to the death of the Crosse Phil. 2. Hence to weary of submitting to God speaks much unnaturall pride yea will not be under God 2. There is little of Christ in such for it was life to Christ and meat and drink Psal. 40.8 Heb. 10.8 John 4.34 Act. 10.38 to obey and it is the Angels life Jsa 6.2 3. Psal. 103.20 Rev. 4.8 and they are neer him who both at once serve and Raigne Rev 22.3 5. much delight to obey speak much of God in the heart Tyre not of your Master examine more untowardnesse to pray to confer to give c. if it be not a cause of deadness and be not a way of backsliding 5. Use. If creatures keep their Covenant-naturall with God shal not the oxe the cran Isa. 1.3 Jer. 8.7 the asse 2 Pet. 2.16 who never had a design of rebellion depon against us in Judgement Ah! what an unnaturall policie the first evill wit of him that sinned from the beginning John 8.44 and whom we follow at the heels it is to please our own wit in Covenant breaking Such as are sick of love for their own wylie time-serving custome If all naturall men in their death bed damne not this folly aske them and they shall speak 6. Use. If God Covenant with us for hyre when his absolutenesse may bear him to command how sinfully soft are our spirits and weak is reason that is broken with a straw when an apple conquers Evahs eye and heart Talents of Silver and a wedge of Gold Achan and Gehazi A drink of water if not at hand in time of thirst make the people murmure against God the more sanctified defecat and spirituall reason be the farther it is above that which crusheth Balaam and Judas The first heavens motion the primum mobile which draws all the rest must be the most excellent and the moving power must be most spirituall it s neither heavinesse which is in stones or clay nor lightnesse in the aire and fire but a more heavenly force which throwes about that body so the motions of sanctified reason which is sweyed and driven by no Argument but from eternity communion with God a Kingdom above time must be most spirituall The dogge is moved with a bone the oxe with hay 7. If no law and poor obedience of ours can buy a communion with God let us examine the peace that flowes from obedience It s purer and more solid peace that flowes from Justification and more immediatly removes the warre between God and us Rom. 5. 1. and comes by a purer and nearer emanation from God and from the ransome of Redemption that is in Christ then that which flowes from created acts of inherent holinesse 2. Our first Adams Element is Justification by works in which we love to live and die The Law is an home-born Idol in us Our apprehensions of our own actings are lively and vigorous the 3000. Acts 2.37 Saul Acts 9.6 and the Jayler Acts 16.30 aske what we shall doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But it is not the law word of working Rom. 4.2 4 5 6. Rom. 3.20 28. It s much to be dead to the Law and to Law-righteousnesse Gal. 2.19 20. I live not but Christ lives in me Christ 2. is a stranger to us and comes from without gifted righteousnesse comes from heaven Grace only makes us willing debters to grace The pride of self will neither begge nor borrow from nor be debter to a Crucified Saviour when it despiseth him untill the roof of the house fall 3. Seldome do these two concurre deadnesse to works of grace and lively activity in the doing of them Paul attained to both but every man is not Paul 1 Cor. 15.9 10. I laboured more abundantly then they all But fearing and trembling at at that I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he strikes sail to Christ yet not I but the grace of God in me This pride Paul notes in the Jewes they stouped not nor bowed as inferiours to their Master King or Lord or Father and Husband so the word to the righteousness of God When I self or nature meets with working yea with grace often there followes some loftinesse except it be humbled and mortified I which can weep and say Lord what am I CHAP. VIII What place death hath in the Covenant 2. What such as Cain and Judas are to do in their desperate state 3. And why the LORD is no where called the GOD of Adam Q. WHat room hath death in the Covenant A. Death hath room in the broken Covenant of Works as the Pursevant and Sergeant of revenging justice Hence deaths reign I must die whether I will or not Unwillingnesse to die and bondage through fear of death is the Law-sting in death from which Christ hath delivered us Heb. 2.15 Original sin and death came and entred the world by the Covenant of Works The Covenant of Grace made not death but found it in the world Christ made of an old enemy death a new servant it s now the Kings ferry-boat to carry the children over the water It s a sutable condition to a spirituall state to die being sent for not legally summon'd and to die because I desire to be dissolved Ph. 1.23 not because I must And better it is to summon our selves then to be summoned Though we love heaven too much as a place of pleasure rather then a place of holinesse yet most men would wish a better causey to it then to sleep through th◠cold grave or a dark hole in the earth Q. What room hath life in the Covenant Ans. The Administration of the Law-Covenant is first habituall holinesse of works and then a crown The Administration of grace is first faith and a title to Christ our life and hope of glory and then habituall holinesse begun here and perfected hereafter The Gospel-life is both a reward and a duty of praising and loving eternally in place of all the ten Commands yea of Law and Gospel The Law-life for ought that is revealed is a reward to be purchased by our legall obedience Q. If Adam in the intervall betwixt his fall and the publishing of the blessed Seed was not to despaire but to rely upon God as mighty to save What should such as Judas or Cain do A. The conscience of Cain and of despairers being no authentick Bible nor Judge which can carry the controversie between them and God so long as they are in the way or are viators the Gospel treaty betwixt them and Christ yet standing and not broken off upon the part of Christ they are to cherrish and hold up the Treaty and as it were to force speech out of Christ and to pursue the news of an offered salvation 2. There is no Spirit of God that suggests to them despaire and bids them write themselves in the black roll of Reprobates for though they beleeve hell as the Devils haply beleeve there is a God yet they blow
THE COVENANT OF LIFE OPENED Or A TREATISE of the COVENANT OF GRACE Containing something of And especially of The nature of the Covenant of Works The Soveraignty of GOD The extent of the death of CHRIST The nature properties of the Covenant of Grace The Covenant of Suretyship or Redemption between the LORD and the Son JESUS CHRIST Infants right to JESUS CHRIST and the Seal of Baptisme With some Practicall Questions and Observations By SAMUEL RUTHERFURD Professor of Divinitie in the University of S. Andrews ZECH. 6.12 And speak unto him saying Thus speaketh the LORD of Hosts saying Behold the Man whose Name is the BRANCH and he shall grow out of his place and He shall build the Temple of the LORD 13. Even He shall build the Temple of the LORD and He shall bear the glory and shall sit and rule upon His Throne c. EDINBVRGH Printed by Andro Anderson for Robert Broun and are to be sold at his Shop at the Sign of the Sun ANNO 1655. CHRISTIAN READER MAny have written to the edifying of the Godly of this excellent Subject It s not much I can do in this but have added some thoughts to what is said intending a more Practicall way of the last Points in another Treatise to wit of the application of Covenant-Promises and of the influences of the Spirit under the Covenant of Grace of which especially of the latter of these two few have practically written And it is of much concernment to make ouâ— the Union of our Duty and the breathings of the LORD and what can be done under deadnesse to either fetch the wind or to be put in a spirituall condition that the soul â—ay ly fair for the receiving of the influences of GOD. I desire in this to speak for Truth not either for or against persons of whom I am silent concealing the names of any Contradicent judging Truth so much the more desirable when it may possibly be had with peace and as little blowing or stirring of the fire of contradiction as can be What is here said in a way of Disputing the Moderate Reader who is not taken with that way may passe by and read what is practicall The Author hath been lest Truth should suffer by him a little darkned as report bears with the name I know not what of a Protester as one who hath deserted the Government and Discipline of the Church of GOD in SCOTLAND But my humble thoughts are the same they were before though I can adde nothing to the Truth I look on these men the world so names Protesters Schismaticks Separatists as sinfull men who stand in need of a Saviour and as such as desire to fear GOD and love His Name and would gladly have our practise and walk come a little more near to the Rule of the Gospel and that our Land might mourn for all the abominations committed therein which I desire to be spoken without any reflection upon any of the Godly in the Land who in that point are of another Judgement It is my desire to the LORD that he would let us hear experienced by the reality of that Thus saith the LORD As the new wine is found in the cluster and one saith Destroy it not for a blessing is in it so will I do for my servants sake that I may not destroy them all The LORD JESUS be with your Spirit Yours in the Lord Jesus S. R. Contents of the I. PART CHAP. I. and II. THe four particulars of the Treatise pag. 1. Propositions touching ADAMS state p. 1 2. ADAM was predestinate to life eternall in Christ and how pag. 2. CHAP. III. What is the intent and sense of the threatning Gen. 2.17 and Gen. 3.20 Dust thou art c. p. 3 4 5. Threatnings of the Law reveal what the Law-giver may jure inflict by justice and Law deserving not what shall come to passe p. 4. Except it be both a threatning and a Prophesie p. 5. What is carnall security ibid. What Adam was to believe in that threatning p. 5 6. How the promises and the threatnings differ in this p. 7. How Law threatnings to the Elect are Evangelick p. 8. CHAP. IV. The Elect before Conversion bear no part of the Law-curse nor is the Law-curse devided between them and Christ. p. 10.11 Faith is too near to be made a cause of satisfaction for sin by all who hold that Christ gave a satisfactory ransome for all and every one of mankind p. 11. Accepting or not accepting satisfaction is before faith and so believing or not believing can be no ground of the sufficiencie of the price payed for the Reprobate or of the laying of the sins of all upon Christ. p. 11 12 13 God may accept the satisfaction of Christ without any condition required on our part p. 13. CHAP. V. God intended a Law-dispensation but for a time 2. Adam how he was ordained for a Law life 3. How predestinate to Glory how not 4. That the heathens have no more universall grace then Divels 5. No ground for such grace p. 13 14 15. CHAP. VI. It was condiscension in the Lord to enter in Covenant with man 2. Temptâ—tions in fearing we are not chosen discovered 3. Beings and not-beings are debtors to God 4. Self denyall required in sinlesse nature as in sinfull 5. Man considered three wayes How faith layes hold upon conditionall promises and temptations of unbelief thereabout p 16 17. Oâ— the Covenant of nature p. 18 19 20. CHAP. VII It s not written in the heart of man by nature that God should promise life Eternall to man upon condition of obedience 2. The debt of justice cannot ty God 3. God punisheth not sin by necessitie of nature 4. Nor defends he his own declarative Glory by necessitie of nature 5. Nothing can be given to God All sufficient 6. No meriting of the creature 7. We are to have humble thoughts of free-Grace 8. Low thoughts of our selves 9. Promises make no strict justice between the Lord and us p. 20 21. God falls in no sort from his naturall dominion though he impose not penal Laws upon the reasonable creature p. 25 26. God loves his essentiall Glory by necessity of nature but not his declarative Glory by any such necessity p. 28 29 30. In every Covenant there is some out goings of Grace p. 35. The passage 1 Chron. 29.11 12. cleared and why none can give to God p. 37 38. Our vain boasting of self my and such proud pronoumes p. 39 40. How excellent to obey p. 45. Sanctified reason is not soft p. 45 46. How near are wee to justification by Works and to be sick of love for proud I. p. 46 47. CHAP. VIII What place death hath in the Covenant 2. What Reprobates and the damned are to do p. 47 48. What Adam was to do in the intervall between the fall and the publishing of the Gospel p. 48. How the Lord is Adams God p. 49. What life is
