received foundation should be warily uttered but supposing there is the least discrepancy or opposition it is our duty and wisdom to be silent and not break the eye of the Needle by forcing our Camel through New Notions must yield rather to antient received Truths they must be governed and over-ruled by them It is dangerous to force plain Scripture and plain principles to make good our own private interpretations 2. Our act of believing is no part of our justifying Righteousness because justification is an act of God not properly subsequent to our Faith but simultaneous with it They are concomitants so close so instantaneous that we cannot say which is first or last in time we cannot say the one takes its rise from the other I explain my self thus it is one thing for the Scripture to speak Doctrinally of Faith another thing to speak of a Believer under the actual exercise of Faith. When the Scripture speaks of the Doctrine of Faith in the Abstract it tells us the consequents of it that according to Gods order and appointment Faith is requisite unto Justification and so Faith is antecedent to Justification and Justification is spoken of as a thing to come upon our believing The Doctrine of Faith shews what shall be to all who obtain it the actual exercise of Faith shews what is to them who have it and do believe it It is not only he that believes shall be saved and justified but is justified It is true who ever believes shall be saved the just shall live by faith this is Doctrinally true But he that believes hath everlasting Life Iohn 3. 39. is justified this is experimentally true God if you rightly consider the point doth justifie us by working Faith in us It is his way of Justifying it is the way God hath chosen to communicate the Righteousness of God which is a stupendious Mystery and cannot be otherwise applied to the soul. He doth not justifie us because of any antecedent act of Faith we have lying by us and which we could now produce as a price as it were and Meritorious Means of our Justification God justifies us by working Faith in us God being willing in so great an act of Grace to speak to our Understandings and Knowledge he hath appointed Faith as a fit means by which the soul not only doth the thing but also le ts in a sense of what is done upon the soul and therefore faith the Apostle it is of faith that it might be of grace God will be understood in all the acts of his Grace towards us Now that there might be in us a sense of reception of so great a benefit God resolves to put it into the hand of Faith which hath a natural sutableness in it and fitness to receive what free Grace tenders to it and so it doth when it is in any strength Christ and our Souls would never meet were it not for Faith. There is no letting down any thing spiritual and supernatural into the soul but by Faith Faith is our modus habendi it is the way the means by which we come to have God and Christ and an Interest in the things of Heaven We have what we have from Christ by Faith and we hold it by Faith. Faith and Repentance as acted by us and reflected upon are very good Evidences of our Justifications for it is in that reflection only that they do give evidence of themselves and of any thing produced from them Therefore I say as they are reflected upon they have retrospection to our Justification of which they are very good and evident proofs but they have no antecedent causality to produce the thing signified because they signifie it as a thing already done past and perfect 3. And lastly Justification is frequently set down in Scripture without any relation to these acts of Grace in us to shew that it wholly flowes from Christ and that by our believing we add nothing to our Justifying Righteousness but do only apply it as wholly derived from Christ alone 1 Ioh. 5. 12. He that hath the Son hath life they that are in Christ there is no Condemnation to them Rom. 8. 1. Now because we cannot admit sinners to be in Christ but by faith therefore what flows from Christ is attributed unto faith which is I say our modus habendi but still the real cause of our Justification that which makes us just in the sight of God is our being in Christ and our having the Son. There is no mention made of having any thing else but faith is our modus habendi we cannot have the Son but by faith nor be in Christ but by Believing Therefore God speaks to our Understanding and hath attributed that to the act of faith which is only derivable from the Object I shall now shew you the weakness of those grounds and reasons they go upon who differ from us in this point 1. They speak much of a Charge of Infidelity Impenitency and Unholiness to be drawn up against us at the last day and therefore it concerns us to muster up all our good works all our acts of Grace and every part of our inherent Righteousness that we may be in a readiness to answer to this Charge and clear our selves A specious Argument enough to amuse the World and fright men back into the Popish Doctrine of Justification by Works Brethren I do not deny that unbelieving impenitent and ungodly Persons shall be charged with infidelity impenitency and ungodliness and be condemned but to talk of a charge of Infidelity against a Believer at the last day I say it is a groundless unscriptural Notion I do not deny that the faith of the Saints that draws them to Christ and its efficacy afterwards in all its fruits will be taken notice of by Christ when they are admitted into the Kingdom Mat. 25. 