conscience and felt wrath pursuing me for sin may be clear to me by its own light and scriptural evidence albeit it being possibly the very instant of my conversion I cannot produce any fruits or evidences of my conversion past or else what shall be said of malefactors on the scaffold presently to be put to death and possibly not wakened in conscience before not fled to Christ before What shall be said of sick persons near unto death who being self-condemned do betake themselves in their last agony unto the grace of God in Christ offered to self-condemned sinners in the Gospel 2. I must put difference between a reason to prove that I have believed and a reason why I may and must now believe The reason to prove that I have believed is from the effect to prove the cause thereof to wit faith to be in me but the reason why I may now and must believe is from the cause to infer the effect that should be in me the cause of believing in Christ is Gods command to self-condemned sinners which command I must now obey left I perish and so if I find fruits I prove I have believed because I feel the love of God shed abroad in my heart and that I love God who hath freely loved me and here I reason from the effect to prove that the cause of this fruit to wit saâ—ing faith hath preceeded and is gone before Again I prove that I should believe because the offer of the Gospel and of free grace in Christs made to all self-condemned persons renouncing confidence in their own worth or works is made to me with a command to believe in the Son of God Christ Jesus for which cause I may and ought to cast my self upon his grace who justifieth the ungodly flying to him without the works of the Law 3. I must put difference between my having fruits of faith in me and my observing and finding these fruits in me for a true convert may have both faith and fruits and for the time being under tryal and temptation may be so darkened that he can see nothing in himself but sin and apparent wrath pursuing him for sin as may be seen in Ionah in the belly of the fish Ionah 2. 4. and David Ps. 51 9 10. 4. I must put difference between my perswasion that I have been and am a true convert and a sincere believer and my perswasion that I have right reason and good warrand to believe in Christ in my lowest condition howsoever then I find my self emptied of all signes of saving grace in me for the time yet my perswasion that I should in this sad condition flye to Christ and believe in him doth serve to make me consent heartily unto the offer of the covenant of grace in Christ doth serve to make way for my justification and looseth all doubts and objections of Sathan tempting me to mis-believe and to run away from Christ and the offered mercy in him 5. And last of all I must put difference between making use of good fruits brought forth by me for confirmation of my faith and my putting confidence in or laying weight on these good fruits for many true converts do here fail and do not mark the mistakes for when they find love to God and his Saints with fear and holy reverence and such other like signes of grace in their hearts and outward fruits thereof in their life then they do believe in Christ and rejoice in him but when at another time they find hardnesse of heart profanity and perversenesse of a wicked nature in themselves they are like to quite their interest in the covenant of Grace and to stand aloof from Christ like strangers when they should most be humbled and creep in to him for remission of sin aâ—d hiding of their nakednesse by his imputed righteousnesse And what is this in effect else then in the first place to lean on their works and holy disposition as if there were merit in them and then after in the next place to believe in Christ who hath furnished them those fruits whereas they should in the sense of their sin and unworthinesse first flye to Christ and firmly adhere to him by faith that out of his fulnesse they may receive grace for grace according as we are taught to do by Christ himself Ioh. 15. 5. He that abideth in me and l in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me you can do nothing CHAP. VII Concerning the case of the convert in some point of doctrine deluded and pleasing himself in this condition TO speak of delusion and bewitching in the general requireth a large Treatise It shall suffice our purpose to speak of it as it hath place in the point of doctrine and practice erroneous Which we describe thus Delusion is a powerfull operation of a lying Spirit whereby he obtrudes to men some noysome error in doctrine or practise contrary to true doctrine fairded over with sophistical deceits and doth perswade inconsiderate souls effectually to receive the error for truth and to defend and spread it in their rash zeal For explication of which description we say 1. delusion is a powerfull operation of a lying Spirit wherein Sathan in Gods judgment is permitted to put forth his power in lying effectually Therefore in all his effectuall delusions there is a concurring righteous judgment of God in loosing reins to the rempter that by delusion one sin in one degree may be punished by a following sin in a higher degree No wonder therefore that a lying Spirit do work more effectually when he is not restrained by the powerfull hand of God 2. We say that delusion is in some dangerous error tending to the damage of the Church and hazard of souls And this we say not as if we did think that any sin doth not draw with it the merit of death for the wages of every sin is death but because Sathan is not so busie to spred and foment such errors as are lesse perillous as he is active in such errors which do most tend to pester the Church and divert the professors of religion from the path way of saving doctrine And to this purpose he essayes all means that he may obscure and darken the truth and devise and spread abroad the most pernicious errors Mean time he is not idle in sowing and spreading lesser errors that he may stir up contention and jangling in the Church whereby precious time which should be spent for mutual edification may be idly wasted in needlesse disputes and mens minds may be prepared to receive grosser errors Thirdly we put some difference between errors in doctrine and errors in practice albeit there cannot be one error in practice whether it be in the external worship or government of the Church or in outward conversation which being stiffly maintained hath not some error of judgment and doctrine joyned with it or else it should not be contrary to sound doctrine
the end of his life which he suffered both in soul and body they were the compleating of his formerly begun and running obedience but were not his only obedience for us or his only suffering for us for he had done and suffered much from his incarnation before his last passion and death but the highest degree of his obedience whereby he bought deliverance unto us from sin and misery and whereby he bought unto us immortality and eternall blessednesse in heaven was his death on the crosse compleating our ransom 3. Whereas some have said that one drop of His blood was sufficient to redeem moe worlds then one if there wre any moe it is but an inconsiderat speech and destitute of Scriptural authority for when Christ had suffered all things before the time of His death it behoved Him to be crucified also Luke 24. 26. but it behoved Him not to suffer more then justice required for a ransom but only as much as was agreed upon and no less could satisfie Now this commandment He received of the Father that He should lay down His life for His sheep Ioh. 10. 18. For the wisdom of God thought good to testifie His own holiness and hatred of sin and to testifie His love to the elect world and riches of His grace toward them to whom He would be mercifull by inflicting no less punishment of sin on the Mediator His own dear Son taking upon Himself full satisfaction to justice for all the sins of all the Elect given unto Him to redeem then the death both of His body and soul for a season And indeed it was suteable to His holy and soveraign Majesty that for the ransom of so many thousands and millions of damnable sinners and saving of them from everlasting torment of body and soul no less price should be payed by the Son of God made man and surety for them then His sufferings both in His body and soul for a season as much as should be equivalent to the due deserved punishment of them whom he should redeem and it became the justice of the infinite Majesty offended to be reconciled with so many rebels and to bestow upon them heaven and eternal blessedness for no less price then the sufferings of the eternal Son made man whose humiliation and voluntary obedience even to the death of the cross was of infinite worth and value and therefore he yieldeth himself to the sufferings agreed upon in the covenant of Redemption both in body and soul. Of the sufferings of Christ in His soul. OUr Lords sufferings in His body did not fully satisfie divine justice 1. because as God put a sanction on the law and covenant of Works made with us all in Adam that he and his should be lyable to death both of body and soul which Covenant being broken by sin all sinners became obnoxious to the death both of body and soul So the redeemed behoved to be delivered from the death of both by the Redeemers tasting of death in both kinds as much as should be sufficient for their redemption 2. As sin infected the whole man soul and body and the curse following on sin left no part nor power of the mans soul free So justice required that the Redeemer coming in the room of the persons redeemed should feel the force of the curse both in body and soul. Ob. But how can the soul die seing it is by the Ordinance of God in creation made immortal Ans. The death of the soul is not in all things like to the death of the body for albeit the spiritual substance of the soul be made immortal and not to be extinguished yet it is subject to its own sort of death which consists in the separation of it from communion with God in such and such degrees as justly may be called the death of the soul from which sort of death the immortality of the soul not only doth not deliver but also it doth augment it and perpetuat it till this death be removed Obj. But seing the humane sould of our Lord could never be separated from the permanent holiness wherewith it was endued in the first infusion of it in the body and could never be separated from the indissolvable personal union with the second person of the God-head assuming it how could His soul be subject to any degrees of death Ans. Albeit the con-natural holiness of the soul of Christ could not be removed nor the personal union of it be dissolved no not when the soul was separated from the body yet it was subject by Christs own consent to be emptied of strength-natural to be deprived for a time of the clearness of vision of its own blessedness and of the quiet possession of the formerly felt peace and of the fruition of joy for a time and so suffer an ecclipse of light and consolation otherwise shining from His God-head and so in this sort of spiritual death might undergo some degrees of spiritual death The degrees of the suffering of Christs holy soul. AMong the deprâ—â—s of the death suffered by Christ in His soul we may number first that habitual heaviness of spirit which haunted him all the dayes of His life as was foretold by Isa. 53. 3. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief We hear He weeped but never that he laughed and but very seldom that he rejoiced 2. He suffered in speciall sorrow and grief in the observation of the ingratitude of them for whom he came to lay down his life we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not Isa. 53. 3. 3. The hardnesse of mens hearts and the malice of his own covenanted people and the daily contumelies and despightfull usage he found from day to day increased his daily grief as by rivolets the flood is raised in the river he was despised and rejected of men Isa. 53. 3. 4. He was tempted in all things like unto us and albeit in them all never tainted with sin Heb. 4. 15. yet with what a vexation of his most holy soul we may easily gather by comparing the holinesse of our Lord with the holinesse of his servants to whom nothing is more bitter then the firie darts of the devil and his suggestions and sollicitations to sin especially if we consider the variety of temptations the hainousnesse of the sins whereunto that impudent and unclean spirit boldly sollicited his holinesse Matth. 4. and withall the importunity and pertinacy of the devil who never ceased partly by himself partly by those that were his slaves and partly by the corruption which he found in Christs disciples to pursue presse and vex the God of glory all the time he lived on earth 5. The guilt of all the sins crimes and vile deeds of the elect committed from the beginning of the world was imputed unto him by accepting of which imputation albeit he polluted not his Conscience yet he burdened his soul binding himself to bear
a most wise course so to execute the decree of election and Redemption as he shall be sure to bring in his own to himself and not open up his counsell in particular to the discouraging of any as is told by the father Isa. 52. 13. My servant shall deal prudently and prosper The chief mean appointed is the preaching of the Gospel to all nations commanding all men where the Gospel is by Gods providence preached to repent and believe in the Name of Jesus Christ and to love one another as he hath commanded them Acts 17. 30. and 1 Ioh. 3. 23. and they who refuse to obey are without excuse Another mean is the bringing of so many as professe their acceptation of the offer of grace by Christ Jesus them and their children into the bond of an expresse solemn covenant that they shall submit themselves to the doctrine and government of Christ and teach their children so to do as Abraham the father of believers did Gen. 18. 19. Matth. 28. 19. 20. make disciples of all nations or make all nations disciples to Me. A third mean is the sealing of the covenant by the Sacrament of baptism Matth. 28. 19. 20. make all nations disciples to Me baptizing them in the Name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost A fourth mean is the gathering them into all lawfull and possible communion with others his disciples that by their Church-fellowship one with another they may be edified under their officers appointed in Christs Testament to feed govern and lead them on in the obedience of all the commands which Christ hath commanded his people in his Testament by which means he goeth about his work and doth call effectually sanctifie and save his own redeemed ones leaving all others without excuse Concerning all these and other means and maner also of executing his decree it is agreed upon between the Father and His Son Christ as His holy Spirit hath revealed it to us in Scripture All which may be taken up in two heads the one is the agreement about the doctrine and directions given to His Church the other is about actions operations and all effects to be brought about for making his word good Concerning his doctrine Christ saith Ioh. 12. 49. 50. I have not spoken of my self but the Father who hath sent me he gave me a commandment what I should say and what I should speak and I know that his commandment is life everlasting whatsoever I speak therefore eveâ—â— as the Father said unto me so I speak Concerning actions and operations and the executiou of the decrees it is agreed also between the Father and the Son Ioh. 8. 16. If I judge my judgement is true for I am not alone but I and the Father that sent me and vers 29. He that sent me is with me the Father hath not left me alone for I do alwayes these things that please him and Joh. 6. 38. I came down from heaven not to do my own will without the consent of the Father but the will of him that sent me In a word the consent and agreement of the Father and the Son Jesus Christ our Lord is such that the Son â—oth nothing by his Spirit but that which the Father â—oth work by the same Spirit from the beginning of the world Ioh. 5. 17. My Father worketh hitherto and I work and Col. 1. 16. for by Christ were all things created that â—re in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible â—hether they be throns or dominions or principalities or 〈◊〉 〈…〉 created by him and for him He is alpha and Omega the beginning and the ending the first efficient and the last end of all things Rev. 1. 8. because for the glory of Christ the creation the covenant of works and the covenant of grace were made and had and shall have their full execution all for the glory of God in Christ by whom all things were made and do subsist CHAP. V. Of the Covenant of works WE have spoken of the first divine covenant wherein God and God incarnat are the parties it followeth to speak of the next divine covenant to wit the covenant of works between God and man Adam and his posterity made in mans integrity In which covenant God is only the one party of the covenant and man created with all naturall perfections is the other party In this covenant mans continuing in a happy life is promised upon condition of perfect personall obedience to be done by him out of his own naturall strength bestowed upon him as the Apostle teacheth us Gal. 3. 12. the Law is not of faith but the man who shall do these things shall live by them And unto this law or covenant of works is added a threatning of death in case man should transgresse the sense whereof is â—old by the Apostle Gal. 3. 10. cursed is every one who doth not abide in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them The difference between the law and the Covenant of works THe word Law is sometime taken for the mater or substance of the law of nature written in the hearts of our first Parents by creation the work of which law is to be found in the hearts of their posterity unto this day And in this sense the word Law is taken by the Apostle Rom. 2. 15. the Gentiles saith he shew the wrok of the Law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witnesse c. Sometime the word is taken for the formall covenant of works as Gal. 3. 10. as many as are of the works of the Law that is under the covenant of works are under the curse for it is written cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them 2. The law as it is taken for the covenant of works differeth from the law of nature written by creation in the hearts of our first Parents first because the law of nature written in the heart of man in order both of nature and time went before the covenant made for keeping that law because the covenant for keeping that law was not made till after mans creation and after his bringing into the garden to dresse it and to keep it Gen. 2. 16. 17. Secondly God by vertue of the law written in manâ— heart did not obliedge Himself to perpetuat mans happy life for albeit man had keeped that law most acuratly God was free to dispose of Him as he saw fit before he made the covenant with him But so soon as he made the covenant he oblieged himself to preserve him in a happy life so long as he should go on in obedience to his law and commands according to the tennor of the covenant do this and live Thirdly death was the naturall wages and merit of sin albeit there had no covenant been made at all for sin against God deserveth of its own nature
death of soul and body by the rule of simple justice whether the sinner had consented to the punishment or not But man by entering in the covenant actually gave a formall voluntary consent that death should sease upon him if he should sin as Evah beareth witnesse in her conference with the serpent while she doth repeat the condition put upon the breaking of the particular command given by God and accepted by man Gen. 3. 3. Fourthly when the covenant of works is abolished so far as it can neither justifie nor condemn the man that is â—led to Christ and entered in another posterior covenant of grace the naturall obligation of the man slandeth still for taking direction from and giving obedience to the law for it remaineth still the rule of a mans walking and it is impossible that a meer man should be exeemed from the authority of God over him and from subjection due by nature to his Creatour for upon this account that man is a reasonable creature understanding Gods will about his behaviour toward God he is alwayes bound for ever to love God with all his mind heart and strength and his neighbour as himself Neither can the naturall merit of sin be taken away nor death deserved be eshewed but by forgivenesse of it for Christs merits The covenant then was superadded unto the law in the deep wisdom of God for this way of dealing with man by a Covenant was of its own nature a most fit mean unto mans felicity and unto the glory of God How the Covenant of God with man was a mean to mans felicity THe Covenanting of God with man tended of its own nature to mans good and happiness First because a singular respect and honour was put upon man when he was made a confederat friend of God for if it be an honour to a mean and poor man to be joyned with a King or Prince in a formal bond of mutual friendship how much greater honour is it unto man to be joyned in a bond of mutual love and friendship with God Secondly before the making of the Covenant man had no promise made to him by God but so soon as the Covenant was made the Lord did freely obliege himself to give and made to man a right to ask and to expect of God with a ground of certainty to obtain of him such things as without promise 〈◊〉 he could not ask or at least he could not certainly expect to have granted unto him Thirdly before the making of the Covenant nothing hindred the Lord if he had pleased to command man to return to dust whereof he was but after the Covenant it pleased God by his own free promise to obliege himself to perpetuat mans happiness wherein he was made so long as he should go on in obedience Fourthly by the making of the Covenant a door was opened and a fair entry to a higher degree of felicity then he possessed by his creation for when a natural life and earthly felicity was given to Adam to enjoy upon the earth God by the Covenant made paction with him upon condition of perfect obedience to give him a life and felicity super-natural opposite unto death bodily and spiritual which was threatned unto him if he should transgress the command Fifthly Adam by the Covenant had a sort of help to make him keep the Law written in his heart more carefully and cautiously and a prop to make him stand more fixed for on the one hand he was advertised and forewarned of the danger of sinning that he might beware to offend God and on the other hand he was encouraged and allowed to serve God more chearfully and to perform due obedience to God the more diligently for in the Covenant the greatest reward that could be thought upon was set before him and promised unto him to wit eternal life upon his obedience and the greatest punishment threatned if he should dis-obey both which served greatly to move him to be constant in his obedience How Gods covenanting with man served for Gods glory IN Gods covenanting with man his glory did notably shine and shew forth it self to man First the goodness and bounty of God did manifest it self therein for in making a Covenant with man the Lord demitted himself and in a maner humbled himself to deal with man for the standing of mutual friendship between himself and man for ever and when we consider this as the Psalmist saith Ps. 8. 4. What is man that thou are mindfull of him and the Son of man that thou visitest him So may we say what is man or the Son of man that thou shouldest enter in covenant with him Secondly by covenanting with man God did show his wonderfull moderation for God is soveraign Monarch and absolute Emperour over his own creature to make of it what he pleaseth yet in covenanting with man he did sweetly temper his supreamacy seeking as it were to reign with mans consent And when because of his soveraign Authority and absolute Right and Interest he might have put upon man harder commands and conditions of the Covenant and these also altogether righteous and just he choosed to use such moderation that he would require nothing of man except that which man should and behoved in reason judge both a just and an easie yoke and in accepting the condition of the Covenant acknowledge it to be such Thirdly the Lord declared his wisdom in covenanting with man because when he had made man a reasonable creature he choosed to draw forth a free and voluntary service most suteable to his reasonable nature and that in a most sweet way to wit not only by giving unto man a most equitable Law but also by setting before the man by way of paction the highest reward that he could be capable of even life everlasting Fourthly in covenanting with man God did most wisely and holily have a respect to the glory of his own both soveraignty and holiness because after he had made man by nature good and holy albeit mutable and subject to change if the man pleased to essay another way he took course to help the mutability of his free will not only by setting a reward of obedience before him but also by a threatniug of punishment if he should transgress and so on the one hand and the other to hedge him in and guard him against all temptation unto sin that neither he should be forced by any external power to sin nor by any counsel or suggestion or moral swasion whereunto only man was exposed in the tryal of his obedience should have so strong motives to draw him to disobedience as the promise of God and the threatning should have force in all reason to keep him fast to his due and loyal obedience Thus was Adam fore-warned and fore-armed against whatsoever without himself might assault him for what reward for disobedience could be offered unto him so great as the favour of God and everlasting life in the
