the Vine Christ Jesus For saith Christ The Branch cannot beare Fruit of it selfe except it abide in Joh. 15. 4 the Vine No more can yee except yee abide in Mee No Man can repent except hee be a living Branch abiding in Christ and Christ in him Hypocrites may counterfet Repentance and not repent truly And hee that liveth in Christ and Christ in him by his Spirit hath the witnesse of his Adoption that hee is one of Gods children through Christ and so quitted of all Sinne not onely before Men but also by the performance of Jesus Christ of all Sinne before God So the Apostle saith Wee Joh. 8. 15. 16. have received the Spirit of Adoption And the same Spirit witnesseth with our spirits that wee are children of God So that although Repentance acquitteth not of sinne before God as it doth before Men yet it by the Spirit of Christ whereby it is wrought up in Believers witnesseth acquitance before God to the Soules of the penitent yea and holdeth forth great hope and manifestation to others that the same penitent Man is the child of God and is quitted of his sinne before God And even so it is of Obedience Mercy and Forgivenesse wrought up by the Spirit of Christ they also witnesse evidence and testifie the same Quest The Apostle saith of Believers The Body is dead Rom. 8. 10 because of Sinne And Paul saith of himselfe I am carnall sold under Sinne I finde no meanes to performe that which is Rom. 7. 14. Verse 18 Psal 14. Isa 64. 6 good And David saith There is none that doth good no not one And the Prophet I say said of himselfe and other like himselfe All our righteousnes is filthinesse I will bee their God and they shall bee my people I will never forsake them and I will put such a feare into their hearts that they shall never depart from me Jer. 32. 40. Can therefore Believers doe the Commandements of the Law of Christ in singlenesse of Heart before Men and before Christ the Governour of his Church which knoweth all as Râ—penting Forgiving Loving Obeying Praying Praysing Thanksgiving and the rest how it is faithfully done Answ By the same power they did and doe believe in singlenesse of Heart They can and may Repent Forgive Love Obey Pray Praise and give Thankes and the rest in singlenesse of Heart But indeed corrupt and carnall dead Men in Sinne cannot doe these or any of these or the like in singlenesse of Heart whose Heart is corrupt carnall and dead in Sinne sold under Sinne as Paul was as hee saith in his best Estate Indeed Man can Believe Repent Obey Love Pray Praise and give Thankes Carnally and Fainedly by the power of corrupt nature As the
preaching of the Law of Christ for the Government of his Church upon Earth unto them A. Yea the Gospel and the preaching thereof by those that are sent is for their everlasting comfort and good That setteth forth unto them the everlasting love mercy and free grace of God in his chusing them in Christ before the world unchangeably their ordination to eternal life their predestination to be the children of God for ever their calling thereto in the Image of his Son â—esus Christ their justification and glorification then before God to be manifested in fulness of time to the creature And clearly sheweth the way and work of all these by Christs undertaking with God to his satisfaction of justice in doing of his Will as the Lamb slain before him from the beginning and taking flesh upon him came into the world and performed the full righteousness of the Law of God in doing and suffering before men whereby they have deliverance from all sin and death by sin before God and are made coheirs annexed with Christ Jesus of all his riches triumph and glory in heavenly places And that Christ hath promised and sent his holy Spirit to them to do the spiritual work of the Law in them as he pleaseth for witness and comfortable assurance to them that they are Gods chosen children and therefore is called the Spirit of Adoption because he witnesseth the same Rest to the Souls of Believers GOd hath revealed himself unto man to be one eternal invisible incompr 〈…〉 ible essence in whom is all foreknowledg and will as he pleaseth all love almighty power wisdom justice goodness and mercy and in three persons in this one essence Father Son and Holy Spirit according to which eternal qualities of his eternal Deity he hath in his foreknowledg and foresight purposed predestinated and decreed all things according to his will and according to his Will Purpose and Decree made Heaven Hell Earth and all Gen. 1. Isai 30. 33 things therein And with his purpose to make man he also purposed to make a Covenant of works with man which works if he did he should have the promise and assurance of life for ever But if he did fail in the work and break the Covenant he should dye presently And God foreknowing that man would break the Covenant of his great and meer love of his free grace compassion and mercy to mankind did provide purpose and decree to give to mankind in Christ a Covenant of Grace or promise of grace which was to give his own only Son to be made of a woman by taking mans flesh upon him to be born and brought forth of a woman to take upon him the form of a servant to be of no reputation among men yet as a general person and undertaker for all intended of the Father in acceptance to full satisfaction to do and perform the full righteousness of the Covenant of Works Law and commandment therein and to pay the whole and uttermost debt of and for the transgression made or to be made by those of mankind which he purposed to make choyce of for the glory of his grace to be performed by his Son Christ Jesus and to be preserved by the power of his Spirit until Psa 37. 18 19 1 Thes 5. 17 Eph. 1. 4 they were presented blameless at his coming to Judgment And according to the purpose of the Father he did Elect some of mankinde before the foundations of the world were layd to be his vessels of honor life everlasting and immortal inheritance in and with his Son Jesus Christ which had undertaken in acceptance and to full satisfaction of God leaving the rest to the merit and punishment of their own transgression And having made Heaven and Hell he made also the Earth and all creatures therein in their kind And placing man his creature in Paradise there made and manifested his purposed and decreed Covenant of Works with man with condition of life and death when man was endued with full power and free will to stand or fall And mand did fall and break the Covenant of Works which in duty as the creature he ought to have kept and performed to the Creator having of him power and free-will given to him to hve performed and done same And although God did foreknow that man would fall and break the Covenant yet God did not decree that man should fall and destroy himself by falling neither having given unto him power and free-will to stand or fall had he resisted the Will of God if he had stood but by falling and so destorying himself he resisted the Will of God that would not the death of a sinner For there was Ezek 18 32 one and the same end in the intention of God of both the Covenants purposed towards man which was the life of man yea in his Covenant of Works he intended the life of man This do and thou shalt live saith God to man although he set before him life and Gen. 42. 18 Rom. 7. 10 death in that Covenant of Works And after mans fall and loss of all he was endued with all of God being yet in Paradise God manifested to his Elâ—ct of mankind his purposed Covenant of Grace in his Son Jesus Christ to be performed of him without any condition of any performance by man but in Christ now being without power of believing as appears in the words of the Promise or Covenant of Grace The seed of the woman shall break the Serpents heaâ— The seed of the woman was freely promised to do and perform all that was to be done and performed for mans salvation to the end to break the serpents head and to destroy the works of the Devil as the Apostle speaketh and all this grace to be manifested in time to those in particular which should 1 Joâ— 3. 8 in manifestation receive the Spirit of adoption and bear the fruits of the Spirit the believing in the Son of God Jesus Christ so that in the righteousness of his Son Christs doing the work of the Covenant in himself as an undertaker for and a representative of all his Elect in acceptance to the full satisfaction of God all the Elect might have this righteousness accounted imputed and so made theirs of God as if themselves had done the full work of the Law and Covenant of Works And by his paying of the full debt and price for their transgression they might be assured of the forgiveness of their sins past Isai 53. 6 1 Pet. 2 24 1 Joh. 1. 7 and to come as if there had been no transgression at all in them of the Law and Covenant of Works And that they thus being justified fully by the obedience and performance of Christ before God and freed by the full payment of the price and debt with Christs precious blood Gods Elect might know themselves to have an absolute discharge from the Law and Covenant of Works before God and