we are gifted with a life of more worth then many acres of Vineyards They declare therefore that there is much of the first Adam in them little of the second Who would conquesse again the many lands that our first father Adam sold and joyn house to house and lay field to field till there be no place and disinherit all others as if they were bastard heirs and themselves the only righteous heirs of Adam that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth Isa. 5.8 And the more spiritual any be the more are they above the nothing world Mortality may be called supernaturall to the earthie part of Adam since it is not naturally due to a body of earth to claim life for ever Though immortality be due to whole Adam consisting of soul and body and endued with the image of God For the soul cannot die But if we speak of such a life to wit of a heavenly communion with God as Adam was a comprehensor or one who is supposed now to have runne well and won the Gold and the Crown such a life was due to Adam not by nature but by promise Adam in his first state was not predestinate to a law glory and to influences of God to carry him on to persevere Nor could he blesse God that he was chosen before the foundation of the world to be Law holy as Eph. 1.3 What Was not then Adam predestinated to life eternall through Jesus Christ He was But not as a publick person representing all his sons but as another single person as Abraham or Jacob for Gospel predestination is not of the nature but of this or that person Therefore were we not predestinat to life eternall in him but in Christ Rom. 8.29 30. Therefore Adam fell from the state of Law-life both totally and finally but not from the state of Gospel election to glory For the Lord â—ad in the Law-dispensation a love designe to set up a Theatre and stage of free grace And that the way of works should be a time-dispensation like a summer-house to be demolished again As if the Lord had an aime that works and nature should be a transient but no standing Court for righteousnesse Hence it is now the reliques of an old standing Court and the Law is a day of assyse for condemning of malefactors who will acknowledge no Tribunall of grace but only of works And it is a just Court to terrifie robbers to awe borderers and loose men but to beleevers it is now a Court for a far other end CHAP. III. What is the intent and sense of the threatning Gen. 2.17 In the day thou eats thou shalt die And Gen. 3.20 Dust thou art c. WE must distinguish between the intent of the threatner and the intent and sense of the threatning Law-threatnings may be well exponed by the execution of them upon persons against whom they are denounced As 1 King 11.30 compared with 1 King 12.15 16. Ten Tribes are taken from Davids house according to the Word of the Lord. Because therefore the threatning of death was executed upon Christ 1 Pet. 3.18 Gal. 3.10 11 12 13 14. then must the threatning Gen. 2.17 Deut. 27.26 have been intended against the Man Christ and because beleevers die as all do Heb. 9.27 the threatning must have been intended against them also for that they sinned in Adam and because it is out of question that the reprobate die the first and second death the threatning must also have been intended against them And therefore in the intent of the threatner the threatning was mixed partly Legall partly Evangelick According to the respective persons that the Lord had in his eye He had therefore in his heart both Law and Gospel It is therefore to no purpose to aske what kind of death and whether purely legall which the Lord threatned to Adam For the Question supposeth that the Covenant of Works was to stand and that the Lord was to deny a Saviour to fallen man But we may say what death the Lord actually inflicts that death he intended to inflict nor did the Lord decree to inflict a meerly legall death personall first and second upon Adam and all his race Obj. Adam was to believe he should certainly die For so was the threatning Gen. 2.17 if he should sin or then we must say that Adam was to beleeve he should not actually die the latter cannot be said for then he was to believe the contradicent of the Lords true threatning which was the lie of the Serpent Gen. 3. Ans. He was to beleeve neither of the twain according to the event for there are two sort of threatnings some pure and only threatnings which reveal to us what God may in Law do but not what he hath decreed and intended actu secundo quoad eventum to do and bring to passe These threatnings contain some condition either expressed in other Scripture or then reserved in the mind of the Lord. 1. Because the Lord so threatned Adam as he remained free and absolute either to inflict the punishment or to provide an Evangelick remedy even as Solomon 1 King 2.37 saith to Shimei in the day thou passest over the brook Kidron thou shalt surely die that is thou shalt be guilty of death reus mortis Yet it cannot be denyed but Solomon reserved his own Kingly power either to pardon Shimei or to soften or change the sentence 2. The words of the Law do reveal what the Magistrate may do jure and what the guilty deserves by the Law but do not â—eveal the intention and absolute decree of the Law-giver and what punishment actually quoad eventum shall be inflicted upon the guilty and what shall come to pass as a thing decreed of the Lord So Gen. 9.6 the Murtherer shall die by the Sword of the Magistrate and Exod. 22.18 19 20. the Witch the man that lyes with a beast he that sacrifices to a strange god shall die the death jure merito and by Law-deserving but it followeth not but such as commit these abominations do live as is clear in the Kings of Assyria Chaldaea and many of Israel who were not put to death but lived quoad eventum though contrary to the Word of God 3. The expresse Precepts of the Decalogue Thou shalt have no other gods before me c. Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steal c. do shew what in Law we ought not to do but not what actually shall come to passe For there be not a few who do actually quoad eventum worship strange gods kill and steal But there are other threatnings which are both threatnings and also Prophesies and these reveal both the Law and the fact and what the Law-giver may jure and in Law inflict and what shall actually come to passe upon the transgressours if they continue in impenitency Rom. 2.1.2 3 Rom. 1.18 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Obj. Then in
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suffer little children to come Now he should then have given marks to discern predestinate children and suffer them 2. And receive them only as Disciples in my Name Mar. 6.36 37. 3. He should have laid his hands upon some Infants as predestinate to glory and forbidden others to come And the Parents should have known what children are predestinate to life and should come and what not 6. The Text evidences that the Disciples had a prejudice and a carnall one at infants thinking they understood nothing of Christ and of the Kingdom of Grace The Disciples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rebuked these that brought them as Anabaptists do And Christ rebukes them and instates infants of beleeving Parents as members of the Visible Church 7. Nor was it extraordinary when Christ said suffer little Children to come but he would have the spece instated members of such a Kingdom Ergo some of the kind must be saved and examples must be verified saith Mr. Cobbet judiciously in some particulars 8. Of such is the Kingdome of God of such in Covenant relation is the Kingdome of God of such subjects For if Christs reason be of such for humilitie meeknesse want of malice and invy as 1 Pet. 2.1 2 3. Math. 18. Psal. 131.1 2 is the Kingdome of God he must mean by the Kingdome of God the Kingdome of Glory and the triumphing Church this sense is refused by Anabaptists 2. The Infants of Pagans and of all men by nature within and without the Church are as well marked resemblances of converts as they And we must say that Christ would have taken in his arms and blessed all the Pagan Infants and when they grow to age they should be for no fault but for age only Excommunicate from the blessing for Pagan Infants as well resemble humility and harmlessenesse if only the personall qualifications of converts and heart-converts not the Covenant and Church-holinesse of visible Professours be here meant as Infants within the Visible Church 9. There was no other designe and purpose in Christ in that emphatick expression forbid them not to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Math. 19.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 18.16 to me their Saviour as well as the Saviour of the aged but to hold forth the common interest of the whole spece of infants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 within the Visible Church their Covenant interest in Christ for there is no imaginable reason but the conceit of want of understanding the prejudice of Anabaptists only why the Disciples should have aimed to debar them or any poor sinners from accesse to the Saviour of sinners 10 Christ took them in his armes layed his hands on them blessed them Now this was a personall reall favour bestowed upon infants had infants been meer symbolick and doctrinall resemblances of the humilitie of reall converts and the young ones as much without the Covenant as Pagans and as uncapable of Covenant grace and Covenant seals because void of actuall faith now under the new Gospel administration as horses or beasts let the opposites of their Baptisme show what sort of blessing it was that Christ bestowed upon them if it be not 1. Of more value then Jacobs blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh or at least as reall and certain Christ the Lord from heaven must as Soveraigne who had power to curse the fig tree and it withered by his Soveraigne power have blessed in them the whole race of infants in the Visible Church and declared them Covenanted Church members under the New Testament in this eminent act of blessing the children and in commanding that all such might have free accesse to him as King since the young ones were Subjects of the Kingdome of God as well as the aged and expressely forbids that in time to come they be hindered to come to him Mark 10.14 Luk. 18.16 Math. 19.14 and three Evangelists are three sufficient witnesses 2. Christ the Lord is the Supreme and Soveraigne Lord of blessing and cursing for in him all the Nations of the earth and with them young ones a considerable part of the Covenanted Nations must be blessed 3. If Isaac blessed Jacob and he must be blessed Gen. â—7 29.33 and Jacob blessed the twelve Tribes Gen. 49.28 and Moses the man of God blessed Israel before his death Deut. 33.1 2. c. with Covenant blessings and they were really blessed Christ must as really with Covenant blessings have in this blessed the whole race of infants of Covenanting parents except Anabaptists say that it was some complementall salutation for the fashion that Christ bestowed upon infants when the Evangelists say he blessed them Math. 19.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 10.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. by the glosse of the Adversaries Christ blessed them symbolick and doctrinall resemblances of the humilitie and docility of reall converts and they were blessed as meer signes as the Elements in the Sacraments are blessed or as new made crucifixes are blessed and dedicated to divine worship as resemblances of Christ crucified and as Popish Images are symbolicallie blessed a strange devise are rather a strong delusion 4. If Christ prayed for infants as Matthew sayeth the mothers or parents sought that of him Math. 19 13. his prayers must be grounded upon the word of the Covenant and what could he seek for infants peace in these but Covenant mercies and salvation for Christ was not to work a miracle upon them and he satisfied the desires of these who brought them on their armes and therefore could not go on their feet nor give a confession of their faith they were born as the man sick of the palsie Math. 9.2 5. Now as Christ is always hard in his prayes Joh. 11.42 so his blessing he bestowed upon them though Anabaptists will have them without Christ and the Covenant and under the curse of God must either be a blessing of the Covenant of Grace or of the Covenant of Works for a third sort of blessing the Scripture knows not Moses takes all blessings up in these two Deut. 27.12 15 16. Deut. 28.2 3 15 16. Deut 30.19 I set before you life and death blessing and cursing and so doeth Paul Gal. 3.10 13 14. Heb. 6.7 8 14 15. But Christ could not bestow the Law blessing of Works upon these infants for they had not fulfilled the Law in their persons nor can infants or any flesh be justified by the Law Rom. 3.20 therefore must Christ have bestowed upon them the blessing of the Covenant of Grace Gal. 3.14 Heb. 6.14 let it be the blessing of remission and life or reall right to the Kingdome of God it is a blessing of the Covenant 6. The faith of the parents that brought them is holden forth Math. 19.13 Then were little children brought unto him that he might lay his hands on them and pray then had they faith in Christ that his praying and blessing should be availeable to infants it