34. Come ye blessed and when that blessedness is fixed Christ doth not put them upon the proof of their faith but helps them himself to understand the former actings of their faith and love to God which they were ignorant of before When saw we thee an hungred and fed thee or thirsty and gave thee drink c. In as much as ye have done it to one of the least of these ye have done it to me I see more Grace in you saith Christ than ever you saw in your selves so and so appearing in your lives Come ye blessed Brethren Good Works are good Evidences to us to make out the Truth of Grace in us but the All-knowing God needs no such Evidences for his Information he knows what is in man and needs not that any should tell him He searches the Heart Though we see Grace only in the Fruit yet God sees it in the Root and Principle Besides I conceive the last Judgment is not to prove who is and who is not in a state of Grace but rather to pronounce the Sentence according to the state that
qua sumpto ex verbis nostris argumento justi declaramur So saith the Jesuite we know this Text doth not speak of that which is the cause of our Justification of the thing for which and by virtue of which we become just and righteous only here is the appearance of our Righteousness by our words and we are declared to be Righteous So that this doth not touch this cause of Justification and yet this is the main Text brought for it the main proof repeated again and again to prove inherent righteousness to have an influence into our Justification I say let them take the answer from the Papists or Protestants which they please they are both against them in this thing As for the other Scripture They will take it in no other sense but what implyes a contradiction to all other Texts of Scripture in the case The whole current of Scripture is against Works in Justification and leads us to a fair construction of that in Iames that it is to be understood of a justification before men and not of a justification before God. Protestant Writers have sufficiently cleared up this to the Conviction of all but such who are resolved not to be Convinced Certainly they should have a care how they abound too much in their own sense The Learned Lord Bacon saith that a little Phylosophy makes men Atheists but a great deal will convince them of a Deity Some mens Logick and School Learning overthrows Reason which duely improved and well managed would teach them to argue otherwise Certainly in our reasoning about Divine things we should be careful not to abound too much in our own sense It is better for us to leave the Mystery of the Gospel in its Mystery where we found it than to seek to draw it out and so to explain it as to force it into the mould of Humane Reason shaping it on every side to an exact conformity to the thoughts and conceptions of our weak imperfect Understanding I say no Gospel Truth will bear this After all our Faith and Knowledge and Experience we know but in part and there is at the end of every Gospel Truth a Mystery something that is passing our Understanding that calls for silence for an holy Admiration for an humble submission in Faith to the Will of God. Therefore I would not have men speak as if they knew all and draw particular Schemes and it must be so and no otherwise and thus and thus you must proceed in this and that way and form therefore things must be so stated I have done with the Argumentative part I will now speak a word or two in a looser way of Discourse I say then thus he may be a true Believer who doth not take his faith for any part of his Justifying Righteousness I suppose that will be granted But he cannot be a true Believer who takes not Christ for his Justifying Righteousness I do not say now for his only Justifying Righteousness because I would speak in the sense of those I oppose I say they cannot be Believers who do not look upon Christ as their Justifying Righteousness but they may be true Believers who do not look upon faith as a part of their Justifying Righteousness For the first suppose it an Error it is only about the act in our apprehension which doth not alter the nature of the thing at all The second is an Error in the act which quite destroys the very nature of faith Therefore the safer way is rather to press persons to believe to see they have faith indeed and in Truth than urge them to such an unscriptural construction of their faith putting such a title of Honor upon it to the reproach of Christ and his Righteousness They honour faith sufficiently who only prefer Christ before it No doubt God will give faith its due praise and place at the last day our not knowing or not understanding the reach and truth of our faith in all circumstances of it will be no prejudice to faith at the last day I heartily wish we were more in the Exercise of Faith than in Controversies about it more in the Practise of Good Works than in Dispute about them we should then sooner understand both the one and the other Sirs the mysterious sublime