Covenant with me by Sacrifice 2. The other is that they keep Covenant Psal 103. 18. To such as keep They keep Covenant with God his Covenant and this he expounds in the following words to those that remember his Commandements to do them When we enter into Covenant with God what is it that we do I suppose if we do understand our selves that we do then take him to be our God 1. In his Gracious Mercy 2ly In his Righteous Society that he and he alone shall be our Lord our King to Rule and guide and prescribe us laws and we will be his people to hearken unto him to be at his command to obey his voice and will Is any man so wild to make such a Covenant with God or to think that God will make such a Covenant as this with him I will have mercy and blessing from God but I will not obey him he shall be none of my Lord nor King or that God will yield to these termes I will be yours for all blessings but live as you list do what you please walk how you will serve your lusts regard not my Law Did God ever make such a Covenant as this Saith God to Abraham Gen. 15. 1. I am tby shield and thy exceeding great reward And Chap. 17. 1. I am the Almighty God I am able to do thee good and will do so but then he addes walk before mee and be thou perfect q. d. I will be a God to you for blessing and also a God over you for Ruling I expect that you should walk uprightly before me i. e. observe my wayes my Commandements and act them with sincerity of heart not willingly disobey and prevaricate So Exod. 19. 5. If ye will obey my voice in doing and keeping my Covenant then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people And Verse 6. Ye shall be unto me a Kingdom of Priests and an holy Nation But a little more to demonstrate this truth unto you be pleased to consider these five particulars First Those several Relations which fall upon all people who come to be in The relations betwixt God and his people in Covenant require obedience Covenant with God and they are all such as lay obligations upon them to obedience to walking in his Statutes They are the children of God and have God to be their Father Now saith God to them that pretend to stand in this Relation but walk disobediently A son honoureth his Father Mal. 1. 6. And if I be a father where is mine honour They are the servants of God and God is their Lord and Master Now saith he in the same place a servant honoureth his Master And if I be a Master where is my fear should not a Lord and Master be feared and what is it to fear God but to have an awful respect to his Commandements and a tender care to do his will They are his subjects and he is their King he is the Lord that Reigneth over them gives Laws unto them and are not his Subjects a willing people in the day of his power Do not his Saints humble themselves sit down at his feet and receive of his words doth not the fiery Law proceed from his right hand for them whom he calls his Saints Deut. 33. 2 3. Secondly The Covenant mercies and blessings as their scope is to express the Rich bounty of God to his people so likewise the end of them is to quicken constrain And so do the Covenant mercies and indear them unto duty and obedience Psal 86 12. I will praise thee O Lord my God with all my heart I will glorifie thy Name for evermore Ver. 13. for great is thy mercy towards me Psal 130. 4. There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared Deut. 10. 12. And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God to walk in his wayes and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul Luke 1. 74. That we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear Ver. 75. In holiness and righteousness Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrificâ— holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service Nothing more usual in the Scripture than to press the people in Covenant to obedience by and from the mercies of the Covenant The full and clear Revelation of the New Covenant takes in with it an express institution of obedience Tit. 2. 11. The grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men Ver. 12. Teaching us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world The full and clearest Revelation of the new Covenant was when Jesus Christ himâ—elf appeared in the world and taught and dyed and rose again and ascended into heaven and even thence is obedience chiefly urged the Gospel all along pressing duties upon the people of God to love the Lord their God and to love their neighbour and to walk as children of the light Ephes 5. And to be obedient children 1 Pet. 1. 14. And to be holy in all manner of conversation Ver. 15. And to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called with all lowliness and meekness Ephes 4. 1 2. And to put off concerning the former conversation which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts Ver. 22. And to put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Ver. 24. And to walk circumspectly Ephes 5. 15. or exactly unto the highest pitch of holiness and obedience Fourthly The Mediatour of the Covenant concerning whom you And the Mediatour of the Covenant finde 1. That he professeth that he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it 2. That he explicated the Law in the true and spiritual sense of it vindicating it from the false glosses of the Pharisees and pressing it in many branches upon us as you may see in Matth. 5. from ver 21. to the end 3. Himself to be under the Law and making special use of it in several parts aginst the temptations of Satan It is written thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Matth. 4. 7. And it is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve ver 10. 4. That he makes obedience the discovery of our real love unto him Joh. 14. 15. If you love me keep my Commandements Ver. 21. He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them he it is that loveth me Ver. 24. If a man love me he will keep my words 5. That it was one end of the giving of himself to deth for us Tit. 2. 14. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good
the enjoyment of Christ All is enjoyed 1. Equivalently there is as much in Christ as answers all other enjoyments All is enjoyed by the enâ—oyment of Christ Equivalently Ipse unus erit tibi omnia quia in ipso uno bono bona sunt omnia the wisdome of Christ doth more than answer all other wisdome and the knowledge of Christ doth more than answer all other knowledge and the love of Christ doth more than answer all other love and the unsearchable riches of Christ doth more than answer all other riches and the delights in Christ do more than answer all other pleasures 2. Really if you enjoy Christ himself you do actually enjoy all the glorious benefits by Christ with the enjoyments of himself If the field be yours the Really treasure in the field is yours indeed in some civil enjoyments there is an exceptio juris sometimes such a Mannour you shall enjoy but such or such particulars are excepted and reserved But it is not thus in your spiritual enjoyments in the enjoyment of Christ there is no exception no clause no distinction but if Christ be yours all of Christ is yours his love is yours his righteousness is yours his wisdome his holiness his Redemption all is yours 4. Jâ—sus Christ hâ—mself his person is the greatest blessing and choicest gift that Jesus Christ himself is the greatest and choicest gift that God can give unto you God hath or can give unto you for all the other blessings fall into our possession and enjoyment by Christ alone all your enjoyments are bestowed by the enjoyment of Christ himself the loving God the merciful God righteousnesse holinesse as long as Christ is Christ you shall have possession of them Ephes 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Christ if I may so expresse it is the out-let of all blessings and he is the in-let to all our blessings Look on our blessings as descending from God to us Jesus Christ is as it were the out-let of them all they are let out unto us by Christ God himself becomes our God in Christ and he loves us in Christ and chooseth us in Christ and is merciful and gracious unto us in Christ and sheweth the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindnesse towards us through Christ Jesus And look on our blessings as desired from God by us we are let or brought into the enjoyment of them by Christ We lost all by the first Adam and we come to enjoy all again by Christ Jesus Christ is as it were the root upon which all our mercies and comforts and hopes do live again and grow You obtain your accesse by Christ unto the Father and your persons come to be accepted in Christ and all your services He holds up all your Communions and makes them effectual and sure God would not look on you nor regard you nor let fall one glimpse or beame of his favour upon you were it not for Christ it is Christ which makes you nigh and dear and lovely and delightful and precious and for whose sake you come to be sonnes and heirs of love and mercy and peace and all the blessings which you do possesse or ever shall enjoy in this world or in the world to come 5. Your condition cannot be otherwise than safe and comfortable and blessed Your condition cannot be otherwise than safe if Christ be yours if Christ be yours As it cannot be well with any without Christ so it cannot be ill with any who have Christ There is no condemnation unto you you are now passed from death to life he is your life and he that hath the Sonne hath life and he is your hope Christ in you the hope of glory and he is your Rock on which you are built he is your peace he is your glory he is your head he is your Saviour in one word the enjoyment of Christ makes life and death comfortable 2. Christ is yours as to all his Offices You know that Christ is the anointed Christ â—s yours as to all his offices of God He was set apart and ordained and called and sent and undertook all the work of salvation for sinners and for the accomplishing of that salvation he was installed a Prophet a Priest and a King By reason of our sinful fall there were if I may so call them three diseases falling upon us One was Ignorance and this Christ doth heale as he is our Prophet A second was Alienation from God and this Christ doth heal as he is our Priest A third is Impotency to come back to God and this Christ doth heal as he is our King As he is a Prophet he doth open and unfold salvation and as he is a Priest he doth acquire and procure salvation and as he is a King he doth apply that salvation unto us The Prophetical Office of Christ is that by which he doth perfectly and effectually reveal the whole saving Will of God The Priestly Office of Christ is that by which he doth expiate all our sinnes and doth reconcile us unto God The Kingly Office of Christ is that by which he doth with authority and power dispense and administer all things which do belong unto the everlasting salvation of his people Beloved All the works of our redemption and reconciliation and salvation do depend on Jesus Christ as invested with the threefold Office of Prophet Priest and King his whole Mediatourship is contained in them and so is all our comfort and hope and therefore I will speak briefly unto every one of them 1. Jesus Christ is a Prophet and he is your Prophet He is that Prophet whom Christ is yours as a Prophet God had promised to raise up Acts 3. 22. And whom all are commanded to hear verse 23. And this was he who was anointed by the Spirit of the Lord to preach the Cospel to the poor Luke 4 18. And this is he in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Col. 2. 3. who knows the Father and by whom alone the knowledge of the Father is revealed Matth 11. 27. who is in the bosome of the Father and declares him unto us John 1. 18. who is the Angel of the Covenant Malachi 3. 1. unto whom the great Commission of opening the mystery of salvation is granted and sealed Now there are foure singular comforts unto you which have God to be your God in Covenant and consequently have Jesus Christ to be your Prophet Four comforts from hence He hath iâ— in his commission to teach us 1. He hath it in his Commission to teach you They shall be all taught of God Joh. 6. 45. yea it is his expresse Commission to preach the Gospel unto you Luke 4. 18. to open and reveale that Mystery which was kept secret since the world began and to make it manifest
1. Because he works where and on whom and when and how he himself pleaseth he blowes where he lists Joh. 3. 8. 2. And he is a â—ree Spirit in as much as all spiritual freedom and liberty is received of us from him hence the Apostle 2 Cor. 3. 17. where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 4. The good Spirit by Spirit is good â—sa 143 10 Thou gavest them of thy good Spirit The good Spirit Neh. 9. 20. The Spirit is essentially good and counsels good he is indeed a good Spirit unto us All the good thoughts in us and all the good desires in us and all the good we have or shall receive from God in Christ is handed to us by this good Spirit yea and all the sweet sights of God himself that ever we enjoyed and all the tasts that ever we have had of Jesus Christ and all the joyes and contentments in our souls we are beholding unto this good Spirit for every one of them though in some respect you are not beholding unto the Spirit for dying and suffering and satisfying and reconciling and purchasing for you yet this I may safely affirme that for all the enjoyments of all the sweet comforts depending on the sufferings of Christ you are singularly beholding to the good spirit for them you never could have partaked of Christ nor of any one good purchased by Christ had it not been for this good Spirit 5. The powerfull or mighty Spirit The Spirit of the Lord is called the Spirit of The powerful Spirit might Isa 11. 2. The power of the holy Ghost Rom. 15. 13. the power of the Spirit of God verse 19. the power of the Highest Luke 1. 35. It was the power of this Spirit which did convince you of your sins and which did break your heard harts and did rescue and deliver you from the power of darknesse which doth subdue your iniquities and pull down your strong bolds It was and is this powerfull Spirit by whom the Ministrations or Ordinances of the Gospel have been and still are of power with you The Word is called the sword of the Spirit Ephes 6. 17. The Ministrations of them selves are weak it is the concomitant presence of the Spirit which makes them powerful and lively for your conversion comfort and salvation you had laine in the same condition and darknesse and bondage and death with other men had not the powerful and mighty Spirit of God put forth the greatnesse of his own strength to the alteration of your hearts by his own grace 2. The Spirit is yours in respect of his gifts and fruits You read in 1 Cor. 12. The Spirit is ours in respect of his gifts or fruits 14. of diversities of gifts of the Spirit for edification or to profit withall ver 7. and you read of the first fruits of the Spirit Rom. 8. 23. and of the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22. The Spirit of God as to these gifts and fruits is called the Spirit of grace Zach. 12. 10. and the Spirit of wisdome Isa 11. 2. and the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord and the Spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4. 13. and the Spirit of love 2 Tim. 1. 7. and the Spirit of supplication Zach. 12 10. the fruit of the Spirit saith the Apostle in Gal. 5. 22. is love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith and ver 23. meeknesse temperance There are six things which I would briefly observe concerning the graces or fruits Six things concerning the graces of the Spirit They are the beauties of a Christian They are necessary to salvation of the Spirit 1. They are the Beauties Glories Ornaments Chains Pearls Jewels of a Christian you have no excellencies till you partake of them but are dead loathsome polluted and vile These are the very image of God 2. They are necessary unto salvation No man can be saved without them They are the way to the kingdom though they be not the cause of reigning in the kingdom without holinesse no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. 