of the Saints by the Holy Spirit suitable to the Word of Grace the Work in them answering the Word without them as the New Covenant and Law of God written in their Hearts which hath wrought in them Faith Love and the Life of the VVord which are to them sealing Testimonies of the Truth and Divinity of the Word And hence it is that they set their seal to the truth thereof in believing loving and obeying thereof and cleaving to God therein and suffering any Difficulties inflicted by men for the truth thereof adventure their Souls and Eternity upon the truth of God therein and the loss of all in the VVorld rather than lose their share in the Word of Life A high Confirmation of the Divinity thereof VII Finally As the Resultance from the VII Danâ—er of deâ—ying the Scripture â—â— be of God whole To deny the Truth and Divinity of the Scripture is to deny God Himself and Jesus Christ and all Religion to pass a black Sentence on all the VVriters thereof as Lyars and Deceivers and on all the Saints throughout all Generations who have believed obeyed and suffered for adhering to the Truth therein and on all the Effectual Workings of the Holy Spirit in the Hearts of Believers conforming them thereunto so that it 's impossible for any man that hath lived under the Instruction thereof to deny it and not to be an Atheist if not to be guilty of the unpardonable sin for the whole matter the Scripture treats on in the substance thereof is as I said before God and Christ and Holiness the Reducing of Man back again to God through Christ from whom he was gone astray And therefore what can those expect who deny this Holy Divine Word of Truth but all the Judgments and Plagues that are written therein I shall now come to Answer some Objections in relation thereunto Object Though the Scripture was given of Object 1 God and Divine Truth the Word and Will of God to the People of these times in which they were given yet it 's a great Question whether it be so to us and whether we have ought to do with it unless the same Spirit work immediately the same Truth in us we are to hearken to what God speaks in us and not without us c. Answ To this I answer That Truth is Truth still and the Word and Will of God is the same still although its true that God hath made known his Will at various times and various ways under several manifestations yet when one Ministration ended it was by the coming in of another as the substance of the former and openly declared from Heaven by the Son of God with great Power and great Witness and the Word and Ministration of the Son of God is the same till his second coming Maâ— 28. 20. unto which all are bound to take heed unto under peril of Judgment Heb. 2. 23. Act. 3. 22 23. Joh. 12. â—8 and it is the Word and Will of the Lord still whether men believe it and obey it or not whether you have the Spirit to work you to it or not and if you are not taught by the Word and wrought to God in the Word to believe the Gospel it 's an evident sign that you have not the Spirit of Christ but of Errour and Delusion which will fail you in the day of need Obj. Though they were given of God Obj. 2 and Divine Truth yet they may be corrupted by men having been in the hands of men that knew not God but sought it themselves they might corrupt it and so it might either be mixed or lose much of its Purity and Divinity Ans It 's true that it hath passed through the hands of those who wanted not wickedness enough to do it but we have undoubted grounds to believe that the Lord preserved it and kept them from corrupting of it for if they or any other had corrupted it it must have been to serve their own ends but the Scripture that was by them preserved and by them owned to be the Word of God the Scripture of Truth is so far from serving their interest that it leaves them neither Root nor Branch no Word have they from hence to warrant them in any of their ways as a Church of Christ their Dependency lay rather in the Authority of their Church keeping people in Ignorance false Translations coercive Power and the like rather than in corrupting the Scriptures in the original Languages a Divine Hand it was that it should be preserved holy and pure as it is as hath been proved Obj. The Scripture is not all the Word Obj. 3 and Will of God to Men given by Divine Inspiration for there is in it the Words of the Devil and of wicked men the Failings and Miscarriages of the Saints c. Answ When I say it 's the Word or Words of God I intend thereby that the Body and substance thereof is the Divine Mind and Will of God made known to men by the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit by such ways as he pleased and by such persons as he pleased 2. As to the Discoveries of the Words or Works of Satan or wicked men and the Sins and Failings of the Godly I easily grant that it is not the Word of God in the first sence given by Inspiration Yet 2ly As written and recorded by holy men inspired by the Lord those things with many other Historical Relations recorded are true by Divine Testimony that such things were and so are of divine and undoubted Credence whereas all other Histories that are meerly humane can have but a humane and doubtful belief 3. It was written by the Will of God for the use and advantage of his Church and people Rom. 15. 4. Whatsoever was written afore time was written for our Learning c. 1 Cor. 10. 11 12. 1. Let us hence be informed of the greatness Vse 1 of the sin and danger not to believe the Scripture he that believeth not must be damned 2. Of Exhortation 1. to believe the Vse 2 Scripture to be the Word and Will of God to be of Divine Authority and to prize the Word more and to be thankful to God that hath given it to us and given to any the saving understanding thereof and wrought them into a conformity thereunto 2. To live the life of the Scripture the life of Faith and the life of Love the life of Obedience and the life of Holiness it is a holy Word and Holiness becomes all those who profeâ—s to own it what ever Scripture Faith or profession we pretend unto if we live not the life of the Scripture it will Judg us at the last day Joh. 12. 48. 3. To be improving and applying of the Consolations of the Scripture and that it may be so acquaint your selves more therewith Rom. 15. â— 3. Of Consolation to all those who Vse 3 truly believe and obey the Wordâ— as it is the Word the Will
in all cases of Christs service in first listing themselves under him ver 5. They first gave themselves to the Lord c. this is acceptable when souls give themselves to the Lord to be saved and ruled by him Rom. 6. 17. and 2. in their continuance with him it must be willing John 6. 67 68. God hath in all his Administrations throughout all ages had his instituted Ordinances by which his people his Church was distinguished from others and in the observation of which they did visibly own God in the World and the truth is that the institutions of God in matters of Worship have been the Badge of distinction between his Church and the world throughout all ages and the cause of all the woe and misery that hath come on mankind and on the people of God hath been for the transgression of instituted Ordinances Adams transgression of an instituted Ordinance brought in death and misery in all mankind and all the Plagues and miseries brought on Israel of old was for transgression of the instituted Ordinances of God in the matters of his worship See 2 King 17. 7. to 20. all the misery and wrath complained of in the Lamentations of Jeremy was the effect of this very sin the Transgression of the Laws of God in the matters of his Worship in his Instituted Ordinances Levit. 1. 18. The Lord is righteous for I have rebelled against his Commandments and ver 16. Woe unto us we have sinned c. And for this will be the great controversie of God with the pretended Christian world in the latter days Isa 24. 1. to 6. The Lord Christ having appeared in the latter end of the world to put away sin by the offering of himself he being the substance of all former institutions they leading to him Col. 2. 17. Heb. 10. 1. and so he is become the great Lord and Lawgiver of his Church God speaking to us by him Heb. 1. 1. 2. Whom we are to hear i. e. to obey in all things Acts 3. 22. 23. all his Ordinances and Laws are indespensably necessary for his Subjects to obey him in so far as they know his will and ignorance will not altogether excuse in this matter therefore it behoves all to be dilligently inquiring that so they be not willingly ignorant The Laws Ordinances and Institutions of Christ for his Church his Kingdom to serve and worship him in are as followeth 1. Baptism after believing repenting 1. Is Baptism and turning to the Lord is the first duty required Mat. 16. 15 16. Acts 2. 38. 41. and is the imitating Ordinance into the visible Church and kingdom of Jesus Christ and is the duty of all true Believers and there is no other way or door of enterance declared by Christ but by Faith and Baptism Not by natural generation or birth as some imagine that is done away as being of the old Covenant where the natural seed were accounted for the seed Gen. 17. 7. ver 14. but in the New Covenant the spiritual seed that is believers are accounted the seed and subjects of Christs Kingdome and are to live under his laws Gal. 3. 26 28. nor by entring into Covenant as some others imagine which is after their own devising mistaking and misapplying the Scriptures as that 2 Cor. 8. 5. They gave themselves to the Lord and unto us by the will of God Hence some and that too men of parts and learning gather That they first gave themselves to the Lord by believing and accepting the Gospel and after to us that â—s to the Church by some Covenant which is a clear and palpable mistake its true in the first sentence that is they gave themselves to the Lord may be included their giving themselves to the Church by Faith and Baptisme for those who give up themselves to be the Lords Subâ—ects in his Church do give themselves to the Lord and to us by the Will of God that is they gave themselves to the ministry of the Saints in their necessities and that beyond what the Apostles hope was considering their great affliction and deep poverty that this is the true meaning of that Scripture is so plain that he that runs may read it so that I know no other way of enterance into the Church and visible Kingdom of Christ but by Faith and Baptism Neither understand I well what they mean that call Baptism a Covenant and talk so much of a Baptismal Covenant it s a language the Scripture knows not neither know I any other Covenant then the Gospel new Covenant of Grace which on our part is a willing consenting from believing the truth of the Gospel to be saved by Jesus Christ and to be ruled by him as Lord and King which faith and consent is to be confessed in order to Baptism by which the believer visibly gives up himself to the Lord as to be saved so to be ruled by him What other things are held forth in Baptism its meet for Christians to be instructed in as the washing away of sin Acts 22. 16. that is the pardon and purging away of sin by the blood of Christ not the washing of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience toward God 1 Pet. 3. 21. Yet the washing of the flesh is a figure of that within and a Conformity to Christ in his Death and Burial thereby signifying our Death to sin and our natural death likewise to confirm our Faith in the truth of the Resurrection Rom. 6. 3 4 5 6. 1 Cor. 15. 29. and why Baptism and the Supper of the Lord which is the second instituted Ordinance that I shall mention should be so frequently called Seals as they are by some I know not because the Scripture knows no such things some calls themselves to Seal Gods love to the soul and the believers interest therein As to this its true the love of God and Christ is abundantly held forth therein and the believer exercising faith may and I hope do meet with refreshing and sealing consolations therein and so he doth in other of the instituted Ordinances of Christ i. e. the Word and Doctrine of the Gospel but without the exercise of Faith he profits by neither Heb. 4. 2. Others say they are Gods Seals to confirm his truth in his Covenant to us and that God never sets Seal to the truth of any mans interest that we must look to our selves whether we have the faith to which the Covenant is made God seals to that he will not fail in performing of the Covenant on his part which have something of truth in it i. e. it behoves us to look that our faith is right and God will not fail in performance of his Covenant of life but its true likewise that God hath and doth set seal to the truth of his peoples faith in the Covenant of his Grace else they can have no seal but their own which must needs prove invalid in the day of
need if Gods seal and theirs concur not in the matter Rom. 8. 16. The spirit it self beareth witness with or to our spirit that we are the Children of God the spirit of Christ is the alone sealing evidence to the hearts of Christians and that by his word and work in them Eph. 1. 13 14. 2 Cor. 1. 22. this is such a Sealing evidence to the hearts of Christians as that who so have it not is none of his Rom. 8. 9. and to call any of his Ordinances Seals is besides all Scripture rule as for the truth of God in his Covenant I think we cannot have more confirming Seals then his Word and Oath two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lye Heb. 6. 17 18. and the gift of his son from Heaven for Salvation of Sinners that believe and obey him What greater and surer seals these I know not of the truth of God and his Spirit working and effecting Faith in and by those Sealing evidences of his love to men is the Sealing Earnest of our inheritance The Supper of the Lord is an instituted 2. The Supper of the Lord. Ordinance of Jesus Christ to be practised by the Church till his second coming 1 Cor. 11. 26. a like Figure as Baptism very significant and of special use in the Church of Christ if Faith be rightly exercised therein and serves especially to keep in remembrance the Death and Sufferings of our Lord Jesus and the benefits we receive thereby the great love of God and Christ to men being therein discovered 1 Cor. 11. 26. and the great sin in those that partake thereof is in not discerning the Lords body that is the breaking of the Lords body and the shedding of the Lords blood for our sins and the greatness of the Lords love therein 1 Cor. 11. 29. it being an Ordinance that presenteth Jesus Christ Crucified with all his benefits to the eye that the eye may affect the heart for all good comes to the heart by the ear and by the eye the Doctrine of the Gospel comes to the heart by the ear in hearing and by the eye in seeing and reading this Ordinance is for the eye that the heart may be affected and for the taste and stomach that the sense of hunger and feeding may be of spiritual use to learn the soul to feed on Christ who is the bread of Life in which we may observe the Wisdome of God to make use of our senses for our spiritual good Gal. 3. 1. This holy Ordinance is for the holy people of God the Church his holy Nation who alone by true Faith are interested in this Crucified Jesus who ever eats and drinks thereof without interest therein eats and drinks damnation to themselves What sad and bad work then do they make that will bring in all make up a Church of multitudes of Hypocrites to damn them as if the design of God and Christ in the Gospel had been to get in multitudes into the Church on purpose to damn them such will have a sorry account in the great day who thus pervert the Lords end in his Death and corrupt and defile his Church and holy Ordinances 3. Ordinance and Institution of Christ 3. Preaching in his Church is the Preaching of the Gospel for Building up of the Church in their most Holy Faith as all the Ordinances of Christ are There is a two fold Administration of the Doctrine of the Gospel the first for conversion and gathering into the Church Mat. 28. 19. Mar. 16. 15 16. Acts 2. 37 38. and 26. 16 17 18. The 2. for building up of the Church in the holy Faith after Conversion and Gathering Mat. 28. 20. Acts 2. 41 42. this being the end of Gods giving gifts to men Eph. 4. 11 12 13. They are bad Ministers who turn the World into the Church without repentance and Faith and so build up a multitude of Hypocrites and prophane persons instead of the Body of Christ neither Jesus Christ nor deceived poor Sinners will thank them for it in the end 4. Ordinance of Christ in his Church 4. Prophecie is Prophecy much spoken of in Scripture though I fear I may say its almost lost out of the Church but of this I shall speak more distinctly when I come to speak of the Officers in the Church though I take not this of Prophesie to be performed as an Office by an Officer as such but by a gift 5. Ordinance is Prayer although its 5. Prayer true this is not for the Church alone but is the duty and property of all believers as such Col. 4. 2. 1 Thes 5. 17. yet it is a Church Ordinance Acts 2. 42. Where Doctrine breaking bread and Prayers are set together as the great and common Ordinances of the Church in which they had fellowship together in 1 Tim. 2. 1. Ephes 6. 18. Jude verse 20. which in the Church as all other of Christs Ordinances are is to be performed by men and not by women 1 Tim. 2. 8. See more about this of Prayer Chap. 22. 6. Praising God or singing Praises to 6 Praising him is an Ordinance of Christ in his Church as well as the duty of all Saints at all times See 1 Cor. 14 15 16. where both Prayer and Singing are mentioned as it ought to be performed in the Church Col. 3. 16. the manner is exprest to be such as in Prayer one to speak to the Praise of God so that the rest may joyn in with him to say Amen as in Prayer for all to sing in Meeter together is that for which there is no rule that I know in Law or Gospel In the Old Testament Singers were appointed to that service 1 Chron. 9. 33. Ezr. 2. 65. Neh. 5. 67. and did perform it by turn answering each other 1 Sam. 18. 6 7. Exod. 15. 20 21 But I judge that Old Testament Singing is ended as to the manner thereof and I am sure there is no rule in the New for that which now by most is practised Gospel Singing should be new Songs by a new People sutable to the new Covenant Psal 96. 1. and 98. 1. such Songs as none can learn but the Redeemed ones Rev. 14. 3. no marvail if such as are for Forms of Worship in Prayer and Praise be for a Formal people void of the Spirit and strangers to Spiritual Worship And as this is an Ordinance so it is a gift in the Church of Christ as Prayer is and is so to be performed a hearty giving thanks for mercies received so as that the rest may say Amen that is joyn in praysing which is exprest in saying Amen as in Prayer they are greatly mistaken who think that there is no Singing but in Meeter and with a Singing Tone 7. Ordinance of Christ in the Church is 7. Discipline Church Discipline Order and Government and the Administring Church censures according as occasion and need calls for it
be sound in the Faith and in the Principles of Religion is of deep concernment to all Christians and indeed a good and Christian walk in the way of sincere and universal holiness and obedience is that which greatly concerneth and becometh Christians in order to their eternal Welfare As a help to both have I presented this small brief Treatise to thy consideration in which I have to the utmost of my ability and light not only studied Truth that might be profiting to the Reader but brevity likewise that much might be found in a little Volume in which if persons exercise their own understandings in the use thereof they may probably reap some benefit thereby And Reader what thee dost find differing from thine own understanding be not hasty in judging or sensuring but read and ponder and search the Scripture to see whether it be so or no without which the most do wrong to the Truth and to thine own soul But I shall say no more but commit it to the Readers in the blessing of God praying for their profiting thereby and if your souls do reap any spiritual benefit or advantage in the use hereof let God have the Glory and the Author as Instrument hath his end answered And so fare the well in the Lord Grace Mercy Peace and Truth be with all that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity Amen An Account of the Particular Matters Treated of in the ensuing Discourse CHapter I. Concerning God 1. That he is 2. What he is 3. How he doth subsist 4. Where he is Page 1. Chap. II. Of the Holy Scripture that it is the Divine Word and will of God proved by many Divine Arguments P. 48. Chap. III. Of the Creation of the world and all things therein P. 70. Chap. IV. Of the Creation of Man P. 73. Chap. V. Of the Angels and of their Creation P. 85. Chap. VI. Of the Devil and wicked Angels P. 99. Chap. VII Of the Fall of Man from his Created Innocency P. 107. Chap. VIII Of the way and means ordained of God for the recovery of Man out of his faln Estate P. 113. Chap. IX Of the design of God in general in his New Covenant Restauration which was to make all things New P. 123. Chap. X. Of the order and method of God in preparing a people for his glorious Estate pag. 133. and followeth in rest of the chapters Chap. XI Of Faith 1. what it is 2. how its wrought 3. its grounds and objects 4. its excellency p. 139 Chap. XII Of Repentance P. 149 Chap. XIII Treateth of Justification P. 163. Chap. XIV Is a more distinct discourse of Justification by Faith which answers to several questions and objections about the Matter P. 180. Chap. XV. Of Gospel assurance and whether it may be attained in this life P. 209. Chap. XVI A further Discovery of the new-New-Covenant and Life of Faith P. 248. Chap. XVII Of Sanctification and good works P. 253. Chap. XVIII Of the true and saving knowledge of God P. 270. Chap. XIX Of the Divine Vertue and grace of Love P. 293. Chap. XX. Of the Gospel fear of God P. 324. Chap. XXI Of the Law of God and what we are to understand thereby P. 341. Chap. XXII Of Prayer P. 364. Chap. XXIII Of Perfection and whether it may be attained in this life P. 406. Chap. XXIV Of Sincerity p. 421. Chap. XXV Of Election p. 441. Chap. XXVI Of Reprobation p. 451. Chap. XXVII Of the Church of Christ in the New-covenant p. 457. Chap. XXVIII Of the Ordinances Officers and Administrations in the Church of Christ p. 464. Chap. XXIX That the Estate of the Church in this world is an Afflicted Estate p. 499. Chap. XXX Of Death and the State after Death of the Resurrection and Judgment p. 531. Chap. XXXI Of the Coming Kingdom and Reign of Christ on Earth p. 548. CHAP. I. CONCERNING GOD. 1. That He is 2. What He is 3. How He doth subsist 4. Where he is 1. THat God is or that there 1 That God is or that there is a God is a God i. e. an infinite self-Being that hath given Being to all things c. is necessary to be believed of all and is the first step of Faith in order to Salvation Heb. 11. 6. He that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Now though it be a common received Principle that God is yet in as much as it 's evident according to the Scripture That the Fool hath said in his heart that there is no God Psal 14. 1. And that the transgression of the Wicked saith within my heart that there is no fear of God before his eyes Psal 36. 1. And oft-times gracious Souls through their own weakness and Satans wiles meet with temptations on this account I shall therefore speak something to this so necessary a truth the grounds I shall present for evidencing this so great and sacred a principle of truth are as followeth 1. The Word of God the Scriptures of Truth Proof 1. The Scripture The word of God in the substance of them is to hold forth this one God or Invisible Creating Upholding and Preserving Power Gen. 1. 1. In the Beginning God Created the Heaven and the Earth v. 6. God said let there be a Firmament c. and so throughout the Chapter and indeed throughout the Bible I shall mention but a few instances in the name of the whole Gen. 6. 5. God saw the Wickedness of man c. v. 6. Iâ— Râ—pented the Lord that he had made man c. v. 11. The Earth was corrupt before God see ver 12. 13. Exod. 20. 1 2. And God spake all these words saying I am the Lord thy God c. Psal 29. 1 2. Give unto the Lord O ye mighty give unto the Lord Glory and Strength give unto the Lord the Glory of his Name Psal 82. 1. God standeth in the Congregation of the Mighty c. Joh. 1. 1. In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God c Let this serve among the multitude of Scripture-Testimonies to prove that God is A second Testimony is the Works of 2. The works of God God which do abundantly declare and Preach forth the Divine Being and Omnipotent Power and Wisdom of this Divine though Invisible Creator of all things for Reason will tell us that none of these things could give Being to or Create themselves Man who is the most Intelligible and Rational Creature here below was so far from creating himself that let all the Wisdom of all the men in the World be conjunct in unity they are not able to Create or give Being to the basest of Creatures no not a Fly or Worm It s true the Image or likeness Man madâ— not himself of Creatures they can make of matter that was made before by the Creator but nothing can they Create
Righteousness and true Holiness and will own them in the day of need when it will be worth a world to be owned by him Mal 3. 17. though they are hated of the unholy and profane world and though they mourn in the sence of their own unholiness knowing that in themselves i. e. in their flesh dwelleth no good thing yet God owns them and will own them when it will be worth more than the world to be owned by him But Woe to the Wicked that God is a holy God and loves holiness Woe to those that establish iniquity by a Law God will have no fellowship with them Psal 94 20. Shall the Throne of Iniquity have fellowship with thee who frameth mischief by a Law Isa 3. 12. Woe unto the Wicked it shall be ill with him for the Reward of his hands shall be given him God is a holy God and Holy and Reverend is his Name Psal 111. 9. His Name is Holy Isa 57. 15. his whole name holy in all his Attributes holy in his Power holy in his Wisdom in his Justice and Mercy c. it 's all exercised in a way of holiness holy in all his Ministrations in a word he is as Psal 145. 17. Righteous in all his ways and Holy in all his works so that as there is not nor can be any unholiness in him so there shall no unholy person dwell with him for without holiness no man shall see the Lord. Heb. 12. 14. and Rev. 21. 27 There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth c. see chap. 22. 15. 4ly He is a Just and Righteous God and 4. He is a Just Righteous God his Justice and Righteousness runs through all his Name he exerciseth his Power and Wisdom and Judgments and Mercy all in a way of Justice and Righteousness Zep. 3. 5. The just Lord is in the midst thereof he will not do Iniquity c. He cannot do Iniquity its contrary to his Nature to his Name Deut. 32. 4. His work is perfect for all his ways are Judgment a God of Truth and without Iniquity just and right is he he is just in all the Judgments he executeth upon his Enemies Rev. 15. 3 4. Great and marvelous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints v. 4. explains what is meant by the just ways of the Lord i. e. his just Judgments on his Enemies for thy Judgments are made manifest He is just in all the afflictions and corrections he exerciseth his own people withal Neh. 9 33. howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us for thou hast done right but we have doâ—e wickedly He hath exalted his New-Covenant mercy in the way of Justice for there must be no variance in his Name or Nature but his mercy must come to us in the way of Judgment and Justice his justice must be satisfied so his mercy comes forth in the salvation of Sinners here he is called a just God a Saviour Isa 45. 21. Just and yet a Saviour Zec. 9. 9. He is Just having Salvation Rom. 3. 26. that he might be Just and the Justifier of him that believeth in Jesus 1 Joh. 1. 9. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins c. Mercy might not come forth with any wrong to Justice neither shall Justice do any wrong to Mercy but fall in with it and be as truly for the right objects or subjects of mercy as mercy it self Psal 85. 10. Mercy and Truth are met together Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other 5. He is a gracious and merciful God it 5. He is a gracious merciful God is his Name his Nature to shew mercy to men Exod. 34. 6. When the Lord proclaims his Name to Moses he proclaimed The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth c. Mic. 7. 18. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth Iniquity and passeth by the transgression of his heritage because he delighteth in mercy to shew mercy and to do good to sinners is his delight he is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works he maketh the Sun to arise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust God so loved the World that he sent his only begotten Son into the world that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16. Jesus Christ by the grace of God did taste death for every man Heb. 2. 9. It is wonderful mercy and goodness to men that God should find a way to satisfie his Justice so far for Sinners that mercy and remission of sins should be proclaimed to sinners on the terms of the New Covenant i. e. Repentance Faith and Obedience Peace on Earth and good will towards men He would have all the world to know that he is a merciful God and therefore the glad tidings is to be published to every Creature but it s the priviledg of his own people true Believers to have a special interest therein they are the people of his mercy and to them his mercy hath and doth abound Eph. 2. 4. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ c. Tit. 3 4. but after the love and kindness of God our Saviour to man appeared not by works of Righteousness that we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit so that this glorious attribute and name of God in our Lord Jesus unto salvation is now manifested with a witness to and for the salvation of his peculiar ones he hath wrought them to it and possessed them of it Rom. 5. 5. and here they are looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus unto eternal life This attribute of God which is his Name and Nature is full of encouragement to poor Sinners to come in and accept of mercy in this day of mercy and not to judg themselves unworthy of life by putting it from them 2 Cor. 6. 2. Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of Salvation Isa 55. 6 7. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call upon him while he is near let the Wicked forsake his way and the Vnrighteous man his thoughts and let him return to the Lord and he will have mercy on him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon It s full of Consolation to gracious souls that God is a God of mercy it s his Name his Nature he delighteth to be gracious in and for the sake of the Son of his love comfort in respect of sin he is ready to pardon if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins c. he
Preservation and Redemption hence the work of Creation is sometimes attributed to the Father sometimes to the Son and sometimes to the holy Spirit 1. Sometimes to the Father Heb. 1. 2. 1 Creation Attributed to the Father By whom he also made the Worlds He that is God the Father made the Worlds Eph. 3. 9 the mystery of the Gospel there spoken of that was hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ here the Creation is attributed to God the Father 2. It is attributed unto the Son Heb. 1. 2 To the Son 10. Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the Earth and the Heavens are the work of thine hands which the Apostle applied to Christ the Son of the Father as is by the scope of the matter clearly discernable Col. 1. 16. For by him i. e. Christ were all things created c. Joh. 1. 3. All things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made 3. It 's attributed to the Holy Spirit in 3 To the Holy spirit the work of Creation it 's said Gen. 1. 2. The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the Waters Psal 104. 30. Thou sendest forth thy Spirit and they are created c. Job 26. 13. By his Spirit he hath garnished the Heavens c. and ch 33. 4. The Spirit of God hath made me all which hold forth unity in the Divine Essence from their unity in the Work as we must unavoidably understand unless we lose both Reason and Religion that when the Creation is attributed to God the one infinite glorious Being it includes the whole three Father Son and Spirit it being attributed to each of them apart inrallibly includes the unity of Essence in the three Father Son Spirit these three are one and that the three are included in such Scriptures as these whâ—re one is spoken of Act 14 15 That you should turn from these vanities unâ—o the living God that made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and all things therein ch 17. 24. God that made the world and all things therein c. with multitudes of the like Scriptures which include the whole as one in Essence and Work though three in that unity or else all three could not be said to create the World 2. In Preservation and Redemption God 2 Prâ—vâ—â—l in Preservation Redemption the Father is said to preserve man and beast Psal 36. 6. and all things are said to consist by Jesus Christ Col. 1. 17. God is frequently in Scripture called our Saviour and so is Jesus Christ Tit. 3. 4 6. and the holy Spirit had his operation in this work of Salvation and Redemption by Jesus Christ crucified Heb 9. 14. so that there was and is unity and concurrence in every work which proves them to be one God or God to be one in three Father Son and Spirit 3. The Unity in these three is discovered 3 In their unity in the power of the Gospel in their unity in the power and authority of the Gospel which is to be administred in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Spirit Mat. 28. 19. unity in power and authority declares unity in Essence and Nature or unavoidably three Divine Beings I shall yet proceed to speak more distinctly A more distinct discovery to this wonderful Mystery and pray the Lord to do it humbly soberly tremblingly and plainly and according to the word of Truth and I trust I shall not vary from the very plain terms and discoveries of God in the Gospel in this matter 1. God the Father is in Scripture said to God is said to be the father 1 as the original cause of all things be the Father and so distinguished as seems plain by the Divine Revelation 1. As he is the original cause of all things as a Father 1 Cor 8. 6. To us there is one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him Rom. 11. 39. For of him and through him and to him are all things c. Eph. 4. 6. One God the Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all And on this account he is the father of the whole Creation as the first effectual cause of all who are therefore said to be his Ofspring Acts 17. 28 29. For we are also 2 as making provision for all his Of-spring forasmuch as we are the Of spring of God 2. He having as a Father brought forth a Creation as his Of-spring he taketh care of all and maketh provision for all as his Of-spring and as a Father Psal 145. 15 16. The Eyes of all wait on thee and thou givest them meat in season thou openest thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing Psal 147 8 9. Who covereth the Heaven with Clouds and giveth to the Beast his food and to the young Ravens that cry Mat. 5 45. He maketh his Sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth Rain on the just and on the unjust hence Christ teacheth us to pray to God as our Father for daily bread 3. He is the Father in relation to his Son 3 He is the Father in relation to Christ his Son our Lord Jesus Luke 1. 35. The holy Spirit shall come upon thee and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God John 1. 14 18. And the Word was made Flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his Glory as the Glory of the only begotten Son of God full of Grace and Truth v. 18. No man hath seen God at any time i. e. God the Father the only Son which is in the bosom of the Father he hath declared him Rom. 15 6. That you may with one mind and with one mouth glorifie God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ These with multitudes of Scriptures of like import prove God to be the Father as relative to Jesus Christ his Son 4. And so in him he is the Father relative on the new-New-Covenant account of all 4 In relation to his Children in him his New Covenant-spirited people i. e. true Believers espoused unto Jesus Christ his Son by Faith Gal. 3. 26. For ye are all the Children of God by Faith in Jesus Christ John 20. 17. Go to my Brethren and say to them I ascend to my Father and your Father c. Rom. 8. 16. 17. and thus he is the Father of the whole family in Heaven and Earth Eph. 3. 14 15. with ch 2. 19. 5. And so in him he is the Father of all 5 He is the Father of all our New Covenant-Mercy our New Covenant-Mercy relating both to Grace and Glory 2 Cor. 1 3. Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Mercies and God of all Comfort 2 Tit.
