persevere So then their labour as it was spoken of before points at their painfulnesse and here it respects their singlenesse that it was not in a way of self-seeking but for His Names sake 2. That it was constant and continuing they were carried on without interruption in prosecuting their zealous intention If it be asked here how such as call themselves Apostles or do count themselves not subject to the Discipline of a particular Church as these who pretended to be Apostles behoved to do can be orderly proceeded against by Church triall and censure especially of a particular Church Answ. 1. There is no Apostle nor Angel in the preaching of the Gospel that is altogether above triall they are as such above erring in Doctrine yet may and should their Doctrine be tried according to the Word Act. 17.11 Gal. 1.8 Because even Apostles are but Ambassadors and are not Lords over the Faith of Gods People but helpers of their joy 2 Cor. 5.20 1 Pet. 5.3 c. Secondly Apostles in the guiding of a constitute Church oftentimes used not their extraordinary Authority as acting by themselves by vertue of their infallibility but joyntly with others in an ordinary way clearing and confirming their Doctrine and practices from Scripture and Gods Call warranting them in that particular as appears by Peters apologie Act. 11. and Paul with the rest of the Apostles their proceeding Act. 15. In which two respects it 's suteable for Believers to try the Spirits 1 Ioh. 4.1 Thirdly We say that no presumptuous title assumed by ones self nor any irregular walking as belonging to no Church or not to such and such a particular Church can exempt any member of the Catholick Church from triall and if need require from censure of the particular Church where such person or persons shall reside which we shall confirme from these reasons 1. Not from triall because in so far the Doctrine and practices of the Apostles themselves who were not fixed members of any particular Congregation for their Membership and their Office behoved to be of equall extent were subject to tryall that it might be known whether they were of God or not as is said Yea 2. Neither from censure supposing it possible that they should erre and them actually to have erred as we may see by Pauls supposition Gal. 1.8 If I preach another Gospel c. and also by Pauls open rebuking of Peter when he was to be blamed Gal. 2.14 3. This same practice may confirme it the Church rulers of Ephesus were not scared by that title nor yet by their not having Membership among them as it seemes such could not have being readily strangers and thereby having the greater accesse to give out themselves for the thing they were not yet they went on to try and censure which is particularly commended in them by Jesus Christ. 4. It may be confirmed from that power that Christ hath given to His Church-officers for edification and for preserving the Church committed to them from infection which would seem to be defective if men had liberty under the former pretexts to vent errour and commit scandalous practices for the ensnaring of others in Churches whereof they were not properly members and though it might be said that simply such persons were not under the triall and censure of such a Church yet eatenus and in that respect as it 's necessary for the good of that Church to have these persons tried and censured they do fall under their authority and warrantably it 's put forth for putting some note on them for the preventing and removing of offences from the People 5. It may be confirmed from the unity of the Catholick Church visible by which any member thereof if no particular thing impede may claim the priviledges of a member by communion in publick Ordinances of Word and Sacraments in whatsoever Church though he be no particular member thereof and therefore à pari he ought also to be liable to the Discipline of Christ in any particular Church where he shall fall to be seing that claiming the priviledges of a Church and submission to the Ordinances thereof are in themselves reciprocall and though some profane wretch renounce his own priviledge yet that makes not the Church to losse hers but so long as he continues a member of the Catholick visible Church as long is he under censures of the Church which are put forth in particular Congregations 6. It may be confirmed from the absurdities that otherwise would follow As 1. There might be a scandalous member of the Catholick visible Church who could not be reached by Church-censure 2. One Christian might offend and stumble another and telling to the Church would be no remedy to it Mat. 18. if no particular Church had power over such a one which is contrary to Christs scope 3. A door would be opened to a loose liberty within Christs House for in such a case men could neither be censured nor cast out of the Church nor in any Ecclesiasticall way be compelled to take on Church-membership or live regularly in the Church by this there might be some Christians sick and needing this cure of Discipline to whom it could not be applyed by this the ordinance of Discipline would not be of equall extent with the Sacrament of Baptism All which are absurd Observe 1. Christ would have us alwayes walking in the sense of His Omniscience which makes him begin all these Epistles with this I know thy works a profitable but a difficult Truth to be believed by Christians 2. Christ is an unprejudged witnesse and should be esteemed so by His Church He beareth testimony unto them as He taketh notice of their good as well as their evill 3. Such as Christ never called may take on them highest titles in the Church pretend confidently to a most immediate Call carry fair and gain respect and have some gifts for that end as it seemeth these had who called themselves Apostles 4. That diligence in duty and difficulty in the performance of it often go together to do and to bear are often joyned two things that in our resolution and practice we would not sunder and if it were believed we would not scare at the very shadow of suffering in or following upon our duty as we do 5. Patience in suffering and impatience against corruptions and corrupt men can well stand together This people is said to bear and suffer and yet it 's said they could not bear the reason is because their patient suffering or bearing in the one word relates to their enduring of crosses and their not bearing or suffering in the other word relates to corrupt men and their zeal against them It were a good thing to knit these two together not to let our zeal wear away our patience nor our patience prejudge our zeal There is a kind of zeal that puts folks alway to do to the end they may shun suffering that is not good and there
method forsaid there is warrant to believe all these But if any will invert the order and at first perswade himself that the benefits of Christs purchase do belong to him as being particularly redeemed by His death before he actually rest on him by Faith this will prove but strong presumption and never give title to Christ or any thing that is His but on the contrary greatly provoke the Lord because in all the Word of God there is no promise of Justification Life or Salvation or any benefit of Christs Redemption made to any person but to him that believeth and to do otherwayes is as if a woman that were wooed for marriage should fancie her self to have title and right to all the priviledges of such a mans wife before the marriage were actually consummated or before she had given her formall consent thereunto And so according to these grounds we see that all hearers are not simply and instantly called to believe that Christ did die for them But first to receive Him as their Saviour and then to draw such a conclusion which upon the performance of that condition can never fail From this also we may see the fallacie and weakness of that much tossed vain Objection to wit That which every one is obliged to believe that must be truth But every one is obliged to believe that Christ did die for him in particular Therefore that Christ did die for every one in particular must be a truth This Argument I say dependeth only upon the former mistake of Faith and this being denied that all men are instantly called to believe that Christ died for them in particular when they are called to believe in Him for obtaining of life The strength of it will evanish because supposing that many in the Visible Church which experience doth put out of question do never believe in Christ or by Faith rest on Him for the obtaining of life Then it will follow that many even in the Visible Church are never obliged to believe that Christ hath died for them in particular because none hath warrant to make that application but such as have first betaken themselves by Faith unto Christ whereby the assumption of that Argument is palpably false for it must be so assumed Every man that heareth the Gospel and hath received Christ ought to believe that He hath died for him and so the conclusion will be That Christ hath died for all that believe in Him which is true or it must be That every one that heareth the Gospel is obliged to receive Christ and rest upon Him and upon that condition may expect life which will make nothing to the intended purpose This occasion giveth ground to insist a little further in clearing the extent of the merit of Christs death in respect of the effects thereof and though it be neither possible for us to make every thing fully clear nor pertinent to our purpose long to insist on the same yet the former grounds being laid we may enquire shortly in some things and answer to them with a particular respect to this place First It may be enquired What is the proper effect of Christs satisfaction and that which is purchased thereby to sinners Secondly If this purchase extend to the procuring of Faith and the first Grace as it doth to the procuring of Pardon and Justification Thirdly If it may be said that any benefit in any respect doth redound to any Reprobate from Christs death as the proper effect of that purchase And fourthly If there may be an Uuniversal conditionall Redemption admitted as consistent with the former grounds yet so as the effect thereof is made sure to the Elect and to them only To the first to wit What is the native proper and immediat effect of Christs purchase unto the redeemed We Answer That we conceive it to be not only the procuring of Salvation to be possible to them so that now by the interveening of this satisfaction there is a way for the just God to pardon mens sins without wronging of His Justice which without this could not have been and so some say that by Christs death God is made placabilis or to say so put in a capacity to be pleased or made placable but is not actually appeased or placatus which is the assertion of the Arminians Nor yet is it only to make reconciliation with God upon the condition of believing and Faith in Christ possible that is by this intervening satisfaction to give a ground for Faith to rest upon with hope of obtaining Salvation thereby which otherwayes would not have been profitable had not this satisfaction of Christs procured a new Covenant to be made upon that condition Thus according to some Christ by His death hath procured an object to be held forth to all to be by faith rested upon and hath established this general that all who should believe on Him should be saved and that Faith alone should have Salvation annexed to it in whatsoever person it should be found but such do deny that actually and absolutely He hath redeemed any or procured Faith Justification and Salvation to them But we say further that the immediate and proper fruit and effect of Christs purchase to these for whom He suffered is actuall Redemption and the benefits following thereupon to be applied in due order and manner and not the possibility thereof only First This is clear from the 9. vers of this Chapter where they acknowledge and praise for this that Redemption and Justification c. are not only made possible unto them but that absolutely they are purchased by Christs death for them and that they are actually redeemed to God by His bloud Secondly This doth clear it that by His bloud He is said to make them Kings and Priests unto God which cannot be understood of the possibility only of any priviledge but must take-in the absolute purchase and the actuall conferring thereof in due order and time Hence Revel 1.5 washing from our sins in His bloud is mentioned as the proper effect of His purchase and Justification and Salvation are frequently derived from Christs bloud as from their immediat meritorious cause particularly in that place Isa. 53.11 whereof was spoken a little before And if there were no more but a possibility of Salvation flowing from Christs death then Christ might never have seen His seed or never had satisfaction for the travel of His soul. And if by Christs death only Faith and Salvation should be knit together and so Faith made thereby to have an object proposed to it and that indifferently in respect of all Then it will follow that the grounds of the redeemeds Song would not be Thou hast redeemed us by Thy bloud and made us Kings and Priests c. neither could these be accounted the immediate effects of His purchase but that He hath given them a ground to believe upon and made Salvation certain upon condition of believing which would not
that as upon the one side He doth hold forth Gods peculiar respect to the Elect World so upon the other He doth hold forth Gods acceptation of all whosoever shall believe that the peculiarity of the Redemption may not stumble any in their approaching to Christ who have the offer of the Gospel made unto them for the Word saith in sum a Believer cannot fail of Salvation seing God had that respect to His Elect as to give His only begotten Son to purchase this unto them and this is to be preached in these indefinit terms and cannot but be true seing it is the revealed will of God A fourth difficulty following this opinion is That it will be hard to conceive how Christ could conditionally die and lay down His life for the redeeming of many who were actually already condemned in Hell yet this Universall conditionall Redemption will infer this otherwayes the Reprobates who lived before Christs death were not so much obliged to Him as these who did succeed If it be said that although Christ actually died in time yet the transaction was eternal before any man lived in the world This will not remove the difficulty because though it was transacted before time yet no question it was so regulated as it might be performed in time Now can it be supposed that the transaction was in these terms that the Mediator should die and lay down a price for so many Elect who by the vertue of His death were to be brought to Glory before His sufferings and that also He should pay so much in the name of so many Reprobates who for their own sins were to be actually damned at the time of paiment And whatever be said of the transaction yet when it came to Christs suffering it must either be said that these were scored out so as Christ did not bear their iniquity or die for them in any respect or it must be said that before Gods Justice Christ did bear the iniquity and pay in the name of such as were actually in Hell suffering for their own sins at that same instant of time Fifthly It may be asked what doth become of all infants whether in the Visible Church or without it who die in their infancie According to the former grounds it will be hard to determine for none can say upon the one side that they are all absolutely redeemed and saved there being no warrant in Scripture for this on the other side to say that Christ died for them upon condition that they should believe in Him cannot be well understood for though some of them be within the conditionall Covenant made with the Church and therefore cannot be more rigidly constructed of than these at age yet are they not in a capacity to perform acts of Faith and to fulfill that condition and this incapacity doth not meerly flow from mens corruption as it doth in men at age but is naturall to young ones as not to understand speak or walk are now it were unreasonable to say that such children who die in their infancie were redeemed by Christ upon condition that they should understand speak walk c. or of a child dying in such a condition suppose it be one not absolutely redeemed It cannot be said that that child was redeemed upon this condition that it had walked spoken c. when as yet it was not possibly of one houres age Again can it be said of children within the Visible Church which are not absolutely redeemed that it is indeterminable whether Christ did die conditionally for them or not at least till they come to such an age as they themselves may act Faith Neither can it be said here that He redeemed Reprobate children in the Church conditionally as He did absolutely redeem these that are Elect although even these cannot act Faith for He purchaseth to the Elect saving Grace in the seed thereof and a new nature to be communicated to them whereof the youngest children are capable seing therein they are meerly passive But in that conditionall Redemption there is nothing purchased to any but upon condition that they receive Christ offered and believe in Him which doth suppose an activenesse and acting to be in these to whom the offer is made of which children are not capable And if this condition could be supposed only to infer something wherein children might be meerly passive Then this will be the meaning thereof to wit that Christ redeemed such children upon condition that He Himself should confer such and such things on them in receiving of which they could only be passive which would not look like a conditionall Covenant for the performing of the condition will be on Christs side and not upon theirs and so it would be absolute as in the case of the Elect children Neither will it remove this difficulty to say that children are partakers of the fathers priviledges and are to be reckoned accordingly for this cannot be said of saving priviledges so as if no Elect parent could have a Reprobate child or no Reprobate parent an Elect child dying at such an age because these things belong unto the Soveraignty of God and He is not so to be bounded in respect of all particular children Beside experience in the Word giveth ground to us to call it in question It must then be understood only of federall priviledges and that in respect of the externall administration of the Covenant and this will say nothing to the difficulty because the doubt is still what to say of children that are within the conditionall Covenant in respect of their parents that are within the Visible Church yet supposing them to die instantly or in their nonage they cannot be said to be conditionally redeemed because of the reasons foresaid Sixthly If the Reprobate be conditionally redeemed Then that Redemption of theirs is either transacted in the same Covenant with the absolute Redemption of the Elect or not they cannot be said to be comprehended within the same Covenant because all such as are comprehended in it are contradistinguished from others as being the Lords chosen and such as are given to Christ c. Again this Covenant of Redemption includeth the means with the end for it is orderd in all things and sure which cannot be said of this conditionall Covenant Therefore they cannot be comprehended in one And it would not sound well to say that the Elects Redemption and that of the Reprobates were contained in one Covenant Nor can it be said that it is a distinct bargain beside the Covenant of Redemption Because 1. That were indeed to grant that it is no Redemption seing it is not comprehended in the Covenant of Redemption 2. The bussinesse of Christs death is only transacted in that Covenant where the Redemption of the Elect is absolutely concluded because it is the great mids designed for making of that effectuall therefore ought it as to the extent of its merit to be proportioned to the object of that
Salvation is given in Him and for Him to the Church He is not misknown in the administration of Grace therefore neither should He be in His Peoples thanksgiving 6. His Salvation is mainly as He is a Saviour to save from sin Mat. 1.21 therefore this loud cry in uttering and attributing Salvation only to God and to the Lamb is not in respect of the outward delivery alone but in respect of the Doctrine of Justification which was before obscured and divided amongst many merites and Mediators now it is vindicated and they publickly and openly confess it and ascribe it to God only as the fountain and efficient cause and to Christ alone as the meritorious laying the weight and the honour of their eternall Salvation on God and Christ alone without parting them among any other or mixing in merit purgatory pennance or any other thing of that kind as formerly had been done This then is the first part of this general description which is Iohn's describing the happy condition of the redeemed Church Or our Lord to strengthen the faith of His People revealeth the happy outgate ere ever the storme come on Hence Observe 1. The most sad and sorest storms of the Church and people of God have a rest and a victory at the back of them The most sad estate of the Church hath a happy and glorious victory following it There was a storm spoken of before and what a glorious outgate is hereâ— This is a truth that holdeth good whether we expound the words of their temporall or eternal Salvation it is a comfortable conclusion laid for the comfort of Gods People and fully proven Heb. 4.9 that there remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God and let it be fixed in us the best estate of Gods people is ever hindmost their last estate is their best just contrary to that the wicked have to expect when the temporal happinesse of the wicked shall turn in a curse then sighing and weeping shall passe away from the people of God 2. Gods proposing this outgate before-hand for their comfort sheweth That there is no solide way to bear a triall well without the faith of the outgate and that the eying of the outgate of a storme while folks are under it or their thinking on the happy estate that followeth difficulties is the best way to moderate one under difficulties therefore when the Lord threatned the captivity He gave them many promises in Isaiah concerning their return from it ere ever it came on to arme and guard the faith of His people from sinking under it This sustained also Moses Heb. 11.25 and Paul 2 Cor. 4.17 18. There is an amiable sight beyond all straits if we would by the right prospect view them 3. Heaven and Glory is the compleat outgate of Believers trials and should be Believers main consolation while they are under trials for though the temporall happinesse of the Church be holden out here we seclude not but include as we shew in the exposition their happinesse in Heaven where their victory is perfected If in this life only we had hope of all men we were the most miserable 4. Heaven and Glory must be an excellent thing a very happy satisfying comfortable condition a brave life 1. Excellent company God and the Lamb the congregation of the first-born 2. An excellent place before the Throne beholding His Glory and sharing of it and if a place in Heaven be more Glorious this is it 3. Though many Angels and Saints be with them yet they are mainly taken up with beholding God shining in the Lamb. 4. Their adorning and ornament they are alwayes walking in white pure clean and constantly victorious their vile bodies made conform to the glorious body of Christ. 5. They have palms in their hands triumphing and rejoycing 6. Their work and task is alwayes to be singing the song of free Grace maketh Heaven ring and they weary not in it but are alwayes praising God as there is alwayes ground by praising enjoying and by enjoying praising Him If ye would have a happy life is there any life like this Better stand here and look on than sit on the Thrones of the World Look if ye have the faith of enjoying it Is there not a possibility of it Or think ye all this is spoken for nought No believe it they are the true and faithfull sayings of God Iohn's testimony is that he saw it in the spirit and it is left on record to the Church for confirmation of her Faith and if there be not a happinesse beyond it nor comparable to it choose it it were begun happinesse to be brought this length There are many of you who hear me that will misse this brave life if God help you not to stand before Him here and here to begin your song you will not stand nor sing before Him hereafter and a wofull misse will it be 5. Folks in Heaven are not silent as many as are there are praising dumb Christians are not Heaven-like They that dwell in thy house will be still praising thee and it is a part of their blessednesse so to be exercised Psal. 84. as the Saints enjoy God so they praise Him they speak to His praise and honour Him in their conversation they have good matter of a song and good will to sing and it is an ill token when folks presume to come to Heaven and yet have no good will to honour God here 6. As this company representeth the Church Militant Obs. That the enlargement of the Church and its thriving even in externall profession is a beautifull sight To see a Church 1. in Doctrine pure 2. In the number of professours many And 3. publick in their liberty and boldnesse And 4. In their Authority weighty It is like the company of two Armies and that with Banners to see many professours and a suitablenesse in their practice pure Doctrine and pure Ordinances powerfull and fruitfull though folks call them forms there is much of Gods beauty that shineth in them and if it be a beautifull sight to see a Church thriving in purity of Doctrine and Ordinances and Discipline in order and decency it should be as sad a sight to see the carved work pulled down Antichristian darknesse or that which is no better coming in and confusion in stead of order as the one should refresh us the other should weight us 7. A flourishing condition of the Church for number and liberty in profession often go together as we may see by comparing this estate under the vials with the former The one is the ordinary mean of engageing men to the other and the marring of the one cannot but mar the other 8. From the matter of the song It telleth us what is to be gotten in God and Christ even compleet Salvation of all sorts and from all fears and dangers Needeth any Believer then to fear seing God and the Lamb have Salvation Salvation belongeth not to Armies of