might weaken their faith and to rejoyce in believing and to be zealous for the Lords glory and carefull to bring forth more and more fruits of faith and love and working such other gracious works of his Spirit in his children as may more and more mortifie sin in them and perfect the image of God in his new creature This divine magisteriall and effectuall application of reall blessings belongeth to God only and is the end of all ministeriall application which is of the externall means appointed of God to be made use of by men the blessing whereof must be left to God to bestow on whom how and in what measure and in what time it pleaseth him as the Apostle doth shew unto us 1 Cor. 3. 6. I have planted and Apollos hath watered but God giveth the increase 3. The externall means which do serve unto the foresaid divine operations are 1. The doctrine of life and salvation set down in the Scripture to be heard and read by all men and meditat upon with prayer for a blessing And 2. sent ministers to whom God hath committed the word of reconciliation by whose ministery disciples may be made unto Christ out of all nations And 3. the administration of the Sacrament whereby they with their children are baptized and gathered together in severall Churches and put under the government of such Church-officers as his Testament hath appointed And 4. these Churches joyned together in the most edifying way of mutuall communion and strengthening one another in true doctrine pure worship and discipline which Gods providence doth make way for that the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus may continue and grow in the world and all his ordinances may be exercised publickly and privatly to the best advantage of the Church for perfecting of the Saints for the work of the ministery and for the edifying of the body of Christ as the Apostle requireth Ephes. 4. 12 13 14. 4. In the use of these external means and specially in the application of these three covenants prudence is required both in Pâ—stors and people to which intent and purpose these following considerations may serve 1. The remedy of every sicâ—ness of the conscience must be grounded on the doctrine of salvation set down in Scripture which doctrine 〈…〉 be known and believed by the porty 〈◊〉 before he can receive benefit thereby And 〈…〉 a prudent application of wholsom and saving doctrine may be made of necessity the party diseased must be acquâ—â—ared with the doctrine to be applyed unto him before he can make use thereof to his advantage for experience teacheth us how hardly gross ignorants can be convinced of sin add how hardly such can be comforted when their conscience is wakened with the terrours of God because they neither know from the Word of God the cause of the terrour and anxiety wherein they are nor can they be capable of the remedy of their evill except they first be catechised in the heads of saving doctrine hâ—ld forth in the Law and Gospel which instruction can hardly be given or received in a short time and howsoever a prudent Pastor must make use of time as it is offered yet when death is near to the party to be instructed how little is it that can be expected to be done 2. The order of applying saving doctrine doth not begin at the application either of the covenant of Redemption or at the covenant of Grace but he that will follow a right order must begin at the law and covenant of works under the yoke whereof we are all born by nature children of wrath And if a man apply that covenant and law to his heart and subscribe his own dittey and deserved condemnation then may he turn up his soul to Christ Jesus the Redeemer and flye to him for refuge and accept the offer which he makes in his Gospel of a new covenant of grace for pardoning of sin and reconciling unto God in himself the person who is fled unto him and for sanctifying and saving of him which covenant when a chased soul doth consent unto and layeth hold on Christ offered for relief from sin wrath death and hell then may he ascend by faith unto the covenant of Redemption and apply to himself with Gods allowance all the saving graces purchased by Christ by that covenant to all that flye unto him and believe in him 3. This order of making use of these three covenants many do not follow but they begin at the covenant of Redemption and will either be satisfied about this whether they be elected or not given to Christ to be redeemed or not which is a secret and not to be inquired into save in Gods order as we have shown or else they will not enter upon the use-making of these means which God hath appointed to bring a man to repentance and faith in Christ. This is a tentation of Sathan which if they yield unto it shall lead them either to resolute profanity with Cain or to anxious desperation with Iudas 4. There are some also who make leap-year of the covenant of works and do take no notice of their own naturall sinfulness or wrath due to them and lying on them by nature but neglecting this order do start a race and run to a presumptuous avouching of their faith in Christ and will thrust in themselves in the number of the elect given before the world was unto Christ to be redeemed and saved pretending their believing of the Gospel when they have not believed the doctrine of the law and so do turn the grace of God into lasciviousness and wantonness and go about the satisfying and fulfilling of their own lusts Wherefore it is necessary that every man who seeketh to be saved and hath resolved to follow Gods way to attain unto salvation do begin first at the covenant of works and examine himself according to the rule of the morall law how he hath behaved himself in obedience unto the first and second table and having sound a dittey great enough that he judge himself and passe sentence on himself as guilty and worthy of everlasting wrath for his sins Secondly when he is convinced of sin and deserved wrath and of his own utter impotency to deliver himself then let him flee to Christ and lay hold on the grace offered in the Gospel applying the same to his burthened conscience according to the tennor of the covenant of grace fully revealed in the Gospel And thirdly when he hath in earnest consented unto the covenant of grace and reconciliation and hath laid hold on Christ with unfaigned faith seeking in him remission of sin and renovation of life being resolved by the grace of Christ to use the means appointed of him for that end Now it is time and not till now to look up unto the covenant of Redemption and there to read his own name as it were written in the book of life and to acknowledge that the measure of repentance and
to invocat his holy name for the right use-making of his affliction The ninth question is how remission of sin may be said to be granted in respect of sins to come IT is commonly said that the convert in his justification hath the remission of sins by-gone and sins to come whereupon the question is moved how this can stand with daily renewed remission of daily sins on the one hand daily renewed remission seemeth not necessary first because we believe that remission of all sin is the priviledge of all believers in Christ and the abridgement of the special articles of faith set down in the Apostles Creed as it is called holdeth this forth 2. Because it is certain that Christ in his death did compleat the payment of the price of redemption from all sin as 1 Ioh. 1. 7. The blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth us from all sins 3. We are said to be not under the law but under grace and so fred from the curse of the law 4. Because if daily remission of sin be necessar to be granted then it presuppones that both original sin and every actual sin flowing forth from it daily must be taken notice of reckoned for and repented of daily which is impossible On the other hand the convert seeth that every transgression of and disconformity to the law is sin and the Apostle 1 Ioh. 1. 8. speaking of himself and other converts saith If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us And Christ hath taught us as oft as we pray for our daily bread to pray also for the remission of sins The question is how the doubt of the convert may be cleared 2. For answer We must grant to the convert that original sin remaineth in the believer and is not only an exceeding sin as the Apostle calleth it Rom. 7. 13. but also is the fountain of all actual sins which doth pollute the conscience and sometimes also the outward man 2. We must grant also that there cannot be an actual and properly called remission of sins which are not yet committed for no man is guilty of that fault wherewith he cannot be charged for such a remission were a dispensation and licence to sin such as the Pope granteth to his slaves to gratifie them in allowing their vile lusts for inriching himself with the price of that iniquity 3. If such an actual remission of sins were given in justification the once justified person could never become a daily debtor by his daily transgressions contrary to the declaration of Christ in one of the articles of the Lords prayer 3. For solving the doubt then we must distinguish the significations and acceptions of remission of sin For 1. it is taken for remission purchased by Christ by virtue of the covenant of Redemption in favours of the elect but not applied unto the elect before the mans conversion Heb. 10. 12 13 14. But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever sat down on the right hand of God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his foot-stool For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified 2. It is taken for remission promised by Christ to all that shall believe in him to be bestowed on them so soon as they shall turn to him Act. 26. 18. Thirdly it is taken for the sentence of absolution judicially applyed and adjudged to the actual believer Eph. 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace 4. For the actual remission of all sins past before his conversion Rom. 3. 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God 5. For a constant right to daily remission of sin and accesse to the fountain opened up in the house of David that is to all the children of the houshold of faith in Christ Zech. 13. 1. In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness 4. So then the convert hath first the actual remission of all sins preceeding his conversion and withall his state changed from being a child of Sathan to be a child of God Secondly he hath right unto daily remission of sins as they fall out after conversion for Christ speaking of the remission had in the time of conversion calleth it a washing of the whole man Joh. 13. 10 He that is washen needeth not to wash save his feet but is wholly clean to wit for the state of his person accepted in Christ and for the application of his right unto daily remission Christ teacheth all his disciples daily to pray for it which Christ calleth the washing of the believers feet Joh. 13. 10. 5. For answer to the objections made against the necessity of daily renewed remission of sin let it be remembred that the article of our Creed is so far from making daily remission of sin not necessar that of necessity it must be extended not only to the remission of sins past before conversion but also to the right made unto us for daily remission of the sins which run daily from the relicts of corrupt nature not fully mortified for otherwayes the believer could not have quiet consolation in the daily exercise of renewed repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. 2. As to the second objection concerning the perfect purchase made by Christ of remission by-past and to come It doth prove indeed that there is no other sacrifice for sin nor price of redemption from sin save that which was compleated on the crosse but it doth not prove that we must only once make application of this purchase for Christ keepeth the full purchase in his own hand and doth let forth the application thereof as we stand in need in his own order and by degrees till he perfect us in sanctification and glorification also 6. As for the third objection we must not think that when we are loosed from the Law as a covenant of Works we are loosed also from the commands of the Law for the covenant of Works prescribed in the Law is posterior both in order of nature and time to the natural writing of the Law in mans heart Rom. 2. 15. And therefore when the covenant of the law of Works is taken off the authority of the Law to direct and command all moral duties doth remain and can no more be dissolved then the obligation of the reasonable creature to be obedient to the Creator can be abolished and therefore when the believer falleth in a transgression he meriteth death and destruction as the wages of sin But Christ our Advocat who liveth for ever to make intercession for us holds off the execution of deserved wrath and giveth to the believer the grace of renewed repentance
power according to His own pleasure to dispose of men looked upon as lying before God to Whom all things are present in sin and death drawn on by maâ—s own deserving and yet for the glory of His grace resolving to save the elect so as His justice shall be satisfied for them in and by the second Person of the Trinity the co-eternall and co-essentiall Son of the Father 4. This covenant of redemption then may be thus described It is a bargain agreed upon between the Father and the Son designed Mediatour concerning the elect lying with the rest of manking in the state of sin and death procured by their own merit wisely and powerfully to be converted sanctified and saved for the Son of Gods satisfaction and obedience in our nature to be assumed by Him to be given in due time to the Father even unto the death of the crosse In this bargain or agreement the Scripture importeth clearly a selling and a buying of the elect Acts 20. 28. Feed the Church of God which He hath purchased by His own blood 1 Cor. 6. 20. ye are bought with a price and 1 Pet. 1. 18. The seller of the elect is God the buyer is God incarnat the persons bought are the Church of the elect the price is the blood of God to wit the blood of Christ who is God and man in one person This covenant of redemption is in effect one with the eternall decree of redemption wherein the salvation of the elect and the way how it shall be brought about is fixed in the purpose of God who worketh all things according to the counsell of His own Will as the Apostle sets it down Ephes. 1. unto the 15 verse And the decree of redemption is in effect a covenant one God in three persons agreeing in the decree that the second Person God the Son should be incarnat and give obedience and satisfaction to divine justice for the elect unto which piece of service the Son willingly submitting Himself the decree becometh a reall covenant indeed But for further satisfaction that there is such a covenant between the Father and the Son as we have said for redeeming of the elect Scripture giveth us evidence six wayes The first way is by expressions which import presuppose a formall covenant between the parties buying and selling the second way is by styles and titles given to Christ the Redeemer the third is by expressions relating to an eternall decree for execution and performance of the covenant of redemption the fourth is by representation of this covenant in the Leviticall types the fifth is by Christ the Redeemer now incarnat His ratification of the covenant and the sixth way is by holding forth to us the heads and articles agreed upon wherein the covenant consists The first poof AS to the expressions importing a formall covenant first Ephes. 1. 7. it is called a redemption or a buying of the elect out of sin and misery by blood shewing that no remission of sin could be granted by Justice without sheding of blood and Christ undertook to pay the price and hath payed it Again the inheritance which the elect have promised unto them is called a purchase importing that the disponer of the inheritance to the elect must have a sufficient price for it and that the Redeemer hath accepted the condition and laid down the price craved for it Ephes. 1. 14. and so bought back lost heaven and forfeited blessednesse to so many sinners who otherwayes for sin might justly have been excluded and debarred therefrom for ever A third expression is holden forth Acts 20. 28. wherein God disponer and God Redeemer are agreed that the elect shal go free for God the Redeemer's obedience unto the death who hath now bought them with His blood A fourth expression is in plain terms set down by Paul 1 Cor. 6. 20. Ye are bought with a price God the disponer selleth and God the Redeemer buyeth the elect to be His conquest both body and spirit And Peter more particularly expresseth the price of redemption agreed upon to be not gold or silver but the blood of the Mediatour Christ the innocent Lamb of God slain in typicall prefigurations from the beginning of the World and slain in reall performance in the fulnesse of time 1 Pet. 1. 18. 19. 20. 21. A fifth expression is that of our Lord Jesus in the institution of the Sacrament of His Supper Matth. 26. 28. This is my blood of the new Testament which is shed for many for remission of sins Here an agreement between the Redeemer and God disponer that these many which are the elect shall have remission of sins for the Redeemers ransom of blood payed for them The purchase of this ransom of blood He maketh over in the Covenant of grace and reconciliation to believers in Him and sealeth the bargain with them by the Sacrament of His Supper The second proof THe second evidence of this Covenant of Redemption past between God and God the Son Mediatour designed is from such titles and styles as are given to Christ in relation to the procureing of a Covenant of grace and reconciliation between God and us First He is called a Mediatour of the Covenant of reconciliation interceeding for procureing of it and that not by a simple intreaty but by giving Himself over to the Father calling for satisfaction to Justice that reconciliation might go on for paying a compensatory price sufficient to satisfie Justice for the elect 1 Tim. 2. 5. 6. There is one God and one Mediatour between God and man to wit God incarnat the man Christ Iesus who gave Himself a ransom for all to wit elect children to be testified in due time Another title is given to Him by Job Chap. 19. 24. Where He is called a Redeemer a near kinsman who before His incarnation had oblieged Himself to take on humane nature and to pay the price of Redemption represented by slain sacrifices for the elect His kinsmen A third title is held out in that He is called a Surety of a better Covenant Heb. 7. 22. Whereby is imported that God would not passe a Covenant of grace and reconciliation to men except He had a good Surety who would answer for the debt of the party reconciled and would undertake to make the reconciled stand to his Covenant And Christ undertook the Suretyship and so hath procured and established this Covenant of grace much better then the Covenant of works and better then the old Covenant of grace with Israel as they made use of it This necessarily imports a Covenant between Him and the Fathers Justice to whom He becometh surety for us for what is suretiship but a voluntary transferring of anothers debt upon the Surety oblieging to pay the debt for which he ingageth as Surety A fourth title given to Christ is that He is a reconciliation by way of permutation the atonement Rom. 5. 11. We have by Christ received the atonement that is
water in a glasse which howsoever it be troubled and tossed remaineth most pure and free of all muddinesse Obj. But at least was there not a conflict in our Lord between his faith and the temptation to doubting Ans. We grant not only a conflict of Christs humane naturall strength with the burden of affliction but also a conflict and wrestling of his faith against the temptation to doubting for wrestling doth not alwayes argue the infirmity of the wrestler for the Angel who is called God Hos. 12. wrestles with Iacob and in God was no infirmity Again wrestling doth not argue alwayes infirmity but doth only evidence the wrestlers power and the importunat obstinacy of an adversary who being repulsed and cast down doth not at first leave the field but riseth up again insists and presseth on so long as it pleaseth the most powerfull party to suffer the adversary to make opposition Obj. But you must grant that in the conflict of Christs humane naturall strength with the affliction and burden of the punishment laid upon him by the Father he was overcome and succumbed and died Ans. Yes indeed but we must put a difference between the conflict of naturall strength with the burden of affliction and the conflict between faith and a temptation unto sin in the conflict of holy humane nature in Christ with the punishment of our sins laid on Him it was not a sin to have his naturall strength overpowered and to lye down under the burden and to lay down his life and die but it was a main part of His obedience it was the performance of His promise and undertaking to yield himself to Justice and to die for us that we might be delivered from death eternall But in the wrestling of His faith with the temptation unto doubting it had been a sin to have yielded in the least degree and that which could not consist with the perfect holinesse of the Mediatour Surety for sinners Obj. But did not the perplexity of His thoughts and the anxiety of His mind diminish something of the vigour and constancy of his faith Ans. It did diminish nothing of the vigour and constancy of His faith for there is a great difference between the troubling of the thoughts and the hesitation or weakening of faith as there is also a great difference between the perturbations of the mind and the perturbation of the conscience For as the mind may be troubled when in the consideration of some difficulty it cannot at first perceive an outgate mean-time the conscience remaining sound and quiet so may the work of the mind 's discoursing be interrupted and at a stay for a time faith mean time remaining untouched wholly sound and quiet For example upon the sudden receiving of a wound or upon an unexpected report of some great losse such as befell Iob the wheels of the reasoning faculty may be at a stand for a time and the conscience in the mean time be quiet yea and faith in the mean time remain strong as we see in Iobâ— first exercise Now if this may be found in an holy imperfect man in any measure why shall we not consider rightly of the exercise of the holy one of Israel suffering in His humane nature the punishment of our sin Let us consider but one of the passages of our Lords exercise Ioh. 12. 27. 28. Now saith He My Soul is troubled wherein behold the perplexity of His mind smitten with the horrour of the curse due to us coming upon Him then cometh forth what shall I say wherein behold reason standing mute and altogether silent only He lets forth the confession of His perplexity presently after this He subjoyneth Father save Me from this hour wherein behold Holy nature trembling and shrinking to fall into the wrath of the Father and according to the principles of holy nature testifying the simple abhorrency of His soul from such an evill as is the wrath of God His Father which had it not been for love to save our souls He could not have yielded his humane nature to endure or bear it therefore He considering that we were but lost for ever if He should not suffer wrath for us He repeats the sum of the Covenant of Redemption agreed upon But for this cause came I unto this hour And last of all shuts up His speech and exercise in the triumphing voice of victorious and untainted faith Father glorifie thy Name and here He resteth wherewith the Father is so well pleased as that from heaven He speaketh to the hearing of the multitude standing by I have both glorified it and will glorifie it again 10. Among the deepest degrees of the suffering of Christ in His soul we reckon that desertion whereof Christ on the crosse giveth an account crying out My God My God why hast Thou forsaken Me By which speech He doth not mean that then the personall union of the natures was in him dissolved nor yet that God had withdrawn His sustaining strength and help from the humane nature nor that the love of the Father was taken off him nor that any point of the perfection of holinesse was taken from him but his true intent is to shew that God for a time had taken away sensible consolation and felt joy from His humane Soul that so justice might in His sufferings be the more fully satisfied And this is the forsakeing of Him here given to us to understand In which desertion Christ is not to be looked upon simply as He is in His own person the Son of the Father in whom He is alwayes well pleased but as He standeth in the room of sinners Surety and Cautioner paying their debt In which respect He behoved to be dealt with as standing in our name guilty and paying the debt of being forsaken of God which we were bound to suffer fully and for ever if He had not interposed for us 11. The last degree of Christs sufferings wherein He may be said to have descended into hell so far as Scripture in the old Testament or the hystory of Christs passion in the new will suffer us to expound that expression is that curse wherein the full wrath of God and the dregs of that horrible cup was poured forth upon His holy humane nature while heaven and earth and hell seemed to conspire to take vengeance on Him and fully to punish our sins in the person of Him our Surety by that cursed death of the crosse which was the evidence foretold of the malediction of God lying on Him in so far as was necessary to compleet the punishment of losse and feeling both in soul and body And therefore not without ground have Orthodox divines taken-in Christs suffering in His soul and the detaining of His body in the grave put in as the close and last part of Christs sufferings as the true meaning of that expression He descended into hell not only because these pains which Christ suffered both in body and soul were
due to us in full measure but also because that which Christ suffered in the point of torment and vexation was in some respect of the same kind with the torment of the damned for in the punishment of the damned we must necessarily distinguish these three things 1. the perverse disposition of the mind of the damned in their sufferings 2. the duration and perpetuity of their punishment and 3. the punishment it self tormenting soul and body The first two are not of the essence of punishment albeit by accident they are turned into a punishment for the wickednesse vilenesse and unworthinesse of the damned who neither will nor can submit themselves to the punishment and put the case they should submit are utterly unable to make satisfaction for ever do make them in a desperat dolefull condition for ever though obstinat sinners do not apprehend nor believe this but go on in treasuring up wrath against themselves pleasing themselves in their own dreams to their own endlesse perdition Of these three the first two could have no place in Christ Not the first because He willingly offered Himself a sacrifice for our sins and upon agreement payed the ransom fully Not the second because He could no longer be holden in the sorrows of death then He had satisfied Justice and finished what was imposed on Him and His infinit excellency made His short suffering to be of infinit worth and equivalent to our everlasting suffering The third then remaineth which is the reall and sensible tormenting of soul and body in being made a curse for us and to feel it so in His reall experience And what need we question hellish pain where pain and torment and the curse with felt wrath from God falleth on and lyeth still till Justice be satisfied Concerning which it is as certain that Christ was seased upon by the dolours of death as it is certain in Scripture that He could not be holden of the sorrows of death Acts. 2. 24. Quest. But what interest had Christ God-head in His humane sufferings to make them both so short and so precious and satisfactory to Justice for so many sins of so many sinners especially when we consider that God cannot suffer Ans. Albeit this passion of the humane nature could not so far reach the God-head of Christ that it should in a physicall sense suffer which indeed is impossible yet these sufferings did so affect the person that it may truly be said that God suffered and by His blood bought His people to Himself Acts 20. 28. for albeit the proper and formall subject of physicall suffering be only the humane nature yet the principall subject of sufferings both in a physicall and morall sense is Christs person God and man from the dignity whereof the worth and excellency of all sort of sufferings the merit and the satisfactory sufficiency of the price did flow And let it be considered also that albeit Christ as God in His God-head could not suffer in a physicall sense yet in a morall sense He might suffer and did suffer for in as much as He being in the form of God and without robbery equall to God did demit His person to assume humane nature and empty Himself so far as to hide His glory and take on the shape of a servant and expose Himself willingly to all the contradiction of sinners which He was to meet with and to all railings revilings contempt despisings and calumnies shall it seem nothing and not enter in the count of our Lords payment for our debt Obj. But how could so low a downthrowing of the Son of man or of the humane nature assumed by Christ consist with the Majesty of the person of the Son of God Ans. We must distinguish in Christ these things which are proper to either of the two natures from these things which are ascribed to His person in respect of either of the natures or both the natures for infirmity physicall suffering or mortality are proper to the humane nature The glory of power and grace and mercy and superexcellent Majesty and such like are proper to the Deity but the sufferings of the humane nature are so far from diminishing the glory of the divine nature that they do manifest the same and make it appear more clearly for by how much the humane nature was weakned depressed and despised for our sake by so much the love of Christ God and man in one person toward man and His mercy and power and grace to man do shine in the eyes of those that judiciously look upon Him Obj. But seing Christs satisfaction for sinners doth not stand in any one part of His doings and sufferings but in the whole and intire precious pearl and compleet price of His whole obedience from His incarnation even to the death of His crosse how cometh it to passe that in Scripture the whole expiation of our sins is ascribed so oft to His passion and particularly to His blood Ans. This cometh to passe 1. Because the certainty and verity of His assumed humane nature and the certainty of His reall suffering and the fulfilling of all the leviticall sacrifices did most evidently appear unto sense in the effusion of His blood 2. Because the expression of His sufferings both in soul and body appeared in the effusion of His blood for in the garden while His body was not as yet touched or hurt by man from the meer pains of His soul drops of blood fell down out of all His body to the earth 3. Because His blood-sheding and death was the last act of compleeting the payment of the ransom to the Father for us which payment began in His humble incarnation and went on through all His life and was compleeted in His bloodshed and death whereof our Lord gave intimation on the crosse when He cryed as triumphantly victorious it is finished The use of this article of the covenant of Redemption WE have at some length spoken of the price of Redemption and of Christs defraying the debt by His passion 1. That hereby the merit of our sins may the more clearly be seen 2. That the sublimity and excellency of divine Majesty offended by sin may appear 3. That we may behold the severity of Gods justice till He have satisfaction and reparation in some sort of the injuries done to Him 4. That the admirable largenesse of Gods mercy may be acknowledged and wondered at For in the price of Redemption payed as in a mirror we may see how greatly the Lord hateth sin how great His love is to the world in sending his Son Christ amongst us how heavy the wrath of God shall lye upon them that flee not to Christs satisfaction for their delivery how great the dignity and excellency of the Lord our Redeemer is for whose cause reconciliation is granted to all that take hold of the offer of grace through him how great the obligation of believers is to love God and serve him and how