is a height and depth unsearchable if we lived more in the apprehensions thereof it would fill us more with his fulness and conform us more to his likeness Eph. 3. 18 19. 2 Cor. 3. 18. Quest Did Christ our Lord give himself Quest a ransom for all men or for the elect only Ans He gave himself a ransom for all Ans men to be testified in due time 1 Tim. 2. 6. he tasted Death for every man Heb. 2. 9. he was a Propitiation for the sins of the world 1 Joh. 2. 2. God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself not imputing their sins Cor. 5. 19. and God so loved the whole world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16. Object If it be so these absurdities will Object follow 1. That where Justice is satisfied the sinner must be saved it seems to be injustice to take satisfaction in Christ and to damn the sinners unless you hold that all shall be saved 2. Christ suffered in vain if he bear the sins of any that may miss of Salvation by Him Ans 1. The Satisfaction that God took Answ in the Sufferings of Christ lay more in the Excellency of the Person suffering than in the Greatness of the things suffered though the sufferings were exceeding great being born by an infinite Person it was the infinite Worth of the Person that suffered that set an infinite value on the Suffering more than if all the World had suffered to eternity 1 Peter 18 19. 2. Had it been for the redemption but of one person it must have been with the same price so that Satisfaction for the Sins of the World no whit augmented the price paid therefore no absurdity at all 3. No person is delivered only and simply on the sufferings of Christ but the satisfaction that God took in the sufferings of Christ was on terms of their believing and obeying the Gospel and on these terms it is that the Grace of the New Covenant is published to all and none are like to partake thereof without Faith Repentance and Obedience though not as the meritorious cause yet as the terms on which it is dispenced Mar. 16. 16. Luke 24. 47. though it 's true Repentance effected is the gift of Grace 4. VVere it not so the Plaister would not be as large as the VVound nor the Physicians hand be as large in the Cure as the Destroyer was to destroy which seems not only dishonourable to the Undertaking of Christ but contrary to Rom. 5. 15. to 20. though all partake not of the benefits the fault is in themselves and not in the Physician Hosea 13. 9. 2 Peter 2. 1. 5. Yet God had a special respect in this great transaction of the Suffering of his Son unto his elect whom he foreknew and predestinated them to be partakers of the Benefits thereof Rom. 8. 2 3 Heb 2. 10. Eph. 5. 25 26 27. 6. And finally the manner and method of Gods work both in the Creation of Man and since the Fall was 1. He made Man upright in his own Image and so left him in that good created estate to his own power and will to stand or fall God did not act to forward his Fall nor yet to hinder it more than give his Law of Command with the Threat on Disobedience but he sinned voluntarily by the temptation offered 2. Man being fallen from God he hath provided a Remedy a blessed way of Recovery and this Remedy is as large as the case requireth and is to be published and tendred to all and that truly too on the terms thereof that is Faith Repentance and sincere Obedience c. that now whoever will may come and take of this Water of Life freely and Man is left free to accept or not accept and so mans Destruction will be the second time of himself God hath not bound himself nor is he tyed in Justice to work men to the terms prescribed nor doth he any thing to hinder but very much the contrary not only in the All-sufficiency of the Means but by the publishing thereof and manifold mercies and invitations to Repentance VVhat he affords of special Grace and Assistance to any is his superabounding Mercy and it no whit derogates from from his general Love Kindness and Provision for mankind in general and it is mans wilful wickedness in choosing Death rather than Life and thereby judge themselves unworthy of the Life that is offered to them It is true God foresaw Man in his fallen state and saw that notwithstanding the Greatness of the Grace of his New Covenant yet that none would of themselves seek after God and sincerely cleave unto him in that New and Livings way on which he did determine and it was the Covenant and Contract between the Father and the Son in this great Undertaking that his Suffering might not be in vain to bring in some Souls effectually into the Grace of the Covenant and that not from any natural good in them more than others but without all respect of persons only his special and superabounding Grace having passed no Act but as relative to Sin and Disobedience that may hinder any but hath afforded both Means and Helps sufficient by which men might believe obey and be saved but they will not CHAP. IX Of the design of God in general in this his New Covenant Restauration-Work which was to make all things New THe design of God by Jesus Christ in his New Covenant-work was to make all things New Rev. 21. 5. And he that sate upon the Throne said behold I make all things New c. God made the first or old World both Heavens and Earth and all things therein for the use of man and then made man to possess it but man fell by sin and the whole Creation fell with him as a just Judgment of God upon man for his sin Gen. 3. 17. Job 15. 15. Now in as much as this old Creation was lost and faln the design of God by Jesus Christ was the recovery and restauration of all again and to make all New not of new matter that was not before but to make the Old New again all Old things must be made New Quest What is it that God designed by What will God make new A new People Jesus Christ to make New Answ 1. A new people brought out from the old stock a people renewed by the power and spirit of Grace by and through the Gospel and this is that which is owned of all the godly witnessed in the Scriptures and in a measure experienced by all the Saints 2 Cor. 15. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a New Creature Old things are past away behold all things are become New Eph. 4. 23 24. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that ye put on the New Man which after God is Created in Righteousness and true Holiness and
this is that birth which is from above without which no man can see the Kingdome of Heaven Joh. 3. 3. Obj. This is effected here in the Kingdome of Grace c. 8. Answ True It is so in the beginnings thereof in order to its perfection in the Kingdom of glory for it will not be perfected till the Resurrection of the body from the dead that is called the day of Redemption Rom. 8. 23. Eph. 4. 30. It is perfected already in Christ our head the second Adam who was the Lord from Heaven but it must have its time of perfecting in the members begun here and perfected in the day of Christ 1 Cor. 13. 10. then it is that our vile bodies shall be changed and fashioned like unto his glorious Body Phil. 3. 21. Then the whole man shall come forth compleat in the Heavenly Birth 2. This new Creation shall be effected 2 By a neâ— Covâ—nant by and under a New Covenant man lost all in the breach of the Old Covenant but by the New Covenant he shall be renewed and become Heir of all things in and with Christ the Head and Lord thereof it 's New-Covenant Grace and New-Covenant-Work all true blessedness is by the New Covenant i. e. the Covenant of this new estate Jer. 31. 31. Heb. 8. 8. 13. 12. 24. Obj. This Covenant is said to be made and to be of force from the death of the Testator An. True it is so it took its effect then and virtually from the Fall from the first Promise that the Seed of the Woman should break the Serpents head so that all the Saints since the Fall were renewed and sanctified by virtue of this Covenant which became the alone ministration of God to men after the death of the Testator in and with whom the Covenant was made and that before the world was 2 Tim. 4 9. Tit. 1. 2. so that it hath had its effect virtually from the beginning as a preparation to glory but it is indeed the Covenant of the glorious Estate 3. And in this New Covenant is brought 3 A new Law forth a new Law for this new People the Law of Faith and the Law of Love Joh. 13. 34. A new Commandement give I unto you that ye love one another c. Obj. This was the Old Commandement and from the beginning the Sum of the whole Law Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy might and thy Neighbour as thy self Ans True as the Law it did require it as imployed in it but if any answered it it was by the Grace of the New Covenant though the duty of the Old but now it s the duty of the New Covenant seated on the new terms of the Gospel from the grace thereof from the love of Christ and effected thereby Rom. 5. 5. The love of Christ is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Spirit that he hath given to us 1 Joh. 4. 19. We love him because he loved us first it s therefore new because in all the Saints it s not only required but is true both in him i. e. Christ and in you i. e. the Saints and this is that which is and shall be the great Law of the perfect and glorious Estate in the new world and that to Eternity 4. There shall be a new habitation or 4 A new Habitation dwelling place for these new people a new Heaven and a new Earth Rev. 21. 1. I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth and the first Heaven the first Earth was past away c. Is 65. 17. 66. 17. to these Peter hath Relation 2 Pet. 3. 13. Nevertheless we according to his promise look for new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousâ—ess in which note 1. That the Apostle in this Scripture relates to the promise before mentioned Isa 5. 17 as appears in that he uses the express terms of that promise and there is no other promise thereof in the terms exprest in the Old Testament 2. That it is to be understood literally and not mystically or spiritually that is a wrong to the Scripture for it is the material visible Heavens and Earth that Peter treateth of vers 5 6 7. its the same that must be dissolved and this is that which is frequently called in Scripture the World or Earth to come Mat. 12. 32. Luk. 2. 35. Heb. 2. 5. the world of which the Saints by Faith are made Heirs Rom. 4. 13. For the Promise that Abraham should be the Heir of the world was not to Abraham or his Seed through the Law but through the Righteousness of Faith and this cannot be understood that it intends that all Believers should be accounted his Children though that be a truth and is exprest vers 11. and that for two reasons 1. It 's improper so to understand it for so believers are rather his Heirs his Children and not he their Heir for in this he is to be Heir of the world 2. Because in this Heir-ship of Abraham to the world his Children are Heirs to the same Promise with him the Promise is to Abraham and his Seed vers 16. therefore it is of Faith that it might be by Grace that the Promise might be sure to all the Seed What Promise to be the Heirs of the world this is the Country that our Fathers were seeking after and dyed in the Faith thereof Heb. 11. 13 14 15. Wherefore God hath prepared for them a City vers 16. a Holy and Heavenly City that must come down into this new world Rev. 21. 2. New Jerusalem that must come down from God out of Heaven that the Tabernacle of God may be with men Obj. This seems to be expalined vers 9. Object 10. to be the Church the Bride the Lambs Wife Answ I question not but that the Answ Church the Bride the Lambs Wife is included herein but it 's a description both of the City and of the Inhabitants the like we have chap. 3. 12. and Gal. 4. 25. Old Jerusalem was in Bondage with her Children and vers 26. but Jerusalem which is above is free which is the Mother of us all Here is new Jerusalem the holy City which is above and her Children which are the Saints exprest in these words which is the Mother of us all who are born from thence without which they cannot see the Kingdom of God Joh. 3. 3. see Psal 87. 3. and in this is clearly a distinction between the City and the Inhabitants Heb. 12. 22 23. 5. The Saints shall then have a new 5 A new Câ—vâ—â—ant name Rev. 2 17. and 3. 12. as they are already in some measure made partakers of the new nature and new name they shall then be perfected therein 2 Pet. 1. 4. Phil. 3. 21. 1 Cor. 15. 44. 48 49. 53 54. they shall have a new name Isa 55. 15. he will call his Servants by another name chap. 62. 2. and thou shalt be called
than the Oath of Two Lyers but the Truth of God in Divine Credence is the sure Ground of Faith And when a Soul comes to this pitch of Faith to Believe that he that hath spoken is God that cannot Lye that Faithful is he that hath promised who will do it Then he is quiet it puts the Matter out of doubt and for this he hath given us Two Immutable things in which it is impossible for God to Lye Heb. 6. 18. In which is included the Mercy of God for it is his Mercy to promise and his Truth and Faithfulness to perform Hence the Scripture saith Mercy and Truth are met together Psal 8â— 10. And the coming of our Lord into the World was to perform the Mercy promised to our Fathers and to remember his Holy Covenant Luke 1. 7â— So that there is a Concurrency of Mercy and Truth in God as the Ground of our Faith 2. The All-sufficiency of God to perform his Word his Mercy and his Truth is the ground of Faith If an honest Man promise you that which he is able to perform you give great Credency thereunto though there can be no Infallible Credence in this Matter For Men be they never so Faithful yet have not the power of Performmance in themselves therefore may fail but God hath all power of Perforance in himself and this was the ground of Abraham's Faith Rom. 4. 21. Being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able to perform And when God commanded him to offer his Son for which he had so strong Faith he fixes both on the Truth and Power of God and on that account yields ready Obedience Accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the Dead Heb. 11. 19. There is likewise an All-sufficiency in the Lord Jesus for the accomplishing of the Word and Work of Salvation for The Obiect of Faith all true Believers Heb. 7. 25. And the same that is the Ground is likewise the Object of Faith that is to what and to whom we are to look in Believing that is to God and Christ Who performeth all things for us We are to look to him and Believe in him to have God and Christ in their Mercy Truth Faithfulness and Power always in our Eye Isa 45. 22. Look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the Earth that is Gentiles as well as Jews Mich. 7. 7. Therefore will I look to the Lord and wait for the God of my Salvation c. Isa 17. 7. John 3. 14 15. 4. What is the Excellency of Faith Faith 4. Of the excellency of Faith is an excellent and choyce Virtue it 's called in Scripture for it's Excellency precious Faith 2 Pet. 1. 1. To them that have obtained like precious Faith with us It 's called Precious for it's excellent and precious Uses and Effects Which are as followeth 1. It justifieth God in his whole Name 1. It justifieth God especially in his Mercy Truth Faithfulness Power Wisdom Purity and Justice wherein Faith is mostly exercised He that believeth not God abaseth and abuseth him in his whole Name hath made him a Lyer but he that Believeth justifieth God in his Truth John 3 33. He that receiveth i. e. Believeth his Testimony hath set to his Seal that God is true No wonder that Unbelief must be punished with Damnation sâ—eing it gives God the Lye not only in not Believing that Jesus is the Christ Men may believe the general Doctrine of the Gospel touching Salvation by Jesus Christ by Education and Tradition and not believe the Truth thereof in matter of Holiness and Obedience to conform thereunto and that do as truly give God the Lye as not to Believe the Doctrine of Salvation for if Men may be Saved in ways of Unholiness and Disobedience the word of the Lord is not True which saith the contrary 1 Cor. 6 9 10. Ephes 5. 3 4 5 6. Heb. 12. 14. Rev. 21. 27. Therefore let God be True and every Man in this matter a Lyer 2. It 's that as the Condition will justifie 2. Iâ— justifieth the Sinner the Believers before God Rom. 5 1. Therefore being justified by Faith we have Peace with God But of this more at large in the Doctrine of Justification 3. It 's of a Soul-strengthening Excellency 3. It 's of a Soul strengthâ—ning Excellency it helps to hold out and to overcomeing the Spiritual Warfare 1 Cor. 16. 13. Watch ye stand fast in the Faith quit ye like Men he strong Our strength in the warfare is by standing fast in the Faith the Saints have many Enemies to Encounter withall both within them and without them and it is their stability in the Faith of the Gospel that is their strength Eph 6. 16. In the Spiritual warfare with those high Enemies the Saints are to Encounter withal Exprest vers 12. The chief Defence of the Saints in Faith Above all take the Shield of Faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the Fiery Darts of the wicked One It 's that by which we must get the Victory over the World if ever we get it 1 John 5. 4. And this is the Victory that overcometh the World even your Faith What we are to understand is intended by the World see Chap. 2. 16. For all that is in the World as the lust of the Flesh the lust of the Eyes and the Pride of Life is not of the Father but of the World The World the Flesh and the Devil are the three great Enemies of the Saints and by Faith it is that they overcome them all How so Why Faith believes the Truth of and Interest in better things than either any or all of these can propound and that makes the Gracious Soul to slight All and to account it but Dung and Dross and to part with All for the Excellency of Christ It believes down the World and Sin and Satan believes in Grace and Strength from the Lord Hence the Scripture saith that we are kept by the Power of God through Faith 1 Pet. 1. 5. God strengthens keeps and preserves his People in a way of Believing not without or out of the way of Faith In a word our Lord expresseth the Power of Faith All things are possible to him that Believeth Mark 9. 23. Faith believes all things possible for God to do that he hath said he will do and all things possible for Man to do and suffer that God calls him to it strengthens the Soul both in doing and suffering 4. Excellency of Faith is it purifieth the 4. Faith purifieth the heart Heart Acts 15. 9. It 's of a purifying Nature in it's Exercise and Imployment it exerciseth it self about the Holiness of God in his own Nature the purity of his Word and Will the greatness of his Love in the Death of the Lord for Sinners with the Holy ends thereof c. And this works the Soul into the Hatred of Sin and
Love of Holiness believes the Truth of all the Holy Institutions Ordinances and Commands of the Lord and it 's Bounden Duty to live up to him therein In a word Faith in the Word of the Lord it is that works the Soul to Eschew Evil and to do Good to abhor that which is Evil and to cleave to that which is Good No Holiness without Faith and the more Faith is thus exercised the more Holy Conformity will there be to the Lord. 5. Excellency of Faith is that it fills the 5. It fills the Soul with Jâ—y Peace Soul with Joy and Peace Rom. 15. 13. Now the God of Hope fill you with Joy and Peace in Believing c. It 's true it is the God of Hope that gives this Joy and Peace but it comes into us through Believing it never comes to any Soul but by Believing that is believing the Truth of the Doctrine of the Gospel in all the good Tydings thereof in all the Promises and Precepts it all affords Joy and Peace to the Believer who is exercised therein 1 Pet. 1. 8. 6. Excellency of Faith is that it 's the 6. Iâ—s the Mother of all â—ther Divine Vertues Mother if I may so say of all other Divine Vertues Love Hope Patience Obedience c. They are all Nursed and Nourished up under Faith and without Faith there can be none of all these though Faith worketh and getteth strength by these Yet without Faith there can be none of these as Without Faith we cannot please God So without Faith we can have no Divine Virtue and if our Faith be right and true then it carryeth in it something of every Divine Virtue of the New Covenant And this Christians should be instructed in that it might engage their Hearts to be Adding to their Faith Virtue c according to 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7. Faith is the first Active Demonstrative Virtue in the Soul and lyeth at the bottome of every Virtue and of every Duty 7. Such is the Excellency of Faith 7. It renders both Persons and Services acceptable that it renders our Persons and Services and all we Doe and Suffer for Christ according to his Will acceptable to and with the Lord See Heb. 11. almost throughout The Works of the Saints and Elders of old were all accepted being done in Faith and vers 6. Without Faith it is impossible to please him Object The Apostle 1 Cor. 13. seems to prefer Love as the only Gospel amiable and acceptable Virtue yea even above and beyond Faith vers 2. Though I had all Faith c. and have no Charity I am nothing Answ It 's true if it were possible to have all Faith without Love it would be nothing that is produce nothing issue in nothing true Faith is always accompanied with true Love and though Love be the most Heaven-born Virtue that which makes us most like God yet this Love is not cannot be before and without Faith we cannot love God till we believe him to be God nor Jesus Christ till we believe the Truth of the Gospel concerning him nor love his Word till we believe it to be his Word c. 8. It 's excellent End and Issue discovers 8. It 's excellenâ—s End the Excellency of the Virtue it Issues the Soul in Glory it prepares the Soul for Glory through it it 's preserved by the Power of God to Glory He that endureth i. e. in the Faith and Profession thereof to the end shall be Saved 1 Pet. 1 9. Receiving the end of your Faith the Salvation of your Souls By Soul we are to understand the whole Man Body and Soul and this is and will be the end of all true Faith to bring you to Salvation both Body and Soul but this note it 's not Faith only in the Habit of it but in the Living-working Power thereof according to the Gospel as it brings forth those other Divine Virtues aforementioned But to this of Faith I shall speak more distinctly in the Doctrine of Justification in some Cases CHAP. XII Of Repentance REpentance and faith are undoubted Chap. 12. Of Repentance Companions in as much as sometimes Repentance is included in Faith and sometimes Faith is included in Repentance and it comes in immediately with Faith and much spoken of in the Scripture as absolutely necessary unto Life and in my Method in speaking to it I shall endeavour 1. To shew what it is the Greek Word 1. What it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Metanoesate properly signifieth a Change of the Mind which cannot be without a Measure of Faith and that not an ordinary change of the Mind from one thing to another but it is a change of the Mind from owning of delighting in and following after the Service of Sin Satan and the World to the owning of delighting in and following after the Lord in serving of him In a Word true Repentance is the turning of the whole Man from Sin and Satan unto God to Believe and Obey the Gospel for where the Mind is effâ—ctually changed there will be a change in the whole Conversation it 's one in Substance with Conversion for that is a turning from Sin to God and so is Repentance it 's not a turning from one Sin to another or from one Opinion to another unless it be from Errour to Truth or a turning from Prophaneries to Civility or Formality So the last Estate may be worse than the first but it 's the turning from the Power of Sin and Satan to God Acts 26. 18. Isa 55 7. Let the Wicked forsake his Way and the Vnrighteous Man his Thoughts and let him turn to the Lord and he will have Mercy on him c. This I take to be the Essence and Substance of Repentance the change of the Mind and so the turning of the whole Man from Satan to God in the way of the Gospel in which Way and Work of Repentance the Soul shall obtain Remission of Sins here and an Inheritance amongst the Sanctified Ones hereafter 2. That this Repentance is an Evangelical 2. It 's an Evangelical Duty Duty and Virtue and not Legal as some imagine unless it be the Law of the New Covenant so it 's Legal and a Duty Persons who think Repentance to be only a Legal Old Covenant Work and the Persons exercised in it to be of an Old Covenant Spirit discover themselves to be indeed strangers to the New Covenant Grace and the way of Interest therein that must needs be Evangelical that is the Condition or Terms of all our New Covenant Mercy the Grace and Mercy of the New Covenant is propounded on the terms of Repentance and without it we may not expect any Interest therein Luke 24. 47. That Repentance and Remission of Sins might be preached in his Name c. Repentance must precede the Remission of sins as the Condition no Repentance no Remission of sins Acts 2. 28. Repent every one
