of my future condition that assurance reflexive of which this is one ingredient cannot be a divine Faith but at the most an humane yet such as perhaps I may have no doubting mixed with nor reason that I should so doubt For at the conclusion of life having finisht his course and persevered Saint Paul could say without doubting henceforth there is laid up for me a crowne of righteousnesse Which if another man be not able to say with that assurance 't will not presently be want of Faith in him as long as this want of assurance proceeds not from any distrust of the truth of Gods promises but onely from an humble conceit of his owne repentance that 't is not such as God requires of him And if that place 2 Cor. 13. 5. Know ye not that Christ Jesus is in you except you be reprobates be objected to prove that all are Reprobates that know not that Christ is in them the answer will be satisfactory that the words rendred in you signifie very frequently in the Scripture and peculiarly in a place parallell to this Exod. 17. 7. among you or in your congregation And so the sence will be best dissolved into a question and answer know you not by the miracles preaching the demonstration of the spirit and of power that Christ Jesus is among you by way of interrogation for so 't is in the Greeke and the meaning appeares by the context to be Know ye not discerne you not your selves that the power of the Gospell is come among you by my Apostleship and then by way of answer Except you be reprobates you are obdurate insensate creatures undoubtedly unlesse you doe S. You have shewed me the difference betwixt Generall and Particular Faith and I shall not follow that matter any farther but I pray helpe me in one difficulty We are said in Scripture to be justified by faith and we heare much talke of a justifying faith I pray tell me what Faith this is to which Justification is attributed C. First let me tell you that Faith in whatever acception is no proper efficient cause of justification for such is onely God through the satisfaction of Christ accepting our persons and our weake performances and not imputing our sinnes in which act nothing in us can possibly have any so much as inferiour instrumentall efficiency the most that can be said is that 't is a condition without which God that justifies the penitent beleiver will never justifie the impenitent infidell and therefore 't is observable that 't is no where said in Scripture that Faith justifies but that we are justified by Faith which particle by is a peculiar note of a condition not a cause S. But then what Faith is this which is the condition of our justification C. That Faith which we shewed you was Abrahams Faith or infewer words the receiving the whole Christ in all his offices as my King my Preist my Prophet whereby I beleeve the Commands as well as the Promises of the Gospell or take the Promises as they are i. e. as conditionall Promises And this a cordiall practicall beleife a firme resolution of uniforme obedience and Discipleship faith made perfect by workes Ja. 2. 22. Intimating that without the addition of such workes such obedience Evangelicall it would be imperfect unsufficient to this end that is to our Justification The same is called in a parallell phrase faith consummate by love Gal. 5. 6. which indeed we render working by love but the Greeke and Syriack signifies consummate by love that is by acts of Christian Charity and therefore in two parallell places is thus varied in one we reade instead of it the new Creature Gal. 6. 15. in another the keeping the Commandements of God 1 Cor. 7. 19. S. But how then is it so often said that we are not justified by workes Gal. 1. 16. and Rom. 3. 28. that we are justified by faith without the deeds of the law C. I have in effect already told you and shall in a word again tell you The word workes and deeds of the law in those places signifies perfect legall obedience or circumcision and the like Judaicall out-dated Ceremonies and Faith the Evangelicall Grace of giving up the whole heart to Christ without any such perfect obedience or Judaicall observances and so 't is truly said we are justified by Faith without them i. e. without such workes such perfect obedience yet not excluding but including that Evangelicall obedience for without that Faith is dead saith Saint James 2. 17. and then sure not able to justifie any And therefore you may observe in that Apostles discourse Ja. 2. he affirmes that Abraham was justified by workes v. 21. and makes that a parallell phrase to that of the Old Testament Abraham beleived God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse v. 23. where as justification and imputed to him for righteousnesse are phrases of the same importance so are workes and beleiving also S. The reason of it I conceive is because Faith alwaies brings forth good workes or if it doe not it is no true Faith C. I am not altogether of your opinion for I conceive it very possible for me to beleive and yet not to live accordingly The truth is that is not a justifying Faith or such as even now I defined and so no truefaith in that sence but yet it may be a true Faith for so much as it is I may truly without all doubting beleive the promise of mercy and salvation to the true penitent and none else which beleife is very fit and proper to set me a reforming and amending and yet 't is possible for temptations of carnall objects to perswade me to deferre this duty nay never to thinke fit to set my selfe to the performance of it the present pleasures of sinne may outweigh in my debauched choice those future spirituall joyes nay I may see and like them and yet for the present embrace the contrary the will of man being a middle free faculty not absolutely obliged to doe or choose what the understanding judgeth most honest i. e. what Reason and Faith and the Spirit of God commandeth to be done The truth is if this faith get once to be radicated in the heart to rule and reigne there if the will chooseth what Faith recommendeth then it bringeth forth all manner of good workes and so then 't is the consummation of Faith by Charity and Good workes that God accepteth in Christ to justification and not the bare aptnesse of faith to bring forth workes if those workes by the fault of a rebellious infidell will be not brought forth S. But is there no one peculiar act of Faith to which justification is particularly imputable C. That to which justification is promised is certainly the giving up of the whole soule intirely unto Christ accepting his promises on his conditions undertaking Discipleship upon Christs termes But yet 't is possible that some one
