of St. Paul †Rom. 7.18 In me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing seems inconsistent with those places where he says ‖ Gal. 2.20 I live 〈◊〉 yet not I but Christ liveth in me and where he informs us that the Spirit of God dwells * Rom. 8.11 1 Cor. 3.16 in the Faithful and that their Bodies were the Temples †1 Cor. 6.19 of the Holy Ghost And I do not see what Solution can be given of this Difficulty unless it be that as Origen * Meris est Scripturae Divinae personas latenter res causas de quibus dicere videtur nomina commutare into potius eisdem nominibus in aliis atque aliis rebus uti Orig. ubi supra tells us It is the manner of the Holy Scripture tacitly to change the Persons and Things and Causes and Names of which it seems to speak or rather to use the same Names in representing different Matters An Observation which being rightly understood may be of great and frequent use but it requires great caution and judgment in the application of it With Origen many others both Ancient and Modern Writers of great eminence concur in this Interpretation And amongst the last some of our own Nation especially have done excellently on this Subject But the Learned Author of this Treatise hath handled it more copiously than any that I have seen and as he hath in my opinion managed it with great strength of Reason so he hath carried on the whole Work with that Spirit of Piety and Charity for the good of Souls that I hope it may contribute something towards the Reformation of a degerate Age which abounds both with Hypocrisie and Prophaneness and calls for the helping Hands of those that are in a capacity to stem the Torrent of Iniquity This is what I thought fit to say by way of Preface and I add no more but my hearty Prayers That the Almighty who is of purer eyes than to behold sin would bless those Endeavours that are employ'd against it and in the vindication of Holiness and that he would so dispose the Hearts of all Men that the Disobedient may be turn'd to the Wisdom of the Just and that the Just may be justified * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 22.11 still that they that are in Error may be brought into the Light of Truth and they that have received the Light may walk worthy of it and give diligence to make their Calling and Election sure April 20. 1693. Robert Burscough THE EPISTLE TO THE READER IN my first Address to thee I make a solemn Profession That I serve no Party of Men neither can I see any worldly Interest that I can promote in the Writing of this Treatise but rather the contrary and if I had not hoped it might be of some use to the Publick I should not have troubled my self in the Composing nor thee in the Perusing of it and having said thus much I shall shew thee first the Occasion and then the Reasons of my Vndertaking The Occasion was this I have for these Thirty Years and more kept my Thoughts suspended in the Controversie of Election and Reprobation and the Liberty of Man's Will not without making Enquiry by Reading Discoursing and Meditating with all which I have joyned serious Prayer But I was very loath to determine my Thoughts without a clearness and evidence At last observing the Clashing that there was in Books and in the Pulpit by one against the other the Animosities and Feuds raised in the Parties the Intricacy of the Knots and the Abstruseness of the Discourses upon this Subject as they lye in Controversal Writers I thought the safest quietest and surest way was to endeavour to find out the Truth as it lay in the Scripture alone and by it self and to this end I taskt my self to commit to my Memory all the first Eleven Chapters of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans in Greek for in the ninth and eleventh Chapters of that Epistle is the chief Seat of this Controversie and I was willing to learn all the Chapters before that so I might observe as warily and curiously as I could begging God's assistance how the Apostle made his Approaches to that great Mystery of Election and Reprobation which especially in the ninth Chapter hath been made the Rise and Occasion of dreadful Disputes for that I did not question but this wise Master-builder did raise this high and lofty Superstructure of his ninth and eleventh Chapters upon a sure Basis and though I know that an Epistle may contain distinct Subjects that may have no great if any connexion and dependance yet it is very obvious to any Observer that the most disputative and argumentative part of the ninth Chapter hath a clear relation to and connexion with the third and fourth Chapters foregoing wherein the Apostle is proving Justification by Faith Rom. 9.30 31 32. What shall we say then that the Gentiles which followed not after Righteousness have attained to Righteousness even the Righteousness which is of Faith But Israel which followed after the Law of Righteousness hath not attained to the Law of Righteousness Wherefore Because they sought it not by Faith but as it were by the Works of the Law And this was the reason of their reprobation So that the Election of the Gentiles and some few Jews was really grounded upon their cleaving to the way of the Promise and Faith whereas the reprobation of the Jews was as I have said from the contrary reason And accordingly Dr. Hammond concludes his Paraphrase upon the ninth Chapter with these words The Sum then of this whole Chapter will be reduced to these five Heads 1. The Priviledges of the Jews and among them especially Christ's being born of that stock 2. That those of them which resisted and believed not in Christ were delivered up to obduration by God and the Gentiles taken in their stead 3. That 't was most just with God to deal thus with them 4. That some of the Jews at that time believed in Christ 5. That the cause that the rest believed not was that after a Pharisaical manner they sought Justification by the Works of the Law Circumcision c. despising the Faith and Doctrine of Christ and that Evangelical way of Justification and so stumbling at the Christian Doctrine which they should have believed were the worse for him and the preaching of the Apostles by whom they should have been so much the better And I bless God in about half a Year's time I picked up so many spare Hours as in which I obtained what I designed the getting by heart those eleven Chapters and have repeated them often exactly and in the getting of them and at last my ninth and eleventh I have attained a very comfortable Satisfaction in the Controversie about Election and Reprobation and do not at all repent any Hour's time spent in the endeavour with relation to