of you for the Remission of sins that is that your Sins may be remitted or forgiven So that Repentance is so much a Gospel Duty as that there is no Remission of Sins without it which leads us 3 To the Necessity of this Repentance the Necessity appears in â—wo things 1. From the stress the Lord hath laid upon it 1. By Precept and Command Mark 1. 15. 3. The necessity thereof Repent ye and believe the Gospel Acts 17. 30. Now he commandeth all Men every where to Repent That answers the Terms of the Gospel on which Remission of Sins is to be Preached that is on the Terms of Repentance which implyeth a strong Command unto Repentance So that Unrepenting Sinners continue in a way of Disobedience to God in the Gospel in this matter 2. The Danger of not Repenting discovers the Necessity thereof if there be no Remission of sins without Repentance then there is no Salvation no New-Covenant-Blessedness Rom. 4. 7. Blessed is the Man whose Iniquity is forgiven and whose Sin is covered It 's the same in Sence and Substance as that of Faith Mark 16. 16. He that Believeth and is baptized shall be Saved he that Believeth not shall be Damned What Christ here calls Believing Peter Act. 2. 38. Calleth Repentance who best understood his Lords Commissâ—on Repentance and Faith being inseparable Christ saith he that Believeth and is Baptized answering those very Terms and Acting according to this Commission saith Repent and be Baptized c. So that it followeth that he that Believeth not he that Repenteth not must be Damned Luke 13. 3. Except ye Repent ye shall all likewise perish So that such is the Necessiâ—y of Repentance as that without it there is no Remission and so no Salvation but on the contrary Perishing and Damnation God accepts of none on any other Terms but this of a Soul turning to him he Remits sins on no other terms And the Reason is because it was indeed the great Designe of God in the Gospel and End of Christs suffering for sinners to Effect this Work to bring us off from Sin and Satan to God in this way of Repentance and indeed they are wonderful contrary Base and dishonourable Thoughts of God and our Lord Jesus to think he should give his Life and Bloud to so base an End as to purchase a Liberty for Persons to serve Satan and Sin without danger No it 's far otherwise 1 Pet. 3. 18. For Christ hath once suffered for our sins the Just for the Vnjust that he might bring us to God And we turn to God by Repentance Isa 55 7. There is no other way for us to come to him it 's true Christ Crucified is the alone way of Acceptance when we come yet no Acceptance in him without Faith and Repentance 4. That this Grace of Repentance is the 4. Repentance is the Gift of God Gift of God Acts 11. 18. Then hath God also to the Gentiles granteâ— Repentance unto Life it 's the Gift and Grant of God on a Twofold account 1. It 's his Gift his Grant that poor 1. He giveâ— the Doctrine Forlorn perishing sinners may have Acceptance and Life by Jesus Christ on the terms of Repentance It is a wonderful free and rich Grant if this were all for God to grant Remission of Sins and Life Eternal on our Acceptance and turning to him by Repentance Then hath God granted Repentance unto the Gentiles unto Life that is God hath granted the same Grace to the Gentiles as to the Jews that on Repentance they shall have Life and this Graâ—t is Universal where-ever the Gospel comes Life upon Repentance is to be published that whosoever doth Repent and Believe the Gospel shall be saved O bless the Lord for this Grant and improve it 2. Not only the grant of Life on terms of 2. He gives the Grace of Repentance Repentance is the Gift of God but the Grace of Repentance i. e. that Grace by which we do Repent is the gift of God The Grace of Repentance or to Repent is as all other Divine New-Covenant Virtues are the gift of God Every good and perfect Gift cometh down from the Father of Lights So doth this good Gift and Grace of Repentance hence the Apostle exhorteth firmly and with him all true Ministers 2 Tim. 2. 25. In Meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them Repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth c. That is give them Grace to repent and to turn to him Man by Nature is Averss to this great Work of Repentance he will not come to God though he perish John 5. 40. Ye will not come to me that ye might have Life But it is the Lord that gives and works the Grace 5. What are the concomitant Virtues or 5. The concomitance or companions of Repentance Companions of Repentance And they are many indeed all the Divine Virtues of the New Covenant as Faith and Love and Holiness c. it contains the Birth which is from above without which none can see the Kingdom of God John 3. 3. It contains in it the whole Work of Regeneration and Sanctification But that which I shall more particularly mention is 1. That true Repentance is always accompanied 1. It abhors the Evil and loves the Good with a Soul-â—ating of sin and Love of Virtue and Holiness It abhors that which is Evil and cleaves to that which is Good It doth not only leave Evil but abhor it as it is Evil and Sin as it is against God his Holy Name and Nature and not only abhor sin all sin But those in whom it is do abhor and loath themselves because of sin and the sinful Nature Ezâ—k 36. 31. Then shall ye remember your own â—vâ—l ways and your Doings that were not Good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your Iniquities and for your abhominations Jer. 31. 19. After that I was turned I Repented I smote upon my Thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the Reproach of my Youth These are New Covenant Discoveries of this great Work of Repentance Rom. 7. 24. O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of Death Therefore in vain do those talk of Repentance and Interest in Gospel-Grace and Life who love themselves and sin still And are not purged from their old Filthiness 2. True Repentance is always accompanied 2. Godly Sorrow with godlâ— Sorrow for sin as it is against God his Holy Will his Holy Name and Nature Contrition and Brokenness of Heart for sin as it is against God always accompanies true Repentance Psal 51. 4. Against thee thee only have I sinned c. So Peter Mat. 26 75. When he had sinned and repented He went out and wept bitterly 2 Cor. 2. 7. Ye ought rather to forgive him and comfort him lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much Sorrow By
of the New Covenant Jer. 31. 33. I will put my Law in their inward Parts and will write it in their Hearts What need so much a doe about the matter as if it were the Work of Man this seems to be Legal and not Evangelical to set Man upon that which is God's Gift and Work Answ We are to distinguish in this matter Answ or else we may quickly confound Truth and lose the Truth of our selves too I say we are to distinguish between the Act of Divine Virtues and the Habit that is not only the Power but Disposition wrought of God in the Heart according to his Promise and the Actings thereof for Repentance Faith Love Obedience c. is our Act and our Duty and sure enough we shall Perish if it be not done Therefore though it be of God to effect the New Work within which is his special Grace where it is yet four things do weightily concern us to be instructed in 1. That the Acting of Divine Grace into the Performance of Gospel-Duty doth concern us and is the Duty of all though they have not the Law written in the Heart 2. That you can never know this Law of Grace to be in your Hearts but by your Holy Disposition of Acting Divine Vertues and Duties sure enough they are Graceless Persons who act not those Divine Virtues the Gospel requires 3. Persons sincerely Acting and Working towards God in Divine Grace and Life received is the undoubted way of Increase thereof and therein God will bless Endeavours with Increase and curse Sluggishness and Negligence with Loss of all Mat. 25. 16. to 29. 4. That it 's a dangerous and pernitious Understanding of Gods absolute Promise in the New Covenant so as to make null his Conditional Promises in the Administration thereof even as dangerous if not more then to fix on the Conditional so as to make null the absolute But there is a saving Understanding of both if rightly directed therein CHAP. XIII Treateth of Justification THe next thing I shall come in order to Chap. 13. Of Justification speak unto is the matter of Justification this followeth Faith and Repentance according to the Law of the New Covenant it followeth Effectual Calling according to the Order stated Rom. 8. 3. Whom he predestinated them he called and whom he called them he justified c. In this Order Justification followeth Calling in which Faith and Repentance is included and therefore is it propounded in the Gospel on terms of Faith and Repentance Acts 13. 39. By him all that Believe are justified c. Rom. 5. 10. Being justified by Faith we have Peace with God Luke 24. 47. Repentance and Remission of Sins must be preached in the Name of Christ c. Remission of sins upon Repentance In my Discourse about this Matter I shall endeavour to shew 1. What Justification is Justification is 1. What it is an Acquittance and Discharge from the Guilt and Eternal punishment for sin and is the same as Remission and Pardon of sin For a Person whose sins are pardoned is justified and his sins are as if they had not been that Justification consisteth in the Pardon and Remission of sin is clear Rom. 4. 6 7 8. Even as David describeth the Blessedness of the Man unto whom God imputeth Righteousness with Works Here is an imputed Righteousness without Works Righteousness and Justification in this place is all one and vers 7. explains what this Righteousness and Justification is Blessed are they whose Iniquities are forgiven and whose Sins are covered Blessed is the Man to whom the Lord will not impute Sin So that it 's evident that Righteousness unto Justification consists in this the Forgiving Covering and not Imputing of sin the same we have in substance Act. 13. 38. Be it known to you Men and Brethren that through this Man is preached unto you the Forgiveness of Sins the Forgiveness of Sins is the glad Tydings of the Gospel and vers 39. declares this Remission of sins to be Justification And by him all that Believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses that is their sins are forgiven Col. 2. 13. Having forgiven you all Trespasses and where all Trespasses are forgiven such Persons stands Quit and Justified before God Rom. 33. 34. Who shall lay any thing to the Charge of God's Elect it is God that justifieth who is he that Condemneth If God pardon acquit and justifieth who can Condemn And thus much as to the Matter of Justification what it is and wherein it consisteth 2. How this Justification and Righteousness 2. How it is to be obtained is to be obtained and this I shall mind on a twofold Account 1. As it relates to God and 2. As it relates to us 1. As it relates to God the Father that 1. As it relates to God his Justice must be satisfied so it might come unto us in a way of Justice as well as Mercy Man having sinned and being gone out from God by sin and Disobedience he being a Just and Righteous God his Justice must be satisfied that so he might have a Honourable and Righteous way of exercising Mercy to Sinners and the way of satisfaction to Divine Justice and Demonstration of Divine Love and Grace to Sinners was by Jesus Christ crucified The Son of the Father in Truth and Love The Death and Sufferings of our Lord was the alone satisfactory Sin-offering to the Father for the sin of sinners this will appear if we consider 1. How frequently Christ is said in Scripture It appears 1. Christ dyed for Sinners to Dye for our sins 1 Cor 15 3. For I delivered first of all that which I received how that Christ dyed for our sins according to the Scriptures Gal. 1. 4. Who gave himself for our sins c. that is because of our sins our sins were the cause of his Death that he might thereby make Peace and Reconciliation for sinners that the way of Mercy might be opened and a Hopeful way of Salvation for sinners in that He bear our sinâ— on his own Body on the Tree 1 Pet. 2. 24. That he dyed for us 1 Pet. 4. 1. And for our sins the Just for the Vnjust that he might bring us to God 1 Pet. 3. 18. that is in our sted that we might Live 2. That God the Father hath in Scripture 2. God hath declared his satisfaction as clearly and fully declared his being satisfied and well pleased with and in the Sufferings of his Son for the sake of Sinners And this will appear if we consider 1. That God the Father laid our sins upon him and surely he would never have laid our sins on the Back of his Son if he had not been well pleased in his Bearing of them Isa 53. 6. All we like Sheep are gone It appears 1. He laid our sins upon his Son astray we have turned every
followeth Remission of sins That they may receive Forgiveness of sins where note that Forgiveness of sins followeth a Soul turning to God which includes both Faith Repentance and Obedience according to the Gospel and the Inheritance followeth Forgiveness of sins that is Justification the sum of all is this that where the Gospel is sincerely Believed and Obeyed there is a Legal New Covenant-Right to Forgiveness of sins and to the Inheritance a Legal Right to the Justification and the Glory of the Gospel Heb. 5 9. He is become the Author Our right is continued on the same account of Eternal Salvation to all those that Obey him And as we come to have a Legal New Covenant-Right in Justification and Salvation by Believing and Obeying the Gospel so our Right is continued therein by our Sincerity and Constancy therein And this is as abundantly Witnessed too in the Scriptures as the former Mat. 10. 22. He that endureth to the End shall be Saved Luk. 9. 62. No man having put his Hand to the Plough and looking back is fit for the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 5. 13. Mark 13. 13. And this is confirmed by the Apostles Col. 1. 21 22 23. Heb. 3. 6 12 14. and 9 1. 11. Object This seems to imply a Possibility Object of falling from Grace after Believing and Obeying the Truth which is contrary to the Scriptures and the Common Received Faith of the Godly Answ The Unchangeableness of the Love Answ of God and this Truth will and must stand together as I said before we may not nor must not so understand one Truth as to Destroy another 1. Therefore I say that the Lord knoweth them that are his and who are effectually Called and they shall be kept through Faith unto Salvation 2 Tim. 2. 19. Nevertheless the Foundation of the Lord standeth sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth them that are his But we know as yet no otherwise but by Faith and sincere Obedience and our Constancy therein by which we are under the Law of Grace of the New Covenant so that though we ought to believe the Unchangeableness of the Lord's Love in the New Covenant of his Grace and that there are a People known to him who shall be kept by his Power through Faith and shall obtain the Inheritance promised and that we are of that Number if we in Truth and Sincerity Believe and Obey the Gospel unto the end And the more stedfast we are in the Faith and Constant Sincere and Universal in our Obedience the Greater and Well-grounded will be our Assurance both of Interest Standing and Glory 2 Pet. 1. 10 11. Rom. 2. 7 10. Rev. 22. 14. Luke 6. 47 48. 2. We must distinguish between the state of Grace and the state of Glory the Assurance of the Saints in the state of Grace must be distinguished from their assurance in the state of Glory then all Doubts will be over But in the state of Grace there are and will be ground of Doubts and Fears not to Fear or Doubt the Truth of the Gospel and of the Love of God therein or of the Changeableness thereof here our Faith should be without Doubting but as to our Interest therein and certainty of Obtaining in as much as it depends according to the Law of Grace not only on the Truth of God in the Gospel but the Truth of our Faith therein and Constancy of our Obedience to the end and our Interest must flow from both for without the second we have no Interest in the first So that it requireth not only Self-examination of the Truth of the Work of the Heavenly Birth and Regeneration but Constancy therein to the end and by reason of the Corruption of our Natures and Imperfections in those Divine Virtues to which the Promise is made necessarily may occasion sometimes Doubtings and Fears and this seems to be owned by the Scriptures to be rather a Virtue than a Vice in Believers Rom. 11. 20. Be not High-minded but fear Heb. 4. 1 11. Let us fear left a Promise being left us we come short Prov. 28. 14. Happy is the man that feareth always Not only feareth God but feareth his own deceitful Heart feareth a Heart of Vnbelief to depart from the living God feareth to sin against God whether in Omission or Commission This is a Godly fear that must be where Grace is and may sometimes be accompanied with Doubts and Godly Jelousies of a Man's self tendeth to establish the Soul in a well-grounded Assurance sutable to the Gospel and this I must say I had rather have Fellowship with Self-examining Self-judging and Self-fearing Souls stable in the Faith though as to Interest something at sometimes mixed with Doubtings than with High-flown Believers without all fear that have High Assurance on Low grounds scarcely able to give from the Law of the New Covenant a Reason of their Hope But see this more in Chap. 15. CHAP. XIV Wherein I shall speak more distinctly to the matter of Faith and of Justification by Faith With Answer to several Questions and Objections about the matter HAving spoken something to the matter Chap. 14. of Justification what it is and whereit doth consist that is in the Pardon and Remission of sins taking away the Guilt and Condemnation of sin with the Terms on which we must have it if ever we have it 1. Relating to God 2. Our selves i. e. on the Terms of Faith Repentance and sincere Obedience I shall in this speak more distinctly unto the Doctrine of Justification by Faith and endeavour to answer such Questions and Objections as ordinarily are or may be made about it What the Faith is to which Justification is promised I have already stated in the substance thereof in Chap. 11. that it is to believe God in his Word to believe the Truth of the Doctrine of the Gospel of God's Grace to Sinners in Jesus Christ which if True and Right is accompanied with true Repentance Truth of Love to God and sincere Obedience or a Hearty and Willing Consenting to the Truth of the Doctrine of the Gospel to be saved by Jesus Christ and in all things to be Ruled by him as Lord and King They are vain Imaginations that People create to themselves of a Faith without Repentance or a Faith with Works or a Faith without Works after their own Imaginations and not after the Will of Christ or to expect to be saved by him when they have no mind to be ruled by him Acts 3. 22 23. But as to the particular distinct Act of Faith it is to believe God in his Word and that not only in this but in all Cases Faith is to believe God It 's a Fancy and not Faith that hath not the Word of God for it's Foundation I intend in Divine and New Covenant Concerns Abraham believed God and it was accounted unto him for Righteousness This was the Faith of the Father and may or must we suppose the Faith of