act of faith may be more excellent and acceptable in the sight of God then others as that humble act of the faithfull servant that when he hath done all acknowledges himselfe unprofitable and so excludes all glorying which the Apostle makes very necessary to justification Rom. 4. expects all good from Gods free mercy in Christ with-without any reflection on any of his owne performances or againe that of full trust affiance reliance rolling ones selfe on God depending on his all-sufficiency in the midst of all difficulties on the fidelity of him that hath promised when all worldly probabilities are to the contrary but then this must be accompanied with other acts of faith when occasion is offered for them and with use of the meanes prescribed by Christ or else reliance may prove presumption after all And however it is we must adde to our faith virtue c. or else our faith may still be dead livelesse being alone that is unable to stand us in any stead to the desired end S. I could heare you and propose scruples to you for ever on this argument but I desire to carry away onely so much of this subject of faith as may tend to the encrease of all virtue in me and I am sensible how long I have detained you on this theme and therefore I shall importune you no farther about it but yet onely vary not end your trouble and advance to the next Theologicall Grace that of Hope and desire your directions in that particular C. This Grace is subject to some mistaking and therefore I shall desire you to marke carefully what I conceive of it S. What is Hope C. It is a patient comfortable expectation of the performance of Gods promises belonging to this life or a better S. What is the ground of Hope C. Some sure word of promise assented unto by faith S. What is the object of Hope C. It is made up of two things 1. The thing promised 2. The Cause or Author of it 1. The thing promised or the performance of that promise Such is the Resurrection of the dead which nature cannot helpe us to see any thing into but being beleived by faith becomes the object of Hope And 't is observable that seven times in the Acts of the Apostles the word Hope referres to this one object the Resurrection or future state or life in another world which indeed is the supreme object of the Christians Hope and all other things but in an inferiour degree and as they referre to that and in order to that great treasure of our rejoycing Though the truth is as there be promises of this life as well as of another as that God will give us all things necessary for us and the like So is there a Secular Hope or an Hope of this life and an object of that Hope S. What is that Secular Hope C. A reliance on God that he will send me whatsoever is good for me S. What is the object of that Hope C. Good successes good things S. Am I bound to hope that all things that are good for me shall befall me C. I must answer you with some caution First Those promises are conditionall All things shall tend to good to them that love God If we be lovers of God then that promise belongs to us not else And consequently then we are to hope it not else Ye that feare the Lord hope in the Lord saith the Psalmist S. But is every true servant of God bound to hope that God will give him all secular good things as wealth peace honour and the like C. There is another condition required in him first before that promise belongs to him and consequently before he is bound to that hope S. What is that C. To pray for them for the having and finding is promised to none but to them which aske and seeke yea and to use the meanes ordinary and lawfull which are in order to that end as labour and the like among which mercifulnesse and liberality is one to which the promise of secular wealth is most frequently made and the contrary threatned with want S. Well then must the servant of God having prayed and used those meanes hope and be assured that that which he thus prayes for shall be granted him C. Yes either formally or by way of aequivalence either that or something that is better or againe either now or when God fees fitter for him for this must be allowed God to be able to choose for us better then we can for our selves both for the thing it selfe and the time of conferring it For many times that which we aske would if it should be granted be worst for us and perhaps tend to our destruction and then God by denying the particular matter of our prayers doth grant the generall matter of them which alwaies is that which is best for us Sometimes againe he deferres to grant that we may reinforce our impression pray more ardently and for us to be so exercised in prayer and hope is best for us also S. Are we bound then thus to expect and hope in every thing that we pray for C. Yes we are and the want of that is the sinne of wavering or doubting noted by Christ and his Apostles S. Well but you toldme there was another part of the object of Hope besides the thing promised which you called the cause or author of it What is that C. The person that is to make good this promise to me which is God himselfe And therefore we are so often exhorted to hope in the Lord c. For as in the other affections we are not onely angry at the injury or the provoking thing done to us but at him that did it and we doe not onely feare paine and punishment but him also that can inflict it on us so we doe not onely hope for Heaven or for any other good thing but for God as the fountaine of our blisse and through whose mercy it is that it befals us This is called hope in him or as it should rather be rendred Hope on him 1 Joh. 3. 3. And this is a speciall act of Christian hope to be thus unbottom'd of our selves and fastned upon God with a full relyance and trust and dependance on his mercy S. I thanke you for this direction Give mee leave to proceed What be the seasons and opportanities of this Hope C. 1. Time of tribulation Rom. 5. 4. Tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience Hope and Hope maketh not ashamed Where the word which we render experience signifies being approved upon a triall and the sence runnes thus Tribulation is a season and a meanes to worke patience and that patience to produce approbation as of one that is tried in the fire and hath past the test And this a meanes to worke an Hope or expectation of reward and that Hope will keepe from being ashamed of those sufferings and make us rather