necessarily dependant and consequent upon Faith and Grace as Justification it self is In the seventh Chapter after the Apostle had setled the matter of Sanctification in the sixth as indispensibly necessary and naturally flowing from the Doctrine of Grace and Justification by Faith he is pleased according to the Wisdom given to him to bring in an Instance of an Ineffectual Attempt towards Sanctification by a Man under Convictions from the Law as he had before shewn at large the folly of the Jews and Judaizing Christians in seeking Justification by the Law and indeed he words the matter in a way of personation in his own person whereupon several have mistaken the Apostle's design thinking that he spake all those things of himself after he was converted and in an estate of Regeneration whereas it is very clear to me and indeed I find to many learned and godly Men that the Apostle is only in his own Person personating a Man that is not truly converted but strugling with his Corruptions in his own strength being terrified by the Law which only convinceth of Sin and is a ministration of Condemnation and so no wonder that he is so overcome and brought into Bondage as he acknowledgeth himself to be in that Chapter But this I speak here but precariously till I shall afterwards have made it to appear In the eighth Chapter the Apostle after he had set forth the convinced Person in such a struggle with his Corruptions in his own Strength the Law affording him neither Strength nor Hope after he had set him forth as overcome and captivated and brought into desperation he gives him a glimpse of Christ gives him a Plank after his Shipwreck and in the very latter end of the seventh and beginning of the eighth Chapter brings him off clear from those Rocks and Shelves upon which he had been in utmost danger of perishing Which is all I shall say by way of Introduction and Analysis Sanctification by Faith VINDICATED IN A DISCOURSE ON THE Seventh Chapter of the Epistle OF St. PAVL to the ROMANS c. ROMANS Chap. VI. WHat shall we say then shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid Verse 1 The Apostle had in the former Chapter made it his Design from the twelfth Verse to the end to shew that though the World had suffered much by the first Adam by whom Sin came into the World yet through the Grace of God the World that is especially those of it that receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness Verse 17. receive far more advantage by the second Adam than ever they had lost by the first Verse 18. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free-gift came upon all men unto justification of life Verse 20. Moreover the law entred that the offence might abound but where sin abounded grace did much more abound Verse 21. That as sin hath reigned unto death even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord And with these words in triumph concludes his Discourse of Justification by Faith and Grace Upon which the Apostle starts a thought that might enter into the heart of a foolish person What shall we say then shall we continue in sin that grace may abound This the Apostle answers with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 6.2 God forbid We have three such Questions together within the compass of six Verses in the third Chapter of this Epistle which the Apostle rejects with an abhorrency Rom. 3.3 What if some did not believe shall their unbelief make the faith or faithfulness of God without effect God forbid Verse 5. If our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God what shall we say then Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance God forbid Verse 7. If the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory why yet am I also judged as a sinner A foolish way of freeing himself from judgment Nay it seems the People were so used in the Apostle's days to these Paralogisms and foolish Ratiocinations that they presumed to affix them even upon the Apostles themselves Verse 8. And not as we be slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say Let us do evil that good may come whose damnation is just To return therefore to our sixth Chapter Verse 1 Verse 1. What shall we say then shall we continue in sin that grace may abound Since God hath made Grace to abound much more than Sin where-ever Sin hath abounded shall we resolve to continue in Sin that so God may continue to make his Gâ—â—â—e to abound towards us God forbid saith the Apostle God may for once having made Man a free Agent though holy as nothing else could come out of God's hand after his voluntary Defection and wicked Rebellion give him a Saviour and send us a second Adam the Lord from Heaven that should do us infinitely more good than ever the first earthly Adam d d us hurt but if we abuse his Grace and turn it into Wantonness the Grace will cease and only prove a greater aggravation of our Sin and Judgment But let us follow the Apostle's argumentation How shall we Verse 2 that are dead to sin live any longer therein This second Question strikes the first Question dead and is a full Answer to it How can Men that are dead to any thing live any longer in it or unto that to which they are dead It is a perfect contradiction to their being dead to it to live in it This is a Paraphrase and Comment enough for the second Verse Know ye not Verse 3 that so many as were or are baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death This is a full Argument again by way of Question for the proof of the Assertion uttered by way of Question in the second Verse viz. That all Saints as such are dead to sin for that when they were baptized into Christ they were baptized into his Death and so are by profession dead to Sin This is more fully exprest in the next Verse Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death Verse 4 that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life Here iâ— a plain Allusion made to the ancient way of Baptizing which was by dipping under Water called here burying and rising or being raised up I shall give this Explication in the Words of Dr. Hammond upon the Text the third and fourth Verses 'T is a thing saith he that every Christian knows that the Innersion in Baptism refers to the Death of Christ the putting the Person baptized into the Water denotes and proclaims the Death and Burial of Christ and signifies our undertaking in Baptism that we will give over all the Sins of our former Lives which is our being