the Children to be another Faith see Vers 23. 24. Now it was not Written for his Sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom â—â— shall be imputed if we believe on him who raised up Christ our Lord from the Dead Object This with other Scriptures mentions Object 1 Believing in God as well as Believing of God 1 Pet. 1. 21. John 14. 1. so that it seems it is not enough to Believe God but we must Believe in God and in Christ Answ It 's all one in substance to believe in God and in Christ is to believe his Faithfulness and All-sufficiency that he is as good and as true and able as the Scripture reports him to be to perform his Word you Believe in him that he will not fail c. But to return the Faith of Justification is to Believe the Truth of the Gospel Record concerning the Justification and Life therein promised to those that do Believe by Jesus Christ Crâ—cified Rom. 5. 9. Much more being now justified by his Blood we shall be saved from Wrath through him Eph. 1 7. Col. 1. 14. To Believe this truly being accompanied with the Concomitants of saving Faith i. e. Love and sincerity of Obedience is the justifying saving Faith of the Gospel to which the Promise of Life is made Mark 16. 16. He that Believeth and is Baptized shall be saved that is he that Believeth and Obeyeth the Lord shall be saved That of Baptisme being the first Initiating Ordinance iâ—to the viâ—ible Constituted Church of Christ includes the whole of Obedience Object But What must we Believe Answ The Gospel that which was to be preached Preach the Gospel c. The Gospel is the Glad â—idings of Pardon Peace and Life by Jesus Christ Mark 1. 15. Repent yea and Believe the Gospel was Christ's own Doctrine for further Confirmation of this Truth see John 8. 24. and 20. 31. Rom. 10. 9 10. 1 John 5. 10 11. All which Scriptures if well weighed with many others bear testimony to this Truth that Faith is to believe God to believe the Truth of the Doctrine of the Gospel Object This is accounted and called a Object 2 Historical Faith which though necessary to True and Sâ—ving Faith yet it 's common to Wicked Men and Devils and therefore cannot be the justifying saving-Faith of the Gospel Answ Notwithstanding it may be the Answ Faith of Wicked Men and Hypocrites and of Devils too Yet it is the justifying Faith of the Gospel for the Difference lyeth not in the Matter believed but in the Manner of believing Wicked Men and Hypocrites may believe it meerly as a History assent to it but they do not believe as Justified Persons doe We must distinguish in this Case not in the Matter believed but in the Manner of believing Quest Wherein lyeth the Difference Quest Answ The one from either common Illumination Answ Education Custom or Tradition believes the same things with a head-Assent to the Truth of the Gospel But the other believes it with the Heart Rom. 10. 10. For with the Heart Man believeth unto Righteousness Acts 8. 37. If thou believest with all thine Heart thou maiest Psal 37. 31. The Law of God is in his Heart none of his Steps shall slide It 's the Promise of the New Covenant that God will write his Law in the Hearts of his People that is implant a Holy sincere Disposition of Faith and Love and the Fear of his Name the Heart is wrought after God but Hypocrites have it at most and best but in the Head in the Understanding from common Illumination c. There is a great deal of Head-Faith in the World of Customary-Faith that will come to nothing But where it is in Truth in the Heart it effects a Heart-Change with a Change in the whole Conversation Heart-believing Heart-Love to God and his things Heart-hatred of sin and Heart-obedience to the Will of Christ and thus He that is in Christ is a New Creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. And he that Believeth hath the Witness in himself 1 Joâ— 5. 10. and do or might know that he hath this Heart-Faith in him So that the Truth remains that that which Men call a History call Faith i. e. believing the History the Truth of the Doctrine of the Gospel truly as hath been demonstrated is the justifying Faith of the Gospel And as for Devils if Christ had Dyed â—or them and God had in the Gospel promised Life to them on the Terms he hath to Mâ—n Liâ—e might be preached to Devils on the same terms as to Men But God having in Justice left them without the reach oâ— this Gospel-Grace whatever they believe about it let not Man quarrel about the easie way of Man's obtaining i. e. Believe Repent and Obey the Gospel and be justified and saved Quest But how shall I come to believe mine own Interest in Justification and Life which hath been accounted with some the Faith of Justification Answ True it hath so with many and I believe that want of Spiritual skill hath done wrong to many tender Souls and hath caused them to go with Sorrow to their Graves and that either 1. In teaching that the Faith of Justification and Life must be the Faith of Application or assurance of Interest which is not the Truth of the Gospel but this of Interest must grow from that of Justification Or 2. In not laying the right Foundation of Assurance so Souls have been kept much in the Dark in this matter For the Faith of Interest must be Founded on the Promise of Life if right as well as the Faith of Justification for it is to believe God as I said before all Faith if right must be Founded on the Word of God So that the right Gospel-way for Believers to Read their own Interest and to Read their Names in the Book of Life is to make a Resultancy or Conclusion from the Premises thus God hath promised Justification and Life to them that do Believe and Obey the Gospel I do so Believe therefore I shall be saved and this is the Gospel-Ground or Reason of our Hope of Interest in Gospel-Grace and Life and thus our Interest will be grounded on the Promise of God in the Gospel If I have the Faith of the Gospel and abide therein I am Justified and shall be Saved There are three Things that it behoves Three Things considerable Christians to be Instructed in in this Matter for their Support and Peace in this Mortal and Imperfect Estate 1. To understand and know that to believe the Truth of the Glad-tidings of Salvation by Jesus Christ crucified according to the Gospel is the Terms and Condition of our Justification and Salvation and that who doth so Believe shall be Saved 2. That who so doth believe hath the Promise of Life from the Law and Covenant of God in the Gospel and from hence must claim his Interest in Grace and Life and if he claim
it any other way it may be a Fancy only note this that we cannot be so Infalliable as to our particular Interest in Life as we are or ought to be in the Truth of the Doctâ—iâ—e of the Gospel as I have before minded because the one fixes only on the Truth of God the other not only on the Truth of God but likewise on the Truth of our own Faith which being accompanied with Imperfections may occasion Doubtings But of this more full in Chap. 15. of the Assurance of Faith 3. That in all the Faâ—lings of the Saints for the Lord knew that his People could not live perfectly without sin in his New Covenant of Grace his Law of Grace on this account is that his People sincerely humble themselves confess their sins forsake them and beg Mercy and he will Forgive them for the sake of his Son And this is the Law of Grace in the New Covenant for support of Believers in their Spiritual Race and Warfare after Conversion and the way for them to have the Assurance of the Pardon of their daily Miscarriages it must come in from this Law of Grace it 's true I sin daily and come short in every Duty I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good Thing But it is my Burden I am in Truth humbled and do not only Watch and War against it but do daily implore the Throne of Grace for Pardon Hence I have ground from the Law of Grace to believe mine Acceptance and Remission of my sins this is the way of the New Covenant for the daily Pardon Peace and Comfort of the Saints Mat 6 12. Psal 32. 5 Prov. 28. 13. Heb. 8. 12. 1 Joh. 1. 9. Quest The Scripture saith that we are Quest 1. justified by Faith Rom. 5 1. 2. That we are justified by Grace Rom. 3. 24. 3. That God justifieth and Christ justifieth Rom. 8. 33 34. 4 That Works justifieth and not Faith only Jam. 2. 24. How may we understand these Distinctions and reconcile the Scriptures Answ 1. Faith is said to justifie not as Answ the meritorious or satisfying Cause of Justification that is Christ crucified only But as the conditional Cause or Terms on which we are justified that is we are not nor cannot be justified without it This is the Law of the New Covenant it 's said Rom. 4. 3. That Abraham's Faith was accounted to him for Righteousness or imputed as vers 22. 23. Not that Abraham's Faith was his Righteousness to Justification but God accounted him Righteous and doth account one Righteous that doth Believe or imputeth Righteousness to such a one that was not so accounted before nor can be Righteous without it for he that believeth not must be Damned So that Faith justifieth as it is the condition of Justification in the New Covenant on our parts to be performed though in the Spirit and Life of the Covenant or Law written in the Heart 2. We are justified by Grace that iâ— it 's all of Grace and nothing of Desert in us our Faith is not any meritorious Cause in us but it 's all Grace it 's Grace in God to give his Son for us and Grace in Christ to give himself and Grace in God as to us-ward to accept the Sufferings of his Son for us and Grace in him to Pardon and Justifie Sinners on their Believing so that it 's all Grace as from God and we may and ought to câ—y Grace Grace unto it 3. It 's God that justifieth it is God the Father that justifieth 1. Because he Prepared and Dâ—signed the Sacrifice and our Justification thereby John 3 16. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19 20. Heb. 10. 5. 2. He accepted the Sacrifice for us when offered Eph 5. 1. 2. and 1 6 7. 3. It is he that Pardons us that is justifieth us for the Sake of Christ our Peace-Offering when we do believe and Christ is said to justifie us as the Meritorious Satisfactory Cause of our Justification therefore it is said Rom. 8. 34. It is Christ that dyed c. 4. We are said to be justified by Works and not by Faith only because that the Faith to which Justification and Salvation is promised must be a working Faith and when Salvation is promised to Believing we must understand it to be such a Faith as the Gospel intends that is a Faith that carrieth in it Love and sincere Obedience to the Will of Christ it is a Faith which worketh by Love Gal. 5. 6. the contrary is a dead Faith as a Body without a Soul that will never justifie Jam. 2. 26. Thus Works justifie 1. The Truth of our Faith for Faith without Works is dead 2. Works justifieth in some sence as Faith doth that is not as the Meritorious Cause but as the Condition because the Faith to which Justification is promised includes Works in it and so is as truly the Condition of our Justification as Faith for the Gospel excludes that Faith as no Condition at all that is without Works so that Faith without Works is none of the justifying saving-Faith of the Gospel So that thus considered here is a sweet Harmony and Concurrence in those Scriptures and helps to a more full Understanding of the glorious Method of God in this way of Justification and Salvation of Sinners by Jesus Christ Object The Apostle saith Rom. 4. 4 5. Object Now to him that worketh the Reward is not reckoned of Grace but of Debt but to him that Worketh not but Believeth on him that justifieth the Vngodly his Faith is counted for Righteousness Answ We are to understand in this Answ Scripture by not Working is intended Meritorious Working that may deserve Life vers 4. it 's such a Working as that the Reward is not counted of Grace but of Debt not that we may not Work at all that is prophane to imagin But not to Work Meritoriously so as to expect Justification and Life as a due Debt for our Working here Works are nothing He that Worketh not in this sence but Believeth But Faith and Works as the terms on which God will justifie and save of his own Love and Grace in Christ Jesus is absolutely necessary to Salvation And further Works are necessary for thereby we shew forth the Life of Christ in our Mortal Bodies and glorifie God in our Bodies and Spirits who hath done and doth all freely for us and in us Quest Do not this seem to make Faith Quest and Works co-partners with Christ in the Work of Justification and Salvation contrary to Col. 3. 31. Christ is all and in all And Rom. 9. 32. They sought Righteousness as it were by the Works of the Law Answ It makes it no otherwise Co-partners Answ with Christ in the Work of Justification then God hath made it What God hath joyned together let no Man put asunder God hath joyned Faith and Work as the Condition and the Sufferings of his Son our Lord Jesus as the Meritorious satisfying Cause
and his own Eternal Grace in Christ Jesus as the Foundation and applying Cause so all these doth concur in Unity see Eph. 2 7. 8. Yet not of Works as any deserving Cause lest any should boast vers 9. Tit. 3. 4 5 6 7. Yet Works are absolutely necessary to Salvation as the Concomitant of true Faith and Condition of our Salvation and Way that we must walk into Glory For without Holiness no Man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. see Mat. 7. 24 25 26 27. Rom. 2. 7 8 9 10. Rev. 22. 14. There are four things which stand in Unity and it greatly concerns Christians to be instructed therein 1. That all our Spiritual and Eternal Note four Things Good is Founded in and is the Effect of the Eternal Love of God there is all the Grace and Glory of the New Covenant bottomed 1 Tim. 1. 9. Jer. 31. 3. 2. That Jesus Christ is the Way and Meritorious Cause of the accomplishing of this Salvation God never intended to save any One by his Grace alone without Relation unto Jesus Christ crucified Acts 4. 12. Though probably many saved-Ones have dyed without Faith in Christ Crucified before he came in the Flesh and had Suffered yet in the great Day all the saved Ones shall know that their Salvation was effected by him 3. That Faith is the terms on which we must have this Salvation and so is on that account absolutely necessary for he that Believeth not must be Damned 4. That Works as included in Faith and may not be separated from it are absolutely necessary likewise without which the Faith is naught dead feigned that will stand the Owners thereof in no steed in the day of Need. Quest Whether the Scripture do not hold Quest forth the Justification of the Elect before Believing Some are of the mind that the Elect were justified from Eternity others that they were justified when Christ dyed that when God was Actually satisfied the Elect must be Actually justified Answ Actual Justification cannot be Answ before and without Faith because it is contrary to the Doctrine and Law of the New Covenant which is the ground of our Faith and Hope in the matter for that saith expresly that He that Believeth not shall be Damned and Act. 13. 39. By him all that Believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses It is a Doctrine the New Covenant is unacquainted with and therefore contrary to the wholesome Words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Doctrine that is according to Godliness It 's true we Read Rom. 8. 29 30. of a Calling and Justification to be from Eternity but we must understand that as in God's purpose to be done not as Actually done for a purpose in God to justifie is not Justification and the Scripture will clear it self in this matter Whom he foreknew them he Predestinated to be Conformed to the Image of his Son Note Predestination was to something in time namely to Conformity to Christ which is not before Believing Whom he Predestinated them he Called and Calling is in time And whom he Called them he Justified and whom he Justified them he Glorified or as the Margin Reads it them he is wont to Call wont to Justifie wont to Glorifie and take it in this Sence and It 's clear But however they were no more Justified than Called than Glorified from Eternity which must all relate to Purpose and to be Effected in time they are called Sheep John 10. 16. Children Gal. 4. 3. Yet still in Purpose Rom. 4. 17. will clear us in this matter and many other things of like concern that God calleth things that are not as though they were They are not in Actual being yet are in his Purpose to be in time we may as well say God made the World before he did it and that the World was Drowned before it was and that Christ was come in the Flesh and had Suffered and was Raised and Ascended and come again to Judgment c. before it was or is because it was God's Purpose that all these and Multitudes more of things should be done which is indeed contrary to all Reason and would overturn all Truth to say it is done and as for Actual Justification when Christ Dyed and Rose again it 's true there was Actual Satisfaction to Divine Justice both given and taken in order to Justification but Satisfaction is one thing and Justification is another It 's true if Christ had done for us what he did as our Surety being bound with us to pay our Debt if we could not and in so doing had fully answered the Law to which we were liable then Actual Justification must have followed Actual Satisfaction without all terms of Believing and Obeying for if the Surety pay the Debt and Cancel the Bond in strictest Law the Principle is quit without any terms and likewise no need of pardoning Grace if the Satisfaction was such that Christ as our Surety paid our Debt in strictest Law-sence but it 's evident that what Christ did for and in behalf of Sinners was by voluntary Contracts between the Father and the Son John 6. 38 39. 2 Tim. 1. 9. and voluntarily undertaken by the Lord and the Satisfaction that Christ gave and Justice took was not the Payment of our Debt in kind as our Surety obliged to it if we could not do it neither was he the Person that the Law might expect Satisfaction from for the Law saith The Soul that sinneth that shall Die and We all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God So that the Satisfaction that Christ gave was voluntarily given and graciously Received and Accepted as Acts of Grace to us both in the Son in Suffering and the Father in Accepting and therefore it must come to us as it is indeed Acts of Grace and on the terms agreed on between the Father and the Son which are published in the Gospel and it was no ways intended to acquit the Sinners presently without any more adoe no it holds true That he that Believeth and is Baptized shall be Saved but he that Believeth not shall be Damned Therefore it concerns you to take heed how you understand Actual Justification to be when there was Actual Satisfaction lest you put an end to the Terms and Conditions of Justification by the law-Law-Covenant of Grace and to the Pardoning Grace of God the Father and so miss of Justification and Life on the Terms propounded This will make way for two Questions further 1. Quest What is the Reason that God Quest should lay so much â—tress on Faith as that there should be no Justification nor Salvation without it 1. Answ Because thereby we justifie Answ God as I shewed before in the Excellency of Faith and so Honour him in his Truth and All-sufficiency Unbelief is the Dishonourable sin therefore the Damning sin He that believeth not hath made him a Lyer 1 John 5.
10. but He that Receiveth his Testimony hath set to his Seal that God is True John 3. 33. Which God takes well and will justifie those that justifie him 2. It was the Designe both of the Father and the Son that this wonderful Designe of Grace to sinners both in the Father and the Son should come to us in the Way of Faith and Obedience that it might be valued and thankfully received and that God and Christ might be thereby glorified Eph. 1. 3. 1 Cor. 6. 20. Else we must suppose the Designe to be to purchase a Liberty for Men to sin and serve the Devil and dishonour God which would be Irrational and Irreligious to imagin 3. Because God and Christ in this Work did not only Designe to save Sinners from Wrath but to make them conformable to the Image of his Son and the Entrance of this Conformity is at the Entrance of this Grace even the first Work of Saving Faith and in this Conformity must Believers grow up more and more 1 Cor. 15. 48 49. 2 Cor. 3. 18. and 4. 10 11. Till they come to a Perfect Man in Christ their Head Eph. 4. 13. Quest 2. How can it be just in God to Quest lay the Sin and Punishment of Sinners upon a just Person that had not Sinned 1 Pet. 3. 18. The Just for the Unjust to bring us to God Answ 1. God will clear his own Justice Answ himself Rom. 3. 26. That he might be Just and the Justifier of him that Believeth in Jesus Vers 5. 6. Is God Vnrighteous c. God forbid then how shall God judge the World Gen. 18 25. Shall not the Judge of all the World do Right 2. Though it was not the same Persons that sinned yet in the same nature is the Redemption accomplished Heb. 2. 14. For as much as the Children were Partakers of Flesh and Bloud he also himself took part of the same so that though not the same Souls that sinned yet in the same Nature is the Satisfaction made and accepted Rom. 8 3. 3. Christ did the Work voluntarily and freely for Sinners and not by Computation otherwise there might not have appeared so much of Justice in it but he freely undertaking the Work having Power to dispose of himself in the Matter Joh. 10. 17 18. And God the Father accepting it was a wonderful Act both of Justice and of Mercy Justice in the Father in punishing the sins of Sinners upon his own Son and Mercy to us sinners that we might have a Door of Hope for Deliverance Quest Whether this Justification Quest imputed on Believing be a perfect and compleat Justification Answ It is so from the Guilt and Answ Eternal Punishment of sin yet notwithstanding God will visit the Inâ—quities and sins of his People as a Father for their good Psal 89 30 31 32 33. Heb. 12. 6 10. and doth judge them too but it is that they may not be Condemned with the World 1 Cor. 11. 30 31 32. For when sin is Pardoned the Offender is free and stands to God as if he had not sinned as to the Eternal Condemnation which was the great Designe of God and Christ in this Transaction Rom. 8. 1. There is therefore now no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Col. 2. 13. 1 John 4. 17. Quest Is this Righteousness and Quest Justification by Faith the Everlasting Righteousness of Saints spoken of Dan. 9. 24. Answ As it is a perfect Righteousness Answ so it is in some sence Everlasting for we must stand Justified from the guilt of sin committed in this World for the sake of Christ to Eternity the Bloud of Christ is called the Bloud of the Covenant that is the Bloud of the New and Everlasting Covenant which is the Covenant of the Glorious State and so it is an Usher to the Everlasting Righteousness that is to be perfected in the Persons of the Saints Justification here for the sake of Christ is our Righteousness unto Acceptation Personal and Perfect Holiness in our compleat Conformity to Christ our Head will be our Eternal Personal Righteousness in Glory our Righteousness by Faith here will bring us to the Righteousness of Holiness and Glory hereafter Gal. 5. 5. Phil. 3. 20 21. Col. 3. 4. 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. See Mr. VVilson in this Life there is a justifying Righteousness which is not had but by Faith such as Abraham had it is perfect but not Inherent in us it steeketh in Christ's Manhood as the Subject and is ours by Imputation Rom. 4. 4 5 6. There is a Righteousness of Sanctification or sanctifying Righteousness in this VVorld c. This is Inherent but not Perfect growing daily by degrees unto Perfection Jam. 2. 21 22. More briefly thus there is a Righteousness in Heaven both Perfect and Inherent a Righteousness on Earth that is Perfect but not Inherent which is Justification or Inherent but not Perfect which is Sanctification Thus far Wilson in his Scripture-Dictionary on the Word Righteous In a Word that which I believe in this Matter is that the Imputed Righteousness of Christ here by Faith must abide for ever as the Foundation of our Eternal Happiness that if ever that should fail we must Perish So that the Church in Glory shall for ever admire Jesus Christ crucified and know the Weight and Worth of the Bloud of the Covenants and the Personal perfect Holiness of the Saints shall be their Everlasting Personal Righteousness in Glory Quest Whether the Imputation of Quest Justification to a Believer on the First Act of True Faith be Perpetual And whether One ought to Believe the Pardon of all Sin past present and to come as is the Apprehension of some Answ 1. Though it 's true that the Answ Justification of the New Covenant is certain and perpetual to true Believers yet they stand in it by their Constancy in the Faith and Obedience of the Gospel the Believer hath no ground to conclude it certain to him any longer than he continueth in the Faith for he stands by Faith Rom. 11. 20. Thou standest by Faith be not high-minded but fear 1 Cor. 16. 13. Watch ye stand fast in the Faith c. Heb. 3. 6 12. Yet we ought to believe that God will maintain our Faith and keep us from Falling Phil. 1. 6. 2 Tim. 1. 12. Jude vers 14. Else we could have no solid Comfort 2. And although I know no ground to believe the Pardon of sins before they are committed and that 1. Because I know no Scripture Rule for such a Faith it is an Unscriptural Fancy and Imagination 2. The Scripture doth direct us to the Pardon of sin after it is committed and the way in which we must expect to have it though not the cause that is in a way of Confessing as hath been before-minded 1 John 1. 9. Forsaking Prov. 28. 13. Prayer Mat. 6. 12. Forgiving of others Mat. 18. 35.