3. They are pledges of salvation therefore called the first fruits which were They are pledges of salvation the beginnings and the pledges of the full harvest and also the earnest of the Spirit which he leaves with us to assure us of that glorious happinesse which we are to receive shortly in fulnesse 4. They are given to none but unto such as shall be saved There are the common gifts of the Spirit which are for the edification of others These they may have They are given to none but such as shall be saved who shall perish like those who helped to build the Ark and yet were drowned But there are the special gifts of the Spirit which are for Renovation of the soule and for the preparation of it for glory These are given to none but unto such who are elected unto salvation As many as were ordained to eternal life believed Act. 13. 48. Matth. 11. 25. Hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes 5. Every gift or grace which accompanies salvation is by the Spirit given Every grace accompanying salvation is given to every child of God to every child of God to every one who hath God to be his God in Covenant every one of them hath every saving grace of the Spirit 1. The spirit of grace I will poure upon the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace Zach. 12. 10. 2. The Spirit of knowledge They shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them Jer. 31. 34. 3. The Spirit of wiâ—dâ—me The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ give unto you the Spirit of wisdome Eph. 1. 17. 4. The Spirit of faith We have the same Spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4. 13. You are all the children oâ— God by faith in Christ Jesus Gal. 3. 26. To them that have obtained like precious faith with us 2 Pet. 1. 1. 5. The Spirit of love 2 Tim. 1. 7. Ye your selvâ—s arâ— taught of God to love one another 1 Thes 4. 9. What should I speak of godly sorrow repentance humblenesse meeknesse patience c. whatsoever gift is necessary to our salvation the Spirit doth certainly work in every one of the people of God although not in the same measure proportion and height yet to the same truth and for the same efficacy unto their salvation Every child of God hath the same Spirit of grace and faith and love and though one Christians graces may fall short of anothers for the quantity yet they do not fall short for the present quality nor for the future glory The weakest grace of the Spirit is able to change the heart and save the soul 6. The Spirit doth cherish and preserve and keep all those saving gifts of his The Spirit doth cherish and prese ve all those saving gifts in
sure also you have sure possessions and you have sure promises Beloved though nothing out of the Covenant is sure yet all things in the Covenant is sure not only sure certitudine veritatis in a way of ttuth but also sure certitudine haereditatis in a way of performance not only sure quoad causam ratione pacti as to the cause and the nature of Gods Covenant but sure also quoad effectum ratione facti as to the effect and fruition of them you shall have all the mercy and all the grace and all the glory which God promiseth You may have a mans promise and a mans Bond and yet you may not be sure for the man may die or his estate may faile and break but it is not so here in Gods Covenant with you he never dies and he never breaks he is an eternal infinitenesse and al-sufficiency and his Word abides the same for ever yea one may be an heire to a great estate yet he may not be sure to enjoy that great estate either death or miscarriages or violence may deprive him of the right but the people of God are sure heires of all the promised good in the Covenant and they shall not fail to enjoy all they have the promises of all good and they have promises that God will assuredly performe all his promises and they have his Oath annexed unto those promises Heb. 6. 13. when God made a promise to Abraham because he could sweare by no greater he sware by himself Ver. 14. Saying Surely blessing I wâ—ll blesse thee as if he should say Surely surely as I am God I will blesse thee now what shall we say to these things how good is our God! how rich is his Covenant how blessed are the people who have the Lord to be their God in Covenant The Covenant is good and the Covenant is full and the Covenaâ—t is sure Then if the Covenant be a Covenant of blessings and blessednesse you who are in Covenant are blessed and shall be surely blessed Vse 4 Is the Covenant which God makes with his people a sure Covenant then you who are the people interested in this Covenant hearken unto a few instructions Instructions 1. In the apprehension of your wants and of the sutable good which God In the apprehension of your wants be much in prayer hath promised unto his people pray and never cease seek and ask and knock if you finde your names written in the Covenant and your supplies written in the promises now pray without ceasing pray without fainting you are sure to speed and therefore be sure to pray your labour is not in vain in the Lord said the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. â—8 So say I your prayers unto the Lord shall not be in vain consider that place in Isa 45. 19. I said not to the seed of Jacob Seek ye me in vain I the Lord speak in righteousnesse as if he should say I never did put you upon fruitlesse service you never lost your labour when you sought me whensoever you sought me you did finde me I have been still as good as my word I the Lord speak righteousnesse I do not deceive any but what I promise to be unto them that seek unto me to do for them that I will be and that I will certainly do for them There are three reasons why we should make our requests known unto God why we should pray unto him and hold and keep up prayers 1. One is because he is only the fountain of all good 2. A second is because he hath promised all good 3. A third is because he will surely performe all the good which he hath promised Psal 57. 2. I will cry unto God most high unto God that performeth all things for me Verse 3. He shall send from heaven and save me God shall send forth his mercy and his truth Mark the place David is resolved to pray unto God to draw nigh and to call upon him for help and why will he do so because God is the most high God he is able to help me and because God hath promised me help and he will performe all that he hath promised me yea he will certainly do so for he will send forth his mercy and his truth that is I shall certainly enjoy the mercy which he hath graciously promised and will truly performe A beggar will many times ask where he is not sure to receive an almes he will hazard many a request but it is not so with you who are the people of God you never hazard one prayer which you make if it be grounded upon the promise made to you and the reason is because the Covenant is sure and God is faithful who hath promised what the Apostle spake about well-doing in Gal. 6. 9. Let us not be weary of well-doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not that I say of praying be not weary of praying say not it is in vain but continue praying for the mercy for the grace for the help for the comfort which your souls do need for in due season you shall reap if you faint not when you sowe the seed in the earth you shall finde it to come up and bring forth in the season of it not as soon as you sowe it yet in the due season you shall hear of it again so sowe your prayers in heaven prayers are the seed which the soul doth sowe and you shall reap in due season though you be not presently answered yet when the season of answering comes you shall certainly be answered 2. Look out for more than as yet you have received and do enjoy Beloved Look out for more than as yet you have received this you shall experimentally finde that the more you do study your own hearts the more wants and weaknesse you shall finde in them and the more that you study the Covenant of grace the more riches of grace and mercy and glory you shall finde in it As the Queen of Sheba though she heard much of the wisdome of Solomon yet she found more than as much more when she came and conferred with him so besides all the good which you have heard in the Covenant or have received from the Covenant if you would search further into it you should yet finde those unsearchable riches of Christ and such depths and heighths of love and mercy that you never espied before there is much more grace and much more love and much more mercy and much more peace than ever your souls as yet tasted of you shall finde greater things promised than ever you as yet have partaken of Object You will confesse so there are Sol. And sit you still and stand you complaining and will not you make out for them do not you know 1. That the whole Covenant is your portion that God hath promised to give all unto you to give grace and glory and to with-hold no good thing from you
which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day And a Surety for us He did enter into Bond for us to pay our ransome To become sin for us that we may be made the righteousness of God in him 6. He is the Testator of the Covenant and he died to confirm the Covenant The Testator of tâ—â— Covenant His death sealed it so that we may challenge and plead the good of the Covenant as children do their Estates left unto them in a Testament sealed Heb. 9. 16 17. Where a Testament is there must also of necessity be the death of the Testator For a Testament is of force after men are dead 7. He is the Mediatour of the Covenant Thus is he stiled in the Text the The Mediatour of the Covenant Mediatour of the New Covenant Thus in Heb. 8. 6. The Mediatour of a better Covenant Thus in Heb. 9. 15. The Mediatour of the New Testament He is that dayes-man 'twixt God and us that layes his hand upon us both such a one as Job wished for Job 9. 33. He takes up all differences answered all demands payed the ransome and reconciled us There is 1. Internuncius A Messenger between two parties 2. Arbiter An Umpire an indifferent man chosen to judge between two A litigantibus eligitur habet totius rei potestatem 3. Intercessor who useth entreaty for another 4. Advocatus who defendeth or soliciteth another mans cause 5. Mediator ut supra and there is a Mediator per modum Annuntiationis or Revelationis as Mâ—ses who stood between God and the people Indicans illis verbum Dei Deut. 5. 5. I stood between the Lord and you at that time to shew unto you the Word of the Lord per modum reconciliationis So Jesus Christ who by his death or sacrifice appeased God and reconciled us unto God 1 Tim. 2. 5. There is one God and one Mediatour between God and men the man Jesus Christ verse 6. Who gave himself a ransome for all But what is a Mediatour He is 1. Qui medius est inter duos parum inter se congruentes aut etiam sibi invicem What is a Mediatour hostes he is a middle Person a third Person between two who are either jarring and quarrelling or else who plainly fallâ— out and becomes enemies he is one who steps in 'twixt the offending and offended person 2. Qui mediat inter partes He is one who mediates between those parties that is who undertakes to take up their differences and to atone and reconcile them and make them one in love and friendship again and for that purpose engageth himself to give such a satisfaction to the offended party whereby all grounds of injury and displeasure being removed he and the offending party comes to stand in the terms of affection peace and amity as if no difference ever had been between them 3. Qui promovet he is one who doth so attend and personate the reconciling of parties that he gives not over that work or enterprise untill he hath accorded them and drawn them into a state of love and reconcilement untill he hath indeed made them friends 4. Qui utriusque nomine He is one who transacts this work between the parties in the name of the both parties dealing with the offending party in the name of the offended and with the offended party in the name of the offeding party so to satisfie the one and so to relieve and help the other In all these respects is Christ a Mediatour 'twixt God and us sinners Christ is such a Mediator 1. God the Father he is that one party and the sinner is the other party betwixt both of them Jesus Christ the Son of God comes in as a middle or third party 2. And mediates takes it upon him to set them at one again who by reason of sin â—e are at variance and enmity and this he doth by undertaking to give satisfaction to God offended and provoked by sin 3. And so prosecutes this work that he refuseth not any thing required and insisted upon by the offended God necessary to make him reconciled but willingly yeilds to do and suffer all and did so to make up a peace twixt him and sinners 4. In the transacting of all this He acted in the name of them both with the one and with the other For the opening of this excellent and useful Point I shall touch briefly upon seven particulars 1 The necessity of a Mediatour between God and us sinners 2. That Jesus Christ is the Mediatour and he only 3. How Jesus Christ is to be considered as standing under the Name and Office of a Mediatour 4. According to what Nature in Christ he is our Mediatour whether according to his Divine nature only or Humane Nature onely or both 5. What did concern Christ to do or suffer for us as Mediatour 6. What the merits efficacies vertues and benefits are depending on him as Mediatour and flowing from his mediation 7. What Christ still doth in the behalf of the people in Covenant for whom he is a Mediatour SECT I. THat there is a necessity of a Mediatour between God and us Man may be There is a necessity of a Mediatour betwixt God and us considered two wayes Either as a righteous Creature so made by God in which respect there is no necessity of a Mediatour for him for as so he was in an estate of friendship with his God and no difference nor provocation therefore requiring a Mediatour Or as a sinning offending and guilty Creature By reason whereof friendship is broken off 'twixt him and God God is infinitely offended and provoked and sinful man lies under his heavy wrath and curse for sinning voluntarily against him all which was threatned in case of sinfull transgression and disobedience For And thus he stands in need of a Mediatour For 1. God is righteous and must establish his Law against sin by the punishing of God is righteous sin he will certainly be repaired either in the sinners eternal destruction or in a Mediatours perfect satisfaction He will be satisfied or else never reconciled 2. There is an absolute impotency in the sinner to make his own peace with God either to satisfie the offended God or to repaire his lost self he hath nothing There is an absolute impotency in the sinner to satisfie either proportionable or available that way So then if God cannot in honour suffer sin to passe unpunished and man cannot in any kind of obedience make a compensation and satisfaction unto God of necessity a Mediatour must be found who must step in between both these parties on whom the curse due to sin may be laid and God by his obedience may be satisfied he undertaking and laying down the same for the offendingand sinning party unto the offended and prowoked party 3. It had utterly been in vain be it spoken with reverence