mountain taketh fire and becometh low in its grandour and spirituall weight and credit and all are infected with this to be more about outward pomp than inward power about earthly thingâ— more than spirituall This is the second trumpet 3. The devil having prevailed this much by Church-men setteth on next to poison fountains and rivers which men drink of and live upon Doctrines were somewhat clear before and fundamentals were not easily overthrown while government and unity were in force Now he poisoneth sound Doctrine in the mouths of Ministers and free-will Justification by good works and externall holinesse merit dispensations pennances purgatory sacraments opus operatum especially traditions are brought in whereby the wholesome Word was corrupted in many places of the world and its native purity lost and instruments were made use of in this who once seemed to shine in the Church as Pelagius Origen c. This is the third trumpet 4. In the fourth trumpet the light is further obscured and the beauty of pure Doctrine in the Church darkened the Scripture is vailed and keeped up ignorance fostered tradition is brought in place of Scripture will-worship and ceremonies for the practice of holy duties c. whereby the glorious light of the Gospel and of the Church was darkened and grew dim making way for Antichrists rising though it encreased much more under him yet even then men were more taken up with Monkishnesse and these toyes than with things which were more profitable out of which darknesse Antichrist at last start up and took it on him in the fifth trumpet whereupon followeth Mahomet in the sixth as his and the worlds scourge untill the vials make a turn and this height of Antichrist be brought down even as he rose which series of the vials begineth with the seventh trumpet This series agreeth well with the types and also with the truth of the event in the matter of fact as afterward succeeded and so the Church is wasted blasted and way made for Antichrist by thâ—se first four and therefore there can be no unwarrantablenesse in speaking thus of them It agreeth also well with the scope in shewing Antichrists rise by these steps Only take that advertisement which we gave on the seals That though there be an order in the rise of these things one after another yet neither would we be peremptory in timeing it or ascribing it to particular events nor yet think that one endeth or goeth away when the other cometh nay they continue together and do compleat the Churches darkening as it was with the dispensations under the seals the first continued till the last but had order in its rising so here And though something of the latter trumpets might be working even as soon as the former and no doubt the fifth began to work soon yet the trumpet looketh at such a thing in a height or its discovery and so the second was working under the first but did not break out till the first was some length proceeded We come now particularly to the Angels sounding The first foundeth in this seventh Verse Where we are to consider beside the sounding these three things 1. The judgement threatned or the signe of it fire and hail mingled with bloud a very great storm 2. It s object the earth 3. The effect the third part of trees and all green grasse was burnt up it is like it alludeth to one of the plagues of Egypt whereby much desolation was wrought here it signifieth a spirituall storm called hail partly because of its cold blasting and terrible nature especially in these Countreys it being the great cause of barrennesse and unfruitfulnesse then partly because of the hurtfulnesse of it so it signifieth that which heresie in generall floweth from and carrieth with it to wit coldnesse in practice of Religion towards God and affection towards others making men cold within and barren and unfruitfull without but this hail is more than an ordinary blast and storm coming impetuously though not lasting long 2. There is fire in terrible tempests they were mixed and this signifieth the rent of unity in practice and affection by contention and passion as the former the defacing of Doctrine by some terrible Errour So Luk. 12.42 I came to send fire on the earth and Iames 3. it is said the tongue is set on fire and kindleth others This fire of division is a companion of heresie and heresies do often more hurt to the Church by their contentions and schisms than by their Doctrins it being the kindling of this fire that in the judgement of many denominateth one an Heretick which he would not be by his simple adhering to an Errour if nothing were of this As also it is observable that hail which is cold hath fire with it like Ephraim Hos. 7.8 who was like an unturned cake hot beneath and cold affections above these go together much zeal in an erroneous opinion and heat for that which is ever accompanied with coldnesse in more fundamentall things the colder men be in the one the hoter are they in the other as the Pharisees were for their own traditions zealous but in Gods commands indifferent 3. It is mingled with bloud which holdeth out the bloudy nature of heresie and of this meaned here which we think rather to be understood of their putting faithfull opposers to suffering for withstanding their Doctrine than their suffering for it this also is a fruit of the fiery spirit that when words prevail not and their falshood is discovered they run to open violence and their is no cruelty like this of Hereticks 2. The object of this judgement is the earth And 3. the effects are the burning up a third part of trees and all green grasse 1. By earth we understand 1. either indefinitely the visible Church which is set upon and defaced in its most clear and plain truths Chap. 7.1 Or 2. more especially the foundations of it such truths as are most solidly to be believed without which the visible Church cannot stand as that concerning the Person Natures and Offices of the Son of God as the earth in the Pagan world Chap. 6. and in the Antichristian world Chap. 16. may and doth signifie their foundations and what seemed most strong in them and essentiall to them when their foundations were shaken they must fall so here the right confession of Christ and pure Doctrine of Faith in Him is called the foundation or rock on which the Church is builded Mat. 16. Or Thirdly it may shew the spreading of this plague or sore over the very face of the Church in respect of its extent there being no part of the earth free of it 3. The burning up of trees and all green grasse holdeth forth 1. The dreadfull effects of this judgement on eminent professours some for gifts and knowledge some it may be for grace and withall some eminent for place and authority called trees as taler and stronger than others and upon all
fully obliterated and dissolved as concerning the Covenant made with the Fathers Rom. 11.26 are now made ready 2. This readinesse is now set out in two expressions 1. figuratively she is cloathed in fine â— linnen clean and white 2. More plainly it is the righteousnesse or justification of the Saints Both may be two wayes understood 1. Of Christs imputed righteousnesse whom we are said to put on Rom. 13. ult and Gal. 3. when by faith we are united to Him and made partakers of His righteousnesse for the hiding of our nakednesse as in His counsell to Laodicea Chap. 3. 2. It may be understood of inherent righteousnesse which also in some respect we are said to put on Col. 3.12 In the first sense it is called clean and white simply for so Christs righteousnesse is without spot In the second sense it is so comparatively or it is cleannesse and whitenesse not absolute but in respect of what they were and in respect of the holinesse of other times This shall now be more 2. The righteousnesse or justification of the Saints is also two wayes understood 1. for a righteousnesse before men evidencing their justification before God so it is said Iam. 2. that Abraham was justified by his works 2. For that which indeed just fieth and is the cause of our justification before God and so Rom. 4. Abraham was not justified by works not only excluding all the works of the ceremoniall Law for it was then not given but even of the morall Law But he was justified by faith in Jesus Christ which was imputed to him for righteousnesse the former is the same with inherent righteousnesse the latter is called imputed Now though we take in both here as they are alway conjoyned and go together and holinesse serveth in a speciall way to make ready and meet for enjoying Christ in Glory when these garments shall be fully white yet we understand here Christs imputed righteousnesse or the righteousnesse of faith especially as that which maketh the Lambs wife ready and that for these reasons 1. This cloathing is that which is the righteousnesse of all Saints and that before God but that of faith was Abrahams before the Law Rom. 4. Davids under the Law Psal. 32. with Rom. 4. and Pauls under the Gospel Philip. 3.9 therefore so here 2. Christs righteousnesse is only spotlesse and clean ours is unclean the best being filthy 3. This readinesse is that upon which the marriage with Christ standeth and serveth to close with Him in that Covenant but that is in the offer he that believeth sâ—â—ll be saved and it is the want of that that casteth and marreth the making of the marriage for holinesse inherent preceedeth not our union with Christ which is our marriage but followeth our consent when the bargain is closed as duties of a person married 4. It agreeth best with the scope in reference to the in-coming of the Iews they are made ready and brought in by the contrary of that for which they were cast off but that Rom. 11. was unbelief stumbling at the stumbling stone in going about to establish their own righteousnesse and not submitting to His Rom. 9. and 10. vers 3. Therefore now that which maketh them ready must be faith and submission to Christs righteousnesse 5. This agreeth best with and is clear from the expressions setting forth the manner how she is made ready and that in two expressions she is cloathed with it that speaketh to the resemblance of putting on something from without in which this readinesse and decoring consisteth and not of what is within as Rev. 3. which pointeth at imputing of righteousnesse 2. That it was granted to her to shew it was not of her self it was given and freely given and gifted to her which saith it is not inherent holinesse for that someway inferreth debt and is opposed to grace Rom. 4.9 and 11. Eph. 2. but it is of grace which is the same with faith that it might be free Rom. 4.16 Eph. 2. and that to all the seed by which it appeareth how we are to reconcile vers 7. with this Thus if we look to the scope as it is propheticall this Verse saith 1. that these Iews on whom blindnesse and hardnesse hath layen long shall in the end in due time be brought in to believe on Jesus Christ and to submit to that righteousnesse which is common to all Saints Gentiles as well as Iews and to take that one way of salvation with the Gentiles which they have so long rejected God shall freely re-ingraft them again in His Church by that same faith which they despised 2. That they at their in-coming into the Church of God at that time shall be more eminently shining in holinesse than formerly when the Gentiles shall provoke the Iews and there shall be a holy emulation amongst them more fully to adorn the profession of the Gospel then shall the number of believers be increased and their qualifications of holinesse at a higher pitch This flourishing estate is promised whatever be of externall peace The confirmation followeth vers 9. where consider 1. who confirmeth 2. What he confirmeth 3. How First The person confirming is not God or Jesus Christ for it had not been a fault vers 10. to have worshipped hmi but is an Angel it is like that Angel who Chap. 17. came to shew Iohn the judgement of the whore and whom it is like God made use of to shew Iohn the things to come Chap. 1.1 That which he confirmeth in an extraordinary way by a speciall commission to write that the thing may be the more observed is set down in these words Blessed are they who are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. The Lamb is our Lord Jesus often called so His marriage here is that vers 7. especially of the Iews in-calling to faith in him It signifieth 1. that betwixt Christ and believers there is a mutuall tye consent and obligation of each to other 2. That it is reall 3. A near tye 4. Kindly and loving 5. Indissolvable 6. For believers advantage to share of what He hath It sheweth in a word a kindly and loving relation between Christ and them beyond what is betwixt Him and others It is called a marriage supper not mainly from that custome as if then suppers had been most rise feasting times at Marriages what ever truth be in it for Mat. 22.3 it is called a dinner that the guests are invited unto but this seemeth to be the cause that Matth. 22. looketh to the Iews first calling at the preaching of the Gospel which they rejected and it is called a dinner they being more timely invited to it with the first This again looketh to their calling which shall be made effectuall when the day draweth near to an end at their restoring therefore it is called the marriage supper as more immediately preceeding the solemnizing fully of the Bridegrooms Marriage when the Queen shall be brought to His
with every petition of theirs whereby His former affections are stirred to say so and His sympathie awakned to make His divine Attributes forth-coming for their good 4. It would be considered that the Scripture allows these considerations of Christ to Believers for helping them up to communion with Him and so with God in Him and for strengthening them to approach to Him with confidence on that ground 5. As there is an exercising of Faith in God and thereby a keeping of communion with Him so there is a proportionable sympathizing heart-warming and bowel-moving affection allowed us even towards the very Man Christ as one hath to a dear friend or most loving husband that so in a word we may love Him who is Man as He who is Man loves us And this kind of communion is peculiar to the Believer with the second Person of the Godhead as it is peculiar to the second Person of the Godhead as Man by humane affections to love Him And thus we are not only one Spirit with Him as with the other Persons of the Godhead 1 Cor. 6.17 but we are one body with Him of His flesh and of His bone Eph. 5.30 in respect of this union and communion that is betwixt a Believer and the Man Jesus Christ. 6. Hence 6. As we have most accessâ— to conceive of Christs love to us who is Man so we are in the greater capacity to vent our love on Him and to have our bowels kindled upon the consideration of His being Man and performing what He did in our nature for us so the Object is most suited to be beloved by us in His condescending to be as a Brother to us And this doth confirm what is said and is a reason also why Believers vent their love to God by flowing in its expressions directly concerning Christ Because He is both the more sensible Object of our Faith and love and also because there is more possibility to conceive and mention what He in our nature hath done than to consider God and His operations in Himself abstractly 7. Hearts would always remember that He is God and so that they love and keep communion with Him that is God that makes the former the more wonderfully lively as this should make souls keep up the estimation and dignity that is due to such a Person so condescending And so by the Man Christ both to love and believe in God And in sum having the excellencies of God dwelling in the Man Christ whose affections they are more able to conceive of whose sufferings have made Hâ—s love palpable in whom God hath condescended to deal with us and on whom our affections and Faith also may have the more sensible footing by the consideration of His humane affections There is no wonder that this way of adoring praising and loving of God be so much insisted upon and yet even then when the heart is upon this consideration delighting and feeding it self upon the Mediator still His Godhead is emplyed and God in Him delighted in without which all other consolations would be defective And so it is God in the Mediator who is the Object of this delight Now unto this One God be praise in the Church by Jesus Christ for now and ever LECTURE II. Vers. 4. Iohn to the seven Churches in Asia Grace be unto you and peace from Him which is and which was and which is to come and from the seven Spirits which are before His Throne 5. And from Iesus Christ who is the faithfull witnesse and the first-begotten of the dead and the Prince of the Kings of the earth Unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own bloud 6. And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen WE heard of the Persons from whom follows now these to whom the Epistle is sent to wit the seven Churches in Asia and they are particularly named vâ—r 11. and are severall times spoken of in the two Chapters following Therefore at the entry we shall speak to a doubt or two concerning this inscription to them Quest. 1. Why is this Revelation in form of an Epistle sent to particular Churches rather than to the Whole Church 2. And why is it sent particularly to the seven Churches in Asia 3. Why are they stiled seven Churches and not one Church To the first of these Though it be sent to particular Churches yet this excludes none from the use of it to the end of the world for though many particular Epistles as the Epistles to the Romans Corinthians Galatians c. be directed to particular Churches yet the benefit of the Word contained in them extendeth to all Believers in all ages as well as to them to whom they were directed So those particular Epistles directed to the seven Churches in Asia in the 2. and 3. chapters are useful and behoveful to all the Churches of Christ in the like cases as if they had been particularly directed to them therefore is that Word cast to in the close of each of those Epistles Let him that hath aâ—â—ar hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches 2. As to the general subject matter of this Book It concerns not those particular Churches more than others as we told at the entry For ver 1. It is directed to his Servants to be made use of to the end of the world and it 's sent to those particular Churches to be transmitted by them to other Churches and in this sense the Church is called the pillar and ground of Truth 1 Tim. 3.15 as holding forth and transmitting the Truth to others To the second Why is it dedicated to the seven Churches in Asia Answ. 1. Either because those Churches were next to Pasmos where Iohn was now banished for those who are skilled in Geography know that this little Isle lyes off Asia the lesse Or 2. Because it 's like Iohn had particular inspection of those Churches in Asia committed to him which though it be not particularly set down in Scripture yet it 's clear from Scripture that there was a division of inspection among the Apostles without limiting any of them Peter was sent to the Circumcision Paul to the Gentiles Iames shode at Ierusalem And in the Ecclesiastick Story it 's asserted that after Paul had planted Ephesus Iohn stayed there who lived lâ—st of the Apostles And so these Churches being as would seem under his special oversight while he is absent from them by â—anishment he commends this Epistle to them 3. Jesus Christ sends it to them partly because of some special faults that were among them their need so remaining and because of some special tryals they were to endure and the need they had of consolation under these trials partly because they were the most famous Churches then for Ierusalem was now destroyed this being written in the days of Domician the Emperour To the third Why writes â—e to
in its equity may be convincing for the gaining of its end both on the offending party and others 4. It followeth here that when offences are so circumstantiated in Church-members censures are to proceed against them and they are not to be suffered to enjoy Church-priviledges as if they were not under these offences except they repent of them yea that un-Churching and Excommunication in such cases is an Ordinance of Jesus Christ. 5. Church-officers may be often defective in reference to Discipline as well as to Doctrine which is also a guiltinesse before the Lord as appeareth here 6. Although a Church be defective in the purging out of corrupt members yet that doth not pollute the ordinances to others or necessitate them to separate from them These Churches continue to be Churches and the Ordinances to be Ordinances of Christ although such were continued in communion with them and notwithstanding thereof these who were free of those corruptions are approven and commended by Jesus Christ. And if it were not so that a persons endeavouring in his station to amend such a fault and to have such scandals censured did not exempt him from guiltinesse so as to continue in Church-communion although the plurality of Officers should be short of their dutie in that respect then there might be still separation after separation in infinitum which absurdity the learned Hâ—oker and Norton of New England do presse for the obtaining of submission to their Church censures and keeping of communion with their Churches even upon supposition that the plurality of a Congregation should refuse to shut out some deserving the same Otherwise say they when these did separate upon such a new emergent occasion there behoved to be a new separation and so forth because no Church or men can be expected to be so straight as either not to keep in some injustly or not to suspect that some such are keeped in which also would be a snare to their consciences who judged so and be a cause of separation although it were not so indeed And were this applyed to the defects of Presbyteriall Churches there would be no pressing necessity of separating from them or from communion in any ordinance with them 7. We may see from these Epistles that although exact holinesse be de jure required of all Church-members yet de facto often They are not all exactly such and that therefore the holinesse which is spoken of as essential to visible-Churches or to Membership in them is not rigidly to be extended to a reality therein If this Church of Laodicea wherein nothing is commended but much found-fault with be considered it will be found that this holinesse will not abide a rigid trial yet it cannot be denied but they have what is essential to a visible Church and Membership therein even as her Ministers were Ministers although not answerable to their stations as was said and if what these worthy men Mr. Cotton Norton and Hooker do assent unto in their writings were accordingly adhered to in all practices we conceive there needed not be any great controversie concerning this point The second of these forcited Authors part 1. pag. 20. layeth down the pinch of the difference in these words as he calls it Whether such as walk in a way of profannesse or remain pertinaciously obstinate in some wickednesse though otherways professing and practising the things of the Gospel have any allowance from Christ or may be accounted fit matter according to the tearms of the Gospel to constitute a Church Which Authors also do acknowledge that casting out of a Church is but to proceed upon clear scandals of a grosse nature convincingly made out and no otherwayes part 3. pag. 39. And if there be defect in the executing thereof separation upon that account is disclaimed as is formerly hinted if the Church in Doctrine and administration of Ordinances be pure that is without error The judicious Cobbet of new England hath an excellent saying as he hath many to the Anabaptists against whom he writeth p. 2. cap. 1. sect 11. Better saith he they who have not so peculiar a title thereto be folded up in the Church than that one of such lambs be left out in the wild wildernesse And again cap. 3. sect 3. is full to shew that there was no strictnesse observed in the admission of Professors to Baptism but rather an enquiry of their purpose for the time to come in bidding them bring forth fruits and believe in Him that was to come as from Iohn's example Mat. 3. and Pauls Act. 16. where there is no mention of trying the faith of the housholds of Lydia and the Iaylor who yet were instantly baptized as also were these Pharisees so checked by Iohn Matth. 3. and much more hath he well to this purpose I have but hinted at these things to shew that although there be many questions of Church-discipline yet they are not all of one nature and hazard with all adversaries And the last doth rather concern the constituting of Churches and admission of Members supposed yet to be without than the governing of Churches and inchurched-members in reference to which there is great difference 8. We may see that the sustaining of and submitting unto this Church-power is a necessary and concerning duty and if what is said of Church-power and Government be truth then this submission must follow otherwise there could be no Government nor exercise of Power if those who are called by their stations to be governed were not submissive thereto and if it were the Church-officers duty to try and censure even by cutting off such and such scandalous persons Then it behoved to be their duty to submit and the Churches to acknowledge these sentences as Christs Word is Matth. 18. Let him be to thee as a heathen c. And Heb. 13.17 it is thus expressed obey them that rule over you and submit to them which certainly looks as well to the Authority of Discipline that requireth submission as to the obedience that ought to be given to the Word in Doctrine for this cause Officers are designed by the title Rulers which is often given to civil Governours and the fainting of such soul-overseers is marked as a thing most unprofitable to the people themselves and therefore is the more to be shunned Amongst other batteries against this Ordinance of Discipline this is not the least that is raised against it that it hath no compulsive force if men willingly do not yeeld which indeed tends to place all Authority in strength and force for by that same Argument a strong son rebelling against his father or a people or armie against their Magistrate or General should be exempted from their subjection to them and the Parent Magistrate or General be denuded of their Authority over them because they have not force to compel obedience Authority lyes in Gods appointing of such to rule and such others to obey although some sinfully should invert that order as
