people may hear Both with profit and without offence as Preaching no other Doctrine in regard to Practice however they may differ in the Explication but what is consonant or may be made consonant to one another There are some I know apt to think the Covenant of Grace to be without Condition upon the account they say it is not made with Man because he can promise of himself to perform nothing but with Christ in behalf of the Elect as their Head who hath therefore undertaken with the Father both to purchase the terms by his Blood and see them performed by his Spirit in all such so that they shall be infallibly Saved But I see not how these men get any thing by this for if Christ hath undertaken to do thus that is To see these terms performed by his Elect it must be in that Order as the Scripture declareth and that is By giving them Repentance that they may be Forgiven Faith that they may be Justified and Perseverance that they may be Saved and this does not hinder but makes the Covenant to be Conditional When those that hold it made with man and to have conditions do make Faith to be Gods gift and the performance to be by Grace no less than these do As for their speaking of a Covenant and thinking it not made with Man I must confess I wonder Give me such a Man and I will Ask him Hath the Covenant of Grace a Mediator or No Who will dare to say No Well then A Mediator is not a Mediator of one sayes the Apostle that is Not of one but two Parties There must be two Parties at odds that have a Dayes-Man come between them to lay his hand upon both to bring them to an Agreement Christ is our Dayes-Man and besides him there must be two Parties or he can be no Mediator between both A Mediator is not of one sayes the Scripture but God is one God is one or but one one party only and there must be another therefore on necessity besides the mediator and him which is Man There is one God and one Mediator between God and Men the man Christ Jesus The light here is so esclatant it cannot be resisted but I will produce what is yet more palpable Let us turn to the Covenant it self This is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those days saith the Lord I will put my Laws in their minds and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a Poople What a strange thing now is it that any here should suppose this Covenant to be made with Christ and not with man when it is expresly said to be made with Man with the House of Israel And what is this House of Israel I will tell you and there is more here need to be told It is the whole world all the Nations that come in at the Preaching of the Gospel into the Church of God or the Messiahs Kingdom that is this House It is spoken in the style of the Old Testament when Israel only was Gods people and his peculiar heritage or dwelling but now the partition wall is broken down there is no man that receives the Gospel but he comes into this House a House wherein we must understand too there are Vessels that are of Wood See a Book called The Ax laid to the Root of Separation as well as of Gold though the denomination be still from the better sort He comes I say and is ingrafted into the Jews Olive or Covenant he does at his Baptism enter Covenant with the Father Son and Holy Ghost which is the only True God and the same God with the God of the Jews and so they become his people a holy people a chosen generation according to the Titles which that people had even the whole body of them called the Church in the Wilderness Only we have this good difference that when that people had their Laws written by Moses which were so many and grievous and in one place said to be not good we have none now but the Law of Nature which is writen within every mans breast as is the very intent I think of this Text with the verse after together with the revealed mind of God about his Son This Sir is a great business and Gods mercifulness for his sake in forgiving our iniquities which follows must be understood according to the Tenour of the Gospel declared by Christ and his Apostles He that believes shall be saved and he that believes not shall be damned Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand Upon this touch you can judge what enlargement would follow and with what due caution it should be made The Gospel is preached they Mystery of Christ God incarnate revealed the Idolary of all the earth disclaimed confounded destroyed the Religion of the Jews abolished what then remains but the word that is nigh us and in our hearts that is the Religion of Mankind Christ indeed did institute a Church and Officers for the gathering and governing it He hath commanded and left us two Sacraments and bid us pray in his Name and what else is there in the Christian Religion but the new Commandment which we had from the beginning Love The Law of Love whieh is our duty to God and our Neighbour and that is verily the Law of Nature according to which the Patriarchs of old and all the holy men in the world lived before there was Law or Gospel Si igitur eundem illum quem prisci ac ipso Mose antiquiores coluerunt Deum Christi doctrina gentibus universis demonstrauit haud dubium est quin ejusdem cum illis divini cultus facti sumus participes communem porro habentes religionem communem quoque benedictionem fortiturosesse palam est Eusebius De Demons Evan. l. c. 3. The sense of this quotation and of other Authority I might cite also as of Justin Martyr who tells us that * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that live according to Reason as Socrates are Christians though callâ—d Heathen in his Apology and of Clemens Alexandrinus who says the Greeks of old by their Philosophy were justified Strom. l. 1. I leave as coming in obiter with the consequence to the Candid and Wise Adhibita semper est universis hominibus says Ambr. or Prosper quaedam supern aemensura doctrinae quae etsi parcioris occultiorisque Gratiae fuit sufficit tamen sicut Dominus judicavit quibusdam ad Remedium omnibus ad Testimonium De Voc. Gen. c. 5. SIR THere was another point concerning our Freedom from the Law which I also occasionally stated in regard to the present peeping up of Antinomianisme and seeing the said Gentleman gave me his thanks for that I think it but a peice of good manners to present him the same with the rest which he controverted Especially seeing I shall bring it to
