can abound I can as well be content to be hungry as to be full fed to be poor as to be rich to suffer as to raign to dye as to live when a man can live in God and unto God above all this world and esteem all things but drosse and dung in comparison of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus And true faith is also profitable to men when it is exercised in godly conference building up one another comforting one another and if need require reproving one another when it works in feeding the hungry clothing the naked releiving the oppressed and by doing to every man as we would be done unto This is living faith and it is thus evidenced to be alive Thus we are not justified by nor for our good workes for we are his workmanship created a new in Christ Jesus unto good workes that we should walk inthem Justification where it is indeed will evidence it self by acts of sanctification Q. What is sanctification And how is it wrought A. As Christ is made of God righteousnesse unto us for justification so also for sanctification as he is our justification because he perfectly fulfilled the righteousnesse of the Law for us and paid all our debts yeilding up himself to death for us so also he is become our sanctification by fulfilling the righteousnesse of the Law in our hearts even by living in us As we are justified by his death so we are saved or sanctified by his â—sfe Sanctification is an act of Gods infinite love whereby he takes us out of Adam or the old man and puts us into Christ or the new man and this is the new creation or the new creature when a man that before was unholy profane and to every good work void of judgement is now become through the power of Christ living in him holy unblameable and ready to every good work and this is wrought by the power of God revealing Christ in the soul when Christ is revealed in the soul to be white and ruddy the most excellent the most amiable one in whom God is well pleased and in whom his soul delighteth yea and by whom and in whom he is well pleased with poor sinners and delights in them then that soul is ravished with his beauty which is his love and with beholding or apprehending of it is transformed into the same Image of love more and more Christ is the Saints life and this life is hid in God untill it be revealed and when Christ who is our life doth appear in the soul then the soul lives in his life and appeares with him in glory Now every one in whom Christ lives indeed he conformes them to himself First in death if Christ be risen in the soul then the old man is crucified that the body of sin might be destroyed and the soul is dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God in holinesse through Jesus Christ who lives in him Secondly Where Christ is risen indeed there is a conformity in life Christ being the life living in the soul the soul must needs live indeed and live unto God and not any longer to the flesh for to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace and thus is Christ our sanctification when he arises and appeares in our hearts whereby he transformes and changes us into his own Image even his Image of glory more and more Q. But doth not the Lord in Scripture call men to repentance and promise them life upon condition of the same yea the Lord doth solemnly protest that he delights not in the death of him that dieth but rather that he should repent and turn and live And again why will yee die repent and turn and live yee And our Saviour saith except yee repent yee shall all perish and the Apostles exhort them in the Acts to repent for the remission of sinnes and that their sinnes might be blotted out And again if we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse Doth it not from all these places appear very plain that repentance is necessarily required as a meanes or at least a condition of life A. There is in Scripture a twofold repentance spoken of a repentance of the Law and a repentance of the Gospel The repentance which is of the Law is suteable to that Covenant of workes which the Israelites were under for temporal blessings when they at any time acted contrary to the command then the Lord plagued them sometimes with famine pestilence warre captivity c. untill they did repent and when they repented or ceased from their wicked wayes and works then the Lord would also repent or remove the judgement for temporal blessings were promised upon condition of outward obedience and temporal punishments were diverted or turned away upon their legal repentance and ceasing from their evill wayes In the time of Ezekiels prophesie the Israelites were many of them in captivity already and the rest of them were threatened and when the Lord by the Prophet called for repentance the people thought it was to small purpose to repent seeing their fathers had eaten sour grapes and their teeth were set on edge and that it was but a light businesse to promise them any good upon condition of repentance seeing they did but pine away in their fathers sinnes To which the Lord commands the Prophet to tell them that it was no such matter it was their own sin which was the cause of their misery and that if they would return from their idolatries and other abominations he would cease from punishing of them and hereupon uses that solemn oath As I live I have no delight in plaguing you I had rather yee would turn from your evill wayes and live in your own land why will yee die or why will yee be slain or die by famine or pestilence c. And so our Saviour tells those which spake to him of Pilates cruelty that unlesse they did repent they should likewise perish meaning that some temporal judgement would overtake them and thus legal repentance served onely for the preventing or diverting of temporal punishments But repentance which is of the Gospel is not any meanes or condition of life for eternal life is the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord and it is a free gift and not purchased by repentance nor yet promised nor given upon condition of repentance for it is not sin nor Satan nor death it self can make a separation between them that are elected and the love of God in Christ Jesus which is eternal life The Lord who hath promised is not a man that he should lie or the son of man that he should repent in this respect Now this repentance is called godly sorrow and it is wrought by the working power of