fellowship of God promised to him if he continued fast in obedience and what terror could be so great to afright and skar him from sin as the threatning of death bodily and spiritual if he transgressed Quest. But the profane curiosity of man dareth to ask a reason why God did not make man both good by nature and immutably good also Ans. It is indeed proud curiosity to enquire for reasons of God's holy will which hath its own most sufficient reason in its self and may satisfie all his subjects who will not devilishly prefer their own wisdom and counsel to his But we shall content our selves soberly to answer the question thus To be both originally or by nature good and unchangeably good also beseemeth God himself only as his property and prerogative which it became his Majesty to reserve to himself as the fountain of all goodness and not to communicat this glory either to Man or Angel in their creation that the due distance between God and the natural perfections of the creature should not only be provided for but made manifest to the creature also It 's true Christs humane nature was so sanctified in his conception that there was no possibility that sin should be in it but let us consider that Christs person which did assume the humane nature into personal union with his God-head is not a creature and to assume the humane nature into a personal union with his divine nature is the proper priviledge of God over all blessed for ever And what the humane nature of Christ hath of holiness it hath it not of it self but of grace from the second person of the God-head who did assume it And the Angels that stood when the mutability of angelical nature was manifested in the fall of many of them did stand by the grace of free confirmation of them in their station Fifthly God in covenanting with man made way for the demonstration of his most holy Justice in the execution of punishment which was not only the natural wages and deserved reward of sin but also by paction and covenant appointed by mutual consent of parties if man so much obliged to God should break so equitable and easie a command as was given to try him by being fore-warned of his danger Sixthly this way of covenanting with man was a most holy and fit mean to manifest the vanity and instability of the most perfect creature except in the exercise of all its abilities and habits it do acknowledge God and in every thing less and more constantly imploy him and depend upon him Last of all this was a most holy mean to bring forth to light the grace and mercy of God in Christ providing a remedy for fallen man before he fell and to open up the decree and covenant of Redemption in due time to be brought about by Christ to the glory of God in Christ by whom and for whom all things were made Col. 1. 16. Quest. Had this Covenant of works no Mediatour no Surety ingaged for Adam and all his posterity Ans. No Mediatour was in this Covenant for the party on the one hand was God and on the other hand was Adam and Eve our common parents standing upon the ground of their natural abilities representing and comprehending all their natural off-spring and according to the condition of the Covenant in their own name and name of their posterity promising obedience and receiving the condition of life if they continued and of death in case they failed Gen. 2. 17. In whose sin we all have sinned Rom. 5. 12. Now the necessity of a Mediatour did not appear in this Covenant so long as it stood that afterward in the making of another Covenant it might more timously appear First because man being created holy according to the image of God was the friend of God while he had not sinned and again his service while he stood in obedience was very pleasant and acceptable to God because so long freely and sincerely he served God according to the command and rule written in his heart Quest. After that his Covenant was broken was it not abolished altogether seing it could not now be any longer perfectly obeyed nor save us who are sinners Ans. Albeit this Covenant being broken on mans part did become weak and utterly unable to produce Justification by works or eternal life to us by our inherent righteousnesse yet on Gods part the bond of this Covenant doth stand firm and strong against all men by nature for their condemnation who are not reconciled to God Wherefore all that are not renewed and made friends with God by another Covenant of faith in God incarnat the seed of the woman who destroyeth the work of the devil do lye bound under the bond of this Covenant of works as Christ testifies Ioh. 3. 18. He that believeth on me is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already to wit by the force of the Covenant of works violated by them and are nor delivered from the curse by Christ the Son of God till they fly to him And this doth the Apostle confess speaking of himself and other elect Jews before their regeneration Ephes. 2. 3. We also were children of wrath even as others for whosoever is not reconciled to God by Christ against him doth the sentence of the Law and curse for violation of the Covenant stand in force for sinning against the Covenant doth not loose the man from the Covenant neither from the obligation to obey it nor from the punishment of breaking it Obj. But seing a man is utterly unable to obey the Law or to keep that Covenant doth not his utter inability excuse him and dissolve the bond Ans. No wayes Because that inability is the fruit of our sin and is drawn on by our selves nor doth God lose his right to crave the debt due to him because the Bankrupt is not able to pay what he oweth For even among men such as have mis-spent their patrimony are not absolved of their debt because they are not able to pay the debt yea even the children of the mis-spender of his goods do stand debtors so long as the debt is neither payed nor forgiven The Covenant of works therefore being broken the obligation standeth to make us give obedience so much the more in time to come and because of the curse pronounced for the breaking of the Covenant in time past the obligation to under-lye the punishment for by-gone sins doth stand and so both the obligation to underlye the punishment and the obligation to give obedience do stand together while a man is not absolved from the Covenant of works by entring in a new Covenant whereby the debt is payed and the sinner absolved Whosoever then conceive that they may be justified from by-gone sins by their own obedience in time to come either by way of doing or of suffering they but deceive themselves dreaming they can do impossibilities for the punishment to
be suffered for sin by the sinner is the curse-everlasting of soul and body seing a meer creature cannot for ever satisfie for his rebellion how long soever we presuppose his duration under suffering And for obedience by way of doing perfectly what the Law doth crave it is utterly impossible because we are carnal sold under sin and cannot satisfie the Law and because we cannot satisfie the Law the Law becometh weak and unable to justifie and save us Rom. 8. 3. How the Covenant of works may be called the Covenant of nature ALbeit the Law written by nature in mens heart differeth from the Covenant for performance of the Law as hath been shown before yet the Covenant of works made with Adam before he fell tying him to keep that Law may be called the Covenant of nature First because the Covenant of works is grounded upon the Law of nature and doth exact nothing of man save that which God might require of him according to the Law of nature Secondly because when the Covenant of works was made with Adam it was made with all his natural posterity which was to spring of him by natural generation and so the obligation thereof did pass upon all his natural posterity by the Law of nature which maketh the child begotten to bear the image of the begetters Thirdly that the Covenant of works may justly be called the Covenant of nature appeareth by the force of the conscience being wakened from its sleepy security for it challengeth for sin according to that Covenant and pronounceth the sentence of God's wrath against the sinner For the conscience doth acknowledge the Judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death Rom. 1. 32. Fourthly because the conscience naturally inclineth a man to seek justification by his own works if it can any way find pretence for it as we may see in the Pharisee who in his speech to God doth judge himself a holy man because he is not amongst the worst of men and hath many good works above others to reckon forth and lay before God Luk. 18. 11. Fifthly the inclination of mans heart to expect a reward of every good work he doth whether it be in some part reall or only apparently such testifieth so much Iudg. 17. 13. Micah so reasoneth Now know I the Lord will do me good seing I have a Levit to my Priest And how miserably the conscience may be deluded in this case when men do dote upon their own well-deserving appeareth in Leah for Gen. 30. 18. Leah saith God hath given me my hire because I have given my maiden to my husband Sixthly this point is also made manifest by the natural ignorance of righteousness by faith and affectation to be justified by works which the Apostle finds fault-with in the Israelits Rom. 9. 31. They sought righteousness not by faith but as it were by works And Rom. 10. 3. being ignorant of the righteousness of God and going about to establish their own righteousness to wit righteousness by works according to the tenour of the Covenant of works they did not submit themselves to the righteousness of God Seventhly the same course followed by Papists and other erroneous teachers testifieth the natural inclination of men to seek righteousness by works according to the tenour of the Covenant of works and not by faith in Christ Jesus that righteousness may come by grace only And so are some mens hearts glued to this error that they do transform justification by faith in justification by one work in stead of all as if the work of faith were the mans righteousness and not Christ him-himself laid hold on by faith Not considering that to the man that renounceth all confidence in any work of his own and flieth to Christ by faith Christ is made of God unto that man wisdom and righteousness 1 Cor. 1. 30. Last of all this natural inclination even of the regenerat to seek righteousness by works doth prove the Covenant of works to be naturally ingraft in all mens hearts as appeareth in the Galatians who being instructed in the doctrine of justification by faith in Christ without the works of the Law did easily upon a tentation offered look back with likeing to the way of Justification by works for which the Apostle reproveth them Gal. 4. 21. Tell me saith he ye that desire to be under the Law or Covenant of works and ver 9. But now after ye have known God or rather are known of God how turn ye again to weak and beggarly elements whereunto you desire again to be in bondage Obj. But the Galatians as it seemeth did not reject Justification by faith but did joyn with it Justification by the works of the Law thinking that the safest way was to joyn both together Ans. The inconsistency of these two wayes of Justification the Apostle sheweth Rom. 11. 6. For Justification by grace is no more by works otherwise grace is no more of grace and what Justification is by works is no more of grace otherwise work is no more works And therefore the Apostle makes the joyning of these two wayes of Justification to be nothing else but a plain seeking of Justification by the Covenant of works which cutteth a man off from any benefit by Christ Gal. 5. 2. and whosoever seeketh to be justified by the Lawâ— or Covenant of works is fallen from grace ver 4. For further clearing this matter we may distinguish two sorts of the Covenant of works The one is true genuine and of God's institution which God made with all men in Adam for perfect obedience unto God's Law out of mans own natural abilities There is another counterfeit bastard covenant of works of mans own devising which a sinner lying in his sins unable to do what the Law commands or to suffer what the Law being broken binds upon him of his own head devileth upon other conditions then God hath set and will have God to take his devised covenant in stead of perfect obedience to the Law that so he may be justified Such was the covenant which the carnal Israelits made with God in the wilderness and which their posterity did follow turning the Covenant of grace whereunto God was calling them into a covenant of works of their own framing For the grace which was offered to them in Christ under the vail of levitical types figures and ceremonies they turned into an external service of performance only of bare and dead ceremonies and into a ministry of the letter and death for they did not take up Christ to be the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believes in him but did think that both the moral and ceremonial Law was given unto them of God to the intent that they should do the external works of the moral Law so far as they could and when they transgressed the moral Law they should fly to the ceremonial Law and make amends for their faults by
convince them of their need of Christ and duty of following Him to fix and strengthen their hearty purpose to cleave unto the Lord. Such as are the Lords command to believe in Christ and love one another 1 Ioh. 3. 23. and His threatening if they believe not Ioh. 3. 18. and 1 Ioh. 5. 10. 11. The fourth mean is the gathering of these that have imbraced this covenant into all lawfull and possible Church-communion with other His disciples and fixing them in their severall congregations that they may be edified under their Officers appointed by Christ in His Testament in their most holy faith and obedience of all His ordinances And for further clearing the way of Gods bringing the visible Church of Christ into this covenant with Himself let it be considered 1. Albeit of those that are come to the use of reason with whom God doth formally and solemnly make this covenant of grace and reconciliation many are externally only called and few in comparison chosen Matth. 20. 21. yet it is not the will of God otherwayes then by doctrine to separat the elect from the rest of them that are externally called or to make the elects name known to the world for the kirk knoweth not but God only knoweth who are His 2 Tim. 2. 19. And therefore He hath ordained means common to the elect and reprobat to bring both unto the externall embracing of His covenant and continuing externally therein and He doth bestow gifts both to the one sort and to the other and He worketh in both the one sort and the other according to His own will But as for inward and effectuall calling or speciall saving graces which do accompany salvation and the speciall operations of the holy Spirit He reserveth to the elect and redeemed only to whom in a time acceptable He revealeth Himself and sealeth them for His own service 2. By this wise and holy dealing with the hearers of the Gospel whereby the Lord so makes good the covenant of Redemption and bringeth His decrees to passe as none shall have just reason to stumble no wonder that many be compassed within the draught-net of the Gospel and be moved to enter into this holy and blessed covenant of whom there may be elect not as yet converted whereup on by Gods appointment followeth a solemn covenanting of all that consent to the condition of the covenant and professe their faith in Christ all whom with their children Christ translates from the Pagan world into His visible kingdom and fellowship of His Church militant and grants unto them right to the common priviledges of Citizens in the order appointed in His word that keeping all lawfull and possible communion with the Catholick visible Church of Christ they may be edified in their particular congregaâ—ions and governed with others by Ecclesiasticall disciplin 3. Together with these externall means serving for drawing on the covenant and going on in it the common operations of God do concur common to all the called both elect and reprobat and gifts common to both are bestowed such as illumination morall perswasion historycall dogmaticall and temporary faith morall change of affections and some sort of externall amendment of their outward conversation saving grace being the speciall gift of God to His own 4. Of this maner of covenanting and taking into Church-fellowship all the called that consent in a morall way to the condition of the covenant regenerat and unregenerat we have a patern in the Lords covenanting with all Israel Exod. 19. the covenant is offered to all the Israelites without exception all are invited to enter in covenant without exception arguments motives and morall inducements are made use of from their experience of the Lords goodnesse and gifts given to them before most ample promises of spirituall benefits are made unto them conditionally to be bestowed on them both in this life and in the life to come vers 4. 5. 6. the people embrace the condition of the covenant V. 7. 8. the people are sanctified and prepared to receive the holy commands and will of God in the rest of the chapter then in the 20. chapter and in the rest of the book the duties of the covenanters are propounded which concern the acknowledgement of sin and deserved death and these also which concern obtaining of justification and sanctification by Christ and which concern their shewing forth their thankfulnesse all the dayes of their life The same covenant after fourty years is repeated and renewed by Moses a little before his death in the land of Moab Deut. 29. the Lord commands Moses to renew the covenant with all the people vers 1. all the people of Israel are gathered together regenerat and unregenerat vers 2. the sum of arguments and motives to enter in covenant of new is shortly set down vers 3. the greatest part of the people to be joyned to God in covenant are openly declared by Moses to be unregenerat vers 4. After that arguments are used to move them in all time coming to trust in the Lord and to obey him to vers 9. the covenant is made with the heads of the tribes and elders of the people and their governours and with all the men of Israel with their little ones with the women and with the strangers that were in the midst of their camp vers 10. 11. the covenant is solemnized with adjuration of all to keep the conditions thereof vers 12. 13. the covenant is extended with adjuration to the posterity vers 14. 15. neither is there any exception made or exclusion of any that consented to the covenant whether unregenerat Israelites or strangers but all are admitted within this covenant The same way of covenanting did Iohn Baptist follow admitting to his baptism the seal of this covenant all those that came from Ierusalem and out of all Iudea and from the borders of Iordan without exception whosoever confessed their sins or that they were sinners and professed they did receive the offer of grace made in the Name of Christ Jesus the true lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world Matth. 3. 5 6. and so far was Iohn from waiting for evidences of saving grace and regeneration before he admitted them that came to his baptism into the fellowship of the externall covenant of grace and reconciliation that on the contrair he made publick profession that the fan whereby the chaff is separated from the wheat and the hypocrit discerned from the sincere Christian was not in his hand or in any other man or mens hands but in the hand of Christ Jesus Himself only And therefore which is worthy to be observed after he had publickly testified his suspicion of the hypocrisie and old poysonabled is position in the Pharisees and Sadduâ—es that came to his baptism and offered to receive the covenant of grace and the seal thereof vers 7. forthwith without inquiring into their regeneration and sincerity of heart he baptized them among the
rest v. 11. and left them to be examined thereafter by Christ Himself whether they were upright in heart or not The same way of gathering members of the visible Christian Churches out of the world did Christs own Apostles follow in His own company Christ himself being present bodily beholding and approving their baptizing of multitudes who after hearing of Christs sermons offered to receive baptism and went down to the water Arnon where Christs Apostles did make and baptize moe disciples then John Ioh. 4. 1. that is they admitted multitudes into the holy covenant and sealed the same with baptism taking no stricter course of examination of them then John did but admitting all that craved the benefit of the covenant and the seal of it though they had no certain evidence of their regeneration being satisfied that Christ did not forbid to baptize them when he saw them go down to the water to be baptized after hearing His sermon Now there is no question He knew their hearts all of them and that many of them would afterward shortly make defection from Him and depart from him and from his disciples fellowship as is plain Ioh. 6. 6 66 70. This way of receiving into externall covenant all these who receive the offer and the condition of the covenant without inquiring into their election or reprobation their regeneration or unregeneration for the time which may be called a covenanting outwardly and in the letter in the deep and wise counsell of God is appointed for the gathering and constitution of the visible kirk for by this mean first God so executeth and perfecteth the decree of election that in the mean time he hindereth none of all the hearers of the Gospel from receiving the grace of Christ offered therein He excludeth no man from embraceing the covenant but on the contrair he opens the door to all that are called to enter into as it were the outer court of his dwelling house that they may so draw more near to him and so he doth not particularly manifest any mans reprobation Secondly by this means also he hideth the election of the elect from others and from themselves till they repent their sins and flee to Christ and bring forth some evidences of their election in their obedience of faith and begun sanctification Thirdly the Lord makes use of this outward and common covenanting with all receivers of the offer as a mean to draw the confederat in the letter to be confederat in the spirit for the faith which he requires as the condition of the covenant he worketh in the elect if not before or with the externall covenanting yet undoubtedly after in a time acceptable and that by the ordinary means the use whereof is granted to all confederat externally and so as common illumination is a mean to that speciall spirituall and saving illumination and dogmaticall or historicall faith is a mean unto saving faith and externall calling is a mean of effectuall calling So externall covenanting in the letter is a mean most fit and accommodat to make a man a covenanter in the spirit Fourthly this externall covenanting wherein God promiseth to be the believers God and the God of their children is a mean not only to beget and foster faith in the covenanting parents for their own salvation but also a mean to comfort them about the salvation of their infants dying in their infancy whether before or after their baptism and a mean to give them good hope of those childrens blessed resurrection by vertue of the promise because in covenanting the Lord doth promise to be the believers God and the God of his children and doth not exact the condition of actuall faith from their dying infants From these grounds it followeth first that some are taken externally and conditionally into the covenant upon their ingagement unto the righteousnesse of faith and their baptism is a seal of their ingagement unto it who albeit they be not as yet regenerat yet they are to be esteemed members of the Church and Christians outwardly Christians by calling and in the letter whose praise is of men as they were also in the Church before Christs coming Jews outwardly and in the letter whose praise was of men commended indeed for so much but if they came not up to lay hold upon and follow after righteousnesse by faith were not Jews in Gods account and unto them circumcision was but in the letter and the sealing of the engagement only and not of the good things covenanted Rom. 2. 28 29. Secondly it followeth that there are some covenanters outwardly and inwardly also in the flesh and in the spirit also whose praise is not of men only but of God also to wit such as not only have engaged to fulfill the condition of living in the faith and following after the righteousnesse of faith but are performers really of their engagement and unto those their baptism is not only outward and in the flesh but inward also in the spirit also approven of God also Such as were in the visible Church of old Jews inwardly performers of their ingagement to live by â—aith Jews in the spirit and not in the letter only whose praise was of God and not of men only Rom. 2. 28 29. Thirdly it followeth that some are in the covenant absolutely or without condition required of them for their part whom God taketh in his own hand absolutly such as are elect infants dying in their infancy for whom that they might be delivered from originall sin and deserved wrath Christ hath ingaged and laid down his life and promised in the covenant to be their God whom therefore ere they die he doth immediatly quicken and sanctifie and translateth to heaven after death of such saith Christ is the Kingdom of heaven Mark 10. 14. How the externall dispensation of the Covenant of old differeth from that which now is under the Gospel ALbeit the covenant of grace in it self be one and the same from the first preaching of it in Paradise unto the end of the world because Christ the Saviour of his people is one and the same yesterday and to day and for ever and because the faith of the elect is of one kind and was and shall be to the worlds end yet the external outletting and dispensation of the covenant differeth as it was propounded before Christs incarnation and after it for in Paradise this covenant was set forth by way of promise according to the articles of the covenant of Redemption that Christ should assume the seed of the woman and should suffer in the flesh or humane nature and by his power destroy the works of the devil in favours of his own chosen people which should militat against the devil under his banner 2. And least any man should fancy that the covenant of grace founded upon this promise was made with all the posterity of Adam as the covenant of works was made with Adam and all his posterity the Lord in