Doctrine of Justification was revealed for our comfort and proposed to our faith to be believed not to our reason to argue upon in a Quodlibetical manner and to toss to and fro for Argument sake What if we know no more of Justification then is absolutely necessary for our Justification This is the case of many plain sincere hearted Christians and if it were so with us all we may have fewer Notions in our Heads but possibly more Grace in our Hearts The Lord grant that we may know the Doctrine of Justification so as they know it who are saved by Christ. But surgunt indocti rapiunt Coelum nos cum doctrinis nostris sine corde volutamur in carne in sanguine The Learned they dispute and wrangle themselves into Hell the unlearned they believe practice and gain Heaven taking up the truth in simplicity according to the general scope of the Gospel as it is held forth to the meanest Capacity Brethren what Paul said to the Jaylor Acts 16. 31. that I say to you all Believe on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou and thy house shall be saved Don't you go home now and tell your Families that they must not understand this Text so as to look upon Christ as their only justifying righteousness but look out for something in themselves if ever they be saved No pray speak Scripture Language expound Scripture by Scripture and tell them that Christ is all in all tell them plainly that they must not be found in their own righteousness they must be found in Christ not having on their own righteousness that they must count all things but loss and dung that they may win Christ that there is no other foundation but Christ no other name under Heaven by which they can be saved but the name of Christ tell them they must not come for Justification and Life in the name of their Good Works of any thing that belongs themselves but only in the name of Christ promote this Doctrine in your Families and among your Children and Servants This is the way to save you and your Household This is good wholesome household Divinity and suited to the ordinary Capacity of all serious Professors We must not send our Hearers to intricate distinctions to learn the meaning of the Doctrine of their Justification The sense of the Gospel is plain enough in this thing they that run may read it Come come you shall never be charged at the Last Day for giving too much to Christ in the matter of Justification You are bound to ascribe all to him and you shall never be charged for giving too much And certainly if it be possible to
err on that hand I had rather err in giving too much then too little to Christ. Do you think that a true Believer who doth not look upon the act of Faith or works of Holiness to be any part of his justifying righteousness but casts himself upon Christ do you think I say that God will reprove such a person at the last day for ascribing too much to Christ and not pleading his own righteousness Certainly a Believer cannot plead the righteousness of Christ without Faith his way of arguing from Christ will sufficiently evince the truth and reality of his Faith there needs no other proof and demonstration of it I should have made some Application I will tell you what I intended First To those who ground their Justification upon the sandy Foundation of their inherent Righteousness I would exhort them to pull down the house presently before it fall upon their heads and lay a better Foundation if ever they think to stand before the Son of Man in his Day Then I should exhort them and press them to study other Arguments as there are very many to promote Good Works and practical Holiness among men and not justle out Christ to make room for self Righteousness in the matter of Justification What must we work for Life still To work for Justification is to work for Life and why should we thus turn the Gospel into the Law I should speak also to those who are built upon the right Foundation and have cast themselves upon Christs Righteousness for Justification unto Life Let such be careful to maintain good Works let them be Examplary in the practise of them and bring forth fruit meet for the Kingdom of God. For as the Foundation may be too weak for the Superstructure so the Superstructure may be too mean for the Foundation And therefore down with all this Hay Wood and Stubble and labour to walk more sutable to that Holy Faith under the Profession of which you live Brethren The unsutable and uncircumspect lives of Professors have been the greatest scandal to the Doctrine of Justification by Faith it hath opened the Mouths of men against it Therefore labour to live men into a Conviction of this Truth Disputes and Words will not do it till you make it appear that the Grace of God that hath brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel hath taught you to deny all Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts. This is the way to promote the Doctrine of Justification by Faith alone You that are built upon the right Foundation had need be careful and circumspect The House is not yet finished we do all of us lie open more or less to Storms and Tempests here below though they cannot throw down the house yet they may shake the house the rain may beat into the house may soak through every