all temporal blessings were made to the outward conformity and literal observations of the Law the Lord being pleased to deal with them as with children even to hire them to an outward conformity unto the same by giving them outward prosperity But the Covenant as it was inward and spiritual respected onely spiritual Israel believers both Jewes and Gentiles in all ages and in all nations to the end of the world Yet notwithstanding the Ordinances of the Law or Covenant were to continue but for a season namely until the promised seed should come which is Christ Q. What were those Ordinances and Services of the Law or Covenant A. First there was the Tabernacle and afterward the Temple which were representations of the flesh of Christ and also of the Saints in whom God would please to dwell and manifest himself And then there was the Priesthood of Aaron signifying the eternal Priesthood of Christ And there were also many Sacrifices and Offerings which did betoken the Sacrifice of Christ who should by that one offering of himself to God obtain eternal redemption for them And there were many and divers washings and cleansings which did shew forth the bloud of Christ which can onely wash and cleanse away all sin These and many others being visible representations and significations of Christ in the flesh his perfect fulfilling of the Law his making satisfaction to divine Justice c. All which were to be fulfilled and accomplished in him which being done the significations were to cease and to be of no more use Q. The Gentiles or Heathen had no fellowship or communion at all with the Israelites but were utter enemies unto them and hated them and sought their ruine continually How or in what respect then did the Law or the Covenant therein contained concern the Gentiles or belong to them A. The Lord having in his eternal purpose chosen to himself a people to be heires of life by Christ Jesus did yet notwithstanding for many generations suspend the manifestation of his love and favour unto all the people of the world except the seed of Abraham or the Israelites onely whom he had brought near to himself and to whom he manifested his great love not onely in outward and temporal blessings but chiefly in spiritual administrations withall forbidding them to have any communion with any nation whatsoever unlesse they would be circumcised and worship God according as he had commanded them which thing occasioned such an enmity and hatred in all nations against the Israelites that they would not be reconciled unto them at any hand yea though the enemies were very different in Religion and Idol-worship and hated one another even unto death yet they could agree together against the Israel of God to root out their name from the earth And this enmity or hatred was not against them as they were men or because they were of different nations but herein lay the enmity because the Israelites did worship the true God with such holy worship as he had commanded the seed of the Serpent or the Devil in all false worships and religions persecuting the seed of the woman or Christ and the Saints in the true Religion and pure worship of God in all agés and so the hatred was not onely against the Israelites in their persons but even against the good wayes of God in his pure worship and herein against God himself The great mystery that the Gentiles should be heires of life with the Jewes partakers of the same promises and of the same body was not yet revealed but kept secret But now they who were sometimes afarre off were made nigh by the bloud of Christ for Christ by subjecting himself in the flesh to death did break down that partition wall and that enmity that was between Jewes and Gentiles being slain thereby so that although they before were twain and hated one another yet now by the death of Christ they were united and made one and not onely reconciled to one another but also to God through faith in Jesus Thus the Gentiles by the preaching of the Gospel came to know that which before they did not know even to believe their Son-ship and their interest in the Covenant by Jesus Christ yet notwithstanding they were not under the Law as it was a Covenant of works for temporal blessings for so it concerned the Israelites onely and according as they acted to the command so they prospered in their temporal estates and this part of the Covenant was peculiar onely unto them But as the Law was spiritual and contained in it a Covenant of grace so all the elect both Jewes and Gentiles were concluded in it it being an eternal Covenant made with all the Saints in Jesus Christ in the eternal purpose of God before the world began and in due time manifested according to the dispensation of God who worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will that is who revealeth and discovereth himself in Jesus to whomsoever after what way soever and in what time soever he himself pleaseth But yet the Gentiles were not under those legall services and formal observations of the Covenant as the Passeover Circumcision all those Sacrifices and Offerings those legall washings and cleansings in a word all that Temple-worship whatsoever they being all fulfilled consummated and ended in Christ for now in this way of Temple-worship neither Jewes nor Gentiles were to worship God he having withdrawn himself in his appearances out of all these things but now both Jewes and Gentiles were to look unto God in Christ in whom and by whose most precious death and bloud-shedding he declared himself to be fully satisfied for all those transgressions and disobediences from which they could not be justified by the workes of the Law Q. The Gentiles indeed were not to observe those legall Worships and Services which the Jewes did But were they not to make the Law of God the rule of their obedience A. The Law as it was delivered to Israel upon the Mount so it was a revelation of the most holy and perfect will of God and so it was the rule of their obedience Now the Law being of a twofold consideration it was the will of God that their obedience should be suteable thereto First As the Law was outward and respected onely the outward man so it was his will that they should be obedient in all things to the very letter and form of all his commands and herein they were to act with all their strength in case they would be outwardly happy But secondly As the Law was spirituall and concerned the inward man so their obedience was to be answerable to the will of God herein Now it was not the will of God that they should act herein according to the letter and think to attain Righteousnesse by a strict
performance of any or all those religious services but that they should believe in him who was prefigured in all those services which was Christ and cast themselves wholly upon God in him for Righteousnesse both unto justification and fanctification But now Christ being come in the flesh and having in himself ended all those significations it is the will of God that both Jewes and Gentiles should believe in him and rest confidently assured that God is graciously well pleased with them in him having for his sake forgiven them all their trespasses so that the will of God being the ruleof mens obedience it is the will of God that they should not act according to the letter of the Law for life but that they should believe on the name of his Sonne Jesus Christ in whom is eternall life Q. But is not the Law even in the terrors of it a good meanes to drive men to Christ A. The Law as it was delivered to Israel on Mount Sinai was so holy so pure and of such transcendent righteousnesse that all the wisdome and power of men could not devise any meanes nor perform any action that might in the least be suteable to the will of God herein they being by nature acted by a spirit or principle quite contrary to the most pure holy and righteous will of God hereupon the Law was a ministration of death threatning wrath upon every disobedience so that in this