24. i. e. some relicks of that bitter passion-cup of his for us to drinke 3. Because it is such an expression of a curse to have our reward and with Dives all our good things in this life and that an ominous signe that there is nothing left to be rewarded in another life S. What then is to be thought of them who to get the crosse off from their owne shoulders and to put it on other mens will venture on things most contrary to peace and shake the quiet perhaps the foundations of a Kingdome C. I will say no more and I can scarcely say worse then that they are enemies to the crosse of Christ a very ill and sad spectacle among Christians and that there is nothing more unreasonable then to pretend Christianity for the doing this which is so perfectly contrary to it S. You have now past through all Christian graces at the first designed for consideration I shall put you in minde of the next thing whereof you have made your selfe my debtor the difference of and dependence betweene Justification and Sanctification wherein first you will please to give me the notion of the single termes And 1. what is Justification C. § 4 It is Gods accepting our persons and not imputing our sinnes his covering or pardoning our iniquities his being so reconciled unto us sinners that he determins not to punish us eternally S What is the cause of that C. God's free mercy unto us in Christ revealed in the new Covenant S. What in us is the Instrumentall cause of it C. As an Instrument is logically and properly taken and signifies an inferiour lesse principall efficient cause so nothing in us can have any thing to do i. e. any kind of physicall efficiency in this worke neither is it imaginable it should it being a worke of God's upon us without us concerning us but not within us at all And if you marke Justification being in plaine termes but the accepting our persons and pardoning of sinnes it would be very improper and harsh to affirme that our workes our any thing even our Faith it selfe should accept our persons or pardon our sinnes though in never so inferiour a notion which yet they must if they were instrumentall in our Justification 't is true indeed those necessary qualifications which the Gospell requires in us are conditions or morall instruments without which we shall not be justified but those are not properly called instruments or causes S. What are those qualifications C. Faith repentance firme purpose of a new life and the rest of those graces upon which in the Gospell pardon is promised the Christian all comprizable in the new creature conversion regeneration c. S. Are these required in us so as without them we cannot be justifyed How then are we justified by the free grace of God C. Yes these two are very reconcileable for there is no merit in our Faith or Repentance or any poore weake grace of ours to deserve Gods favour to our persons or pardon of what sins are past or acceptation of our imperfect obedience for the future 't is his free grace to pardon and accept us on such poore conditions as these and this free grace purchased and sealed to us by the death of Christ S. What now is Sanctification C. The word may note either a guift of God's his giving of grace to prevent and sanctifie us or a duty of ours our having i. e. making use of that grace and both these considered together either as an Act or as a State S. What is it as it signifies an Act C. The infusion of holinesse in our hearts or of some degrees of holynesse and parallell to that the receiving and obeying the good motions of God's sanctifying spirit and laying them up to fructifie in an honest heart the turning of a soule to God or the first begining of new life S. What is it as it signifies a State C. The living a new a holy a gracious life in obedience to the good grace of God and dayly improving and growing and at last persevering and dying in it S. What now is the dependence between Justification and Sanctification C. This that the first part of Sanctification the beginning of new life must be first had before God pardons or justifies any then when God is thus reconciled to the new convert upon his vow of new life he gives him more grace enables assists him for that state of Sanctification wherein if he makes good use of that grace he then continues to enjoy this favour and Justification but if he performe not his vow proceed not in Christian holy life but relapse into wasting acts or habits of sinne then God chargeth againe all his former sinnes upon him and those present iniquities of his and in them if he returne not againe he shall die as appeares by Ez. 18. 24. If the righteous i. e. the sanctified and justified person depart from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquity in his sinne that he hath sinned he shall dye and by the parable of the King Matt. 18. where he that had the debt pardoned him freely by his Lord yet for exacting over severely from his fellow servant is againe unpardoned and cast into prison delivered to the tormentors till he should pay all that was due unto him v. 34. which parable Christ applyes to our present businesse v. 35. So likewise shall my heavenly father do also unto you S. But is not a man Justified before he is Sanctified and if he be how then can his Justification depend on his Sanctification C. If he were justified before he were sanctified in any kind then would your reasoning hold for sure by the same reason that justification might be begun before repentance or resolution of new life or conversion to God it might also be continued to him that repented not or that returned to his evill way and therefore without all doubt this kind of Sanctification is precedent in order of nature to justification i. e. I must first beleive repent and returne all which together is that faith which is required as the condition of our being justified a receiving of the whole Christ a cordiall assent to his commands as well as promises a giving up the heart to him a resolution of obedience a pronenesse or readinesse to obey him the thing without which saith an antient writer Christ can do none of his miracles upon our soules any more then he could his mighty workes among his unbeleiving countrymen before God will pardon though indeed in respect of time there is no sensible priority but God's pardon and our change goe together at what time soever we repent or convert sincerely God will have mercy i. e. justifie A further proofe of this if it be needfull you may take from the author to the Hebrewes c. 10. where having said v. 14. that Christ by his owne suffering perfected for ever them that are sanctified intimating