altogether Ans. We answer with the Apostle vers 20. Nay but O man who art thou that replyeth against God whether dost thou compear procuratour for the reprobat and for Satan the enemy of God to quarrell and dispute with God anent his righteous decrees If thou wilt avow this we leave thee and all such proud and presumptuous misbelievers of plain doctrine to reckon with your Judge But if thou speak only for thy self we shall let thee see that this doctrine shall not hinder thee from repentance If then thou shalt say I will not dispute against God but do desire earnestly to be satisfied about my self for I believe that many are reprobat and few are chosen and my fear is that I be found of the worst sort and do not know how to rid my self of my doubts and fears For answer we shall deal with thee in a friendly maner and first we put thee in remembrance that God hath served an inhibition on all men not to medle with the secret counsell of God Deut. 29. 29. The secret things belong to the Lord our God but these things that are revealed belong unto us and our children for ever Therefore do not hearken to this suggestion but go about thy duty We ask then first art thou convinced of thy sin and ill deserving If thou say I am a sinner and cannot answer for one of a thousand of my by gone sins for which God may justly and I fear he shall in effect reject me we answer unto thee it is to good purpose that thou are so far convinced of sin as to judge thy self worthy of death and utter exterminion from his mercy mean time be comforted thus far that thou art not of the number of those who confide in their own righteousnesse nor of the number of them who trust in their own strength or power of their free-will We ask again doth thy by gone life displease thee and wouldst thou have thy sins forgiven and thy self reconciled with God doth Christ offering himself in the Gospel please thy soul when thou hearest from his word that he craveth nothing of thee save that thou welcome his offer and consecrat thy self to him that so in him thou mayest have righteousnesse and sanctification and salvation If thou answer that the searcher of hearts knoweth thy hearty desire to be reconciled to God in Christ to live before him hereafter as a reconciled child there is good hope of salvation for such a one as thou art Thirdly we say seing thou hast heard the law convincing thee of sin and hast believed Gods word so far why dost thou not believe him also when in the Gospel thou hearest his offer and call unto all self-condemned sinners to come unto Christ and rest their weary souls upon him who hath excepted thee from the embracing of mercy offered in Jesus Christ look therefore what his word saith to all sinners flying for refuge unto Christ who is the hope set before sinners and leave him not whatsoever be thy fears for he that hungereth and thirsteth for righteousnesse through Christ shall be satisfied CHAP. VII For a further clearing and confirmation of the doctrine about the three Covenants from Jer. 31. and Heb. 8. THe prophet Ieremiah giveth us a short compend of the former doctrine anent these three covenants chap. 31. vers 31. c. whereof the Apostle giveth a clear commentary Heb. 8. vers 6 7. c. As to the covenant of Redemption it is here presupponed to be past as the Apostle expounding this place of Ieremiah giveth us to understand while he sheweth us that the covenant of grace was no other wayes purchased then by the Mediation of our Lord Jesus transacting about the covenant of Redemption with the Father And that he may give us to understand this 1. Christ is called the Mediatour of a better covenant Heb. 8. to wit of the covenant of Grace 2. The covenant of Grace is designed by the name of a Testament which giveth us to understand that Christ the Mediatour did not obtain the making of this covenant on a lesse price then the laying down of his life that all the benefits contained in these better promises might first be his goods to dispone upon as he pleased and that he being resolved to die did make his Testament and leave them all in legacy to the redeemed his heirs and assigneys designed from eternity 3. The Mediatour making his Testament is called Iehovah not a meer man but God to be incarnat making an unchangeable Latter-will or Testament which of necessity required the death of the Testatour that it might be ratified Heb. 9. 15 16. and the death of a Testatour not a meer man but the Son of God to be incarnat and to die who had life in himself that he might lay down his life and take it up again 4. The goods which he purchased according to the covenant of Redemption and left in legacy to his heirs are all and every blessing which do belong to godlinesse and life eternall as remission of sin and writting of the law in their hearts c. 5. The redeemed and designed heirs are not all and every man but the elect only these that were to be saved only and who were to be effectually called and indued with the saving knowledge of God who from the least to the greatest were all of them to know the Lord not such as were the reprobat fathers nor their unbelieving children but the chosen society of the Israel of God and of Christs family the house of Iudah which is the tribe of Christ for the Apostle doth extend these promises unto the covenant between God and the elect to be gathered under the Evangel unto Christ out of Jews and Gentiles As to the covenant of works it is certain first that God made a covenant of grace in substance and upon the mater with the fathers that were brought out of Egypt as we may gather from the consideration of the parties and articles of that covenant for albeit God repeated the covenant of works and declared the force of the law for binding the curse upon all transgressours thereof yet he did presse the law on them in order unto their reconciliation by the sacrifice of the Lamb of God to be in due time offered up and did teach them that Christ was the end of the law for righteousnesse to every one that believed 2. It is certain that in the framing of this covenant of grace between God and the visible Church of the fathers God did make the promises of righteousnesse and eternall life and spirituall blessings under the vail of temporall types upon conditions more hard and difficile in appearance then the new covenant doth require for this the Apostle sheweth to us plainly Heb. 8. 6. 3. It is certain that the un-believing Fathers did not take up nor understand the covenant of Grace but turned it over in a covenant of Works which is manifest by
any man the Lord hath given no certain mark as long as they live except that malicious and wilfull rejecting and opposing of known Christ Jesus to the intent that none should dare to exclude either themselves or others from repentance and hope of mercy so long as the day of Gods long-suffering and patience doth last This is collected from this that God doth not make mention of the reprobation of these misbelieving fathers while they are living but now long after they are dead and this mention making of them is in general only and not by nameing them particularly 17. Albeit in the dispensation of the covenant of grace for application of saving mercies the mater be so wisely carryed by God that both the decree and covenant of Redemption is keeped closs as to particular names and yet it is effectually made out in the applying of grace to individuall persons as the agreement is made between God and Christ Mediatour yet the covenant of Redemption is made this far clear that it did not passe for the conversion and salvation of all and every man by this evidence that not so much as the offer of the covenant of grace and reconciliation shall be made to all and every nation far lâ—sse to all and every singular person but that the people and nation of Israel and Iudah is chosen out of all people and nations in the world comprehending such others as should be called unto their society and the fellowship of the olive tree among them as Psal. 147. 19 20. holdeth forth And in this place the whole elect under the Gospel are taken up under the name of this one nation 18. That the decree of election of some may both be keeped up as to particular nomination and yet have certain execution and be performed the Lord taketh up all his confederats whether in the letter or spirit also under the same common name This is gathered from this that the misbelieving Israelits that perished in the desart with whom God made a covenant and they did break it are designed under the common name of fathers and are taken up in that covenant under the name of spouse Ier. 31. 32. and the elect posterity are taken up under the common name of the house of Israel and Iudah 19. Such as the covenanters are in regard of their inward estate such is the covenant wherein they really are or such is the covenant in relation to their persons Unto the reprobat who do change for their part the covenant of grace into the covenant of works the covenant of grace becometh in effect the covenant of works and is rendered void to them as the Apostle doth threaten the Galatians Gal. 5. 4. and as did befall the pharisaicall fathers who are here declared as instances but the covenant of grace unto the elect and true believers remains still the covenant of grace from which they do not fall nor can altogether fall as the comparison here between the fathers in the wildernesse and their elect posterity maketh evident 20. The Lord hath wisely joyned life with the means and way to life and death with the way to death and will not have that separated which he hath joyned This is collected from this that the fathers by not continuing in the covenant are despised and rejected of God and so perished but their elect posterity having the law of God in their hearts and cleaving constantly unto the Lord are saved 21. The Lord will have this doctrine taught where His word is preached concerning the election of some and reprobation of other some of Gods covenanting with some people and persons and not offering a covenant to other some of covenanting with some in the letter and with other some in the spirit also to this end and intent that men leaving the searching in particular of that which God hath keeped secret in the particular may follow commanded duties repent their sins and flee to Christ offered unto them and take up his yoke upon them and beware that they neither despair nor yet presume or turn the grace of God into wantonnesse This we gather from this that God sendeth forth Ieremiah to preach these things not only to the visible Church of the Jews going into exile and captivity but also to all who shall hear this doctrine from him to the end of the world And the Apostle repeating this doctrine for the use of the Christian Church of Jews and Gentiles doth confirm this CHAP. VIII Of the prudent application of divine covenants in general HAving spoken of these three divine covenants concerning mens salvation it follows now to speak of the application thereof first in generall and then more specially In the mater of application we must first look upon Gods effectuall applying and working in the hearers of these covenants such effects as he hath intended by these covenants to bring to passe Next we must look upon the means whereby he ordinarly doth convey and work his intended works in men And thirdly we must look upon the prudent way of use making of these means both by Pastors and people for peoples good 2. As to the first the Lords effectuall application is a reall and actuall bestowing the good of these covenants upon his own by way of powerfull working on their spirits Such as are 1. the giving the grace of understanding of the Scripture And 2. the belief of what is understood And 3. the application of the doctrine of the law concerning mens sin and misery to their own conscience And 4. the making them judge themselves according to the law And 5. the raising of sorrow in their hearts and fear of wrath And 6. the setting of their eye upon Christ for delivery from sin and death And 7. the makeing them perceive a possibility and probability that they may be saved And 8. to have an earnest desire after reconciliation with God in Christ And 9. the making of his own to cast themselves over on Christ and to believe on him And 10. the making them to consecrat themselves to God in Christ reconciling the world of meer grace to himself not imputing transgression to the reconciled through Christ And 11. the making them to wonder at the riches of the free grace of God who in a self-condemned sinner desirous to be reconciled with him requireth no personall dignity no good work which may commend him to God but only that he would receive and welcome Christ offered in the Gospel as the only necessary and sufficient remedy against all sin and misery requiring no other condition but that he flee from the curse of the law and the wrath to come unto Christ the Redeemer who offereth himself unto lost sinners in the preaching of the Gospel that through him the beleiver may be justified and sanctified and saved for ever And 12. after wondering raised in the hearts of his children the making them cleave closly to Christ and to strive against all temptations which
and of the duty required of them that are delivered by Christ. The second is a false religion or damnable errour in judgment about the maters of salvation and Gods worship In which errour so long as a sinner doth lye he cannot be humbled for the damnable course he is in or put question about his way The third is dissembled unbelief and atheism covered over with gross hypocrisie which under hand doth reject the rule of examination The fourth is the brutish stupidity of the cauterized conscience The fifth is a vain pretense of fear to examine themselves least it drive them to desperation The sixth is a lazy delaying of examination from day to day The seventh is immoderat care for things of this life 4. Concerning all these impediments hindering self-examination these three things are observable in general 1. albeit all or some of these evils may fall upon the reprobat yet are they not their proper maladies for some of the elect before their regeneration may lye for a time under one or moe of these evils Wherefore the Pastor hoping the best of all because he knoweth not the marks of reprobation must deal with all his hearers to guard them against all these evils that the elect whom God will bless with the faith and obedience of his commands may be saved Secondly we must distinguish between a voluntary examination of the conscience whereunto the godly do in their best condition set themselves daily and a forced examination and wakning up of the conscience whether the sinner will or not This sort of examination may come either by preaching of the Word an example whereof we have in â—elix the Governour who at the hearing Pauls discourse of vertues and vices fell a trembling Act. 24. 25. Or this wakening of the conscience may come by affliction whereof we have an example of Ioseph's brethren whose consciences did lye sleeping securely under the guilt of distressing their brother Ioseph but by affliction at length were wakened Gen. 42. 21. The Pastors part here is not only to exhort men to a voluntair examination of themselves but also by the sword of the spirit must labour to open the apostums of proud sinners discovering unto them as occasion serveth their wickedness and denouncing the wrath of God against them if possibly the Lord shall give them repentance as he did to the hearers of Peter Act. 2. 37. Thirdly let not a Preacher be too sollicit and anxious about the success of his labours when he hath to do with obstinat sinners whose consciences cannot be wakened neither by challenges nor threatnings nor exhortations But after he hath used means publickly and privately let him commit the mater unto God who will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth It may suffice him that all Christs sheep will at length hear his voice Only let not the Pastor despair utterly of any man but even toward those that are excommunicat let him follow such a course as may reduce them unto repentance as the Apostle giveth direction 2 Thess. 3 14 15. For removing of the first impediment of self-examination BUt that we may speak more particularly of the cure of these seven evil diseases for removing of the first impediment to wit gross ignorance it is not needfull to say much of catechetick instruction seing in all Churches it is presupposed there is some form of a Catechise wherein the rudiments of saving knowledge are set down by way of question and answer for the use of children and of the ruder sort come to years Only we offer to those that intend the holy ministery this overture for disposing and preparing people for a more easie up-taking of some formed Catechise Because most part of formed Catechises are somewhat larger then they can be read at one time or being read can be explicat any other way then by parcels so many questions and answers at one time and so many at another time which how hardly it can be all explicat to the whole congregation in a long time experience may bear witness therefore it may serve to good purpose if so many of the ruder and ignorant sort as may well be gathered together into one place at one time the Pastor should profess before them all that he purposeth to hold forth unto them a short sum of saving doctrine in six or seven heads of doctrine so that in the space of an hour or thereby before they dissolve their meeting they may if they be attentive and willing to learn have some measure of found light and understanding of the grounds of true religion After which preface used let him so shortly or plainly as he is able speak something first of the creation of the world by God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost the only one true God in three persons and something also of the creation of Adam and Eve our first parents according to Gods Image in wisdom holiness and happiness and something of the covenant of works made between God and them including their posterity the summe of which covenant is this Do this and live but if thou sin thou shalt die Secondly let him speak somewhat of the breach of the covenant of works by our first parents in whose loynes we are all made guilty of death according to the tenor of that covenant Thirdly let him speak of the remedy provided in the counsell of God before time but revealed timously after the fall of our first parents to wit the covenant of Redemption between God and God the Son designed Mediatour Christ Jesus our Lord the sum whereof is Gen. 3. 15. the seed of the woman shall tread down the head of the serpent c. That is to say it is agreed in the counsell of God that the second person shall be born of a woman and suffer for the sins of the elect and destroy sin and death the works of the devil Fourthly let him speak of the covenant of grace and reconciliation between God and believers in Christ the summe whereof is this whosoever do acknowledge their sin and flye to Jesus Christ for relief from sin and wrath shall not perish but have eternall life Fifthly let him speak of the two seals of this covenant to wit Baptisme and the Lords Supper whereby the covenant with the benefits held out therein to all believers is sealed Sixthly let him speak of the necessity of amendment of life and bringing forth of good works for glorifying God and probation of the sincerity of their â—aith Last of all let him speak of the day of Judgment when Christ shall come in the clouds and perfect to all his elect and believers in him all his promises of righteousness and eternal life and cast all the wicked and unreconciled into the fire of hell The same course may be taken with ruder ignorants in private whose conscience is wakened with terrour After that about the space of an hour
the Pastor hath spoken to all these heads shortly and repeated again and inculcat at some other few meetings till the people have somewhat understood the business then he may draw forth these seven heads in some few questions taking answer of the people in their own words as they have conceived the purpose These grounds being laid the Pastor shall find by Gods blessing some desire and appetite raised in the people after more knowledge of these grounds and hope put in them to overtake a formed Catechise and to have it by heart as may be To which end the people must be encouraged by promises on the one hand and stirred up by threatenings on the other hand such as are Ioh. 17. 3. and 2 Thess. 1. 7 8. and other like places Now when the people or any ignorant before is begun to understand these seven grounds they must be pressed to make use thereof and that 1. they should acknowledge their sins and deserved judgment according to the covenant of works which curseth every sinner for every sin 2. That they should flye for refuge to Christ according to the covenant of grace And 3. that every one who is fled to Christ for grace and mercy must take on his yoke and endeavour new obedience of his holy commands by his grace and furniture For removing of the second impediment THe second impediment of self-examination which is an unrenewed mans infection with some deadly errour in religion and this is not easily removed for the conscience that is deceived by errour absolveth the sinner from the crime whereof the errour maketh him guilty how grievous soever it be and therefore so long as he lyeth in the errour he securely contemneth all accuâ—ations and threatenings for his errour and erroneous practice till he be convinced of his errour And usually four causes do concur to obdure him in his errour The first is the cunningness and malice of the devil who when he cannot altogether obscure and suppress all the articles of saving doctrine nor banish the Scripture out of the world he useth by his emissaries of old destinat to this damnation to spread doctrines of devils in the visible Church whereby so far as he can he may detain men in their sins The second cause is the wisdom of the flesh which is enimity to God and therefore very bent to defend every lust whereunto men are inclined and to sight against the truth of God contrair to their lusts The third cause is the multitude of these who consent with the perverted conscience and avouch the same errour The fourth is the righteous judgment of God who upon such as receive not the truth in love sendeth powerfull delusions and efficacy of errour that they may beleeve a lye and so be damned who have not received the truth in love but have pleasure in unrighteousnesse 2. But because the Pastor cannot know any mans reprobation in particular and therefore must take the best course he can for every mans salvation who is under his charge if the erroneous person cannot be content to fall upon Christian conference in private with the Pastor it seemeth not expedient to fall flat at the first upon the errour wherewith he is infected but to hold upon agreed unto principles and from these grounds lay open the merit of these sins whereof the erroneous party will grant himself no lesse guilty then other men will be â—ound to be and labour to convince him that for these common sins no ransom can satisfie Gods justice save the perfect obedience which Christ gave to the Father even to the death of the crosse in name of all that flee unto him for the benefit of Redemption If the erroneous party can condescend to cast himself wholly on Christs mercy offered in the Gospel for pardon of acknowledged sin then at another time the conference may be further followed and the danger of the errour may be laid out before the erroneous and he no more urged for the time but that he would consider what hath been told him and that he would by prayer for Christs cause beg light from God in the point questioned And so go on with him in all meeknesse and evidence of love to his soul as the Lord openeth a door for using of all means that may reclaim the party erroneous 3. But if the errour be likely to infect the flock let the Pastor openly refute the errour or heresie and that not only by hinting at some arguments against it but of set purpose once at least solidly shewing how contrair it is to the word of God and what are the fearfull consequences thereof that it may become in the sight of the judicious no lesse vile and odious then gross transgressions against the second table of the law which sort of sins is more hated of naturall reasonable men then sins against the first table for naturâ—s light is sharper sighted in the mutual duties of man to man then in the maters of God and Religion wherein a man hath no light at all in speciall save that which is by revelation of Scripture The true intent and meaning whereof if a man be ignorant of it or shall mistake it the conscience runneth headlong without the least secret check after the errour and darkness which men naturally love more then truth and light For removing the third impediment THe third impediment of self-examination to wit infidelity dissembled and covered with grosse hypocrisie whereof the man himself is conscious and studieth to hide and delighteth himself in his cheating of others of all evils is most hardly cured Of this sort of hypocrits are they who think they can give a reason of all their wayes to any man And because they respect the laws of the kingdom wherein they live more then the Scripture therefore they cover over all their avarice and cruelty with practice of law that beholders think what they please can say nothing against their following of the civil law for such men fear not God and are not afraid for his judgment And albeit they largely commend the piety of holy men before some auditors to whom they conceive their speach will be plausible yet under hand and among such as themselves are they do but laugh and scorn all such piety as puts men in hazard of any worldly inconvenience for in those mens eyes the simplicity of the godly is foolâ—shnesse and their faith in God in their estimation is madnesse especially if for defence of the truth of Religion they suffer persecution These hypocrits the Psalmist calleth unwise and foolish Psal. 14. 1. The fool hath said in his heart there is no God and vers 6. You have shamed the counsell of the poor because the Lord is his refuge Such men as these albeit they faign themselves to be holy yet in heart they are haters of all true saints in whom the sparks of grace and solid Religion doth appear for so saith the Lord of them Psal. 14.