respect the Law was and is so far from being a meanes to drive men to God that is was and is rather an occasion to drive them from him either first into despair if he should turn their consciences loose upon them Or else secondly by stirring up the enmity that is in the minds of men to make them hate God and all the holy wayes of God Or thirdly men being ignorant of the righteousnesse of God are hereby stirred up to invent some way or worship of their own whereby they may appear righteous before God Q. How could the Law being so pure and holy occasion or stir up the enmity that is in mens minds against God A. A man in the state of innocency was able to look upon God and to converse with him every appearance and discovery of God unto him was pleasant and delightful and the more the Lord was pleased to manifest himself unto man the more mans heart was enlarged to love him and his commandments were not grievous in this condition there was neither cause nor occasion of discontent much lesse of enmity or hatred between God and him But when man by sin was fallen from God and was become one with Satan who hated God then he who before was like unto God and loved God was now become like the Devil and hated God and this enmity or hatred was not against God as he was a good and loving God for that man was not now able to apprehend but in that he was a just and a righteous God for so he was pleased to appear unto him Before the Law was given the Lord manifested himself to men very seldome and very low and they knew but very little of him except in the outward creation all this while men were exceeding sinful and death had dominion over them yet neverthelesse God did not impute every transgression unto them though he often plagued them for their grosse and greivous sinnes for there was no written precept and the Law of nature was by sin so blotted and blurred that no man was able thereby to read or know his duty and now men were alive at least in their own conceits they thought themselves to be very happy and their conditions to be very good so long as they abstained from such grossenesse as very nature abhorred because they did not know sin many things that were very sinful went currant for morall vertues and many things that were duties were not looked upon as any thing at all sin was as it were dead men were so benummed in it But now when the Commandement on the Law came when God was pleased to appear in a most righteous Law whereby every sin and transgression was brought to light it being through the power of God a discerner of the thoughts and purposes of the heart now sin revived for now sin was discovered whatsoever was contrary to the holy will of God was known to be a sin and every duty was now known to be a duty so that by the Law men were become sinful that is they were now made acquainted with their sinful dispositions which before the Law came they did not know But this was not all for the Law did not onely discover sin to be sin but also did occasion sin to be more sinful That corruption of nature wherewith every man is tainted and whereby every man is become prone to evil that sinning sin took occasion by the Law or Commandement to work in natural men all manner of evil for the Law was so holy and so high that no man was able to attain to the perfection of it in the least degree and it was also the ministration of condemnation threatening wrath and curse upon every disobedience Now men perceiving that they were neither able to attain to that purity which the Law required nor yet to escape that wrath which the Law threatened that natural corruption that sinful disposition that is in every mans heart by nature was hereby quickened and stirred up through the working of Satan to hate God and to oppose him in all his holy and righteous wayes and appearances and yet the Law is not sin nor the cause of death unto any man but holy and just and good But sin or the vicious disposition of every mans heart being carried on by the Devil did so rage and swell against the purity and righteousnesse of God revealed in the Law that they sinned the more and acted all manner of wickednesse with greater violence even as a mighty stream being stopped rages and swells and breakes down all dammes and stops whatsoever and hence it is that the Commandement which was ordained to life was to them an occasion of death and thus sinne by the Commandement became exceeding sinfull Q. Doth the Law occasion such an enmity or hatred in the Elect also A. The Elect and they that are predestinated to be conformed unto the Image of Christ come under a two-fold consideration First as they are in the state of nature and secondly as they are in a state of grace As they are in the state of nature so they are in the state of enmity and there is no difference herein between them and all other men but onely in the account of God they hate God as much as any oppose him as much as any and had a hand and gave their voyce in the crucifying of Christ as much as any men whatsoever and in this condition
away that Covenant Again it is called a new Covenant though it be the same with the former Covenant which was made with Abraham and with the Israelites at the giving of the Law for even the Covenant of grace was very dark and mystical made forth under types and significations and therefore very imperfect and weak and yielded very little or no strength and therefore was disanulled because of the weaknesse and unprofitablenesse thereof But the new Covenant namely Christ or that better hope in the Gospel-dayes is strong in the Spirit and brings in life and power into the hearts of them who are entred therein whereby they are enabled to serve acceptably with reverence and godly fear Again under the services of the Law Christ the sum and substance of the Covenant was vailed and hidden very few knew but little of him But now under the new Covenant the Saints all know him from the least to the greatest they of weak faith and they of strong every one in their measure for they all with open face as in a glasse behold him and are thereby changed into his image from one degree of glory to another Thus and in other respects the Covenant of grace in the dayes of the Gospel is called a new Covenant Q. But doth not God promise in the new Covenant to write his Lawes in their hearts and in their mindes How then are the Saintsfreed from the Law Jer. 31. 