A PRACTICALL CATECHISME Theologia est Scientia affectiva non speculativa Gerson 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clemens in Poedagog OXFORD Printed in the yeare M. DC XLV The Table OF Divinity p. 1. Of Practicall points p. 2. Of the First Covenant p. 3. Of the Second Covenant p. 6. Of the names of Christ p. 15. 1. Of Jesus p. 16. Of the name Christ and his three offices p. 21. Of Christs Kingly office p. 22. Of Christs Preistly office p. 27. Of Christs Propheticke office p. 38. Of Faith p. 40. Of Hope p. 61. Of Charity p. 74. Of Repentance p. 84. Of Selfe-deniall p. 104. Of taking up the Crosse p. 109. Of Justification p. 112. Of Sanctification p. 113. Gods method in saving a sinner p. 119. Of Christs Sermon in the Mount p. 120. Of the Beatitudes p. 122. Of Poverty of Spirit p. 122. Of Mourning p. 124. Of Meekenesse p. 126. Of Hungring thirsting after righteousnesse 135. Of Mercifulnesse p. 138. Of Purity of heart p. 140. Of Peace-making p. 144. Of Persecution for righteousnesse sake p. 148. Of the order of the Beatitudes p. 152. Of the exemplary lives of Christians p. 154. Christianity is not destructive of the lawes to which mankind had beene formerly obliged p. 156. Christ perfected the law p. 157. Of Killing p. 164. Of the power of the sword p. 165. Of Selfe-murther p. 166. Of Duells p. 168. Of Warre p. 172. Of Anger causelesse or immoderate in the breast p. 173. in the tongue p. 177. Of contumelious speaking p. 180. Of Reconciliation p. 183. Of the time of calling our selves to account for trespasses p. 184. Of Adultery p. 186. Of looking on a woman to lust p. 188. Of the eye and hand offending p. 191. Of Divorce p. 192. Of Swearing p. 203. Of Revenge or retaliating evill p. 208. Of Warres p. 213. Of loving enemies p. 225. Of Almes-giving p. 236. Of Vaine-glory p. 252. Of Prayer p. 259. Of Vaine repetitions p. 271. Of the Lords Prayer p. 273. Of Fasting p. 288. 296. Of Sobriety p. 290. Of Feasting p. 295. Of the desire and love of wealth p. 306. Of Worldly Care p. 315. Of judging others p. 338. Of the power of Prayer p. 346. Of doing as we would be done to p. 346. Of Warinesse and prudence p. 348. Markes of False-teachers p. 349. Of Profession of Christianity without action p. 352. ERRATA PAg. 4. lin 8. After Covenant adde a Comma p. 14. lin 13. after Covenant adde in the notion wherein now we take it l. 16. after Covenant adde and that especially and therefore is so called Heb. 8. p. 15 l. 3. for falsible r. feasible p. 16. l. 19. for words word l. 20. for things thing p. 32. l. 16 for follow Wherein r. follow wherein p. 36. l. 23. dele it cleare l. 24 after person adde so as he shall be thought perfectly to have obeyed l. 25. after were adde thus p. 40. l. 12. r. proposed p. 54. l. 17. r particular is p. 77. l. 24. t. that is in p. 107. l. 5. r. those must be equally renounced p. 121. l. 9. for lights r. hights p. 133. l. 14. for foolish Iewish p. 137. l. 3. for your r. that p. 151 l. 15. r. when it is 〈◊〉 p. 163. l. 14. r. first he reh◠p. 169. l. 11. for this r. these p. 183. l. 18. r. unretracted p. 189. l. 23. r. creature p. 198. l. 22. r. that this is l. 23. r. adultery you p. 199. in marg r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 205. l. 18. r. those p. 206. l. 8. r. on the. l. 23. r. may p. 233. l. ult for with r. which is p. 255. l. 9. after or adde at least as from p. 256. l. 1. for come to r. cannot p. 257. l. 20 r. blowing p. 266. l. 22. for non r. no. p. 271. l. ◠after duty adde and. p. 280 in marg r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 284. l. 13. r. is it p. 307. l. 25. r. bent on p. 341. l. 28. for theirs r. yours A PRACTICALL CATECHISME Scholler I Have by the grace of God and your help and care attained in some measure to the understanding of the principles of Religion proposed to those of my age by our Church-Catechisme and should in modesty content my selfe with those rudiments but that I finde my selfe as a Christian not only invited but obliged to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Shall I therefore beseech you to continue my guide and to direct me first what kind of questions it will be most usefull for me to aske and you to instruct me in that I may not please my selfe or trouble you with lesse profitable speculations Catechist I will most readily serve you in this demand and make no scruple to tell you that that kind of knowledge is most usefull and proper to be superadded to your former grounds which tendeth most immediately to the directing of your practice for you will easily remember that it was the forme of the young mans question Mark 10. 17. Good Master what shall I doe that I may inherit eternall life and our bookes tell us that the oracle that is the Devill himselfe was informed to proclaime Socrates to be the wisest man in the world because he applied his studies and knowledge to the morall part the squaring and ordering of mens lives and Gerson a very learned and pious man hath defined Divinity of all others to be an affective not onely speculative knowledge which you will best understand the meaning of by a very ancient writers words which are in English these that the end of Christian philosophy is to make men better not more learned to edify not to instruct S. I shall most willingly intrust my selfe to your directions and though the vanity of my heart and the unrulinesse of my youthfull affections may perhaps make me an improper auditour of such doctrines yet I hope the doctrines themselves and the assistance of Gods grace obtaineable by our prayers may be a meanes to fit me to receive profit by them I beseech you therefore to tell me your opinion what kind of doctrines and what parts of Scripture will be likely to have the most present influence on my heart or contribute most to a Christian practice C. I conceive especially these five first the Doctrine of the first and second Covenant together with the difference of them secondly the Names and in one of them intimated the Offices of Christ thirdly the Nature of the Three Theologicall Graces Faith Hope and Charity together with Selfe deniall and Repentance or Regeneration fourthly the Difference and dependance betwixt Justification and Sanctification and lastly the thorow understanding of our Saviours Sermon on the Mount set downe in the fifth sixth and seaventh Chapters of Saint Matthews Gospell But you will be frighted with the length of this taske and discourag'd from setting out on so tedious a journey S. I shall thinke