Yet 3. We ought to believe that God will pardon our sins on the Terms mentioned after they are committed Quest Is not this Legal Doctrine Quest It is the Judgment of some that a Believer ought to believe the Pardon of all sins past present and to come and that to pray for the Pardon of sin is Legal Answ It 's true it is Legal i. e. according Answ to the Law of the New-Covenant and is Gospel all Mercy and Pardon after the Fall is Gospel and a Fruit of the New-Covenant and the Truth is that they that Darken this lose the Life of the Grace of the Gospel and savours much of Ignorance and Pride It 's infinite Mercy that God hath opened a Door of Hope and Way of Mercy and Pardon of the sins of his People after Conversion as before and if they walk humbly with God in this way of his Ordaining they shall not miss of obtaining Mercy Heb. 4. 16. We ought to believe that God will continue the Grace of Faith and give us Repentance for sin and will Pardon our sins in this way of Repentance and this is according to the Law of the New-Covenant The Great day of Mercy and Pardon will be at the Great day of Judgment when we must all appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ Act. 3. 19. 2 Tim. 1. 18. Jude vers 21. Looking for the Mercy of our Lord Jesus unto Eternal Life And this I understand to be the glorious Ministration of the New-Covenant Heb. 8. 12. For I will be Merciful to their Unrighteousness and their Sins and Iniquities will I Remember no more Though Believers are interested in this Covenant and God pardoneth their Iniquities here in the Order and Way prescribed that they shall not prove their Eternal Ruin if we are not yet under the perfect and glorious Ministration thereof for the New-Covenant in the Perfection of it's Ministration is the Covenant of the perfect Restauration and Glory God do now remember the sins of his People so as to correct them by various Ways according to his own Will Psal 89. 30 31 32. 1 Cor. 11. 30 31 32. But then he will so Pardon the Iniquities of all his People as not to Remember them so as to Correct or Punish them Isa 33. 24. Mich. 7. 18 19 20. Quest Whether the Faith unto Quest which Justification is imputed be an Act of the Old or of the New-Man Answ True and Saving Faith is an Answ Act of the Soul renewed by Grace of the Law of God written in the Heart the New-Covenant admits of no Old thing it 's New Wine is not put into Old Bottles 2 Cor. 5. 17. Old things are past away behold all things are become New It 's the Act of the New Man from a principle of Life wrought in the Soul by the Gospel flowing from the Second Man the Lord from Heaven who is a quickning Spirit Note 1. That there is or may be a Faith without Life John 2. 23 24 25. and 8. 30 31. Mat. 13. 20 21. Luke 8. 13. 1 John 2. 19. 2. That that Faith to which Life is promised is an effect if Life Joh. 11. 26. Whosoever Liveth and Believeth in me shall never Die that is the Faith of Life that is an Effect of Life 2 Cor. 4. 13. Having therefore the same Spirit of Faith c. There is a Spirit of Faith that is the Spirit of the Gospel that begets Life and Faith in Men by the Word of Faith called by our Lord The Birth from above and a Begetting again by the Word of Truth Jam. 1. 18. and a being Born of God 1 John 3. 9. and 5. 18. The new-New-Covenant or Law in the Heart Heb. 8. 10. Quest If the Case be thus How shall Quest I know that my Faith is Right I shall be left still in Doubt and at a Loss in this Matter Answ I must say to this as Christ Answ said in another case By their Fruits you shall know them Mat. 7. 16 20. If thy Faith be the Effect of the Spirits Working and Work of the New Man then see 2 Cor. 15. 17. If any Man be in Christ he is a New Creature Old things are past away behold all things are become New New Light and new Life new Affections new Objects of Love new Delights sutable to the new Birth and new Man Which is created after God in Righteousness and true Holiness Eph. 4. 24. Gal. 5. 22 23. Where the Fruits of the Spirit are described as effected in the true Believer The Fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance c. Where these Fruits of the Spirit are in Truth there the Faith is Right and Saving But more particularly 1. Where Truth of Faith is there is Humility this is a special distinguishing Character of New Covenant Faith when the Soul is truly Humbled it 's the Property of the Effectual Working of the New Covenant-Spirit in the Gospel to lay the Creature low Rom. 3. 27. Where is Boasting then It is excluded by what Law Of Works Nay but by the Law of Faith So that Faith takes off all Boasting where it is in Truth and the Reason is because the true Believer seeth and knoweth that he is a poor Nothing wretched Creature in himself and that he must have all both Pardon Peace and Life from the Mercy of God in Christ Jesus and that all he doth or can do is no Meritorious Cause of Grace or Life of Pardon or Peace but that when he hath done all that he can he is an Unprofitable Servant And that his best Services are Defiled with sin and sinful Imperfections of Nature and this makes the Soul humble and low in it self to abhor it self and this declares it evidently to be under the Blessing pronounced by our Saviour Mat. 5. 3. Blessed are the Poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Revel 2. 9. and 3. 8. This is the Man to whom God will look Isa 66. 2. and with whom He will dwell Chap. 57. 15. and that shall dwell with him for ever Zeph. 3. 12. to 18. For this groweth not upon the Old stock of Nature that is Proud and Self-conceited and if any new-New-Covenant Gifts come into such a Soul it is but as the Putting of New Wine into Old Bottles that will make them swell and burst first or last 2. Where Truth of Faith is there is Truth of Love and therefore it behoves every one to prove the sincerity of their Love that great New-Covenant Virtue and Heaven-born Grace to love God and Christ above all Mat. 22. 37. Eph. 6. 24. Mat. 10. 37. To love his Word and Will and to Delight in it and prize it above all Worldly Treasure Psal 119. 97 103 127. To love his People for his Sake because they are his and bear his Image and Likeness 1 John 3. 14. and 4 12. 3. Where Truth of Faith and Love is there will be
war against it they have no ground to draw sad conclusions against themselves though it's cause of humiliation For support in such cases consider 1. The Prophet Psal 89. 34. 19 to 37. the Lord having made great and precious promises to David and in him to Christ on the new covenant account in which was much of the Gospel Grace yet immediately his Faith fails in the whole as if God had made void his covenant and broken all his promises in that matter ver 38. 45. which hath been fulfilled on the natural seed and worldly Kingdom to visible appearance but as it related to Jesus Christ it stands firm and he is exalted upon the Throne and the Promise is sure to all thee seed 2. John the Baptist who had many high confirmations from Heaven concerning the Lord Jesus that he was the Christ he saw the sign upon him which God gave him by which he should know him Joh. 1. 33. insomuch that he could say ver 34. 56. I saw and bear record that this is the Son of God and behold the Lamb of God c. and heard the voice from Heaven saying This is my beloved Son c. yet after all these testimonies and assurances of his Faith in this matter he being in Prison comes to doubt whether he was the Christ or not Matt. 11. 3. Art thou him that should come or do we loâ—k for another which discovers that there was in John a doubt whether he was the Christ or no and this appeareth not only by the message or question but if we consider 2. the time when he sent when he was in Prison it was a Prison temptation 2. By the answer of Christ to John to strengthen him under this temptation Go and shew John those things that you do hear and see c. 2. By his answer to the multitude What went ye out to see a râ—ed shaken with the wind c. which clearly imports that John was shaken in his Faith and yet for all that he was a Prophet and more than a Prophet v. 9. Which clearly imports that gracious souls may come under temptations and doubts in matters of Faith of highest concernment and yet be gracious still yea further gracious persons may through a sudden fit of fear and surprisal by temptation not only doubt in the main matters of Faith but even deny the Faith they have been established in The case of Peter is full in this matter who denied and forswore his Lord but the difference lieth here the gracious person may fall by a sudden surprisal of sinful fear and weep bitterly for it when it is done and loves the Lord the more but the other deliberately resolved and wilfully departs from the Lord and will no more of him but with the dog returns to his vomit and with the sow that was washed to her wallowing again in the mire yet it deeply concerns souls to be heedful of such temptations 2. The second sort of Assurance is the 2. Of Assurance of Interest assurance of interest in the Doctrine believed and in speaking to this I shall shew 1. That there is a Gospel Assurance of interest in Grace and Glory to be obtained in this World 2. What this Assurance is and how and how far it may be attained 3. What it is that ordinarily hinders persons from obtaining thereof 1. That a well grounded Gospel Assurance 1. That it may be attained of Faith may be attained here in this life it is that which many Saints have attained and a possibility is stated for all to attain it 1. That many have attained it Job though under afflictions yet could say I know that my Redeemer liveth c. whom I shall see for my self c. Job 19. 25. 27. and the Prophet could say after a cloud of darkness and temptation Psal 73. 24. 26. Thou shalt guide me by thy counsel and afterward receive me to Glory and Paul Gal. 2. 20. I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me and 2 Tit. 4. 7 8. I have fought a good Fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith from henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge will give me at that day c. But 2. Lest it be objected by any that these were extraordinary persons and therefore may doubt whether it be attainable by believers as such a possibility is stated for all to attain it and this will appear in the promise it 's promised not Prophets or Apostles or Ministers as such to all Believers he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved and John 6. 40. and this is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life see Act. 16. 31. Rom. 10. 9. If God hath made the promise of life to believers as such without distinction he hath stated a possibility to believers to obtain a Gospel assurance of their Salvation 2. It appears in that it was the Apostles work and should be the work and endeavour of every faithful Minister to help Believers in this matter that so they might attain a well grounâ—eâ— comfortable assurance of their intereâ—t in the grace of life so Paul Rom. 3. 22. The righteousness of God which is by Faith of Christ unto all and upon all that believe and Chap. 8. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus whâ— walk not after the flesh but after the spirit 1 Joh. 5. 13. These things have I written to them that believe c. that ye may know that ye have eternal life c. The Lord's design is not only to give his people eternal life but he would have them to know it for their comfort and for that end he hath stated clear grounds in his Word by which they may come to know it as I shall endeavour in the second place to shew what it is and â—ow it may be attained 2. What this Assurance is and how far it may be attained 1. What it is it is called in Scripture sometimes the assurance of Faith Heb. 10. 22. Let us draw near in full assurance of Faith Heb. 6. 11. The full assurance of hope the full assurance of understanding Col. 2. 2. Confidence boldness Eph. 3. 12. Heb. 10. 35. The confidence of hope Heb. 3. 6. Whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm to the end The assurance of Faith Hope Confidence is sometimes higher and sometimes lower sometimes more sometimes less according to the souls exercise in the word of Life and work of Faith and the working of the Spirit in the word of Faith for there is no such assurance to be attained here as when we come to the possession of the Kingdom and Glory promised when all occasion of doubting shall be done away for the assurance here
is but the assurance of Faith Hope and Confidence which affords Peace Joy and Consolation the Scripture and so must reason too make a vast disproportion between the life of Faith and the life of present and full Injoyment 2 Cor. 5. 7. We live by Faith and not by sight that is not by present injoyment Heb. 10. 38. Now the just shall live by Faith that is now in this side the Glory promised in which it may be supposed is danger of drawing back If any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him 2. How it must be obtained the assurance 2. How it must be obtained of Faith and hope must be attained by a reflect act of the soul or a resultancy or conclusion from the condition on which life is promised to instance Mat. 5. 3. c. are many precious promises made to persons that are indowed with those Divine Virtues therein exprest as Blessed are the poor in spirit c. Who so finds those Virtues in him may and ought to claim his interest in the promises so Mat. 16. 16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved that is he that believeth and obeyeth the Lord of which Baptism is the first and ingageth to the whole duty of the Gospel shall be saved I do believe and obey the Gospel therefore I shall be saved so 1 Jâ—h 5. 1. Whosoever doth believe that Jesus is the Christ is born of God this Faith if right is accompanied with those other Virtues mentioned as love to God love to his people obedience to his will and his Commandments are not grievous it getteth victory over the World c. as ver 2. By this we know we love the children of God when we love God and keep his Commandments ver 3. For this is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous that is they are not grievous to Believers ver 4. Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the World and this is the victory that overcometh the World even your Faith What the World is that Faith overcometh the Apostle had before explained Chap. 2. 15 16 17. Faith getteth the victory by fixing the soul on better objects than the World is Heb. 5. 9. He is become the Author of eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Now the resultancy from the whole is I do believe that Jesus is the Christ and my Faith is accompanied with love to God above all and do love his people for his sake and do sincerely desire to know and do his will and keep his Commandments they are not grievous to me but my failing therein is my grief and by this Faith I have overcome the World and am dead to it and it is my real desire and endeavour to abandon all things that are contrary to the will of the Lord to abhor that which is evil and to cleave to that which is good therefore I am born of God therefore I have an interest in the new covenant this is the way appointed of God in which they may make their Calling and Election sure if they give diligence to it 2 Pet. 1. 10. and these are the things that John write in his Epistle to them that did believe that they might know that they had eternal life 1 Joh. 5. 13. and according to our abounding in those Divine Virtues or not abounding so will our assurance be 2 Pet. 1. 10 11. Quest. Is not Assurance the immediate Quest gift of the Spirit does not the Scripture speak of being sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise Eph. 1. 13. 2 Cor. 1 22 Answ 1. It 's without all question to me Answ that the ground of all sealings is from the Holy Spirit and that he doth refresh the hearts of Believers and seal up love to them in the waies of his own appointment yet for persons to take that for a sealing evidence which relates neither to word nor work of the Spirit but some apprehended over-powrings or â—rong perswasions without all grounds â—rong confidence and consolation but knows not â—rom whence it comes can give no reason thereof but supposeth that it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be from the Spirit this may 〈◊〉 〈…〉 on of our own spirits or the 〈◊〉 who can transform himself into an Angel of lâ—ght and I fear many souls have miscarried on this account 2. The assurance and comfort of Saints must come in by believing if right Rom. 15. 13. The God of Hope fill you with joy and peace in believing as 1 Pet. 1. 8. What ever comes in any other way may prove a â—ancy and Faith in this matter must have a relation to the word of Grace or the work of the Spirit suitable to some word or both in which is found the sealings of the Spirit it must be in and by the word and work The Spirit was promised and given for a twofold Seal 1. To seal the truth of the Doctrine to be believed by its gifts and mighty works in and by the Ministers thereof and 2. To seal the truth of our Faith relative to interest in that Doctrine and that is by the word and work of the same Spirit 1. By the word Joh. 16. 13 14. Where â—he Spirit seals by the Word the manner of the Spirits work is 〈◊〉 ed that is he shall guide you into truth â—e 〈◊〉 not speak of himself he shall shew you things to come he shall glorifie me he shall take of mine and shew it unto you so that the way of the Spirits working and leading into truth is in opening the Word and shewing the goodness of the Word the Doctrine of the Gospel which leads us to Christ for he shall glorifie him and take of his and shew it to the soul and there is nothing of Christ to be shewed to us more than is revealed in and by the Word so that the Spirits sealing is in and through the Word and this Believers have experience of more or less of the Spirits sealing through the Word read heard and applyed to their joy and comfort for the Spirit comforts by opening Christ and the blessed truths of the Gospel relating to him by his Word and his Ordinances appointed for that end Quest In what manner doth the Spirit Quest work by the Word in sealing up assurance to the souls is it by an immediate bringing in of Scripture over-powringly unthought on or unexpected Answ Sometimes the Spirit of Christ Answ may so work and I question not but that in some cases and at sometimes he hath so wrought though it 's not so usual nor alwaies may it prove so fafe to be depended on for when we respect more the manner of its being brought in than the matter and the shew of the sealing testimony as apprehended lieth rather in the manner than the matter Sathan may transform himself therein and deceive the soul I have known some looking so much after the manner of receiving evidence in
the right way he that taketh care of the honour of God and Christ in the right way that is in believing loving and obeying the truth God will take care for his honour 1 Sam. 2. 30. the Lord saith He that honoureth me I will honour 3. If we seek our selves in the way that God hath appointed we cannot miscarry that is in the lose of our selves and cleaving to the Lord alone expecting all from Grace in the way of Faith and Obedience not for any meritorious good that is in us that when we have done all we can see and say that we are unprofitable Servants and cry Grace Grace to the whole work both for us and in us then we rightly seek God and Glory 4. It 's true in one sense that we may not seek our selves by any means that is our own esteem and glory here among men or to be lifted up in our own minds that is fleshly and of the first man that must be mortified as a dangerous and soul-ruining and God-dishonouring evil that Christians are too much by nature inclined to through the remainders of the old corrupt nature and must be watched and warded against self-wisdom self-will self-esteem self-boasting and self-glorying is to be abandoned but in seeking after and obeying of God and Christ To seek glory honour and eternal life is so consistent with the truth of the Gospel that it 's impossible to sever them whatever souls foolishly and vainly imagine to the contrary What God hath joyned together let no man put asunder 5. Hindrance of souls assurance is when 5. Hindrance when souls trouble themselves about Gods Decrees they trouble themselves about the Decrees and Counsel of God whether Elected or not Elected if they are not Elected then it 's in vain for them to believe c. This is not a work for Christians to trouble their minds about neither are they like to have the assurance of Gospel consolation while they make this their first work I shall for help in this matter prescribe these seven things 1. That Christ died for all and that the 7 Things considered in this matter love of God in the Gospel is truly propounded to all and that all are brought under it either in a way of life or death life if they repent believe and obey it death if they reâ—ect it 1 Tit. 2. 6. Heb. 2 9. 1 Joh. 4. 14. Joh. 3. 16 17. Mar. 16. 15 16. 2. That all are invited and required to believe and obey the Gospel with gracious promises of acceptance by him that is truth it self and cannot lie nor will he deceive those that come to him Isa 55. 7. Matt. 11. 28. Acts 17. 30. 1 Tit. 2. 4. 3. There is the same reason for all to halt and doubt in this matter as for any one and yet we find not any one mentioned in the Scripture among the many thousands of Believers that made a doubt on this ground no not of the worst of sinners those that had a hand in the Crucifying of Christ Acts 2. 23. 36 37 41. They gladly received the word of Salvation not questioning the matter of Election but glad with the good news of Salvation on the tearms propounded with many like instances of Gentiles as well as Jews Acts 13. 48. And the Apostles did not propound Election as any hindrance to the Faith of any but assures them where-ever they came that on the tearms of the Gospel they should be saved Acts 16. 31. Believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved 4. Nor did the Apostles mention Election to Believers after conversion with any design to stumble them in the matter of Faith relating to their own interest but that they might the more admire Grace and live to the God of Grace that they might not sacrifice to their own net nor take the Glory of the work of God wrought in them and for them to themselves but that they might give the glory of all to him and live to him in the injoyment thereof Rom. 11. 6 33. Eph. 1. 3 4. 5. Nor hath God done any act contrary to the free tenders and invitations of the Gospel that may tend to discourage or hinder any from believing and obeying the Gospel that they may be saved God's Electing some that he might not lose his design wholly in the restauration work is no bar to hinder any because he affords means and helps to all so that men shall one day acknowledge that God is righteous and their damnation is of themselves and of their own choice I would but ye would not see Prov. 1. 20. to the end 6. Take heed of entertaining such thoughts about the Decrees of God which are secret and hidden as are inconsistent with the Doctrine of the Gospel his revealed will for all notions about the Decrees really inconsistent with the Doctrine of Grace and promise of life on the tearms of the Gospel are dishonourable to God and dangerous to your souls therefore look you to the revealed will believe and obey that and you are safe 7. You are to know that the way by which you shall know your Election is by believing and obeying the truth and sure enough it is that if you continue in a state of unbelief and disobedience to the Gospel you are not Elected For he that believeth and obeyeth it is that shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned O therefore be wise and stumble not where God hath laid no stumbling stone but fall in with the truth believe and obey the Gospel and you shall be saved you are under all the precious promises of life which are all yea and amen certain and sure in Christ Jesus who is become the Author of Eternal Salvation to all those that obey him Heb. 5. 19. The sixt and last hindrance I shall mention 6. Hindrance is the loss of Hope is the cancelling and striking out of hope out of the Believers Book or turning it into another thing than it is making new covenant hope to be nothing else but the expectation of the soul expecting and looking for that which Faith believes whereas hope and expectation are two distinct Virtues expectation is the daughter both of Faith and hope Faith believes the truth hope puts in for an interest then comes expectation of the full enjoyment thereof This of Hope is a step for the soul to stand upon till it attain assurance but when this is taken away and the soul supposeth there is no degree short of assurance and finding that something difficult especially to step into it at one step lieth groveling on the ground without hope but this we are to know that Hope is a blessed Gospel virtue when rightly grounded and that Christians may and should exercise it in this very case step up into Hope first and there stand and wait till assurance come that will come in by degrees in the souls constancy in the Faith and sincere walk
with God improving Divine Grace received and acquaintance with the right way of attaining of assurance it 's true that Hope as well as Faith admits of degrees sometimes there is the full assurance of Hope which is the next step to the full assurance of Faith we are saved by Hope as well as by Faith Rom. 8 24. And Hope is the anchor of the soul to hold us firm and stedfast to the Lord Heb. 6. 19. Therefore be sober and hope to the end and cast nâ—t away your confidence if you never get above a well grounded hope of an interest in Grace and Glory you are safe See the precious promises made to this Grace or rather to the persons in whom it is Ps 31 24. 33. 18 19 147. 11. Quest How may I know that my Hope Quest is right and not the common ungrounded Hope of the World and Hypocrites Answ 1. When it is rightly grounded Answ not meerly fancy and imagination taken up either from a common notion of Christianity and hear-say of Heaven and Happiness conclude an interest and pretend an hope to be saved without any work of Grace at all in the heart and thus deceive themselves with a vain hope can give no reason thereof but God is merciful and Christ died for sinners and they be Christians and hope to be saved although altogether strangers if not enemies to the work of Grace Others hope ariseth from a meer rational conversion from some external acts of sin to some external duties and so it may be to another though not a new life altogether without a new heart and thence hope to be saved Now the well grounded hope of the Gospel must be on the same that Faith of interest is on the same grounds must souls get first into hope that is the word and promises of the New Covenant and the work effected in the heart where there is an harmony in word and work there is a stable ground for hope as there is no stable ground for hope from the Word without the work so is there no ground for hope from the work without the Word but when the soul can say I have believed repented and obeyed the Gospel and it is its desire and endeavour to persevere therein to the end there is a Gospel ground for hope of an interest in the precious promises of the Gospel 2. From the effects of this hope to increase and strengthen it when the soul is sincerely prosecuting the design of Holiness and desireth and endeavoureth to be more like Christ daily and less like the World it 's an undoubted discovery that the hope is right 1 Joh. 3. 3. Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself as he is pure And a wonderful discovery I fear it is of the vanity of the hopes of multitudes of professors that think themselves gotten above the World whose great design is to be like the World great and rich like the World proud and vain in their fashions like the World dead and lifeless to the power of Religion like the World but where is the man where is the woman to be found who designs conformity to Jesus Christ and mourns in the sense of non-conformity that yet remains and reioyceth that a time will come that the vile body shall be changed and fashioned like unto his glorious body He that hath this hope in him purifieth himself as he is pure CHAP. XVI A further Discovery of the New Covenant and Life of Faith OF this much hath been spoken in what hath been before minded yet I shall speak a little more distinctly to it in this place 1. The Gospel or New Covenant are 1. Of the Gospel or New Covenant tearms equivalent and intends one and the same thing in substance the New Covenant is so called because it is the Covenant of the renewed Estate of the new Life and deliverance out of that estate of sin and death into which we fell by the first transgression this Covenant relating to new men and women in Christ Jesus and the new World the whole new estate propounded and promised therein made 1. In and with Christ Jesus the head of this new and glorious design of God in the renovation and restauration work and 2. In him with all the members of his body the Church Tit. 1. 2. Tit. 1. 9. On whom this design of God shall undoubtedly be accomplished it being the glorious and undoubted end and issue of the great undertaking of Christ our Lord in his suffering for sinners Joh. 6. 38 39. Eph 5. 25 26 27. Called a Covenant of Grace because the regeneration and restauration work in all the parts thereof is the effect of the free Grace of God in Christ Jesus and a Covenant or promise of Life because it is a deliverance from death into a state of Life never to die again it 's called the Gospel which signifieth glad or good tidings Luke 2. 10. Rom. 10. 15. It imports all the good promised in the New Covenant of Pardon Peace Life of Justification Sanctification and Glory with the way by which it is effected that is by Jesus Christ crucified raised and ascended in the performance of his Mediatory Office 1 Cor. 15 1 3 4. It intends the glad tidings of remission of sins by Jesus Christ and of Salvation Luke 24. 47. with Mark 16. 15. It being one and the same commission it promiseth remission of sins and Salvation on its own tearms i. e. on Faith Repentance and new Obedience it promâ—seth acceptation in service and gives rules relating thereunto unto which all New Covenant spirited people ought to take heed Acts 3. 22 23. It promiseth assistance in service Isa 26. 12. 2 Cor. 5. 5. Phil. 2. 13. Eph. 1. 6. With eternal Life and Glory in the World to come and preservation thereunto in the way of Faith Holiness and sincere Obedience unto the end 1 Pet. 1. 5. Heb. 5. 9. This is the New Covenant the Gospel the glad tidings of Gods free Grace and good will to men accompanied with the discovery of the dreadful state of all that do not believe and obey this Gospel There is Pardon and Peace Grace and Life a Kingdom and Glory and that Eternal given by covenant and promise to all that in truth believe and obey the Gospel Heb. 5. 9 9. 5. Contained in that Gen. 12. 3. In thee shall all thee Families of the Earth be blessed which includes all the blessings of the New Covenant relating to Grace and Glory but of this I have written distinctly and of the Mediatory Office of Christ in this New Covenant in a Book entituled The Discourse of true Gospel Blessedness or The distinction of the two Covenants Old and New to which I refer the Reader that desireth to see further in this matter And 2. As for the Life of Faith in this 2. Of the Life of Faith Gospel or New Covenant and the truth of God therein what