33. A. The Law delivered on Mount Sinai was indeed a revelation of the most perfect righteousnesse of God but it was but outward it was but figured in stones and came not near the heart and therefore yeilded no strength to further them in their obedience and Christ who was the sum and substance of the Law was revealed or made known but in a very small measure the Spirit in those dayes run very low the Lord being pleased to vail and cover his glory until an appointed time But the Law which God promised to put into their mindes is Christ who indeed is the Law and the Covenant for now Christ being glorified and having received of God authority and power or the promise of the Spirit iâ— now returned in spirit and power into the hearts of the Saints and is become to them and in them a Law of the Spirit and a Law of life that is where Christ comes in the Spirit indeed he brings in power and life eternal life and transformes the soul and makes it like himself and enables it to walk as he hath walked Again the Law was a ministration of condemnation and threatened wrath upon every disobedience which caused terrors and fears even in the best of them But Christ who is the new Covenant is a ministration of righteousnesse that is in the Gospel Christ is made known to be the righteousnesse of God which the Law required he having perfectly fulfilled the Law in all the high demands thereof by walking exactly in all the particular commands of the same and not so alone but also hath stopped the mouth of the accusing and condemning power of the Law by yeilding and submitting himself in the flesh to death and curse and thus Christ is the Saints righteousnesse to justification fulfilling the righteousnesse of the Law for them And Christ in the new Covenant is also a ministration of life and peace in the Saints fulfilling daily the righteousnesse of the Law in them that is the Saints being now united and made one with Christ and one with God in Christ are thereby enabled to act righteousnesse and holinesse and doe not look unto the Law for their pattern but unto Christ the truth of that pattern for he is the way the truth and the life and thus the Law as it comes from Sinai is silenced to believers they being neither under commanding nor yet the condemning power of it But as the Law comes from Mount Sion as Christ is both the Law and the Covenant so the Saints are not without Law to God but under the Law to Christ he being a Law of the Spirit and a Law of life in their hearts freeing them from the Law of sin and death and quickening and raising their hearts to life and glory by and in himself In short the Law as it comes from Sinai and is figured in stones ceaseth to the Saints and the duties and commands thereof cease to be the duties of the Law but are the duties and commands of the Gospel even the commands of Christ new commands or the Law of Christ Q. What is the Gospel A. The Gospel is glad tydings of good things good tydings of great joy a message of peace a ministry of reconciliation a ministration of the Spirit the word of salvation the word of faith the word of life the power of God to salvation the immortal seed the sword of the Spirit the word of God c. In a word the Gospel is Christ and Christ is the Gospel Christ is he that answers all the types and significations of the Law and in whom is fulfilled all the prophecies of the Prophets it is Christ alone in whom God is well pleased and it is onely Christ who enables the Saints to walk in all well pleasing Q. How comes it to passe seeing believers under the Law were under the same Covenant for life and salvation with believers under the Gospel and they that were saved under the Law were saved by faith in Christ as well as under the Gospel or what may be the reason that the Saints or true Believers act now more lively and chearfully and are quickened up to a more close and holy walking with God in these Gospel-dayes more than under the Law A. The Covenant of grace was the same indeed under the Law as it is under the Gospel but it was very mystical and obscure even to them that did believe for it pleased God to cloud himself so that they could not see him or but very little of him When they came out of Aegypt he went before them in a cloud in a very dark and obscure manner At the giving of the Law he appeared in smoak and thick darknesse When Solomon had built the Temple which was a figure or type of Christ as they were performing religious services therein it is said that the Lord discovered himself in a cloud a cloud filled the house By all which it appears that the appearences of God unto them in those dayes were very much clouded they saw very little of him even what he was pleased to let out in a few outward services suspending of purpose the manifestation of his glory untill the fulnesse of time Now while the Lord was pleased thus darkly to reveal himself then he was pleased to accept of weak faith and mean services Besides the Israelites were under a mixt Covenant partly inward and
believe not in him and are not thus united and made one with him in the Spirit though they eat his flesh and drink his bloud namely in the carnall and outward use of Bread and Wine yet they have no life in them neither shall they enjoy any true comfort in him nor eternall life by him but shall goe into condemnation Q. But is it not said in the Scriptures that Christ died for all men and that as by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation so by the righteousnesse of one the free gift came upon all men to justification of life How say you then that some go into condemnation A. Christs death did in some respect reach forth it self unto all men God had a glorious design in making of man and for this end did bring forth this outward creation of all things to be subservient to his glory to help forward this design yea and the Lord was rich in mercy and store and abundantly provided aforehand to keep this design on foot for Christ was that Lamb prepared and slain before the foundation of the world Now if Christ had not died in the purpose and account of God before man had actually sinned then there had been an utter subversion and dissolution not onely of mankind but also of the whole Creation by mans sin But now the death of Christ coming between divine wrath and the whole creation did still give a being unto the same that it should be serviceable in helping forward this glorious design And upon this account meerly it is namely by the death of Christ that all men even the most wicked enjoy a temporall life health riches yea all outward things whatsoever for in this sence he is said to save or preserve man and beast for he doth good to all and makes his Sun to shine and his Rain to fall upon the just and unjust namely the Sun and Rain of his outward providence and thus Christ died for all men and so he is the Saviour of all men But there is a more especial salvation as the Apostle saith He is the Saviour of all men but especially of them that believe and this salvation is not that outward or temporal salvation but an inward and spiritual one and is peculiar onely to them that believe in him and are made one with him and upon this ground it is that the Apostle saith as by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousnesse of one the free gift came upon all men to justification as if he had said that as Adam by sinning brought all men into a state of sin and so of condemnation so all that are justified unto life are made just by the free gift and grace of God by faith in the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ so that the words doe not extend that as all men fell in Adam so all without exception should be justified and saved by Christ but onely they who by faith lay hold on the righteousnesse of Christ the which the Apostle declares at large in the 3 4 5 6 7. Chapters In the 3. Chapter he proves all men to be under sin and that by the workes of the Law no man can be justified and that God