all the wrath and punishment due for them And he suffered all as our Surety in our stead and for our good and his Father designed him for all this and accepted of it as sufficient and effectual on our behalf Vse 3 Did Jesus Christ as Mediatour thus do and suffer for us Then let believers in all their fears and conflicts Remember the sufferings of Christ and cleave to the sufferings Remember the sufferings of Christ in all fears and conflicts of Christ and plead the sufferings of Christ and by faith offer up unto God all the sufferings of Christ for their soules This is Luthers direction Discamus in omni tentatione peccatum mortem maledictionem omnia mala quae premunt nos à nobis transferre in Christum Let us learn in every tentation which presseth us whether it be sin or death or curse or any other evil to translate it from our selves to Christ And all the good in Christ let us learn to translate it from Christ unto our selves Do your sins terrifie you then remember Christ bare your sins in his body for you Doth death appear deadly unto you then remember that Christ dyed for you and his death did swallow up death in victory Doth the curse threatned in the Law kill you then remember that Christ Redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Doth the wrath of God amaze you then remember that Christ suffered that wrath that he might save and deliver us from wrath Do desertions lie upon you then remember that Christ was forsaken that we might not be forsaken in judgement â—om 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth 34. Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that dyed Do the fears of hell and damnation lie upon you remember the sufferings of Christ who in them did deliver us from the power of darkness so that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ This is your sure and only way under all temptations and fears and conflicts and doubts and disputes by faith to remember Christ and the sufferings of Christ as your Mediatour and Surety Tu Christe peccatum maledictum meum or rather Ego sum peccatum tuum maledictum tuum mors tua ira Dei Tua infernus tuus And thou O Christ Tu es justitia benedictio vita gratia Dei caelum meum O Christ Thou art my sin in being made sin for me and thou art my curse in being made a curse for me Or rather I am thy sinne and thou art my Righteousnesse I am thy curse and thou art my Blessing I am thy death and thou art my Life I am the wrath of God to thee and thou art the love of God to me I am thy hell and thou art my Heaven Why sirs Let me tell you that your hearts will sink into despaire if you think of God and of your sins without thinking on Christ If you think of your sins and of Gods wrath if you think of your guiltinesse and of Gods justice your hearts will faile you for you can never bear that wrath of God and you can never satisfie that justice of God you do not only take Christs Office of Mediatourship out of his hand nor only deny and renounce him for your Surety but now you draw your selves from all helps and hope in exposing your poor soules to stand at the Bar and Tribunal of Gods Justice alone and you take all your sins upon your selves and all the punishment of your sins upon your selves and so you your selves must be either a sacrifice for them which is impossible or you must be damned for them which is certain but yet intolerable Therefore come off from your selves and look up by faith unto that Mediatour whom God hath appointed for you and who hath done and suffered all for you and in his Name and upon his Account plead with God to pardon your sins to excuse you from wrath and curse because Jesus Christ hath suffered these for you This you may plead because Christ is yours and you are his and what he did he did for you and what he suffered he suffered for you If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father even Jesus Christ the Righteous who is the propitiation for our sins and he was made sin for us and he did shed his blood for the Remission of our sins c. SECT VI. 6. HAving discoursed of the Obedience of Christ both Active and Passive as our Mediatour It now remaines to speak a few things of the Vertues and Benefits and Efficacies depending upon and flowing from the Actions and Passions of Christ our Mediatour He did perform an Active obedience which we The vertues and benefits depending on and flowing from Christ as Mediatour did owe unto the Law and he did suffer the punishments due unto us for the transgression of the Law which otherwise we our selves should have suffered and from these there did ensue five most excellent and precious benefits 1. Satisfaction 2. Remission 3. Reconciliation 4. Redemption 5. Acquisition or purchase 6. The confirmation of the Covenant 1. They were a satisfaction unto the justice of God for us The Socinians who utterly deny the satisfaction of Christ do say that Christ did indeed suffer Satisfaction and dye for our good but not in our stead only for our good that we might the sooner be induced and perswaded to embrace that Doctrine and way of Salvation which he brought down from Heaven and Revealed unto us by his Word and by the good example of his life and confirmed the same by his death and so merited for himself an exaltation and dominion over all men and to give eternal life to all that will imitate him But that Christ did dye for our sins to expiate them or in our stead or to satisfie God for us or to pay our debts or that God ever imposed this on him or expected it from him or that ever Christ did undertake such a work on himself they do absolutely deny as also they do deny any placation of the wrath of God by Christ or reconciliation made by Christ or remission of sinnes upon the account of Châ—ists death and blood This is the summe of their Doctrine against which I shall oppose several Conclusions drawn from the Scriptures And truely sirs as I never did so I trust I never shall decline the opposing of any corrupt Doctrine falling in my way much lesse these corrupt Opinions of the Socinians which if I mistake not exceedingly do plainly subvert the faith of Christians But now to the Point in hand concerning the satisfaction made for us by Christ Conclusions about the satisfaction of Christ I would lay down these Conclusions 1. That God Salvo jure could not passe over sin so as absolutely to let it go unpunished 2. That God was resolved never to let it so escape 3.
bare all our sins and all our sorrows and was obedient unto the death and was made a curse for us and more than this the Law of God could not require And if Christ did suffer all that the Law of God required then certainly he suffered so much as did satisfie the justice of God viz. as much punishment aâ— was commensurated with sin 2. But secondly Christ did lay down and suffer so much as fully paid all our Christ suffered so much as fully discharged our debt debts which if he did then questionlesse he did satisfie Gods Justice and that Jesus Christ did so the Scripture clearly and abundantly testifies it Colos 2. 14. He blotted out the hand-wriâ—ing of Ordinances that was against us which was contrary unto us and took it out of the way nailing it to his Cross It is indeed differently conjectured what this Chriographum or Syngrapha was In the general it was something God had against us to shew and convince or prove that we had sinned against him and were his debtors some think that this Chriographum was the Covenant of God with Adam others think it the Ceremonial Law others the Moral But I suppose taht this hand-writing was principally the Moral law obliging us unto perfect obedience condemning us for the defect of the same and likewise those Ceremonial Rites which as Beza observes were a kind of publick confession of our debts Now these were against us and contrary unto us inasmuch as they did argue us guilty of sin and condemnation which the Moral Law threatned and sentenced c. But saith the Apostle Christ hath blotted out the hand-writing and hath taken it out of the way and nailed it to his Crosse that is Jesus Christ hath not only abrogated the Ceremonial Law but also the Damnatory power of the Moral Law as our Surety by performing an act of obedience which the Law did require and by undergoing the punishment which the Law did exact from the transgressors of it And so Christ by doing and suffering what we were bound to do and to suffer he did thereby blot out the hand-writing and cancelled it And is not the Creditor fully satisfied when he gives in his Bond to be cancelled Matth. 20. 28. The Son of man came to give his life a ransome for many Lutron precium redemptionis 1 Tim. 2. 6. Who gave himself a ransome for all Antilutron the word signifies a price a valuable price for an other Heb. 9. 15. For this cause is he the Mediatour of the New Covenant that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament Morte intercedente ad redemptionem earum praevaricationum Here the death of Christ is called a Redemption for sins And such an Apolutrosis is nothing else but a compensation or satisfaction made for them Intercedente Lutro by laying down a price considerable as was the death of Christ by which we are Redeemed or freed And truely the word Lutrosis and Apolutrosis signifies such a kind of deliverance which is not by force as was deliverance from Pharaoh nor yet which is by favour as was that from Babylon but that which is obtained Justo precio soluto by paying a full price by which one becomes satisfied and another thereupon delivered Heb. 9. 26. He hath appeared to put away sinne by the Sacrifice of himself And this full price is in Scripture sometimes called the life of Christ Matth. 20. 28. And sometimes the precious blood of Christ 1 Pet. 1. 19. and sometimes Christ himself 1 Tim. 2. 6. 5. That this satisfactory price was laid down for us both for our good and in our This satisfactory price was laid down for us for our good and in our stead stead or room 1 Pet. 3. 18. Christ also hath once suffered for sin the Just for the unjust that he might bring us to God What the unjust sinner should have suffered that did the just Christ suffer for him 2 Cor. 5. 21. He was made sin for us that is an Offering a Sacrifice in our stead for the expiation of our sins Isa 53. He was wounded or tormented for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him verse 6. All we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all Rom. 4. 25. He was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification 1 Cor. 15. 3. Christ died for our sins Gal. 3. 13. Christ hath Redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Before I passe to the other Benefits redounding unto us from the sufferings of Christ I would make a little Application of this first Benefit namely that Christs Sufferings were Satisfactory to the Justice of God and that for us If Christs sufferings were a satisfaction unto Gods Justice for us Then Vse 1 1. The sufferings of Christ were more than meer sufferings there was Information The sufferings of Christ were more than meere sufferings something of infinite value and dignity connexed with them and going along with them Not without cause doth the Apostle Peter say That we were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ It was precious blood indeed which was able to make such a compensation to the Justice of God to proclaim unto all the world I have found a Ransome I have received enough I neither do nor can require any more payment If you do consider any one sin in the natural and proper demerits of it who is able to fathom the eternal depth of guilt in that one sin or the eternal heighth of wrath unto which that one sin doth expose the sinner what infinite measure of wrath then may the infinite justice of God inflict upon us for innumerable transgressions yet Jesus Christ hath satisfied Divine Justice for them all And his satisfaction must have not only a proportion but also an equal correspondency with the guilt of all those Sins There must be as much in Christs Recompence as in the sinners offence as much for payment by Christ as there was of debt by the sinner as much every jot to satisfie God as there was in sin to wrong God and therefore his sufferings must needs be of infinite value for had they not been so they could not have been satisfactory and my Reason is because then the payment had been lesse than the debt and if short of the debt then short of the satisfaction 2. Then all the Grounds of despair are utterly broken down and taken out of the Then all the grounds of despair are utterly taken away way There is no poor broken-hearted sinner in the world that hath just cause to despair why Because Jesus Christ hath suffered and hath satisfied the justice of God for him Despair ariseth upon these three grounds 1. The accent of the guilt of sin that
out to your God for all the mercy and for all the good and for all the blessings which your soules do need Heb. 4. 16. Come boldly unto the throne of grace that ye may obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need God hath put his seal to the Covenant that it is sure and Christ hath put his seal to the Covenant that it is sure Now do you put your seal to the Covenant that it is faithful and sure your believing is your sealing He that hath received his Testimony hath set to his seal that God is true Joh. 3. 33. There are four Arguments which do testifie that we have set our seal to the Covenant that we do indeed believe that it is surely established and surely confirmed by Christ so that it will not faile to be of force and efficacy unto us 1. If we be much in drawing near to God entreating him to remember his word of Covenant It is good for me to draw near to God He hath not said seek ye me in vain 2. If we be much in rejoycing in the word of the Covenant and in the death of Christ confirming it to us If the blood of Christ will hold I shall not fail and yet I have bond and seal sure enough 3. If we still patiently wait on God expecting the performance of his sealed sworn and confirmed Covenant I will wait for the God of my salvation I will look for him my God will hear me 4. If we oppose and strive to silence all unbelieving suggestions against the fidelity of the Covenant Psal 42. 11. Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the help of my countenance and my God Psal 73. â—6 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Tit. 1. 2. God who cannot lie hath promised Vse 3 Hath Jesus Christ our Mediatour confirmed the Covenant by his death Then O Christian keep up thy Faith and draw out thy faith and exceedingly rejoyce Keep up thy faith and draw it out in Christ for thy estate is sure and thy soul is sure and thy salvation is sure all is sure because all is surely confirmed by the death of Christ The death of Christ was a ratification to the whole Testament to the whole Covenant and to every part and title of it and as sure as Christ hath died so sure art thou to enjoy all that God hath Covenanted with thee for there shall not fail one word of all the good he which hath promised Object Not one word not one good thing Sol. N. o not any one why then Mercy shall be thine and Grace shall be thine and Peace shall be thine and Joy shall be thine and Glory and Salvation shall be thine for all these and more than these are promised by God in his Covenant and are sealed by his death Quest It is a poor dispute of Popish and low spirits against the certainty of a Christian How can you possibly attain unto assurance and how can any man be sure of Gods love and of Gods mercy and of his salvation Sol. Indeed upon the grounds that they go upon no man can be sure for 1. They lay a foundation of their own works and of their own righteousness and of their own free will upon which assurance can never be built 2. But as the Apostle spake in another case we have a most sure word of Prophesie so the Christian hath very sure ground for grace mercy and glory He hath the sure Covenant of God he hath the sure Oath of God and he hath the sure blood of Jesus Christ God hath brought him into Covenant and he will surely perform all his Covenant you have the Oath of God for it and you have the blood of Christ for it that all shall be surely and certainly accomplished And therefore O Christian rejoyce in believing for God will surely bless thee will surely keep thee will strengthen thee and will surely save thee SECT VII Quest 7. THere is one Question more which I mentioned in the beginning What Christ still doth for his people as Mediatour viz. What Jesus Christ still doth fâ—r his people in Covenant unto whom he is a Mediatour Sol. For answer unto this be pleased to consider that the works of Christ our Mediatour are distingushed into five sorts 1s Those of his Life on Earth 2. Those of his Death 3. Those of his Resurrection 4. Those of his Ascention 5. Those of his Session at the right hand of God the Father in heaven Of these last I shall only speak at this time The works of Christ as Mediator are considerable under a three-fold notion 1. As to the susception of and engagement for them Heb. 10. 