by doing whereas it is he and he alone that hath merited to us Grace and Glory and all title to Heaven Not to say that a Charter of life from such a noble Superiour as Christ by the purchase of blood and of such blood the blood of God Act. 20.28 is some better then to have eternall liveliehood and free-hold from our duty and lubrick best works which are polluted with sin and by which though we were Evangelically conscious to our selves of nothing yet should we not be therefore justified 1 Cor. 4.4 for the righteousnesse in which is Davids blessednesse before Christ and Abrahams before the Law and ours under the Gospel is in forgiving of iniquity covering of sin not imputing of sin Rom. 4.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. But in all the Scripture our sins are never said to be pardoned and not imputed to us by our own most Evangelick doing for we are justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus Rom. 3.24 not by the Redemption that is in us and are washen from our sins in his Blood Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14 Mat. 26.28 Rev. 1.5 and sufferings not by our Evangelick doings and if such a case could stand the Martyrs sure might well be justified by their own blood and since no pardoning washâ—ng Law-satisfying vertue can be in faith works or our Evangelick deservings they can not justifie us nor keep and occupy the Chair of Christ. And the fault were the lesse if our works were onely called the way to the kingdom not the cause of raigning but they are called perfect both in their nature and conforme to the rule and also in order to the end to justifie us before God and to save us And if so all in Christ may say we have no sin contrary to Scripture Jam. 3.2 1 King 8.46 Eccles. 7.20 Prov. 20.9 Jam. 2.10 Yea though he that is guilty in one offends in all yet in the sight of God all flesh shall be justified this way Psal. 143.2 Nor can it be said that such works are perfectly conform to the Gospel because the doers beleeving in the lowest degree fulfills the condition of the Gospel But where it is said that the Gospel commands only faith in the lowest degree Then the Centurions faith the faith of the woman of Canaan and the greatest faith shall not be required in the Law For the condition of the Covenant of Grace cannot say they be required in the Covenant of Works and it is not required in the Gospel under the pain of sinning against the Covenant of Grace and of damnation for then all who have not faith in the highest degree should be damned and violate and break the Covenant of Grace contrary to the whole Gospel which saith that these who have weak faith are justified and saved and so the greatest faith shall be will-worship and a work of supererogation And because this way saith that all and every one of mankind are under the Covenant of Grace then 1. there shall be none living under the Law 2. no Law but only to beleeve in CHRIST shall lay an obligation on any Jews Christians under pain of wrath And if James be to prove that we are justified by works and yet mean that both faith and works concur as causes though faith more principally how can Paul deny that we are justified by works If Peter and John jointly work a miracle and heal the creeple man suppose the influence of John in the miracle be more yet it is not to be denyed that Peter wrought the miracle Nor doth the Scripture say that we are more principally justified by faith and lesse principally justified by works but the places alledged for salvation by works if works have a causative influence specially Matth. 25. speaks more for the preheminence of works Nor doth the Scripture insinuate any thing of the first and second Justification or of growing in Justification in having our sins not imputed to us to our very day of death and the Question must be Rom. 4. whether Abraham was justified by works done before circumcision or not Rom. 4. when as faith was not reckoned to Abraham when he was in uncircumcision and the blessednesse of righteousnesse by faith cometh both upon circumcision and uncircumcision vers 9. and he had faith and righteousnesse and was in Christ and regenerated when he was justified Though some taught Justification by the works of the ceremoniall Law yet Paul Gal. 3.10 states the Question of works agreeable to the Morall Law that are absolutely perfect and must be done by Grace And Paul might justly in the Epistles to the Romans and Galatians have excepted himself David Abraham and all the regenerate for they are justified by giving almes to the poor Mat. 25. as was Rachab by receiving and lodging the spyes The English Divines say How could the Scripture conclude from Abrahams being justified by works whence he offered his Son Isaac unlesse by works here we understand a working faith the Apostle must mean the same by works vers 21. that he meaneth by faith 23. for he cannot say vers 23. the Scripture was fulfilled in Abrahams being justified in the work of offering his son v. 21. which saith Abraham beleeved God and it was counted to him for righteousnesse Except it must be meant that the work of offering his son Isaac was counted to him for righteousnesse Now the letter of the Text expresly vers 23. saith that beleeving God was counted to Abraham for righteousnesse then the work of offering his Son must either be the beleeving declared by offering his son and faith working by that act of offering or if they be two sundry things he must then say this in effect Abraham was justified by the work of sacrificing vers 2â— causatively before God Ergo the Scripture is fulfilled vers 23. and Abraham is justified by beleeving causatively before God vers 23. which we cannot ascribe to the Apostle according to their minde who make faith and works the two collaterall and joint causes of Justification before God as if one would say Peter wrought the miracle Ergo the Scripture is fulfilled that Iohn wrought the miracle So Abraham was justified by works vers 21. Ergo Abraham was justified by faith 23. 2. The faith which Iames debarres from Justification must be the faith Iam. 2. by which Paul strongly proves Rom. 3. c. 4. we are justified without works If faith and works concurre as collaterall causes in our Justification before God as the Papists contend but the faith which James excludes from Justification is no faith at all But only 1. fair words to the hungry and naked and giving them supply for no necessity either of hunger or nakednesse and which cannot save and so is no faith and so can have no saving influence with works to justifie and save but such is the faith which James excludes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 14 v. 15. the
purpose of heart to obey either obedience or faith formally 5. If to be justified by faith in Christ as not only Jesus who saves but as Lord who commands then we are justified by love for we are to love him not as Jesus only but also as Lord 1 Cor. 16.22 Eph. 6.24 especially since all the works of the Law come under the command of love Matth. 22.3.7 Luk. 7.27 Deu. 6.5 Rom. 13.8 6. All these thy faith hath saved thee Matth. 9. Luk. 7. only beleeve must be of this truth thy good works hath saved thee only do good works And it is strange that Paul saith Eph. 2.8 By grace ye are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God 9. Not of works lest any man should boast Nor could Paul make an opposition between grace and works as in Rom. 11.6 if the grace of beleeving and good works were one in the New Testament for so we should be saved by works and not by works And Paul by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 takes that away Yea but we are saved that is justified and delivered from obligation to wrath by the works of free-grace He answers nay but neither are we saved or justified by these works of grace as by means or causes For we are first saved and justified before we can do good works for good works are the fruits of free-grace since v. 10. we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus and so justified and saved in Christ Jesus to good works that we should walk in them Yea and Paul undenyably removeth this doubt 1 Cor. 4.4 I know nothing by my self that is by his grace I am free of such sinnes as bring condemnation and so he must abound in works of grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet thereby and notwithstanding of all my inherent holinesse by works of grace I am not justified 7. There should be no ground of gloriation and boasting more then this by the Socinian and Arminian way if we should be justified by works which come from free-will not determined by any grace either habituall or actuall which is merited by the death of Christ but do proceed from pure free-will which separateth the beleever from the non-beleever Then might we glory and boast that we are not in the debt of Christ or of his grace for that which is our formall righteousnesse before GOD and so no flesh can say they are justified by grace but that we are justified by nature the same way that Adam should have been justified without being beholden to CHRIST or to his death Asser. 3. There are not properly the same causes of the possession of Life Eternall and of the righteousnesse of Life Eternall The ransome of Christs blood is only the cause of the right For jus or right to Life Eternall is a legall and a morall thing eâ—s morale and hath a morall cause as a man hath right to such a City being the Lord and owner thereof by birth or money or conquesse or by gift or grant of a Prince or of the Citizens themselves but possession and injoying the houses and rents of the City is a Physicall thing ens Physicum and hath a Physicall cause as eating drinking lodging sleeping wearing of cloaths to defend the body from the cold So the legall right a man hath to the bread and lodging he hath in an Innes but the Physicall causes are hunger appetite bodily necessities so require and his pleasure to make use of such necessities Hence the eating drinking may be Physically good and the right jus legale very bad he may have no right to the bread when he comes to it only by spoil and rapine So the legall right jus legale to life eternall is the ransome of blood that Christ payed our Goel our friend and kinsman to make the inheritance ours but that great I may say almost Apostolick light Mr. John Calvin saith good works are as it were the inferiour causes of the possession of life So simple possession is one thing and quâ— jure aut titulo but by what Law-right he possesseth is another thing But 1. Good works are necessary necessitate praecepti by the command of God and promise 1 Thes. 4.4 1 Cor. 6.20 Eph. 2.10 Matth. 28.20 and where it is said 1 Tim. 4.8 Godlinesse is profitable to all things having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the promise is opposed to the Law And that is a strong Argument Gal. 3.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If the inheritance be of the Law it is no more of promise but God gave it to Abraham by promise Covenant-promise What is that to the Galatians and to us Gentiles Mâ—ch every way For three notable points are therein 1. The heavenly inheritance promised to the seed to Christ and his ver 16. not a pâ—or earthly Canaan as Sociniâ—ns and Papists say were promised to Abraham and his seed except they say that an earthly Canaan was promised to Christ. 2. That Covenant-promise of an heavenly inheritance made to Abraham the same is made to the believing Galatians the Gentiles and their seed else Paul saith nothing for the Doctrine of Justification by faith to the Gentiles contrair to the purpose of the Apostle 3. There is an inheritance by Covenant-promise a promise of eternall life made not to works as the price that buyes the right for sure then Christ must have dyed in vain 3. Works are not necessary simply necessitate medii for then we must exclude all Infants But the necessity of a Precept inferreth a necessity of means ordinary to all capable of a Command that they do good and sow to the Spirit that they may reap of the Spirit life everlasting Gal. 6.8 3. They are necessary for the glory of God Math. 5.16 1 Pet. 3.1 2. 1 Pet. 2.12 4. They are necessary by the law of gratitude which is common both to the Covenant of Works and of Grace as we are debters to God for being so to God-incarnate as ransoned ones for everlasting life 1 Cor. 6.20 Luke 1.75 1 Pet. 1.18 and eternall well-being But such as will have our works the formall cause of our justification they put them in the chair of Christs merite and they must be meritorious as Adams legall obedience should have been yea but not but by and of gracious estimation God so esteeming them say they True but as is proven neither was Adams obedience meritorious but by Gods estimation Yea and Calvine gives a power of meriting ex pacto to our works But our works of grace are dyed and washen in Christs blood and justified that they may justifie us But the Scripture speaks nothing of justifying of works or not imputing sin to our works Antinomians dream of a freeing of both the person and works of a justified man from Law-obligation and that is a way indeed to justifie works of murther
and adultery in David or any justified man from being sins against the Law of God But because our works of grace have an intrinsâ—call power of meriting and justifying communicated to them by the merits of Christ they must be far more our formall righteousnesse before God then Adams righteousnesse was his justification and life before God And if our works of grace have no power of merite or worth communicated to them from Christs death then must it follow though Christ had never dyed our works may have the same gracious esteem of God the same power of meriting of justifying and saving they now have Yea and since Christ hath redeemed us from our vain conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 by his blood Why but as he hath redeemed us from hell and purchased salvation to us by giving us grace by our own good works after conversion to redeem and justifie and save our selves so he hath redeemed us from our vain conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 by giving us grace to do such works before we be redeemed from our vain conversation and before we be converted as we may merite our conversion and Redemption from our vain conversation If it be said he absolutely and without any condition that is required on our part by his blood redeems all whom he hath given his Son Christ to die for from their vain conversation 1. All mankinde without exception for by their way he hath died for them all must be redeemed from their vain conversation and converted Nothing can be more false 2. The Gospel to no purpose and the Gospel-Commands shall in vain crave obedience or so much as the duty of hearing the Gospel from such as are not yet redeemed from their vain conversation or not yet converted For that Redemption is promised to them â—bsolutely without any condition required of them saith this way Obj. If works have a causative influence on the possession of glory as working on wages and fighting on victory then must they have influence on just possession also For possession except it be just is no possession but usurpation Answ. Possession is essentially the enjoying of any thing pleasant gainfull