having as I have above declared setled the Doctrin of Justification by Faith and ended the Discourse in tryumph at the end of the fifth Chapter and proceeded in the sixth Chapter to shew at large how Holiness and Sanctification also necessarily and effectually follows upon the hearty embracing the Doctrine of the Gospel thereby they are baptized into the Death of Christ and profess themselves dead to Sin and are actually set free from Sin and become the Servants of Righteousness and yield themselves unto God and their Members Instruments of Righteousness unto God Ver. 13 14. and have their Fruit unto Holiness Verse 22. He as in a Parenthesis in the seventh Chapter gives you a Parable of a Man endeavouring to be holy by the Law but is utterly defeated of his design and instead of attaining Holiness thereby loseth all his comfort and hope and is plung'd into a far worse condition as to Holiness than he was in before and being brought into a state of desperation thereby betakes himself to Christ then in the very nick of time revealed to him and by betaking himself to Christ is set at liberty from Condemnation and Desperation and also from the Law of Sin and Death which he acknowledged himself before to be led into captivity unto after a fierce Battel betwixt the Law of the Members and the Law of the Mind and so finds by blessed experience that he is one of them in whom the Righteousness of the Law is now fulfilled which Righteousness by the Law could never have been effected accomplished and fulfilled The Righteousness of the Law can never be fulfilled in any mortal Man but by the Grace of the Gospel received that is a Man can never become holy but by Faith Acts 15.9 Purifying their Hearts by Faith Gal. 5.6.6.15 Faith working by Love to the keeping the Commandments of God is the new Creature Compare those two places in Gal. Such Men as have this Faith they walk not after the Flesh any longer but after the Spirit For they that are after the flesh Verse 5 do mind the things of the flesh but they that This Particle for is a causal Particle and shews the Reason of the Assertion going before The Assertion before in the fourth Verse is this The righteousness of the law is or that it might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Now this is proved to be so because they that are after the Flesh do â—ind the things of the Flesh and they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit Therefore they who are after the Spirit do truly attain unto the Holiness and Righteousness of the Law which is a Spiritual and an Holy Law because their whole Mind is set upon spiritual things or the things of the Spirit but for carnal Men or Men that are after the flesh their whole mind is upon fleshly or carnal things and accordingly as Mens minds are set if they have undertaken a feasible thing such will their attainments be They that are after the Flesh as all those are that are under the Law Rom. 7.5 When we were in the flesh the motions of sin which were by the law did work do mind the things of the Flesh * Cogitant desiderant curant sapiunt they savour and relish and give their mind to nothing but †Carnalia bona mundana honores opes c. Corpores Voluptates vel opera Carnis ad quae Concupiscencia Carnalis inclinat ut peccata omnia fleshly things they cannot freely lift up their Heart to God and heavenly or spiritual things but true Saints of God that have received the Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus have embraced Gospel-Principles with a Spirit of Faith and Love and so walk after the Spirit their mind is wholly or at least chiefly ser upon the things of the Spirit which I take in other words to signifie Matters of Religion And therefore since their minds are wholly set upon them no wonder they make great attainments in them so as to have the righteousness of the Law fulfilled in them For to be carnally minded is death Verse 6 but to be spiritually minded is life and peace For a Man to be carnally minded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the carnal mind or carnal mindedness or to be wholly set upon carnal things is a stare of Spiritual Death and will end if continued in in Eternal Death There can be no life in Religion where the mind is carnal and his tendency is altogether towards and his relish is only of carnal things But to be spiritually minded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole tendency of a Man indued with the Spirit and that hath heartily embraced Gospel-Principles is towards heavenly life and living unto God and as he hath a lively activity for God so his comforts accordingly grow upon him to be spiritually minded is not only full of life and activity for God but full of peace and comfort ordinarily Great peace have they that keep thy law and nothing shall offend them Psalm 119.165 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God Verse 7 neither indeed can be It is no wonder that the carnal mind should have no activity for God and so consequently no peace whilest it is enmity against God yea neither is subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Why what is this carnal mind Here I must make a grand Enquiry that we may find out if it so please God what this carnal mind is for if we know not the Subject spoken of we can never well understand what that is which is predicated or affirmed and asserted of it at least not the manner how it is affirmed of it For non entis nulla sunt attributa and non esse non apparere idem est What then is meant by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nay what is meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is but an accident or attrioute We may know what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is best by knowing what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Now in Verse 27 of this Chapter it is said God that searcheth the Hearts knoweth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what is the Mind of the Spirit when it maketh Intercessions for us within us and doubtless there the meaning is what the Spirit would have So here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is what the Flesh would have the relish savour or tendency of the Flesh What is this that is here called Flesh which hath in it such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a tendency such a relish such a savour as neither is nor can be subject to the Law of God Till this Question be well answered till this Enquiry be prudently and satisfactorily made I despair of ever giving a right Paraphrase or Interpretation of this Verse or any of the like nature Caro saith Vorstius