and acting on Him so by love fear faith c. is really to call Him and count Him Father in whatsoever degree they be which hath the promise of acceptation and is a fruit of the Spirit of Adoption for Gods Covenant runs not to him who believes at such a degree but simply to him that doth believe thus qualified whether his faith or unbelief be more or lesse and so the marks run not these that have Grace or fruits at such a bignesse only but these that have good fruits in any measure have them from Christ and may conclude that the tree is good and therefore cannot but be accounted living branches that will never be broken off which of no hypocrite can be said who do never bring forth their fruits in Him And it is hard to say that fruit brought forth by vertue and communication of life from Christ doth not differ but in degree from fruit brought forth from and to our selves Especially considering that the Scripture doth contradistinguish them on that account without this respect to their degree as we may gather from Hos. 14.8 being compared with Ioh. 15. v. 2.4.5 2. We would advert that this reduplication consisteth not only in the proposing of such an end or being acted by such a motive to wit a command c. but it takes in a singlenesse in both and gives such an end and motive the chief consideration in the act whereby in the practice of duty the heart not only purposeth the pleasing of God in the giving of obedience to a command but goes about it as a thing pleasing to God and honourable to Him and as such doth approve of it for a servant may desire to please his Master and do what he hath commanded and yet possibly not to be single in it as it is pleasing to him which as we said is the thing wherein the great pinch of discerning these differencing qualifications will lye Learned Baxter in his excellent Treatise of the Saints everlasting rest part 3. doth otherwise expresse the Doctrine of the difference and trial of saving and common Grace than what hath been usually rested in among practicall Divines which doth necessitate us someway to insist a litle further in the clearing thereof He hath these Assertions 1. That it is not the Law but the Covenant that can clear the sincerity of Grace as saving to wit as it is accepted by the Covenant as the fulfilling of the condition thereof pag. 205. and 206. 2. He saith that God hath not in the Covenant promised Justification upon any meer act or acts considered without their degree and suitablenesse to their object c. pag. 210. 3. There is no act considered in its meer nature and kind which a true Christian may perform but one that is unsound may perform it also pag. 211. From which he draweth That wicked men may really rely on Christ have recumbencie on him love God c. pag. 211. and 231. and that they may hate sin as sin and as displeasing to God Ibid. 4. He asserts That the sincerity of saving Grace as saving lieth materially not in the bare nature thereof but in the degree not in the degree considered absolutely in it self but comparatively as it is prevalent against its contrary that is when love adhereth more to God than any other thing and such like pag. 222. which he endeavoureth to show both in the infused habits and in the acts of saving Grace and pag. 235. doth assert That in loving God and Christ as Mediator there is no more than a graduall difference between the regenerate and unregenerate and in the end he doth load the common opinion with many dangerous consequents These assertions do seem at the first to be expresly contradictory to what hath been said yet if we will consider the explication thereof we will not find so great difference in the matter it self as to be the rise of a new debate and controversie in the Church wherein there are alace I too many already nor any just cause to reject the former received opinion for any prejudice that follows upon it to which two we shall speak a little 1. We conceive that the difference will not be found so great as the expressions at first seem to carry and were it not that this opinion of his is expresly laid down in opposition to what is commonly received there might be not so great ground to suspect it For. 1. the infusing of habits as necessary and antecedaneous to gracious acts is acknowledged by both and expresly part 1. pag. 158. and 159. he doth condemn the contrary in Grevinchovius at least as an error And part 3. pag. 224. he hath somwhat to the same purpose 2. It is not questioned whether true acts of saving Grace have a rational and deliberate prevalencie over the opposite lusts as he asserts part 3. pag. 212 213. that will be also granted by all Divines that though where true Grace is it may be captivated and not alwayes actually prevail against the opposite suggestions of the flesh yet in a sober and deliberate frame the interest of God and spiritual things will have more room in the heart of one that is renewed as he is such at least than sinful lusts unto which the flesh doth intice 3. It is granted also that beside the act there is necessary for the constituting of it to be saving a sutablenesse and adequatnesse to the object which we will find in the explication thereof to be almost the same with the positive qualifications which formerly we did lay down as pag. 211. and 212. he doth thus expresse it The sincerity of the act as saving consisteth in its being suted to its adequat object considered in its respects which are essential to it as such an object and so to believe in and love God as God and Christ as Christ is the sincerity of these acts but this lieth in believing accepting and loving God as the only supream God c. where expresly the act is considered as acting upon its object under the reduplication formerly mentioned and seems to be by him accounted the same with accepting and loving God above all And again pag. 229. to will God and Christ above all saith he this is to will savingly which he explains thus to will God and God the chief good and Christ as Christ the only Saviour and pag. 230. he saith that a man may will God and Christ who by the understanding are apprehended as the chief good as the devils do and yet by not willing Him as so considered that willing is not saving and wherefore It must be because it wants that reduplication which reduplication in the terme as must be indeed extended to the will as well as to the understanding as he there asserts but is not to be restricted to the degree of its act to speak so but is to be extended also to the nature of it Further we will find the same learned
industrie he had procured something to pay for himself although the stock had been freely bestowed on him by the cautioner 2. It serveth to commend Christ and to bound all boasting and glorying in Him who is our Wisdom Righteousnesse Sanctification Redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 for this very end That â—e who glorieth might glory in the Lord. 3. This riddeth marches between the righteousnesse of the two Covenants that the one is inherent and consisteth in Works that is as the Apostle speaketh Tit. 3.5 the righteousnesse or somewhat which we our selves have done the other is without us and cometh by imputation and so is not only distinguished from our own righteousnesse but opposed to it Philip. 3.9 And although this truth be misrepresented by many yet we judge it to be impregnable and that in the great Day the decision will be found favorable thereto when only happy shall they be that shall be thus found in Christ. Thus therefore we are to conceive the terms of the Gospel as if a debaushed dyvour were ready to be apprehended having nothing to pay suppose one should offer to undertake for him and pay the debt so as he might be liberated upon condition that he should acknowledge his benefactor and plead ever his defence against the pursuit upon the cautioners payment and the discharge procured by Him in this respect the cautioners payment is the meritorious cause whereby such a man is absolved to wit because that payment is reckoned for him or imputed to him yet his pleading that defence or producing of that discharge immediatly may be said instrumentally to procure it because it is not the cautioners payment simplie that is sustained as a relevant defence in judgment till that be instructed and except the defence be founded thereon for so the Law provideth so it is not Christs satisfying simplie but His satisfaction pleaded by Faith and â—â—ed unto that justifieth for so the Law of Faith hath enacted yet the producing of such a discharge meriteth nothing but giveth a legall ground of right to the cause that doth merit and so to what is merited And the Lord hath appointed this to be the condition of Justification to wit the pleading of Christs satisfaction before the barr immediatly for 1. that stoppeth all mouths and none can produce that satisfaction but they must necessarily acknowledge emptinesse in themselves Justice and Grace in God and love and fulnesse in the Mediator 2. The pleading of this sheweth a compleat perfect equal evangelick righteousnesse in all whereas if it were any thing in us that were accounted so then it would not be equal if perfect which cannot be said of that which is our righteousnesse or that one man hath better ground to be justified upon and a better righteousnesse than another 3. That Faith is necessary for Justification so that none can expect to be justified but Believers hath been also hitherto almost amongst all uncontroverted till that of late Antinomians have opposed it But the Scripture is very expresse 1. in limiting all the promises of pardon to a Believer 2. in cursing all that believe not and declaring them to be under the curse 3. in placing Faith correlatively taken in the room that Works had in the first Covenant which must be in reference to Justification it self and not the sense thereof only 4. in asserting that we believe that we may be justified Gal. 2.16 c. So that there needeth not much speaking to this beside that many things spoken of Repentance may be applied here And if it be found that Faith is either the condition of the Covenant of Grace or the instrumental cause of Justification This will necessarily follow that there is no Justification without it I know there are some Divines that use different expressions here yet seing they also oppose Antinomians we will not now stick on that There is more difficulty in conceiving of the manner how faith concurreth that there is some eminency in it is acknowledged both by Papists who account it a radicall grace having influence on all other graces and so having special influence on that which they call Justification and also by some others who making works with it to be conditions of the new Covenant do yet acknowledge a special aptitude in it for applying of Christs righteousnesse and that therefore it is the principal condition and other things lesse principal In this â—ndeed these of the last opinion seem to differ from us 1. That they place Faith Repentance and Works in one and the same kind of causality in reference to Justification 2. That this causality is but to account them all causes sine quibus non 3. That all instrumentality is denied to Faith 4. That Faith is not alone the condition from any respect to its immediate acting on its object Christ but as other graces are 5. That Christ is not our immediate Evangelick righteousnesse but Faith properly taken and that as comprehending all other duties and graces under it and so it is both properly taken and improperly 6. That therefore we may be said to be justified by works as by Faith Faith being taken largely for all Although where the thing is clear and Christ is rested on in Justification and His satisfaction acknowledged as is in this case there needeth be no great debate for words and terms of condition imputation instrument c. yet these being still used among Divines we conceive there is no just reason to cast them the use of them having now of a long time made them to passe in this matter without mistake or strict binding of them to the acceptions wherein they are â—sed in other matters much lesse is there reason to cry down the matter expressed by them And it cannot but be sad that such new controversies should be moved We are perswaâ—ed that the reflecting on many worthy men the obscuring of the troden path by new Questions and Objections the confounding of Readers by proposing as it were of a different strain of the Covenant from what formerly hath been preached the giving of an open door to men to propose new draughts in all things and that not in expressions only but also as is alleaged in fundamentall materiall things c. shall be more prejudiciall to edification nor the bringing forth of this shall be usefull for if by this all the former Doctrine of Justification be enervated where are we till now if it stand so as the followers thereof may attain Heaven what is the use of this so full a new mould with so much professed danger in and dissatisfaction with the former will it not be welcome to Papists to have Protestants speaking in their terms and homologating them in condemning the former language of the most eminent Reformers and though unlearned or unread Divines be the Epithers of the opposers of this Doctrine yet possibly experience may shew that such may most readily be the embracers of it I say again when the Church
and thus Faith is the condition thereof Then 2. Suppose him to look to the charge that standeth against him for his former sins in Gods threatned curse and to satisfie this he giveth-in Christs satisfaction which being offered to him for this end that he upon the receiving thereof may be justified he by Faith resting on Gods faithfull Word through Christ repelleth all these charges by presenting that as his defence and by the letter of the Law of Faith which saith He that believeth shall not come into condâ—mnation but hath passed from death to life he is absolved and this is Justification even as he was formerly condemned by the Law of Works Here the only meritorious cause of the absolution and the righteousnesse upon which the sentence passeth is the Cautioners payment yet so as it is Judicially pleaded in which respect we say that Faith is instrumentall And though this pleading of it be necessary and the Law absolveth not but when the ground iâ— instructed yet this pleading or instructing is not the persons righteousnesse properly or the ground of his absolution but that which is pleaded and instructed to wit the Cautioners payment which being according to Law instructed is the ground of absolving the debtor from the charge this is plain even in the dealing of humane Courts And the tennor of the way of Justification being holden forth in the Word with respect to a judiciall procedour in humane Courts as is said it can no other way be more satisfyingly cleared To insist a little more then there is a twofold peculiarity attributed to Faith beside what is given to works and any other Grace 1. That it is the condition of the Covenant properly 2. That it hath an instrumentall causality peculiar to it in our Justification By the first is meaned that believing in Christ and receiving of Him is that which enstates one into the Covenant and giveth him right to what is promised and doth in our having right to Gods promises supplie that room which conditions do in mens mutuall bargains wherein when one promiseth somewhat on such a condition the performance of that condition doth turn the conditionall promise into an absolute right to him that hath performed it and so a condition is that upon which the title to the great promise to wit Gods being our God doth depend And Faith getteth this name in respect of the place God hath put it into in His Covenant and so it floweth from His extrinsick ordination By the second to wit that it is called an instrumentall cause the intrinsick manner of its acting is respected for though it be from the Spirit with other Graces and they be not separated yet hath it a peculiar aptitude to look to Christ receive Him apprehend and â—at Him take hold of and rest on Him c. which no other grace hath For it is in the new Creature and Inner-man someway proportionably as it is in the Outter-man for though there be many members of one body yet all act not in the same manner the hand acteth one way and the ear another c. So it is in the Inner-man there are many Graces which are members thereof yet have they their peculiar way of acting whereof these mentioned are attributed to Faith for which often it is called the eye the hand and the door of the renewed soul because by it Christ is apprehended received and admitted thereunto We conceive this instrumentality is justly attributed to Faith because seing there must be an application of the righteousnesse of Christ and seing Faith doth concur or is made use of as a mids for receiving of Him which is the way by which His Righteousnesse is applied why may it not be called instrumentall in our Justification as it is instrumental in receiving of and resting on His Righteousnesse by which and for which we are justified And thus Faith is not our receiving but the mean by which we receive as the eye is not our seeing nor the hand our gripping of any thing but the organs or means whereby we see and grip Neither doth this give any thing to Faith that derogateth from Christ for it leaveth the praise and vertue to Him but doth infer only an exercising of Faith for attaining of that benefit to wit Iustification Justification it self being an apotelesma to say so or effect both of Christs purchase Gods Grace and our believing and doth flow from them all respectively and doth presuppose the same The dispute about active and passive instruments is needlesse here seing the meaning is clear that for attaining of Justification by Christs Righteousnesse Faith doth peculiarly concur in the apprehending thereof and resting thereon otherwise than other Graces can be said to do And this cannot be denied if we consider 1. That to be justified by Christ and by Faith or by the righteousnesse of Christ and the righteousnesse of Faith are still one in Scripture even then when that concurrence which is allowed to Faith is denied to all other things which saith that Faith concurreth peculiarly and that so as Christ is rested on by it when it justifieth or that it justifieth by obtaining Justification through Him 2. If this be truth that the righteousnesse of Christ is the thing immediatly presented before Gods Justice upon which we are absolved as is said and also if it cannot be denied that Faith hath a peculiar aptitude to act on Christs Righteousnesse and present the same Then it must be granted first that Faith must have a peculiar way of concurring to the attaining of Justification And secondly that this may well be called an instrumental causality in reference to that end otherwise there is no use nor exercise of this its peculiar aptitude which is still acknowledged And if it please better to say that Faith justifieth or concurreth in Justification in respect of its peculiar aptitude to act on Christ and to receive Him than to say it concurreth instrumentally we shall not contend providing it be the same upon the mater with the ordinary doctrine concerning this instrumentality of Faith which we may illustrate and confirm by these considerations and similitudes 1. It is granted that the Word is the external instrument of Justification and that must be because it doth offer the same upon condition of believing or holdeth forth a righteousness by which we may be justified So Faith must be the internal instrument because it receiveth the same that is offered by the Word and receiving is no lesse necessary to Justification than offering and seing that receiving and offering relate so to each other and both to the end there is reason to attribute the same kind of causality to the one that is given to the other respectively 2. We are said to be justified by Faith in Christ as the people were healed by looking to the brazen serpent which was to typifie this Ioh. 3. vers 14. Now they by the vertue of the serpent considering it typically
but God is in Covenant with him actually as a wifes marrying of a husband doth actually state her in what is the husbands Therefore Faith being that whereby we are entered into Covenant as is granted must be properly the only condition Again either by Faith we are instated in the Covenant of Grace upon the very instant of believing and so justified or one may be supposed to be a Believer and not to be in the Covenant of Grace or to be in the Covenant of Grace and not to be justified both which are absurd Therefore Faith must be the proper condition If it be said here that Justification is a continued act Then we urge 1. If instantly upon believing one be justified and freed from the curse and instated into friendship with God Then it cannot be a continued act But the former is true as is said and to say otherwise would overturn the nature of the Covenant 2. If Justification be a continued act Then our being received and admitted into Covenant as to a right unto the saving blessings promised therein must be a continued act also For these two must stand and fall together to wit to be admitted thus into Covenant and to be justified for who are thus in Covenant are justified and who are justified are thus in Covenant But the last cannot be said to wit that the act of our being admitted or whereby we are entered into Covenant is a continued act because 1. so none living could be said to be in Covenant with God nor account themselves to be Gods or claim God to be theirs which is absurd 2. So one that is a Believer might be said to be under the curse of the Covenant of Works which is contrary unto that freedom pronounced unto Believers for if they be not under Grace they are still under the Covenant of Works and if under Grace then in the Covenant of Grace To say here that God continueth to justifie will not remove this because Justification must continue only as their admitting or the act of their admission into Covenant may continue But it cannot be said that they continue in being admitted into Covenant or that by a continued act the Lord is still admitting them or that they are continuing to enter as it inferreth non-admission or not entry or an imperfect admission but as it supponeth the person to be entered and to continue so It must therefore be so in Justification 3. If a Believer so ipso that he is a Believer hath a shield against all challenges and a righteousnesse that can abide the trial in justice Then cannot Justification be a continued act because if Justification be not instantaneous and immediatly perfect it must either be upon ones not-believing in Christ or because of some defect of the righteousnesse that Faith presenteth and so Faith were not a sufficient shield or it must be because the Word doth not pronounce him just upon the ground of that righteousnesse which were also absurd But the former is true a Believer cannot be conceived to be such but he hath a compleat righteousnesse in Christ and by being in Him hath a sufficient answer to justice upon the first instant of believing as the whole series of the Gospel doth demonstrate he that believeth shalt not come into condemnation c. Therefore must he be upon the first instant justified for if it were but a perfecting it could not be said that he had an actuall perfect righteousnesse but only that it were a perfecting Further we may argue against Works concurring with Faith thus If Works be a condition of the Covenant Then it must either be Works as begun or as persevered into But neither can be said not the first because it is granted that persevering in holinesse is no lesse necessary than entering thereinto not the second because perseverance is a mercy contained in the Covenant and if we may say so promised to us upon condition of our believing and entering Covenant it cannot therefore be the condition of our entering the Covenant Again many have not actual works and yet may be saved therefore Works cannot be the condition If it be said that such have resolutions of and engagement unto Works That cannot solve this because this opinion doth distinguish Works and the necessitie of them from Faith properly and strictly taken yet to them that hold it Faith strictly and properly taken even that which is justifying doth receive Christ as Lord and so implieth this engagement and therefore if that definition of justifying Faith were true and this ground also granted that engaging is sufficient Then also were Faith properly that is strictly taken the condition of the Covenant according as they understand it and so there were no necessity to adde or mention Works as distinct from it or to presse Faith to be the condition as more largely and improperly taken and so in some respect there were no difference for this far none denieth but that actual engaging to Christ and to Holinesse is necessary because it is impossible to conceive one closing with the Covenant but he becometh ipso facto engaged who doth close Or thus that which is the condition to one must be to all at age for of such we speak But actual Works cannot be the condition to all because some may be saved without them as suppose which is not impossible actual consenting to the Covenant and engaging to holinesse were the last act of a person before death neither can they say that engaging to holinesse were in this case sufficient and that it is here intended because Works are spoken of as the condition as they are distinguished from Faith as it is taken by them to be the accepting of Christ as Lord as well as Saviour as hath been said See more of this on Repentance But beside all that is spoken these two mainly stand in the way of our accounting works a condition of the Covenant or of Justification in the same kind of causality with Faith Because it obscureth the difference of the two Covenants to wit the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace for so works should be still the condition of the Covenant of Grace Now the Apostle doth directly oppose these the righteousnesse of the Law saith on this wayes the man that doth those things c. and the righteousnesse of Faith is holden forth as opposit to that and so cannot be said to consist in doing of works Rom. 10.5 6. Gal. 3.12 If it be said that He excludeth legall works or Law-righteousnesse which are not alledged by this opinion but doth not exclude Evangelick works which may well stand with Grace Answ. 1. The Apostles opposition is not made to exclude one kind of works and take in another but simply to exclude all which may come under the expression do this And hence Faith itself as it is our work hath ever been excluded in this respect 2. If we look to works with respect to the