hath set forth Christ to be a propitiation that whosoever believes should be justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in his bloud In the 4. Chapter he tells them that even Abraham was not justified by or for any work which he wrought but onely by faith in Christ Jesus and that faith was reckoned unto him for righteousnesse and so it shall be to all that doe believe In the 5. Chapter he tells them that justification by faith brings peace and joy into the soul which justification by the work of the Law could not doe because the work was ever doing but never done and they looked upon God in that estate as ever angry But now sayes he we have peace with him and can joy in tribulations for though in Adam we were under condemnation yet now believing in Jesus and looking to him for righteousnesse we are justified unto life Thus the Apostle is farre from intending a general redemption but an especiall salvation by faith in Jesus Christ peculiar onely to them that believe Q. But the Apostle writing to Timothy exhorts that prayer be made for all men because he will have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth and further saith that Christ is the Mediator between God and man who gave himself a ransome for all And the Apostle John saith That Christ is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world How say you then that salvation is peculiar onely to them who doe believe A. For the clearing of this the meaning of these Scriptures must be inquired into The Apostle indeed exhorts that prayers intercessions and giving of thankes be made for all men for Kings and all in authority and gives a twofold reason First in respect of themselves that so they might live in quietnesse and godlinesse under them The second reason respects God it is his will he is well pleased with our praying for them because he will bring some of all sorts high and low to the knowledge of the truth that so they may be saved And if he say what must we pray for the Gentiles for our Governours are no Jewes is it lawfull to pray for them Yea saith the Apostle God will have all to be saved Gentiles as well as the Jewes for there is but one God and he is the God of the Gentiles as well as of the Jewes and there is but one Mediator between God and man even the man Christ Jesus who gave himself to ransome the Gentiles as well as the Jewes and this mystery was not known to former ages but now in due time it is to be manifested and for this very purpose saith he I am ordeined a Preacher and an Apostle to bring this good tydings to the Gentiles and to assure their hearts that if they believe in Christ they shall be saved and thereof you need not doubt for as Christ who is truth is in me so that which I speak is truth And hereto agrees that of the Apopostle Peter in Acts 10. 34. That God is no respecter of persons but in every Nation Gentiles as well as Jewes he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of him shewing plainly that the purpose of God in bringing in the Gentiles was a secret to that day but now was revealed And where the Apostle John saith That Christ is the propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world he doth not mean every particular person in the world but onely they who walk in the light as God is in the light even these the bloud of Christ doth
any man as he is a man as he is a Jew nor as he is a Gentile as he is rich or as he is poor bond or free but as he is in Christ and Christ in him In this sence the Lord doth accept persons for he accepts of these in Christ and as for others who are not in Christ he regards them not be they Jew or Gentile high or low noble or base he accepts of none but in whom he appeares and manifests himself by Jesus Christ Q. But is not God in all men Is not he one and the same and doth not he infinitely comprehend all things in himself All come from his fulnesse and he dwells in all and every one in his fulnesse for he cannot be divided a piece in one and a piece in another but he is all and in all and to all onely there is not the same manifestations in some he lies hid and in others he shines forth and we are said to be the off spring of God and to live move and have our being in him How then can it be but that all must be saved seeing God is in all and all are in him A. That God doth infinitely comprehend all things in himself and that all things even the whole creation proceeded from his fullnesse is a truth yea that God is in all men in some sence or respect is also granted Man being created in the Image of God was thereby able to act according to God but having by sinne defaced this Image he was now become more like Satan than God And though he had lost all his wisdome and strength to act according to the will of God in things spiritual yet there remained so much of the light of nature in him namely his natural understanding and reason which served him and whereby he was enabled to act in moral and civill things and to leave him without excuse For without understanding and reason he could not be able to glorify God as God in the outward creation Now this natural understanding and reason as it is purely natural so God ownes it as a sparke of his Image but as it is corrupted and defiled with sinne so he disowns it and this is that which doth accuse or excuse When naturall men led on by the light of nature did act according to reason or judgement then their conscience did excuse them But when they acted contrary to reason even from corrupt and carnal principles then their naturall conscience was against them and accused them And this naturall principle hath many names even in Scripture somtimes it is called a knowing of God or a knowledge of God Sometimes mans righteousnesse Rom. 10. 3. And sometimes mans wisdome and the spirit of the World c. And by this spirit or principle of nature God is in all and acts in all rationall men yet in some in a higher and in others in a lower degree For it is by this spirit or principle that all natural and civill men act lawfully in all natural and civil things For there is not any action in the world that is naturally and civilly good but in this respect it is of God Neither can God ly hid in this respect in the most wicked or carnal men For even they many times do act things in themselves that are naturally and civilly good And thus all men may be said to be the off-spring of God not onely because they all came from him as their original but also as they are acted by him through a spirit or principle of nature to walk honestly and civilly in things of outward concernment But now there is a more special and spiritual in-dwelling of God in the Saints namely the eternal in-dwelling of his love in Jesus Christ wherely he hath from all eternity chosen them and made them one with himself in Christ And in due time in their several generations hath manifested and doth manifest and reveal this love which is Christ in their hearts which doth assure them of their adoption and of their union with him And whereby they are carried forth to live up to him yea to live in him being transformed more and more into his own glorious Image even by his spirit dwelling in them Now that God is