yea or honest whether the title be just or unjust The Title is accidentall to the Possession Obj. 2. He that possesseth the Crown possesseth the Diamonds and pretious stones and the worth of the Crown Therefore he that possesseth life possesseth the right and title to it Answ. True but hence it followeth not but possession and right to what we possesse do differ in their nature Nor do we properly possess the right of possession for the right or title is modus rei non res the maner of and the due or the undue way of the possession thereof Obj. 3. Is not possession of eternall life from Christ as well as the title or right to the Crown from Him Ans. True both are from Christ but not the same way Possession of the Crowne is the enjoying thereof and is from free grace and we as willing and sanctified agents make use thereof But Christ alone bought with his blood the title and right to it And when he gave his life for the rightfull and due possession of glory to us we did contribute nothing either request or help to procure the title and the grace to enter in to the possession by faith is the fruits also of free grace Nor can it be denyed but our good works by which we enter into possession of the Crown are also the fruit of Christs death but yet not so as there is any meritorious or federall power of deserving the possession communicate to our works Only they are made by Christs death the oblidged way to the possession of life Obj. 4. How then is there a promise of the life to come made to Godlinesse 1 Tim. 4.8 Answ. That promise is neither a promise of the Covenant of Works for by the deeds of the Law no flesh can be saved Nor is it a federall promise of the Covenant of Grace strictly so called except any would say that it is called a promise especially for faith which is speciall Godlinesse and the acknowledging of the truth which is according to godlinesse Tit. 1.1 and so a promise made to the Godly in so far as he is in Christ by faith and in Christ is the promise of life 2 Tim. 1.1 Nor 3. is the promise of a title and right which is made to Christ our Ransone payer made to our Godlinesse as if it did buy our right to life eternall or were the price thereof 4. Life is promised to Believers who work not because they work And 5. the Lord in these only showeth the order of bringing men to glory not the causes of the right and title to glory except we say the mowing of the first quarter of the Meadow is the cause of the mowing of the second because it makes way to the mowing of the second and the mowing of the second quarter is a cause of the mowing of the third and so forth untill all be mown As because God gives grace to work to run to use means therefore he giveth of free grace the crown of life in the possession thereof Obj. Adams Law-obedience should only have so and by this way been the cause or way to the possession Ans. Not so if Adam had perfected his obedience he should have claimed life by right of sinlesse federall merit ex pacto without suiting of it by any title of grace merited by CHRIST not so we It s true beleevers are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worthy Rev. 3. but that is legally in Christ the Head not that the meritorious worth of Christ goeth out of himself and renders our works intrinsecally meritorious CHAP. XX. Whether or not suffered Christ for any sin against the Gospel only such as unbeleef finall which is conceived to be the only sin against the Gospel That Christ died not for all without exception The unwarrantablenesse of that Doctrine how the Law commands justifying faith and repentance how not IT may appear that Christ suffered not for any sin which is onely against the Gospel such as finall unbeleef If any sins be considered in any other respect as against the Gospel only then Christ was not to suffer for any such sin so considered for where no death is threatened none is explicitely due and where it is not so due to the sinner nor should have been execute upon him there it could not have been due to Christ nor executed upon him For the Gospel threateneth not death to any sin but finall unbeleef and rebellion and for that Christ never died therefore Christ died not for any sin as against the Gospel nor suffered that which is no where threatened But this is most doubtsome and cannot well stand It s true that Christ suffered not for finall unbeleef it being the proper sin of some reprobates to wit of such as hear the Gospel Joh. 8.21
4.5 Matth. 12.36 37. they are everlastingly punished And if Christ have suffered on the Crosse for all the sinnes of the Reprobate how are they judged and condemned for these sins as the Scripture saith And what Scripture saith they are condemned for the guilt of only unbelief or that Pagans are condemned for Gospel-unbelief where as Sodom Gomorrah Mat. 10.15 the men of Niniveh Mat. 12.41 Tyrus and Sidon Mat. 11.21 and such as have sinned without the Law Rom. 2.12 13 14 15. are freed of Gospel-guiltinesse and condemned for sinnes against the Law and yet this same way saith that there is a Gospel-Covenant made with all even thousands of Pagans who never heard of a Gospel never ingadged themselves by any profession to take the Lord for their God in Christ yet Christ bare their sins on the Tree and made his blood applicable to them by a Gospel-Covenant if they shall beleeve Whence they must all break the Covenant of Grace of which many of them never heard and be condemned for no sins but the last act of Sodomy gluttony parricide for the Gospel threatteneth not death to any sin but to finall unbelief say they There are not any sinnes committed against the Gospel but they are also sinnes against the Law because God incarnate and Immanuel is God and leaves not off to be God consubstantiall with the Father because he assumes the nature of man Then as the first Command oblidgeth Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac when God shall reveal that Command and Moses and the people are by that first Command to believe their deliverance out of Egypt and so if the firâ—â— Command oblidge us to believe and obey all Commands and Promises and Threatnings of God revealed and to be revealed because the Lord is God then must Christ God Redeemer and Immanuel be beleeved by this Command and so finall unbelief and finall despising of Christ God Redeemer is as directly against the first Command and so not a sin only threatned and forbidden in the Gospel as simple unbelief and simple despising of Christ God Redeemer For the believing final believing and unbelief and unbelief continuing to the end differ in the accident of duration not in nature and essence As a Rose that grows for a moneth only and a Rose of the same nature that groweth and flourisheth for three moneths Otherwise Christ could not have pronounced Peter blessed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 16.17 in the present for believing in the present for he should not have been blessed to the end as Solon said of his blessed man And this cannot but subvert our faith crush the peace hope consolation of weak Believers to whom undoubtedly the promise of perseverance iâ—â—bsolutely made Jer. 31.31 35. Jer. 32.39 40. Isai. 54.10 Isai. 59.20 21. Joh. 4.14 Joh. 10.27 28. 2. If there be as formall a transgression of the fiâ—st Command in finall unbelief as in unbelief simply considered and in the other sins of Judas and other Apostates Why but as Christ bare in his body the sins of unbelief and satisfied for them he must so also bear the sins of finall rebellion and unbelief And shall we believe that Christ payed a satisfactory ransone of blood upon the crosse for the yesterdayes unbelief of Judas and not for the dayes unbelief If it be said No man can break the Gospel-Covenant for it is an everlasting Covenant Ans. It s an everlasting Covenant but yet all who sin against the commanding love and authority of our Immanuel especially they so professing to be his do truly break the Covenant but they so break it as it leaves not off to be the Covenant of life both to the breakers if they repent and beleeve and to others for so is the nature of this Covenant and so it is everlasting but the Covenant of Works if once broken ceases to be a Covenant of life for ever because the nature of it is to admit of no repentance at all Obj. Does not the Law command the sinner offending God to mourn and be humbled and confesse Ans. It doth But it injoines not repentance as a way of life with a promise of life to the repenter as the Law or as a Covenant of Works commands to its native and proper Covenanters obedience and every single act of obedience as a way to obtain the reward of a Law-life nor does the Law as a Covenant of Works command justifying faith and reliance upon God Redeemer or Immanuel but rather as the Law of Nature or as the Law of thankfulnesse to a Ransoning and Redeeming God the Law does this Though in a speciall Covenant way the Gospel command faith in Christ. Obj. But finall unbeleef as against God Redeemer and so considered is the only breach of the Covenant of Grace He that beleeves not is condemned as the man that rejects the only remedie of sin Ans. The only breach of the Covenant of Grace is too narrow to be the adequat cause of damnation for many Pagans who never heard of Christ and are under no Covenant but that of Works are condemned not for not beleeving in him of whom they never heard Rom. 10.14 nor for breach of the Covenant of Grace but for breach of the Covenant of Works 2. Unbelief may be called the nearest cause of damnation to such as 〈◊〉 within the Visible Church as the wilfull refusing of medicine which only and infallibly would heal the sick man of such a disease is the cause of his death but is the Morall cause For the disease it self is the Physicall cause or the materiall cause of the mans death And without doubt uncleannesse covetousnesse sorcerie lying idolatrie c. and many the like sinnes beside unbeleef are 1 Cor. 6.9 Eph. 5.5 6. Rev. 21.8 Rev. 22.15 Jud. 6.7 8. 2 Pet. 2.17.10 11 12 13 2 Thes. 2.9 10. 1 Pet. 4.3 4. 2 Pet. 2.2 3 4 5. the causes of the damnation of many visible professours where as this way saith Christ did satisfie upon the Crosse for all thâ—se sins and the damned of visible professours suffer in hell only for finall unbeleef And it seems unjust that both Christ and they should suffer satisfactory punishment for these same sins done against the Law And as strange that Châ—â—st should die for any and not die for their sinnes since the Scripture useth the word of dying for sinnes Rom. 4.25 delivered from our sinnes Christ is a pâ—opitiation for our sinnes and the same way not for ours only but for the sinnes of the whole world he died for sinners Heb. 2.17 that he might make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people that is for the sinfull people or sinners Heb. 9.28 so Christ was once offered to bear the sinnes of many That is to bear the sins of the sinfull many that he died for Heb. 10.12 But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sin sat down on the right hand of God that is after
and not two 1 Joh. 5.11 And this is the witnesse that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath given us life eternall and this is in the Son 12. He that hath the Son hath life He that beleeveth hath the Son dwelling in his heart by faith Eph. 3.17 2. Faith before it come to seed and full harvest brings solid peace and comfort and saveth So Christ to the blind man Luke 18.42 thy faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath saved thee not a bare miraculous faith but that which apprehends remission of sinnes as he speaks to the woman who did wash his feet with tears Luke 7.50 and to the paralytick man Mat. 9.2 seeing their faith be of good cheer go in peace thy sins are forgiven If they be but forgiven conditionally so they beleeve to the end whereas they may fall away 1. What comfort and good cheer 2. What peace being justified by faith Rom. 5.1 3. What glory in tribulation Rom. 5. have they more then Judas the son of perdition What Covenant of life and of peace are we in What difference between our Religion and the Religion of Cicero Seneca and of all Pagans if Christ furnish not to us solid unshaken help and consolation And what a trembling hope have they that they be and are to fear they shall be in the condition of Apostate Angels to morrw What saith then Christ Mat. 9.22 Mark 5.34 Mark 10.52 Luk. 8.58 Luk. 5.20 24. Mark 5.34 Mark 9.24 yea and much more saith the Holy Ghost of our case even of everlasting consolation 2 Thessal 2.16 strong consolation Hebr. 6.18 all comfort 2 Cor. 1.4 lively hope 1 Pet. 1.4 Heb. 6.18 19. then Heathens can say Nay otherwise not so much for they promise not so much 3. Our lively faith is to believe our perseverance in lively faith as promised to us Jer. 32.39 40. Isai. 54.10 Isai. 59.20 21. Joh. 10.27 28. Joh. 4.14 1 Pet. 1.3 4 5. Joh. 11.26 27. As we believe life eternall and that purchased by the merite of Christs death the one as well as the other then faith as finall cannot be the condition And who can think that God commands faith in God Immanuel in the Covenant of Works But faith in God Immanuel to the end is not commanded in the Covenant of Works but only in the Covenant of Grace 4. Faith justifies and saves as sincere be it great or small but if it justifie not and save not but as it endures to the end then no man is compleatly justified and saved and united to Christ untill he die Since faith as all other graces in a child of God is imperfect and still growing 2 Pet. 3.18 and we are to pray Lord increase our faith none shall be justified and saved but he that hath the greatest faith if faith only which endures to the end be the condition of the Covenant and such a faith as groweth and indures to the end For take one who for twenty years believeth