Covenant of Works even so works have no proper merit nor proportion unto the things promised of themselves but as it is determined and condescended to in the Covenant and by vertue of Gods promise made thereunto therefore it is called a Covenant of Works not because of the merit of the works but in respect of the formality of the condition thereof to wit doing that is the righteousnesse which we our selves do Tit. 3.5 And in this respect to work one day and to work twenty years or paying of a thousand talents and one peny doth not difference the nature of the condition of the Covenant supposing the condition of both to be expressed in these terms although the degree thereof be different 3. Faith is opposed to works as the condition of the Covenant or of Justification not as considered in it self but as with respect to its object Christ and so we are thus to conceive the opposition works inherent in us and performed by us are called-for in the Covenant of Works as the righteousnesse thereof and as the only ground upon which we can expect to be justified by it again by the Covenant of Grace Christs Righteousnesse without us received by Faith is only admitted as a Righteousnesse and ground of Justification that Faith is so to be understood in Rom. 10 5.6.and Gal. 3.10 11 12 c. is evident for the righteousnesse spoken of Rom. 10. vers 3 4. which is the righteousnesse of Faith and is opposed to our righteousnesse is Christ the end of the Law for righteousnesse to all that believe who was stumbled at by the Iews c. So it is also in that other place Gal. 3. as the scope manifesteth to wit Faith as making use of Christ His becoming the curse for us And it is observable that in both these Chapters the difference of the conditions of the Covenant of Works and of Grace is insisted on to plead the necessity of a righteousnesse without us in opposition to our own and so Faith must be the condition of the Covenant of Grace as it acteth or resteth on that The second thing that mainly disswadeth from that opinion is that it doth propose something in our selves as the immediate ground of our Justification before God under that title of being our Evangelick righteousnesse for if works concur in that same causality with Faith Then our believing properly must be accounted our righteousnesse and not Christs by Faith taken hold on because these two are inconsistent to wit Faith and works in a proper sense to be our Evangelick-righteousnesse and Christ also For suppose one to be charged at Gods Barr for sin the one way Christ is represented and the other way the mans believing and obedience If it be faid that when we mention believing or Faith it cannot but respect Christ. Answ. 1. Then there is no difference for we acknowledge Faith correlatively taken to be our righteousnesse 2. Then also works cannot concurr in that manner for they cannot so respect him which is all that is intended If it be said that Christ is our legall-righteousnesse that is that by Him we have satisfied the Covenant of Works He having paid in our name but Faith and obedience are our Evangelick-righteousnesse that is as He hath procured a new grant of life upon these easie terms in the Covenant of Grace and so as by performing thereof we may come to have right to what He hath purchased in satisfying the first Covenant Answ. 1. This mis-representeth Gods way of Covenanting who hath not appointed our paying of a small rent as it were a peny to be the ground of our right unto Christs purchase but seing Christ became Cautioner in our name to pay the debt He hath appointed the debtors claiming of and submitting unto his payment to be the terms upon which he shall be absolved as was at the entry to this discourse observed and is clear from Philip. 3.9 where the righteousnesse of Faith which is our Evangelick-righteousnesse and opposed to works and to be found in Christ are one and the one is explained by the other 2. This way doth make a Covenant to be a mids or way for attaining of another righteousnesse for Justification beside Christs and so doth make two righteousnesses in Justification and one of them to be the mids for attaining the other whereas the Gospel righteousnesse is but one in it self by Faith apprehended and made ours 3. Although this may seem not to exalt works by giving them any merit yet it is impossible to account them even to be our Evangelick-righteousnesse or a condition of the Covenant of Grace but there will still be a readinesse to heighten them above their own place which derogateth to the way of Grace that is laid down by Faith in Christ for it is easie to exceed in reference to any thing in our selves considered in it self whereas when Faith is only respected as it apprehendeth Christ it cannot be so considered for it not only merits nothing but it excludeth merit and all boasting and therefore the Lord hath thus wisely ordered that all may be keeped from boasting even of Faith 4. We may answer if by legall-righteousnesse be understood that which may be satisfying to the Law so Christ indeed is our legall-righteousnesse yet so as by the Gospel only we have accesse to Him and have a promise of being accepted through Him without the receiving of which by Faith He is not a legall-righteousnesse to any and so He is our only Evangelick-righteousnesse also and thus our legall-righteousnesse and Evangelick are the same for there is but one charge to a sinner which only can be answered by fleeing to Christ and so He is our legall-righteousnesse as the Laws charge is satisfied by Him and He is our Evangelick-righteousnesse as that mean of answering the Law is to us proposed in the Gospel and for us upon the condition foresaid accepted by the same without which Christ had never been our legall-righteousnesse and the dividing of these two righteousnesses doth suppone that there may be a legall-righteousnesse in Christ to such as may actually never partake thereof and we are afraid that some such thing may occasion this distinction whereas Gods way in the Gospel is to provide a righteousnesse for such as were given to Christ by which they may be actually justified Isa. 53.11 And if Christ be not this Gospel-righteousnesse what can be it For it is by Him we are freed from the curse of the Law which is the end wherefore this Gospel-righteousnesse is preached And it is by putting on Him that even the Gospel holdeth forth Justification But if we consider the Law-righteousnesse strictly as it requireth personall holinesse or satisfaction from the very party so Christ is not our legall-righteousnesse and in that sense it cannot be pleaded for it must therefore follow that He is our Gospel-righteousnesse seing no other way but by the Gospel we have accesse to Him And
therefore that distinction will not hold here for Christ is either our legall-righteousnesse that is the righteousness which the Law holdeth forth and accepteth of it self or our Evangelick-righteousnesse that is the righteousnesse which the Gospel holdeth forth and which by it is accepted But he is not the first Ergo he must be the second And so Faith properly taken cannot be our Evangelick-righteousnesse seing Christ and Faith properly taken without relation to Him cannot both be so accounted Again if Faith properly taken and that largely be our Gospel-righteousnesse upon which we are justified Then it is either Faith including that respect to Christ or not But neither of these can be for if it respect and include Christ then it is what we say Faith with its object and not Faith properly and so not Faith in that same causality with works which is asserted if it respect not nor include Christ Then is there a righteousnesse and ground of Justification wherein Christ is not comprehended which will-sound no way like a Gospel-righteousnesse If it be said that he hath procured Faith in that large sense to be accepted Ans. 1. That maketh a new Covenant of Works as is said 2. That is not to make Christ to be our immediate righteousnesse but only to have procured that such works should be accepted and the former Covenant mitigated but not in its nature changed And so 3. It homologateth Popish Doctrine which we hope is far from being intended by the maintainers of this opinion 4. That overturneth the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse â—s our immediate righteousnesse which is enough to make it to be shuned for if we lippen to such graces and duties as abstracted from Christ and without resting on Him that is not to be found in him but in them for these two are opposed Philip. 3.9 and so they are a righteousnesse that will never quiet the conscience and which the Gospel will never own as an Evangelick-righteousnesse rest on it who will If it be said Cannot Faith then properly taken be in any respect counted a condition or ground of right For Answ. In sum we say 1. That Faith at most is but the condition on which Christ becometh our Righteousnesse or is impured to us for our Justification and so Faith it self properly cannot be our righteousnesse 2. We say that when Faith is called the condition of the Covenant or our righteousnesse it doth not imply that it is properly imputed but it sheweth to whom and upon what terms Christs Righteousnesse is imputed or how a sinner may have accesse to be justified by it 3. We say that Faith when it is called the condition is ever to be taken strictly that is as it receiveth Christ and by that manner of acting is differenced from all other graces and works And so 4. We say that it cannot be conceived under this consideration but as looking to Christs Righteousnesse as the object thereof even as we cannot conceive a consent which constituteth a Marriage without respect unto the party consented unto and his offer or declaration of his will preceding without which no consent could be constitutive of Marriage or be a ground of claim to any of the goods or priviledges of such a person or as we cannot conceive looking to the brazen Serpent as the condition upon or mean by which health was gotten but with respect to the object thereof to wit the Serpent and the ground and warrand preceding to wit Gods appointment without which a look considered simply in it self is not so to be esteemed If it be yet urged further here that if Faith properly taken be the condition of the Covenant of Grace and hath in that succeeded in the room that Works had in the Covenant of Works Then Faith must be our Evangelick-righteousnesse because Works then were our legal-righteousnesse and that upon which our right to life did stand But the former is truth He that said do and live faith now believe and be saved Ergo c. Ans. 1. This will say nothing for Faith largely taken as comprehending Works but at the most for Faith strictly taken as contradistinguished from them and so there will not be that same kind of causality in both but the contrary 2. In this condition Faith is never to be taken without implying the object Christ or without respect to its proper aptitude for receiving of Him and so believe and thou shalt be saved implyeth still this receive Christ and rest on His Righteousnesse or submit to Christs Righteousness and accept of Him for that end that He may be righteousnesse to thee and thou shalt be saved it is impossible to conceive it otherwise at least rightly Now when upon believing Justification doth follow and the person is declared just it cannot be said that the act of believing properly is imputed and that upon that account he is declared just it is rather Christs Righteousnesse believed on that is imputed to him and upon that account he is declared just which is the very terms of the Covenant of Redemption whereby the sinners sins are imputed to Christ whereupon He as Cautioner is sentenced and made sin that His Righteousnesse may be imputed to us and so we upon that account made righteous and that in him and not in our selves as it is 2 Cor. 5.21 which implieth that even our Evangelick-righteousnesse whereby we are absolved is in Him and not in our selves as the sin for which He was sentenced was in us and not in Him 3. There is this difference betwixt the two Covenants as was said The one is a servile Covenant to say so and must have what is engaged to in it performed before one have right to what is promised and so works were in the Covenant of Works the condition upon which life was to be expected and without the actuall performing of which there could have been no pleading for it but this to wit the Covenant of Grace is a conjugall Covenant therefore is not the condition thereof in all things to be squared by that Beside works were the very materiall righteousnesse upon which Justification was founded in the Covenant of Works but to say of Faith as taken in itself and without respect to Christ that it were so the condition now would be absurd Christ being by the whole strain of the Gospel holden forth to be rested on before we can be justified and yet even this would not confirm any way what is said of the joynt concurrance of Grace and works in that same kind of causality with Faith If it be further said may not Faith properly taken be called the condition upon which Christs Righteousnesse becometh a sinners and is imputed to him Answ. 1. This confirmeth what we say for if Faith be the condition upon which Christ becometh our Righteousnesse Then it is Christ who is our Righteousnesse and not Faith strictly and properly taken much lesse largely as comprehending all other Graces for if it were
our righteousnesse properly there needed no imputation of Christs after our believing except it be said as some Papists say that it is imputed to make up our defects and to make our holinesse acceptable and so it were our Faith and Works that should be justified by the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse and not our persons which is contrary to Scripture 2. This is upon the mater the same with what we said as is hinted for suppose a debtor to be pursued he pleadeth absolution because his Cautioner hath payed and he produceth the discharge given to him wherein that is acknowledged his pleading so and producing of that discharge may be someway called the ground that giveth him right in Law to have that payment of the Cautioners imputed to him yet his absolution floweth from the complex businesse not of his pleading simply but of the cautioners paying his pleading of that payment and the Laws accepting of that defence and imputing of it to him and so from all these together his absolution floweth just so it is here our Justification floweth from Christs satisfaction being accepted and rested on by us and imputed to us by God And therefore thirdly though Faith properly be the condition upon which Christs Righteousnesse is imputed to us I had rather call it the mean by which it is apprehended yet it followeth not that therefore Faith properly taken is our righteousnesse and as such is imputed to us and accounted so seing still this presupposeth the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse in order of nature to interveen betwixt our believing and our Justification and therefore that His Righteousnesse imputed must be properly our righteousnesse seing we upon account and considered as such to wit as having Christs Righteousnesse imputed to us are justified and upon that Righteousnesse imputed Justification is immediatly grounded Yet Fourthly All this doth say nothing for Faith largly taken as comprehending all Gospel-duties for though Faith strictly taken be necessary for having right to Christs Righteousnesse or having it imputed to us yet are not actuall works so by any means but through the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse we are first accepted and then bring forth these good works which sheweth that they do not go before that imputation of Christs Righteousnesse or our Justification but that rather they follow thereupon For if we cannot do good works till we be Sanctified and if none be Sanctified but such as are Justified and these two cannot be separated no not for an instant of time for it cannot be said that a man is Sanctified but not yet Justified aut contra Then it will follow that a man is Justified before he hath actuall works it is of such we debate and not of habituall seminall holinesse for he may be and is Sanctified before he can have them much more ere he persevere in them And so consequently actuall good works cannot concur to Justification as Faith doth or be the condition thereof But the former is true and clear Therefore so is the latter also which is the thing that was in Question Lastly we say if Faith properly and largely taken according to their meaning or yet strictly be imputed to us for Righteousnesse Then either Christs Righteousnesse is not imputed but our Faith only or Christs Righteousnesse and our Faith properly taken also But neither can be said not the first to wit that the Righteousness of Christ is not imputed to us but Faith only That I suppose is not intended neither can the latter be said viz. that Faith is imputed to us for Righteousness and Christ also for then Christ is either imputed for our totall righteousness and so Faith cometh not in or as a partiall righteousness and that is absurd Again either His Righteousness is imputed to us before we believe and so before our Faith can be imputed which is false for that would make Christs Righteousness to be ours before we were in Covenant internally Or it is imputed to us after we believe and so after our own Faith is imputed to us and accepted for Righteousness But that cannot be for then we would be righteous before the imputation of Christs Righteousness which is absurd or lastly both must be imputed together which also cannot be for if both be imputed together properly Then both in the same sense or kind of causality or in diverse senses the first cannot be said for that would make both meritorious which is disclaimed if the last be said then it must be so as the one is imputed to us for our legall-righteousness to wit Christs satisfaction and the other as our Evangelick to wit Faith But 1. That is the thing already spoken to and doth divide Christ and our Gospel-righteousness Or 2. It turneth to this that Christ is the thing that satisfieth Justice but Faith is the ground or mean by which we come to have title to that satisfaction which is the thing that is granted and we suppose is the thing that by some is intended and is in sum that to which others give the name of the instrumentall cause And if so there needeth not be contending for words for both are acknowledged to wit that by Christs Righteousnesse only as the meritorious cause we are justified and that there is no right to plead Justification by that except by Faith or upon condition of believing by which actuall right to Christ and by Him Justification is obtained Further it cannot be said that they are imputed joyntly for then 1. Either that imputation must be an instantaneous act at the first believing or exercise of Faith and so Justification must be an instantaneous act also which they will not grant because the Faith that is imputed according to them is Faith and the exercise of holinesse persevered in for which cause Justification to them is a continued act 2. It must be instantaneous but not imputed till Faith and Holinesse be persevered into and by this neither Christs Righteousnesse nor Faith is imputed to the person not can he be accounted in friendship with God or to be in Christ or righteous till his life be closed for he cannot be accounted so till he be justified and he is not justified till these be imputed to him for Righteousnesse Or 3. that imputation must be a continued act from the first closing with Christ till the end But how can that be For 1. It is hard to conceive the act of the imputation of our faith to be continued but more hard to conceive the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse to be a continuing act for Christs Righteousnesse at the first is perfect and it is to be imputed to the Believer if therefore one may be called a Believer it is to be imputed to him instantly 2. Imputation being a judiciall word and act it supponeth an instant sentencing of such a righteousnesse to belong to such a person as it were and to be accepted for him for if he hath not perfect right there is
whereof was contained in the Marriage-contract Yet cannot they be accounted properly the condition of the Marriage-covenant because the performing of them doth pre-suppose the Marriage just so is it here there are some things that in a large sense are pre-requisit to the clossing of the Covenant or at least do go alongst with it as conviction of sin Repentance historical faith desire of peace and union with God c. something to wit Faith doth actually close therewith some things follow thereon as duties to be performed by one in Covenant as the duties of holiness and bringing forth the fruits of it c. Now to come to our assertions the first of them is this If we take a condition largely Repentance may be called a condition of the Covenant as sensible poverty may be called a condition upon which almes is given or as the forsaking of the fathers house and cleaving to the husband may be called the condition of the Marriage as conviction may be called a condition of the Covenant because it is supposed Yet secondly we assert That if we take a condition strictly and properly Repentance cannot be called the condition of the Covenant but Faith only in that proper strict sense because 1. In the opposition of the two Covenants of Works and Grace Faith is put in opposition to Works and Repentance is not so formally opposed Rom. 10. vers 5 6 c. And Faith in that place is to be understood properly as distinguished from other Graces of Repentance Love c. because it is that Faith which doth peculiarly justifie in opposition to Works and as contradistinguished from them 2. Because that which is the condition of the Covenant of Grace and doth succeed to the condition of the Covenant of Works must be something laying hold on an externall object without a man to wit Christs Righteousnesse for the performing of the condition must be the ground of our expecting the thing promised which only Christs Righteousnesse laid hold on can be reckoned to be But Repentance cannot act thus upon Christs Righteousnesse by taking hold of it without a mans self but it acteth upon an object within himself to wit upon his own sins in turning from them to God which yet it doth but imperfectly and so cannot be opposed in reckoning with God in place of the condition of the Covenant of Works Therefore Repentance cannot be properly the condition of the Covenant of Grace nor yet any thing that is meerly inherent in us and doth not so act upon Christ whereof more was said formerly If it be said that Faith is an inherent Grace no lesse than Repentance The answer is easie to wit That Faith is not considered meerly as an inherent Grace when it is called the condition of the Covenant but as it uniteth to Christ and closeth with Him offered in the Gospel even as in a Marriage consent willingnesse and contentednesse to Marrie such a man although it be an act of the will yet as it is an act of the will it is not considered as the condition of the Marriage-knot but as it relateth to a proposed match and is the accepting thereof And hence though love respect to the party and other things be necessary to Marriage and in a large sense may be called conditions thereof yet are they not properly the condition which constituteth a person married to another because they act not so as to receive and close with the proposed offer 3. Repentance is not that which formally constituteth one a Covenanter because one is not a Covenanter as he is a penitent but as he is a Believer for the immediat satisfying ground of ones claim to the Covenant is because by Faith he hath received the offer and therefore as such he hath right to the Covenant it will not so follow from Repentance to wit upon this formal consideration he exerciseth Repentance therefore upon that formal consideration he is a Covenanter It is true it is an evidence of the former because a penitent is a Covenanter but his being a penitent is not the ratio formalis of his being a Covenanter only it supponeth him to have by Faith closed with the Covenant For we may consider repenting as abstracted from formal closing and covenanting although we cannot separate the one from the other but we cannot consider believing as acting on its object but we must consider it as closing with the Covenant Therefore Repentance cannot properly be the condition of the Covenant as Faith is 4. That which is properly the condition doth of it self upon its fulfilling give one a title to the things promised and doth become the ground of a right unto them it was so upon supposition of fulfilling the Covenant of Works and it is so in all Covenants But Repentance cannot do so Therefore c. If it be said although Repentance cannot so do it alone yet Faith and it may do so together And seing by this opinion Faith is admitted with Repentance joyntly to be the condition of the Covenant That argument cannot hold because it is not said that Repentance is the only condition Answ. The argument doth shut out Repentance from being accounted any part of the proper condition thus If Repentance cannot joyntly with believing in Christ be put in as a piece of our righteousnesse before Gods Throne Then it can be no part of the proper condition because the performing of the proper condition hath a ground in all Covenants to plead for the performance of what is promised and the absolving of the party fulfilling the same upon that account But the former cannot be said of Repentance for our Repentance can no way be alledged before Gods Justice as our righteousnesse Ergo c. This may be made out thus If Repentance may be tabled as any part of our righteousnesse Then it must be either as a Grace inherent in us or as it acteth on Christs Righteousnesse without us But neither can be said not the first because no inherent Grace is to be admitted in that respect in whole or in part not the second because Repentance hath no such faculty of acting on Christs Righteousnesse as hath been said and therefore cannot be said to concur so at all 5. If receiving of Christs offer be the formal and proper condition of the Covenant alone Then Repentance cannot be any part of the proper condition thereof because it is not by Repentance but by Faith that we do receive Him But the former is true receiving and closing with Christ by faith is the only proper condition thereof Therefore c. Beside what is said in the former discourse this appeareth thus If receiving of Christ by Faith doth only formally entitle one to the Covenant and all the promises thereof as such Then it must be formally the proper condition because that entitling to the thing promised is the great character of a proper condition But Faith only is such And therefore is the righteousnesse of