not thus in all men namely in his love in Jesus Christ is clear both from Scripture and common experience The Apostle in the eighth Chapter of the Romanes and the first Verse layes this down as a firme conclusion That there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus But who are they Such as walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Now to walk after the spirit is to be led forth by the same to mortifie the deeds of the body that henceforth they might not serve sin For Jesus Christ who is in them a law of the Spirit which is a law of Life doth free them first from sinne and then from death But there are some that walk after the flesh and mind or are led onely by a naturall principle and this tends onely to death because this spirit or carnal principle is at enmity against God and neither is nor can be subject or obedient to Christ who is the Law of life or power of God to salvation in all that do believe but is full of self-righteousnesse acting by legall and fleshly performances for life and happiness And being thus earnal in their minds cannot please God because partaking not of Christ or of that spirit wherewith he is annointed they are not nor cannot be any of his But walk in the vanity of their own minds having nothing but darknesse in their understandings and by reason of that ignorance are estranged from the glorious Light and Life of God even Jesus Christ and being hardned by continual custome in sinne become at length insensible and give themselves over unto lasciviousness and wantonness to act all manner of uncleannesse and that with greedinesse But the Saints have better learned Christ for they being annointed with and receiving of his Spirit do therefore mind the things thereof and are led forth thereby into all well pleasing actions Christ who is the Life being risen in their hearts the old man or body of sinne is destroyed mortified and put off by little and little even as he is pleased to manifest himself But the wicked even the children of disobedience or unbeliefe they have no fellowship in Christs Kingdome which is Spiritual nor no inheritance in the Kingdome of God which is in glory eternal though they deceive themselves For the wrath of God cometh and abideth on them And thus it is clear from Scripture that God is not in all men in his love in Jesus Christ for he is where he comes in Christ both Light and Life and where he is thus he acts like himself And
in their severall conditions both in their creation and in their fall Now God thus beholding mans severall conditions at one and the same instant for there is neither first nor last with God did purpose in his eternal counsel to make man an upright creature And did also at the same instant fore-know and fore-see that men by sin would undoe themselves And was pleased also in the very same instant and according to this fore-knowledge out of the abundant riches of his love in Jesus Christ to choose out some poor miserable fallen wretches and to make known to them the exceeding and super-abundant treasures of his grace and favour in him in their severall generations and so to unite them to himself in Christ that they should be to the praise of his glorious grace And also to let others alone in their sinnes by leaving them to their own hearts lust unbelief hardnesse and impenitency delighting themselves in sin and all ungodlinesse and becoming one with Satan and willingly obeying his commands he might then declare himself infinitely glorious in justice in rendering to every man according to his work And in this respect it is said Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus For he hath mercy namely in restoring men to grace and favour in Jesus Christ on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth or leaves them in their sinnes Thus God did not elect and afterward reject neither doth he love and afterward hate for whosoever God loves indeed with an especial love a love to eternal life he loves them in Christ and he loves none in Christ but whom he hath elected and chosen in him and those whom he thus elects he cannot hate for he loves them in Christ and as Christ God indeed loves all his creatures as they be his creatures and in this respect hates none of them for he hates nothing but that which is contrary to his holinesse which is sin but when the creature is corrupted by sin and is become one with the devill in sin then it is just with God to hate the creature as he hates the devill and sin and to punish them together Neither did God make man to damne him but he made man yea all men for his own glory Now if men wilfully disobey God and willingly dishonour him by living in actuall rebellion against him all their dayes and so bring upon themselves destruction and damnation Is God unrighteous that taketh vengeance God forbid God will have his honour from all men yea the most wicked and ungodly wretches that live in following greedily their own base lusts doe many times help forward Gods designes and justly perish in so doing But the Saints even those whom he hath elected and manifested himself unto in Jesus Christ as they glorifie him in their lives for his glory shines forth in their conversations so he doth glorifie them here with great glory and will eternally glorifie them with himself as the resurrection of the just Q. What mean you by resurrection if you mean a resurrection of the body What resurrection can be of that which is nothing and comes to nothing earth it is and to earth it must return and there is no difference between them and beasts as one dies so dies the other all goe to one place and there is no more resurrection of the one than of the other but the resurrection is Christ and Christ is the resurrection God hath given him all things and he will raise up all the good things which are himself into himself to a more full and glorious discovery of it self in him in one body for every man is a grave to himself wherein lies dead and buried all his comforts life and joyes but when Christ calls from above by his power and rises from below even in our hearts then are we raisedup with him and in him and so make up a glorious union in one person so that the great and generall resurrection and judgement is nothing else but the raising and heightening of all things in man to a perfect state of light and darknesse pleasure and pain For what other resurrection or judgement can there be But a bringing again of all good things in man to a full discovery of glory and the casting away of all evill things into a discovery of darknesse or a heightening of both good and evill to a full end and period of life and death salvation and damnation A. That there is a resurrection even of the body is plain in Scripture although Salomon in that place makes such a comparison between men and beasts yet he intends it between beasts and men in a natural estate For what great advantage have meer natural and carnal men above a beast The one eates and drinks and sports So doth the other The one dies and sees corruption so doth the other The one knowes not what shall be after him so neither doth the other And what if carnal men be rulers and so in the place of Judgement where they ought to do Righteousnesse Then they turne oppressors and do much wickednesse I said in my heart saith he Oh that God would manifest himself to them and make them see that they be but beasts in the likenesse of men c. Here is no great strength in all this against the resurrection of the body For the bodies of wicked men shall be raised as well as their souls to give an account for things done in them 2 Cor. 5. 