reason or common sense they are carried to destroy themselves some way Such persons can hardly be called voluntary and deliberat self-murtherers because they are neither able to observe and discern their own condition nor their danger wherein they are nor any circumstances which might hinder them from the mischief and therefore it cannot properly in this case be called desperation because the miserable person is not so much capable of reason as to consider the grounds and motives of hope or despair But voluntary self-murther proceedeth from properly called desperation because the wretch after deliberation how to escape from misery lying on and coming on when all reason of hope seemeth to fail him he casts away any further inquisition after the remedy and out of apprehension that he can be in no worse case after his death then he presently feeleth and that he can no other way be rid of his present torment then by death wittingly and willingly putteth hand in himself In this voluntary self-murther sometime the sense of wrath for sin committed doth predomine as in Iudas the traitour his desperation and self-murther sometime the apprehension of more worldly misery more bitter then death doth predomine as in King Saul who choosed rather to fall on his own sword then fall alive into the hands of the Philistines 1 Sam. 31. 4. and in Achitophels hanging himself when he foresaw what misery should come upon himself when his counsel was not imbraced by Absalom 2 Sam. 17. 23. 4. To speak of self-murther in general requireth a Treatise larger then our purpose doth permit it sufficeth us to speak a little to it as the temptation thereunto and desperation of finding Gods mercy is a hindrance of regeneration To this end where any fear or suspicion of any intention toward this fearfull sin doth appear all meeknesse should be used by all that have interest in the person suspected that may serve to save the vexed party from such a mischief God must be in-called and requested for relief unto the patient Physicians should be called and moe Pastors then one if they can be had the soul in danger must by friends be watched and waited on in a prudent maner night and day that he never be alone If the person be capable of reason he must be dealt with freely to confesse his temptation and purpose toward this sin the causes moving him must be inquired after and if they be other then sense of sin and fear or feeling of Gods wrath then course must be taken to make the party sensible of sin and to fear Gods wrath and to consider that if they give way to that sin they are tempted unto they do no lesse in effect then cast themselves in hell where the justice and wrath of God shall lye upon them without hope of ease or ending of their everlasting torment from which fearfull destruction they may be preserved both in soul and body if they shall acknowledge their sin and flye to God in Christ offering grace and pardon of sin and delivery from hell and right unto heaven promised to all and every one who shall imbrace Jesus Christ for their redemption And for these whose vexation is mainly from the conscience of heinous sins and felt wrath of God pursuing them the grace offered in the Gospel must be cleared unto them and inculcated if they can be moved to give reasons of their fear and to propone their doubts who knoweth what blessing may follow on their free dealing and from faithfull answers from Scripture returned unto them Conferences of experimented Christians may with profit be made use of in the patients audience whereby the party may receive both increase of knowledge and some beginnings of comfort Among other means godly persons who have in their own exercise had experience of such temptations and have gotten victory by flying unto Christ may serve much by their conference to encourage them In some of those tempted souls tokens of good hope will shortly appear in others it may be none can conjecture what shall be the event till the time declare it whether justice or mercy was intended of God for both in the elect who are cured of this disease and in the reprobat who perish in their sin the same symptoms may appear if the anxiety and expressions of the one and the other be compared Therefore care must be had of every one under such temptations whatsoever the event may be and the Lords blessing waited for in the use of the means Scripture sheweth us how hard exercises Gods dear children have been under Beside many other Saints we shall only name two witnesses the one is Heman the Ezrait that precious soul not much inferiour to Solomon in wisdom 1 King 4. 31. of whom no man could say he was a weak brain and hypochondriack or melancholious person whose sad exercise stands registrated Ps. 88. for many mans comfort The other witnesse shall be Iob. whose perplexities we read in his dispute with his friends and how he tasted of this bitter temptation also Job 7. 13 14 15. When I say my bed shall comfort me my couch shall ease my complaint then thou skarest me with dreams and terrifies me with visions so that my soul chooseth strangling Behold there is a very sad exercise of the most holy and righteous man on earth there is a sore temptation even unto self-murther but how is this temptation over-come first he doth not hide his temptation but openeth it up in the worst shape this giveth the temptation vent he will not conceal it nor be Sathans secretar in this and this is one mean to weaken the temptation Then he presenteth it before God and poureth out his complaint unto the Lord and this giveth him the victory So let all souls tempted unto desperation do and cleave to God in Christ and they shall be victorious also CHAP. XI Concerning them that absolve themselves without warrand THe third rank of those that impede their own regeneration remaineth to be spoken of Of this kind are all they who after they have slightly exmined themselves and are convinced of sin and of deserved death if they were dealt with in rigour of justice do unwarrantably absolve themselves deceiving their own conscience by a fallacy false sylogisme or captious reasoning and from the conscience as from a blinded or seduced Judge do draw forth a sentence of absolution to themselves which God doth not allow All such persons do either lay down some false principle or ground for absolution of sinners or if they lay down a true ground they make wrong application of that ground to themselves and so beguile themselves miserably The first sort SOme do grant themselves to be sinners but do perswade themselves that God is so mercifull as he will not destroy any man for sin which principle being once laid down no wonder such men go on in their own way and sing a requiem to their own souls Of this
faith and to follow hard after the growth of sanctification without which no man shall see the face of God and let us so extoll the covenant of Grace and freedom of the believer from the covenant of Works that we neglect not to keep up the authority of the moral Law and the commands thereof as the perpetual rule of new obedience the use whereof is very profitable in the whole course of a Christian life to hold forth the duty of believers in Christ and to shew unto them by their short-coming in duties the poyson and power of corruption remaining in the Saints and to make them sensible of the necessity of flying daily to that imputed righteousnesse by faith in Christ and of drawing strength from Christ to bring forth more aboundant fruits whereby Christ shall be more and more precious in our eyes and be acknowledged absolutely necessar for our justification sanctification and salvation 15. When question is made concerning Christian vertues and operations of the holy Spirit in us the order of Gods working held forth to us in Scripture is carefully to be marked by us which is that sense of sin should go before faith in Christ for the Law is a pedagogue to Christ for he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Matth. 9. 13. And faith in Christ goeth before the fruits of faith and the fruits of faith before the sensible approbation of them and approbation of the fruits by Scripture goeth before the sensible fealing of the believer and the quieting of the conscience in its approbation of what the Scripture approveth for after we have believed we come to be sealed Ephes. 1. 13. Now for the not observing this order many real Christians do make unto themselves a very un-comfortable life for albeit they be convinced of sin and humbled in the sense of their own inability to help themselves and are fled to Christ for pardon and help and do lead a life blamelesse yet do they unhappily suspend the acknowledging of the work of faith bestowed upon them and do disquiet themselves so as they cannot rest on Christ but do quarrel the reality of their faith till they shall feel and perceive with approbation of their conscience such and such fruits of faith in themselves and that in such a measure as they have fore-imagined to be the necessar evidences of faith yea and they refuse to account themselves persons justified because they cannot perceive such mature fruits in themselves as they conceive must not only be but be acknowledged also to be in the justified person before he can lay hold on justification Such persons do in effect invert the order which they should observe for when it were their part to flye unto Christ the only Mediator because they come short of new obedience and because they are loaden with sin that in him they might have God reconciled to them and by his Spirit pouring in of his grace in their souls to make them more holy they take another and contrary course by suspending their faith upon their works and do exact of themselves works before faith and so do weaken their own faith and hinder it to bring forth such fruits as they do require It is reason indeed to prove our faith by our works and it is just that such a faith be accounted dead which is not accompanied with the purpose and endeavour to live holily justly and soberly But it is against all reason and equity to condemn weak faith accompanied with the purpose of a new life as if it were no faith because it hath not as yet brought forth so fair and fully ripe fruits as the weak believer would It were their wisdom when they perceive such impotency to do what is good and such strength of the body of death in them to flye unto the Redeemer so much the more and in him to seek remission of sin and strength to bring forth good fruits and to be sucking juice and sap out of him as the true Vine for if we come to him and abide in him we shall bring forth much fruit Iob. 15. 4 5. For faith in Christ in order of nature goeth before good works for only they who come to Christ and abide in him do bring forth aboundant fruit and not they who upon the apprehension of their want of fruits do loose or slacken their grip of faith and upon discouragment are ready to depart from the living God 16. The like wisdom is required in dealing with the consciences of men concerning the preparatory dispositions of such as may confidently come unto Christ to be justified sanctified and saved for albeit it be true that all that come to Christ ought to come in the sense of their sin and acknowledgment of wrath and death deserved for their sins ought to come with contrition of heart with godly sorrow for their sins and a humble renunciation of all confidence in themselves yet must not such persons as do not satisfie themselves in the measure or sincerity of such preparatory dispositions in themselves be keeped back or debarred from coming to Christ because they not only want as they conceive both the humiliation and sorrow of heart for sin and fear of wrath required in such as have accesse unto Christ but also do perceive in themselves such blindnesse of mind and vanity thereof such stupidity of conscience and stubbornesse of a proud heart as is not fit as they conceive to be received by Christ or fit to be comforted by him such persons I say are not to be forthwith debarred from coming to the throne of grace for oft-times sincerity of conviction compunction and humiliation is to be found in such as are displeased with their own short-coming in such preparatory dispositions more then in many others who make a fairer shew and profession of their godly sorrow and humiliation and are well pleased with themselves in that respect We must be wary also while we require sorrow and humiliation and other like preparatory dispositions in them who may come unto Christ least we secretly import and insinuat a sort of merit to be in such dispositions so as if he that doth not perceive himself thus qualified could expect no good at Christs hands except he have in his hand such preparatory dispositions as if it were a price of purchasing adresse to Christ. But let us hold this fast that the more poor and empty a man be in his own eyes he ought to draw the more near unto the riches of grace in Christ because in him only are to be found all the treasures of every saving grace and preparatory dispositions for receiving thereof he is that exalted Prince who giveth repentance unto Israel Act. 5. 31. he is the author and finisher of faith unto whom all they who in the sense of their want of repentance and faith do sigh in themselves ought and safely may come that they may have from him a more ample
aiming to walk as reconciled children and servants unto God uprightly laying forth their burdens and desires before him daily all these I say are believers in Christ and may assure themselves of reconciliation for there is no more in the Apostles and Ministers commission required for entering of the humbled sinner into a covenant of friendship save this we request you in Gods name and in the name of God incarnat Jesus Christ the Mediatour we beseech you be reconciled to God v. 20. Now we judge that humbled sinners fled to Christ and purposing to amend their lives by his grace will not be found unwilling to accept this offer of reconciliation but will declare their hearty consent to this offer and so may be convinced that a covenant is closed between God and them and that God hath given unto them saving faith how weak soever it seemeth unto them for the consenting unto and accepting of this offer is the condition required for entering in covenant and the proper act of saving faith Fifthly the Apostle holdeth forth the ground-right of this covenant and reason whereupon the sinner fled to Christ may be assured of justification because in the covenant of Redemption past between God in three persons on the one hand and the second person of the God-head as Mâ—diaâ—oâ— and perfect Redeemer by price-paying on the other hand it is agreed finally ended and decreed that Christs satisfaction made for the imbracer of this offered reconciliation shall as certainly make the believer judicially righteous and justifie him as Christ was judicially made sin or a sacrifice for the sins of the redeemed for God saith he v. 21. hath made Christ to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him Therefore as Christ the only Mediator by accepting the covenant of Redemption had the sins of the redeemed imputed unto him albeit there was no sin at all nor could be in him and was punished for them unto the death of the crosse So the humbled sinner by flying unto Christ and accepting the offered covenant of reconciliation hath Christs satisfaction imputed unto him albeit he can see nothing in himself but a masse of inherent sin and shall not enter into condemnation but be brought to life-eternal through Jesus Christ our Lord. Both the covenant of Redemption made with Christ in the Redeemers name and the covenant of Reconciliation made with us through Christ are of Gods making and so must stand and cannot be dis-annulled for ever The other place 1 Cor. 1. 30. holdeth forth the right which God hath made to the believer unto the unsearchable riches of Christ whereunto the weakest believer fled from sin and wrath unto Christ as the refuge and perfect remedy from both may claim namely wisdom righteousnesse sanctification and redemption by him and that by covenant and decree registrat in this and other places of Scripture as judicially declared and adjudged unto all and every believer in him So that they may and should make use of Christ as made unto them wisdom to direct them justification to justifie them sanctification to perfect them peece and peece in holinesse and redemption to support them under and deliver them from all bonds of misery For the better understanding of this rich passage we shall take it up in four sentences pronounced from the holy Spirit by the Apostle in every one whereof these three things are insinuat and imported first our need of Christ 2. his ingaged help and supply and 3. our duty to lay hold upon and make use of him according to the right and interest in him made unto every believer The first sentence is this Christ is made unto us wisdom which importeth first that not only we are by nature blind and ignorant of our sin and misery blind and ignorant of the way of salvation and right maner of serving God but also after that we are illuminat by grace and made in some measure to know our last condition and to flye unto Christ for delivery we are compassed about with much darknesse and foggy mists of doubts errors and mistakes and have need to be in every step of our way directed and powerfully taught by Christs Word and Spirit to know what is that good and acceptable will of God Secondly it importeth that as Christ is the treasure of all wisdom and knowledge who hath revealed in the Scriptures the whole counsell of God concerning our salvation So he is judicially made over unto us as anointed Prophet to his Church to make known unto us the way of life by his Word and Spirit Thirdly it imports our duty to receive him as the great gift of God and to give up our selves to his teaching to imploy him and depend upon him as Prophet appointed to us for direction by his Word what to believe and how to live before God Whereupon the weakest believer may trust in him for guiding them in the use of the Scripture and exercise of the means appointed by him unto salvation because he is made of God unto us wisdom and intimation thereof is made by his Apostle The second sentence is this Christ is made of God unto us righteousnesse which presupponeth first that we are by nature destitute of righteousnesse condemâ—ed as unrighteous by the law and unable to deliver our selves from condemnation and when we are fled to Christ and delivered from condemnation that we are not able to stand in that state but by our daily sins wherein we fall do deserve to be condemned as unrighteous Secondly it imports that Christ is not only righteous in himself and able to satisfie divine justice for our sins but also hath undertaken to pay and actually hath payed the price of our redemption by his obedience unto the Father even to the dâ—ath of the Crosse and hath taken on him the office of high Priest to apply unto us absolution from our sins make us accepted and to be dealt with as righteous and to keep us in that blessed estate by his intercession Thirdly it imports our duty to lay hold on Christ our Cautioâ—er by vertue of our right and interest in him granted and intimat unto us and so to rest on him that whatsoever Sathan Conscience or Law violat by us shalâ— say we who are fâ—ed from sin and wrath to him may oppose this sentence of our absolution registrat here Christ is made unto us righteousnesse judicially by the decree and decreet of God The third sentence is this Christ is made unto us of God sanctification which presupponeth that in the justified believer there are remaining still the reliques of sin inherent from which we are not able of our selves to deliver our selves but have need of divine power to mortifie sin in us and to repair the image of God by increasing holinesse in us Secondly it importeth that Christ the Mediator the holy one of Israel hath not only payed the price of our redemption
for removing of our guiltinesse and saving us from condemnation but also hath undertaken to the Father to write his law in our heart and at last to present us perfect without spot or blemish for which end he hath taken by appointment the threefold office of Prophet Priest and King Thirdly it imports that it is our duty to lay hold upon this rich gift and right intimat unto us judicially from God and whatsoever commanded duty we are to go about we do it in the name of Christ sucking by faith sap and vertue from him to bring forth good fruits holy and acceptable to God through him Because Christ the second person of the God-head incarnat is made unto us and judicially intimat from God to us our sanctification The fourth sentence is this Christ is made of God unto us redemption which importeth first that we who have fled from sin and wrath unto Christ and are justified by faith and begun to be sanctified are yoked in a warfare with our sinfull flesh the world and Sathan being subject to many miseries in this life and to death natural and the grave In which warfare we are not of our selves able to stand nor to deliver our selves from the miseries whereunto we are subject except by divine power we be supported brought thorow and saved Secondly it imports that Christ not only hath payed a satisfactory price for our redemption and is able to deliver us from all sin and misery against the power of whatsoever adversary but also that he hath undertaken the work and hath by compact with the Father obliged himself to deliver us powerfully from all sin and misery and to overcome to our behoove all our enemies and tread them underfoot and that he is judicially established in his kingly office and made over to us for our assurance by decreet intimat to us Thirdly it importeth our duty that by vertue of the right and gift of Christ God-man made over unto us by Gods decreet now intimat we should rely by faith on him as the pledge of perfecting our salvation throughly and fight out our battels against all adversar powers and all miseries in his strength rejoycing in his victory over all our enemies for God hath made him unto uâ— redemption CHAP. II. Wherein the regenerat mans doubt of his being in the state of grace by reason of his felt unworthinesse is answered THese premised considerations may serve for the more easie solution of doubts and particular cases wherein the regenerat man may be troubled about his being in the state of grace For which end it is needfull also by way of example to propound some usual questions in particular the answering whereof may serve to answer all questions which do arise from the like original For 1. Howsoever it be certain from Scripture that the regenerat shall noâ— peâ—ish and that their state in grace is unchangeable and that their perseverance in the faith is established by Christs undertaking to make them persevere according to the charge given unto him from the Fâ—ther Ioh. 6. 39 40. yet it iâ— true also that every regenerat man is noâ— clear about his regeneration and many regenerat persons have only a conjectural opinion that they are regenerat who are not come up as yet to an assurance and perswasion of their blessed estate And the number is not great of these who alwaies or any long time together do injoy that serenity and tranquility of conscience that they can confidently triumph and glory with the Apostle Rom. 5. 3 4. 5. because of desertions and tentations raising doubts in their conscience concerning their estate oft-times holy persons are disquieted With such persons while they are in that case a Pastor or a prudent friend must deal so as he would deal with the infirm and with them who think themselves not converted because the same remedies will serve to strengthen a weak believer and to draw a soul sensible of sin and under the pangs of the new birth unto faith in Christ. 2. But let us come more particularly to examine the doubts of some that are regenerat and their pretended reasons for their doubting Some are so sensible of their own unworthinesse that they question if themselves or any like unto themselves can be in the state of grace mean time their carriage is such a becometh a Christian blamelesse I Feel in 〈◊〉 saith ouâ— such strength of inward corruption as doth dâ—file every best action I go about I see what holinesse is required in thoâ—e that approach unto God that I do utterly loath my self as unworthy to be admitted into the fellowship of God or Christ the holy one of Israel yea saith another I think it no small presumption to draw near unto Christ or count my self among his Saints and followers This for a short time was the case of Isaiah when in a vision he saw the glory of Christ in the Temple and heard the Seraphims proclaim him thâ—ee holy Isa. 6. 5. Wo is me said he for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips for mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of hostes This also was the case of Peâ—er who in the sense of his own unworthinesse wakened up by the shining of the glory of Christs God-head in the miraculous tack of fishâ—s Luk. 5 8. falling down at Christs knees he cryeth depart from me O Lord for I am a sinfull man which is as much as if he had said I am utterly unworthy to be admitted unto fellowship with thy holy Mâ—jesty The like also was the case of the Publican in the parable Luk. 18. 13. out of which case after some wrestling of saâ—th he cometh forth toward God yet standing a far off nor daring to life up hiâ— eyes to heaven wherein is pointed out to us the sense of his unworthinesse hindering him to approach confidently to the throne of grace 3. For removing of this doubt five or six considerations may be represented to the party afflicted with this proviso that the sense of his unworthinesse be not discharged or diminished but wisely entertained in him rather for it is not to be presupposed that any man can esteem himself so unworthy and far from meriting any good at Gods hand as he is indeed But yet his doubt how he dare or may draw near unto Christ because of his felt unworthinesse may be solved 1. If he consider the nature and offer made of the covenant of grace whereby these that are sensible of their own unworthinesse are so far from being debarred from the covenant of grace that the covenant of grace doth not admit any person to be received into it but such only who do renounce all confidence in their own works and worthinesse and do flye unto the offer of the free grace of God in Christ for our Lord hath said Mat. 9. 13. I came not to call the righteous but