this Covenant called peculiarly the righteousnesse of Faith and not of Repentance Love c. because Faith giveth a title to the righteousnesse Covenanted which Repentance doth not And because in the performing of the mercies Covenanted in the way of Grace greater weight is laid on Faith than on Repentance or any other Grace Again that Faith is the proper condition may appear thus because it is properly and expresly proposed as the condition Act. 8. It is said to the Eunuch If thou beleivest thou may be Baptized and Act. 16. to the Jaylor when the Question is expresly proposed What shall I do to be saved Believe saith Paul and thou shalt be saved So answered the Lord Ioh. 6.28.29 This is the work of God to believe c. Neither can it in reason be objected that as these places do propose Faith so other places do propose Repentance as the condition as Act. 2.38 c. For it cannot be denied but Faith doth otherwise act on Christs Righteousnesse and the Covenant than Repentance can do and therefore Faith is acknowledged to be principall whereas if that objection hold Repentance and Works would be equalled with it We therefore take it thus where Repentance is proposed there the whole way of turning to God more generally is proposed But where Faith is proposed that which more properly and peculiarly doth state our interest in God is proposed as the consideration of the formal actings of these Graces will clear and is wholly denied by none 6. That must be the proper condition of the Covenant which doth entitle God to the person as the person to God For the Covenant being mutual that which giveth men a right to God and bringeth them within the compasse of the Covenant must constitute them to be Gods and give him as it were a right to them by vertue thereof But it is not Repentance that giveth God formally a Title to a soul but it is receiving of Him by Faith and submitting to His Righteousnesse Therefore it must not be Repentance but Faith that is the proper condition This is seen in a Marriage-covenant For that is the womans condition upon her part which doth entitle her to her Husband as well as her Husband to her Now it is not Repentance that giveth up one to Christ as His as is clear but Faith c. that delivereth up a person to him and is that whereby one taketh him and consenteth to be His. And therefore it is Faith that doth entitle Christ to be His. Ergo c. 7. If all these works were the condition of the Covenant then entry into the Covenant were a successive work and not instantaneous but this is absurd Therefore not these but Faith alone is the condition of the Covenant for if in an hour yea in an instant at a Sermon a man may have his heart opened to receive Christ and by that have a right to Baptism as a Covenanter Then it is not successive But the former is truth Ergo. 8. If these Works were the condition and not Faith only Then upon supposition of Faith could not the Sacrament of Baptism be administred But it behoved to have antecedaneous to it not only the purpose but the actuall performing of these works because Baptizing supponeth the accepting of the Covenant what therefore entitleth one in profession must when it is really done be the condition of the inward covenanting 9. If Faith be the proper condition Then Repentance cannot be so because Faith is not a condition of the Covenant meerly as it is a Grace but as it is peculiarly qualified in its manner of acting Now Repentance not being qualified with that manner of acting cannot be a part of the proper condition 1. Because if so then were graces of different actings admitted to concur in the same capacity and manner of acting contrary to their natures 2. If so then not only Repentance but every Grace and all good Works might be accounted parts of the proper condition of the Covenant as well as Repentance and Faith if there were no peculiarnesse in Faiths acting respected in this And though this may be counted no absurdity by some yet to such as plead only to joyn Repentance with Faith it may have weight And to others we propose these considerations First That the evidence of light doth constrain the acknowledging of Faith to be eminently the condition beyond all yea that it may be called the only condition of the new Covenant 1. Because it is the principall condition and the other but lesse principall 2. Because all the rest are reducible to it as necessary antecedents or means c. so Mr. Baxter Apho. Thos 62. and the formall and essentiall acts of this Faith are acknowledged to be subjection acceptation consent cordiall Covenanting and self resigning Now if Faith be the principall condition and that as acting so in which respects no other Grace can act Then certainly Faith hath a peculiar property here and that not as a Grace simply but in respect of the formality of its acting which doth confirm all that is said And thus Faith is not the principall condition as being only so in degree like a chief City amongst many Cities but in respect of a different manner of acting and an excellency to say so that is in it in that respect Such acts being peculiar and proper to it which are the proper characters of a proper condition and if so seing all other things mentioned are acknowledged as necessary antecedents or means or implyed duties c. why should there be a contending about words and a new controversie stated for the nature of a condition when the Church is almost suffocated with controversies already Secondly If Works be the condition equally with Faith Then our being accounted Covenanters must follow actuall Holinesse and till then none are indeed Covenanters which is absurd as was formerly said for so none could otherwayes have right to any thing in the Covenant If it be said These are seminally and in purpose at the entry That will not answer it because it 's not the purpose but the actuall performing of the condition that giveth right Beside if a purpose satisfie for a condition in these Then either seminall Faith or a purpose thereof is to be admitted also which is absurd or if actuall Faith be required and but other conditions in purpose Then it is actuall Faith and not these that is the proper condition of the Covenant Thirdly If these Graces and good Works be the condition of the Covenant Then it is either in respect of their particular acts or of persevering in them But neither can be said Ergo c. Not particular acts because the Scripture hangeth the prize on overcoming continuing to the end c. and not on acts Nor can it be perseverance because so no benefit of the Covenant could be pleaded till it were ended for it is the intire condition and not a part thereof that
to say that all are not redeemed c. because it leaveth this stumbling-block before the person that he knoweth not whether he ought to believe or not because he knoweth not whether he be redeemed or not and this thought may also follow him if he be not redeemed can his believing be usefull to him Answ. There are severall mistakes in this Objection Therefore we shall answer several wayes thereunto And first we say that even upon supposition that one doth not believe in Christ this Doctrine asserted is more comfortable than the other because first he hath no lesse warrand to believe in Christ and rest on Him than if the other Doctrine were supposed for it is not Christs dying for any that warranteth him to believe or is the object of his Faith but it is Gods call requiring faith of him and Gods offer and promise knitting life to the performance of that condition of believing called-for These are contained in Gods revealed Will which is the rule of our practice and the ground of our Faith And according to this Doctrine a hearer of the Gospel hath these grounds for his warrand and there can no other be given even upon the contrary supposition Secondly If he be brought to yeeld to His call to receive His offer and to trust himself to His promise he hath then more solid ground of consolation because of the certain connexion that is betwixt Faith and Salvation than he can have by the other Doctrine which by the interwoven Errors concerning Free-wil the falling away of such as sometime have been true Believers c. is wholly brangled And so supposing him not yet to have closed with Christ he hath the more effectuall motives to engage him thereunto because by so doing all is made sure 2. We answer this Doctrine of particular Redemption to call it so doth never make Salvation impossible to any that will receive Christ and rest on Him but on the contrary though it deny that all men are redeemed or shall be saved yet doth it assert this Universal that all whosoever shall believe are redeemed and shall be saved which certainly doth make the expectation of life through faith in Christ to be the more certain and doth lay the more solid ground for a tossed sinner to cast himself upon when it saith there was never a sinner of any rank or quality that did believe or shall believe in Jesus Christ but he shall be saved from which he may conclude Then if I can or shall believe in Christ I also shall be saved which conclusion will not follow from the other Doctrine And seing this is the very expresse letter of the Gospel whosoever believeth shall be saved there is no ground left to question the same without manifest reflecting upon the faithfulnesse of God 3. We answer If any thing follow from this ground all are not redeemed it is this Therefore all shall not be saved or Therefore all will not believe both which are true And it doth only make Salvation impossible to him who doth not believe in Christ for to such it saith if thou believe not thou shall not be saved neither in such a case hast thou ground to think thy self redeemed and what absurditie is in these yea upon the grounds of the other Doctrine there is none without Faith that can promise themselvs life or comfort themselves in their pretended universall Redemption more than upon the grounds which we have laid down therefore it can never be said that believing in Christ is uselesse according to this Doctrine yea it is asserted to be alwayes usefull and profitable whereas by the opposite grounds it may be often without these comfortable effects following thereupon In the fourth place we Answer That this Objection as much more in this controversie doth flow from a mistake of the true nature of justifying Faith for it supponeth it to be the hearts receiving of and closing with this as a truth that Christ hath died for me in particular and that His death was particularly intended for me This is the more dangerous because it hath been entertained by many and hath been the occasion of mistake even to some great men who have laid this for a ground as Cameron doth on this subject Christus mortuus est pro te si tu id factum credas that is Christ hath died for thee if thou believe it so to be now according to that ground it is impossible but to miscarry both in reference to this Doctrine the Doctrine of Justification and severall other most concerning-truths It is to be adverted then that when we are called to believe in Christ we are not called instantly to believe that Christ hath offered up Himself as a satisfaction for us in particular but we are to conceive it in this order First We are called to believe the truth of the Gospel and the way of Salvation laid down therein to wit that there is no name under Heaven by which a sinner can be saved but by the Name of Jesus and that yet all who believe in Him shall be justified and saved c. Thus we may apply that word Heb. 11.6 He that cometh to God must first believe that He is c. for if this generall truth be not acknowledged saving Faith wanteth the discoverie of a sufficient and fit object to rest itself upon Secondly We are then called to receive this Christ offered to us in the Gospel and by Faith to be take ourselves to Him so discovered and there as on a solid foundation to rest for the obtaining of Justification and life by the vertue of His satisfaction according to the offer that is made in the Gospel This is the main act of saving Faith whereby a sinner cometh to be entituled to Christ and to the benefits of His death Whereupon thirdly followeth our accepting of the forsaid offer being supposed a warrant to look upon Christ as ours upon the benefits purchased by Him as belonging to us and upon ourselves as actually redeemed by Him none of which before that could have been warrantably concluded but this being supposed there is good ground for it because a sinner by receiving of Christ cometh to have interest in Him and so consequently in all that is His for Christ and His benefits are not separated and therefore except there be ground to bear out this title to Christ Himself there is no warrant to believe that any of His benefits do belong to us Now according to this forsaid order no hearer is ever called to believe what is false Because these three are ever true to wit First That life is certain through Faith in Christ and no other wayes Secondly that one who is called to believe on Him ought to obey and that Gods call is a good ground for that obedience Thirdly This is also a truth that one who hath yeelded may look upon himself as accepted of God and redeemed by Christ Jesus because in the
be so chearfull a Song to the redeemed neither would it warrant them to say Thou hast redeemed us in a peculiar sense seing these effects are common to others also many might have ground to blesse for these mercies beside these who are made Kings and Priests All which are most inconsistent with the strain and scope of this place It is true if we will consider the way and method how these benefits are applied to the redeemed or the order by which they come to be possessed of them that instantly upon Christs suffering all cannot be said to be actually justified nor glorified more than they can be said all to have really existed because the Lord in His Covenant hath particularly concluded when and by what means such persons and no other should be brought to believe in Christ and actually to be justified even as well as when they should have a being or at what time their life should be brought to an end and they actually be glorified yet if we consider the things purchased in respect of the bargain we will find that they were absolutely and actually bought unto such persons and satisfied-for by the Mediator so as not only in His intention He aimed to make their Justification and Salvation possible but really and simply to make it sure and to procure it to them yet so as in due time and method it is to be applyed And we conceive that it is a dangerous assertion to say that Peter before his believing had no more interest any way in Christs death than Iudas which yet followeth upon the last opinion that was casten and is acknowledged by the Authors thereof See Cameron part 3. pag. 583. Indeed if we will consider Peters own estate as considered in its self without respect to the Covenant of Redemption and if we consider any actuall claim which he might lay to Christs death in that condition for his own peace and comfort there was no difference but if we will consider Christs sufferings as in the bargain of Redemption before the Lord the procuring of Peters Justification and Glorification was really undertaken-for by the Mediator and his debt satisfied-for by His suffering in his name so as it could not fail in reference to him more than if he had actually had a being and had been justified and glorified when that transaction was closed none of all which can be said of Iudas whose name was never in the Covenant of Redemption as Peters was The second thing moved was to consider if Faith and other saving Graces be fruits of Christs purchase so as by His satisfaction He did not only really intend the purchasing of pardon upon condition of believing but also the purchasing of Regeneration Faith c. that so the Elect might come to the obtaining of pardon Arminius and the Patrons of Free-will do deny Faith to be a fruit of Christs purchase So doth Cameron and some others but with this difference that these last do assert that the gift of believing doth not flow from mans free-will or any sufficient grace bestowed upon all but from Gods Soveraign good-wil thinking meet to bestow that gift upon some whom He hath Elected and not upon others and this they say is a meer fruit of His Soveraign good will without respect to the merit of Christs death even as His decree of election was The reason of the denying of this we conceive to be their making of the fruit and effect of Christs death to be common to all and it being clear in experience that all men have not Faith it cannot be consistent with the former ground to account it the fruit of Christs purchase for what He hath purchased cannot but be brought to passe as elsewhere Cameron asserteth and so according to their first ground Faith would be common to all men And to say that Christ hath purchased Faith conditionally as He hath purchased life and Salvation unto all were absurd because there is a clear condition upon which men may expect life to wit believing but there can be no such condition conceived upon which Faith may be said to be purchased But to answer what was moved we say That Conversion Regeneration Faith Repentance c. are no lesse the fruit of Christs purchase than pardon and Justificatioâ— c. because first by His purchase we are made Kings and Priests unto God And wherein do these priviledges consist but in the having and exercising of these inward saving graces of the Spirit whereby the Elect are made in a spirituall sense Kings and Priests Secondly It can not be well understood how Justification and Glorification may be said to be purchased by Him if all the steps by which these are necessarily brought about be not in the same manner procured Thirdly We are said to be blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus Ephes. 1.3 which must thus be understood to wit that by His merit we have these communicated to us and Is not Faith and saving Grace to be accounted amongst spirituall blessings Fourthly He is made to us of God not only Righteousnesse but also Wisdom Sanctification and Redemption 1 Corinth 1 30.31 and certainly under these expressions all saving graces needfull to the working out of our Salvation are comprehended And the end of this is that whosoever glorieth may glory alone in Him as having all in Him and nothing but by Him Neither would there be such occasion of glorying in Him if these were not purchased by Him Fifthly The considering of the Covenant of Redemption will also fully clear this for no question that must be a fruit of Christs purchase which the Lord hath promised to the Mediator as a satisfaction to Him for His sufferings Now this is clear that it is not only promised to Christ that many through Faith in Him shall be justified but that certainly He shall see His seed and the fruit of the travel of His soul Isa. 53.10 11. That His people shall be willing in the day of His power Psal. 110.3 That these whom the Father hath given Him shall come unto Him Ioh. 6.37 and that they shall all be taught of God c. and What else can these speciall promises import but this to wit that the Son the Mediator for laying down of His life shall have many given Him and actually by the Spirit drawn to Him and made to believe in Him and to acknowledge Him as the Author of their eternall Salvation without which that promise of seing His seed could never be accomplished Yea must not all the promises of the Covenant have one rise and be derived through one meritorious cause Now these promises of Sanctification such as to take away the stony heart to give a new heart to cleanse us from all our idols and wash us with clean water c. are in one bundle with the promises of His pardoning our iniquity and remembering our sins no more as is clear in Ezek. 36.25 26 c. and
made to God in his name How can it be said that properly any thing is purchased by Christs sufferings to him for this is certain that it is Christs death as it is a satisfaction and price offered in the name of any that doth procure any good to them Beside Christs bearing of the sins of any and their obtaining of Justification are still linked together as was formerly said and therefore seing no Reprobate is justified it cannot be said that Christ hath born their sins and consequently upon that account hath procured any thing to them This difference may be thus illustrated as suppose one having intended out of a number of slaves to relieve so many should therefore covenant a price for them and actually pay the same having withall this included in the bargain that so many other slaves should be appointed to wait on Him till these ransomed ones were safely transported and for that end that they should be for a time freed from some common drudgeries that other slaves are lying under and be someway fitted in their apparell and otherwayes as might become His honour and further Him in the gathering together shipping and transporting of these whom actually He had bought yet still He neither mindeth the relieving of these nor doth for that end pay in the least measure their ransom but only hath this articled to Him as conducing to the good of the main bargain In that case it cannot be said that He had properly bought these whom He minded never to transport or that any price laid down in the principal bargain was laid in their name yet it cannot be denied but that many advantages do follow upon that bargain to such beyond others which yet in the end by reason of their own miscarriages might turn to their greater hurt as suppose they should refuse to obey Him or to put on the cloths bestowed upon them but should abandon him and renounce their present liberty and not wait on to the end c. and so procure themselves justly to be deprived of any favour and to be punished for their ingratitude So may it be said in the present case yet we shall not much contend for words as whether such a thing should be called a consequent or an effect providing Christ be not said to have sustained the room of or by being made sin to have satisfied in lesse or more for any whom He doth not actually redeem and own for His. The fourth Question is If Christ Jesus the only absolute Redeemer of the Elect alone may not yet be said to have redeemed all men conditionally and in the laying down of His life to have intended the purchasing of life to all upon this condition if they should believe in Him This conditionall Redemption is diversly expressed by Learned men who in their Writings do abhor the grosseness of the Socianian and Arminian Doctrines concerning Redemption Some say that Christ died absolutely for none but conditionally for all that is that He purchased life for all upon condition that they should believe that He had died for them and that God by His decree of Election hath decreed to give Faith to some and not to others whereby Christs death becometh effectuall to them and not to others which difference doth yet flow from nothing in Christs death They say also that Christ by His death procured freedom to all from the curse of the Law so that that is removed from all except any by not believing that Christ hath died for them shall make themselves liable to that curse as Cameron asserteth pag. 584. This opinion doth not lay the weight of mens making themselves to differ upon themselves but it doth acknowledge the freedom soveraignity and power of Grace as also the impotencie and corruption of nature yet we conceive it is dangerous and doth directly contradict what hath been asserted from the Text. For 1. it denieth any even the Elect to be absolutely redeemed which though true in some sense to wit in respect of the method and manner of the application of the purchased Redemption yet can it not be said to be true in respect of the purchase and bargain it self or in respect of the parties bargaining in this purchase because Christ did not buy pardon of sin and Salvation to sinners abstractly upon condition that they should believe but did particularly and absolutely purchase the pardon of sin and Salvation to such and such as were proposed to Him And this He did not by buying Salvation to the Elect upon condition they should believe without making both the condition to wit Faith and Salvation sure unto them but He absolutely redeemed Peter Iohn and other Elect persons by purchasing Salvation and every thing needfull for the making of it sure unto them although in due manner these be to be communicated according to the terms of the Covenant 2. It doth deny Faith to be a fruit of Christs purchase which is contrary to what was formerly said 3. This doth assert the Reprobate by Christs death to be freed from the curse of the Law In the day that thou eatest c. which is not to be understood as if upon condition of believing they were to be freed from it if so they did fulfill that condition for that is not controverted but it must be understood of some freedom from the curse of the Law that redoundeth actually to the Reprobate from Christs death And it doth suppone them to have attained some freedom thereby which their after unbelief and ingratitude do make void unto them And so they have not this freedom from the curse offered to them upon condition of their believing but they have it if by their unbelief they do not mar their right to it Now this so understood will infer that Christ was made a curse in the room of all men which is contrary to what is said for they cannot be thought to be freed any way from under the curse except by His sustaining it for them And His bearing of the curse in the stead of any or His taking on their iniquity hath ever their freedom following upon it for whom He did the same as was formerly marked Again there are many of mankind suppose young Children dying before any actuall sin who cannot be liable to any other curse but the curse of the Law yet cannot all these even such as are without the visible Church and the promises be said peremptorily and absolutely to be saved Beside this will infer that either the Reprobate shall not have the breach of the first Covenant imputed to them or that they shall have that debt imputed to them whâ—ch Christ Himself did pay in their name which is inconsistent with the Scriptures formerly mentioned 4. This doth make Christs death considered as to Him and in it self to be equally laid down for Peter and Iudas which the Authors of this opinion will abhor yet doth it necessarily follow thereupon for supposing Christ to die