our selves to or to be justified by God S. But what then was the Faith of Abraham C. Many acts of Abrahams Faith there are mentioned in the New Testament which were severall exercises of that grace in him but especially two there are by which in two trials of his Faith he approved himselfe to God so farre as that God imputed them to him for righteousnesse i. e. accepted of those acts of his as graciously as if he had performed perfect unsinning obedience had lived exactly without any slip or fall all his life yea and gave him the honour of being called the freind of God S. What was the first of those acts C. That which Saint Paul referres to Rom. 4. and Gal. 3. his beleeving the promise of God made unto him Gen. 15. S. What was that promise C. It consisted of two parts First that God would sheild and defend or take him into his protection and withall reward him abundantly for all the service that he should ever performe unto him This promise is set down v. 1. in these words feare not Abraham I am thy sheild and exceeding great reward The summe of which is that God will protect all those that depend and trust on him and reward all his faithfull servants in a manner and measure inexpressibly abundant and particularly that he would then deale so with Abraham a true faithfull servant of his and consequently that he should not fear This promise it is not said in the text expressely that Abraham beleeved but yet it is so farre implied that there is no doubt of it for Abrahams question v. 2. What wilt thou give me seeing I goe childlesse is in effect a bowing and yeilding consent to the truth of this promise and firmely depending upon it and thereupon proceeding to a speciall particular wherein he desired that favour of God to be made good to him the giving him a child for his reward whereas otherwise having none and so his servant being his onely heire apparent all the wealth in the world would not be valuable to him and thereupon as a reward of that his former faith on the former promise God proceeds to make him that second more particular promise which I called the second part of it S. What was that C. The promise that he should have an heire of his own body from whom should come a posterity as numerous or rather innumerable as the stars of heaven and among them at length the Messias in whom all the people of the world should be blessed for that is the meaning of so shall thy seed be v. 5. and of the same words delivered by way of Ellipsis Rom. 4. 18. Who beleived that he should be the father of many nations accordingly as had beene said to him by God So i. e. as the starres of heaven shall thy seed be This second part of the promise being a particular conteined before under the generall of rewarding him exceedingly but not till now explicitely revealed to Abraham that God would then reward him by giving him a son and a numerous posterity and the Messias to come from him was a particular triall whether his former beleife were sincere i. e. whether he would trust and depend on God or no there being little reason for him to expect a child then having remained so long without one and so some difficulty in so beleeving and then it followes that in this triall he was found faithfull he beleeved v. 6. or as Saint Paul heightens it beside or beyond hope he beleived Rom. 4. 18. and God counted it to him for righteousnesse i. e. tooke this for such an expression of his faithfullnesse and sincerity and true piety that he accepted him as a righteous person upon this performance though no doubt he had many infirmities and sinnes which he was or had beene guilty of in his life unreconcileable with perfect righteousnesse S. What was the second of those acts of Abrahams faith C. That which Saint Iames mentions c. 2. 21. and Saint Paul Heb. 11. 17. offering up his sonne Isaak upon the Altar For God having made triall before of his faith in one particular that of beleeving his promise makes now a new triall of it in another that of obedience to his commands for when God gives commands aswell as promises the one is as perfect a season and meanes of triall of faith as the other and to say I have faith and not thus to evidence it not to bring forth that fruit of it when God by expecting it and requiring it puts mee to the triall is either to manifest that I have no faith at all or else not a through faith but only for cheaper easier services not able to hold out to all trials Or else that this is but a dull livelesse habit of faith without any vitall acts flowing from it which yet are the things that God commandeth and without yeilding of which in time of triall or when occasion is offered the habit will not be accepted And this I conceive the clearest way of reconciling Saint Iames and Saint Paul Abraham was justified by faith saith Saint Paul Rom 4. and not by workes i. e. by beleeving and depending on God for the performance of his promise and resigning himselfe up wholly to him to obey his precepts or more clearely by that Faith which howsoever it was tried whether by promises of strange incredible things or commands of very hard duties killing his onely sonne did constantly approve it selfe to be a true saith and so was accepted by God without performance of absolute unsinning obedience much more without performance of the Mosaicall law Abraham then being uncircumcised which two things one or both are generally by Saint Paul meant by workes But then saith Saint James Abraham was justified by workes i. e. his Faith did approve its selfe by faithfull actions particularly by offering up his sonne an act of the greatest fidelity and sincerity and obedience in the world and if in time of triall he had not done so he had never pass't for the faithfull Abraham had never beene justified i. e. approved or accepted by God which is in effect all one with that which Saint Paul had said neither one nor the other excluding or seperating faithfull actions or acts of Faith from Faith or the condition of justification but absolutely requiring them as the onely things by which the man is justified onely Saint Paul mentions the workes of the law and excludes them from having any thing to doe toward justification leaving the whole worke to Faith and Saint James dealing not with the Jewes but with another kind of adversaries hath no occasion to adde that exclusive part but rather to prevent or cure another disease which he saw the minds of men through mistake and abuse of Saint Pauls doctrine possess 't with or subject to thinking that a dead habit of Faith would serve the turne and mistaking every slight motion or formall profession such as bidding