Lord may take the penitent in his fatherly embracements and comfort him abundantly Mean time till the sensible comfort be given unto him let him hold fast the promises made to them that flye unto Christ. CHAP. IV. Wherein is solved the doubt of the regenerat man raised by his suspicion whether he be elected or not IT cometh to passe sometimes that a sinner lamenting his sins and seeking liberation from sin and misery doth call in question whether he be regenerat because he hath a deep and fixed suspicion that he shall possibly be â—ound not among the Elect and by consequâ—nce be found a reprobat of whom if ye ask a reason why he saith so he can give no solid answer only he will tell you he can perceive no certain signs and evidences of his election yea that he findeth nothing in himself but that which may be found in reprobats and that he is affraid he be found one of that number and that this suspicion hath taken deep root in him that he cannot rid himself of this doubt and fear 2. This case we must confesse is very dangerous except it be timously cuâ—ed for here faith is taken as it were by the throat and the ground of hope is like to be razed The suspicion of Gods decree is dayly fostered and augmented and the afflicted person not only doubteth of Gods good-will to him but is tempted unto desperation By this means the command of God to believe the promises and consolations of the Gospel seem to him to be offered to him all in vain the hope of successe or profiting in the use of the means appointed by God is undermined so long as this suspicion is entertained yea all the exercises of religion become burthensome out of a fear he shall follow the exercise thereof to no purpose and so the duties of religion are oft-times left undone or cast off for a time if the tentation grow strong and continue with him without cure or comfort thus he standeth upon the border and precipice of some sort of desperation if his fear and suspicion be not removed in some measure 3. For cure of this case the Pastor or prudent friend as in all his conferences with the afflicted So here in speciall must seriously pray to God that he would blesse the means of information and consolation which he is about to use for the satisfying of the afflicted To this end therefore first let all the reasons whereby the afflicted pretendeth to make his reprobation probable be resumed and refuted as frivolous all of them And certainly they cannot but be found frivolous because God hath not given any certain evidence or sign of reprobation so long as a man is alive except that sin unto death the sin against the holy Ghost in a malicious refusing rejecting and hostile opposing of Jesus Christ wittingly and willingly for as to finall unbelief and impenitency no man can passe sentence upon any person that hath heard any thing of the Gospel so long as breath is in him for God can convert a soul to himself in the pangs of imminent death as he did the thief on the crosse All the evil which the afflicted can say of himself cannot prove him a reprobat the hight which his reckoning can rise unto to fortifie his own suspicion of himself is only to give appearance that he is 〈◊〉 regenerat mean time we preâ—uppone the afflicted person under this tentation to labour under the sense of manyfold sins which do furnish strength unto the tentation and to be hungry and thirsty for righteousnesse and to be desirous to draw near to God in Christ if he could be delivered of his suspicion of Gods purpose and affection towards him And therefore his christian friends are bound in charity to expound this his hunger for righteousnesse and thristy desire of reconciliation through Christ to be a begun work of gracious regeneration and so also a hopefull sign that he is elected Secondly after refutation of his pretended reasons for his suspicion and fear this suspicion must be set before him as a strong tentation of Sathan and a soul-murthering lie thrown as a fiery dart at him such as the Apostle Ephes. 6. maketh mention of of set purpose to beat the shield of faith out of his hand Wherefore he must be exhorted to resist the Tempter and that so much the more as Sathan out of envy and malice doth slander God and the begun work of grace in the man and all to vex the soul of him whom he cannot keep in his snare Thirdly the giving so much way to this wicked suggestion must be represented to the patient as an act of ignorance and folly yea an act of iniquity and injury unto God and to his own soul for what a madnesse is it to pry in upon the secret counsell of God and to neglect his revealed will set down in Scripture what presumption to intrude our selves upon his secret decrees and to cast behind our back his open commands given to us To refuse obedience to Gods ordinances given to us for our salvation except he shall firstâ—â—ll us what is his purpose about us in particular To open our ears to the false suggestions of the devil a lyar and murtherer from the beginning and stop ouâ— ears from hearing the voice of God speaking to us in Scripture Wherefore let the afflicted under this temptations take heed to what is said Deâ—t 29. 29. The secret things belong unto the Lord our God but these things that are revealed belong uâ—to us and our children for ever that we may do all the words of this Law Let the Lords Command be first obeyed and then the decree of God concerning the believer in him shall be timeously revealed for his promises are agreeable with his decrees and his promises are offered to us that thereby his decrees may be brought on unto a just and gracious execution Fourthly let the afflicted call to minde what benefits the Lord hath bestowed upon him from his infancy and in special that he hath offered and doth continue to offer Christ Jesus unto him if he will receive him for wisdom righteousnesse sanctification and redemption and upon this ground he is bound to give unto God a good construction in every sort of dispensation toward him and look upon God as his friend and father CHAP. V. Wherein the regenerat mans doubting of his regeneration because he findeth no power in himself to believe in Christ is answered SOmetime it cometh to passe that the renewed man after a long time standing in the stare of grace falleth in doubt about the work of grace in himself because when God doth change his dispensation toward him and bringeth him to tryal by trouble wherein he is found weaker then he expected he beginneth to suspect whether the former work of grace hath been found or not and his reason is because he findeth by experience often repeated that in straits and difficulties when he
do acknowledge that they deserve death for their sins do confesse they stand in need of Christ do thirst for his righteousnesse do desire earnestly to be united unto him by faith do follow the exercise of Religion and do endeavour to keep their consciences undefiled in all things and yet for all this do not only doubt whether they be renewed but also do esteem it a presumptuous rashnesse in them to approach unto Christ or to cast themselves over on him by faith before they be more seriously humbled before they feel a more hearty sorrow and grief before they feel the pangs of the new birth more sharp before they be more pressed with the burthen of their sins and do feel in themselves the spirit of fear and trembling and bondage in a higher measure From whom if you ask a reason of their doubt they shall answer that they are not yet called to come unto Christ because these are only called to come unto Christ who are weary and loaden in the superlative degree and are so born down with the weight of sin as they cannot be more and not despair for so do they interpret that saying of Christ Matth. 11. 28. Christ is sent only to the contrite and broken in heart who sit in the dust under the spirit of bondage that is to say as they take it to them who are under grief unspeakable as they expound Isa. 61. 1 2 3. So in their opinion Christ came to save only those who in their own sense are lost that is who are on the brink of desperation wherefore in respect they are not gone down deep enough as they think into this gulf and hell of anguish and sorrow they dare not approach or look toward Christ. Mean time they lye daily mourning and weeping and will not grant that their grief is worthy of the name of grief which sorrow they cannot dissemble or hide but do bewray it in their countenance habite walking and frequent sighing and will professe that they can hardly think they have right to eat or drink of Gods creatures and were it not for fear of adding yet more sin to the former they would not eat or drink at all oft-times they chatter as swallows and sigh as the turtle dove and oft-times their bowels sound out as if their parents or children or nearest relations were dead and yet for all this do not satisfie themselves in sorrow but do complain that they are stupid and senslesse of their sinfull and miserable condition wherein they do lye bound and though they do confesse that sometimes they mourn yet they alledge their mourning is but like the early dew or morning cloud that goeth soon away All the while it is in vain to offer to the afflicted consolation in Christ because saith he I am not one of the mourners in Sion whom he will comfort and in this their mistake they do confirm themselves by another error saying that the measure of repentance and sorrow should answer unto the measure of sin my sins saith he go far beyond the sins of others This and the like objections they cast in whereby they do obstruct their own way unto Christ and keep themselves aback from him till they be satisfied with their own prescribed measure of sorrow which case indeed deserveth much compassion for who would not commiserat their case who being in a very miserable condition dare not seek relief from their own misery which they do feel and all because they are not yet more miserable and when they are asked cannot determine what measure of affected humiliation they would stand at as sufficient 2. In the cure of this case as much must be yielded to the afflicted as reasonably can be and first it must be confessed that it is the duty of all who approach unto Christ to come in the sense of sin and acknowledgment of their miserable condition and that the due deserving of their sin is everlasting death It must be confessed also that the measure of compunction contrition and lamentation for sin may possibly be exceeding great as we see in the experience of Heman the Ezrait Psal 88. 11. I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted And David Ps. 38. This also further must be yielded unto him that the operation of the spirit of conviction by the law doth ordinarily and of its own nature go before the spirit of adoption or the operation of the spirit of the Gospel according to the covenant of grace so that no man can in earnest embrace Christ as a Physician as Mediator and Saviour of his soul except he be sensible of his disease acknowledge his natural enmity against God and his own lost condition being by nature under the curse of the Law Secondly when these things are agreed upon the afflicted person may be posed concerning the measure of the sorrow for sin whether it must be the same in every convert to wit in that extremity and superlative degree which he doth miss and desiderat in himself and how long that sorrow in this eminent measure must continue By this question he cannot choose but be at a stand and unable to answer with Scripture-warrand for the Scripture doth indeed require serious repentance but the measure of sorrow and sadnesse it doth not prescribe for Matth. chap. 3. v. 2. 6. many upon the hearing of Iohn Baptist preaching were convicted of their sins and did confesse their sins in the general and forthwith were baptized by him And Act. 2. 37. 41. three thousand souls at the hearing of one sermon of Peter were convinced of their sin pricked at the heart repented and fled to Christ for grace were converted baptized and entered members of the Christian Church all in one day Again the afflicted may be posed with another question seing he desiderats such a measure of sound hearty sorrow in himself before he can make his addresse unto Christ out of what fountain mindeth he to draw this sorrow of himself he hath it not and from Christ by his grounds he cannot seek it for he saith for want of his imagined measure of sorrow for sin he dare not approach unto Christ because as he alledgeth none are called to come unto Christ except such only as are in a superlative degree weary and loaden and so full of the spirit of heavinesse that he must be at the point of desperation near by But the Scripture doth teach us that Christ is that exalted Prince to give repentance unto Israel in what measure of sorrow he pleaseth and that therefore such as are convinced of and in any measure sorrowfull for offending God should run unto Christ that he may give them a better measure of repentance Thirdly the evils and danger which accompany and follow upon this practical error may be represented unto the afflicted for first by this his error he giveth way to Sathans tentation who when he perceiveth the
then the sensible comfort thereof remaineth with him but either doth retreat his judgment of his blessed estate or doth not defend his right doth not resist Sathan by being stedfast in the faith no wonder his disquietnesse and dejection of courage return upon him 6. For removing of this cause of disquietnesse let the afflicted consider that spiritual consolation and sensible feeling of Gods favour is granted to Gods children to make them stedfast in the faith of Gods grace toward them when sensible comfort is with-drawn and when they are put to the tryal and exercise of their faith under trouble and temptations And therefore when the afflâ—cted once being made clear of his interest in Christ and of his keeping on him the yoke of Christ doth find a change in his condition let him presently humble himself before God in acknowledgment of the power of the body of sin in himself and of whatsoever evil fruit it hath brought forth whereby he hath procured the change of his own comfortable condition and let him 〈◊〉 the acts of his repentance and of his 〈◊〉 in Christ striving against all temptations for the 〈◊〉 once given to him and disputing for his right and interest unto Gods grace in Christ that he may with patience obtain the victory over his temptation and be able not only with Dâ—vid to charge his own soul to trust in God the help and health of his countenance Ps. 42. and 43. but also to glory with the Apostle and to say 2 Tim. 1. 22. I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day And so may the second cause of disquietnesse be removed 7. A third cause of disquietnesse is or may be this if a sincere convert finding himself come short both of his purpose and hope of making progresse in the course of new obedience and reformation of heart and conversation shall in 〈◊〉 of being more humbled and beaten more out of confidence in his own strength and works and in 〈◊〉 of laying 〈◊〉 hold on the imputed righteousnesse 〈…〉 discouragement and so open a 〈…〉 calling his own conversion in question In this case the 〈…〉 of the true convert is augmented by reason of the conscience of his sincerity in his couversion wherein he renounced the love and service of all sin renounced all confidence in his own worth or works did flye unto the grace offered in Christ and received him heartily and purposed â—onestly to serve God thereafter in newnesse of life which maketh him say in himself I can never put repentance from dead works and faith in Christ and purpose of new obedience more sincerely in exercise then I have done and now seing I come short of my purpose and hope of profiting and can never more sincerely repent of sin or believe in Christ then I have done have I not just cause of doubting of my estate and of discouragment and disquietnesse 8. For removing this cause of disquietnesse let the afflicted consider first that there is a great difference between purpose and practice A holy and sincere purpose oâ—t times cometh short in practice for the Apostle saith Rom. 7 18. To will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not The inlake here is of strength to perform and not in the sincerity of the will and purpose Secondly let him consider that there is a difference between the consent of a well-informed conscience to the discharge of holy duties and the practical coming up of the not well-reformed heart unto the actual discharge of those duties for oft-times the heart is like a deceitfull bow that disappointeth the archer therefore let not the afflicted deny the sincerity of his purpose but let him be humbled for the corruption of his heart which hath not answered his purpose and expectation Thirdly let not the afflicted think that he hath so fully renounced all confidence in his own works as he conceived we may be clearly convinced not to lean to our own righteousnesse and so more easily in our judgment renounce all confidence in our good behaviour but the dregs of the sin of misbelieving Jews is not easily purged out of us wherein they went about to establish their own righteousnesse and did not submit themselves to the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 9. and 10. 3. As he therefore who denyeth that he leaneth his weight on his staff and yet falleth to the ground when his staff doth slide is found to have leaned more weight on his staff then he pretended So he is found to have leaned too much weight upon his own works who is cast down because his performances are not answerable to his purpose and hopes Humbled indeed he ought to be and to lament his misery under the body of death but not be so dejected and discouraged as to loose or sâ—cken his grips of the covenant of Grace especially when he doth consider that the Lord by this experience of his own weaknesse is teaching him thereafter to have a more high estimation and make better use of Christs imputed righteousnesse and to lean lesse to his own purposes and promises and inherent righteousnesse that so he may draw more ability from Christ by faith to bring forth better fruits for without me saith Christ you can do nothing Joh. 15. 5. Last of all let him neither say nor think that he cannot put forth any act of repentance or saith or purpose of amendment of life more sincerely then he hath done for no man hath attained such a measure of sincerity in the discharge of any act of saving grace but there is room for him to receive a greater measure both of activity and sincerity in acting then he hath attained already but rather let him examine more narrowly and find out the corrupt inclination of the heart to lean to its own inherent righteousnesse and difficulty of subjecting it self wholly to the righteousnesse of â—aith and sanctification through faith in Christ for this doth the Apostle teach us to do Philip. 3. 12 13 14. he did not think himself already perfect but reached himself forth to those things which were before him pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus And the end of the pressing of the Law is that sin may be the more clearly discovered that as sin hath reigned unto death even so might grace reign through Christ Jesus our Lord Râ—m 5. 20 21. 9. The fourth cause of disquietnesse is or may be this if the true convâ—rt being frequently convinced of the manifold deceits of the heart for this cause shall begin to call in question all the work of grace in himself which inconvenience doth flow from his not putting difference between the true consent of the heart unto the covenant of Grace and acts of holinesse in so far as the heart is renewed on the one hand and the doubting
unto Christ and engaged heartily to his service must not take heed so much to what his sickly and not clearly informed conscience doth say as to what God who is greater then the conscience and giveth order and rule to the conscience doth say to such a poor soul fled unto Christ. Secondly let him consider that his peace is not â—arred with God by Sathans warring against him for peace with God standeth well with warr against all spiritual enemies and therefore the lesse rest he hath from Sathans trouble and molestation let him be the more confident of his peace with God whose battels he is fighting against Sathan Thirdly let him consider that perturbation of mind doth neither hinder peace with God nor peace of conscience for the mind and thoughts of a man for many reasons may be troubled and disquieted when peace with God and peace of conscience are setled and established for when the mind is troubled and tempted to anxiety the Apostle sheweth how to remove the perturbation of the mind and setle the peace of conscience also Phil. 4. 6 7. Be carefull saith he or anxious for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanks giving let your requests be made manifest to God and the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Iesus And in his own experience he lets us see the difference of perturbation of mind from peace with God and the conscience also 2 Cor. 7. 5 6. When we were come into Macedonia our flesh had no rest but we were troubled on every side without were fightings within were fears neverthelesse God that comforteth these that are cast down comforted us in the coming of Titus So also 2 Cor. 2. 12 13 14. 15. The seventh cause of disquietnesse is or may be this if the true convert be either ignorant or forgetfull of the way of obtaining maintaining repairing and recovering the true peace of God in himself and of the change of Gods dispensation toward his children which is common through many tribulations God doth bring his own to heaven Sometime he shews them his countenance in a comfortable providence sometime he hides his face but doth not change his love toward them Psal. 30. 7. Thou hidest thy face saith David and I was troubled but here was his wisdom he went the straight way to recover his peace I cryed to thee O Lord and unto the Lord made I my supplication and his mourning was turned into dauncing Psal. 30. 7 8. to the end But many weak converts are not so wise who by their inconfiderat courses do cast themselves in fears jealousies and suspicions both of Gods love to them and of their own interest in him when they misse felt consolations they fall to quarrel their right And if they resolve to have their condition helped they prescribe their own time way and measure and nothing can satisfie them till they recover possession of lost sense with the Spouse Cant. 2. 5. Stay me with stagons comfort me with aples saith she for I am sick of love It is true sometime God doth coudescend to their passionat put suit of comfort but their not believing in the mean time and their hasting to have their condition altered before patience hath wrought the perfect work is not to be commended or approven 16. For removing this cause of disquietnesse let the afflicted consider first that the Lord neither sheweth his loving countenance to the weak disciple nor hideth it from him but out of love he neither corrrecteth nor comforteâ—h him but out of love I am the Lord and change not saith he sensible 3. 6. Therefore you sons of Jacob are not consuâ—â—â—d If he give consolation sensibly it is to confirm their weak saith by 〈◊〉 experience of the fruit of believing in him and if he withdraw his consolation it is that he may excercise their faith and train them to belâ—â—ve his Word without a sensible pawn for it And therefore for removing this cause of disquietnesse by all 〈◊〉 let the afflicted beware to mis-construst the Lords dâ—aling but let him strive against all suggestions of Sathan or 〈◊〉 own misbelieving heart and entertain friendly 〈◊〉 of God for a true friend or father when they give them beter will take it for no small 〈…〉 or fatherly affection to 〈…〉 Physicians and 〈…〉 from their Patients 〈…〉 potions when they 〈◊〉 and carve and 〈…〉 they are exponed to aim at the 〈…〉 much more should every man whatsoever dispensation of God he meet with give a good costruction of his working Secondly let him consider that the Lord hath his own way and order of working first he discovereth sin and misery and weaknesse in the creature and after that he discovereth his grace mercy and power in Christ to relieve first he humbleth and then listeth up first he woundeth and then he healeth first he smiteth and then bindeth up first he bringeth down to death and then restoretâ—â—unto life Hâ—s 6. 1. and Ps. 9. 3. and therefore let the afflicted be hâ—mbled under the sense of apprehended caâ—ses of hiâ— disquietnesse and seek of God the restoring of whaâ— is lost or wanting and the healing of the wound inâ—â—â—ted in due order Now Gods order is this he will fiâ— have the Law magnified and his Justice acknowleâ—ed by all afflicted sinners even by them who are in thâ—tate of Grace and are not under the covenant or cuse of the Law to whom notwithstanding the Law musâ—till be a pedagogue to lead them to Christ and wâ—n the Lords Justice is acknowledged and all fretting â—d murmuring against his dealing stopped then comeâ— in the next place the discovery of grace in Christâ— for since the fall of Adam God hath alwayes been iâ— Christ going about to reconcile the world to himself not imputing their transgressions to them 2 Cor. 5. 19. And when God hath drawn the sinner by faith to the Mediator Christ God incarnat then there is a matrimonial contract made betwixt God in Christ reconciled and the believer and an union between Christ and the believer in a judicial maner and so the believer is made to have a right unto Christs person according to that of the Spouse Cant. 2. 16. My beloved is mine and I am his And by this means also the believer is made to have right unto Christs purchase and benefits and to communion with him and his Saints as the Apostle teacheth us Rom. 32. He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things And after right given to the believer in due time the Lord giveth and reneweth the earnest-penny of the inheritance Ephes. 1. 13. In whom also ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise who really reneweth the believer and giveth him peace joy consolation strength and other gifts of grace with an ebbing and flowing thereof in the sense and feeling of