absolutely for none but conditionally for all there is in that respect no more regard had to Peter than to Iudas for He died conditionally for Iudas and He did no more for Peter and so Salvation upon the condition of believing is made equally possible to both And though in Gods purpose Peter hath Faith decreed for him whereby he cometh to be absolutely justified in which respect there is a great difference betwixt Peter and Iudas for whom there is no such thing purposed yet considering that this faith which maketh the difference according to the former opinion is no proper effect of Christs purchase but of Gods absolute Soveraignity as Election is It cannot be said that because thereof there is any inequality in reference to Elect and Reprobate in respect of Christs death It is true their acknowledging faith to be Gods soveraign and peculiar gift doth not make the difference flow from Peter himself yet it cannot be said that it doth proceed from any thing in Christs purchase in respect of His sustaining the person of the one more than of the other 5. This doth also infer that Christ hath payed for such as shall again be brought to reckon for their own debt yea for the same debt which He hath payed now in Scripture these two are ever put together to wit Christs bearing the iniquity of any or paying of their debt and these persons being absolved from that charge in whose name he had payed This is so sure that the one doth still infer the other as was formerly marked as Isai. 53. He was wounded for our transgressions whereupon it followeth by his stripes we to wit we for whose transgressions He was wounded are healed and again vers 11. He shall justifie many for he shall bear their iniquity that is these whose iniquity He shall bear and whose debt He shall pay they shall be certainly justified and absolved from the same So is it 2 Cor. 5.21 He became sin for us that is took on Him to answer for our debt that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in Him which sheweth that His end in becoming sin for any was to have them actually freed from the same The like is Gal. 3.13 14. He redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us c. that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles c. where actual redemption from the curse and obtaining of the blessing are made of equal extent with Christs suffering of the curse in the room of any and so is it in many other Scriptures And to say that such for whom He paid were again to be brought to reckoning themselves doth directly contradict the scope of these places If any should say that these Scriptures do not deny but such may be brought to reckon for their own sin for whom Christ did only conditionally pay the debt and the condition not being fulfilled by them there is no absurdity that they themselves should be again called to reckon for the same as also considering that the Lords acceptation of such a price for them was only upon the fulfilling of the condition of believing wherein they have failed To this we answer First that according to the former grounds notwithstanding of Christs death payment might be exacted again even from the Elect if the Lord Himself did not graciously and freely enable them to fulfill the condition because they are but conditionally redeemed also and have not Faith purchased to them by Christs death more than the other But because some may shift this we answer Secondly That such a conditionall payment is not spoken of in Scripture neither do these places of Scripture speak of some whose iniquity Christ hath born who shall thereby have freedom from being called to a reckoning but they do speak absolutely of all for whom Christ hath suffered and in whose name He hath paid any thing to God for all of them give ground for this connexion Christ hath born their sin was made a curse for them c. Therefore they shall be justified and freed from the curse c. And this reasoning will not hold except this universall proposition be presupposed to wit that all whose sins Christ hath born whose debt He hath undertaken and in whose name He hath paid any price to the Justice of God c. shall be justified absolved from their debt and not brought to a reckoning for the same Now it must either be assumed that Christ hath paid a price in the name of many Reprobates and hath born their sin before the Justice of God and it is evident how false the conclusion will be Therefore the minor must be false seing the major is true Or we must subsume thus But none of the Reprobates shall ever be justified or absolved from their own debt Therefore it will follow that for none of these did Christ become a curse or satisfie the Justice of God which is a truth If it be yet said that His suffering in their name was but conditionall and so it cannot be said simply that He paid their debt but upon such and such conditions only and so He did not bare their iniquity but upon condition that they should believe To this we answer First This is almost one with the former objection and may be again refelled thus either that conditional bearing of their iniquity was a paying something in their name or it was not If it was a paying in their name and a laying out of any price by the Mediator Then the consequence from the former Scriptures will still be urgent what ever the condition be because they assert that all for whom Christ hath laid out His sufferings and in whose room He hath sustained any part of the curse c. shall be partakers of Justification and Life And what ever the condition be this conditionall Redemption supposeth a price actually to have been laid down If it be said that actually Christ did lay down nothing for them and in their name when He suffered but upon condition that it should be imputed to them when they should actually believe Then it must be said that Christ hath paid for none till they believe because it is His purpose and Covenant with the Father that doth make His sufferings to be accounted a price for any and if so then Faith cannot be said to be purchased contrary to what was formerly said Beside if none can be said to be redeemed but a Believer Then it cannot be said that Christ hath paid any thing in the name of any Reprobate seing he hath paid only for them who shall believe which no Reprobate can do Further though the imputation of Christs laid-down price be conditionall yet the paying of it is absolute for He according to this opinion did really lay it down and if such should after believe there were need of paying no more in their name Yea what is actually laid down is supposed to be
was formerly observed Therefore it must be something that can no otherwayes be procured but by Christs purchase And according to what is said it is not purchased to any Reprobate though it be necessary for their obtaining of any benefit of Christs purchase Therefore it cannot be said that they are redeemed For at most it saith that they are redeemed upon a condition which they can never possibly perform and this will infer That they are not redeemed at all for a peremptory exclusive conditionall offer where the condition is impossible and known to be so to the offerer is equipollent to an absolute refusall as suppose one would offer to relieve another from bondage or to pay their debt for them upon condition and no otherwayes that such a person should at once drink up the whole sea that offer so circumstantiated could not be looked upon otherwayes but as an absolute refusall Again if He hath not purchased Faith to them Then there is no saving Grace purchased to them And if neither Faith nor any saving Grace be purchased to them It will be hard to say that Christ hath died for such for whom no saving Grace is purchased Fifthly We say further If all men be conditionally redeemed Then we must say that all the midses necessarily concurring in the Work of Redemption for making of it compleat must be conditionally purchased also for as by the acknowledged ground that is called absolute Redemption wherein Faith and all the midses are absolutely purchased So it will follow that in this conditional Redemption all these midses must be conditionally purchased for the end and midses are in one bargain where the one is purchased the other is purchased so where the one is absolutely purchased the other is so also and therefore where the one is conditionally purchased the other must be so also but it cannot be said that the midses to wit Faith Regeneration and other Graces are conditionally purchased because this will be the sense thereof that Christ hath purchased Faith in Himself to such persons upon condition that they should believe in Him which I suppose none will affirm It will follow therefore that they cannot be said to be conditionally redeemed even as to the end Sixthly If any conditionall Redemption be supposed to be or if Christ be said to have payd the debt of all even conditionally Then this must be looked upon as a singular effect of Gods Grace and a speciall evidence of the excellent freenesse thereof for provoking the hearts of all such to praise for the same now such a mould of conditionall Redemption as is proposed doth no way look like Grace nor tendeth to the engaging of such as are so redeemed to blesse and magnifie God Therefore it is not to be admitted That it doth not look like Grace will easily appear by considering 1. that Grace is every way Grace else it is no way Grace according to an ancient saying of Augustine that is it is Grace in the end and Grace in respect of the midses also But here whatever may be said of the end sure there is no Grace in respect of the midses seing no necessary and effectuall mids for attaining of the end is provided for in this supposed bargain of conditionall Redemption Therefore it can neither be said to look like a bargain of Grace nor yet to tend to the commendation thereof 2. We may consider that as to the effect or end this bargain doth not make the same free unto these that are comprehended under it for it leaveth them to perform a condition for obtaining of the end and that in their own strength without furnishing them for the performance of it even though they be of themselves in an incapacity to perform the same and how unlike this is to a Covenant of Grace may easily be gathered 3. This conditionall Redemption doth neither make the effect supposed to be purchased certain nor possible certain it cannot be seing it never cometh to passe possible it is not seing it dependeth upon a condition which as it is circumstantiated is simply impossible yea and is supponed to be so in the Covenant of Redemption for we must look upon this condition in respect of its possibility not only with regard to men as men endued with natural faculties but we must look upon it with respect to men as they are in their corruption incapacitated to do any thing that is spiritually good such as this act of believing is Now in the Covenant of Redemption it is supposed not only that Faith is necessary but also that man is corrupt sold under sin and so cannot of himself except it be given him believe and yet in this same Covenant It is agreed that Faith be purchased and bestowed upon some because of the former reasons and even then such who aâ—e supposed conditionally to be redeemed are past-by and deliberately no such thing is capitulated-for concerning them Therefore the effect must notwithstanding of this be still impossible And if so Can it be said to be of Grace which is so clouded in the terms thereof and doth neither make any good possible to these who are comprehended in the same nor give through occasion to glorifie Grace as shining in the freedom comfortablnesse and refreshfulnesse thereof and in effect it seemeth rather to obscure Grace than to manifest the same and therefore ought not to be pressed in the Church For a conditionall transaction in this mould would be as if one should be said to have paid the Turks for so many slaves to be sent home to him in such and such Ships as himself only could send for them and that this purchase should be valid as to these slaves upon condition allanerly that they should return in such and such Ships unto him and yet in the mean time he never intend to send these Ships for them but in the same bargain conclude that Ships should be sent only for such and such others would not these slaves necessarily continue under their bondage and would this so be accounted a Redemption amongst men or yet a wise conditionall bargain and is that to be attributed to the only wise and gracious God and our blessed Lord Jesus which is upon the matter the same to wit that our Lord Jesus should pay the debt of so many upon condition that they should believe in Him by such Faith as He only can procure unto them and withall that in the same Covenant it should be expresly capitulated that our Lord Jesus His sufferings should be accepted for procuring of Faith to some others allanerly and to none else whereby these supposed to be conditionally redeemed are absolutely excluded upon the matter This conditionall Redemption therefore is not to be contended-for Lastly Besides these this opinion will infer many absurdities and intricacies not easily extricable as First If Christ Jesus hath died for all conditionally Then it will follow that either He died equally for all or one
for no other more than it will follow from Paul's word Gal. 2.20 He loved me and gave Himself for me Therefore He did love and gave Himself for no other It is sad that Learned men should so please themselves to shift Arguments for certainly a clear difference may be observed between Pual's saying Christ gave His life for me and between Christs saying I laid down My life for My sheep this doth expresly hold forth Christs differencing of these for whom He was to die and His contradistinguishing of them from others who were not of His Sheep nor given to Him and therefore for them He was not to lay down His life whereas that word of Pauls is not spoken to contradistinguish him from any other Believer but to comfort himself in the application of that truth to himself that Christ who died for His Sheep did also lay down His life for him as one of them Again when Christ speaketh of His People of His Sheep and of His Own in this case He doth particularly to say so consider them as a species or kind of people by themselves and differenced in the respect mentioned from others as the scope cleareth but when Paul speaketh of himself in the application forsaid will any think that he speaketh of himself as differenced from all and not rather as one individuall of the species foresaid Therefore although we may conclude thus God hath made man a reasonable creature according to His own Image Therefore no other creature is such because by this qualification man or that species to say so is differenced from all other creatures on earth yet it will not follow Peter is a reasonable creature according to Gods Image Therefore no other man is so because Peter is but an individualâ— person under the same species with others Just so is it here Christs Sheep Own People c. denote a species as it were differenced by such relations from others whereas Paul is but an individuall Believer comprehended under the same A second Objection is That many other Scriptures do assert Christ to be given and to have laid down His life for the World Therefore it cannot be absurd to say that in some sense Christ hath redeemed all and particularly that place Ioh. 3.16 is urged for our scope suffereth us not to digresse to more to wit God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever should believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life In reference to which place we say 1. That the scope is not to shew that Christ was given for all the World taken distributively that is for every person that should be in the World because it is only brought-in here to confirm this generall sum of the Gospel which is laid down vers 15. That whosoever believeth in Christ should not perish but have eternal life Now vers 16. is brought-in as a confirmation of this for saith He God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son for this very end That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternall life Where Gods end in giving of His Son is mentioned to be a ground of quietnesse to all that should believe and will bear that Universal well whosoever believeth are redeemed and may expect the benefits of Christs Redemption because the justifying and saving of such was the end for which God sent His Son and to extend the place any further will not be consistent with the scope thereof If it be said that Gods respect and love to the world indefinitly is mentioned here Be it so yet that will not infer that because He had respect to the world That therefore He intended that Christ should die for all and every individuall person in the world but it will only infer this much at most as if we said in common speach such a Christian King or potent man had such a respect to Christians or to men of such a Nation as to send such a great sum to redeem so many of them as he particularly condescended upon from the bondage of the Turks it may well be said that such a great man had respect to Christians or to such a Nation because he purposed to redeem many of them when he took no thought of others yet it cannot be said that he intended the redeeming of all either absolutely or conditionally seing he did appoint the price given to be paid for such and such as himself thought meet to redeem and not for others Just so is it here in this case at the most and so Gods respect to the world may be opposite to His passing-by of all the fallen Angels Again secondly we say that if World in this place be to be understood of particular persons and an universality of them It must be understood of the Elect World as in the Verse following is clear where Gods purpose of sending His Son is expressed to be that the world through Him might be saved Now there can no other universality be thought to be intended to be saved by God as was formerly cleared but the universality to speak so or the World of the Elect. Neither will the reading be absurd to understand it thus That God so loved the Elect World that He gave His only begotten Son to death for them that by their believing on Him they should not perish but have eternal life And so this place will be interpreted by the parallel thereof 1 Ioh. 4.9 In this was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him for us and we in the one place are equipollent to world and whosoever will believe in the other That thus it is to be understood appeareth in this that even according to the grounds of this opinion there can none be expected to believe but the Elect and in the Text there are none profited by this fruit of Christs love to the world but the Believers Therefore this love which giveth this gift must be said to respect the Elect only especially considering that it is in a matter which is the evidence of Gods most special love as was formerly said Only it is expressed in this generall whosoever shall believe c. because the extending of it in this indefinit expression doth sure best with the proposed mould of the offer of the Gospel which is not to invite men to believe because they are particularly elected or redeemed but to invite men to believe because God hath promised to save such as believe and because He doth by the outward Ministrie call hearers thereunto And this is the more to be observed because Christ here as a good Minister of the Gospel is preaching to Nicodemus and laying before him the sum of the Gospel and that which must be the object of his faith and therefore it was necessary that He should take that way of preaching these truths to him so
Covenant seing by His undertaking therein alanerly He becometh liable to death 3. This would infer two Covenants of Redemption whereas the Scripture doth but speak of one And although some speak of a conditionall Covenant with the visible Church yet neither can that be said to be made with all men and so none without the visible Church should be redeemed neither can that be called a Covenant of Redemption distinct from that which is made in reference to the Elect because nothing can be counted a Covenant of Redemption even a conditionall Covenant but that wherein God and the Mediator are parties for no other can determine absolutely or conditionally upon the bussinesse of Redemption Beside what is revealed to the visible Church and hath the form of a conditionall Covenant doth but flow from this as the administration application or execution thereof and therefore cannot be thought to contain any new article concerning the extent or fruit of Christs death but must be regulated by the former and is not to be looked upon as a distinct Covenant in it self The last thing which we have to say is that this mould of a conditionall Redemption of all men doth not bring with it any more solid way to satisfie or remove the difficulties that are pretended to follow the former And indeed the way of grace being a mystery and depth which is unsearchable and the giving of Christ unto death being the most mysterious part of all this mystery what wonder is it that carnall reason cannot reach the grounds of the Lords soveraign proceeding therein and what presumption may it be thought to be to endeavour such a mould of this as may mar the mysteriousnesse thereof and satisfie reason in all its proud Objections Yet we say this will not do it for First it doth not prove any way more conduceable for the glorifying of grace in respect of these who are conditionally redeemed as was formerly shown but rather the contrary Nor doth it conduce any more to the quieting and comforting of wakened Consciences whereof also something was spoken nor doth it any way tend to make Reprobate sinners more inexcusable as if thereby the justice of God were more clearly vindicated for by this Doctrine He did not redeem them absolutely neither did purchase Faith unto them without which even according to this conditionall Covenant they cannot be saved and yet they can no more obtain Faith of themselves except by His purchase than they can by themselves satisfie Divine Justice had He not by His death interposed Now may not carnall reason still cavill here and say that though Christ hath died and purchased them conditionally yet seing He hath not purchased Faith to them their Salvation is no lesse impossible than if there had been no such conditionall Redemption at all Neither can it be ever instanced that this meer conditionall Redemption did profite any person as to life or any saving good more than if it had not been at all and so the matter upon which the pretended cavill doth rise is but altered but no way removed Secondly Seing the asserters of this conditionall Redemption do admit of an absolute Election unto life as we do at least for ought I know then they will have the same cavils to meet with for the connexion betwixt Election Faith and Salvation is no lesse peremptor so that none can believe and be saved but an Elect than the connexion is betwixt Christs dying for one and his obtaining of Salvation yea the connexion is no lesse peremptory and reciprocall to say so betwixt absolute Redemption and life and betwixt meer conditionall Redemption and Damnation to speak of a connexion simply without respect to any causality and that according to their grounds than there is betwixt Redemption and life and non-redemption and death according to the grounds which we maintain yet I suppose that none will account this absolute Election of some few when others are past-by to be any spot upon the soveraign and free grace of God or yet any ground of excuse to such as are not thus Elected by Him and yet without this as to the event it is certain that they can never believe nor attain unto Salvation yea supposing that Election were grounded upon foreseen Faith and supposing Reprobation to be grounded upon foreseen sin and impenitency therein yet now both these Decrees being peremptorily and irrevocably past this is certain that no other will or shall be saved but such as are so Elected and so that all others to whom the offer of the Gospel cometh shall necessarily perish or the former Decree must be cancelled which is impossible and this is true although it be past as they say voluntate consequente Now when the offer of the Gospel cometh may not carnall minds raise the same cavill and say seing the Lord foreknew that such and such would not believe and for that cause did determine to glorifie His Justice upon them to what end then is this offer made to such who are now by a Decree excluded from the same what ever be the ground thereof and indeed there is no end of cavilling if men will give way unto the same for flesh will ask even in reference to this why doth he then find fault and who hath resisted his will for certainly if He had pleased He might have made it otherwise and seing He pleased not to do so Therefore it could not be otherwise as the Apostle hath it Rom. 9.19 unto which he giveth no other answer but Nay O man who art thou that repliâ—st against God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus hath not the potter power over the clay c. in which also we must acquiesce otherwise no such mould of a conditionall Redemption will give satisfaction Thirdly It can no more warrand the application of the fruits of Christs purchase to any so as to comfort them in this conditionall Redemption more than if there were no such thing at all for if the sinner believe the Doctrine of particular Redemption doth warrand any to make application of Christs purchase if they believe not this Doctrine of conditionall Redemption giveth no more warrand to make application for the comfort of any than if it were not at all Fourthly Neither doth it warrand a person with any greater boldnesse to take hold of Christ or to close with the offer of the Gospel made unto him because that person who is jealouse to close with Christ upon this ground because he knoweth not whether he be redeemed by Him or not seing all are not redeemeâ— may be no lesse jealous upon this account because he knoweth not if by His death he hath procured Faith to him or not and so if he be absolutely redeemed for this is no lesse necessary for his peace and confidence than the former and yet will be as difficult to be known to any that will needs search into what is