the first two years he being united to Christ hath right to Christ Joh. 15.1 2 3 4 5. Joh. 17.21 22. Joh. 14.16 Joh. 16.7 8 13. Joh. 4.14 Joh. 7.37 38 39. he shall not be judged not condemned hath passed from death to life shall never die Joh. 3.36 1 Joh. 5.11 12. Joh. 4.24 Joh. 11.25 26. then should he die the end of the first year of his believing by the Scripture he must be saved else he must be damned who yet died in true faith and yet never fell away which were strange But by this opinion either the remnant sound believing should be no condition of justification and salvation because the man is justified and saved without it and the faith of one or two years gave him right to Christ and saved him Ergo the remnant faith is not a condition of the Covenant but a persevering by grace promised and a persevering in that faith as also by their way who make persevering faith the only condition of the Covenant of Grace 1. Faith and works are confounded whereas to be saved by faith is to be saved before and to be justified before we can do good works and the jus or title to righteousnesse and salvation coming only from the price and Redemption that is in Jesus Christ is not more or lesse and growes not more then the worth of the ransone of the blood called the blood of God Acts 20.28 does grow and it is to be justified by grace and by faith and then works come in as the fruit of our justification and salvation Eph. 2. Ye are not saved by works lest any man should boast in a righteousnesse of his own coming from no merite of Christ which buyeth determinating grace and indeclinably leads and bows the will Otherwise we may boast that is glory in the Lord who worketh all-our works for us Psal. 34.2 Isa. 41.16 Isa. 26.12 The salvation and righteousnesse is the gift of God What then shall be the room of works He answers No room at all as causes of justification and salvation by an excellent antanaclasis as learned Trochrig for he answers We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus to good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Then by grace we have the full right to righteousnesse and salvation by the ransome of blood which is Christs Papists and Arminians dare not bring in Evangelick works or faith as an Evangelick work here though they be too hold 2. Being once made the creation of God in Christ and having obtained right by the blood of Christ to salvation we walk by his grace in good works as leading us to the possession of the purchased inheritance 3. The Authors of this stand for the Apostasie of the Saints and they cannot eschew it who make this finall faith that takes in in its essence good works as the soul of it or charity as Papists say as the form of it the only condition of the Covenant Quest. But is not life eternall given and promised only to faith which continues to the end Ans. Faith is considered two wayes In its nature 2. In its duration and existence As to the former saving faith is of that nature that it is apt to endure it hath a sort of immortality so the promise in titulo jure is made to that faith only which is of that nature that it must endure to the end and the promise of life and remission is not made to a saving faith under the accident of enduring to the end or for the years suppon thirty or fourty years or eight hundred years or above that Adam or the Patriarchs lived in the state of beleeving for a faith of some hours only shall save the repenting thief as well as a faith of many years And 2. life eternall in the possession is promised and given only to the faith that continues to the end not because of the duration because a longer enduring faith hath merit but that is
satisfactory passions For satisfaction is defined a voluntary restoring of the equivalent and as good in the place of what is taken away and the good restored must be 1. Undue 2. The proper good of the restorer which agrees to the active and passive obedience of Christ. Obj. Then Christs very weeping and praying being the weeping and praying of God-Man might have been a perfect satisfaction for our sins for Christ was God-Man in all his holy actions in the state of humiliation as in his being crucified and in his suffering Ans. This doth not follow Because the punishment of the breach of the Law and not that only but such a speciall punishment by dying the first and second death according to the threatening of the Law Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou eatest thou shalt surely die was required in the Law and except the threatening of the Law be fulfilled the Law is not fulfilled And Paul Gal. 3.13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us for it is written cursed be every oâ—e that hangeth on a tree Now Christs suffering the death of the crosse the cursed death is that which makes him under the Law Ergo there is a Law-righteousnesse in suffering death So Gal. 4.4 God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law For what end 5. To redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of sons How are we redeemed from under the Law By blood purchasing to us Justification Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his Grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse for the remission of sins past And redemption from the curse of the Law and remission is ever ascribed to the blood of Christ dying Rom. 3.24 25. Ye are bought with a price 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 called a ransome of Christs blood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 20.28 1 Tim. 2.6 Eph. 1.1.7 In whom we have redemption in his blood the forgivenesse of sins Col. 1.14 In whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgivenesse of sins Rom. 5.9 Being justified by his blood 1 Pet. 1.18 Being redeemed by the blood of the Lamb unspotted and undefided 1 â—oh 1.8 The blood of Jesus Christ purgeth us from all sin Rev. 5.9 And they sang a new song to wit the four Beasts and the four and twenty Elders for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood 1 Pet. 1.18 By his stripes which he suffered in his death Isa. 5.3 we are healed Rev. 1.5 To him that hath loved us and washen us from our sins in his blood For though all Christs actions of God-man from the worth of the infinite person be meritorious yet are they refuseable yea a satisfaction by Covenant which was the death of God-Man must be also 2. The word also never speaks of Christs dying for all but it mentions Justification in his blood Ro. 3.24 25. Rom. 5.9 Yea the Scripture adds another end of Christs death to wit forgivenesse Col. 1.14 Eph. 1.7 intercession at the right hand of GOD 1 Joh. 2.1 that we may receive the Adoption of sons Gal. 4.5 To make us Kings and Priests to God Rev. 1.16 dying to sin living to him 1 Pet. 2.24 That he might bring us to God 1 Pet. 3.18 The glorifying of God in our bodies 1 Cor. 6.19 20. Redeeming us from our vain conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 From this present evill world Gal. 1.4 Sanctifying the people Heb. 13.12 Heb. 10.8 9 10. All which the Lord must intend in Christs death to Pagans old and young to all and every one of mankind to whom the Gospel could not come And what authority have men to devise a redemption generall universall from hell and not from sin 2. For life eternall and not for the giving of the Spirit and for redemption from a vain conversation and for sanctifying of the people also 3. A redemption in Christs blood but no forgivenesse of sins in his blood not any non-imputation of sin nor reconciliation of the world 2 Cor. 5.15 18 4. A dying of the just for the unjust but not to bring them to God a redeeming of them but not a redeeming of them out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation for these People Nations and Tongues were redeemed by this way as well as they and a washing of them in his blood but no making of them Kings and Priests to God a dying for all but no living to him contrair to 1 Pet. 1.18 Rev. 5.9 Rev. 1.5.5 6. 2 Cor. 5.15 5. Christs blood did something and it is not any thing to make all saveable to pacifie Justice satisfie the Law to merite Heaven but did nothing to soften the heart mortifie and sanctifie the will mind affections to remove unbeleef to renew the mind But it is sure the Lord had not intended to commit heaven and hell any more to a sanctified will but mutable and lubrick in Adam but to commit all to Christ to a better Covenant better promises to a way of free-grace not of nature Yet these men commit the salvation and damnation of all and every one to an unsanctified corrupt rebellious will Gen. 6.5 Gen. 8.21 1 Cor. 2.14 Joh. 6.44 Job 14 4. Psal. 51.5 Jer. 17.9 10 c. except they say Pagans and all mankind are regenerated sanctified justified yea to a worse Covenant then that Covenant of Works to an universall Covenant of Grace That 1. never came to their ears 2. By which they are in a worse condition then Adam was who had the Image of God in his soul and a full power to stand and a clearly revealed Covenant But all mankind for whom Christ is supposed to die are born heirs of wrath but they are born in more miserie in the bondage of sin of a blind heart of a corrupt will their chains heavier their furnace hoter in hell helps fewer And yet the absolutenesse of Soveraignty under the freedom of the Grace of Christ by this way of Vniversalists shines no more now nay not so much now as in Adams state for more is laid upon free-will and lesse help to heal the will then was in the Covenant of Works And if all die in Adam and the Second Adam die for all he must die to loose the works of Satan in all Now if a weaker course be taken to destroy Sathans kingdom now then in Adams state and all be laid upon a weaker will Sathan is stronger now then before And if Christ do not purchase by his death grace to bow indeclinably the will of all these for whom he dyed to cause them live to him die to sin to make them Kings and Priests to God c. but leave their will in a more weak and wicked condition then it was under in the first Covenant Sathan is in this stronger
of Originall corruption slackened and by grace subdued but in every child of God there is sin dwelling and the flesh Heb. 12.1 Rom. 7.17 18. 1 Joh. 1.8 10. Jam. 4.5 Gal. 5.17 and the old man which is put off by degrees Eph. 4.24 Col. 3.5.10 which is a habit of corruption not in full vigor but sickening decaying and a dying daily but even a grown child of God from this broken and sick habit may temptation invading and the Lord withdrawing his influence of grace may break out into grosse acts of covetousnesse adultery murther as is clear in David Lot Peter Asa and that saith that mortification is compleat in none And there is too oft a sort of sinfull resurrection of the habit of sin and the flesh so that David seems not to be David but an adulterer a murtherer As we see it is the same River that swells over its banks that it was before but the overflowing is from without from the clouds and from excessive rain the river also hath a receptive capacity in it self to exceed its banks and channel So hath a child of God from strong temptation from without and broken corruption from within a more then his own ordinary quantity and swelling over his channel To teach us that our mortification is a work not of day but of our whole life Neither would the wise Agur pray against riches Prov. 30. if temptations contrair to mortification did not follow them 6. There is a necessity of deadnesse to honour and to learn the noble and excellent arte of self-contempt that the Spirit shall teach us that spirituall lesson to be willingly tramped on and the face spitted on and the hair plucked off the cheeks as our Blessed Lord went out and in the way met with spitting and shame Isai. 50.6 Mat. 26.67 Mat. 27.26 O great word Phil. 4.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have learned to be abased 1 Cor. 4.12 Being reviled we blesse being persecuted we suffer being defamed we intreat we are made as the filth of the world and are as the off-scouring of all things unto this day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sweepings of the house Erasmus the filth wiped off any thing Valla the filth that sticks to the shoes The Syriack hath a word that noteth the dung of the belly As the condemned man tumbled into the sea as a sacrifice to Neptune from a steep place was called peripsema So Budaeus thinks Paul alludes to heathen expiations And when they reproached me David Psal. 38.13 But I was as a deaf man that heareth not as a dumb man that opened not his mouth The sense and discerning of heat and cold of railings and applauses would be dead That is mortification when the sense of hearing is dead to sounds to musick and to pleasant songs these are not delightfull to a crucified or hanged man when the life is out Nor can all the sweet smells flowers roses precious ointments affect the smelling of a crucified man nor all the fair and magnifick pallaces meadows gardens rivers mountains hangings painted pictures work upon the sight or eyes of a crucified man When the heart is ravished with honour as the man who said the glory of Themistocles hindered him to sleep in the night as litle mortified as Themistocles who said sleep was taken from him and he was raised out of his bed in the night by reason of the brave trophie and renown of the victory of Miltiades that renowned man of Athens who as is known with a 10000. Greeks put to flight 60000. Persians And Alexander the Great his heart must have been waking at the sound of honour who when a messenger came running to him full of joy said what should thou tell me but that Homer is living again for he thirsted for nothing so much as honour And how soft and very nothing is the spirit that is broken with riches or honour and pleasure And often men judge themselves mortified because they are dead it may be to riches but alive to ambition and desire of honour As Nebuchadnezzar spared no charges for his gods his pleasure but he was alive to honour Dan. 4.30 Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the Kingdom by the might of my power and the honour of my majesty Sathan doth often change Post-horses and can seemingly deaden men to riches when they are not mortified and yet the heart is strongly vigorous to honour When it was told Zeno that his ship which he did trade withall was broken Well done Fortune saith he thou compells us to go within our cloak he meaned To live upon the glory of vertue and learning when riches are spent and gone was well done But mortification in the habite and root is like the works of nature The Sun equally enlightens the whole Air from the East to the West Life comes in equally upon the whole Embryo and birth Saving mortification goes through the whole soul. Christ merited by his death deadnesse to honour as well as to riches Though in the actuall subduing of lusts D. Preston does well observe that there is not that labour required in subduing and mortifying all sins For love of sin being the dominion life and castle of sin the more love to the heart-idol and to the right eye the harder it is to be mortified Some sins cleave to us as our hair and nails as a custome of some sinfull words these are sooner mortified and yet if mortification be not in the heart these take life again as hairs and nails cutted and shaven grow again The trees in Winter are not dead but there be master-devils and strongly rooted heart-darlings pride covetousnesse to which we are mortified with a huge greater deal of pains and wrestling for they are to men as the eye and the right hand 7. We are not soon dead to injuries Our blessed Coppie in this excels Father forgive them for they know not what they do And Steven Act. 7.60 Lord lay not this sin to their charge Colos. 