the poore go and be rich and giving them nothing v. 16. for that habit of faith and in opposition to that resolving that the Faith which in time of triall when occasion is offered doth not bring forth acts is such a dead carcasse of faith that God will never be content with to the justifying or accepting of any or counting any man as Abraham his friend for such are none saith Christ but those which do whatsoever he commands them S. I thanke you for this very plaine delineation of Abrahams Faith be onely now pleased to prevent any mistake of mine to change the scene and bring home the whole matter to mine owne heart and tell me what is that Faith which is required of me and which alone will suffice to denominate me a child of Faithfull Abraham and which will be sure to be accounted to me for righteousnesse by God and this you may please to doe onely with reflection and in proportion to what you have already told me of Abraham C. I will obey you The faith which is now required of you and which God will thus accept to your justification is a cordiall sincere giving up your selfe unto God particularly to Christ firmely to rely on all his promises and faithfully to obey all his commands delivered in the Gospell which will never be accounted that sincere cordiall faith unlesse you doe whensoever any triall is made of you act and performe accordingly beleive what Christ hath promised in the Gospell against all spirituall or worldly temptations to the contrary and practice what Christ commands against all the invitations of pleasure or profit or vaine glory to the contrary to which purpose it is that Christ saith that they cannot beleive which receive the praise of men by that one carnall motive as an example or instance of the rest illustrating this truth that he that the World or Flesh or Devill can carry away from the profession of and obedience to Christ is no sonne of the faithfull Abraham no beleiving Disciple of his For if it be said that Abraham was faithfull before these acts of his Faith at least before that second of them that of obedience being justified upon the beleeving the promise before Gen. 15. and so that you may have true faith before you produce those effects of it at least by beleeving the promises of Christ you are so justified without respect unto or abstracted from this obedience to his commands I shall soone satisfy that scruple by confessing the truth of it as farre as concern'd Abraham on this ground because Abraham was by God who saw his heart discerned to be faithfull before any of these trials nay had formerly given evidence of it by going out of his country at Gods command which was an act of great obedience Gen. 12. 1. and Heb. 11. 8. And after being tried at that time onely with a promise he gave full credit to that and still gave evidence of his fidelity as fast as occasions were offered which God that saw no maime in him did accept of even before he had made those other trials And proportionably it will still hold true of you that if your heart be sincerely given up to Christ if there be in you a resolution of uniforme obedience unto Christ which the searcher of hearts sees to be sincere and such as would hold out in time of temptation this will be certainly accepted by God to thy justification nay if God try thee onely with the promise as be it but this that Christ will give rest to all that being weary come to him or for temporall things that he will never faile thee nor forsake thee if thou do confidently depend on the truth of this without any doubting or staggering this will be accepted by God to thy justification without any farther acts of faith or obedience to his commands in case or supposing there were no such command as yet given to thee or no occasion of obeying it But now thy case being in one respect distinguished from that of Abrahams the whole Gospell being already revealed and proposed to thee as a summary of what thou art bound to beleive and what to do and no need of any such particular revelations of Gods will either by way of promise or particular precept as was to Abraham the object of thy faith is already set thee all the Affirmations all the promises and all the Commands yea and Threats of the Gospell and all these are to be received uniformly with a cordiall faith proportioned to each of them assent to all his affirmations dependance on all his promises resolution of obedience to all his commands even those hardest sayings of his most unacceptable to flesh and bloud and feare and awe of his Threats without any flattering fallacious hope of possibility to escape them Thy Faith if it be true must be made up of all these parts and not of some one or more of them and then whensoever any triall shall be particularly made of thee in which kind soever it happens to be first thou must expresse and evidence thy fidelity or else this faith will not be accepted by God to thy justification i. e. will not be approved by him or accounted for thy righteousnesse and the same must be resolved when and how often soever occasions shall offer themselves either of assenting or adhering or obeying or fearing God i. e. whensoever any difficulty or other temptation interposes in any one of these for then it is with thee as it was with Abraham when God tempted him and there is no justification to be had but upon passing faithfully I say not without all sinne all blemish all imperfection but without all falsenesse faithlessenesse hypocrisy honestly sincerely through such trials For though God may approve and justify thy faith and thee before or without any triall any performance beholding all in the heart which men doe in the actions yet when those trials are made and the performance not met with 't is then apparent even to men and thy owne soule that thy resolutions were not before sincere i. e. thy faith true and consequently God that saw that before those trials cannot be thought to have justified that unsincere resolver that dead heartlesse livelesse Faith But when upon such trials God meets with his desired expected returnes he then justifies the fidelity or Faith of that man and consequently that man himselfe who hath shewed himselfe so faithfull and so by the purport of the New Covenant through the sufferings and satisfaction of Christ he imputes not to that man the sinnes of his former nor frailties infirmities of his present life S. You have given me a large account of my demand and I can finde nothing wanting to my present satisfaction but the more distinct descending to the severall parts and branches of faith that I may more nearely looke into the severals of my duty in this matter wherein I am so mightily concerned C. I