secret and not rest upon the revealed offer of God as the sufficient ground and object of their Faith And if only by actuall believing and no otherwise they may be assured that Faith is purchased unto them by the same ground also may they be cleared that they are redeemed by Christ yea and Elected also because there is an equal peremptory connexion betwixt Faith and all these Fifthly Neither doth this way and the grounds thereof give Ministers any more solid ground to make the offer of the Gospel indefinitely in their publick Preaching for by the truth formerly laid down we can assure Hearers that whosoever believeth shall partake of life and of the benefits of Christs Redemption and by vertue of the generall Call and Warrand which we have in the Gospel we may invite them to believe in Christ require Faith of them and upon condition thereof assure them of pardon c. because the nature of the administration of the Covenant of Redemption is such in plain terms to wit that whosoever believeth shall be saved Also the nature of our Commission to preach this Gospel doth fully import the same as it is summed Mark 16.15 16. for Ministers warrand to Preach and offer Salvation is not to Preach and offer the same to the Elect only whom the Lord hath kept secret from them but it is to Preach and make offer of this Gospel to these unto whom the Lord shall send them and whom He shall gather into a visible Church-state Yet this is done for the Elects sake among such whom God hath thought fit to gather out among others by this Preaching of the Gospel without signifiing to the Minister who is Elect and whom He hath designed to believe therefore it is suitable to this manner of administration that the Gospel be preached indefinitly in respect of its call and that indifferently as to these who Preach that so while the call doth reach all particularly the Elect may withall be gripped with the same And upon the grounds of this conditionall Redemption others can do no more but publish the offer of the Gospel indefinitly and assure any who shall believe in Christ that they shall thereby obtain life and pardon It is trueâ— we cannot say that Christ hath died and satisfied for them all to whom we Preach yet that doth not lessen our warrand to call Hearers indifferently on the terms of believing because though Christs Redemption be the ground which hath procured this Gospel to be Preached even in these terms as from that forecited place Ioh. 3.16 may be gathered and though it be that which boundeth the Lords making of Preaching effectual yet our Commission is bounded according to the express terms in which it hath pleased the Lord to draw up the same unto us because the transaction of Redemption as it relateth to the names of the redeemed is a secret betwixt God and the Mediator Therefore the Book of Life is never opened untill the day of Judgement Rev. 20. But a Ministers Commission in his Treating with sinners in the visible Church is a thing which He hath thought good to reveal and therefore hath done it so as the former secret may not be revealed and yet the end be made effectuall to wit the effectuall calling and in-gathering of so many Elect. And upon the other side these who may require Faith of all and plead it of them upon this ground that they are conditionally redeemed yet they cannot say to their Hearers that Christ hath by His death procured Faith to them all and so they leave them still at a losse except they betake them to the externall indefinit call which doth warrand Ministers to require Faith of all Hearers indifferently and that without disputing whether Christ hath redeemed all or not or whether by His Redemption He hath procured Faith to them all or not because Faith is a duty and is called-for warrantably by vertue of that call as is said and this we do in so far acknowledge And so in sum their warrand to Preach the Gospel in definitely and ours is found to be of the same extent and to be founded upon the same general call Therefore there needeth not be much contending for a different Doctrine or as some call it a different method to derive this warrand from which doth so natively flow from the received truth And though the Scripture doth sometimes use this motive indifferently to the members of the visible Church to stir them up to glorifie God to wit that they are bought with a price as 1 Cor. 6.20 Yet will not that infer an universall or conditionall Redemption of them all more than these places immediately going before vers 15 and 19 where it is said that they are members of Christ and temples of the holy Ghost will infer an universall or conditionall regeneration of them all the first whereof is false the second is absurd for so it would be upon the matter that they were renewed sanctified and had the Spirit dwelling in them upon condition that it were so seing Regeneration the Spirit and Faith which is a fruit of the Spirit cannot be separated The like phrases also are Chap. 3. of the same Epistle vers 16.17 c. Beside will any think that when the Apostle saith ye are bought with a price c. that he doth only intend that conditionall Redemption which can never be effectuall but he must be undeâ—stood as having respect to that great mercy in its most peculiar respect because he doth speak of it to the Elect as well as others and that as having with it the greatest obligation that can be Lastly It cannot be thought that this mould of a conditionall Redemption so qualified can be more acceptable to these who plead for an indifferent or equal universall Redemption because this doth not any whit remove their objections whereby they plead for nature against the soveraignity of God nor answer their cavills whereby they reflect upon the Justice of God for condemning men who cannot possibly according to the case they are in be saved Therefore there is still ground for them to plead mans excusablenesse seing his salvation even according to these grounds is still impossible as hath been formerly cleared Neither I suppose will it be instanced that any holding the Socinian Arminian or Lutheran principles in these things have been brought to judge more favourably of that way than of the other But on the contrary may be strengthned or rather stumbled by this to continue in their former errours as finding many orthodox Divines in part to yeeld because of the supposed strength of their Arguments and from such concessions they have some ground given to make their conclusions the more strong for this conditionall Redemption doth alleage that there is need to vindicate Gods Justice and to declare mans inexcusablenesse and to have clearer grounds of dealing with men for bringing them to Faith c. than can be consistent with
their continuance under suffering for a time and therefore must relate to the sufferings mentioned under the former seals as is said 3. That the matter contained here must be understood rather Spiritually as it pointeth at the scope than literally aâ— the words bear for properly souls can neither be seen nor heard and so also in other circumstances but the Spirit maketh use of such expressions for setting forth the reality and certainty of the thing intended More particularly to come to the words in what Iohn saw vers 9. These three are to be considered 1. What he saw the souls of them that were slain to wit of Martyres 2. Where he saw them to wit under the altar 3. We have the properties whereby he describeth these Martyrs and differenceth them from others They were slain for the Word of God and for the testimonie which they held 1. By soul here which elswhere is called Spirit Acts 7.59 Luke 23.46 Eccles. 12.7 is understood that immortall substance which God breathed in mans body when it was made whereby man became a living soul 1 Corinth 15.45 The soul thus understood is contradâ—stinguished from the body as that which cannot be killed when the body is killed Mat. 10.28 In this sense it is taken here where there is a proof given of that which Christ asserteth in that place of Matthew cited and though the soul be not the object of the eye yet are they thus expressed as represented to Iohn to shew the reality of their existence and being even when separated from the body 2. The place where they are seen it is said he saw them under the altar There was then no materiall Temple that of Ierusalem being destroyed So neither by the altar can be understood any materiall altar for in heaven where we must conceive these souls to be there is neither materiall altar nor Temple and to say these souls were under any altar on earth suppose such were were to contradict the scope and overturn the consolation that is intended and would involve many absurdities concerning the nature of the soul its speaking and being under an altar which were also literally to be understood if that concerning the altar were both then must be figuratively understood to set out one or all of these three 1. The happinesse of these souls which not only have a being but exist in a notable safe and comfortable condition in a speciall nearnesse to God as under His altar which was so much delighted in and longed after by the Saints in their life It is like alluding to these places Psal. 31.20.84.3.91 1. For as the Tabernacle was a special signe of Gods presence so the altar was a special part of the furniture of the Tabernacle and it would seem that He looketh on the Martyrs as so many sacrifices offered unto God as Paul speaketh Philip. 2.17 2 Tim. 4.6 thereby to hold out a speciall respect that God putteth upon them 2. More especially this expression pointeth out these souls to be in Heaven the most Holy was a type of Heaven as it is expounded Heb. 9.10 And Heb. 9.12 it is said when Christ entered into Heaven He entered into the most holy The altar was before the most Holy and therefore we conceive this must be understood of the glory of Heaven Heaven being that where Christ is and Christs presence Philip. 1.21 is the company that the souls of Martyrs are to enjoy and therefore it must be where He is which Christ on the Crosse Lâ—k 23. calleth Paradise unto the Thief 3. Most especially by the altar must be understood Christ Jesus by whom we have accesse to God of whom the Tabernacle and all its furniture was typicall and who is called our altar Heb. 13.10 by whom we and all our services yea even the deaths of Martyrs are sanctified and made acceptable to God This we conceive must be understood because other Scriptures hold forth Him and nearnesse with Him to be the happinesse of souls departed and because it is that which made Martyrs so despise suffering that they might be with Christ Philip. 1.21 and because it agreeth best with their own prayers and desires under suffering as in Stephen Act. 7.59 All cometh to this to shew that they enjoyed a most happy condition and Communion with God but is set forth under an expression belonging to the service of the Tabernacle of the Old Testament as many other things of prophesie are The third thing to be considered is the description of these Martyrs which is especially drawn from the cause of their suffering it being an old maxime Non est mors sed causa mortis qua facit Martyrom which is laid down in two expressions the first is for the word of God that is the first character to be adhering to the faith of the Gospel revealed in the Word and to be a conscientious practiser of Righteousnesse according to that same rule and not shunning to suffer any thing rather than to depart from these In this they were led not as to follow their own humours or to propagate their own inventions or any way to seek themselves but out of respect unto God and His will revealed in His Word The second is for the testimony which they held this looketh to the outward profession and confession of that truth which in their heart they believed Christ calleth it Mat. 10. a confessing Him before men And Rom. 10. the Apostle distinguisheth confession with the mouth from believing with the heart which two being put together hold forth a well ordered conversation both in Faith and Practice In Faith that they beleeved right concerning Christ in Practice that they were answereable to it and held forth that word of life by a good example as a witnesse to others and when called unto it they did not shun the testifying of both upon any perill In sum all cometh to this by opening the fifth seal was represented to me the happy condition of the souls of the Martyrs in Heaven who were accounted by God to have lost their lives not for the calumnies and slanders imputed to them by men but for testifying unto His truth This being clearly the meaning of the words the contrary whereof to wit the miserable condition after death of these who seem happy in the world and are not happy in God is joyned with this in the parable of the rich glutton and Lazarus Luk. 16. there is no ground here either of approving of altars under the Gospel or of sanctifying them by burying of the reliques of Martyrs under them which are amongst the superstitions of the Papists It is a poor altar that is sanctified and doth not sanctifie its offerings Beside neither was there Churches or altars in this time neither could the Martyrs who were so numerous be buried under them but they were decently buried together in places called Coemeteria as is plain from the story of these times From this Verse we may Observe 1.
wrath the day of His wrath is come and who can abide Him what meaneth the great part of men who hazard without fear upon known causes of wrath and can live at feed with God There is a necessity of being at peace with Him this wrath of His one day will be found unsupportable Obs. 7. Judgements oftentimes fall sorest upon the great ones of the world and these that in mens account might be thought most secure Kings great Men and mighty Men are especially stricken at partly because they use to be ring-leaders in the sin partly it serveth most to the abasing of creatures and the manifesting of Gods Justice and Power partly to speak so they think more strange of it 8. The stouter men be in their opposition to Christ and the more secure and confident they be in their sin oftentimes when wrath cometh they are found the more desperate cowards Because the more security be under sin the more force and power is added unto the challenge of the conscience when it is wakened There is a great odds here between the language of these gallants who now cannot abide the face of the Lamb and the former braggings wherein often they have defyed the Son of God 9. There is no condition so hard that the proudest men in the world will decline nay by the contrary they will desire it that they may escape the wrath of God when once the sense of it breaketh in upon them Some gallants stand now upon their points and credit and will not flee where there credit is concerned though it should draw no sin upon them but there will be no such sticking in the day of wrath men will be glad to flee to the basest corner of the earth they would choose that the greatest mountain or rock should fall upon them and think no shame to cry for it yea annihilation would be welcome to them to prevent their appearing before Jesus Christ Men great Men and stout Men will have a far other language if we may suppose it at their appearing before Him than now in their grandour it were possible for them to imagine Obs. 10. When God reckoneth He needeth neither witnesse nor tormenter He hath both these in the consciences of His most desperate enemies What an awband is it that God hath over all men in respect of their consciences which being armed by God against them would be worse to encounter with than thousands of Armies This maketh men flee when none persueth 11. No King nor great one in the world upon any entreaty will be exempted from judgement but appear they must even though they cannot abide it What a tortour must it be to be distracted between these two A necessity of appearing and an utter impossibility to endure that appearing Certainly if men were to live and speak after some experience of these things they might be supposed to become much wiser in the ordering of themselves or at least in giving their advice to others than they were before as the rich Glutton Luke 16. giveth advertisement to his brethren out of hell 12. There is a day coming when there will be no trysting when the Lamb cometh in wrath to reckon with despisers He persueth in wrath and they would fain flee but there is no treating aimed at on either side 13. This day of wrath is certainly coming and will come though it seem to be delayed We may well take all the instances of particular judgements as pledges of that day Men will once find they have wronged themselves that they have so little believed this great Article of Faith 14. When that day cometh there will be great odds between Gods people and the rest of the world The Kings and great ones who despised them on earth would be glad in that day to exchange Thrones with the meanest Saint and will never attain it Wrath when it cometh will make the world know of what worth Godlinesse is and what an excellent thing it is to have a good conscience and what advantage there is in having peace made with God through Christ Jesus These are the true and faithfull sayings of God and who believeth them not now will one day with the rich Glutton find the truth of them LECTURE I. CHAP. VII Vers. 1. ANd after these things I saw four Angels standing on the four corners of the earth holding the four winds of the earth that the wind should not blow on the earth nor on the sea nor on any tree AT the entry of the former Chapter we divided this prophesie into three principall prophesies holding forth and relating unto three principal periods of the condition of the Militant Church The first relating to the Churches sufferings under Heathens which was expressed by the seals whereof we have spoken The second concerning Antichrists rise and dominion holden forth by the trumpets The third concerning the Churches outgate from under that storme is contained under the vials These two are yet to come And because that second was a sad storme which might shake the Faith of Gods People if they were not strengthned against it The Lord armeth them in reference thereunto by laying down these two strong consolations 1. By shewing His care of His Church in providing for the safety of His own before the storm should come 2. By shewing the certainty of the Churches outgate from and victory over that strait Which two take up the Chapter and are put together in a little view and hint before the Lord go on to describe the storme it self that thereby the faith of Gods people and their consolation in reference thereto might be the more strengthned and confirmed If we look to the order of revealing the matter contained in this Chapter it doth belong to the sixth seal the seventh not being yet opened But if we look unto the matter it self and the scope we will find it belong to the prophesies following as preparatory to them and set down before the opening of the seventh seal To make the transition from the one prophesie to the other the more discernable and also to make the prophesie coming the more to be adverted unto and the easier to be understood The Chapter then hath these two parts 1. The Lords taking care of His Church and Elect before the coming of a storm by separating of them and as it were by His own seal setting them apart from others that they should not be hurt by it And because these prophesies represent the events to Iohn as acted therefore is this care of Gods also represented to him in that same manner before these events come This first is from the beginning to the ninth verse and the second part from the ninth verse to the end holdeth forth a calm and flourishing estate of the Church after that storm in respect of number beauty and freedom in the serving of God which relateth First unto the Church on earth and in part foresheweth the spreading of the Gospel after
Luke wrote the Acts yet is it not for nought that the Lord hath left it unrecorded that we might thereby know it was not necessary to be believed and therefore any conclusion which supposeth it to be necessary to be believed is not necessary except we rub on the wisdom of God who recordeth lesser things than this And therefore a thing may be truth and yet not being writen is not necessarily to be believed but with a humane faith as other histories at the most whereas no article of faith is thus grounded because the object of our Faith or the ratio why we believe such a thing is not simply because such a thing is truth for many facts are truth which we are not obliged to believe but because God hath revealed such a thing and testifieth it to be Truth Faith resting on that testimony and giving credit to Him that testifieth The other Conclusion to wit That the Church of Rome for these many years past and presently is the whore intended here the same argument will make it out If the Rome that is present be the Rome unto which all the properties here mentioned do agree and at this time Then this Rome is that whorish Church But unto the Rome that now is and hath been these many generations past agree both the properties and time in which it is to be fulfilled Ergo. The properties given to this whorish Church are four That she hath her Court at Rome and sitteth on the seven-hilled City yet also exercising dominion over many other Nations vers 15. but differently so as Rome is here peculiar in another other manner the fountain and splendour of that Kingdom 2. That it is Rome turned a whore and fallen from the simplicity she had and to such an apostasie of which Rome is the head and chief seat 3. That it is Rome claiming a superiority over all those of her association or apostasie and deriving her errors to them and they keeping a dependance on her she is and it is when she is Mother and Metropolis of all vers 5. 4. It is Rome then when the Emperour hath ceased to command it and another Government or Governour hath succeeded him there 5. It is when ten Kings are withdrawn from the Empire and have given their subjection to Rome on a spiritual account She that is Rome in that case is the Whore But all these properties agree to Rome not as heathenish but as popish and to the Pope as head thereof And therefore this is neither to be applyed to Rome heathenish nor to an Antichrist to come but to that which is And it is not unobservable in Gods providence that considering the speciall sibnesse that is holden forth here both betwixt this city Rome the Woman Whore and Beast that yet the Popish Church should glory in that title of the Roman Church and many of them dispute that it is impossible to separate their Pope from that very City or that elsewhere he might choose to sit and continue Pope and those who in this grant most do affirm that he must and would still be Roman Bishop and that the Church would still be the Church of Rome although that city were possessed by Turks By this all may the more easily discern what Church or defection they are who have such relation to and dependance on Rome at this time when this prophesie is fulfilled ut supra Before we leave this Chapter it may possibly not be unmeet that coronidis vice we consider how the Popish Writers do interpret and apply it wherein they are wonderfully straitned and perplexed It was their common opinion to understand by this City or whore the city or multitude of the wicked generally This is followed by Thomas Aquinas Hugo Card. Lyranus Haymo and many others but the latter Writers since Reformation brake forth have been constrained to cast that opinion because this City is so particularly circumstantiated as to point at an individuall City to speak so and she is contradistinguished from many Nations and Kings who yet are certainly a great part of the wicked in the world and also Chap. 18. when she is destroyed there are many wicked living and lamenting her destruction and standing at a distance from her Upon these and the like grounds the most learned of them are generally since that time brought to expound it of Rome and as Viegas saith impellimur aliam interpretationem excogitare and Ribera saith Interpretes coguntur c. Alcasar in locum all whom with others we cited before at the beginning of the Chapter interpreteth it so and citeth twentie Authors of their most eminent men for it Also Corn. à Lapide who addeth many to these cited by Alcasar amongst whom are Suarez in 3. part tom 2. disp 5. Sixtus Senensis lib. 2. pag. 88. Pererius Salmeron and others All which take Babylon in all this prophesie to hold out Rome and in this they and we agree as to the generall 2. There is again difference amongst themselves how to conceive Rome here so as to save their Pope and the present Rome from this application Hence some which is most received apply it to heathen Rome Others as Ribera Blasius Viegas and Cornelius à Lapide apply it to Rome under Antichrist who therefore say that at or before his coming Rome shall turn heathen and desert the Pope and be destroyed by Antichrist or by the Kings before his coming Their reasons are because it looketh to such a state of Rome as then was to be fulfilled in Iohn's time and therefore cannot be understood of heathenish Rome but because this opinion supposeth Rome to be involved in defection which cannot stand with her infallibility and would shake all seing some plead so much for Romes eternity and make all suspicious for if Rome fall then may it not be fallen already Therfore others cast it as Alcasar and those named by him applying it to what heathenish Rome suffered at or before Constantines time or after by the Goths And Bellarmine seemeth to favour this lib. 2. cap. 2. de Pont. Rom. Those who take it thus expound the seven hills literally but in other things the differ 1. Some take the beast for the devil but others considering that the devil and the beast are differenced and that this beast is cast into the lake long before the devil and that the scope is to point out some eminent opposer of the Church for some particular time therefore they do in generall apply it to Antichrist as also that first beast Chap. 13. and some make the last a false prophet that maketh way for him so do they of that beast Chap. 11.7 and expresly say he is one of the seven heads here mentioned and also called the eight because his nature differeth from them and his hurt to the Church exceedeth them 2. Concerning the seven heads they differ some applying it to the seven tyrannous Kingdoms or Empires Egypt Assyria Babylon c.