3.13 Forgiving one another Yea but he wronged me and injuries have a strong impulsion upon our spirits I cannot forget it If any man have a quarrell at any saith he let it fall even as Christ forgave you so do ye also Shall not Socrates witnesse against us who answered his friends willing him to accuse before the Judge a vain youth who did smite him with his foot If an Asse lift his heels against me shall I lift my heels against the Asse and the youth was so convinced that he hanged himself And he said nothing to a multitude of reproaches casten upon him in the Theater but I am vexed with words in the Theater as in a great banquet But naturall reason mortifies men to injuries as cold water allayes and for a time softens the pain of the childs burnt finger but the pain is the greater when the water is removed Or as
salvation upon their own Socinian faith that is their indifferent relying upon the Saviour Jesus and their own holiness watchfulnesse obedience love to God Sure the comfort joy peace assurance subjective that they have in their conscience can be no stronger then the objective and fundamentall certitude of standing persevering overcoming flowing from free-will which is woefully free and indifferent to persevere and stand or not to persevere not to stand but to fall away It s a stronger consolation and the strongest should be the Christians choise that is founded upon the Fathers giving and the Sons receiving of sinners and the faith of salvation to me which relies and leans upon Christs undertaking for me that I shall not be lost nor casten out then upon my undertaking for my self The fifth Argument is from Christs receiving the Seals Who so receives in his body the Seals of the Covenant of Grace Circumcision and Baptism and yet needs no putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh by Circumcision and needs no forgivenesse of sin no regeneration no burying with Christ in Baptism as Col. 2.11 12. Rom. 6.3 4 5. and eats the Passeover and needs not that the Lamb of God take away his sins as Joh. 1.29 since he is holy and without sin he must be under the Covenant and God must be his God in some other Covenant then sinners are for these seals are proper to a Covenanted people strangers and Pagans might not receive them but these in Covenant only Gen. 17.7 Exod. 12.48 Matth. 28.20 Col. 2.11 12. and Christ must have received Seals for other uses and ends then sinners received them to wit to testifie that he was the God of both Jews and Gentiles and that he was the undertaker for us in a Covenant of suretyship for us to perfect a higher command then any mortall man was under to wit to lay down his life for sinners Joh. 10.18 and beside that for our cause he was made under the Law to fulfill all righteousness and so was Circumcised Luk. 2.21 Baptized Matth. 3.13 16 17. did eat the Passeover with the Disciples Mat. 26.18 19 20. Mar. 14.18 Luk. 22.13 14. he in coming under that state in which he must because a man fulfill the Law and be under even Gospel commands so far as they were suteable to his holy Nature testifieth in obeying all commands even of the Morall Law and as the Son of God he was under no such obligation that he was under a speciall ingagement and compact to God for the work of Redemption And we are taught to feel what imbred delight and sweetnesse of peace is in duties when Christ Covenants with God to come under the Law and under the hardest of commands to lay down his life for sinners because it was a Law and command by Covenant that hath most of obedience which hath most of a Law Q. Was Christ such an one as needed seals to his speciall Covenant with the Father Ans. He needed no seals at all to strengthen his faith of dependency for there was no sinfull weaknesse in his faith yet he was capable of growing Luk. 2.52 For the Law requires not the like physicall intention and bendednesse of acts of obedience from the young as from the aged 2. In that the receiving of the seals proves Christ to be Surety of the Covenant of Grace it makes good that he was under the other Covenant and to perform the obedience due to the speciall command of dying as to a command of Covenant 6. Argument is from the Lords libertie If God might in justice have prosecuted the Covenant of Works and Adam and his might justly have suffered eternall death for sin for the Law is holy and just and the threatning Gen. 2.17 just except the Lord had of grace made another Covenant then must the Lord send or not send a Saviour to suffer and be a suffering Redeemer and Surety as pleased him or not pleased him and if Christ may refuse to undertake or willingly agree as pleased him and Christ being Godâ—consubstantiall with the Father might have stood to the Law-way of works For who or what could have hindered him to follow a course of justice against all men then if both agreed to dispense with that Law-way to save man Here is Covenant-condiscension between JEHOVAH and the Son of quieting Law and pitching on a milde Gospel-way 7. Argument from the promises made to Christ He to whom the promises are made as to the seed so as in him they are yea and Amen and he who is eminently the chief heir of the promises as ingaged to make good the promises on the Lords part to give forgivenesse Jer. 31.34 Heb. 8.12 perseverance Jer. 32.39 40. Isa. 54.10 Isa. 59.21 peace Ezek. 34.25 Lev. 26.6.11 12. yea and a new heart Jer. 31.33 Ezek. 11.19 Heb. 8.10 life eternall Joh. 10.28 and to make good the promises upon our part by fulfilling the condition and giving habituall grace Jer. 31.33 Ezek. 36.26 and actuall influences Jer. 31.34 to know the Lord Ier. 32.39 40. Ezek 36.27 to and with him God must strike a Covenant of suretyship that he shall have the anointing in its fulnesse above his fellows without measure to make good all these promises as Mediatour for it is not simply grace and life that the Lord bestows upon his people but grace out of the store-house of the Mediatour God-Man Now this must be given to Christ by promise Gal. 3.16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made he saith not and to seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seed which is Christ He cannot well mean mysticall Christ that is Christ and all his for they are indeed many and numerous as Isai. 2.1 2. Isai. 60.1 2 3 4 5 6. Psal. 22.27 compared with Rev. 5.11 Rev. 7.9 for the promises are made to Christ-God-Man eminently not formally For 2 Cor. 1.20 All the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen For the promise is made to us for Christ and through his grace then the promise is made first to him and more eminently and to us for him Propter quod unumquodqueâ—ale id ipsum magis tale 2. The promises are fulfilled and made good not because we fulfill the condition but for Christ in whom and by whose merit both the grace promised and the grace habituall and actuall to perform the condition be it faith repentance humility c. is freely given to us 3. Christ is he who makes the Covenant and all the promises Act. 7.32 Who said to Moses I am the God of thy fathers the God of Abraham 34. I bave seen I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Aegypt and I have heard their groaning and am come down to deliver them And now come I will send thee unto Aegypt And v. 35. Moses is made a Ruler and a deliverer by the hands of the Angel that appeared to
him in the bush This is Christ the Angel 38. of the Covenant Mal. 3.1 Whom they tempted 1 Cor. 10.9 Of whom the Lord said Exod. 23.21 Beware of him and obey his voice and provoke him not for he will not pardon your transgressions for my Name is upon him And this Angel saith I am the God of Abraham the Omniscient God that sees the afflictions of his people 3. Hears their prayers 4. Delivers them out of Aegypt Exod. 20.1 2 and so the Author of the Covenant and of all the promises It is much for weak beleevers that God stands ingadged in Christ by Covenant with him to give us to beleeve and to beleeve to the end Hath the Lord given himself Surety for the standing of a tottering beleever Is there not ground to beleeve that Christ shall make good his undertaking Also if all the promises be made to Christ who is the Author of the Covenant and upon condition that Christ do his part and lay down his life then sure Christ is under a Covenant to injoy his reward when he hath done his work And to have a beleeving seed is Christs reward heaven and earth can make no â—urer binding for faith and salvation 8. As the former Argument is from the promise made unto Christ and fulfilled to him so this is from the Predictions Prophecies and Promises of him as he of whom such glorious promises are foretold and may claim the thing promised by faith he hath some word of promise for suiting these things which is a Covenant if he shall do what is required of him and fulfill the Commandement Joh. 10.18 But such Prophecies and Promises there be of CHRIST Isa. 22.22 The key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder so he shall open and none shall shut and he shall shut and none shall open 23. And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place and he shall be for a glorious Throne to his fathers house 24. And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his fathers house the off-spring and the issue all vessels of small quantity from the vessels of cups even to all the vessels of flagons Zech. 3.8 For behold I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH Zech. 6.12 Speak unto Joshua saying Thus speaketh the Lord of Hosts saying Behold the man whose Name is the BRANCH and he shall grow up out of his place and he shall build the Temple of the Lord 13. Even he shall build the Temple of the Lord and he shall bear the glory and shall sit and rule upon his Throne Mic. 5.4 And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord in the Majesty of the Name of the Lord his God and they shall abide For now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth 5. And this man shall be the peace when the Assyrian shall come into our land So Psal. 72.7 In his dayes shall the righteous flourish c. Hence as Christ prayed in faith Joh. 17.5 to be glorified with the glory he had with the Father before the world was because he finished the work though he was not yet crucified but he had a mind fixed to suffer So may Christ pray in faith to Govern right and to bear the glory and to feed in the strength of the Lord and to have a conquished people since he was to fulfill all the work that was laid upon him And this supposes a Covenant Hence Arg. 9. from the suite he bids his Son aske which he will grant Psal. 2.8 Aske of me and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the ends of the earth for thy possession Psal. 89.26 He shall cry unto me thou art my Father my God and the Rock of my salvation 27. Also I will make him my first-born higher then the Kings of the earth 28. My mercy will I keep for him for ever c. If God say to us call upon me in the day of trouble and I will hear thee This argues a Covenant that God shall hear if we pray Then it sayes if Christ the Mediatour shall pray he shall be heard and prospered with successe in his work 10. Argument from the work of Christ and the wages which a Covenant calls for Christ complains Isa. 49.4 Then I said I have laboured in vain I have spent my strength for nought and in vain there 's work Shall he have nothing for his work He adds Yet surely my judgement is with the Lord and my work with my God v. 6. He receives an answer of a full reward for his work And he said it is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the Tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou may'st be my salvation unto the end of the earth Which words are cited true of Christ by Luke Act. 13.47 when Christ is Preached to the Gentiles And as one who laboured for us so he craves his wages though the Jews pay him unworthily Zech. 11.12 Then I said if ye think good give me my price and if not forbear pay me or pay me not Yet the Lord payed him Phil. 2.7 He made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and became obedient to the death the death of the crosse Here is work followeth his wages call it merit or what else it s a reward and the end of his suffering which Christ both desired and intended as the fruit of his labours v. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore God highly exalted him and gave him a Name above every name Act. 5.21 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and Saviour Isa. 53.10 When he shall make his soul an offering for sin which was work hard enough he shall see his seed which was his souls desired wages he shall prolong his days the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in hand 11. He shall see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied 12. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoyl with strong that is an ample reward Follows his work because he hath powred out his soul unto death and he was numbred with the transgressours and bare the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressours Hence his care to finish the work of him that sent him and to do his will Joh. 4.34 Joh. 17.4 Joh. 8.29 and as the Father loved so he rewarded the obedience of his Son not by necessity of nature but by a voluntary compact but he loves his obedience Joh. 10.17 Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life that I might take it again Joh. 15.10 If ye keep my Commandements ye shall abide in my love even as I have kept my Fathers Commandements and abide in his love Nor can it be denied but