is whether his sorrow bring forth fruits of amendment if so this is not the sinne of Desperation yet he hath the Grace of Hope which brings forth fruits of Hope though it be so clouded over with a melancholy vapour that it be not discernible even to himselfe But if this trouble of minde set him a sinning farther like Judas who had sorrow but then hanged himselfe this is Despaire indeed S. I shall sollicite you no farther in this point but for your prayers that God will keepe me from all premature perswasion of my being in Christ that he will give me that Hope that may set me a purifying and not suffer me to go on presumptuously or desperately in any course Onely upon occasion of this Grace of Hope give me leave to aske you whether he that now lives in sinne and hopes he shall one day repent and go to Heaven this Repentance and that Heaven being a future good and so the object of Hope may be said to have the Grace of Hope in any kind C. By no meanes Because God hath made no such promise that he shall repent nor without Repentance that any man shall have Heaven This is a ground-worke of carnall security and no degree of the Grace of Hope S. Once more may he that hath gone on in a continued course of sinne and at last is overtaken with Gods judgments and seeing Hell gates open upon him doth greive for his former wicked life and upon that hopes for mercy be conceived to be saved by that Hope C. I list not to passe sentence on any particular because I cannot throughly discerne his state onely I can say in generall I know no promise of pardon in Scripture to a bare death-bed sorrow because indeed none to any sorrow at any time but that which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Godly sorrow which worketh Repentance which Repentance as it is available if true though never so late so is seldome true when it is late nor can well be knowne to be true but by persevering fruits which require time And though a serious purpose of amendment and true acts of Contrition before or without the habit may be accepted by God to my salvation yet in this case there is no sure judgment whether this purpose be serious or these acts true acts of Contrition And so in this case there is no foundation for his Hope and then a groundlesse Hope or a bare Hope without the other conditions to which the promises belong will never be able to save any S. Shall we now proceed to the third Grace that of Love or Charity C. Most willingly it is a precious Grace and that which Saint Paul preferres before Hope and Faith S. But is any Grace to be prefer'd before that of Faith I thought that had beene the most necessary Gospell-grace C. It is most certaine there is Faith being taken in that notion which I told you belongs to that place because Saint Paul hath affirmed it that Charity is the greatest of the three 1 Cor. 13. 13. And it is as sure that no other Scripture hath contradicted this and although very great things are said of Faith as of the onely condition of Justification and Salvation yet 1. This is when it is in conjunction with Charity Faith consummate by love And 2. 'T is observable that the most imperfect things are alwaies the most necessary and consequently the great necessity of Faith is no argument of it's dignity in comparison of this other Grace For indeed Faith is necessary so as without which Charity cannot be had but then this alone is unsufficient to save any if Charity be not added to it Faith is the foundation which though it be the most necessary part of the building yet is it the lowest and most imperfect Charity the superstruction which is never firmely built but when grounded in Faith and when 't is so 't is farre more excellent then it's foundation Besides Charity is a Grace not out-dated in Heaven as Faith and Hope are S. But what is Charity C. The sincere love of God and of our neighbour for his sake S. Wherein doth the love of God consist C. As love in its latitude is of two sorts of Freindship and of Desire the first betwixt freinds the second betwixt lovers the first a rationall the second a sensitive love so our love of God consists of two parts 1. Esteeming prizing valuing of God 2. Desiring of him S. How shall I know whether I doe Esteeme God as I ought to doe C. If you would be content to doe any thing or suffer any thing rather then loose his favour rather then displease him If you love me saith he keepe my Commandements And therefore loving him and obeying him love and workes to wit Evangelicall workes are taken for the same thing in Scripture S. How must this love be qualified C. The speciall qualification or rather indeed essentiall property of Charity is the sincerity of it as that is opposite to hypocrisy or a double heart or divided love or joining any rivall or competitor in our hearts with him The loving God above all and all other for his sake this is set downe both by Moses and Christ in these words Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule with all thy mind with all thy strength The Heart as I conceive signifying the Affections The Soule the Will or elective faculty The Minde the Understanding or rationall faculty And the Strength the powers of the body for action and all foure together making up the whole man and the word All affixt to each not to exclude all other things from any inferiour part in my love but onely from an equall or superiour to exclude a partiall or a halfe love S. What are the motives that may stirre up this love in my heart C. 1. The consideration of Gods infinite essence And 2. Of his most glorious Attributes And 3. Of his bounteous actions towards us in creating redeeming preserving and providing such rewards for those that love him S. What is that other part of love which you call the Desiring of him C. The actuall appetition or fastening our affections on him desiring to enjoy him 1. His Grace or sanctifying Spirit here And 2. The perpetuall vision of him hereafter The former part of this is called hungering and thirsting after righteousnesse A hatred and impatience of sinne a desiring to be out of that polluted condition and to be made like unto God in holinesse and purity and you may know the sincerity of that 1. By assiduity and frequency and fervency in prayer that way of conversing and communing with God a most infallible concomitant of this kind of love 2. By loving and seeking the meanes 1. of resisting sin and 2. of receiving and 3. of improving of Grace that one principall desire of Davids That he might dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of his