room of the house may foul the house may greatly incommode us and distress us Therefore keep your Souls in good repair keep them as tite as you can against Wind and Weather And for your Comfort I would have told you that Heaven will mend all the Errors in the Superstructure if the Foundation be right God will then take away and separate all those weaknesses and sinful mixtures that now run along with all our Graces all Cracks and Flawes the sinkings and failings the bendings and leanings this way and that way in any part of the building Heaven will mend all will set all right and straight when we are Sanctified throughout and the Top-stone is laid FINIS A DISCOURSE OF REPENTANCE SHEWING The Difference between Legal and Evangelical Repentance AND The Necessary Connection between Evangelical Repentance and Saving Faith. By Thomas Cole Minister of the Gospel LONDON Printed for Thomas Cockerill at the Three Legs over against the Stocks-Market 1689. A DISCOURSE OF Repentance MARK 1. 15. Repent ye and believe the Gospel THE summe of the Gospel lies in Faith and Repentance which alwayes go together and cannot be separated though they may and ought to be distinguished one from the other I have chosen this Text to show the necessary connection that is between Faith and Repentance that I may be the better understood I shall observe this method 1. Distinguish between Legal and Evangelical Repentance 2. Shew the nature of Evangelical Repentance what it is and wherein it does consist how it rises out of faith what its use and end is 3. Shew the necessary connection that is between Evangelical Repentance and saving Faith. 4. The real difference that is between them notwithstanding this necessary connection 5. Inquire into the true cause and reason why the Professors of this Age who are so much for Faith do mind Repentance so little 6. Apply all First Distinguish between Legal and Evangelical Repentance You see the Repentance and Faith spoken of in the Text have both of them a reference to the Gospel Repent and believe the Gospel We shall better understand the nature of Evangelical Repentance by comparing it with Legal Repentance observing as we go how they differ from each 1. Legal Repentance is the work of the Law i. e. The work of the Spirit by the Law for the Law works but faintly under the influence of meer Natural Light unless the Spirit awaken the Conscience and set home the Law little will be done such a work of the Law you have Rom. 2. 15. letting in a Spirit of Bondage upon the Conscience accusing us for what we have done against the Law and leaving us so convicted without any plea for our selves Evangelical Repentance is the work of the Gospel sweetly melting the Heart by Arguments drawn from the Love of God and his free Grace in Christ towards Sinners it encourages a trembling Soul to plead with God for Mercy as the Publican Lord be Merciful to me a Sinner 2. Legal Repentance is all terrour and no hope it rises from the revelation of Gods Wrath against Sinners 't is a despairing Repentance without any hope of pardon the Curse of the Law lies hard upon a Man he knows not how to get from under it but lives in a fearful expectation of fiery indignation to devour him he is a terrour to himself But Evangelical Repentance leaves not an affrighted sinner altogether without hope as I shall shew under the next head 3. Legal Repentance is from worldly sorrow not so much for the sin as the penalty incurred thereby the apprehension of which is very dreadful to a convinced sinner he is more affected with the evil of punishment then with the evil of sin in it self 't is not for Gods sake but his own that he repents of sin he could love it well enough if it did not damn him Though I do not deny but a Repentance purely legal may have some sense of the evil of sin as sin not only as malum prohibitum but as malum in se as evil in its own nature where common notions of good and evil are not
consider how this was wrought by Iohns Ministry Mat. 3. and Luk. 3. these two things will evidently appear First That Repentance alwayes presupposes Faith. Secondly That Repentance rises out of Faith. And how I will clear up this by a brief Paraphrase upon those words Repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand Iohn is brought in inviting sinners to Repentance the Argument he uses is plainly this God is inclined to Pardon you therefore Repent I come as a forerunner to prepare the way that by bringing you the first newes of Gods intended grace and favour towards you I might soften and mollify your hearts and dispose you to a ready thankful acceptance of Christ this offer of Grace is called the Kingdom of Heaven because it is inclusive of all the happiness that Heaven can afford all good comes along with Pardoning Grace I see says Iohn you are all lying under the sad damning circumstances of your own sins in a very woful miserable condition compassed about with Hell and Death with horror and darkness all things round about you look very black and dismal I am come to put you into a better state to offer you a Kingdom which will shortly appear in all its Glory 't is at hand 't is coming toward you Heaven it self is come to look after you to lend a helping hand to lift you out of this horrible Pit before it shut its mouth upon you see that you refuse not this grace that you put not from you the word of the Gospel least you judge your selves unworthy of Eternal Life as Acts 13. 