is not the same Covenant that is made with Christ and that which is made with sinners 1. They differ in the subject or the parties contracting In this of suretyship the Parties are Jehovah God as common to all the three on the one part and on the other the only Son of God the second Person undertaking the work of Redemption In the Covenant of Reconciliation the Parties are God the Father Son and Spirit out of free love pittying us and lost sinners who had broken the Covenant of Works 2. Hence the Covenant of Suretyship is the cause of the stability and firmnesse of the Covenant of Grace It s true Psal. 89.19 David is meant when he sayes I have laid help upon one that is mighty I have exalted one chosen out of the people 20. I have found David my servant For the grace of election made David mighty in the Lord and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him and made him mighty to execute his office But this is so to be understood saith Mollerus and others of David as it is also to be referred to Christ upon whom the strength of our salvation is laid and the strength laid Covenant-wayes upon Christ is the cause why David and his seed stand sure in an everlasting Covenant of reconciliation Though the Covenants of Suretyship and of Reconciliation differ yet must they not be separated but faith principally must be fixed upon the most binding Covenant-relation between JEHOVAH and the Son of GOD. Eye Christ alwayes in the Covenant else it s but the sheath or scabbard of a Covenant and a letter to us 3. There be two parts as it were of the Covenant of Redemption 1. A Covenant of Designation 2. Of actuall Redemption The former is eternall for the Lord does not begin in time to dâ—signe Covenant-wayes the Son to be the Consenter to be our Surety nor doth the Son in time begin to consent But the Covenant-consent in 1. Designing of one Person the Son and no other Of 2. Decreeing and fore-ordaining of Him 3. Of mutuall delighting in love and in eternall thoughts in the sons of men to be redeemed 1 Pet. 1.20 Prov. 30.31 Was closed and concluded in an ended bargain from everlasting for the Parties were coexistent and together and rejoicing in one another and in the common work to borrow that expression thinking long till the day of marrying of God and man and untill Immanuels day should dawn Joh. 8. Abraham rejoiced to see my day But as touching the other part the Man Christ untill he should be Man and have a mans will he could not in two wills close with the Covenant of actuall Redemption But the Covenant of Reconciliation is no more eternall then the creation which is eternall in the Decree of God as are all things that fall out in time But this Covenant was made in Paradice though it was decreed from everlasting yet it had no being as a Covenant nor could have any so long as the Covenant of Works did stand But it came in due time the physick and the Physitian Christ the blessed seed not few hours after Adam was fallen came to his sick-bed or rather to his death-bed Blessed be his love who redeemed us in our low condition for Adam had no faith to receive nor hope of a Redeemer Christ came not sought for not sent for not so much as desired by us For how could we desire a thing impossible to our knowledge Or could we thirst for a ransome of the blood of God unknown to Angels or Men This is preveening grace indeed 4. They differ in the subject matter The Covenant of Redemption is 1. who shall be the surety of Redemption to undertake for man Here am I saith the Son thy fellow Zech. 13.7 2. What shall be his work What shall be his wage He shall lay down his life that shall be his work he shall be obedient to his Father to the death even the death of the crosse And his wage shall be He shall see his seed and God shall give him a name above every name But no such work is laid on us nor such a reward to be expected by us in the Covenant of Reconciliation Only here life and forgivenesse is promised to us upon condition of beleeving in Christ and fit it is that Christ be alone none under such a Commandement as He Joh. 10.18 5. The Covenant of Redemption hath different commands 2. Promises 3. And conditions from the Covenant of Reconciliation The Commands of the Covenant of Suretyship are of two sorts 1. Some common 2. Some proper and peculiar The former is that Christ fulfill all righteousnesse Matth. 3.15 obey the whole Law being made under the Law Now the command of being under the Law is two wayes considered 1. As laid upon the Son of God so it is no command but a voluntary desire And so his consenting to take on our nature is a consenting to empty himself and to be under the Law but no act of obedience because he was under no commanding obligation to take on him ouâ— nature But 2. as it is laid upon him now God-Man and the Word made flesh he is under a necessity to give perfect obedience Heb. 10.5 Therefore coming into the world The Son being to enter into the world and to take on our nature speaketh to the Father thus Sacrifice and offerings thou desirest not as expiations to take away sin for they cannot expiate sin A body thou hast framed to me which is the only one sacrifice of the true Lamb of God which taketh away sin Joh. 1.29 and that once for all And there are not any sacrifices ever to come after Heb. 9.26 28. And perfect obedience with all the heart was tendered by Christ from a holy nature he being full of the Holy Ghost from his Mothers womb so as none could accuse him of sin Heb. 4.15 Heb. 7.26 Joh. 8.46 and this obedience had influence in Christs obedience To the 2. to wit to that proper and peculiar command of suretyship that never man was under but only Christ. Joh. 10.18 This Commandement to lay down my life for sinners received I and I only from my Father Psal. 40.6 Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire mine ears thou hast opened 8. I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart Now thus we are not either wayes under the commands of the Covenant of Grace Who in heaven and earth but Christ could have come under baile and an act of suretyship for us 2. There were promises of an higher nature made to Christ in his Covenant then are made to us in our Covenant of reconciliation to wit dominion from sea to sea A Throne at the right hand of God is not made to Angels Heb. 1.8 13. nor to us nor is there remission and pardon promised to him as to us of this hereafter 3. The
sprinkled Altar was also sprinkled with blood for saith the Holy Ghost Heb. 9.22 Almost all things are by the Law purged with blood and without shedding of blood there is no forgivenesse of sins There was no guiltinesse in the Book but these written Lawes and Ceremonies were the hand-writing of Ordinances which was against us which was contrary to us which Christ by his bloody death behoved to blot out take out of the way and nail to His Crosse Colos. 2.14 But another Question riseth Exod. 24.6 What needed the sprinkling of the people with one half of the blood and the sprinkling of the Altar that is Christ the Mediator with the other For 1. Neither the work of dying to redeem man can be divided between Christ and the people nor needed Christ our true Altar forgivenesse of sins Ans. The typicall sprinkling of the people is expounded Heb. 9.14 the purging of the conscience from dead works to serve the living God to obey the Gospel 1 Pet. 1.3 But the sprinkling of the Altar Christ with the blood is a far other thing So the Holy Ghost Heb. 9. He who is constitute the Mediator of a Testament his death must interveen to ratify and make valide in Law the Testament v. 16 17. That the friends of the Testator may have right to the goods that are bequeathed to them in the Testament But Christ is the Mediator of the New Testament v. 15. Ergo c. Now we are to know that Christs dying is considered 1. As a paying of ransone for captives by which in Law and by way of meriâ—e the ranson of the blood of God exceedeth the worth of the bought captives or the crime committed by the captives and so Christs death meriteth to his friends ransoned righteousnesse life pardon 2. His dying is considered as a Testament of a dying friend Now the living friends by vertue of a Testament as a Testament have not â—us and right by buying and selling to the goods tested The essence and nature of a Testament is saved whether the goods that are bequeathed in legacy be the free gift of the Testator not bought with a price by him or goods of the father of the friend to which the friend being a German-brother hath as good right or the same right by birth that the Testator hath How ever the comparison holds in this Christ 1. hath bequeathed to believers these goods 2. The Testament is no Testament nor valide in Law except the Testator be dead No man can sue by Law tested goods if the Testator himself be living Nor can we have right to a new heart forgivenesse perseverance eternall life to grace and glory except Christ our Testator had died But because the Tested goods are more then goods left to us in Testament they are left to us by such a Testament as is both a Testament and a death perfectly meritorious this is superadded to the nature of a Testament and beyond all Testaments yea a death which is a price to ransone us from the wrath to come Therefore Christ so dying in our stead of justice meriteth that the friends should have these goods though they belong by meer grace and free promise to the friends Now this is a most clear ground Christ hath a well purchased right by giving a condign price for the goods and blesâ—sings promised in the Covenant of Grace to us This right he hath by paying a price laying down his life for us This buying is not by necessity of nature of justice but by a voluntary free and uncompelled agreement and Covenant Joh. 10.18 Isai. 53.6 No man can exact upon him Psal. 89.22 2. If the Old Testament was confirmed by the blood of beasts then must the New Testament be confirmed by the blood of Christ prefigured in these But the Old Testament was so confirmed Heb. 9. v. 18 19 20 21 22 23. Ergo now neither Testament nor Covenant was confirmed by blood simply but by the blood of a living creature slain 3. Hence the making of a Covenant was by cutting a calf or a beast in twain and passing between the parts thereof Jer. 34.18 and so they entered into a curse Nehem. 10.29 devoted themselves to destruction wishing they might be cut 〈◊〉 which is a strange kinde of death Math. 24.51 if they should break the Covenant Hence the Phrase of striking a Covenant So the Romans slew a sow So the Romans and Albani made a Covenant as Livius A Herauld or Officer at Arms slew the beast and prayed a curse on the people of Rome that they might be the same way stricken if they should break the Covenant It s like they had it from the Jewes So Christ died to ratifie and confirm the Covenant Exod. 24.6 This is the blood of the Covenant Now the Covenant hath no blood This blood of slain beasts for it is a figurative speech is a signe confirming the Covenant that believers shall have remission of sins in that blood of Christ which is shaddowed forth by the blood of these beasts So Christ the great Shepheard of the flock Heb. 13.20 is said to be brought from the dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the blood of the everlasting Covenant Juâ—ius the Article is understood Or as the Hebrew Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Calvin and Piscator The question may be How did God bâ—ing Christ again from the death by the blood of the everlasting Covenant had the blood of Christ any influence to bring himself back from the dead Or did he by dying merit his own resurrection Ans. Some read the word thus and shun the Question The God of peace who brought again from the dead the great sheepherd of the sheep Understanding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being the great sheepherd or feeder by the blood of the everlasting Covenant So Beza who maks these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be referred to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So as Christs right to be Pastor is in and by his blood and suffering And the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so is not to be constructed with the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Beza confesseth that he changed the situation of the words But if Christ be made a Pastor and feeder of the sheep by the blood of the eternall Covenant then is he called to be a Pastor by Covenant And what influence hath his death in his Pastoral Office Is it by way of merit Or did Christ merit to himself Hardly if not curiously can we say that though I nothing doubt but Christ gave perfect obedience as man to the Covenant of Works and he did merit as man jure operum life eternall the way that Adam should have merited life eternal so he had never fallen But the words naturally bear this sense as Deodati expounds them that Christ is risen by vertue of his death As it is well said the just surety