10. And our Saviour saith all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth They that have done good to the resurrection of life and they that have done evill to the resurrection of damnation And that he intends here a resurrection of the body is plain For he had spoken of a spiritual resurrection in the 25. Verse where he saith the hour is comming and now is that the dead shall hear his voyce and they that hear shall live Meaning the dead in sinne whom he would quicken by his power to newnesse of life For although the Saints dye and depart out of this life yet they doe not perish as to their bodies for they are but fallen asleep and they sleep in Christ and this is in respect of their bodies for their soules or spirits cannot be said to sleep And Christ will raise them up at the last day The Apostle met with some among the Corinthians that denied the resurrection of the body 1 Cor. 15. with whom he seemes thus to reason The resurrection of Christ hath been preached among you and you cannot but believe it because it was not onely foretold by Scripture but was witnessed also by many who had seen him after he was risen Now if this be a truth how then say
some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead For if there be no resurrection of the dead or of mens bodies then certainly Christ is not risen And if Christ be not risen then we have preached in vaine and ye have believed in vaine and ye are yet in your sinnes Yea and if Christ be not risen then the Saints that are fallen asleep in him are perished and God hath sent us to bear witnesse to a falshood if the dead rise not For if Christ be not risen then the dead shall not rise But if Christ be risen as indeed he is then it is impossible that the dead should not rise For Christs resurrection is a pledge a first fruits of the resurrection of the body But if there be no resurrection we and all the Saints are the miserablest men in the world And if the dead rise not why do I put my self to paine Why do I suffer reproaches stripes imprisonments watchings fastings c. Why am I alwayes in Jeopardy of my life Nay Why do I dye daily What advantage is all this to me if there be no reward no resurrection And the Saints in the 11. Hebrewes 35. are said to be tortured mocked scourged imprisoned stoned sawne asunder tempted slaine with the sword to wander about in sheep skins and goat skins to be destitute afflicted tormented and would not accept of deliverance Why so Did they not run with the world into every excesse of riot Did they not saile with every wind turne with every tide Yea did they not sweare and swagger rant and roare and say with the Epicure Let us eat and drink for to morrow or shortly we shall die and then there will be an end of us No saith the Text. They looked for a better resurrection a resurrection to life and reward for they knew full well that if they suffered with him they should raigne with him Neither was this resurrection which they expected that first spiritual resurrection namely a rising out of sin unbelief ignorance c. to live in newnesse of life for that the Apostles and the other Saints had attained to in their several measures or else they had not been able to endure such sharpe sufferings for Christ But as their sufferings were outward in the body so they waited for the perfecting of the adoption even the redemption of their bodies So that the resurrection here spoken of can be no other but that great and general resurrection when all men shall be raised and both souls and bodies reunited to suffer or to raigne together And for that general Judgement which is said to be a disposing of all things both good and evill to a full end and period or perfect state of life and death pleasure and paine salvation or damnation Let us a little consider what these good and evill things are that so we may be able to judge of this doctrine The good things in the Saints are faith hope love joy peace gentleness kindness meeknesse c. Now these being the divine nature or Christ in the Saints the hope of glory cannot be capeable of pleasure or salvation for they were never lost But the poor Creature was lost and Christ came to save that which was lost And by taking the poor creature into the divine nature or the same spirit with himself saves the lost creature and not the good things in the creature On the other side the evill things in evill men are unbeliefe wrath hatred mallice envy thefts murders adulteries Idolatries c. And these being the devill in the creature with whom the creature is made one in sin what pain or torment or damnation can befall these when the persons by whom and in whom they were acted perish like bruite beasts and have no resurrection Therefore as God by taking his own into himself saves them souls and bodies together with and in him So the wicked and unbelievers who are not in Christ or Christ in them but are one with the devill in sin are therefore soules and bodies condemned to be destroyed in and with the devill and sin Indeed this resurrection and judgement is already begun for the Saints are risen with Christ and Christ is daily raising of them in himself But the perfection and full completion thereofis and shall be when all the Saints are gathered into Christ to make him compleat in eternal glory And so likewise this Judgement is begun already the Judge sits every day Christ is refining and purifying the saints with fire and Fullers sope the power of his spirit destroying all their lusts and corruptions subduing their vile bodies and will at length change them and make them like his glorious body And he is also daily judging the wicked First in themselves convincing them of sinne and yet hardning them therein And then he is judging them by the Saints for when they behold the godly and undefiled conversation of the Saints they are ashamed and condemned in their consciences though they hate them for the same Now though Christ be thus judging daily yet the perfection of this judgement is that which the Apostle calls a revelation of the righteous Judgement of God when he shall render to every man according to his works To them who by patient continuing in well doing seek for glory and immortallity namely to them who are in Christ and are acted and carried forth by him to set forth his praise and glory to immortality to them he will give eternal life or glorifie them with himself in his eternal glory in heaven But to them who are contentious and do not obey the truth which is Christ but obey unrighteousnesse which is the devill indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and go ye cursed into everlasting hell fire prepared for the devill and his angels Q. Heaven and hell are misteries and admit of divers acceptations as Gods right hand and his left his love and his wrath pleasure and paine salvation and damnation but properly heaven is where God is and that is in every man And hell is where Satan is and that is in every man For there is in every man light and darknesse good and evill Michael and the Dragon Now as Michaell casts out the Dragon so darkness unbelief and all sin shall be cast out of man Christ shall make a separation for all things that are good as love joy peace delight holinesse c. and God shall be comprehended and gathered into one body of unity and concord in glory which is in heaven And on the contrary all evill as hatred sorrow sinne error death and darknesse and devils shall be gathered into one body of confusion and torment which is hell For although it be said Revelation 21. 8. That the fearfull and unbelieving