something practical at the end That Christ hath redeemed us from the Law or delivered us from it as the Scripture speaks so that we are not Vnder the Law but under Grace is not to be denyed by any and yet that we are still to obey the same is no less certain If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments The Law therefore may be considered qua Regula or qua Foedus say our Divines which does in the gross state the matter By the Law we mean not the Ceremonial Law which containing things that were but shadows whereof the substance is come is abrogated out of question but we mean the Law Moral the Law of Nature or Law of Works Now this Law as a Rule we say that is as it prescribes us our duty to God our selves and our neighbour cannot cease but be always of force because it is founded on Our Nature and Gods and so long as they are the same this must be so also For ever O Lord thy Law is setled in Heaven But the Law as a Covenant that is as God and Man are obliged thereby so that man must live or dye and God deal with him according to his keeping or breaking it this is not to stand in force but we are delivered from it by Christ To come to the Difficulty There are three things in the Covenant the Precepts the Promise and the Threat The Preceptive part now is and must be still of force because the Law qua Regula is The Comminatory part is of force likewise because Christ tells us those that believe not are condemned already and St. Paul sayes that we are all by Nature the Children of wrath which could not be if the Threat were void The Promisory part then only remains and Divines say therefore that the Capacity of the Subject ceasing that ceases The condition thereof they say cannot be performed and the Promise is void But neither what they say is true nor is it the thing which should be said It is not the thing because the delivery of us from the Law which the Scripture speaks of as the purchase of Christ is the freeing us from the curse and condemnation of it To be freed from the Promisory part what good is that Neither is this true because the Lord Jesus a man as we are did perform the condition and made the reward thereby due to him of debt or merit and accordingly entred into glory This can be gain-said by no body If then Neither the Promise nor Threat nor Precepts are ceased how does the Law cease as a Covenant or we be freed from it Here now is the thing I must speak to and I humbly answer there are two Parties in a Covenant as I have asserted before and consequently there is Our part and there is Gods part in the Covenant On our part the Law qua Regula qua Foedus both being the Law and Covenant of Nature must for ought I see continue and always for when Christ after the day of Judgment shall have delivered up his Mediatory Kingdom and the Laws of it I do believe that man being made perfect in Holiness and confirmed therein this Law is that which he and the blessed Spirits in Heaven shall live by and keep for evermore But as to Gods part now and till the Judgment is past the case is altered We are by this Covenant through our Transgression we and all the world in Gods hands lyable to Wrath and Condemnation and God as Rector is engaged to deal with us according to his Threat But Mans case being verily pittiable he in his Wisdom found out and in his Goodness accepted of a satisfaction to be made by his Son and thereupon he is taken off so as not to inflict the punishment upon us There are two Reasons upon which a Law-giver who also is Rector may forbear the punishing a Delinquent One is when the case of the person is Pittiable and requires Commiseration and the other when his Justice and Honour can be saved also tho' he spare that person Such is the case here If God deal with man according to this Law all mankind must Perish which is pittiable indeed and it pleased Him therefore that the Lord JESUS his Son should interpose who by fulfilling the Law exactly for himself and bearing the punishment of it also in our stead it is made a Righteous Thing hereby without casting any dishonour upon Himself or Law to deal otherwise on his part with us than the Covenant required Here then to speak properly the Law is not Abrogated nor Ceased but Relaxed it is not an Abrogation or a Cessation but a Relaxation or a Dispensation as to the Penalty of it that is so as we shall not be condemned by it It is hitherto then the Point is come and so far doublesly we are in the Right We are not freed from the Law so as that we are no longer to obey it but we are delivered so as God will not deal with us according to it How then will you say does or will he deal with us I Answer by another Law a Remedying Law the law of Grace the Covenant of Forgiveness the law of Faith in opposition to the law of Works Christ sayes to the Father I will Redeem these lost Creatures from the Sentence of the Law by which every mortal man of them else must Perish But I will take the Redeemed into my Hands or under my Government so as they shall not be Lawless for all that They shall have the Law still as in my Hand to live by as well as they can and as far as human frailty will permit but they shall be dealt with in regard to Acceptation according to the Grace I have purchased for them and is promulgated in the Gospel The Law then remains still as a Rule to Live by but not as the Rule we shall be Judged by as a Rule of our Duty but not as the Rule by which we shall be Justified or Condemned There is a Universal Pardon in regard to the Sentence of the Law of Works procured passed and declared in the Gospel upon condition of our Faith and Repentance But the obligation of Obedience to the Precepts of it can never cease I must say still so long as it is the Law of Nature which never ceases The Law of Nature then or the Law of Works is the Norma Officii the Rule of Life but the Law of Grace this Act of Pardon is the Norma Judicii the Rule of Judgment We are not delivered from the Law so as that we are free from living according to it I must inculcate this to be sure I mistake not or be mistaken But we are delivered from it so as we shall not be Judged by it which is all one as not to be Justified or Condemned by it We shall be Judged by the Law of Liberty says St. James and St. Paul According to my Gospel Blessed be God for this