7. 9. Then said he Lo I come to do thy will O God in the volume of the book it is written of me In this respect Christ applied himself to the work of a Mediatour before he came into the world and assumed our Nature by way of condescention and compact 2. As to the performance and execution of them Thus he acted them being on earth in becoming man or God Incarnated and fulfilling all righteousness in respect of his Active and Passive obedience which were both satisfactory and meritorious 3. As to the application of all in time unto us and this is the great work of Christ now in heaven for us as our Mediatour this is a very choice Point and I would speak unto it First in general That Jesus Christ doth act or work for his people as now exalted and sitting at the right hand of God in heaven Secondly in opening the special work that eminent work of Christ in heaven for his people on earth 1. That Jesus Christ doth think on his servants and doth act or work for them Jesus Christ doth act for his people at the right hand of his Father he being now in heaven the Scriptures plainly affirm Heb. 9. 24. Christ is not entred into the holy places made with hands which are the figure of the true but into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us as an Atturney appears for his Client 1 Joh. 2. 1. If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous the Advocate pleads c. verse 2. And Arguments to demonstrate â—t he is the Propitiation for our sins Besides these Scriptures there are several Arguments to demonstrate it 1. His Office drth still continue although he be now in heaven Heb. 4. 14. His Office doth still continue We have a great High Priest that is passed into the Heavens Jesus the Son of God Heb. 7. 16. He is a Priest made not after the Law of a carnal Commandement but after the power of an endlesse life verse 17. For he testifieth Thou art a Priest for ever
apply It is ridiculous themselves to Christ and then they must back again with Christs Merits and why not without any more adoe to Christ at first Quest But before I passe on I would speak a word unto a more material Scruple viz. Whether Christs Intercession in heaven be not a probable Argument of the imperfection of Christs Merits at his death If his death were sufficient to purchase all good for us what need then of his Intercession Sol. I answer the death of Christ was sufficient Ad promerendum but the Intercession of Christ is required only Ad applicandum There was no imperfection at all in his death for it was a plenary satisfaction and merit nor doth the Intercession of Christ argue any imperfection in his merit because his Intercession is not a new meriting but only a continual application of that which he hath already merited by his death Use 1 Doth Jesus Christ now in Heaven make intercession for us How sad then is their condition who have no part in Christ who have not him for their Advocate with the Father not appearing for them not interceding on their behalf How sad is their condition who have no part in Christs Intercession You that will not be perswaded to hearken to receive Christ but resist his Spirit and slight his Gospel and reject him what will you do in the dayes of your distress and death 1. All saving mercy comes unto us upon the Intercession of Christ his Intercession is the application and the donation of Righteousnesse Reconciliation Forgiveness and Salvation unto us 2. And can you have faith on him to be your Advocate and Intercesser whâ— would not receive him to be your Lord and head O stand out no more against the Offers of Christ least you shut out your selves from the Intercession of Christ One day you will finde a need of Christ to help you you will pray for mercy and you will pray for salvation and these Prayers will not prevail without Christs Intercession If you do indeed desire to be heard in what you pray then hear Christ in what he speaks to you and prayes you to hearken to him hear his voice receive himself by faith obey his will hearken unto him that he may hearken unto you Vse 3 You that are Believers perhaps as yet are but weak and are apt to be shaken and afraid of your selves and of your requests how they will speed and whether Weak Believers must remember they have an Advocate with the Father they will speed and many times are ready to be silent in Prayer O do not so but Remember that you have an Advocate with the Father Remember that Jesus Christ ever lives to make Intercession for you Remember that what is purchased by his death that will he apply unto you by his Intercession In all your addresses and prayers look off from your selves and look more on your Intercessor Believingly consider 1. Who he is even Jesus Christ the Righteous your Lord your Christ your Mediatour your Priest and Intercessor 2. What his Intercession is on what it is grounded not on your merits but on his own The end of that Intercession viz. To give out to you what he hath purchased for you 3. The qualifications of his Intercession 1. It is Mighty and Powerful It never fails it is never denyed nor can be 2. It is Pitifull he is full of compassion towards you is very sensible of your infirmities presently hears you and is ready to help you 3. It is Vniversal First As to every one of you Secondly As to every one of your Requests for Mercy for Favour for Grace and strength c. 4. It is sufficient Though all the Members on Earth pray at one time from all the Quarters of the Earth he hears you all will plead for you all will speed you all 5. It is Absolute his Intercession carries it against your unworthiness for his Own sake 6. It is Perpetual every day you pray and every day every hour yea for ever he lives to make Intercession for you Object Why then are we not presently heard Sol. You are so but not supplyed alwayes presently because as it belongs to the Fidelity of his Intercession to speed you so it belongs to the Wisdom of the Intercessor when to deliver out unto you that help Jesus the Mediatour of the Covenant Heb. 12. 24. And to Jesus the Mediatour of the New Covenant and to the Blood of Sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel I Have discoursed of Jesus Christ our Mediatour in Relation unto his Person and to the Natures united in his Person and unto his Obedience both Active and Passive and likewise unto the Vertues or Benefits by him as our Mediatour viz. Satisfaction and Remission and Reconciliation and Redemption and Purchase And then of the great Work which Jesus Christ doth still for us in Heaven as our Mediatour viz. his Intercession I shall now close up this Discourse with the Resolution of three notable Questiâ—â— which shall be in stead of the general Uses for the whole matter 1. Whether Jesus Christ as Mediatour did die for all and every man and those forementioned Benefits of his death were intended and extended unto all 2. Whether any Person can certainly know the particular intention of Christs death in the Benefits of it unto himself 3. How a person may evidently know that Jesus Christ died for him and satisfied Gods justice for him SECT VIII 1. Quest WHether Jesus Christ as Mediatour died for all and every man Redeemed all Reconciled all Purchased Salvation Whether Christ died for â—very man for all Sol. Concerning this Question there are several Opinions of men 1. Some have held that Jesus Christ died for all things that is for all â—â—veral opiniâ—â—â— about it creatures whatsoever because the Apostle saith that Christ by his blood Reconciled all things and therefore they conclude that the Sun and the Moon and the Stars and all the Elements yea and the very Divels were Reconciled by Christ a vild Opinion As if Jesus Christ who appeared to put away sin by the Sacrifice of himself and to Reconcile God unto us and is the Mediatour betwixt God and men should be a Mediatour also for damned Divels who are eternally judged for their transgression or should satisfie Gods justice for the Heavens and Earth and such like Creatures which were never capable of offending or sinning against God! But by all things which the Apostle saith Christ hath Reconciled he means the universal Church which is now partly in Heaven and partly in earth 2. Some have held that Jesus Christ hath died for all mankind without any difference of sins or sinners that he took upon him all the sins of all men and did by his death expiate all their sins and Ipso facto reconciled them to God without any respect to believing or not believing Nay let them speak out their own
particular of some men and not universal of all men for all men have not Faith nay comparatively very few have Faith Who hath believed our report unto whom is the arme of the Lord Revealed Isa 53. 1. 2. If God did really intend the Redemption and Salvation of all and every man effectually by Christ then he did intend and in time did bestow all the means which might effectually bring all and every man to the participation of that salvation by Christ for every Agent who really and seriously intends an end he doth likewise as really intend the means effectually conducing unto that end And as it doth not beseem the Wisdom of God to intend an end without meanes so neither doth it suit with the goodness and love of God to pretend a common salvation for all when yet he intends not to give meanes unto all effectual to bring them unto that salvation But God doth not give means effectual unto all and every man to bring them to salvation by Christ which I thus demonstate The means necessary to an effectual participation of salvation by Christ are 1. Outwardly the preaching of the Gospel which is therefore called the Power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth Rom. 1. 16. for therein is revealed the righteousnesse of God from Faith to Faith Verse 17. 2. Inwardly the Grace of Faith by which we are brought in to Christ and made one with him and so partaking of him we come to partake of life and salvation by him Eph. 2. 8. By Grace are ye saved through Faith And Mark 16. 16. He that believes shall be saved And 1 John 5. 12. He that hath the Sonne hath life But now God doth not give unto all and every man either of these means 1. The Gospel which is the means of Faith is not given unto all Psa 147. 19. He sheweth his Word unto Jacob his Statutes and his Judgements unto Israel Verse 20. He hath not dealt so with every Nation and as for his judgements they have not known them Act. 14. 16. Who in times past suffered all Nations to walk in their own wayes And we know it by experience that the Gospel hath not been and is not Preached unto all And if it be not Preached unto all and every one how can we rationally fancy an intention in God to save all by Christ Suppose a Physician should give out that he had a medicine to cure all diseases and that he would impart it unto all that so all and every one may be cured by it nevertheless he doth indeed make it known but unto a few that he hath provided that remedy or medicine you would certainly conclude that he never intended that every one should be the better for it seeing he will not communicate the knowledge of it unto them If he will not give them the knowledge of it doth he intend to give them the benefit of it Or suppose a potent Prince should say He had provided a Mass of money to Redeem all Captives and Slaves and that it is his serious intention by that provided Treasure to Redeem and Free them all and every one yet nevertheless he never gives notice of his intention and kindness unto all of them by himself or any Messenger from himself questionless he doth not intend it For men to Print and Preach and Dispute that God intends to save all by Christ and that he gave Christ to be an Universal Redemption to set all men free c. And yet we finde both in Scripture and in Experience that God doth not give the Gospel unto all which is the Messenger bringing glad tydings and reports of Christs death and Gods Intention touching the Salvation of sinners but suffer them to live in darkness and silence not any one Messenger being dispatched to report to them and to their children any one Word of Christ or Salvation by him This cannot stand with such a serious intention in God to Redeem and Save all men by Christ Objection O but the Gospel was revealed to Adam and so continued in the posterity of Noah and so down to Christ and his Apostles and by them promulgated to all the world to all Nations to every creature Sol. We grant the knowledge of Salvation by Christ in Adam and his family in Noah and his family in Abraham and his family in the Israelites that came from him But what is this to all the rest of the world whom God left to themselves and did not make the Gospel of Salvation by Christ known And as for the Apostles their Commission was general and they did in their times make the sound of the Gospel to be heard in most part of the world but what is this to the succeeding generations of men in all the world who never heard of Adam nor Noah nor Christ nor his Apostle nor Gospel of Christ If God did intend to save all men in all generations by Christ surely he would have revealed the Gospel to all men in all generations If his intention were so rich in goodnesse unto them all his care and Providence would have been manifested unto them all Object But perhaps the reason why the Gospel did not descend in an universal manifestation of Salvation by Christ unto all succeeding generations might be the ingratitude and unbelief of those to whom it was first revealed Sol. Perhaps many of them were unthankful and unbelieving but if the knowledge and notice of salvation by Christ must presently fail the posterities of men because of the unthankfulnesse and unbelief of Parents and Predecessors then it seems that the latitude of the Gospels publication depends on the will of man and not on the will and goodness of God whose intention to publish this universal Redemption and salvation unto all is stayed and altered upon the neglect and refusal of Christ and so for their sakes there must not be now a notice given to succeeding generations who never heard and therefore never refused the Gospel 2. As the Gospel is not universally given to all so neither is Faith universally given unto all for faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God Rom. 10. 17. If therefore the hearing be not universal then unquestioanably faith cannot be universal and if faith be not universal then there cannot be an universal participation of Redemption and Salvation by the death of Christ Object But it may be replyed though faith be not universal as to every mans possession yet it is universal as to Gods intention he intended for his part and as much as concerns him to give faith to all and every man Sol. I answer thi is not true For if God intends to give faith unto all and every sinner as will put forth so much towards it as concerns him then every sinner shall undoubtedly have faith given unto him because as Christ saith Joh. 6. 45. Every man that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh unto me and the