This Christ mends the broken gold ring which was broken by the first unattentive and rash Heir Adam So that now Heavens Earth Mountains Isai. 49.13 sea trees fields Psal. 96.11 12 13. are commanded to sing a Gospel-Psalm of joy because Christ the new King and Restorer of all is come to the Throne yea let the stoods clap their hands Psal. 98.9 and he purposes to purge with fire the great Pest-house infected with sin and under bondage of corruption Rom. 8.21 2 Pet. 3.10 11. that he may set up the new world in Gospel-beauty the new heavens and the new earth 2 Pet. 3.13 Isai. 65.17 Isai. 66.22 Rev. 21.1 Oh what a life to have a cottage and a little yard of herbs in that new World and how base to be but Citizens of this World CHAP. XII The condition and Properties of the Covenant of Redemption Q. WHat need is there of any condition to be performed by Christ or of any Covenant Ans. The same Question may be of the need of an oath to Christ Psal. 110. The Lord hath sworn and will not repent Thou art a Priest c. 2. The same necessity in regard of infinite wisedome that our Redeemer should be obedient to the death of the Crosse Phil. 2.8 and be under the Law Gal. 4.4 and keep his Fathers Commandements and abide in his love Joh. 15.10 requires also a Covenant of obedience upon the part of Christ-Man for all men being born under the Law and Covenant of Works Christ-Man also must be under the same And then Christ the Mediator was to give obedience to a particular Commandement of laying down his life for sinners and this required an ingadgement by way of Covenant and so a condition of obedience to perform what this peculiar Law of Suretyship required of him to wit to lay down his life 3. It s not a condition of indifferency which is required of Christ such as is required of Adam in which there is a hazard of failing and coming short of the reward Adams Covenant had both threatnings and promises and so hath our Covenant of Reconciliation though in another way see Psal. 89.30 31 32. But the Covenant of Suretyship hath promises most large that are made to Christ but no threatnings are laid before the Man-Christ that are to be read in the Scripture There was no hazard nor possibility in regard of the Personall Union that Christ could sin yea in regard that Christ from the womb was both a Traveller a Viator and an enjoyer and Comprehensor and had the Spirit above measure from his birth as Man he had gifted to him the confirming grace which is now given to the Elect Angels in their Head Christ And therefore there was somewhat like a condition necessary and as the members enter to glory through obedience so also the Covenanted Head Luk. 24.26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter in to his glory Q. 2. What was the speciall condition of the Covenant of Suretyship Ans. The Covenant being a bargain of buying a people to God then the payed price and ransone must be the duely formall condition As for obedience to the Morall Law it was the condition of the Covenant of Works to which the Man Christ as Man was oblidged that he might have right to Law-justification and life eternall jure merito foederali operum by the Law and federall merite I mean merite by paction and faithfull Law-promise not of condignitie of the Covenant of Works that he might be saved But this Law-holinesse had influence in that most solemn act of obedience in offering himself a sacrifice to death for our sins And the Law-holinesse of the Man Christ did not exclude supernaturall grace as the Law-holinesse of Adam for it was the perfect conformity of Christs nature his soul understanding will affections and all his actions internall and externall with the holy Law of God Hence the heart and inclinations of Christ stood ever right and stright to the Law He exercised no affection in puris naturalibus his anger came not out in pure naturall anger and no more but it came out in acts of zeal Nor his joy in pure naturall joy though sinlesse but in joy of the Holy Ghost And in the whole Man Christ was a perfect masse and as it were a compleat body of all gracious qualifications Isai. 11. He received the Spirit of knowledge and was ignorant of nothing he ought to know Disputed with the Doctors being of twelve years old The world knew not his School or Teacher Hence his wisedome and practicall understanding of the Law of God and practicall conclusions He had the Spirit of counsel as the greatest of Statesmen for Government Isa. 52.13 Behold my Servant shall deal prudently And so when we are in perplexities and know not what to do he can lead the blind in a way they know not Isai. 11.1 2. He hath the Spirit of might and courage an undantoned Spirit yet conjoined with counsell no fool hardinesse but the resolute ventoriousnesse of faith Isai. 42.4 He shall not fail nor be discouraged Heb. broken till he have set judgement in the earth Our softnesse of unbeleef at the blowing of a feather or stirring of a leaf brings on falling of Spirit and swooning He hath the boldnesse of faith to beleeve victory before the battell Isa. 50.9 Lo they all shall wax old as a garment the moth shall eat them up He hath hope from the womb Psal. 22.9 Thou art he that took me out of the womb thou didst make me hope when I was in my mothers breasts And for the joy set before him he endured the crosse and despised the shame Heb. 12.2 And the Spirit of the fear of the Lord made him quick in understanding that is the high and reverent apprehensions of God made him quick to smell or sent so the word imports the snares and temptations in the work of Redemption plotted by men and devils So excelled he in righteousnesse which as a girdle went about his loines both in judging and in discharging the trust put upon him by the Lord who laid the key of David and the Government upon his shoulder his obedience to his Father and continuing in his love Joh. 15.10 and thirsting to do the will of the Father Joh. 4.34 His zeal to his Fathers house should be a fair coppie for us to follow He was meeknesse it self Isa. 53.7 1 Pet. 2.23 24. much in praying beleeving rejoicing in spirit Luk. 6.12 Psal. 16.9 10 11. tender to the weak of the flock Isa. 40.11 He shall feed his flock like a sheepherd he shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosome and he shal gently lead these that are with young Isa. 42.2 He shall not cry nor lift up a shout nor cause his voice to be heard in the street 3. A bruised reed shall he not
sinlesse self is to be denyed The Covenant between God and man is of a far other nature then the Covenant between man and man God cannot quite or part with Creator-right universall dominion over all things that may be given and therefore nothing can be given to him We are not to strive with the gracious Lord. The Covenant but not the proportion betwixt works and wage is the Lords rule in rewarding our labour nor should we be gainers if the Lord shuld so deal with us There is a commutative and a distributive justice between God us the former hath no place in the absolute Lord. August serm 16. de verb. Apostol debitor nobis factus est Deus non aliquid accipiendo sed quod eâ— placuit promittendo Glory is not our own after we have wrought for it A promise as a promise can give us no right of strict justice to any reward A promise being posterior to things promised cannot alter the worth or value of things None gave first to the Lord men or Angels God was no debtor â—o Justice to give being to the world Non entis nulla sunt accidentia We should not take ill to obey serve God who hath so noble servants The beasts and lifeless creatures shal depon in judgement against us who break Covenant with God Our soft nature is too soone brokeÌ„ with poor rewards and too little moved with great things Justification by works is our own element Christ and his righteousnesse strangers to us Seldome deadnesse to works and lively activity in works is one Rom. 10.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The room of death in the two Covenants The change that Christ hath made in death What Judas Cain in their despairing mood are to do What weak doubters are to do When faith acts most strongly VVilfulness in unbeleef 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 VVe are to obey and leave supposed contradictions to God in time of darknesse VVhy it is not said that God was the God of Adam Better our hearts be the Lords then our own VVhat a life was promised to Adam Of our â—ight to the creatures A three-fold right naturall providentiall spirituall There is no law to have being and living and so no sin in having it VVhat a providentiall right 〈◊〉 VVhat a spirituall right is how excellent To live to injoy the creatures is not in it self sin Their temptation who think they should not eat nor pray If the non-converted have no right to any thing then we may spoil deprive them of life and all they have How true it is that these who injoy that of which they deserve to be deprived they have no right to that and sin in using iâ— Living in the devils and damned and Reprobate is no usurping of life Simile The Reprobate non-converted in the Visible Church want all spirituall right by faith in Christ to life and the creatures and they sin in the maner of living eating c. How woful to have a lump of life time no right to life How God is ourâ— God to the Saints and to the Man CHRIST a heaven There may be a train of graces yet unquietnesse for the want of Christ. A spiritual soul acts in God And misses God rather then any created saving grace Cotvin cont Molin c. 8. §. 7. Primo foedere per inobedientiam primi hominis rupto cessabat etiam obligatio ad eam obedientiam lege praescriptam Ibid. c. 9. §. 5. Remonstr in Scrip Synod Dored 4. â—a 145. The Law the â—â—rst Covenant is holy and oblidgeth all to actiâ—â— obedience alwayes There is sin in Infants The naturall antecedent love of GOD which is fancied to be the ground of the Covenant of Grace is as what the Jews in tâ—e Talmud the Alcaron say of God Doctrin fidei Judai◠〈◊〉 5. trac 8. ib ord 1. disp 7. Alcar c. 43. 1. The Covenant of nature 2. Of Grace 3. The subservient Covenant the differences between it and the Covenant of nature which hold not The differences between the Covenant subservient as they call it and that of grace are â—ull Righteousnesse and forgiveness under that subservient Covenant The Law as proponed to Israel was the very Covenant of Grace The Covenant made at Horeb was the same which God made with Abraham The new Covenant a life of promises How God commands what The Law as the Law required no CircuÌ„cision no sacrifice nor any Type representing Christ. The first Covenant had the Mediator Christ as this hath but vailed in the one revealed in the other How the first Covenant is faultie How Paul speaks of the Covenant Gal 3. and how Gal. 4. Calvin Instit l. 11. â— XI Sect. 7 8. Epist. par 3. disp 12. The Arminians three Covenants dis 14. Self searching necessary Reflect â—cts are more spirituall then direct acts Threatnings under the New Testament more spirituall then under the Old Desertions under the Old and New Testament compared The Saint are stronger to suffer under the New Testament then under the Old A larger number of Godly of the rude unlearned thâ—n of the wise and learned according to the flesh It s a Law-state to be under the dominion of sin the nature of this dominion The difference between the wrestling and protesting of a naturall conscience against the flesh and betweene the flesh the Spirit Compelled convictions argue a Law-Spirit It is easier to be found then to be Godly Legall terrours convert none Legall terrours may be mistaken and conceived to be the child birth of Regeneration Literall and legall conviction on the mind and Gospel conviction on the affection Naturall and supernaturall convictions the danger of the latter if they be firy and not tempered with grace â—are conviction is no Godly principle A sweetnes in the hardest coÌ„mand because it is the holy wil of God in a child under grace A sweetnes of communion with God an aboundant hire for a duty to a child under Grace How an inward principle of a new nature stands as it were for a commaÌ„d and yet the Word and Spirit must not be sepâ—râ—ted The sâ—ed Infants of Covenanting parents are in Covenant with God under both Old and New Testament The promise of the Covenant must be made to infants Acts 2.39 else the sense of the words cannot stand Infants in Covenant under the New Testament Old and young of Nations under the New Test. are in Covenant externally as Israel was The place Rom. 9.6 vindicated from the unsound gloss of opposers of Infant Baptism Children must have from their being born of beleeving Parents under the N. Test. some Covenant priviledges It is a Covenant mercy to fathers and children that the Word of the Covenant is preached to them It is a mercy to be born in Zion There is no ground to say that the Covenant made with Abraham and with uâ— under the N. Test. are different Covenants To children no