no matter of Religion or religious observance to be had of them whereas in truth Christ's Church on Earth is visibly distinguished from the World and false worshippers only in the matters of Faith and Worship and especially in keeping close to God in the formalities of his Worship according to his own appointments an unholy spirit and principle it is that doth undervalue the holy instituted Ordinances and Worship of the Lord. 4. When persons set themselves in direct opposition to the will and worship of the Lord in his appointments when they they think it not enough to turn away from the truth of worship and cleave to their own inventions and imaginations or to the inventions of others but are inveterated and â—mbitterated in their spirits against the holy Ordinances and Institutions of our Lord and against his people for worshipping him therein and so come under that blame Hos 8. 12. I have written to him of the great things of my Law but they were counted as a strange thing The constitution of Churches according to new-new-covenant rule by the Doctrine of the Gospel Faith Repentance and Baptism so clearly stated in the Gospel that he that runs may read is become the contempt and scorn of too many who otherwise we willingly hope are godly It 's no wonder for profane men to profane and blaspheme the holy Ordinances of Christ and his people for walking therein but it behoves all that pretend true godliness to take heed what they do in this matter and to know that look how far they miscarry herein so far they miscarry in the great matter of holiness and at the best must expect to meet with blame and shame in the end and suffer the loss of all their building that is contrary to it 1 Thes 3. 13. 2 Pet. 3. 14. 1 Joh. 2. 28. 1 Cor. 3. 11 to 15. The second sort of holy works are such 2. Such as relate to men as relate to our walking before and towards men and herein consisteth a great part of a Christians holiness for God does not only require and expect his people to walk holily towards him but likewise that they walk holily justly and inoffensively towards all men The truth of this is confirmed by these and the like Scriptures Mat. 5. 16. Phil. 2. 15 16. 1 Pet. 2. 11 12. By all which it appears that it greatly concerns all Christians who are so indeed to walk holily before men This holy walking before men I shall mention or distinguish in five particulars 1. Take heed and beware of sin for although it is a truth that all sin is against God and on that account ought to be abhord of all sincere souls in love and obedience to him yet we should have respect to men in this matter likewise because the glory of God the honour of Religion and the souls of Sinners are concerned herein therefore the Lord's people should take heed of and depart from every evil way and every evil work O take heed and beware of Covetousness Pride Oppression Profaneness â—â—ght behaviour jestings evil communication and the like which will occasion men to reproach and harden them against the 〈◊〉 to their own destruction Thus men professing godliness not only sin against God and wrong their own souls bring dishonour to Religion but the guilt of the damnation of poor sinners upon themselves hardening them in their evil waies by their bad example O consider this all ye that pretend to be religious and have not conscience to God in this matter see Rom. 2. 23 24. Phil. 3. 18 19. 2. To walk justly and righteously towards men in all civil and worldly concernments Christians should be exceeding conscious and careful in this matter that no unjust or unrighteous thing be done by them but to keep to that righteous rule As ye would that men should do to you so do ye to them If this rule were sincerely followed it would prevent many miscarriages on this account and this is an undoubted truth that persons who can for worldly advantage do wrong defraud or oppress others have very great cause to suspect their own sincerity in the great things of the Gospel for he that is unfaithful in the least is not faithful in the greatest This of Iniustice and Oppression is that the Lord complains of and dislikes in his people throughout all his ministrations both in Law and Gospel and it is that which is directly contrary to the holy Law of God and indeed to the law of Nature therefore let not such persons who can gripe and grind defraud and oppress deceive themselves in counting themselves of the number of the holy ones of God 3. An holy walk before men is an inoffensive walk that is to give no just occasion of offence by any means in any thing unless it come to pass as it too often doth that ignorant and foolish men will be offended at holiness and the worship of God in such case we ought rather to displease men than God and rather to please God than men Acts 4. 19. 5. 29. Gal. 1. 10. But in cases wherein we may without sin against God and wrong to our own Consciences we may yea we ought to walk inoffensively Rom. 12. 18. 1 Cor. 10. 32 33. And wilful breach in this matter is a transgression of the Law of Christ and an unholy thing and I fear there is much of unholiness in too many professing people in this matter 4. An holy walk is a peaceable holy walk with men this is the law of the Gospel As much as in you lieth live peaceable with all men and follow peace with all men and holiness c. The Law of God is holy and it 's the great part of our holiness to live to it and unpeaceable froward persons cannot well be accounted an holy person a wonderful mistake it is in persons who under a pretence of holiness make a breach of peace on unsound and ungrounded notions when it may be these very notions on which the breach is made when rightly examined are unholy notions without all footing in the law of Christ and thus through the slight of the subtil Adversary is unholiness shrowded under the name of holiness it behoves all serious souls ensnared with this evil to consider it in time and to repent 5. An holy walk and holy works are works of Charity and doing the will of Christ in doing good to men Gal. 6. 10. As we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all men especially to them who are of the houshold of Faith In this Christians should be like their Lord of whom it is said that he went about doing good Acts 10. 38. And truly as good works are a part of the Christians holiness so are they the undoubted concommitants of Faith for the Faith that is without the works of the Gospel is a dead Faith and this is the charge given to those that are rich in this World to be
rich in good works c. 1 Tit. 6. 17 18. And that those that have believed in God to be careful to maintain good Works these things are good and profitable to men Tit. 3. 8. Not to God he needs them not Job 22. 2. 35. 7. But good works are profitable to men i. e. to those that are sincerely exercised therein 1. They prove the truth and sincerity of their Faith and Love for without it the Faith is naught and the Love is of the same nature it 's none of the Faith and Love of the Gospel that is without the works of the Gospel Jam. 2. 14 18. 2 Cor. 8. 8. 1 Joh. 2. 3 4 5. 3. 14 17 18. He that pretends to have the Faith and Love of the Gospel without the works of the Gospel deceives himself Jam. 1. 22. Be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only deceiving your own selves 2. It will make for their account in the day of account for we must all expect to give an account in the great day of the Lord 2 Cor. 5. 10. And the good works of the Saints shall be rewarded at that day Matt. 25. 20 21 22 23. ver 34 35 36. 1 Tit. 6. 17 18. Rev. 22. 14. Only this it behoves us to beware of Popish meritorious works deserving any thing either in Justification or Salvation but it 's all of Grace In this note three things 1. That Believers are put into a capacity of doing acceptable works only by Grace renewed justified and accepted in person and service only by Grace through Faith in Christ Jesus 2. That being put into this saved estate and capacity of doing acceptable works in the Lord Jesus it is expected that they live to God herein and are faithful in that high and holy Calling this is it unto which they were created in Christ Jesus Eph. 2. 10. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them and this the Grace of Christ where it is in truth teacheth Tit. 2. 11 12. And they are in Scripture account graceless persons that are void of good works Tit. 1. 16. 3. God will give rewards to his people according to their works not that the works are the meritorious cause of reward for so it cannot be because all the works of the Saints as done by them are imperfect and mixed with sin and so in themselves can deserve nothing but condemnation but as accepted in the beloved so are accounted as perfect and shall have as full a reward as if they were perfect so that the reward is still of Grace It 's Grace that God will crown the imperfect works of his people done in sincerity of Faith and Love with Glory and sutable to the diligence and labour of love in the Lord's work shall the reward be dispenced Matt. 25. 20 21 22 23. Luke 19. 16 to 19. 1 Cor. 15. 41 42. Matt. 19. 27 28 29. And the suffering Saints for the name and sake of Christ are like to have the greatest share in the Glory to come Luke 6. 22 23. 2 Cor. 4. 17 18. 1 Pet. 4. 13. A wonderful encouragement should it be to the Saints both in doing and suffering the will of the Lord they shall suffer no loss at all by it but great advantage for encouragement in the way and works of the Lord both in doing and suffering his will 1 Cor. 15. 58. Heb. 5. 10. Rom. 2. 7. 10. And they are profitable to the souls and bodies of others they are relieved and refreshed thereby 2 Cor. 9. 12. Philem. ver 7. Thus have I endeavoured to give a brief touch to this great matter of Sanctification and good Works with the great concernment of all godly persons to walk therein The truth is I fear that as the Papists and Popishly affected make too much of of them in looking on them as meritorious and their Saviours so the Protestants run far on the other hand under the notion of being all for Faith and so have been and are too little for works But I hope the Reader will lay this matter to heart and not content himself with any Faith short of this holy working Faith And O that every that nameth the name of Jesus in truth would shew themselves Christians on this account in an exemplary walking in the works of the Gospel Stronger Christians should be examples to the weaker and elder Christians should be examples to the younger and especially should Ministers be examples and patterns to the Saints they should shine forth not only in Doctrine but in Life they should be patterns in love humility meekness patience holiness and every good work examples in Word in Spirit in Conversation and Doctrine that so the Gospel be not blamed nor God dishonoured nor Men justly offended 1 Thes 2. 10. 1 Tit. 4. 12. And thus should both Minister and people prize and press after holiness within and without because holiness becometh the house of God for ever and thereby he is glorified and such are manifested to be in the hopeful way of Salvation for â—â—â—hout holiness no man shall see the Lord though not as the meritorious cause but as thereby prepared thereto and as the way in which they must walk to Glory CHAP. XVIII Of the true and saving Knowledg of GOD. THE true and saving knowledg of God As for the knowledg of God I refer the Reader to Chap. 1. where it is more distinctly treated of is absolutely necessary to Salvation and indeed is the first work wrought in the soul in order to conversion there can be no Faith nor Repentance nor Love nor Obedience or holy walking without knowledg for without knowledg the heart cannot be right therefore it is said when God works effectually in turning souls to himself Hos 8. 2. Israel shall cry unto me my God I know thee and 2. 20. I will betroth thee to my self in faithfulness and thou shalt know the Lord. It 's the new covenant promise Jer. 31. 34. They shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest saith the Lord and Joh. 17. 3. This is life eternal to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent In these Scriptures we must understand is intended the true and saving knowledg of God and Christ in the new covenant and contains in it Faith Repentance Love the fear of God holy Obedience and all the Divine Virtues of the Gospel in order to eternal Life or else it is not that knowledg that is or hath eternal Life it 's the knowledg of God in the Gospel that I intend and much I shall not speak as to the matter of illumination in the knowledg of God for God in himself is a mystery we cannot know him but as he hath made known himself in his Word and by his Works know him in his Name in his Greatness and his Goodness c. Jer.
paths where is the good way and walk therein and ye shall find rest to your souls but they said We will not walk therein Thus evil men and seducers wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived 2 Tit. 3. 13. 6. Saving knowledg is a defusive knowledg 6. It is a defusive knowledg it 's willing to impart to others what it knows of God as it receives freely so it does as freely impart to others so the Prophet Ps 40. 10. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart I have declared thy Faithfulness and thy Salvation I have not concealed thy loving kindness and thy truth from the great Congregation Prov. 15. 7. The lips of the wise despise knowledg but the heart of the foolish doth not so and Chap. 10. 21. The lips of the Righteous feed many but fools die for want of wisdom and 20. 15. The lips of knowledg are a pretious Jewel the lips of the Righteous despiseth knowledg both to Saints and Sinners The reason is because they have received from the Lord of his teachings their hearts are filled with his divine knowledg and it may be so sometimes that there needs skill in the learner to draw it forth some having learned that lesson to be slow to speak and slow to wrath and swift to hear and that Prov. 14. 33. Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding but that which is in the midst of fools is made known so that the knowledg of the Prudent is dispersed wisely and must have its occasion and opportunity and sometimes some to draw it out Prov. 20. 5. Counsel in the heart of man is like deep waters but a man of understanding will draw it out Sometimes there needs a wise tongue as a bucket to draw out of those living waters that are in the hearts of the Saints Joh. 7. 38 39. But this is a truth that those that know God or rather are known of him cannot but be speaking of those things they have seen and heard Acts 4. 20. According to the measure of their receptions Rom. 12. 3. Occasions and opportunities Quest What difference may we understand Quest there is between Knowledg and Wisdom The Scripture seems to make a distinction 1 Cor. 12. 8. Answ Sometimes knowledge includes wisdom and sometimes wisdom includes knowledg Isa 50. 4. Jam. 3. 13. But when it is mentioned distinct as distinct gifts as 1 Cor. 12. 8. Knowledg is a gift of understanding some truths more than others and that it may be some secret and hidden mysteries by virtue of special gift as Chap. 13. 2. Though I understand all mysteries and all knowledg c. Wisdom is a gift to apply this knowledg to the benefit of the Church one may have a gift of Knowledg that may tend to inform the understanding another the gift of Wisdom and Prudence to apply it to the profit of the Church sutable to its worth And this distinction will usefully hold in many cases some know much and want wisdom to make so good use of their knowledg as might be desired some have Wisdom and Prudence to use more Knowledg than they have but indeed the ready way to attain more is to use well what we have Hos 14. 9. Who is wise and he shall understand these things and prudent and he shall know them c. That is who so is wise and prudent to make a right use of what he knows he shall understand that is he shall understand more of the will of the Lord he whose knowledg is truly practicable stands in the road-way of higher and larger instructions and teachings Joh. 7. 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrin whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self O therefore let all be exhorted to be seeking after this saving knowledg of God and Christ in the Gospel and content not your selves without this humbling heart-affecting sanctifying transforming trusting doing growing and increasing knowledg of God it 's that without which the heart cannot be right nor can your souls enjoy the Grace and Peace of the Gospel 2 Pet. 1. 2. Col. 2. 2 3. CHAP. XIX Of the Divine Virtue and Grace of Love to God c. THE choice Virtue of Grace of Love which alwaies accompanieth true Knowledg and Faith is as the oile to the wheels that makes the soul as the Chariots of Aminadab to run swiftly and perform every duty relating both to God and man chearfully and willingly the Lord loves willing and hearty service and that can never be unless it flows from the truth of love to God as well as conscience and duty to him This duty and virtue of love must be 1. and chiefly to God and Christ above all 2. To his people for his sake 3. To all men to enemies as well as to friends 1. To God and Christ as our chiefest 1. To God and Christ good as there are many excellent and useful new-new-covenant Gifts and Virtues being accompanied with love yet love is the most excellent of all Gifts and of all Virtues next to Faith and the Apostle prefers it beyond Faith that is that Faith which is without love there may be and I fear is much Faith without love which will fail in the end but Gospel-love cannot be without Faith for where truth of love is to God and Christ there is Faith for no man can love him on whom he doth not believe but men may have Faith without Love therefore he prefers Love above Faith 1 Cor. 13. 2. And though I have all Faith c. and have not Charity that is love I am nothing the word all Faith not only intends the Faith of miracle for that is but one sort of Faith but all Faith in the habit of it though not in the power and life for if there were not Faith in the Doctrine ordinarily there could not be the Faith of miracle as Mat. 7. 21 22. Though saving Faith is alwaies accompanied with the truth of Love and a measure of all the Divine Virtues of the Gospel ver 13. Now abideth Faith Hope Charity but the greatest of these is Charity So Col. 3. 14. The Apostle having mentioned several choice duties and Virtues saith And above all these things put on Charity which is the bond of Perfection or the perfect bond by all which it appears that Love Charity is a most choice and singular Virtue and desirable for Christians to be prising and pressing after What Love is in general Love is an affection A description of Love of the soul fixed upon cleaving to and delighting in something wherein it apprehends some special worth and good thus it is in natural Love and thus it is in spiritual Love for there is a natural and there is a spiritual Love the second it is I am speaking of and the difference is rather to be discerned in the object than in the root or principle that being a Divine
and Christ it is the most God-like and Christ-like Virtue would you be more like your Father and more like your Head and Lord O then grow more in this Grace love God and Christ more love one another more and love all men more when our Lord Christ sets his Disciples in the high-way of being like their Father it is in this of love Mat. 5. 44. and 1 Job 4. 7. Beloved let us love one another for love is of God and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God ver 8. For he that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love Love is an heavenly and God-like Virtue and the more you live in it the more are you like God and the more persons live without love the more do they live without God and look how much they live in malice and enmity so much are they like the Devil 10. And finally that your souls may 10. And finally live much in the love of Christ grow in this Grace which will prove to be the growth in all Grace and of every Virtue live much in the meditation of the preciousness of Jesus Christ of his Person of his Virtues of his Love and the design of good to your souls in all that he hath done and suffered for you 1 Pet. 2. 7. Vnto you therefore which belâ—eve he is precious his Person his Blood his Virtues his Love is precious He is altogether lovely 1 Joâ— 4. 19. We love him because he first loved us The thoughts of this first and free love this great and marvellous love is precious 1 Joâ— 3. 1. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God I say if souls did live more in the consideration of this marvellous love how would it transform them into the likeness of Christ 2 Cor. 3. 18. O therefore if you would grow in this Grace dwell deep here live much in the meditation of the mystery of the love of Christ to your souls in the new Covenant Eph. 3. 17 18 19. You must be rooted and grounded in the love of Christ and endeavor to comprehend more of this unsearchable mystery and this is the way to be filled with all the fulness of God the fulness of understanding and knowledg Col. 2. 2. The fulness of conformity to him in Love and in every Divine Virtue CHAP. XX. Of the Gospel-fear of God THE fear of God is one and not the least of the Divine and saving Virtues of the new Covenant and planted in every gracious heart it is a part of the new Covenant Law written in the heart absolutely necessary to Salvation as other new Covenant Virtues are and is included in that Faith to which the promise is made The fear of God is of that worth and weight that it is impossible for a truly gracious soul to be without it it is a special character of a graceless person that is without it Rom. 3. 18. There is no fear of God before their eyes In speaking to this I shall mind three things 1. That it is a Virtue of the new Covenant and necessary to be in the hearts of all Believers 2. What it is 3. The usefulness and profitableness thereof 1. That it is a Virtue of the new Covenant 1. It is a Virtue of the new Covenant and necessary to be written in the hearts of all true Believers And this will appear if we consider 1. That it is a promise of the new Covenant Jer. 32. 39. And I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me ver 40. I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Which is a promise of the new and everlasting Covenant the same as is exprest Chap. 31. 31 to 34 And is applied to the Gospel by the Apostle Heb. 8. 8. Where God promiseth to write his Law in the heart that is to season the heart with a disposition to believe love fear and obey the Lord. 2. It is that Virtue with which Christ our Lord was eminently filled and therefore certainly it is necessary for his members to be seasoned therewith Isa 11. 2. And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upâ—n him the spirit of Wisdom and Vnderstanding the spirit of Counsel and Might the spirit of Knowledg and the fear of the Lord which was exceeding proper to the holy Son of God and if Christ the Lord must have this spirit of the fear of God then surely it must needs be necessary for all his to be partakers of the same Spirit and Virtue for from his fulness we all receive 3. It is the praise-worthy Virtue of the Saints commended throughout all Generations 1 Kings 18. 3. It 's said that Obadiah feared the Lord greatly the effects thereof follows ver 4. Neh. 7. 2. It 's said that Hanani feared God above many for which Nehemiah gave him the charge over Jerusalem Job is described to have this Virtue Job 1. 8. To be an upright man and one that feared God and ver 1. One that feared God and eschewed evil Mal. 2. 4 5. God made his Covenant with Levy of Life and Peace for the fear wherewith he feared me and he was afraid before my Name It is the commendation of the Churches in a time of liberty that they walked in the fear of the Lord Acts 9. 31. 4. This is that the Lords people are frequently exhorted to both in the old and new Testament by which it appears that it is a duty as well as a Virtue Lev. 19. 14. But shalt fear thy God I am the Lord and 25. 17. But thou shalt fear thy God for I am the Lord thy God Deut. 13. 4. Ye shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him Eccl. 12. 13. Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole duty of man Deut. 6. 13. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him and swear by his Name Luke 12. 4 5. And I say unto you my friendâ— be not afraid of them that kill the body c. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear fear him that after he hath killed hath power to cast into Hell yea I say unto you fear him 2 Cor. 7. 1. The Apostle exhorteth the Saints to be perfecting holiness in the fear of God By all which it abundantly appears that to fear God is the special duty of every true Christian 1 Pet. 2. 17. Rev. 14. 7. Heb. 12. 28. Let us have Grace that we may serve God with Reverence and Godly fear 5. It 's that Virtue which includes part yea a great part of the Gospel because where the fear of the Lord is there is Faith Love Humility and Obedience even the whole terms of Gospel-interest Rev. 14. 6. 7. When the Angel preached the everlasting Gospel to them that dwell on earth the substance or great part thereof was Fear God and give Glory to him
and practised throughout all Ages the Precepts and Promises comes under this Law and hence it is that not only the Law given by Moses is called the Law that was the Law of Commands but the Psalms is called the Law John 10. 34. Which relates to Psal 82. 6. and Psal 78. 1. Give ear O people to my Law c. And the Prophets are called the Law 1 Cor. 14. 21. In the Law it 's writen c. Which relates to Isa 28. 11. All the promises of God in his Word may come under this of Law 1. As it concerneth us to believe them this is the Law of Faith and it 's our duty to believe God in all his Word 2. As it concerneth God because he hath tied himself to us therein that as his Precepts tieth us to obedience to him in matters of Faith and Practice so his promises is the Law by which he walks towards his people and he would have his people to know that as he hath brought them under the Law of the new Covenant to him and they ought to be obedient to him in all things Acts 3. 22. So he hath obliged himself to his people in the Law of the new Covenant to him and they ought to be obedient to him in all things Acts 3. 22. So he hath obliged himself to his people in the Law of the new Covenant to perform all the good things promised therein to his people that keep Faith to him in that Covenant and that if we fail not in our duty he will not cannot fail in his Word having bound himself by his own Law and Covenant of Promise in this matter and he cannot lie he cannot break his own Law Covenant Rom. 3. 3 4. 2 Tit. 2. 11 12 13. Tit. 1. 2. Heb. 6. 17 18. And not only so but he hath bound himself by promise to supply the hearts of his people with Grace till they come to Glory Jer. 32. 40. 2 Thes 3. 3. 1 Pet. 1. 5. Joh. 10. 28 29. 2. Sometimes and most frequently in 2. The Law given by Moses Scripture by Law is intended the ten Precepts given by Moses in tables of Stone from Mount Sinai Rom. 7. 7 c. and 13. 8 9. Gal. 3. 17 to 22. Sometimes it intends the whole Law Moral Ceremonial and Judicial Eph. 2. 14 15. Gal. 5. 2 3 4. And the Prophet Ps 119. So frequently speaking of Law Statutes and Judgments c. Intends thereby the whole of the Law 3. The making known of the Will of 3. The Will of God before the Law God before this Law was given from Mount Sinai and in some sense without it is impliedly called the Law Rom. 5. 13. For untill the Law sin was in the World but sin is not imputed when there is no Law and 4. 15. Where no Law is there is no transgression Thereby clearly implying that there was no time from the Creation in which man was left without Law though God have had his differing waies of bringing it forth 4. The Will of God made known in the 4. The Will of God in the Gospel Gospel by Jesus Christ is called Law and is indeed the only Law Covenant on record for Believers called The Law of Faith Rom. 3. 27. The Law of Liberty Jam. 1. 25. The Royal or Kingly Law Jam. 2. 8. Given to us by the Lord Jesus Heb. 1. 1 2. Joâ— 12. 49 50. Unto whom we ought to submit in every thing Acts 3. 22 23. The Doctrine of the Gospel relating to Faith and Obedience is the Law of Christ His Royal Law to Believers 5. The new Covenant promised and 5. The Law written in the heart written in the heart that is an holy disposition and power of Grace to do what God in his Law-Doctrine of the Gospel requireth is called the Law Heb. 8. 10. Rom. 2. 14 15. This is the Law of God in the heart Ps 37. 31. The Law of God is in his heart his steps shall not slide 2. How the Law of God hath been at 2. How it hath been delivered 1. To Adam several times and in several waies and methods delivered Heb. 1. 1. The first was given to Adam in his state of Innocency Gen. 2. 17. Who by nature was the original or root of all mankind though it be not in them called Law yet it was a Law Covenant of Command with the penalty on the breach thereof Of the tree of the Knowledg of good and evil thou shalt not eat for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die or in dying thou shalt die Which Law he transgressed and brought in death on himself and all mankind 2. After this fall of man God had his Law in the World condemning sin till the Law was given by Moses though not so clear and plain else there had been no sin for Where no Law is there is no transgression and yet before the Law or untill the Law given by Moses sin was in the World yet not so clear a Law For the Law was added because of transgression that sin might appear to be out of measure sinful It was sinful before but it did not appear to be so sinful before as it did after by the Law they that sinned before the Law did not sin after the similitude of Adam ' s transgression Rom. 5. 14. That is against a plain Precept with a threat as those since the Law who received it and lived under it as their Law Covenant and voluntarily brake it and in that respect did sin after the similitude of Adam's transgression though it 's true in some respects none can sin after the similitude of his transgression And that first as he in a state of innocency and yet sinned 2. As a publick person and so let in sin and death upon all so none but himself personally could sin yet sin was in the World till the Law which argueth that there must be some Law So then the question is what that Law Quest was and how it was given and administred Answ It is the opinion of some that it Answ was the Law of Nature written in the hearts of all men which is the Moral Law or substance of the Law given by Moses Now though I shall not altogether deny this position yet I think it hath need to be inquired into and to be considered with other concurring circumstances without which it will not hold true for 1. There is no such thing as a Law written in the hearts of men by nature to teach them that God is and is to be worshipped and to convince of sin against him distinct from all means without him And this will appear if we consider 1. That all Nations in the World know and worship according to the traditions and customs received and judg that to be sin which by custom and account is so taken to be and hence it is that the World generally in many things call good evil and evil good