that according to their Opinion they must expound the place thus God so loved all man-kind with such a love whereby he neither would nor could will the salvation of any man that he sent his Son to save all men before he did intend to save any man that whosoever believes should be saved This is the great love which they make in God to save all men by Christ 2. Again Seeing that word world is ambiguous sometimes being taken for those men of whom Christ is the Head 2 Cor. 5. 19. sometimes for those men of whom Satan is the Prince Joh. 12. 31. The Prince of this world it had been fit for them to have made out unto us that both of these worlds were so loved by God that he gave his Sonne for the Salvation of them both Thirdly the sense of the place stands evident of itself thus God so loved the world c. i. e. he was so mercifully affected towards mankind in their lost condition that he would not suffer all of them to perish but sent his Son that whosoever believes on him should not perish but have everlasting life Whence it evidently appears that Gods intention in the sending of his Son was for salvation not of every particular man but of every one that believes And indeed there the restriction of Gods purpose for salvation doth lie In quisquis credit whosoever believes not that God would save every particular man in the world but only every one that should believe And questionless this was great love shewn to the world of man-kind universally lost That Jesus Christ was sent for the recovery and salvation of every one of those in the world that should believe on him Nor will any Arminian dare to affirm more than this unless he will maintain that there was yet a larger love in God and a larger intention in him effectually to save all the world by Christ distributively and collectively whether they believe or do not believe The Scripture plainly rejects this and so do they themselves Object Again they object that Scripture of John 6. 51. The bread which I will give you is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world Sol. That Christ gave himself for the life of the world is granted and that he is the bread which giveth life to the world verse 33. is also granted but the Point to be proved is that Christ did give himself effectually for the life of every man in the world But this can never be made out any farther than for Believers in the world verse 35. I am the bread of life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst And verse 5â— Except ye eat of the flesh of the Son of man and drink of his blood ye have no life in you Object 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them Sol. 1. Here is the same term again but the question is whether world in this place signifies any other but fideles in mundo for the Apostle speaks of an actual Reconciliation and of an actual forgiveness predicated of this world which are proper to believers 2. If you would have the word world in this place to be understood of every particular man in the world then it must follow that God is by the death of Christ actually reconciled to every one and every one to God which the Arminians themselves deny and that sin is not and shall not be imputed to any man whatsoever which is a notorious falshood 1 Joh. 2. 2. Object But another place there is unto which they much trust upon viz. 1 Joh. 2. 2. He is the propitiation not only for our sinnes but also for the sinnes of the whole world Answered Sol. But this place which at first sight seems one of the strongest for them will not help them at all for 1. The Apostle speaks of a Propitiation conjoyned with the intercession of Christ verse 1. If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous verse 2. and he is the propitiation c. Now the Arminians deny the Intercession of Christ to be for all the world for so say they there should be an actual application of the death of Christ unto all and every man which may not be admitted 2. Again such a Propitiation as Christ is here said to be for our sins the same is here said to be for the sins of the whole world otherwise the comfort here given were of small force if Christ should be a propitiation for us and for the world in a different sense for our sins effectually but for the sins of the whole world ineffectually But he is a Propitiation for our sins i. e. who believe effectually therefore he must also be a propitiation for the sins of the whole world also effectually So that if by the whole world in this place all and every man in the world be understood Then Christ must be and is an effectual Propitiation for the sins of every one i. e. he hath so satisfied and pacified God that he is no longer displeased with any one sinner but this the Arminians will not maintain 3. The scope and purpose of the Apostle in this place is to comfort and support the hearts of believers in case of falling or sinning that they should not despair and for this he presents two Reasons 1. One is that Christ is our Intercessor or Advocate with the Father 2. The other is that Christ is the Propitiation for the sins of all the faithful whether Jews or Gentiles by which he means here the whole world not only for our sins who are Jews but for the sins of the Gentiles So that by the whole world is meant all believers whether Jews or Gentiles for his Epistle is Catholick and respects them both Nor is it an universal expression when the Jews and the Gentiles are spoken of in way of distinction and opposition then to call the Gentiles the world See at your leasure Rom. 11. 12 15. Object But the consolation given here is not so full and rising unless by a Propitiation for the sinnes of the whole world he understood every man in the world Sol 1. I answer To me the Consolation riseth very full and high for the case is of some particular Christians or Believers sinnings if any man sin in this case he supports them not to despair but to hope for pardon and peace and that from Christ intercession and Propitiation he is the Advocate and he is the Propitiation for their sins and not only for their sins but for the sins also of all Believers that either do or shall live in the whole world whether Jews or Gentiles all Believers shall finde him so Ergo you shall 2. Yet suppose that by a Propitiation for the sins of the whole world were meant as the Arminians contend for for the
sins of every man in the world This according to their sense would not make the Consolation higher but weaker For as much as that Propitiation for the sins of the whole world by the death of Christ according to them is of no special respect to any particular sinner living nor of any efficacy for any one more than for another nor more for the living than for the damned neither was there any different intention for the Collation and Application of it untill men did believe And what more high and special comfort can arise to a troubled soul from this I am not able to conceive 2. Oject Their next phalanx of Scriptures for Christ dying universally pro omnibus singulis is mustered up from the word all 1 Tim. 2. 4. who would have all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth verse 6. Who gave himself a Ransome for all Chap. 4. 10. Who is the Saviour of all men especially of all those that believe Heb. 2. 9. That he by the grace of God should taste death for every man 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. Tit. 2. 11. Before I speak to these places I would premise a few words 1. As the word many in Scripture is sometimes useâ— for all as Dan. 12. 2. Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt So the word all is sometimes put for many as Rom. 5. 18. So by the Righteousness of one the free gift came upon all to justification of life ver 19. So by the obedience of one shall many be made Righteous So that it is not safe nor true wheresoever we read the word all there continually to expound it for every man distributively 2. To dye for all and to be given for all must in some places respect the sufficiency of the dignity in the death of Christ but not alwayes the efficacy of his death in the virtual extent of it which none that I have read will maintain in this Point of Christs dying for all Now let us look on the particular places mentioned for Christ dying for all and every man 1 Tim. 2. 4. Who will have all men to be saved c. By all men in this place the Apostle means not every man individually but all sorts or kindes of men for in the precedent verses he exhorts that Prayer be made for all men and amongst them for Kings and for all that are in Authority and he subjoynes this Reason Ergo God will have all men to be saved he excludes no sort of men from salvation but invites all sorts and kinds of them And therefore seeing the Gospel is to be preached to all men and there are some of all sorts that God will save to whom the Gospel is preached therefore we should pray for all men Neither is it unusual in Scripture to understand by all not every particular but all the sorts or kinds Joel 2. 28. I will poure my Spirit upon all flesh by all flesh is not meant every man in the world but all sorts of persons your sons and your daughters your old men and your young men as there he expounds it and upon Jews and Gentiles as Peter expounds it Acts 2. So Luke 3. 6. All flesh shall see the salvation of God Not every particular man in the world but all kind of Nations and people and Men. Nay Vorstius himself confesseth that All in this place is as much and the same with all sorts or kindes so that by all sorts or kindes you do not restrain In exam lib. Piscat de Praedest p. 73. In Enchirid. c. 103. it only to the Elect. Nor is this any new interpretation of this place St. Austin delivered the same above a thousand years ago in his Euchiridion to Laurentius Vult omnes homines salvos fieri i. e. omne genus hominum per quascunque differentias distributum Reges Privatos Nobiles sublimes doctos humiles indoctos divites pauperes Mares Foeminas iâ— Aetatibus omnibus in professionibus omnibus si quid aliud differentiarum est in hominibus Quos Deus vult servari pro eorum salute Ecclesia debet precari ut Deus omnes i. e. quosvis vult servari sublato gentis sexus aetatis ordinis atque dignitatis discrimine And in another place he expounds it thus Deus vult omnes salvos fieri ut De Corrept Gratia c. 14. intelligantur omnes Praedestinatos quia omne genus hominum in eis est So the Apostle here doth not speak de singulis hominum personis sed de omnibus hominum ordinibus non de singulis generum sed de generibus singulorum Others do distinguish of the will of God One is Volunt as propositi by which vult homines salvos facere the other is voluntas signi by which vult homines salvos fieri In this he puts men at what they should look at viz salvation and by what means they should compass that salvation viz. by coming to the knowledge of the truth c. 1. Tim. 2. 6. Object 1 Tim. 2. 6. Who gave himself a Ransome for all Ergo all men are redeemed by Christ Answered Sol. 1. Mean they Actually so that God is now satisfied and they are indeed freed and delivered by the death of Christ what shamefull dawbing is this to stickle so for all mens Redemption or Ransome by the death of Christ when yet verily they deny any actual Redemption for any one by the death of Christ 2. For all a Ransome for all for all for whom he is a Mediatour verse 5. But a Mediatour he is for all them who belong to the Covenant of grace And that is not for all absolutely and singularly but for all Elect and Beleevers who have God to be their God 3. The same answer for all of all sorts may be given to this as to the former for his speech runs unto the same all c. 4. Yet if they would force to all singularly then the Ransome is for all quatenus ad dignitatem sufficientiam not to all quatenus ad efficientiam Object Heb. 2. 9. That he â—â—y the grace of God should taste death for Heb. 2. 9. every man Answered Sol. Let the Apostle expound himself What he means there By every man verse 10. he calls them many Sons in bringing many sons to glory ver 11. Them that are sanctified and made one with Christ He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren And ver 13. The Children which God did give him c. So that here by every man is not meant every particular individual man whether believer or unbeliever but every Son of God every one that is sanctified all that are brethren with Christ all the Children given by God unto him for every one of these did
Christ taste death not one of them could have been saved but by his death and what is this to every man whatsoever in the world are all and every man sanctified children brethren c 1 Tim. 1. 10. Object 1 Tim. 1. 10. Who is the Saviour of all men especially of them that believe Answered Sol. 1. Speaks the Apostle here of Christs dying for the salvation of all and every man of Gods Spiritually saving of unbelievers and of believers that he will eternally save unbelievers as well as believers If the Arminians will needs have this place so understood how come they to admit and swallow down that word especially especially of them that believe whereas they hold that Gods will to save by the death of Christ is equal and alike to all either they must understand this place of Gods Antecedent will of salvation but then especially stands in their way or they must understand it of his Consequent will and then all stands in their way for God as they teach will not save any according to his Consequent will but only Believers 2. But the Apostle here speaks not of salvation by the death of Christ but of a saving or safety depending on the Providence of God which respects all men in the world but believers in a more special manner who have the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come v. 8. And therefore the Apostle in his sufferings and labours excites himself to trust on God to take care and provide for him which he doth upon this ground q. God is the Saviour of all men but especially of them that believe q. d. If Gods Providence will help all men even the world much more them that believe on him Object But that word Saviour and saving must needs mean some higher matter than this of Providence Sol. In this place it doth not nor in many other places Psal 36. 6. Hominem Bestiam servas Jehovah Matth. 8. 25. Lord save us we perish Rom. 14. 15. 1 Cor. 8. 11. Object Rom. 14. 15. Destroy not him by thy meat for whom Christ died 1 Cor. 8. 