and abhominable and murderers and sorcerers and Idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone which is the second death Yet those words can have no relation to mens persons for if they have what will then become of all men for what man is there which hath not one or other of these sins in him but great is the mistery of godlinesse God manifest in the flesh the truth manifest in a form so here is a mistery wrapt up in these words for this evill is not threatned against the persons of any no not of the most wicked but against these and all other particular sins and offences which break through the persons of men which being put together make up a perfection of wickednesse And which as a body of uncleanness dwells in men and this the Apostle calls flesh and sin even in himself And this is that which must be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone The wrath of God shall never cease burning up these lusts in this body of sin and death untill it hath quite consumed them For what other heaven can be intended or expected but a glorious uniting of all good things into God or what other hell can be imagined but a casting away of all evill things into Torment confusion and darknesse A. That heaven and hell are misteries and are also of various significations is not denied for the kingdome of heaven is sometimes taken for the outward profession of the Gospel and sometimes for the inward life and power of the Gospell c. Hell is also taken sometimes for the grave and sometimes for Satans kingdome in mens hearts for he is called the prince of the power of the aire the spirit that rules in the hearts of the Children of disobedience And although heaven and hell be misteries yet they are not altogether misteries The Scriptures are misteries but yet they are misteries revealed Christ spake sometimes plainly and spake no parable heaven and hell are misteries yet misteries revealed for there are these three things in all misteries 1. The historical or litteral narration 2. The interpretation and meaning And thirdly the truth or substance and reality And the first and the second of these be meer nothings without the third True indeed where God is there is heaven for God dwells in glory which is heaven and by his glorious appearance in his Saints he brings heaven into their hearts Againe hell is where Satan is and that is in wicked men For he dwels and raignes in them and hath his kingdome in their hearts sometimes he steales into the Saints and troubles them and disturbes their peace and causes mutinies in the soul but he dwels not there long for Christ and he cannot dwell long together Christ casts him out and suffers him no more to enter that is not to raigne And that God is not in all men in his love in Jesus Christ which is heaven hath been shewed already But he is onely so in his Saints whom he doth not onely act and order by outward and generall providences But also hath taken them into himself through his Son by his spirit and they are so united or made one with himself in that eternal spirit that they are thereby carried forth of themselves to live with him and in him Christ makes in them a separation indeed for he casts out by degrees the old man with all his deeds which is that body of sin the Apostle speaks of which is not wholy subdued while the Saints abide in the flesh and so he is gathering all the Saints which are those good things for the Saints are himself into God which is unity in glory blessednesse heaven But as for the wicked Christ is not in them nor they in him nor of him but of their father the devill And being incorporated and made one with him in sinne so they are carried on by him to live in all ungodlinesse with him and so must needs be in hell for Satan hath his kingdome in their hearts hence it is that out of that bottomlesse pit proceed murders adulteries c. and whatsoever is evill and of the devill And hence it is also that wicked men are many times tormented with hellish feares and terrors And thus wicked men are in hell when they think themselves to be in heaven even in this life But more especially by hell torment to which the wicked are reserved untill the judgement of the great day to suffer the vengeance of eternal fire when all sin and all sinners and devils and wicked spirits shall be gathered into one body and confounded or cast into a condition of torment or lake of fire which shall be kindled with the wrath of God like a river of brimstone which is the second death And whereas it is said that the evill or punishment threatened in the 21. Rev. 8. cannot relate to mens persons because if it should what would then become of all men there being not a man that hath not one or other of these sinnes in him and so conclude it to be a mystery wrapt up in a form of words To which it is answered that the Saints are in Gods esteem without sin for he lookes upon them in Christ and as Christ and so he cannot behold iniquity in them Again the Saints are born of God as to the divine nature in them and all that is born of God sins not neither can for the seed of God remaines in him Again to say and affirm that the Saints see an end of sin in them and that Christ hath finished transgression in them and that let them doe what they will they cannot sin and yet to conclude that the punishments there spoken of cannot relate to mens persons because the Saints must needs be guilty as having sin in them if this be not a mystery or rather a contradiction let all men judge Indeed the Saints even the best of them are in hell before they be in heaven for they all passe through a state of nature a kingdome of sin where while they remain unregenerated they are in the kingdome of Satan without Christ and without God in the world But when God reveales Christ in the soul when they are regenerated and born anew when Christ who is both light and life appeares then they are translated out of this kingdome of darknesse and entred into heaven then they are in the glory of God for God dwells in glory and when he hath taken any soul into himself in the least measure or degree then that soul is in heaven And this is many times but a low and clouded condition and great mixtures of light and darknesse day and night peace and trouble because they cannot apprehend any thing of God but through a veil or fleshly ordinances and formes of worship and therefore see and enjoy