these and the like grounds the Apostle lived a comfortable life Phil. 4. 12. I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and suffer need I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me Thus must Christian souldiers live in the midst of their toyling in warfare in want of many things in watching and running hazard of life in hope of victory and promised glory holding up their hearts by faith in Christ. And these things which we have spoken in explication of this case are not intended to hinder the tender hearted believer from praying and endeavouring by all means that the face of the Lord may shine upon him and that he may be filled with the joy of his Spirit for we are charged to seek his face and strength continually Psal. 105. 4. But all our speech doth drive at this mainly that the afflicted in his discouragment and unquietnesse meekly submit himself to the will of God howsoever he be exercised alwayes going on in the way of God according to his vocation through honour and dishonour through good report and evil report looking unto the promises which are made to him that endureth to the end And what is spoken here of living by faith must not be abused to softer negligence in well doing or bringing forth fruits of faith in every condition or to hinder the daily exercise of repentance or to require of a Christian a stoical stupidity under trouble but the thing we aim at is that the Christian in all crosse dispensations and vexations endeavour by faith to be of good courage in the Lord and endeavour to draw vertue from Christ to bring forth fruits giving glory to him whatsoever measure he shall bestow more or lesse because it is Christ who is made unto us wisdom and righteousnesse sanctification and redemption and in him alone shall the soul of the afflicted have rest Matth. 11. 24. CHAP. IX Wherein the converts doubt arising from his uncertainty as what time he was converted is solved THere are some true converts who after they have past a good part of their journey to heaven begin to halt and make slow progresse by doubting whether they be walking in the true converts foot-steps or whether they be converted at all or not The reason of their doubting ariseth from this that in conference with sundry of the Saints of their acquaintance they have observed that every one of them could design the time of their conversion and from that time can reckon their age in Christ Or from this is their doubt arisen that in the Treatise of some modern Writer they have read or from the Sermon of some well esteemed Preacher they have heard some such doctrine whereupon the true convert falleth out with himself in saying I was bred and brought up in a godly family I have followed the exercises of religion after hearing the heads and summe of christian Religion I have embraced the truth I seemed to my self to believe in Christ and entertain the exercise of repentance and to endeavour the amendment of my life I love these whom I see to live holily and I do hate the wayes of the profane but because I cannot tell when or what day or year I was really converted as I know sundry of the godly of my acquaintance can do therefore I doubt whether my conversion be begun or not but mean time though I will not turn off the way I have been following yet I go on halting and heartlesse till I be cleared of my doubt 2. For removing this doubt we must yield this far to the afflicted that many indeed deceive themselves who being civilly educated and from their bairn-age accustomed with the exercises of religion are nothing beyond the foolish virgins and do rest satisfied with their own and others opinion of themselves If such persons be questioned when they began to repent or believe in Christ it is true they cannot design the time when they were unconverted but have still been pleased and are pleased with their own estate and in effect were never converted But it is no lesse true on the other hand that there are some who indeed are renewed in whom peece and peece without any notable change faith and repentance and a holy conversation have grown with the growing knowledge of the Gospel and will of God therein of whom it may be truly said the kingdom of heaven cometh not with observation of whom it is said Mark 4. 26. So is the kingdom of God as if a man should cast seed into the ground and should sleep and rise night and day and the seed should spring and grow up he knoweth not how But to solve the doubt it maters not whether a man know or not know the day of his conversion provided he be indeed regenerat and made a new creature Wherefore the afflicted may be of good courage if after serious examination of his own conscience he be humbled frequently in the sense not only of his actual sins and short-coming of his duty but also in the sense of his original and in-dwelling corruption or body of death if as he doth indeed loath himself and renounce all confidence in his best works so he seriously imbrace the imputed righteousnesse of Christ and in his strength by faith in him doth endeavour to live holily righteously and soberly albeit joyned with many imperfections he may conclude he is regenerat for if these three be joyned in him in any measure of honesty he needeth not be anxious what day moneth or year the holy Spirit began to work these things in him Only let him give all diligence to grow in humility faith and new obedience and to hold on this way whatsoever doubts or impediments he shall meet with for the Apostle exeemeth such a man from the number of hypocrits and unconverted Phil. 3. 3. We saith he are the circumcision or the Christian converts who worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Christ Iesus and have no confidence in the flesh CHAP. X. Wherein is solved the converts doubt of his regeneration arising from his apprehension that the beginning of the change of his life was not from the sincere love of God but either from terror or self-love which he conceiveth to be but carnal SOme true converts are who can design the time of the change of their way from sin to Christ and to a holy life whereof they have not only the Church they live in but also their own conscience witnesses yet after a considerable time do fall in suspicion whether that time of their change was the time of their effectuall calling some of them bringing no other reason of their doubting save this that they were never much troubled with the terrors of the Law but most part allured to draw near to God and to eshew the way of sinning by the love
of eternal life Other some doubting of the soundnesse of their conversion because the â—error of God and fear of condemnation and hell prevailed more with them for changing their course then the love of God and true holinesse did and both the one sort and the other do conceive the chief rise of their change to have been natural or carnal self-love fearing harm and loving life 2. For removing of this doubt we grant that there are many who after some notable delivery from death or some notable benefit received or after some sharp rod of chastisement for their sin have changed their outward way of living left off grosse vices and led a more civil and blamelesse outward life and yet have neither seriously repented them of sin nor seriously fled in unto the grace of Jesus Christ offered in the Gospel neither knowing what saving faith is nor carefull to know it but of such we do not speak here for we are speaking of the true convert and renewed man who in the sense of sin is fled to Christ in the sense of his unworthinesse maketh the grace offered his refuge and in the sense of indigence looketh up to Christ and seeketh supply of him in all things and by the holy Spirit is striving against sin endeavouring in some measure of sincerity to bring forth the fruits of faith and repentance and yet for all this he doubteth of the sincerity of his own conversion for the reasons foresaid To this souldier and wrestler we say as before we said to him that doubteth of his conversion because he cannot design the time of his conversion it is not material by what way or means or motives a man is brought unto Christ provided he doth come and indeed adhere to Christ it is all one whether the rise of the mans turning from sin to God was love alluring or terror driving him whether a benefit or a sharp rod whether fear or hope did at the first beginning of his change move him to seek God provided God manifested in the flesh Christ Jesus the Redeemer of sinners be now his beloved Lord and precious in his eyes for he that is most sweetly allured to come to God and without much fear is converted who possibly after serious conviction of sin and deserved death is not keeped long at the door of mercy but forthwith is admitted to the throne of grace and tenderly entertained by the Spirit of consolation may fall in hard exercises afterward This is evident in the experience of the Prophet David in whom his brethren living in the same family with him did not perceive any signes of a sorrowfull or heavy heart as his brother Eliab's words do shew 1 Sam. 17. 28. I know thy pride and the naughtiness of thy heart Thus did Eliab judge of David's chearfull carriage whereof also we have some evidence that David was of a ruddy and beautiful countenance and for some years of his youth did passe the time pleasantly serving God with his songs and harp while he was feeding his sheep in the wildernesse now none can justly question his conversion all this time or his sincerity in this service yet afterward he was otherwayes exercised for oft-times he felt the power of the Law upon his spirit and was tossed with the terror thereof and made to mourn and weep heavily Such doth Iob's condition seem to be in his youth as it is described Iob 29. but afterward in the tryal of his faith what a conflict with temptation he had the sacred History doth testifie Therefore there is no reason why any in whom these evidences of a true Israelit are found in any measure should suspect the sincerity of his regeneration because he hath been gently handled in his conversion for it may come to passe that the same person may fall in firy tryals and so hard temptations as he may fall in doubt of his conversion in regard of the sad afflictions inward and outward whereby he is exercised In which case he will be found to be mistaken no lesse then he was mistaken in the former case and condition for some dear children of God may possibly both in their conversion and most part of their life be exercised with the terrors of the Law and yet retain fast hold by faith on Christs grace in their deepest afflictions For instance we offer that precious soul Heman the Ezrait who came near unto Solomon in the point of wisdom 1 King 4 31. and yet how bitter his afflictions of spirit were the 88. Psalm beareth witnesse specially v. 13. 14 15. But unto thee have I cryed O Lord and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee And why castest thou off my soul why hidest thou thy face from me I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted c. And therefore there is no just cause that any in whom the evidences of faith and repentance may be found should call the sincerity of his own conversion in question how hardly soever he seem to be handled of God for whosoever is joyned to the Lord Jesus and will neither suffer himself to be driven from him nor yet will endure sin to remain in himself uncontrolled is certainly a true convert As for these who for some temporal cause are come to Christ as many did come in the dayes of his flesh that they might be delivered from some temporal evil or obtain some temporal benefit and for that cause do doubt of their conversion or sincerity thereof they need not dispute much about the occasions of their first seeking after God provided that they have learned what Christs grace is and do seek righteousnesse and salvation in him for we read in the Evangel that sundry that they might be cured of leprosie palsie blindnesse c. came unto Christ who afterward came and adhered to him by faith as the only Redeemer and Saviour of their souls from sin and misery Wherefore in such doubtings let not the afflicted trouble himself nor call his conversion in question but let him give all diligence to strengthen his faith and to increase in holinesse making his calling and election sure by well-doing for if he do this he shall neither be found idle nor unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus as the Apostle promiseth 2 Pet. 1. 8. CHAP. XI Wherein the converts doubt of his being in the state of grace arising from heavy afflictions and grievous tentations is solved SOme true converts sometime fall into great suspicionâ— of their regeneration of their effectual calling and of the love of God unto them and that because they meet with sore outward afflictions and are assaulted also possibly with horrible inward tentations which do befall them unexpectedly and are ready to swallow them up for whereas after divers conflicts in their conversion and peace of conscience following after these sad exercises of mind they hoped to have injoyed Gods peace still after
senselesse and secure and doth please himself in his pollutions for whatsoever he may be the holy Ghost points him forth among the unregenerat as a dog or sow If such a man after a time shall repent and bewail his condition and set himself to the seeking of God in Christ and to draw grace out of Christ to mortifie his lusts we shall not pronounce or determine of his former estate whether he was before that time regenerat or not but for the present case of his repenting he is on the way to evidence his regeneration more clearly then before only let him take heed to humble himself in earnest before God and to repent more seriously that so he may confirm himself and go on in the course of faith and obedience of the Evangel strengthening his brethren as Peter was commanded to do by our Lord Luk. 22. 22. 3. But if corruption of nature do not break forth to defile the whole man but inwardly stirreth and striveeth to bring its old servant into bondage again unto which tentations albeit the afflicted do not succumbe yet he is shaken and staggers in his faith doubting of his state and of the sincerity of his conversion because he findeth the power of sin in him more vigorous then he had found it before the change of his old conversation We do not deny but this case is readily incident unto such as are lately converted from formality in religion and fair civil carriage before men to true repentance and inward holinesse beseeming Christians This case because it may have sundry causes doth require also sundry cures 4. First this case may befall a young convert who because he hath not as yet gotten the experience of his own weaknesse is somewhat puffed up in the conceit of his own strength and is more confident then he hath reason that the sincerity of his purpose shall bear down and overcome all his spiritual enemies so oft as they shall oppose his holy resolution In this case what wonder is it that the Lord by a new proof of the mans weaknesse let him see that it is not in him that willeth or in him that runneth but in God that hath mercy to the intent his pride may be broken down and that he being humbled in himself may learn not to trust any more to himself but to God to Christ who by his Spirit maketh his children to mortifie sin in themselves as the Apostle teacheth us Rom. 8. 13. saying if ye mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit ye shall live Therefore the afflicted in this case must beware to fret or murmure or entertain suspicions of Gods grace in himself but rather let him after experience of his own weaknesse humble himself and renew the exercise of repentance and resolve in the use of the means to lean to the strength of Christ who doth help his souldiers in their conflict against sin and Sathan either by giving them the victory quickly or else sustaining them in the conflict by his grace as he did the Apostle 2 Cor. 12. 7. to whom Christ did not grant the victory till he despairing of his own ability to stand out against the messenger of Sathan did humbly beg deliverance from the tentation and then he gave him assurance that the assistance of his grace should prove sufficient to sustain him in the conflict and to deliver him in due time Secondly this case may fall out by the meer malice of Sathan who doth set himself to vex the young and â—ender convert lately taken out of his dominion to the intent he may make him repent his coming out of Egypt if it be possible and by leading out against him a new army of temptations may move him to despair of the victory and so bring him back to the flesh pots and taking on again the yoke of bondage if he can 2. And here consideration must be had of Gods wise and holy permission who suffereth Sathan to put a young convert to so hard tryals that in the weaknesse of his own child he may make evident his great power in upholding his young souldier against the forest assaults of Sathan and his wisdom in breaking by this mean the strength of in-born corruption raging against the work of grace in his child In this case let the afflicted remember he is called to give a proof of his faith and sincerity that he may acquit himself manfully and not be afraid of the power of temptations but bear out stoutly resisting Sathan being confident of the victory and of tramping Sathan under his feet shortly yea pre-suppose with inward temptations external persecution be joyned let the Lords souldier follow the example of the godly Hebrews whom the Apostle doth exhort to prepare themselves after spoliation of their goods to meet with grievous affliction under hope to overcome Heb. 10. 32. 36. and 12. 4. 3. This case may fall out not so much from the growing power of corruption as from the growing light of grace discovering sin more clearly then before regeneration for he who before regeneration was lying dead in sin did not feel the weight of sin at all or was sensible only of grosse out-breakings but when the clearer light of the Law doth come opening up the dens and caves of natures corruption out of which come forth legions of sinfull motions and amongst these sundry monsters of unperceived wickednesse are discovered to the young convert what wonder he be afraid and cast in many doubts and suspicions For if even the Apostle Paul himself out of the sense of inherent sin and of the bonds thereof where-with he did find himself bound was compelled with tears to cry out Miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 7. 24. what wonder is it that a novice in Religion do tremble when he seeth and smelleth the dunghill and filthy stable of his own unclean heart In this case all the comforts which the Gospel doth furnish are to be ministred to the afflicted hope is to be fostered in him of victory over all those evils the wisdom of God is to be set forth before his eyes under this exercise wherein the Lord hath brought to light the latent corruption of nature of set purpose that he might yoke his young souldier in combat with it and give him the victory by the holy Ghost over not only those evils which do trouble him for the time but also all other sins and so promoveth the mortification and abolition of the whole body of corruption in him 4. The fourth cause is or may be this that the afflicted hath not such estimation of the imputed righteousnesse of Christ as is requisit but with the slighting of Christs satisfaction and righteousnesse purchased to the believer by Christ goeth about to establish his own righteousnesse whereupon the Lord discovereth his short-coming in sanctification which in this life is imperfect and should indeed be followed after carefully
a notable defection from aiming at the measure felt in his first love at his conversion for we speak not here of daily distempers which the convert doth mark and mourn for and is about to have healed by bringing his wounds unto Christ to be cured in the exercise of faith and repentance daily The second is the not observing of this decay of love or the mans ignorance of his duty to entertain communion with Christ in the sense of his daily sins wants and wounds for the removing and curing whereof Christ is to be loved daily no lesse then at the man his first conversion The third is the mans being well pleased with this condition so long as his conversation is blamelesse whereof we have an instance in the condition of the Ephesians Rev. 2. whose labour in the work of the Lord zeal against hypocrits patience in troubles for Christs cause is commended by Christ. But he reproveth them first because they had left their first love and did not only come short of the measure of their first love but did not lay to heart this sin did not repent it or take course to have that measure recovered thou hast left or laid down thy first love that is 1. thou hast remitted and come short of that measure of love which formerly thou had 2. Thou hast not been displeased with thy self in this thy defection 3. Thou hast laid aside the care of recovering the measure of thy former love This condition is very dangerous as is manifest in the experience of the Galatians who falling from their first love did cast themselves open to superstitions and errours and in danger to be cut off from Christ by their defection from the faith of the Gospel once received The reasons for which we say this defection in love is dangerous are three the first is this the greatest measure of love to Christ and rejoycing in him is lesse then his excellency and merit at our hands doth deserve If therefore we shall slide from our duty in aiming to hold up this measure of love to him which we have once attained and cease to grow therein because his new mercies are daily letten forth upon us from day to day in effect we judge our first love hath been too too vehement and so Christ is lightly esteemed of as if he were not still to be loved withall our mind heart and strength The next reason is this when love to Christ to his Ordinances and sanctified ones beginneth to relent and cool incontinent the external exercises of religion and righteousnesse begin to fall short of this principle of love and to go on more and more slowly and so peece and peece to decay for as when a tree is smitten in the root it may retain for a time green leaves but after a time it withers and neither â—eareth ripe fruits nor leaves So also in the exercise of plety and righteousnesse if love toward God our Redeemer and delection in his service and obedience inwardly be diminished it may readily come to passe that the very outward works yea and the profession of duties due to Christ be taken away also and this is the judgment wherewith Christ doth threaten Ephesus I will come upon thee and remove thy candlestick out of his place except thou repent Rev. 2. 5. The third reason is because Christ who is altogether lovely and love it self the very Son of the Fathers love is a jealous God and cannot long indure not to be met with love from them to whom he hath manifested his love Therefore he doth make hast to correct this slighting of his love and to manifest his wrath against these that lye still well pleased with themselves under this condition I will come unto thee quickly saith he and remove thy candlestick Rev. 2. 5. 2. That the conscience of the true convert who is lying in this condition or is declining from his former measure of love may discharge its duty more easily and solidly it is needfull that the man being convinced of his fault first consider how reasonable it is that he should return to his first love or formerly felt measure of it for the forgivenesse of his manifold sins wherein he lay before his conversion for the translating of him from darknesse to the glorious light of Christs Kingdom should never be forgotten the proof which he hath gotten by his conversion that Christ hath loved him and given himself for him should be alwayes called to minde with hearty affection the great need of Christ wherein he standeth for renewed pardon of sins for furnishing him with his Spirit to mortifie the deeds of the flesh and to bring forth more ripe and abundant fruits of new obedience should bind him to abide and grow in his love Secondly let him consider how usefull and profitable unto us is fresh green and growing love unto him for love to him makes us frequently to think of him frequently with delight to speak of him to seek after more and more near-communion with him to have our conversation with him in heaven where he sits at the right hand of the Father and to live in heaven where our love is more then where we sojourn in this world Love makes us love what he loveth and hate what he hateth love sharpens our desires after God in Christ kindles and inlarges our affection toward him as the beginning of the 63. Psalm doth make evident And if the Lord shall seem to with-draw himself love makes the true convert follow hard after him Ps. 63. 8. Love makes â—old to encounter all difficulties and troubles which may meet 〈◊〉 in the course of following after him much water cannot quench love in Gods service love keeps a man 〈…〉 strong and stout against his enemies in 〈…〉 patient in profession sincere in pursuing duties 〈…〉 all conditions submissive and after evidencing of his affection with the Psalmist Ps. 116. 12. to â—ay with the same Psalmist What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits toward me Ps. 116. 12. Thirdly 〈…〉 convert who is begun to cool in his love to Christ 〈◊〉 to remembrance what a felicity he felt when he entertained love to Christ when the loving kindnesse of the Lord was better to him then his life and sin was more formidable then death when Gods Commandments were not grievous but the joy of his heart when Gods Word seasoned and sanctified his bitterest afflictions Fourthly let him consider at what a losse he is of many spiritual comforts whereof he hath deprived himself and in how many sins of omission at least he hath fallen since his declining from his first love and what miseries he hath drawn upon his own spirit at least if not also temporal chastisements joyned therewith and after comparison of his condition when his love was servent with his present condition since his fall from his sometime-measure of love let him humble himself before Christ and flye in unto his rich
in their calling and that as they find the imperfections of their service so they are forced to renounce all confidence in their own righteousnesse and to flye to the righteousnesse of Christ as the only true garment able to hide their nakednesse yet they are for the most part heavy in their spirit seldom they rejoyce but many times they weep and howsoever they maintain confidence in Christ for the state they stand into yet when they consider their ordinar heavinesse of heart they doubt what to think of this their sad condition Ans. This condition if well considered is very usefull albeit not alwayes comfortable for the Lords dispensation toward such a person thus exercised is well tempered and wisely mixed for he neither suffereth the heavy in heart to cast away his confidence in Christ nor to be idle and unfruitfull in his vocation nor to glory in his own works or put confidence in them but so keepeth him up to the duty of more and more esteeming of Christs righteousnesse and drawing of strength from him by faith that he goeth on in his course uprightly albeit not fed as he would be by the consolations of the holy Ghost 2. For remedy whereof let him quiet his mind for after examination of his own natural inclination he shall find the reason of the Lords dispensation toward him sparingly giving unto him such measure of consolation as he would have to be this least he should abuse the same and lean more to the sensible feeling thereof then to the word of faith and therefore however he find heavinesse of heart through manyfold tentations let him hold on his way in the obedience of faith he shall after a whiles patience and wrestling meet with as much peace and consolation as may suffice a pilgrim walking from strength to strength till he appear before God in heaven where all tears shall be wiped away from his eyes Mean time let this ground be holden fast that God mixeth the cup of his own children as he findeth it fit for their edification The third question is concerning the converts who for not looking on their originall sin and the out breakings thereof are in doubt what to think of their former condition SOme converts are who after a quiet possession of peace injoyed in a blamelesse conversation among men and in the exercises of religion uprightly before God after examination of their condition more narrowly do find that the conscience for a long time hath been silent and hath not changed for the motions of original sin but suffered them to go on securely under the guiltinesse of the daily sprouting forth thereof In this case as they dare not cast away their confidence in Christ nor their holy purpose of walking uprightly before God So they cannot justifie the silence of their conscience which hath suffered the motions of sin although not consented unto to go away without challenge or reckoning made for them and here they are in straits and doubt what to judge of their own condition Ans. In this case the silence of the conscience is not to be excused And the peace of the convert albeit it may be sound in order to the converts state in grace yet the condition wherein he is is not good but mixed with much security for to make the condition of a convert to be good it is not only required that his conscience be keeped free from grosse pollutions but also that he be daily aiming at mortifying of sin and that to this end he daily give an account unto God of his wandering and vanity and of the observed out-sproutings of the bitter root of original sin that he may after his best behaviour perceive a necessity of that prayer taught us by our Lord for daily remission of sins and so may daily have the answer of God from the Evangel saying Son be of good cheer thy sins are forgiven unto thee For there is a twofold absolution of the convert one is in order to his person which Christ calleth the washing of the whole man the other is in order to his daily imperfections and blemishes of his conversation which Christ doth call the washing of the feet By vertue of the first sort of absolution the child of God flying to Christ is judicially declared free from condemnation by the other the believer making use of the fountain opened up in Christ is exeemed from his acknowledged uncleannesse This is clear from Christs words Ioh. 13. 10. Mean time we confesse that the motions of sin in our mortal bodies are so innumerable that no man can overtake them yet must they be counted for an heap at least as David doth teach us Ps. 19. 12. Who knoweth the errors of his life cleanse me from my secret sins And this same lesson doth the Apostle teach us Rom. 7. 24. Wretched man that I am saith he who shall deliver me from the body of this death I thank God through Iesus Christ. Wherefore let the convert go on in his formet godly and righteous behaviour and conversation not mis-regarding the sproutings of original sin but giving account thereof unto Christ as said is that he may glorifie that righteousnesse of Christ by faith and injoy peace with God not only in order to his state but also in order to his condition daily The fourth question is how the convert may know and be certain of his justification VVHen the true convert heareth the different opinions of Theologues concerning the act of justification of a believer some saying that it is an act of God immanent whereby he willeth the absolution of the believer some saying that it is an act of God emanent and transient from God upon the spirit of the believer some saying it is the sentence of the Judge absolving the believing sinner from the curse of the law The believer here possibly is at a stand and knoweth not how to answer the question till his doubt be loosed For the satisfaction of the convert first we may safely say that it is not material whether the convert be able to take up the quiddity and formal notion of the act of iustification provided he be a believer in Christ and know that the believer in Christ is justified before God and that being justified by faith he hath peace with God and can apply these truths unto himself in the exercise of repentance and new obedience But if possibly the convert cannot be satisfied till his doubt be answered let him consider that he must distinguish between justification actively taken as it proceedeth from God and justification passively taken as it is terminat on the justified man as it is taken actively these four things are to be distinguished 1. Gods eternal will and decree to absolve from sin and wrath every believer in Christ. 2. Gods actual revealing in time this his gracious pleasure in the Gospel 3. Gods judicial application of this general sentence to the believer in the point of his conversion