11. Through thy knowledge shall thy weake brother perish for whom Christ died Answered Sol. The Question in dispute is whether Christ did by his death obtain for all and every man Reconciliation with God Remission of sins and Eternal life do these places come up to the proof thereof 1. The Apostle speaks unto Christians in both these places he writes unto believers are believers all and every man nay he writes to the believers of particular Churches in Rome and in Corinth are particular believers all and every man in the world 2. To these he writes of a particular case respecting their Christian liberty about the use of Herbs and Meats so to moderate themselves as not to scandalize or offend their weak brethren and to perplex and ensnare their consciences that those Christians who were strong in faith i. e. were fully perswade and satisfied that all meats were lawful should not so act their liberty thereupon as to give offence to their weak brethren unto weak believers who yet were not so clearly convinced of that liberty He speaks of believers on both sides strong and weak and of none other but believers concerned in the present fear and scandal and what is this to Christ dying for every man 3. And why would he not have the strong believers by the abuse of their liberty about meats and drinks and herbs to offend the Consciences of their weak brethren he gives the Reason destroy not him by thy meat for whom Christ died and shall thy weak brother perish for whom Christ died The reason lies in the danger of that offence q. d. thus to offend them was as much as in them lay to destroy them and cause them to perish For offence or scandal of themselves and in their own natural aptitude do tend to the ruine and destruction of those to whom they are objected and weak Christians are likewise apt to be shaken and wounded and waver by them Assuredly this is and should be reason sufficient with any believers therefore not to give scandal in any thing much less in the use of meats and drinks to other Believers who are weak neither doth the Apostle say He is destroyed by thy meat for whom Christ died but Destroy not him c. He speaks not of a work eventually done and effected but of a work which he cautions them to beware or take heed of as tending thereunto And so in the later place he doth not absolutely affirm that the weak brother doth perish but interrogatively propounds shall thy weak brother perish for whom Christ died q. d. should you or any of you be an occasion as much as in you lies of the ruining of any for whom Christ died therefore have a care be wary that ye give not any offence unto them Fifthly If the Apostle had said that any weak brother had indeed been destroyed and had indeed perished yet this would not prove that Christ died for all and every man All that it could inferre would be only this that some Believers might be destroyed and perish for whom Christ died which yet appertains to another controversie of falling from grace and there neither will it serve the turn Object 2 Pet. 2. 1. There were false Prophets also amongst the people even as 2 Pet. 2. 1. there shall be false Teachers among you who shall privily bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction Loe say the Arminians here are some which bring upon themselves swift destruction and deny the Lord that bought them and therefore as well they that perish as they that shall be saved are redeemed by Christ c. Sol. For answer to this place divers things may be said Answered 1. Some do question whether it speaks of Jesus Christ at all because the word here rendred Lord is not that word Lord by which Christ is usually set forth there is a difference observed by learned men 1. Inter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dominum which we find in Jude ver 4. denying the Lord God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and our Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But I know not whether we may with safety rest on this curiosity 2. I shall rather make use of that distinction of being bought by Christ persons may be said to be bought by the Lord Christ 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to truth so only the Church is bought or purchased by the blood and death of Christ Acts 2. 28. Feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In respect of Opinion and so those are said to be bought who seem to be bought who bear such expressions of Christians for a while that both themselves and others in a judgement of
possible then he earnestly presseth them to a fruitlesse duty and successless labour If it be possible that they might upon the trial come to know that Christ is in them then the thing is granted 2. I thus argue They who may come upon trial to know that Christ is in them may certainly know that Chrâ—st died for them to save them My reason is this That Jesus Christ is in none but in them for whom he died and whom he will save Col. 1. 27. Christ is in you the hope of glory 1 Joh. 5. 12. He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life If therefore one may know that Christ is in him of a truth then he may know that Christ died for him in particular for his salvation Thirdly If Believers may attain to joy and rejoycing in the death of Christ yea unto a triumphing in it then they may certainly know that Christ died for them and hath purchased Reconciliation Remission and salvation for them The consequence I prove thus There are three things necessarily concurring to cause Spiritual joy and rejoycing viz. 1 A delightful rejoycing Object 2. An application of that Object to the desire of the soul 1. A knowledge of that application Gerson Park 2. Comp. de Dilectatione p. 161. and indeed without that knowledge that such an Object is ours or is for us there never will be actual rejoycing but if it be impossible then dispair and if it be doubtful then fear c. But believers may attain to joy and rejoycing in Christ Phil. 3. 3. and that upon the account of his beneficial dying for them Rom. 5. 11. And not only so but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the Atonement Fourthly I will add but one other Argument and that is is this We are bound to love Jesus Christ who died for us and abundantly to thank and blesse God for our Redemption and Reconciliation and Remission and Salvation by Christ this I suppose no man will deny but we can neither do the one nor the other if we cannot attain unto a certainty that Christ died for us 1. Love of Christ depends upon the knowledge of his love to us It is not with this spiritual love as it is with natural love where you may love a person although you know not his love unto you but our spiritual love necessarily ariseth from the application and knowledge of a precedent love unto us we love him q. because he loved us first 1 Joh. 4. 19 you must be able to see and know the love of Christ to you before you can be able to raise or return love to him and therefore do we love Christ because his love is manifested unto us Now if this love of Christ to us which he shewed in dying for us Greater love hath no man than this that he lay down his life for his friend Joh. 15. 13. be perpetually hid from us that we can never attain the certain knowledge thereof but must only guess at it perhaps Christ loved us to dye for us perhaps he did not how can our hearts possibly be raised to a solid fixed intensive reciprocal love of him 2. In like manner how can our thankfulness be indeed rightly returned unto God for giving of Christ for us to reconcile and save us for according to your knowledge in this case will be your thankfulness can you ever thank and bless and praise God for Christ and his death and the benefits thereof to you whiles you know not that they belong to you O Lord I bless thee for that exceeding love of thine in giving Christ to redeem my soul to make my peace to discharge my sins to save my soul c. But truly I know not whether this be so or no I am utterly uncertain whether Christ dyed for me or whether himself or any benefit by him and his death doth indeed concern me or belong unto me c. SECT X. 3. Quest NOw follows the third and last Question to be spoken unto how a How a person may certainly know that Christ did dye effectually for him person may certainly know that Jesus Christ did die effectually for him Satisfied Gods Justice for him purchased remission of sins for him and eternal life for him Answered Sol. This is a pertinent Question indeed said a dying person whom some of us knew in this place But did Christ dye for my sins but did Christ dye for my soul but did he dye for me How shall I know that Christ died for me for my sins to save my soul This is a question which many of us first or last will make question of when trouble of conscience ariseth or when death appoacheth O then how may I know that Christ is my Christ and that he died for me This is the highest of all questions Did Christ dye for me and a most necessary question what though Christ did dye for others and they partake of the benefits of his death if he did not die for me and if I be not saved by his death and if the conscience can once upon sure grounds be satisfied in this question so that a person knows that Christ died for him now there is peace and joy and thanksgiving and a lively hope of salvation all is sure if once we can get to be sure that Christ is ours and did die for us For answer therefore unto the question propounded be pleased to remember in the general that there are three sorts of persons in the world namely First Some who in the present estate under which they lye cannot know that Christ dyed for them and will save them I say in the present estate wherein they are For though there may be a possibility of the change of that estate and so a capacity may come in for that particular knowledge and certainty yet as to their present estate absolulely considered there is an incapacity of immediate knowledge that Christ died for them These persons are all unbelieving and impenitent persons who as so and remaining so cannot know that Christ died to save them because 1. The way to know that Christ died for us must arise either from some In the general Some cannot know word of promise that a person in such a condition having interest in Christ shall be saved by him but there is no such promise to any unbelieving and impenitent person as such a person or from some words of Narration which declare and affirm that Christ and the benefits of his death do belong unto unbelieving and impenitent persons as so But there is no such Narrative word which affirms it that Christ belongs unto the unbeliever and that he hath indeed obtained pardon of sins and life for him or from faith wrought in the heart But this is not in the unbelieving and impenitent person if it were then he were not unbelieving or from
by the Grounds By the grounds and causes and order of attaining that certainty and Causes and Order of attaining unto that certainty of knowledge and perswasion that Christ died for him For your help in this take notice of three Particulars 1. A right and undeceiving assurance that Christ died for us hath two sure Grounds One is the Testimony of the Word the other is the Testimony of Conscience renewed The Word saith Whosoever believes shall not perish but have everlasting life Renewed conscience saith but thou believest yea thou believest aright thy faith work by love Ergo. 2. A right and undeceiving knowledge it hath very choice causes it ariseth from Faith and it ariseth from the Spirit of Christ no man can give himself this assurance or certain knowledge that Christ died for him As no man can say that Christ is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost So no man can say Christ is my Lord and my Saviour but by the Holy Ghost 3. A right and undeceiving assurance that Christ died for me is attained in an orderly way It is not the first work to be found in us but it follows many precedent works in the soule as the sealing follows the writing viz. it follows 1. Deep sense of sin and misery 2. A Spiritual Conviction of our own impotency and insufficiency and absolute need of Christ 3. Earnest desires after Christ and for faith to lay hold on Christ 4. Many conflicts 'twixt weak faith and doubtings and fears 5. Peculiar supplications for the evidencing of the love of Christ and for particular perswasions of our interest in him and in the benefits of his death 6. Attendance upon God in the Ordinances of Christ c. Seventhly You may know that Christ died for your sins by the concomitant presence of some choice qualities in every person rightly assured of Christs dying By the concomitant presence of some chief qualities for him v. g. 1. A tender mournfulness of heart Zech. 12. 10. They shall look on him whom they have pierced and shall mourn as a man mourns for his only child Never did the child mourn more c. There is a two-fold mourning and both necessary one from sense of sin as grieving God the other from the sense of love in pardoning sin 2. An exceeding joy Rom. 5. 11. We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have received the Atonement 3. An inflamed love Luke 7. 47. Her sins which are many are forgiven for she loved much For is not Causal but Illative q. d. therefore she loved much None so loved as this loving Christ 4. A sweet Peace and Tranquillity Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ when we know that our peace is made by Christ presently peace ariseth in the conscience the storm is over and we are at land Now conscience excuses comforts supports answers c. all is well the Sword is sheathed 8. Lastly you may know that Christ died for you by the fruits and effects By the fruits and effâ—cts which flow from it which do flow from that certaine knowledge and that particular assurance v. g. 1. Singular loathings of sin Rom. 6. 1 2. Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein 2. Utmost service for Christ 2 Cor. 5. 14. The love of Christ constraineth us acts us fills us carries us on as men possessed or as a ship with the winde Act. 21. 13. I am ready not to be bound only but also to die at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus 3. Special delight in Christ and in the word of Christ 1 Pet. 2. 3. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby If so be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious as if he had said the man that knows that the Lord is gracious and gracious to him and hath tasted of the sweetness of his love to his soul must needs delight in and long after the Word as the Babe doth after the milk of the breast 4. Yet more desires to partake of more from Christ Phil. 3. 10. That I may know him and the power of his Resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable to his death verse 12. Not as though I had already attained or were already perfect but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which I also am apprehended of Christ Jesus 5. Watchful fear by no means to offend or displease Christ so loving a Christ so kind so good a Christ so unwilling and so affraid is the assured person to sin against Christ any more that he could be content presently to dâ—e and to be with Christ where there is no more a possibility to offend him c. 6. Answerable returns unto Christ who suffered and died for me v. g. He loved me and I therefore love him He abased himself for me and I abase my self for him He gave himself for me and I give my self to him He obeyed his Fathers will for me and I obey his will He suffered for me and I am willing to suffer for him in my name in my body in my life He rose for me and I live to him He justified me and I justifie him He pleades foâ— me in Heaven and I plead for him on Earth He hath purchased glory for me and I give glory to him c. Thus have you heard the Decision of this great Practical Question how a person may know that Christ died for him Now beâ—â—re I shut up this Discourse I will propound and give answer unto some Cases of Conscience in relation to this Point in which I am â—iscoursing 1. How one may know that he is deluded in his Conscience that Christ dyed for him 2. What one should do who as yet cannot certainly affirm that Christ died for him 3. Whether every one for whom Christ effectually dyed doth sometime or other in this life attain unto the certain evidence thereof 4. Whether a person having attained to the certain knowledge of Christs dying for him may ever after that doubt and question the same again and whether new doubtings overthrow a certainty of knowledge 5. What advantage any Christian hath by the certain knowledge that Christ died for him as his Mediatour Case 1. How one may know that he is deluded in his Confidence that Christ How one may know he is deluded in his confidence of Christs dâ—ing for him A twofold confidence dyed for him There is I confess a two-fold confidence about the Application of the Death of Christ One arising from Faith and the Spirit of God who beareth witness with our spirits that we are the Children of God The other ariseth from presumption and the spirit of Delusion wherein a person dreams that he eats but he is empty and dreams that he