Preserve my soul for I am holy that is I am sanctified to thee and am one of thine holy ones and do love holiness and design holiness this is absolutely necessary in Prayer Ps 66. 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me Unholy Prayers are not like to have any acceptance with or answer from the Lord to pray and sin and sin and pray as if persons in Prayer did design to ask leave to sin to be covetous and oppressing to be proud vain and prophane such Prayers the Lord abominates Isa 58. 3 4. They fasted and prayed but their design was not for holiness but for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickedness this shall never cause their voice to be heard on high No God heareth not sinners that is those who held themselves servants to their lusts that design not holiness Chap. 59. 2 3. Your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear 10. To pray in a right manner and by 10. It must be in the Name of Christ the Spirit of Christ is to pray in the name of Christ to offer up all our Prayers to God in his Name and not in our own Name or on the account of any worth that is in our selves this is essential to a right manner of Praying for there is no acceptation of our persons or services out of him Col. 3. 17. Whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus that must be the manner of our doing Joh. 16. 23. Verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you that is that is good and according to his will ver 26. And this is by the Spirit of Christ for it is the spirit of the Gospel that leads us to Jesus Christ and to the Father by him but the question will be What it is to pray to the Father in the Quest Name of Christ Answ 1. To come to the Father in the Answ Name of Christ is to come to him in the authority of Christ though Prayer be a common duty to man as related to God his Creator yet on the new Covenant account true Believers stand related to God in Christ on the account of Redemption and that is the Service and Prayer I am speaking of and we must perform every duty to God by virtue of his authority as our Lord and Law-giver in the new and everlasting Covenant so that we are to perform this and every service in his Name that is in his authority by virtue of his commission and command Matt. 7. 7. 8. John 16. 26. 2. To Pray in the Name of Christ is to offer up our Prayers to the Father as persons interessed in Christ by Faith according to the Word believing and expecting acceptance with the Father for the sake of Christ and not for any worth in our selves Jesus Christ Son to the King of Glory being our only way of acceptance both of our persons and services therefore we must by Faith in all our addresses to the Throne of Grace have respect to Jesus as our way and as upon the Throne for us to plead our cause and to present the persons and services of his people in himself to the Father he is our friend in the Court of Heaven and to pray the Father in his Name is to pray the Father for his sake to accept us and grant our requests because by the Law of the new Covenant we belong to him and are the children of God by Faith in him And the reason why we must offer up all in the Name of Christ is because we are imperfect and our service imperfect and can have no acceptance but in him and for his sake who is perfect 1 Pet. 2. 5. 11. As an effect of this acceptation in 11. To pray boldly our dear Lord and for his sake a right Gospel way of praying is to pray boldly an holy humble boldness becometh Christians and God is well pleased therewith He would have them come with boldness to the Throne of Grace Heb. 4. 16. He having opened such a new and living way so full of Grace he would have his children to know it and improve it with all holy and humble boldness and confidence believing his readiness and willingness to hear and answer the prayers of his people God would have his people to exercise so much Faith in the way of the Gospel that new and living way as to command of him what he hath promised to give because he hath of his own Grace bound himself to it by his new Covenant Law promise and he takes it as Glory to his Name for his people to believe that he will not cannot with-hold what he hath promised therefore Believers ought to come to God with holy boldness and humble claiming their right by Grace in the blessings and blessed things promised in the new Covenant as the Apostles Acts 4. 24. to 31. 12. To pray in a right manner is to 12. Be constant pray constantly and not to faint and give over if you wax weary either through a carnal carelesness and sluggishness or fainting for fear of not being answered it 's the way to lose all and as a necessary ingredient to constancy and persevering herein you must add patience Ps 40. 1. I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined unto me and heard my crie that is it was long before I had an answer but I waited long and patiently and had my desire in the end Christ put forth that Parable Luke 18. 1. to this very end That men ought alwaies to pray and not to faint to assure us that if we wax not weary God will hear and answer in the end Rom. 12. 12. Continuing instant in Prayer Eph. 6. 18. Praying alwaies with all supplication in the spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance This is a duty that Saints must persevere in while they are in this World it 's the way in which God will be worshipped and they have daily need of mercy from him as for times of Prayer there is publick and private Prayer in Church in Family and in Closet all which ought to have its time The Prophet fixes on the morning Ps 5. 3. and 55. 17. Evening and morning and at noon will I pray and crie aloud and he shall hear my voice O that Christians would lay this to heart and not bethink time to spend in this holy and heavenly service to converse with God but according to the exhortation 1 Thes 5. 17. To pray without ceasing that is without being weary or giving over or neglecting so holy acceptable and needful a service it is a note of an hipocrite that does not alwaies call upon God Job 27. 10. but by fits and starts when he hath a mind to it or for fear in time of
heart O who is it that reforms and returns to him that smiteth but rather quarrel at the rod and cry out for deliverance but keep fast the sin that is the cause thereof surely God will make us sick with smiting before he hath done if there be no reformation 2. Pride is another crying abomination for which God hath a controversie with his people self conceit pride of heart pride in Apparel pride of riches O this damnable hell born sin is like to prove the ruine of multitudes for it s followed after and pleaded for rushing into the new invented and deuised fashions to the dishonour of God and shame of Religion and undoing of poor souls the Lord may justly for these things complain as of his people of old Hos 5. 5. The Pride of Israel doth testifie to their face and he is at work with his people at this day for these abominations O that Professors in the City of London would lay these things to heart from whence prophaneness in this matter is come forth into all the nation Pride was Sodom sin and likewise the sin of spiritual Sodom and Aegypt Rev. 18. 12 13. 17. 4. Let all the Sons and Daughters of Sion tremble in the thoughts of living in the practise of Sodoms abominations and oâ— the contrary be ye cloathed with humillity that is let all your carriages and behaviours your words and works your gesture and apparel shew forth humility and prove the Lord if he hath not a blessing in store for you 3. Loss of first love both to God and one to another and loss of zeal for God his name and truth in the earth this is it for which God hath a controversie with his people and will not hear them cry they never so loud and make they never so many prayers Rev. 2. 4 5. Thou hast lost thy first love remember from whence thou art faln and repent and do thy first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and remove thy Candlestick out of his place except you repent it is repentance God expects before he will hear and answer our prayers for it is these and the like sins that doth hinder the prevailing of our prayers that they can have no enterance at the throne of Grace See these sins more fully described Chap. 29. CHAP. XXIII Of Perfection and whether it may be attained in this Life PErfection in the new Covenant Restauration and Life is a Glory to be believed beyond what we do or can yet know or injoy But in as much as there are great mistakes about this matter and the word perfect being frequently used in the Scripture and abused by ignorant and erring persons by reason of which serious souls may be and many are put to a loss in this matter I shall endeavour to clear up this truth according to the best light that I have through Grace attained herein for the advantage of others in which I shall endeavour 1. To clear up the various use and import of the word perfect as used in the holy Scripture and how far perfection is attainable here 2. To prove that perfection in the highest intention is not attainable in this life 1. The various use and import of the The various import of the word sincere word perfect as used in the Scriptures 1. Sometimes it imports sincerity and truth in the inward parts he that is a sincere Christian towards God in all his walks is in God's account a perfect Christian though otherwise attended with many imperfections uprightness and integrity is a choice virtue owned and approved of God and a comfort to souls in whom it is 2 Chron. 20. 3. Hezekiah could say Remember Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart that is with an upright and sincere heart that is the true sense and meaning of the King for otherwise he had many infirmities 1 Chron. 28. 9. And thou Solomon my Son know thou the God of thy Father and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind that is a sincere upright sound and undivided heart for the Lord desireth truth in the inward parts Ps 51. 6. Job was said to be perfect that is upright sincere and so owned of God though he saw himself to be sinful and so confesseth Job 13. 23. 2. There is a comparative perfection 2. Comparative spoken of in Scripture that is some have been and may be reputed more perfect than others and so said to be perfect compared with those that are worse than them living in the same time and age and it may be enjoy like means Gen. 6. 9. It 's said that Noah was a perfect man in his Generation that is compared with the Generation in which he lived he was a perfect man comparatively and upright and sincere in his Generation and walked with God that is kept close with God and worshipped him in an evil Generation ver 5. God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth c. or compared with others that are weaker Christians Some Christians compared with others may be said to be perfect and this I call a comparative perfection 1 Cor. 2. 6. Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect that is perfect comparatively with the Corinthians Chap. 3. 1 2. And I brethren could not speak unto you as unto spiritual but as unto carnal even as unto babes in Christ c. not as to those that were spiritual or perfect which is all one in sense and substance they compared with others were not so spiritual or perfect as them and this is it the Apostle minds Phil. 3. 15. Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded that is compared to others that were more imperfect in their Knowledg Faith and Practice not perfect in the highest perfection for so the Apostle himself was not perfect ver 12. Not as though I had already attained or were already perfect c. So that it 's evident both from Scripture and experience that there is this comparative perfection and that in varieties of degrees among all Christians which are distinguished 1. Degrees of this perfection among Christians 2. Among Churches And 3. Among Ministers yet all are Christians 1. Among Christians in general there 1. Of Christians in general are varieties of degrees in Knowledg in Faith and in Practice and in all the gifts and virtues of the new Covenant this is abundantly cleared by the Apostle 1 Cor. 12. 12. to 25. Where he discovers the Church in all its parts to have variety of members as the body of Christ some more honourable or perfect than others some weak in the Faith and some strong Rom. 14. 1. and 15. 1. Some are comely in their spirits and conversations and some need to have comeliness to be put upon them 1 Cor. 12. 23 24. Some spiritual some carnal some useful and helpful to others others that
of God was as respecting the persons so chosen and elected without any respect to any foreseen faith or grace or good in them as the preceeding meritorious cause of election if any meritorious cause at all it must be in Christ Jesus in whom and for whose sake the election was the truth hereof appears that it was not for our goodness faith or holyness 2 Tim. 1. 9. Not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace that was given us in Christ Jesus c. And Rom. 11. 5. There is a remnant according to the Election of Grace and if it be of Grace then it is not of work as the Apostle reasons it ver 6. Obj. Though it be not of works as the meritorious cause yet it may be of works as the conditional cause as in the matter of Justification Answ Though Faith c. be the condition of Justification according to the law of the new Covenant which is effected in time yet it is not the condition of election the reasons thereof are 1. Because it s no where stated in the Scriptures as the condition of Election as Faith is the condition of Justification 2. Because in reason it cannot be for Election and choice was before time and so could not be on the condition of what we had not we were not nor had not saith when Elected therefore faith would not be the conditional cause of an act past in God before the supposed condition thereof was in being that could not be either the meritorious or conditional cause of such an act so that its evident that Election was of Grace and not of Work whereas Justification is not till we believe and obey the truth 4. To what persons are elected and that 4. To what persons are elected is to believe and obey the Gospel to be holy here and happy hereafter 1 Pet. 1. 2. Elect c. Through Sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience Obedience as the end which includes faith and love and all the divine vertues and duties of the Gospel through or by the Sanctification of the Spirit hence faith is said to be The faith of the operation of God Col. 2. 13. Eph. 1. 4. The end of the eternal choice is described to be That we might be holy and that we might shew forth the praises of him that hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light 2 Thef 2. 13. God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation Jam. 2. 5. By all which it appears that the end of God in his Electing grace was that he might have a holy obedient people that might shew forth his praise and be eternally saved and glorified in the world to come 5. How persons may come to know 5. How men may know their Election their Election of God and that they are of the number of his Elected ones God hath in his word opened a way by which his people may in a good and comfortable measure know their Election 1 Thes 1. 4. Knowing Brethren Beloved your Election of God But how may we know our Election of God Answ When Gods ends of Election are effected in us by that we may and must know it if ever we rightly know it when Faith Love Holyness c. is effectually wrought in us by that we read our Election the effects of electing Grace wrought in us and this the Apostle clears having asserted their knowing of their Election ver 4. he discovers how they came to know it ver 5 6. by the effectual work of the Gospel in them Gods shedding abroad his love in the heart and uniting the heart to himself in truth of faith and love is the alone way by which Christians may read their Election So the Apostle for himself 1 Tit. 1. declares himself to be an Apostle after the Faith of Gods Elect. And how does he prove that By the acknowledgment of the truth which is after Godliness and persons that pretend to know their Election of God any other way deceive themselves 6. The Reasons why God Elected some 6. The reasons why God elected some to Salvation before the world was are 1. his love his special love its true that God had a love to all mankind for they were and are his he made the nature of all in the first man and determined the being or persons of all in time and loved all Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his Son c. But herein is discovered his special everlasting love Jer. 31. 3. Yea I have loved thee with an everlasting love c. and this is the new Covenant love a promise of Gospel grace to the Spiritual Seed as appeareth Chap. 30. 10. to the end and chap. 31. throughout here is the great and special love of God and of Christ who loved the Church and gave himself for it Eph. 5. 25. Even the Vniversal Church of the First Born whose names are written in Heaven Heb. 12. 23. 2. That his design of Salvation by Jesus Christ might not be altogether frustrated and come to none effect for such was the Metamorphis and change made in man by the Devil and Sin in the Fall being gone out from God that he would never be willing rightly to return to him again and this the Lord foresaw and therefore it stood with the honour of his whole name to choose some in his Son to be made partakers of the life designed by him that so our Lord Jesus might not suffer in vain but might see of the Travel of his soul and be satisfied it would have been infinitely below and unbecoming an infinite God to have entered upon such a work of such glorious concernment to his own name and the good of sinners and to be effected by so wonderful a way as the sufferings of his own Son without a certain fore-knowledge of its event yea and without the certain accomplishing of the whole after the councel of his own will and too low and base thoughts are they in men to think the contrary as if God should go about such a work as a man not determining the event before the undertaking by which all his design and Christs sufferings might nay necessarily would have been in vain that man was gone out from God so as not by his own will to return again is evident not only by experience but by Scripture Ps 81. 11. Job 21. 14 15. Prov. 1. 24 25. Rom. 3. 11. to 17. with many like Scriptures to this purpose wherefore it was necessary that God should give some to Christ John 6. 39. which are his Elected ones that they might obtain the salvation designed and he might not bestow all his labour and sufferings in vain Isa 49. 4 5 6. read it at your leasure and consider it well Obj. If God hath Elected some it Obj. seems contrary to the Scripture that saith he is no respecter of persons c. Answ It s true that
God is no respecter Answ of persons that is of Jews above the Gentiles which was the present occasion of those words nor of any person one above another according to the usual respect among men i. e. for any good by nature in one more then another for all were in their blood that is in their sin alike enemies alike and alike miserable But some he purposed to magnifie his Mercy on to life and fixes his choice on them according to his own will without any respect of person that is of Goodlyness of Person Beauty Wisdom Strength Honour Riches good Nature or the like but rather the contrary See 1 Cor. 1. 26 27 28 29. Jam. 2. 5. and that from his own will and pleasure Luke 20. 21. a wonderful and hidden mistery it is 3. That he might glorifie the riches of his mercy in saving some as well as of his Justice in condemning others Rom. 9. 23. That he might make known the Riches of his Glory on the Vessels of Mercy which he had afore prepared to Glory Ephe. 1. 4 5 6. this was the utmost and final design of God to glorifie the Riches of his Grace Eternally in the Vessels of Mercy prepared to Glory CHAP. XXVI Of Reprobation REprobation I take to be non-election and I dare not understand it further for so here is Mercy and Justice wonderfully exalted in a way of righteousness I do not find reprobation as attributed to God in this matter in the terms thereof in the Scripture and I suppose that all the sayings in the Scripture that seems equivalent to it may be very safely understood in this sense as Prov. 16. 4. He made the wicked for the day of wrath i. e. he knew they would be wicked yet he made them and designed them for their wickedness unto wrath Rom. 9. 21 22. The elect he designed unto honour and others he left to themselves and the means afforded that continue impenitent he designed to dishonour for God saw the end of all and disposed all to such ends as will be for his own Glory Jude ver 4. The Apostle speaks of certain men that were of old ordained to this condemnation that is God fore-knowing them in their sins ordained them to condemnation I dare not think that God reprobated any but in relation to their obstinacy and constancy in sin none shall be damned from the detriment counsel without relation to their sins nor hath any act past in God to cause them to sin but men are the cause of thir own destruction though God for their sin hath designed them to it so that God will wonderfully exalt himself in his Justice and Mercy on this account Reprobation hath two parts in it 1. A Two parts in Reprobation non-clection that is a leaning to the means afforded which is full of all sufficiency to save all if they have hearts and grace to make use thereof I say they are left to the means to believe c. or not believe at their own will and choice and at their own peril and so he propoundeth the Gospel to all without respect effecting the term of life therein propounded where and when he pleaseth but no act of God hindreth any man but according to the publick ministration of the Gospel he willeâ—â— that all should be saved by coming to the knowledg of the truth and this will towardâ— all he effects in whom he will and leaveâ— others to their own wills though maâ— have lost the freeness of his will to that which is good by his sin yet not the power of willing and God leaves his will free he may believe obey and be saved if â—â— will God hinders not unless it be by his Judicial act as a punishment of former acts of sin and rebellion against him as in the case of Pharaoh of his own people Joh. 12. 39 40. And of the rebellious Gentiles Rom. 1. 21 24. Which I call a Judicial hardening i. e. a giving up to an hardened estate in a way of Justice as a punishment for sin which is the greatest judgment that can befall persons in this World and in this he acteth according to his own will both in a way of Judgment and Mercy Rom. 9. 15 17. But otherwise God affords great and blessed means for man to believe and be saved it is the devil and man himself that debilitates the understanding and will that it will have none of God and Christ of Grace and Life on the terms propounded in the new Covenant which is Repentance Faith and new obedience this man of himself will not submit too nor cannot because he will not see 2 Cor. 4. 4. Joh. 5. 40. and 6. 44. The second part of Reprobation of impenitent sinners is they are decreed and appointed to pain and misery to be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his Power 2 Thes 1. 8 9. To be set on the left hand with this sentence Go ye cursed into everlasting fire as a punishment for their sin against God and rejecting Grace in the day of Grace O how does it concern every one then to look about themselves whâ—â—es they have time and means and not profanely to plead that if they are elected they shall be saved live as they list if not they shall be damned do what they can But know that you may believe obey the Gospel and be saved if you will if you have hearts to it God hinders you not but on the contrary affords you blessed means and gives you blâ—ssed invitations and makes you blessed offers of Life if you will obey him and will accept you and perform all his good word and promises of Life if you come in believe and obey the Gospel But know that if you resolve to keep your sins still and to live as you list and will not accept of Christ and Life on the terms of the Gospel you are so far from being any of the elect ones that you must be damned Mar. 16. 15 16. Obj. But I want the power of coming to Objection God I have sometimes a will but I cannot accomplish the work sin is too hard for me how then can I come Answ 1. Ordinarily the defect lieth in Answer the will when once the will and mind is really and in good earnest for God the power shall not fail for the defect is in the will it may be there may be sometimes some convictions of sin and apprehensions of Grace with the need thereof and willingness to enjoy it but it is but weak and flashy and soon over but no heart-hatred of sin but rather a love to it and loathness to part with it no resolution to set on the work of turning to the Lord with the whole heart and to trust him for strength therein and thus the heart is divided like those the Lord complains of Hos 10. 2. Their heart is divided now shall they be found faulty a
double heart is an heart the Lord likes not Jam. 1. 8. A double minded man is unstable in all his waiâ—s and 4. 8. Purifie your hearts ye double minded While the will is thus divided it 's no wonder if the power be wanting Let not such a man think to obtain any thing from the Lord. 2. If they will be in good earnest to turn to the Lord to believe and obey the Gospel to eschew evil and to do good set about the work and do not sit still and complain for want of power but look to the Lord and he will not be wanting to thee he that hath wrought the will will not fail in helping to do if thou set heartily about the work I shall say in this as David said to his Son in another case 1 Chron. 22. 16. Arise and be doing and the Lord will be with thee God never did nor never will damn any man for want of power but for want of will and so mens destruction is of themselves Obj. But Christ saith Joh. 6. 44. No man Objection can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him Answ True but first God draws by his Answ Word the Preaching of the Gospel and the wooing invitations thereof is the way by which he draweth sinners to himself these are the cords of his love by which he draweth Hos 11. 4. I drew them with the cords of a man with the bonds of love and I laid meat before them and this kind of drawing hath a natural tendency to effect the work if wilfulness keep not from the Grace presented and invited too 2. If the work hereby be so far effected in thee as a real desire to come to Christ know it is from the drawing of the Lord therefore come to him fall in with him while he is thus drawing thee the Lord calls thee Matt. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest dispute not the power but an hearty and willing consent to imbrace Christ Jesus as thy Saviour and Lord according to the Gospel and the work is done CHAP. XXVII Of the Church of Christ in the new Covenant THE Church of God under the ministration of the Law or old Covenant was the natural seed of Abraham and so the Nation of the Jews to them was the Oracles and Ordinances given and them did he own for his peculiar people to worship him his people in Covenant and under his discipline and government The Church of God under the ministration of the new Testament since the death and resurrection of the Testator Jesus Christ are or should be the spiritual seed of Abraham that is true Believers both of Jews and Gentiles It 's now no National Church but a people gathered out of the Nations to the profession of Faith in Christ Jesus and obedience to him Gal. 3. 28 29. Act. 10. 34 35. Rom. 3. 29. Rev. 5. 9. But to speak more distinctly of the Church the word Church or Assembly as the Greek word Ekklesia imports is variously applied in the Scripture to any Assembly bad as well as good Acts 19. 32 39 41. The same word is so translated and applied to an Assembly met together for evil But when it intends the Church and assembly of God and of Christ on the new Covenant account that being it we are now about we may consider it according to Scripture on a three-fold considetion 1. It intends a people gathered out of What the constituted Church of Christ is the World by the ministry of the Gospel to the visible profession of Faith in Christ Jesus and obedience to him to Faith and Holiness the Gospel constituted Church of Christ and this is the Church I especially intend to speak of the visible constituted Church of Christ and this is distinguished into several bodies or congregational Assemblies under the regal Government of Christ their Lord yielding professed subiection to Jesus Christ in his Laws and Ordinances as far as they are instructed therein every particular Congregation having the same power from Christ their Head and Lord not one to Lord it over another but to help and assist in love and the Church of Christ is thus gathered into many particular Assemblies by reason of distance of place number of persons that they cannot assemble in one or a few Assemblies but in as many as are necessary for their coming together and comfortable serving of the Lord. That the Church of Christ is or should be gathered thus appeareth Act. 14. 23. 1 Cor. 1. 2. Gal. 1. 2. Rev. 1. 4. All which proves the truth asserted and that they had all of them the Ordinances of Christ administred in each Assembly as appears evidently by the Apostles reproof and direction on this account about matters of Order and Ordinances as relating to particular Churches 1 Cor. 11. and 14. Chapt. Tit. 1. 5. Phil. 1. 1. Rev. 2 and 3 Chapt. And this Church in all its particular Assemblies is gathered out of the World and from the World to the Lord by the Word and Spirit of Christ Matt. 28. 19 20. Mar. 16. 15 16. Act. 2. 41 42 47. and 4. 4. and 13. 48 49. This was the Apostles commission Act. 26. 17 18. Which work was alwaies accomplished in this way without and contrary to the humane power who ordinarily hath opposed this new Covenant work of Christ And what-ever Church it is that takes any other Lord or Law-giver besides Christ in religious things and owns an humane head either in its constitution by humane power or receiving Laws in matters of Faith and Worship is none of Christ's Church but an Harlot a Sinagogue of Satan who say they are Jews when they are not Rev. 2. 9. Committing spiritual fornication with the Kings of the Earth after the manner of the Whore of Babilon Rev. 17. 2. and 18 9. Taking the humane power as Head Lord and Law-giver in Christs concernments making them their strength support and uphold perswading the Magistrate to persecute all that fall not in with them who although Christ hath ordained that his Church should be subject to the humane powers in humane and worldly concerns yet this is that with which few are satisfied being otherwise perswaded by the false Church who delighteth in fornication and loveth to have another Head and Lord than Jesus Christ And the Churches of Christ thus gathered and constituted under Christ their Head Lord and Law-giver have an equal power from him with their distinct offices to carry on all the administrations of his Kingdom that is his Church according to the rules by him prescribed and in these Churches is God to be worshipped in all his appointments in spirit and in truth Joh. 4. 24. 1 Pet. 2. 5. And these visible constituted Churches of the Gospel are or should be all Saints true Believers they do bad service who to maintain their National Churches and all Christendom as called