that they must be sanctified before he perfect them he addeth a proofe by which these two things are cleared First that to perfect there signifies to forgive sinnes or to justifie Secondly that this doctrine of the priority of sanctification is agreeable to the description of the second covenant Jer. 31. 33. That by perfecting he meanes justifying or pardoning of sinnes 't is apparent by v. 17. their sins and iniquities will I remember no more which must needes be acknowledged to be that part of the testimony that belongs to that part of the proposition to be proved by it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath perfected for ever the former part of the testimony belongs to the latter part of the proposition as being an expression of sanctification which may farther thus appeare to perfect in this Author signifies to consecrate to preisthood c. 2. 10. 5. 9. 7. 28. that being applyed to us is a phrase to note boldnes or liberty to enter into the Holies v. 19. that againe to pray confidently to God which v. 18. is set to denote pardon of sinne and washing our hearts from an evill conscience i. e. from guilt of sinne v. 22. Which being premised the second thing most necessaryly followes that in Jeremy 31. 33. the tenure of the covenant sets Sanctification before Justification for saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he first said I will put my law into their hearts and put or write them in their thoughts or minds and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the saying of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Also I will no more remember their sinnes nor their offences Many other Scripture-evidences might be added to this matter if it were needfull As for those that make Justification to be before Sanctification I hope and conceive they meane by sanctification that sanctified state the actuall performance and practice of our vowes of new life and our growth in grace and by our Justification that first act of pardon and then they say true but if they meane that our sinnes are pardoned before we convert to God and resolve new life and that the first grace enabling to do these is a consequent of God's having pardoned our sinnes this is a mistake which in effect excludes justification by faith which is that first Grace of receiving of Christ and resigning our hearts up to him and must be in order of nature precedent to our Justification or else can neither be condition nor instrument of it and besides this is apt to have an ill influence on practice and therefore I thought fit to prevent it The issue of all is that God will not pardon till we in heart reforme and amend he that forsaketh i. e. in hearty sincere resolution abandons the sinnes of the old man shall have mercy and none but he And then God will not continue this gracious favour of his but to those who make use of his assisting grace to persevere in these resolutions of forsaking so that the justification is still commensurate to the sanctification an act of justification upon an act of sanctification or a resolution of new life and a continuance of justification upon continuance of the sanctifyed estate S. But is not God first reconciled unto us before he gives us any grace to sanctifie us C. So farre reconciled he is as to give us grace and so farre as to make conditionall promises of salvation but not so as to give pardon or justifie actually for you know whom God justifies those he glorifies i. e. if they passe out of this life in a justified estate they are certainely glorified but you cannot imagine that God will glorify any who is not yet sanctified for without holinesse no man shall see the Lord. And therefore you will easily conclude that God justifies none who are unsanctified for if he did then supposing the person to dye in that instant it must follow either that the unsanctified man is glorified or the justified man not glorified Any thing else God may doe to the unsanctified man but either save him or doe somewhat on which saving infallibly followes and therefore give him Grace he may but till that Grace be received and treasured up in an honest heart he will never be throughly reconciled to him i. e. justify or save S. I pray then from these premises set me downe the order or method used by God in the saving of a sinner C. I will It is this 1. God gives his sonne to dye for him and satisfy for his sinnes so that though he be a sinner yet on condition of a new life he may be saved Then 2. In that death of Christ he strikes with him a New Covenant a Covenant of mercy and grace Then 3. According to that Covenant he sends his spirit and by the word and that annexed to it he calls the sinner powerfully to repentance If he answer to that call and awake and arise make his sincere faithfull resolutions of new life God then 4. Justifies accepts his person and pardon 's his sinnes past Then 5. gives him more grace assists him to doe as before he enabled to will to performe his good resolutions Then 6. upon continuance in that state in those performances till the houre of death he gives to him as to a faithfull servant a crowne of life S. The Good Lord he thus mercifull to me a sinner I blesse God and give you many thankes for these directions and shall be well pleased to continue you my debtor for the other particular you promised me till some farther time of leisure and so intermit your trouble a while LIB II. S. § 1 THe benefit I reaped by your last discourse hath not satisfied but raised my appetite to the more earnest importunate desire of what is yet behind the consideration of Christ's Sermon in the Mount Which I have heard commended for an abstract of Christian Philosophy an elevating of his Disciples beyond all other men in the world for the practice of virtue But I pray why did Christ when he preach't it leave the multitude below and goe up to a Mount accompanied with none but Disciples C. That he went up to the Mount was to intimate the matter of this Sermon to be the Christian law as you know the Jewish law was delivered in a Mount that of Sinai And that he would have no auditours but Disciples It was 1. Because the multitude followed him not for doctrines but for cures c. 4. 24 25. And therefore were not fit auditours of precepts 2. Because these precepts were of an elevated nature above all that ever any Law-giver gave before and therefore were to be dispensed onely to choise auditours 3. Because the lights and mysteries of Christianity are not wont to be abruptly dispensed but by degrees to them that have formerly made some progresse at least have delivered themselves up to Christ's Lectures entred into his Schoole i. e. to his Disciples S. What then