from the body of this death and while he searcheth how it cometh to passe that such a body of death lodgeth in the children of God and so powerfull relicts of sin remain in the justified man he cannot satisfie himself considering that God doth hate sin and maketh the new creature hate it also which God could easily take away in a moment in the day of the converts reconciliation and justification 2. For answer to this question if a reason of Gods permission of the relicts of sin to remain in the Saints all the dayes of their life be asked after a reason superiour to the most holy will of God to permit it can none be given nor should it be sought after But to quiet our minds in this case these following considerations may suffice 1. it is the will of the Lord our God our wise and loving Physician to renew and restore his image in his children piece and piece till it be brought to perfection in all the lineaments parts and degrees thereof and to heal our sinfull sicknesses and infirmities not in an instant but by little and little as he seeth fit this way of bringing his work to perfection by degrees he keeped in the creation of the world which he did not perfect in a moment but in six dayes So also the seed that is casten in the ground every year he doth not bring forth to maturity for mens use in lesse time then some moneths He doth not form infants in the womb and bring them up to their appointed stature and strength in lesse time then a number of years And for the relicts of sin how odious and loathsome soever they are in themselves yet he can in his deep wisdom make use thereof in a most holy way for the good of penitent converts for as it was fitting that a difference should be put between the militant Church on earth and the triumphant in heaven So it is the Lords wise will to exercise his militant children in conflicting against sin and misery in this life that the next life and triumph over sin death and hell may be the sweeter when it cometh and more desired till it come 2. Secondly as the Lord after sub-duing of the Canaanites did not forthwith cast them altogether out of the holy land but suffered a multitude of them to live for the exercise of the Israelites with warfare and for teaching his people by their own experience that the victory which they had obtained over the Canaanites was not purchased by their sword or bow but was given unto them from the Lord of hostes who led forth their armies and prospered them So doth he not abolish the relicts of sin in his Saints in this life after their conversion that they may know that the victory which they have received over the devil the world and the flesh in their conversion is not to be ascribed to the power of their own free-will but unto God only For if the renewed convert cannot over-come the relicts of the broken forces of his spiritual adversaries within him which his renewed will would most earnestly expell how can he give the glory of his victory over the devil and the world in his conversion unto the power of his corrupt and unrenewed free-will 3. Thirdly it is required of all that come unto Christ that they deny themselves take up their crosse daily and follow him and to make them so do strong motives are daily furnished from the feeling of the relicts of sin in our selves for how can a renewed convert look upon his own ignorance errors folly and vanity of his mind perversenesse of his will impotency to good and propension unto all sin and not loath himself and so be forced to flye to Christ the Redeemer for relief 4. The remainder of sin being an adversary to all vertues doth furnish work to all the habits infused by God for the daily exercise thereof according as inborn sin doth put forth it self to the hinderance of faith love hope patience temperance c. but in special it serves to bear down pride and to foster humility for this doth the experience of the Apostle shew 2 Cor. 12. 7. Least I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelation there was given to me a thorn in the flesh 5. Nothing doth more manifest the infirmity of the strongest souldiers of Christ then the power of inborn sin brought forth in the conflict against the new creature No sharper spur to prayer and imploring of Gods help then the felt power of the remainder of sin this also doth the experience of the Apostle teach us 2 Cor. 12. 8. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me 6. How much the endurance of this conflict with the remainder of sin doth serve to manifest the greatnesse of the Lords power and largenesse of his grace towards his weak souldiers whom he upholdeth and comforteth in this conflict the answer which the Lord giveth to the Apostles prayer maketh manifest 2 Cor. 12. 9. And he said unto me my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weaknesse 7. We are slow to believe dull to apprehend and learn that which the Word of God tells us of the uglinesse of the body of sin the perverse wickednesse of corrupt nature the filthinesse of the flesh the wiles and deceitfulnesse of the old man and the enmity of our corrupt nature against God Therefore in and by the frequent and renewed conflicts now with one lust then with another we are forced by experience to learn the lesson more and more solidly and believe the truth of the Lords Word speaking of sin that is in us and to ingage our selves to prosecute the mortification of sin unto the death 8. The renewed experience of the power of sin in our flesh should make us so much the more vigilant against it and daily to put on the whole armour of God Because we must fight not only with the flesh but also with principalities powers and spiritual wickednesse which take advantage of the sin that naturally dwelleth in us Ephes. 6. 11. 12. Put on the whole armour of God for we wrestle not with flesh and blood to wit only 9. The conscience of the remainder of sin dwelling in us serveth to move us to pity and to have compassion on the children of Adam and meekly to restore our weak brethren who are overtaken in any offence as the Apostle doth teach us Tit. 3. 2. Shewing all meeknesse to all men For we our selves also were sometime foolish disobedient deceived c. Gal. 6. 1. Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meeknesse considering thy self lest thou also be tempted 10. Last of all the permission of the reliques or sin to remain in true converts all the dayes of their life doth serve to decide the great controversie between
would most exercise faith and believe in Christ he is found least able to do it yea he findeth it no lesse impossible to observe the whole moral Law then solidly to believe in Christ hence ariseth anxiety in the soul of the afflicted while he neither dar depart from Christ nor yet is able to approach unto him confidently In this case many new doubts and temptations do arise which weaken his faith yet more and hinder him in the exercise of religion and discharge of duties not a little That this sometime may be the case of some converted the experience of the Saints set down in Scripture maketh evident Ps. 30. 7. Lord saith David by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled And in his prayer Ps. 61. 2. while his minde was overwhelmed in him with perplexing thoughts he findeth in himself no strength or ability to deliver himself or put forth acts of faith on the Mediator as he would have done but prayeth that while he is now exiled and driven far off from the tabernacle and ark of the Covenant he may be raised up to believe in him who was signified by these tipes to wit Christ the Rock of all Salvation which Rock of salvation he perceiveth to be a higher mystery then he can discover or ascend upon without the hand of divine power And therefore saith from the end of the earth will I cry unto thee when my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the rock that is higher then I. Yea the godly afflicted Hebrews fell in this sicknesse whom the Apostle exhorteth to take courage unto them Heb. 12. 12 13. Wherefore lift up your hands which hang down and the feeble knees and make streight paths for your feet 2. For answering of this doubt the afflicted person must be convinced of his infirmity and sinfull dissidence because being called of God to the exercise and tryal of his faith in Christ by whatsoever sort of trouble he hath been discouraged and fainted which did not become a souldier of Christ and that for no other pretended reason but this that he could not give such a proof of his faith as he should have given and hoped to give before he was put to tryal Secondly he must consider how far he is mistaken in leaning to his own strength in the exercise of his faith of which self-confidence the more a man is emptied the more speedily he shall be furnished if being emptied he flye to Christ for supply This was the experience of the Apostle 2 Cor. 9. 10. who was made weak in himself that the strength of Christ might be made perfect in his weaknesse and therefore he resolved to make use of the strength of Christ in all his felt infirmities and that he did with good successe For when I am weak saith he then am I strong Whose example we must resolve to follow Thirdly after search it will be found that the person afflicted under the notion and expression of I cannot believe hath in effect this meaning I cannot find such a full assurance of faith as I would be at or I cannot find such a sense of the approbation of my â—aiah as can satisfie me and perswade me that I do believe really in Christ. And so it is another thing and another gift of the Spirit he is seeking then what he pretendeth to seek for the sense and feeling of approven faith and full assurance of faith is not given to every believer but to him that sights the fight of faith and in his tryals adhereth closely to Christ and to his truth when he is tempted to sin as the clause in the close of the seven Epistles to the Churches of Asia doth teach us Rev. 2. 3. To him that overcometh I will give to eat of the tree of life to eat of that hid manna I will give him that white stone and a new name written thereon which no man knoweth save he that receiveth it Fourthly the afflicted must be instructed or put in minde to distinguish between believing in Christ and the knowing that he doth believe in Christ as may be learned from 1 Ioh. 5. 13. These things I writ to you that believe on the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God He must distinguish between true though weak saying faith and strong faith True saving faith is in that person who being pursued by the Law doth flye for refuge to lay hold upon Christ the hope set before us The man that dwelleth in this city of Christ and maketh use of Christ as the only remedy against sin and misery as he is offered to us in the Gospel hath right unto that strong and well-grounded consolation spoken of Heb. 6. 17 18 19. True and saving faith is in that person who acknowledging himself a child of wrath heartily receiveth the Lord Jesus Christ as he offereth himself to us in the Gospel for such a person hath the right and priviledge of a child of God and may reckon himself among believers in Christ Ioh. 1. 12. As many as received Christ to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe in his name True and saving faith is in that person who being convinced of his enimity against God doth answer the request of God in Christ in the mouth of his Ministers with a hearty consent unto the covenant of grace and reconciliation offered to all that hear the Gospel 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliateon Now then we are Embassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled unto God for he hath made him that is Christ to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him Therefore let the afflicted answer thus I receive the offer and do consent upon these termes to be reconciled to God Lord help my unbelief for thou hast said seek ye my face and my soul answereth Thy face O Lord will I seek hide not thy face from me Ps. 27. 8 9. He that upon these termes doth flye to Christ and resolveth to adhere unto him needeth not doubt but he is received in the state of grace for confirmation whereof let the fruits of faith outward and inward which may be observed by the afflicted himself or by his comforter be called to mind and let him rest and go on in the course of obedience of the Gospel CHAP. VI. Wherein the doubt of the regenerat man concerning his being in the state of grace arising from his apprehended defect of humiliation and sorrow for sin is answered SOme regenerat persons will be found who mourn indeed for their sin and
of grace because he findeth himself frequently in an evil condition EXperience teacheth that sundry true converts because they feeling themselves oft-times in an ill condition do call in question their being in the blessed state of grace not considering that the condition of a man whether in the state of nature unrenewed or in the state of grace may be comparatively in better or worse condition and yet his state remain the same The multitude of the misbelieving Hebrews were in an evil condition at the one side of the red Sea when they repented their coming out of Egypt but in a better condition when they did sing praises unto God on the other side of the Sea and yet for their state some were yea most part still in nature unrenewed Moses and Aaron were in an evil condition when their passion offended God at the smiteing of the rock but when they did interceed with God for the people when wrath was kindled against the host they were in a better condition and both in the one time and in the other they were in the state of grace true Saints in Gods estimation This mistake of the weak in faith not putting difference between their present disposition and their state maketh them judge of themselves to be in the state of grace when their condition is good and to be in the state of nature unrenewed when they feel themselves in an evil condition when they observe their heart inlarged to run the way of Gods commandments then they esteem themselves truly regenerat and when they feel themselves sluggish in the work of the Lord dull in hearing the Word flow to believe what the Scripture speaketh when they esteem their ordinary service to be after a form of godlinesse without affection and power and what service they do to proceed from fear of wrath rather then from the new and right principles of a regenerat man then they question all the works of grace in themselves What shall I think saith the afflicted concerning my state in grace when I find my condition so frequently not only short of what it should be but also polluted with divers sorts of sins 2. For answer we must grant that the externall duties of religion may be discharged from fleshly and corrupt principles for many do perform commanded external duties that they may eshew the reproach of impiety or that they may insinuat themselves in the good estimation and favour of the godly or for some base earthly ends for which gross hypocrits do whatsoever they do in religion Like unto these are all self-deceiving hypocrits who go about to establish their own righteousnesse miskening that righteousnesse which is of God by faith as if God could be obliged to take their performance for a full satisfaction for their former sins and would look upon their works as meritorious of eternal life and therefore because men may deceive themselves 1. the afflicted shall do well to examine himself whether he hath renounced all confidence in the flesh or his own works Phil. 3. 8 9. and fled unto Christ for righteousnesse with some measure of honest endeavouring to worship and serve God in his spirit which if his conscience can witnesse unto him to be his way wherein he is walking then may he be assured that he is a true convert 2. And albeit it be true that the imperfections of the regenerat man do many times obscure his state in grace yet can they not extinguish the sponk of regeneration begun in him or prove the work of grace in him not to be at all 3. We grant that the condition of a true convert at sometimes may be so bad by reason of sinfull distemper and fleshly carriage that many unrenewed mens conversation shall be found far more commendable then the present condition and carriage of the renewed man in his sinfull condition In which case neither God nor his own conscience nor any that feareth God can speak any thing but wrath to him till he repent and turn to God for mercy in Christ yet the afflicted penitent convert lamenting his bad condition is in better case then any unrenewed man can be into for the very grief and perplexity which he findeth because his condition is so oft ill and sinfull proveth his good affection toward God and his earnest desire to walk before God unto all well-pleasing in all things and at all times 3. But if the afflicted shall insist and object that the fear of Gods wrath and judgments ordinarily is a main motive which setteth him on to do the duties and service which God requireth of him and not the love of God the felt in-lake whereof doth make him go on halting and heavy in the wayes of God We answer that albeit the fear of Gods wrath and judgments looked upon alone doth not prove regeneration yet it may well consist with regeneration because God doth not for nought joyn with his precepts fearfull threatenings of judgments against those who shall transgresse his commands that they may be as a spur in his childrens sides to presse them to their duties and as a bridle to curb and check their vitious inclination unto sin which lodgeth in all men by nature And this motive is evident in the experience of the Prophet Ps 119. 120. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgments 2. It may be that the afflicted lately converted unto God be not free as yet from the spirit of bondage but be keeped in some measure under the bonds of servile fear God so disposing for the humbleing exercising and training of his child lately entered in his holy warfare in which condition his fear is commendable when it ariseth from the conscience of his sinfull short-coming in Gods service and of the prevailing of his corruption against the begun work of renovation Wherefore let the afflicted go about the discharge of commanded duties in his christian calling and particular station wherein God hath placed him in what condition soever he shall find himself 2. Let him compare his present condition which he doth count an ill condition with the by-gone better conditions whereof he hath had possibly experience frequently and when he calleth to mind the comforts he hath had and the inlargement of heart to run in the way of Gods commandment in hope of a change of his present condition to the better in hope of finding renewed blinks of the Lords countenance let him humbly wait on God in the use of the means appointed till the day-star arise in his heart praying with the Psalmist that God would quicken him according to his loving kindnesse 3. Let him cleave the more closely to the covenant of grace and the righteousnesse which is by faith in Jesus Christ withall giving thanks unto God for the grace bestowed on him for the giving unto him eye-salve to see his blindnesse nakednesse and misery and for making sin odious and grievous unto him in any measure
and for drawing him to Christ to be his refuge in his worst condition CHAP. XXVIII Wherein is solved the doubt of the true convert concerning his regeneration because he findeth the power of the body of death in the pollution of the imaginations of his heart vigorous and powerfull THere are some true converts who albeit they be cleansed from the pollutions that are in the world and have their conversation blamelesse and without giving scandall unto them they live among yet frequently are troubled with doubting of their state in grace because they feel in themselves such a power of in-bred corruption of their hearts as can hardly consist as they conceive with regeneration and saving saith because Iames chap. 3. ver 11. maketh the question thus doth a fountain send forth at the same plâ—ce sweet water and bitter c. unto the end of the Chapter This doubt the afflicted wrestles with and saith with himself what shall I think of my self whose heart is so polluted that it casteth forth continually dirt and mire how shall I reckon my self among the Saints how shall I incrude my self among the justified who find so little evidence of the work of sanctification in me For faith should purifie the heart from this pollution whereof I do justly complain 2. For solving of this doubt many things are already spoken which serve for the curing of this case and comforting the afflicted in this condition but because one and the same doubt doth diversely present it self now in one shape then in another and doth vex the afflicted in sundry wayes we shall answer this doubt proposed as it is set down First therefore let the afflicted examine himself whether he may with some measure of honesty say with the Psalmist Ps. 66. 18. I do not regard iniquity-in my heart I do not so delight in sin but that sin is still my affliction and my daily grief Secondly let him examine himself whether the power of corruption doth break forth in words and deeds or not or if it do burst out in some passionat fits whether he doth open the sluce and give it way or whether he sets himself to oppose the out-breaking of sin and is humbled for what doth break forth Thirdly let him examine whether he flyeth to Christ to wash him and help him against the power of sin or not If after examination he can in any measure of honesty joyn with the Apostle in his lamentation and recourse unto Christ for delivery Rom. 7. 24 25. he may be assured he is in the state of grace For there is a vast difference between a mans being sold unto sin by his native corruption captivating him and a mans setting of himself unto sin as a voluntary servant of sin for a renewed man may be in sundry cases a captive to sin and is a fighter against sin But a man selling himself to sin is a slave voluntarily suffering sin to reign in his mortall body Let the afflicted therefore comfort himself because in him there is a perpetual conflict between the flesh and the spirit between his native inclination to sin and the new creature or inclination to holinesse Neither let him by mis-understood Scripture formerly cited vex himself for his faith is indeed upon the work and the way of purifying his heart first because he doth flye to the bloud of Christ which cleanseth him from all sin in respect of remission granted Secondly there is a constant endeavour to be more and more holy and to draw vertue by faith from Christ to bring forth good fruits well-pleasing unto God Thirdly he is about to mortifie his lusts by the Spirit of Christ and to purge out the leaven of all filthinesse of flesh and spirit albeit he cannot purge it out all at once or wholly in in this life And fourthly because albeit his doubting of his estate in grace be not allowable yet it doth bear witnesse that the remainder of pollution in him is his grief affliction and vexation So also that other Scripture Iames 3. 11. which faith that out of the same fountain proceedeth not salt water and sweet is not to be understood so as if no rotten speech could possibly proceed out of the mouth of a regenerat man at any time for Iames doth witnesse that in many things we sin all in thought word and deed But the meaning is that he that bridleth not his tongue his religion is vain and nothing but a presumptuous boasting of that wich is not reall and in truth and that it is inconsistent with regeneration that out of a mans mouth pretending to blesse God cursing of men who are made after the similitude of God should flow forth as waters flow forth from a running fountain without controlment CHAP. XXIX Shewing how to quench the fiery darts of Sathan and resist his sinfull suggestions whether of shorter endurance or of longer continuance SOmetime on a sudain Sathan casteth a fiery dart of tentation unto some sin as his messenger seeking to prepare the lodging for him which tentation he doth so furiously presse as if he would not be refused or could not be resisted and possibly may so bear-in his tentation as the convert may be afraid that Sathan shall prevail finding himself as it were over-powered and unable to bear out in such a case as the Apostle had experience of 2 Cor. 12 7 8 9. who found himself as it were buffeted and abused by the messenger of Sathan and unable of himself to resist him The remedy whereof is that the afflicted with the Apostle be humbled in himself in the sense of his in-born sinfulnesse and inability to overcome tentations 2. That he flye to Christ the captain of militant souldiers and do pray unto him instantly to help to bear out in the conflict and to be rid of the Tempter 3. Let him hold fast the faith of promised grace and wrestle on so long as it shall please God to exercise him so With such a tentation Iob also was exercised which so far prevailed as to make carnall and corrupt nature speak for it The tentation was very fearfull and no lesse then self-murther Iob 7. 13 14 15. When I say my couch shall ease my complaint then thou scarrest me with dreams and terrifiest me with night-visions so that my soul chooseth strangling and death rather then life The remedy whereof is with Iob to flye to the Redeemer and fix faith upon him and to present the tentation unto God by prayer and humble lamentation striving against the suggestion and never to give over relying on God as he did 2. Sometime Sathan when he cannot find instruments to charge the convert with hypocrisie and a course of wickednesse as he found in Iobs tryall by his uncharitable friends he useth immediately to fall a railing against the whole course of the work of grace in the convert and charge him falsely with deep guiltinesse as calumniators use to do in their furious flyting and slandering