that can be produced for an Evidence of thy sincerity it will be accepted he will plead it for us and be sure not to forget it We know Sir that Sathan will plead against us but Christ for us He will bring the Law Christ the Gospel He will say we have sinned against Law and Gospel But He that pleads for us will distinguish of sinning against the Gospel sub ratione Officii Conditionis between the Duty of the Gospel and the Condition of the Gospel He will make it appear that though we have failed in our Duty we have not failed in the Condition Though we have sinned against the Gosspel in regard to this and that particular precept we shall be cleared from the accusation of Non-performance of the Condition In order to this and above all I am perswaded of so fair a Tryal before God in that day of the declaration of his righteous judgment the like whereof was never in this Earth that God who is so infinitely good and wise as he is will consider every one of us with grains of allowance proportionable to our several tempers conditions temptations so that that shall be found sincerity in some persons which they could not find in their hearts to think till they come to know it with Everlasting joy And seeing it is according to Grace a Law of Grace that we are to be judged who can tell the extent of this Grace Who shall set bounds to Gods infinite and free Grace Of all Points in Casuistical Divinity there is not one of more near importance to a Christian than to be solidly informed what to do or how to live and support the soul under the case when it hath examin'd it self and is in conflict and doubt whether it be in a State of Grace which is all one as whether we be sincere or not They that are light Christians do often talk of their assurance when the more weighty Christians are ready to droop and hang the head as the ears of corn do that are fullest A very Hypocrite John Bradford There are two Conclusions therefore I will come to One is that it is God and God alone knows the heart and can judge of mans integrity It is God alone both in opposition to any other and to a mans own self I know nothing by my self yet am I not thereby justified Again we do know some things by our selves but God alone can lay all things together The other is that in the grand case the great tender case wherein or under which so many the most serious among Christians do pant to wit this case of fear or doubt whether we be sincere or not the way for a gracious Soul to take as the safest unless it hath reached to an higher attainment I mean that it may neither presume dangerously nor despond but maintain it self in some equal state or quiet of mind which is warrantably good is with David to make its appeal unto God Try me O Lord search me if there be any wicked way in me any such as is incontent with sincerity and commit his cause unto Him The Lord is my portion saith my Soul and therefore will I hope in him It is good for a man that he should both hope and quietly wait for the Salvation of the Lord. We must leave it to him or there is no end We go to a good God On one hand if with the Pharisee we justify our selves God may condemn us If we condemn our selves with the Publican he may acquit us If we would judge our selves we should not be judged And what then remaines Behold we are at Gods bar and we commit our cause unto our Judge God's bar is a bar or throne of Grace I will cast my self on his Grace And God send us a good deliverance at the Great day SIR BEfore I go off I must needs return a little again to the occasion of this Letter One thing I must hint more as to the General Pardon I speak of above There is a certain term used still by our Divines which does cloud the light I have offer'd and that is the term Actual We usually distinguish thus between Conditional and Actual pardon A Conditional pardon we say is obtained indeed for all but an Actual pardon for none but the present truly penitent believer We should here use another term and instead of Actual say Absolute The truth is let me say as the thing is there is a Pardon and Actual pardon being a Pardon passed long since an Act of Grace a standing Pardon an actually standing Pardon and that Vniversal But this Actual standing Pardon being a Pardon upon Condition it is I must say a Pardon Absolutely made good to no Particular person but upon the condition performed When the condition is performed it is then made to the performer a Compleat Absolute Pardon This is the Fundamental understanding of the point discoursed I will fill what I have said with one Notion of Dr. Davenants which I take to be rare and fit to be noted being also clear and of use Res sub conditione promissa aliquot modo ad eos spectat qui conditionem nunquam implent nimirum quoad jus vendicandi promissum beneficium si implevissent De Morte Christi There are two or three things yet lyes upon my hands by way of surplusage not only as pertinent but even necessary to be added to what is spoken One of them is this From the Vniversality of Redemption there does arise a Government of Grace which God has over the World that is a Government by the Law of Grace which Christ hath purchased as the Instrument of that Government whereby Salvation is made possible to all Mankind or whereby Pardon and Life are made attainable by all men on a Possible Condition If you ask me what that is wherein this Possibility is placed this I perceive is a hard question made but I shall answer easily It is to be placed in the Lowering the Condition to the capacity of all persons having the power and use of their natural faculties so that whosoever he be that lives up sincerely to the light that he has shall be saved * If any be offended at my asserting the possibility of a Heathens Salvation I pray him to look into a book called Peaceable Disquisitions where there is one sheet de industria from p. 55. to 67 upon that Argument and if he be not convinced by it let him but fairly present the whole and answer it and he shall start a generous subject and innocent to exercise the wits of the age Such is the Law of Grace I say purchased by Christ by which we are Governed and shall be Judged that whosoever lives up to the light or means which he has in sincerity shall be saved by it I will add whosoever does but what he can in order to his Salvation is Sincere and Consequently the Condition must be Possible But seeing no