grace and of a like nature with its rise even as it is grace here grace and works are opposed if of grace then not of works yea according to works so understood as causal is opposed to this purpose of God or His election as 2 Tim. 1.8 who hath saved and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to His purpose and grace in Christ Iesus Where 1. he joyneth saving which taketh in all and Gods purpose together and maketh the one grace as the other is 2. In both he opposeth works to grace which cannot be understood simply but as they look to merit otherwise both take-in works and what reason can there be given here why this Book is so often mentioned in this judgement but to shew that this last step of salvation is of the same nature with the first which certainly as to election can be called no other than of grace 3. Consider that when Christ speaketh more fully to this sentence Matth. 25. He mentioneth some works as visiting clothing c. which certainly as to the condignity of merit can have no proportionablenesse to heaven and glory And if any say he so accounteth them though they be not worthy Answ. 1. Then that is improperly merit whereas the other properly deserveth hell Therefore the expression is not alike on both sides 2. Then it followeth it is grace that maketh the sentence passe on them and not strict justice as on the other 4. Consider here that all small and great are judged infants possibly never breathing out of their mothers belly and can any say that such cannot be written in the Lamb's book of life or that they have done any thing to deserve this last absolving sentence It must therefore not be understood to infer merit to them To say by Baptism their sin is taken away Answ. 1. That is contrary to Graces way and the nature of Gods Covenant to Believers and their seed baptized or not for it condemneth all unbaptized or the argument will hold in them 2. In Baptism children are passive it is not their deed if childrens Baptism deserve any thing it must be here accounted on their score who performed it not on the childrens who must be judged according to their own works and not to the works either of Parent or Minister yet if it be considered that the judgement passeth according to the Book of life there is clear ground to lay it on grace and not on themselves or others and the rule is one to all the Elect. 5. Consider that these works and books take-in all the Elect many of whom have many sinfull actions and few good and even those few are much corrupted and imperfect Now it must either be said 1. that no Elect cometh here to be judged but he hath more good at least to deserve heaven than evil to deserve hell which will seem hard to be said of profane men converted possibly an hour before death or we must say there are different rules to proceed by in judging the Elect some by grace and some by works which is contrary to the text that maketh one rule for all and certainly any that is well versed in these books will see no cause to plead thus and all others shall see it when these books shall be opened It is the ignorance of these that maketh men so plead So this according then importeth a suitablenesse and connexion as is said but no merit Inst. But it is deserving to the wicked therefore to the righteous Answ. 1. This word here may import no deserving that being as to the wicked elsewhere clear but a connexion with and suitablenesse of one of these to the other to wit wicked living and impenitent dying with damnation This is enough to vindicate justice that he thus proceedeth 2. Although it do imply merit in them yet it will not follow that it doth so in the Elect not only for the former reasons but 1. because the sins of wicked men are perfectly sins the good actions of the Godly are not so 2. Because with the one God proccedeth according to the Covenant of works punishing for want of perfect holinesse aggravated also in some by their unbelief who heard the Gospel but God proceedeth not by that Covenant with the Elect but by the book of like that hath the Covenant of grace depending on it 3. Because any sin deserveth wrath even the least being a transgression of the Law but many good works will not deserve heaven because they are debts and cannot plead the performance of that Covenant except they be alwayes and in every thing perfect for life dependeth not on living well this year or two years or for this good work or that but on a perfect righteousnesse which is marred by one sin even original sin though there be never more for bonum non est nisi ex omnibus malum ab unoquoque defectu If any ask why works are mentioned here and not faith Answ. 1. Faith and repentance are certainly included not as works deserving but as fruits of the Spirit in the Regenerate and the want of them is sinfull in the reprobate who heard and believed not And certainly according to this they who heard are more severely judged and therefore works here must be understood generally as it setteth out ones condition good or evil according to which the judgement proceedeth especially as they believed or not 2. Faith is not expressly mentioned because it is implyed in Gods purpose of grace under the book of life which taketh-in faith as a midse that it may be of grace Rom. 4.16 3. Because it is not justification from sin before God that is here recorded that is past but the manifestation of that before men and it is one thing to justifie before God and another to save one that is justified and declare them to be so and works contribute most directly to this 4. Works are especially mentioned in opposition to the wicked who are condemned for their sins and want of good works this stoppeth their mouth and sheweth the justice of the difference even before men yet upon the matter Chap. 21.8 unbelieving is reckoned to the wicked even as murder and adultery is and so among the works of the Elect must be comprehended their fleeing to Christ by faith whereby merit is overturned Vers. 13. By clearing an objection he openeth further what was said which may be many are rotten in the grave called here hell are drowned in the sea eaten with fishes c. under which are comprehended all desperate-like deaths as burning sowing in ashes rotten heaps of dead bodies together it may be said how can these dead be said to be raised and judged It is shown that even these same bodies by Gods power are judged with these that live in the flesh by which that which looketh most impossibleâ—like is brought about even as if willingly the sea and the grave had given up these
expression yet doth the thing enjoyed in heaven exceed the expression as far as the maker doth Hâ—s work and that which is infinite exceedeth what is finite for expressions cannot be gotten adequat and suitable to the thing The second expression sheweth how this is made out I will be his God and he shall be my son This comprehendeth all yea it is added as an addition to all things â— It is more to be Gods son and to have Him our God than to enjoy all things beside to be His son and so His heirs and joynt-heirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 What is that or rather what is it not Here now is a portion who would covet let them covet this as the best thing one day the truth of this will appear what great blessednesse is here when once His wrath is but a little kindled Psal. 2. ult O set your hearts on this it is the short cut to possess and inherit all things Who in all the world ever reached to enjoy all the earth yet that is little amongst all things but a Believer inheriteth earth heaven God Christ glory peace his soul even all things for God is his and with Him all things 1 Cor. 3.22 23. and will He not give to Him all things Rom. 8.32 yea is He not Himself all things as is said so that in heaven and earth the soul can wish no more Psal. 73.25 See on vers 3. The condition is overcoming which implieth 1. a fight with a world of enemies and corruption 2. A serious fight and constant war as for life 3. A difficult fight Yet 4. a victory and overcoming of all these enemies before there can be an obtaining of all things This saith folks will not slip nor sleep into these excellent promises and though fighting be not the meritorious cause of these yet it is the way to them and an antecedent going before them necessarily though not the causa sine qua non to our justification yet it is so to our glorification This thirsting importeth engaging and covenanting Isa. 55.3 Overcoming a being answerable to our engagements Observe it then and wrestle so as ye may obtain seing so much dependeth on it and happy is he that overcometh He and every one of them enjoyeth all things and yet none of them enjoyeth anothers portion to one anothers prejudice But as men now enjoy the whole Sun and its light and wrongeth not others by it so then all shall enjoy God fully as to their capacities yet so as there is no want to others That infinit ocean of the Godhead being able to fill all the cups that come to it or are casten in â—t and being such that all may also swim in it when they are full and that Sun of righteousnesse being so clear as to shine on all and to make shining all the eyes that shall behold Him The qualifications to say so of these excluded on the other part are set down ver 8. and we conceive for these ends 1. To presse the receiving of the former offer from the ill of missing it which is the main scope 2. To shew that every one overcometh not and so cometh not there 3. To shew who overcometh not to wit these that ly under the practice of sinfull lusts as here By these sorts understand all other sinfull wretches lying in sin as if they were expressed the most abominable sorts whereof are indeed named yet not at all to exclude others By it we may see also that this must be heaven for these that get not these good promises are cast into the lake and second death O what great odds is there between the end of sin and holinesse what ever men now think it will one day yea in that day appear in its native colours These particular steps or sorts of sins to wit eight are mentioned to shew 1. That there is but one way to Glory but many sins whereby men passe to destruction 2. That by the setting down of these more particularly the happinesse of heaven and the qualifications of these who enter it may be the more conspicuous being put together The first sort of sinners that is excluded is the fearfull or coward opposite to the former fighter and overcomer It is not these who are feared to come short Heb. 4.1 nor these that fear to sin and desire to prevent it Heb. 11.7 nor such that fear that their faith be not good or that they be presuming as the woman Mark 5. and 33. But such as 1. dare act nothing for Christ are cowards and not valiant for Him though not directly against Him such as fearing them that can kill the body Matth 10. sway with every corrupt time as the beast Magog c. and cannot fight against them to any hazard but forsake Christ. 2. Such as are feared to fight against lusts and never appear against them in the field the weak heart Ezek. 16. is evil such a fear as the evil servant had Matth. 25.25 which maketh men lazie in holy duties and trading for Christ as if they were afraid of them the sluggard saith there is a lion in the way this is he who shifteth duty 3. Such as dare venture to suffer nothing for Christ as the Worthies did Heb. 11. The second sort is unbelievers not properly or only infidels much lesse these who are of a weak or little faith that is mixed with doubting and want peace but such as never received the free offer of Christs Grace indeed whatever their profession was that never did flee from the Covenant of Works to rest on Christ for salvation These are Ioh. 3.36 condemned already and this unbelief shall condemn as much as any breach of the Law in that day it will condem that ye believe not according to that command 1 Ioh. 3.23 as to be a murderer to be a witch or a warloch Quest. How differeth it from weak faith Answ. Weak faith hath a sure ground but a weak grip of it therefore it is feared for it But unbelief hath a weak ground but thinketh its grip sure Therefore it is not troubled 2. Weak faith hath much fear of unbelief Mark 9.24 and would be rid of it this unbelief is willingly and so wrestleth not against unbelief but against doubting and fear lest its security be marred 3. Weak faith is clear of its own need and Christs fulnesse but its weaknesse is in its peace or its gripping of Him or byding by Him and as to the fruits of faith it findeth these weak to say so but unbelief is clearer of its peace than of its need c. and whether we take unbelief as a failing on the right hand by presumption or on the left by despare both are unbelief and opposit to faith in Christ and are excluded here The third sort are abominable who by sins against nature have made themselves vile now these are reckoned with such were these in Sodom and these Rom. 1.26 c. The fourth sort
things saith Surely I come quickly Amen Even so Come Lord Iesus 21. The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you all Amen BEfore the Spirit close this Book much is spent of that part which is the Conclusion on these two 1. in confirming the truth of what is delivered in the prophesie 2. In the commending of the excellency of it After ver 10. He hath given direction by the Angel not to seal these sayings and having removed an objection that stood in the way ver 11. He confirmeth and commendeth these sayings 1. By Christs approaching coming to reckon with folks how they made use of this Scripture and warning ver 12. 2. From the soveraignity of Him who asserted it it was not an Angel but the eternal God ver 13. 3. He commendeth it from the happinesse of these that rightly maketh use of these words ver 14. which verse is answerable to ver 3. of Chap. 1. Then 4. He commendeth this Scripture from the contrary misery that shall come on all who shall by their own fault be excluded from this happinesse ver 15. These are done by several witnesses sometimes by Iohn sometimes by Jesus Christ sometimes by the Spirit sometimes by the Angel He goeth on to confirm the truth of what hath been delivered and the first confirmation is ver 13. which as it relateth to all the prophesie so doth it especially to the former of Christs coming quickly I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end the first and the last I that speak and have sent this Book to my Church am God and will perform what I have spoken The words hold out Christs eternity not only as being before and after all things but as giving all things a being and ordering all things to their ends and to His own glory as the great end of all He is the beginning of the Creation of God Rev. 3.14 This commendation is prosecuted ver 14. and 15. from the happinesse of them that so make right use of all the Word of God and especially of the words contained in this Book The happinesse and the persons to whom it belongeth are first set down ver 14. Blessed are they that do his commandments Blessednesse is the most desirable thing that is looked for and thus blessed are they that keep His Word and obey it And though this general be true yet considering ver 3. of Chap. 1 and ver 7. of this Chapter and the scope here to be one with these to commend this prophesie we take the commandments spoken of here especially to look to the sayings of this prophesie And so it is Blessed are they that keep the sayings of this Book the Lord foreseeing that this Book was to meet with more opposition than other Books of holy Scripture and there being a general reluctancy in all to make use of it therefore though but six or seven times blessednesse be spoken of in it yet it is thrice applied to them that keep the sayings of this prophesie particularly these which relate to the keeping of clean garments from the corruptions of Antichrist and of the time and to the putting of us in a posture of waiting for His coming This blessednesse is branched out several wayes more particularly 1. that they may have right to the tree of life that is to the happinesse the Saints have in glory and especially to Jesus Christ the objective and fountain-happinesse of the Saints as ver 2. of this Chapter and Chap. 2. The meaning is they shall have right to Jesus Christ and glory in heaven with Him Not that doing of the commandments is the meritorious cause of this or that which giveth Believers right to it But for clearing it consider Christ two wayes holden out in the Word 1. As He is the ground and purchaser of Salvation to Believers in Him and so believing is that which giveth right to Him and all that is in Him according to the offer which is the ground of our faith 2. Consider Him as the object in whom Believers happinesse consisteth and in the enjoying of whom there is life as Col. 3.4 Christ being thus looked on as the object of their happinesse keeping of the commandments is the way wherein we come to enjoy Him and this agreeth well with that word Heb. 12.14 Follow peace with all men and holynesse without which no man shall see the Lord. And hereby the necessity of holinesse and obedience to His commandments is holden forth without which Col. 1.12 we are not meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light for though holinesse and obedience be not the way unto or causa sinè qua non of our justification or to Christ considered as the meritorious cause of it who is thus to be closed with by faith alone yet are they to our glorification and to the immediate enjoying of Him in heaven The second branch of their happinesse is They shall enter in thorow the gates into the city that is into the new Ierusalem and the glory that the Saints have to look for in heaven Chap. 21. and beginning of Chap. 22. their holinesse endeth in happinesse and glory there is no coming to heaven but by this door no climbing over the walls for the Angels are porters The meaning is the studier of holinesse shall have fair accesse into heaven like a man that hath a passe and getteth liberty to enter in the city when the sentinel keepeth others back and they are not admitted 2 Pet. 1.11 So an entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord whereby it is clear that this city is heaven and the way to it is holinesse and to hope to come to heaven and to live in profanenesse is as if folks would think to climb over the walls and not enter by the ports into it We may well say that though holinesse be not the cause of our entry yet it is our passe by which it is known who are to be admitted or have right to enter and who not The third way how this happinesse is set out is by holding out the misery of all that are profane ver 15. for without are dogs and sorcerers c. This is given as a reason why they are happy that shall have accesse into the city because without are such and such vile persons and as a reason why they are blessed that are holy because profane ones are shut out under which we comprehend all that are disobedient and such as cast the Word and Commandments of God And it letteth us see how God esteemeth of all that give not themselves up to the obedience of the Truth Of these sorts of sinners we spoke Chap. 21.8 Only dogs are added here that is 1. Such as are profane in conversation and will not take reproofs such as amend not Matth. 7.6 Give not that which is holy to dogs 2. These that are opposit to Truth in doctrine and vent