possesseth and he is poor and dreams that Christ is his and died for his sins and made his peace but he is deceived there is no such matter at all Now there are foure things which do manifestly declare that the confidence That confidence is but a delusion Which is contrary to the Word which some men have that Christ dyed for them is but a delusion 1. When that confidence is contrary to the Word Every true and sound perswasion of our interest in Christ and in the benefits of his death is conformable to the testimony of the Word and every false perswasion or confidence is contrary to the Word as it hath no word of God to bottom upon so it hath the Word of God to unbottom and contradict it You are confident that Christ dyed to save you and to purchase the pardon of sins c. And yet you remain an ignorant and impenitent a disobedient and unbelieving sinner you still love your sins and will not forsake them your heart is hardened in sin and you mourn not for sin you despise the Gospel of Christ and truth of Christ and calls of Christ and paths of Christ and subjection to Christ and communion with Christ And yet you are confident that Christ died effectually 〈◊〉 for your salvation And what warrant have you thus to lay claim to him and to his benefits The Word saith Whosoever believes on him shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16 36. And he that believeth not shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him And you believe not on him where is now your confidence the Word saith be converted and repent that your sins may be blotted out Acts 3. 19. And Christ saith that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his Name Luke 24. 47. But you repent not you do not you will not forsake your sins The Word saith that Christ is the Author of salvation to all that obey him Hebr. 5. 9. But you will not obey him he calls you off from your sins and he calls you off from the world and he calls you to fellowship with himself and he calls you unto holinesse but you will not obey him in any of these calls therefore your confidence in the benefits of his death is a meer presumption and delusion it is not warranted by the Word nay the Word is expressely contrary unto it 2. When that confidence is but natural and easily believed The right confidence Which is but natural and easily believed that Christ dyed for us it is supernatural and difficult we cannot give it to our selves it is a perswasion given unto us and it costs us many prayings and many tears and many bearings and many waitings upon God before we can attain unto it But a deluding confidence that is natural and easie the person never gets it by prayer never wrestled with God for it never attended the Word for it never conflicted with doubts and fears was never at any cost for it but was confident all his days no antecedent conflict no present conflict presumption is a work of our own a meer fancy of our own and a meer delusion of our own Thirdly When that confidence is fruitlesse and loose it produceth no love Which is fruitlesse at all to Christ nor fear to offend Christ nor care to please Christ nay instead of these there is a boldnesse to sin the more and to continue impenitent because Christ dyed for sinners and his death is sufficient to expiate the greatest transgressions whereas a right confidence of the benefits of the death of Christ makes men more holy and obedient 1 John 2. 3. We know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Ver. 3. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure Fourthly When that confidence or assurance is easily swept away in time of Which is easily swept away in time of tryal tryal either by conscience or by afflictions or by sicknesse or by the approachings of death His confidence shall be rooted out of his Tabernacle and shall bring him to the King of terrors said Bildad in Job 18. 14. A deluding confidence usually ends in a despairing diffidence but so doth not a right and well-grounded confidence it will hold out in all afflictions and tryals whatsoever Rom. 8. 38 39. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor heighth nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Yea it will hold out in death it self when all the hopes of the hypocrite shall perish 2 Tim. 4. 6. I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand Ver. 7. I have fought the good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith Ver. 8. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day From all this let us learn carefully to try our very confidences of our interest in Christ and in the benefits of his death remember but three things 1. Your interest is never the more for all your confidence confidence gives no propriety though sometimes it follows it 2. Your interest is the lesse if your confidence be false A troubled and doubting Christian may be brought in to Christ and partake of him and of his benefits when the bold confident presumptuous sinner keeps off and hides himself even because he is boistrously confident 3. You will certainly be lost if you rest in this confident delusion it is a broken bottome and a dream which will destroy you Case 2. What a person should do who as yet cannot certainly affirme What a person should do who as yet cannot certainly affirme that Christ dyed for him that Christ dyed for him and that he hath any interest in the benefits of his death Sol. This is the case of many troubled souls and their exceeding burden and fear unto whom I would commend 1. A few Cautions 2. A few Directions 1. Cautions Cautions to such Do not cashiere your title 1. Do not cashiere your title Though all this while you cannot clear your interest although you cannot conclude for it yet do not conclude against it nor yet despair for 1. This dark condition is incident to most if not all weak believers who are baptized in a cloud though they drink of the rock i. e. Christ indeed is theirs although they do not see him to be theirs and the blood of Christ was shed for them although the assurance thereof be not shed abroad in their hearts yea and pardon of their sins is sealed although as yet it be not revealed to them they do not finde this in a sensible experience but yet they
of our sins and judge and condemn and everlastingly punish us for the rest of our sins here would be small cause of rejoycing unto us 4. Again where were the hope of glory hath the unpardoned sinner any hope of heaven doth not every sin deserve the loss of heavenly glory and will it not effectually and eventually prove so unlesse God pardons it 5. Where is the liberty of accesse and boldness of approaching to God if any of your sins are unpardoned the very spirit of fear and bondage lies still on you that God is not reconciled to you but is your enemy and he will not own and bless you but will reject and curse you and will bring on you all the evil that he hath threatned Fourthly A fourth Argument to prove that God will forgive all the sins of We are to forgive all the trespasses against us his people is this We are to forgive all the trespasses of an offending brother in case he repent Luke 17. 4. If he trespass against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turn again to thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive him Now we are to forgive our brother as God forgives us Ephes 4. 32. Forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven us his forgiving is a pattern to our forgiving and he would have ours to be universal therefore his is so to us Matth. 18. 32. I forgave thee all that debt because thou desiredst me Verse 33. Shouldst not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant even as I had pity on thee Thus have you heard the Assertion cleared by Scripture and Arguments that God will foâ—give all the sins of his people Now before I passe to the useful Application of 〈◊〉 unto our selves I would speak something unto a Question much agitated amongst the Learned and others viz. SECT II. Quest VVHether God which promiseth to pardon all the sins of his people doth Whether all sins be pardoned together at once pardon all their sins Simul Semel together and at once all sins past which his people have committed and all sins present which they do commit and all sins future which they may hereafter commit Sol. This is I confess a very nice question and hath if it be well weighed something of difficulty in it peremptorily to resolve it And there are very godly and learned men who have spoken and written differently concerning it and yet all of them consent in this That God doth forgive all the sins of his people If it might not be burthensome unto you I would 1. Present unto you the several opinions of men with their chief Arguments for their different opinions concerning this Question 2. Offer my own private thoughts concerning this Controversie First Some are for the Affirmative and their opinion is this that as soon as Some are for the affirmative any are made Believers in Christ and so are within the Covenant Actually all the sins which they have committed in time past and all the sins which they are guilty of as to the time present and all the sins of which they do come to be guilty of in time future they are actually pardoned unto them in general and in particular Neither are Believers ever henceforth to pray unto God for the pardon of any sin which they do or shall commit but only for the assurance of the pardon of them in their own Consciences neither is any future Repentance required to attain the forgiveness of any new and future sin but only for the more comfortable assurance of former forgivenesse unto our selves Nay Repentance is not required of God as an Antecedent work to pardon of sins but only as a consequent work and fruit thereof c. This is their Opinion Quest Now what might be the ground inducing unto this Opinion That all the sins of a believer not only past but also present and to come are pardoned ot once and The grounds for the affirmative actually unto them Sol. The chief which I do find in writing are these First The Covenant expressions Isa 43. 25. I even I am he which blotteth out thy transgressions Heb. 8. 12. I will be merciful unto their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities I will remember no more Ergo all is pardoned at once Secondly Again Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus And Ver. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that justifieth And ver 38 39. Nor things present nor things to come shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And Joh. 5. 24. He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life Ergo all sinnes are pardoned at once or else they were in a state of condemnation c. Thirdly A believer even when he sinneth is still united to Christ and is cloathed with the righteousness of Christ which covers all our sins and dischargeth us from them so that no guilt shall redound to us Fourthly A believer is not to fear curse or hell at all which he might do if all his sins were not pardoned at once but some of his new sins were for a while unpardoned Fifthly Repentance is not at all required for our justification where our pardon is only to be found but only faith therefore pardon of sins is not suspended untill we repent of our sins Sixthly Again if new sins were not pardoned untill you do repent then we should be left to an uncertainty whiles our sins be pardoned or when they will be pardoned for it may be long ere we repent and more long ere we can know that we do truely repent of our sins Seventhly If all sins were not forgiven at once then justification is not perfect at once but is more and more increased and perfected as more and more sins are pardoned which as they conceive cannot consist with the true Doctrine of Justification These are the chiefest and strongest Arguments which I have read for the Affirmative Some for the Negative Opinion and I have delivered them rather with advantage than with any prejudice Secondly Neverthelesse there are others of the Negative and contrary Opinion unto this who although they do hold that God hath pardoned all sins past unto believers brought into Covenant with Christ and that he will pardon also all the sins of which hereafter they shall be guilty yet they do conjecture that all these are not forgiven at once unto them but upon though not for their renewed repentance for them and upon a renewed act of Faith on Christ for the particular forgiveness of new and particular transgressions unto them Neither do they lay any Popish reason of worthiness or merit in Repentance as some unjustly do charge upon them for the
adultery fornication uncleanness lasciviousness Gal 5. 19. Secondly The Apostle reckons them up amongst the most detestable sins which the most loathsome Gentiles were guilty of who were filled with all unrighteousness Thirdly They are so vile sins that Christians may not once name them without detestation Ephes 5. 3. But fornication and all uncleanness let it not be once named among you as becometh Saints Fourthly They are such sins as are repugnant unto and inconsistent with Christian society Christians must not entertain fellowship with persons guilty of them 1 Cor. 5. 11. If any man that is called a brother be a fornicator c. with such an one no not to eat Fifthly They are sins especially adultery against the three persons of the Trinity 1. Against God the Father who created the man and the woman and married them to each other and said they two shall be one flesh Gen. 2. 24. Now by adultery they are separated whom God hath joined together and made one yea God hath made Marriage a resemblance of Christ and his Church Ephes 5. but adultery brings contempt upon this resemblance of union 2. Against God the Son Jesus Christ hath payed a price for our bodies as well as for our spirits and upon that account we are to glorifie him in both 1 Cor. 6. 20. nay saith the same Apostle Ver 15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ Now to alienate Christs purchase from Christ and to bestow it upon an Harlot and make the members of Christ the members of an Harlot as every adulterer doth is exceedingly injurious unto Christ Shall I take the members of Christ and make them the members of an Harlot God forbid so the Apostle in ver 15. 3. Against God the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6. 19. Know you not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost and Chap. 3. 17. If any man defile the Temple of God him shall God destroy for the Temple of God is holy which Temple ye are Sixthly Of all sins these are the most brutish making persons like the beasts and therefore in Scripture unclean and adulterous persons are compared to beasts To the Oxe Prov. 7. 22. He goeth after her as an Oxe to the slaughter To the Horse Jerem. 5. 8. They were as fed Horses every one neighed after his Neighbours wife and Jer. 13. 27. I have sâ—en thy adulteries and thy neighings the lewdness of thy whoredomes c. To the Dog Deut. 23. 18. Thou shalt not bring the hire of an Whore or the price of a Dog into the house of the Lord. By Dog here is meant an unclean adulterous person An persona Canina ego replied Abner to Ishbosheth am I a person like a Dog who charged him that he lay with his fathers Concubine Rizpah 2 Sam. 3. 8. Seventhly Adultery in some respect is worse than many other sins against our Neighbours it is a very great sin to slander the name of our Neighbour and to bear false witness against him it is very bad by theft to take away the goods of our Neighbour it is yet worse to kill and take away the life of our Neighbour but adultery is in some respect more sinful than any one of these v. g. In all these sinnings the person sinning brings a guilt only upon himself for when he defames another though he casts reproach on him yet he makes him not guilty and in stealing from another though he brings loss to him yet he makes him not guilty and when he kills another he brings death to him yet he makes him not sinfully guilty but in adultery there is a mutual consent to sin and a mutual contract of guilt and although the one party should repent and so escape wrath yet the other party repenting not hath a soul which for this sin must be cast into hell Eighthly They are such sins for which God himself will judge the offender though possibly they may escape the hands of men Hebr. 13. 4. Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge and verily God hath severely judged persons for these sins even in this life The Old World was drowned for them Gen 6. 2 3 c. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire Gen. 19. Twenty and foure thousand destroyed with the plague Num. 25. 9. The Tribe of Benjamin was almost extinguished and rooted out upon this account Judg. 19. 28. The Land of Canaan spued out her Inhabitantt for them Lev. 18. 28. How often doth God make these sins in this life a punishment unto those who are guilty of them by causing unto themselves most loathsome and irksome and incurable diseases such as make them odious to others and a shame and burden to themselves Ninthly They are such sins as many times do bring with them an universal losse and ruine 1. To our name Prov. 6. 33. A wound and dishonour shall he get and his reproach shall not be wiped away 2. To our estate Prov. 5. 10 Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth and thy labours be in the house of a stranger Job 31. 11 22. it roots out all our increase 3. To our health ib. ver 11. And thou mourn at the last when thy flesh and thy body are consumed 4. To our consciences Prov. 7. 23. till a dart strike through his liver c. The great terrors of conscience usually arise from these sins Job 24. 17. If one know of them they are in the terrors of the shadow of death 5. To our souls and as unto them you shall find three very sad expressions in the Word of God 1. That they are the way to hell Prov. 7. 27. Her house is the way to hell going down to the chambers of death and Prov. 9. 18. Their guests are in the depths of hell 2. That they destroy the soul He that committeth adultery with a woman destroyeth his own soul Prov. 6. 32. 3. That they exclude from the Kingdome of God nor adulterers nor fornicators nor effeminate nor defilers ef themselves with mankind shall inherit the Kingdome of God 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. Tenthly They are such sins as whereof persons cannot easily repent they do exceedingly dispose the soul to hardness and impenitency they darken the mind and infatuate the judgement and harden the heart and so make the sinners condition almost desperate Hose 4. 11. Whoredom and wine take away the heart Prov. 2. 19. None that go unto her return again neither take they hold of the paths of life None i. e. very few repent of these sins For her heart is snares and nets and her hands are bands Eccles 7. 26. All these things do abundantly show what an exceeding great sin the sin of uncleanness is yet God hath pardoned them unto his people Lot was pardoned and Davids adultery was pardoned and the fornications and adulteries and effeminateness and Sodomies of the Corinthians were pardoned 1 Cor. 6. 11. Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye
and to rest on his Arm acknowledging that our standing and safety is not in our strength but in the presence and influence of his grace 2ly The Means how to compass a soft and tender heart The Means First You must go to the Lord by Prayer for it a sinner can harden his own Beg it by prayer heart but God only can soften the heart If four things were wrought in the heart it would be soft and tender viz. 1. An experimental Sensation 2. A mournful Humiliation 3. A spirit of Fear 4. An yieldingness and plyableness of the heart to the will of God Object True will some say but who can work these things in the heart Sol. That can God and he hath promised to work every one of them in our hearts if we do earnestly and unfeignedly seek him 1. He can make us to see to feel to remember to consider our sins and our doings which have not been good Job 34. 32. That which I see not teach thou me c. Job 13. 26. Thou makest me to possesse the iniquities of my youth Ezek. 16. 61. Then shalt thou remember thy wayes and be ashamed 2. He can make the heart mourning and humbling and lamenting Zac. 12. 10. They shall look on him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn c. Ezek. 7. 16. All of them mourning every one for his iniquity 3. He can put his fear in their hearts Jer. 32. 40. I will put my fear in their hearts And Hose 3. 5. They shall fear the Lord and his goodness 4. He can make the heart yielding and plyable unto his Word and Will Psal 68. 18. Thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell amongst them Acts 9. 6. Lord what wilt thou have me to do Jer. 31. 33. I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts Secondly You must to his Word which is the hammer to break and the fire to Attend the Word melt the heart Acts 2. 37. When they heard this they were pricked in their hearts and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we do 2 Chron. 34. 27. Thou diddest humble thy self before God when thou heardest his Word c. Object But many men hear the Word and that a long time and yet their hearts are not at all softned by it therefore it cannot be a means to soften the heart Sol. I answer 1. It is true that many men do hear the Word and for many years and are not softned but their hearts are more hardned under it nevertheless this induration comes not from the Word which is a means to soften but from the pride and perverseness of the hearts of men who do hear the Word but will despise and reject the Word 2. It is also true that though many men have not their hearts softned by the Word yet many others have their hearts softned by it Simile as although many who take Physick are nothing better by it yet many who do so are recovered by it and this we find by experience that though the Word be the savour of death unto death unto some yet it is the savour of life unto life unto others And as we must not conclude that the Word is not the means of saving faith because all that hear the Word do not believe so neither must we deny the Word as a means to soften the heart because many who do hear it do remain hardned but if we find First that God hath instituted his Word for such a purpose and end Secondly That God hath blessed his Word and made it effectual to that purpose Thirdly Doth call even sinners to come and attend that they may attain that blessing depending upon this Word And lastly that without the attendance upon the Word there is no enjoyment of that softness of heart but a greater access and confirmation of hardness of heart Thence we may confidently conclude that the Word of God is a means to soften the heart But 3. You must know that the efficacy of spiritual means doth not depend upon the meer presence of the means but upon the concomitancy and influence of the Spirit of God who sometimes doth put forth his power through those means and sometimes doth not so The Word by its own natural and proper vigour doth not convince nor convert nor soften the heart for then every one that hears it should be convinced and converted and softned nor then should it be a means but a principal efficient but those effects it doth work on all who hear it when the Spirit of God comes with the Word unto their hearts in his mighty power working that grace in us which the Word commands from us And therefore when we come to hear the Word to have our hearts softned we should look on the Word as the means but withall on the Spirit of God as the principal cause who works that effect by the Word nor should we ever hear the Word without special prayer and requests that the Lord would by his Spirit make his Word a lively and effectual means of knowledge of faith of all grace unto us and if we did do so the Lord would be found of us and he would give this softness of heart which he promiseth in his Covenant Thirdly If you would have softness of heart you must then get newness of Get newnesse of heart heart Your hearts can never be softned untill they be renewed and if they were renewed certainly they would be softned The old heart is an hard heart and the new heart is a soft heart You may as well expect that a dead man should weep and mourn and go and come as that an old sinful heart dead in trespasses and sins should be a soft and mournful heart for sins or be willing and ready to obey the will of God why hardness in all the causes of it and in all the effects of it is predominant and raigning in an unconverted graceless heart But if the heart were once changed by renewing grace then softness must needs fall into it Forasmuch as the change made by renewing grace brings into the soul another nature quite contrary to our sinful nature and other principles quite contrary to all our old principles Light contrary to darkness and humblenesse contrary to pride and yieldingness contrary to stubbornnesse and softnesse contrary unto hardness Fourthly if we would have softnses or tenderness of heart then we must get Faith for faith is indeed the foundation of a soft and tender heart and the Get Faith more of Faith the more of tenderness Quest What Faith will some say Sol. I answer a Faith 1. Of Knowledge or Credence that God is that he is a great God the living God the Almighty God the dreadful God most knowing most holy most righteous and faithful who will be so to us as his Word
works 1 Pet. 2. 24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead unto sin should live unto righteousness 6. That his obedience unto the Law is propounded as a pattern for us to imitate 1 Joh. 2. 6. He that saith he abideth in him ought himsel to walk even as he walked Lastly The Covenant-Faith which is in every one of the people of God as it And so doth the Covenâ—nt faith carries them out to an election of God to be their God so it carries them out unto subjection to God unto obedience Heb. 11. 4. By faith Abel offered up a more excellent sacrifice than Cain Ver. 8. By faith Abraham obeyed God Faith eyes the Word of God for a Rule and warrant and faith propounds unto us the encouragements of the word to quicken our obedience and faith fetches strength from Christ to enable us in all our works of obedience Having spoken these things for the demonstration of the Assertion I shall now speak unto three Questions 1. How this walking in Gods statutes and keeping of his judgements and doing of them may be fixed upon the people of Gods Covenant seeing they are all of them believers and being so are no longer under the Law but are freed and delivered from it 2. What manner of obedience or kind of obedience that is which is required and to be performed by the people of Gods Covenant 3. Why these are in such a special manner thus charged with walking in Gods statutes c. 1. Quest How this walking in Gods statutes c. may be forced upon the people of Gods Covenant seeing they are all under grace and believers and not under How Gods people being not under the Law are bound to obedience the Law as the Apostle expresseth it Rom. 6. 14. Ye are not under the Law but under Grace Sol. For a clear Answer unto this Question I will briefly deliver my thoughts in these distinctions First Concerning the Law of God you know there were some of them 1. Ceremonial which consisted in Rites and Ordinances and Shadows typifying Jesus Christ in his sufferings unto which there was a full period put by the death of Christ 2. Judicial which respecteth the Jews as a peculiar Nation and Common-wealth being made and fitted for them as in such a particular polity And all those Judicial Laws especially these de jure particulari are ceased by the cessation of that Nation and polity 3. Moral which are these set down in the Decalogue and are called the ten words or Commandements which God spake and delivered Of the ten Commandements which we call the Moral Law is the question to be understood whether believers or the people in the New Covenant are bound unto them Secondly This Moral Law may be considered either 1. In the Substance of it Or 2ly in the circumstances of it If you consider the Moral Law in the substance of it so it is 1. An eternal manifestation of the mind and will of God declaring what is good and what is evil what we are to do and what we are not to do what duties we How the Moral Law never ceaseth do owe to God and what duties we do owe to our neighbours what worship God requires and what worship God forbids In this consideration the Moral Law never ceaseth in respect of any person whasoever 2. It discovers sinne For Rom. 3. 19. By the Law cometh the knowledge of sin And the Apostle in Rom. 7. 7. I had not known sin but by the Law for I had not known lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet In this respect likewise the Law is still in force even unto the people of God it is the glass which shews them unto themselves and the light which manifests the hidden things and works of darkness in them 3. The Rule of life For as the Gospel is the Rule of faith teaching us what to believe so the Moral Law is the Rule of manners teaching us how to live and as to this directing power it is still of force and use unto believers Psal 119. 105. Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path Ver. 133. Order my steps in thy Word But then secondly the Law may be considered in respect of its circumstances not as it is a Rule of obedience but as it is a condition of life and as thus considered How it ceaseth 1. It requires a personal and perfect obedience and that under a curse Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all that is written to do it Here now it ceaseth unto the people of God the cursing and condemning power is abrogated Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3. 13. 2. It requires an exact obedience as a reason of Justification Do this and live Here likewise the people of God are freed from it who as Luther well speaks shall not be damned for their evil works nor yet shall be justified for their good works but are justified by faith in Christ and the matter of their justification being not inherent righteousness in themselves but only the imputed righteousness of Christ Thus you see in what respects the people of God are freed from and in what respects they are still obliged by the Law The Law hath not power to condem or justifie them and yet it hath a power to direct and instruct them And that it hath such a power unto which we are to conform our selves in obedience may appear thus First By that forementioned place in Matth. 5. 17. Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfill And in Why the Law hath still a power to command us that Chapter he doth both interpret the Law and commend and command unto his Disciples the duties of the Law And surely it is no way probable that Christ would by his own authority so have confirmed the Law had it been his purpose and business to have cancelled the Law Secondly Paul in Rom. 13. 8. that he might shew and clear that in that one precept of love He that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law produceth several precepts of the Law in ver 9. For this Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not bear false witness Thou shalt not covet And if there be any other Commandement it is briefly comprehended in this saying namely Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self All which were a fruitless proof if the Law had nothing to do with the people of God but utterly ceased to them as to point of obedience In like manner in that place of James 2. 8. If ye fulfill the royal Law according to the Scripture Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self ye do well but if the Royal Law were abrogated certainly