46. i. e. it will as plainly appear to be so as if it had been so declared in open Court upon a fair hearing of your Cause if Heaven and Earth were to sit in Judgment upon you they would conclude you most unworthy of Everlasting Life and by putting the word from you you have in effect passed this judgement upon your selves or you have done that now which your own Consciences will so interpret at the last day they will then tell you you might have had life and pardon but would not you would not come to Christ that you might have life therefore your damnation is just you deservedly perish may thank your selves for it how speechless will sinners be then as to remain in impenitency under the outward Light of the Gospel does argue the height of unbelief so to be brought to Repentance by the Preaching of the Gospel does necessarily imply Faith in the Gospel 't is impossible that a Tender of Grace should work Repentance till 't is believed 't is of no force makes no impression upon the Mind of a Man till then therefore Faith must be presupposed I make it out thus That which is brought as a motive for the doing of a thing must be first understood received and believed before the thing can be done upon that motive there is in the Gospel a general offer of Mercy to sinners this proves an effectual means to beget Faith in all that are ordained unto life upon their believing this general offer of Grace their hearts begin to melt under it and some inclination to Repentance is wrought in them this Faith and this Repentance wrought in a more general way at first do form themselves into more particular and distinct acts afterwards thus the principles of the Doctrine of Christ viz. Repentance from dead works and Faith towards God are first laid and then there is in the light and power of these principles a going on unto perfection Heb. 6. 1. Our first Faith is a more general Faith and so is our first Repentance rather an inclination and tendency to believe and repent then actual Faith or actual Repentance Our first Faith wrought in us upon the general proposal of Gospel Grace contains in it a saving Conviction of Sin 't is impossible to receive grace without it grace is nothing to us of no signification to us but as it gives relief against sin which we must have some sense of before we apply our selves to the grace of God for Pardon we must see something in our selves that wants a pardon and which we are willing to repent of and forsake in Case of a pardon Repentance is as true an effect of Faith as Pardon and Comfort Faith first brings a sinner to Christ under some hope of Pardon and then busies it self in working Repentance in order to a comfortable sense of Pardon The Spirit lets in some sense of Gospel Grace tendred unto sinners and affects the heart with it as very desireable as a very seasonable offer by no means to be slighted the Soul begins to be taken with it conceives some hope from it and this is the begining of Faith and with our first Faith Light comes in giving us some Gospel Conviction of sin in order to Repentance I call it a Gospel Conviction because it is wrought by means of the Gospel all after acts of Faith and Repentance have their rise from this first work which brings me to the second Point viz. That Faith is not only joyned with Repentance in the first production of it as has been shewed but in all the subsequent acts of it ever after which I make out thus Faith and Repentance do constantly refer to each other in their several actings Faith to Repentance and Repentance to Faith he that believes repents because he believes and he that repents believes because he repents i. e. as Faith is the cause of Repentance so Repentance is the reason of every particular act of Faith put forth upou Christ for Pardon 't is impossible to make up the full sense of an act of Faith on our part if you fetch not the reason of it from Repentance Why do we go to the Physitian is it not because we are sick weary and faint ready to die of such a Disease So why does a weary Soul come to Christ is it not to be eased of his Burden that insupportable burden of sin that is ready to sink him into Hell. If Faith and Repentance be thus always joyned together does it not follow that we are justified by our Repentance as well as by Faith I Answer No. Though we are not saved without Repentance it does not therefore follow that we are justified by our Repentance but some to make good this Assertion have coyned many subtle distinctions relating to both Before I give a particular reply to this let me say something in general Religion may be considered either in its primitive purity and simplicity as it was laid down in the Fundamental Principles of it by Christ and his Apostles Or as it has since been drawn through the various Discourses Reasonings and Writings of Men for so many Centuries past this has so much overcharged Religion with so many nice distinctions intricate questions and endless disputes that it seems to be quite another thing then it was in the Apostles dayes The best way is to