more for clearing that election of Elders belong to the Church the Apostles though infallible would not rob the Church of this right see Act. 14. 23. When they had ordained them Elders by election or lifting up of hands in every Church Cheirotonesai to choose by holding up the hand to create by general voice of suffering and thus all Officers i. e. Evangelists Pastors and Teachers must be chosen by the Churches and by Ordination be authorised to the work 2 Cor. 8. 19. 23. And Officers when thus chosen and seâ— apart to the office and work are to administer all Ordinances in the authority of Christ yet so as to have the Church with them in the work and the Church is to encourage them and be subject to their administrations in the Name of the Lord while they abuse not their authority and yet they are to be accountable to the Church in case of male-administring or abuse of power and authority and the Church who authorized them may again devest them of their authority without repentance and reformation or in case of scandalousness in conversation Yet not withstanding this in matters of rule and order they ought not to seek so much to please men as to displease the Lord for they are the Lords servants as well as the Churches and must endeavour to do all things according to the pattern and right rule and to please the Lord to whom they must give an account though men be displeased therewith and in case they suffer from men on that account yet they will have Peace with God and in their own souls Two things I fear are much wanting in the Churches 1. A Spirit of Government in the authority of Christ as Wisdom Impartiality Courage Meekness Love and the fear of the Lord. 2. A Spirit in the Church to be Ruled and Governed according to the Will of Christ Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves And in case of need we read of helps 1 Cor. 12. 28. Helps Governments in as much as all power is invested in the Church in case Officers be wanting till they may be obtained the Church hath authority to appoint such as are most suitably gifted either upon tryal in order to Eldership or as helps in case of need to carry on all the Administrations of the Church or where are Officers being sick or a way or weak with age the Church may do the like i. e. appoint helps to the Officers in Government or any other of the Administrations of Christ in his Church The fourth sort of Officers in the Church 4. Deacons are Deacons whose work and office is to look after the necessities of the poor and to make a just distribution of the Churches Treasure committed to them on that behalf that as it is an Ordinance of Christ that his should be free to communicate 1. Privately Mat. 6. 34. So likewise by giving into the hands of the Deacons who are to take a general care of the poor and distribute to every one as they have need This is an honourable service and work of the Lord the poor being in the Church in the room of Christ to prove the truth of his peoples love to him Christ saith Me you have not always with you the poor you have always with you You may shew your love to me in loving them when I am gone and in doing good to them hence Christ will say at the last day I was naked and ye cloathed me hungry and ye fed me Sick and in Prison and ye visited me c. What the qualifications and work of the Deacons are you may see 1 Tim. 3. 8. to 13. 1 Pet. 4. 11. If any man Minister that is Deacons doe the work of a Deacon let him do it as of the ability that God giveth that is in the Church In a word it is to do that which the Apostles did before and ordained the Elders to do Acts 6. 1 2 3. I shall endeavour to answer one weighty question and so shall conclude this matter Quest Is there no Supream Power and Quest order in the Churches to regulate miscarriages but is every Church absolutely independant and unaccountable in any case if not then to whom must the account in Church miscarriages he given and what way is left to regulate Church miscarriages Answ 1. That a Church may miscarry Answ either in Doctrine Gal. 1. 6. Manners 2 Cor. 12. 20 21. Discipline either in the Non-administring of censures 1 Cor. 5. 1 2. or in the evill and wrong Administring thereof 3 John ver 9 10. is very evident 2. That every Church with their Officers have a like power from Christ in all Administrations without any accountableness to any one above the rest in way of Superiority is likewise clear Yet 3. There must be an accountableness of all the Churches each to other in case of offence and miscarriage though not to any one as Supream above the rest yet a common accountableness must be owned without which their fellowship must necessarily be dissolved the reasons thereof are as followeth 1. From the Law of Relation and unity in the same faith and fellowship which cannot be kept up and maintained but by a Brotherly accountableness as Sister Churches for the mutual help of each other and preservation of the whole in the truth if the laws of Unity in any Society be broken the Society must needs be broken Christ new Covenant Laws in matters of faith and practice are the ground of Christians and Churches unity and society each with other if any Church make a breach there without being accountable for Reformation the foundation of Fellowship is broken therefore for preservation of the foundations of Fellowship of Churches must this brotherly accountableness be maintained 2. To reason from the lesser to the greater as in a particular Church though there be an equality and no Superiority among Members as Members but what God makes in gifts and office yet every Member ought to be accountable each to other especially in matters of offence Mat. 18. 15. c. and so at last to the Church so from the same rule and reason all the Churches in the same faith and practice and having the same relation one to the other as members in the particular Church should have the same care of each other which cannot be unless there be the same accountableness to each others as Churches as is in the members of one and the same Church as all the Members in a particular Church make up the Church so all the Churches are but so many parts and Members of the Universal and should have the same care and keep up the same accountableness and this is without all single Superiority 3. Without this particular Churches are in worse case then Members in particular Congregations who have the benefit of the Laws and Administrations of Christ for their preservation in the Faith the want of which
to the full with mercy and means of life and they grow carnal and unprofitable and as it were die away under it the Lord will not bear with it either to grow careless and luke-warm or to be dead or ready to die as the Churches Rev. 3. 1 2. 15 16. For these and the like evils it is that the people of God need afflictions in this World to be emptied from vessel to vessel and O that the fruit of all might be to take away the sin and to make them partakers of his holiness 2. The people of God need afflictions 2. They need afflictions for trial for trial of the truth of their Virtues the truth of their Faith Love Patience Contentation and Constancy in the Gospel God did ever delight to trie his people not that he did ever delight in their afflictions and sufferings but he delighteth in the truth of their Faith Love and Constancy c. And on this account it is that he proveth them 1 Pet. 4. 12. Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery tryal that is to trie you c. Psal 56. 10. For thou O God hast proâ—ed us thâ—u hast tried us as silver is tried God ordinarily designs the good of his people in their afflictons i. e. trying and purifying to prove them and resine them as silver and if they are not resined by it but give him occasion to say of them as of his people of old the end will be bad and sad Jer. 6. 29 30. The bellows are burnt the lead is consumed of the fire the Founder melteth in vain for the wicked are not plucked away reprobate silver shall men call them because the Lord hath rejected them that is when men do not profit under Gods corrections they are as reprobate silver and so the Founder melteth in vain 1. God trieth the Faith of his people 1. To try their Faith to see if that will hold out and endure the fire and the reason is because there is much temporary Faith that will not endure the fire Luke 8. 13. Matt. 13. 20 21. Therefore he will try and prove the truth of their Faith 1 Pet. 6. 7. God will make it to be of great advantage to his people that are faithful to him therein Abraham the Father of the faithful must have his Faith tried when God commanded him to offer up his Son Heb. 11. 17. his all so God will try his people by calling them to offer up all as a sacrifice for his sake and thus hath he tried his peoples Faith throughout all ages some more and some less according to his Divine pleasure and his peoples need for their profit 2. God trieth his peoples love whether 2. To try their love they do indeed love the Lord with all their hearts and with all their souls and cleave to him in all estates Matt. 10. 37 38 39. He that loveth Father or Mother c. more than me is not worthy of me he will prove his people whether they do love him indeed or not hence the Apostle saith Rom. 35. 39. VVho or what shall separate us from the love of Christ c. It 's not death or life that shall be able to do it Song 8. 6. 7. 3. God trieth the patience of his people 3. Patience we think we have much patience when we have no trial but when trial comes we shall find our weakness and want in this matter Jam. 1. 3 4. This of Patience under afflictions is such a divine new Covenant Virtue that he that hath it truly wanteth nothing i. e. to carry him through in a right suffering and it 's impossible to have true patience without true Faith and true love Jam. 5 6 7 8. Rom. 5. 3 4 5. The Apostle commends the Church of the Thessalomans 2 Thes 1. 4. For their Faith and Patience in all their tribulations 4. God trieth the contentation of his 4 Contentation people contentation is a choice Virtue and resignation to the will of God in all cases and conditions in poverty sickness wrongs and persecutions to be contented and to resign to the Lord an hard lesson for flesh but Grace teacheth it and God expects it and therefore proveth his people that it may be manifest of what spirit they are in this matter and that he may teach them this duty Phil. 4. 11. 1 Tit. 6. 6 8. And so 5. For trial of our perseverance whether we will hold out to the end in the Faith and profession of the Gospel Matt. 10. 22. Ye shall be hated of all Nations for my Name sake but he that endureth to the end shall be saved John 8. 31. Jesus said if ye continue in my VVord then are ye my Disciples indeed that is if ye hold out in all trials and temptations and continue in the Word abide in the Doctrine of Christ to the end then are you Christians indeed Jam. 1. 12. Blessed are they that endure temptations for when they have been tried they shall receive a Crown of Life c. Note the promise of Blessedness is to those that endure i. e. hold out to the end in a right patient and contented spirit if we endure not to the end all our profession and sufferings will be in vain Gal. 3. 4. A third sort of reasons are in relation 3. Reasons such as relate to God to God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord who doth it for the good of his people God will and doth afflict his people in love as a tender Father for their profit he best knows what his people needs and sutably he deals with them he doth it to make them partakers of his Holiness Heb. 12. 5. He doth it in love and in faithfulness Psal 119. 75. and will issue all in their good and spiritual advantage Rom. 8. 28. He doth it to fit them for the Kingdom and Glory he hath prepared for them and promised to them Rom. 8. 17. If we suffer with him it is that we may be glorified with him the Lord will have his people from the Cross to the Crown purified and refined for that glorious estate Rev. 6. 14 15. Great tribulations will tend to work the Saints to the exercise of Faith in the blood of the Lamb and thereby to be purifying themselves as he is pure which will be for their comfort here and glory in the end 3. I shall propound some rules for direction 3. Rules for a right suffering to the Saints in order to a right comfortable and profitable suffering 1. When it is for a good cause the name 1. A good cause and truth of the Lord for any of the truths of the Gospel for owning him in his Offices as your Priest Sacrifice and Atonement and so as your Saviour or as your Prophet to teach you and Lord and King to be ruled by him in all his Laws and Ordinances in matters of worship and conversation in opposition to
in this matter that they may glorifie him in believing and have the comfort thereof to their souls but he calls them Fools who deny the Resurrection and asks this question in opposition on purpose to silence those who own and believe the Resurrection who ask the question in craft and not of sincerity as is evident from the scope of the matter This relates to verse 12. How say some among you that there is no Resurrâ—ction of the dead these it were the Apostâ—e supposeth might make this question not so much for satisfaction as for opposition and to strengthen themselves in their errour and such it is the Apostle calls Fools 4. The time when the Resurrection shall 4 The time when be and that is at the second and Glorious coming of our Lord Jesus from Heaven Mat. 29. 30 31. with 1 Thes 4. 16. For the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a Shout with the voice of the Arch-Angel and the dead in Christ shall rise first so that the Resurrection shall be at the coming of Christ from Heaven when he shall come again and receive his people to himself that where he is they may be also 1 Joh. 14. 3. 5. The order of the Resurrection and 5. The order of the Resurrection that is explained 1 Cor. 15. 23. Christ the first fruits afterwards they that are his at his coming and then or afterward cometh the end When all shall be raised this is the order of the Resurrection For every man must be raised in his own order What distance of time this order may admit I shall here forbear to speak of but that there shall be a first and second Resurrection is plain from Scripture 1 Thes 4. 14 16. Rev. 20. 4 5. and ver 12 13. cometh the end or general Resurrection 6. The end of this Resurrection it is to 6. The end thereof the Saints that they may be perfected in the Restauration of the new Covenant and receive the end of their Faith Service and Sufferings and to the wicked that they may receive the due and iust reward of their Wickedness and Rebelion against the Lord. See both Joh. 5. 28 29. Dan. 12. 2. from what hath â—een said in this matter 1. Take a taste of that spirit that denyeth Vse the Resurrection that pretends it only to be an inward Resurrection from the death of sin which rightly understood hath something of truth for there is a spiritual rising with Christ accomplished here in all the Saints Col. 3. 1. but that is â—ot all nor without this will it be any thing at all 1 Cor. 15. 18 19 for to deny the Resurrection of the body is to deny all Religion so the Apostle reasons and explains it ver 15 16 17 18 19. so that those who deny the Resurrection of the body are miserable comforters and are like to come to a miserable end and under this motion it was deâ—yed of old that is that all was accomplished within and so said that the Resurrection was past already 2 Tâ—m 2. 18. they would not be so gross as in terms to deny the Resurrection but said that it was past already 4. Of the iudgment that shall be at or after â— Of judgment the Resurrection 1. That there shall be an Eternal Judgment is one principle of Religion and the Faith of all Saints and the wicked do acknowledge this in word but if they did really belieâ—e it in their hearts they durst not do as they do but to prove the truth asserted that there shall be a general iudgment and account given to the Lord for all things done in the body Eccles 11. 9. and 12 14. God shall bring evâ—ry work unto judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil Heb. 9. 27. And as it is appointed to men once to die and after this the Judgement Acts 17. 31. Quest Must the Saints come to judgment Quest and give an account at that day Ans Yea all must come to judgment Answ and give an account at that day Saints as well as Sinners 2 Cor. 5. 10. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to what he hath done whether it be good or bad The Saints must not expect to pass in the judgment without giving an account of all their actions Rom. 14. 10. We shall all stand before the judgment Seat of Christ v. 12. So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God So that in vain do they imagine and talk who think and say they shall have nothing to do at that day but in to Glory without passing the judgment a dangerous Doctrine to be asserted and contrary to the plain testimony of the Scripture Reasons why the Saints must come to Judgment 1. Because there are many bad persons Hypocrites under the name and profession of Saints both of Preachers and Hearers that must then be discovered and brought to light and receive their judgement accordidgly Then the Sinners in Sion shall be afraid fearfulness shall surprize the Hypocrites then many that had high thoughts of themselves here will be speechless when the Lord shall say unto them Depart from me ye workers of iniquity I never knew you 2. Because many Saints and such as may be saved at that day do allow themselves in tâ—ings contrary to the will of their Lord both in Omission and Commission for which they must give an account many of the Saints it is to be â—eared doe bad work here or else there are but few Saints on earth for which they must be judged for they must give an account for every thing done whether it be good or bad good to be approved and bad to be reproved for all things must come to the light and be made manifest 3. All must come to judgment because all must receive according to their works there can be no rendering according to the deâ—ds done in the body without coming to judgment we may not imagine that the most righteous â—udge will do up things in confusion but he will do all things in righteousness and equity its evident that God will give diversities and degrees of rewards to his people at that day Dan. 12. 3. Luke 19. 17 19. 1 Cor. 15. 41 42. and those diversities of rewards shall be dispensed according to their works Mat. 16. 27. not as the Meritorious cause that is all in Christ Jesus both as to Justification and Salvation all true believers are brought into a justified and saved state in him and into a capacity of acceptable service for his sake and their works shall be all reckoned to them and so be rewarded so that the less Christians have been exercised in working for God the less will their reward be and thereby their negligence will be reproved and the more they sin against Jesus Christ in matters of Worship
Reign and he must execute Justice and Judgment in the Earth c. To this agreeth Ps 96. throughout ver 13. as the sum of all Before the Lord for he cometh for he cometh to Judge the Earth he shall Judge the VVorld in Râ—ghteousness and the people with his truth see the same Ps 98. 9. and 82. 8. After divers exhortations to worldly Governours to do Justice to the poor and fatherless to the afflicted and needy c. and reprehensions for their wilful miscarriage in this matter and hopeless expectation of any redress therein concludes the whole as the comfort of the afflicted with this petition and assurance of Faith Arise O God judge thou the earth for thou shalt inherit all Nations implying that there will â—e but little or no righteousness in the earth till that day and then shall he possess the Nations and judge them with equity and truth 2. In his daies Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely c. that is free from afflictions and wrongs from enemies as they had been formerly liable to which cannot be rationally understood otherwise than the peaceable Kingdom of Christ on earth sutable to Ezek. 37. 24. to the end and Jer. 30. 8 9. Which Scriptures cannot be allogorised unless men resolve to turn all Scripture into allegories and so turn out all the truth of Scripture as some have done according to their own fancies but God hath put a stop in the way of allegorising these Scriptures and turning out this so great a truth as that Acts 3. 20 21. The Heavens must receive our Lord till the times of the restitution of all things which God both spoken by the mouth of all his holy Pâ—ophets since the world began What is this restitution spoken of by the Prophets but the restoring and glory of the Church and this must be when God does send Christ again from Heaven in Glory the first coming of Christ was a preparative to this work as that without it the restauâ—ation could not not be accomplished and as what the Prophets foretold of his humiliation was even so fulfilled ver 18. Why should we be incredulous that what they have spoken concerning his Kingdom and Glory in the restauration work should not be even so fulfilled likewise And what reason there is for us to turn plain Scriptures into Allegories relating to the Reign of Christ on Earth any more then for the Jews to Allegories the Scriptures that spake of his humiliation and so lost the truth thereof I do not yet understand Bâ—t to proceed to further proof of the truth Dan. 2. 44. The God of Heaven will set up a Kingdâ—m which is this fifth Kingdom of the store cut out of the Mountains without hands which shall never be destroyed and chap. 7. 27. And the Kingdom and Dominion under the whole Heaven shall be given unto the people of the Saints of the most high whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and all Dominions shall serve and obey him here is the Reign of Christ and Saints on Earth so plainly and expresly stated as is impossible with good conscience to gainsay it is the Kingdom under the whole Heavens not above the Heavens in the greatness and power thereof given to the Saints when taken by Christ and all Dominions shall serve and obey him that is Christ as the great Lord and King of the World To this agreeth the new Testament Testimonies relating to this truth and fully holding harmony therewith Luke 1. 32 33. And he shall be great and he shall be called the Son of the highest and the Lord shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end This fully answers the old Testament Prophesies in this matter 2 Tim. 4. 1 The Apostle in express terms states the Kingdom of Christ to be at and after his appearing He will judge the quick and dead at his appearing and his Kingdom which must be the Kingdom spoken of by the Prophets Rev. 11. 17. The Song of the Saints was and will be for that thou hast taken to thy self thy great power and hast raigned and the nations were angry c and no wonder for many of his people are angry at those who believe the truth thereof we may not understand it to be his providential reign over the World as it is constantly exercised nor his spiritual Reign in and over his Church which he hath always exercised but some more higher and glorious visible Kingdom and reign on Earth after the sound of the seventh Angel and the seventh Angel sounded and there were great voices in Heaven saying the Kingdom of this world are become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever What can be more plain in the very terms of the Prophets they were his before but now in another manner then before chap. 19. 1 to 8. it is the great Song of the Saints That the Lord God Omnipotent Reigneth What did he not Reign before Yes surely but now in another manner more visibly glorious ruling the world and saving his people with the everlasting Salvation spoken of Isa 45. 17. and to this agreeth Rev. 20. 4. Where the Saints are said to Live and Reign with Christ a thousand years and chap. 5 9. 10. it is the Song of the Saints That Christ the Lamb of God hath redeemed them from the Earth by his blood and made them unto God Kings and Priests and they shall reign on Earth and to this time and state do that Phil. 2. 9. 10 11. agree thus amongst the multitude of Scripture testimonies to this great truth have I mentioned some plain full and undeniable testimonies for confirmation that he that runs may read 2. I shall further confirm this truth from Reasonâ— thereof clear Scripture reasons and arguments infallibly drawn from thence 1. It is the great promise of the new Covenant Reason and therefore it must be contained in Gen. 22. 18. And in thy Seed shall all the Earth be blessed compared with Rom. 4. 13 For the promise that he i. e. Abraham should be the Heire of the World was not to Abraham oâ— to his seed through the law but through the righteousness of Faith where Abrahams heirship to the World and the Heirship of all hir spiritual seed i. e. Believers is stated to be not by the Law but by the Covenant of Grace in Christ Jesus who was the Seed to whom the promise was made Gal. 3. 16. and is to be obtained by the righteousness of Faith and the Heirship is exprest to be Heirs of the World both of Christ and Abraham and all the true seed Rom. 4. 16. and by this Scripture that is to say that Abraham and his seed are the heirs of the world may we understand all other Scriptures that speak of the Saints heirship yet not of
this world in its old estate but in the world to come The new Heaven and new Earth wherein dwelleth righâ—eousness see this more full in cap. 9. 2. The Restauration work and Kingdom Reason 2 of Christ on Earth was the great design of God to be accomplished and made manifest ever since the Fall of Man and therefore it must be as you may see at large in chap. 9. unto which I refer the Reader for Confirmation of this Argument and indeed Gods Covenant and design in this matter is the foundation of this building hence it is that he hath so abundantly filled his word with the Prophesies and promises thereof throughout both the old and new Testament as hath been before proved 3. This hath been the Faith of the Saints Reason 3 of old and should be ours built upon the word of the Lord and therefore it must be so or else they must lose their faith and expectation to enjoy a Heavenly Kingdom and Country with Christ their King Heb. 11. 13 to 16. speaking of the Fathers of old that they all died in Faith not having received the promise i. e. of actual possession but having seen them afar off and were perswaded of them and imbraced them and confessed that they were strangers and Pâ—lgrims in the earth What promises was it which they saw and were perswaded of Surely it must be the promises of this glory which made them to be as Strangers and Pilgrims in this world and thereby plainly declared that they sought a Country that is the Country Kingdom Blessedness and Glory promised Psal 37. 11. The meek shall inherit the Earth and delight themselves in the abundance of peace verse 29. The Righteous shall inherit the Land and dwell therein for ever and this Christ applyeth to the New Covenant Mat. 5. 5. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the Earth Rev. 5. 10. And hast made us unto God Kings and Priests and we shall Reign â—n Earth O! why should the people of God now be so unbelieving as to tâ—is truth and the Saints of old so full of Faith therein 4. It must be so because the Earth and Reason 4 World was at first made for man God made the World and all things therein and then made man to possess it and gave him rule and Dominion over it Gen. 1. 28. though he quickly lost it by his sin and immediately the second man the Lord from Heaven was promised by which it was upheld and man to have the use thereof in the faln state and in much misery and in subordination to the Lord Jesus in order to the Restâ—uration promised that God might not lose his design in his work here below but might raiâ—e it up to a better and more glorious end Psal 8. 4 5 6. The Prophet in way of admiration saith What is man that thou art mindful of him and the Son of man that thou visiten him for thou haâ— made him a little or a little while lower then the Angels thou hast crowned him with glory and honour thou madest him to hâ—ve Dominion over the works of thine hands thâ—u haâ—t put all things under his feet c. in which the Propâ—et relates 1. To Adam before his Fall who was a Figure of him that was to come And 2 Especially to Jesus Christ the second man and Lord from Heaven wâ—o comes in to take the headship and Dominion especially of the restored world and all his people with him as is explained by the Apostle Heb. 2. 6 7 8. by which its evident that as God made the world for man and he by his sin lost it so it shall be restored to I will not say its first and Primitive Purity a better estate for man then at the first as the Lord thereof exceeds the first man Who was of the Earth Earthly so must it be restored suitable to such a Lord and the Inhabiters thereof with him it must be a Holy Heavenly Country VVherein dwelleth Righteousness be sure God did not make the World to destroy it but he will restore it to be an habitation for men according to the end of its first Creation 5. Both Christ and the Saints have had Reason 5 their suffering part here below in this world and therefore must have their glory here below in the place of their reproach and suffering of their Faith and Service shall their honour be they have suffered on Earth and they shall Reign on Earth thus of Christ Isa 53 12. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great and he shall divide the spoile with the strong because he powred out his soul to the death c. Because he suffered here he must have a portion divided with the great and divide the spoile with the strong What in Heaven No the great and strong are not like to come there but it must be here below according to the many promises before mentioned when all things shall be manifestly put under his feet and the Saints his followers in the Regeneration shall have their glory with him Matt. 19. 28. which answers Isaiah 1. 26 27. Romans 8. 17. 6. It must be so for the glory of God for Reason 6 he made all things at first very good for his own glory but it stood not in that estate but soon fell by sin and must with man have been dissolved had not Christ been promised by whom it was and is supported in order to a greater glory if the World had been dissolved God had losed the glory of so great a work in breaking it to pieces as soon as it was made and if there were no more glory to God to be expected from his Creation of the wonderful Fabrick of the Heavens and the Earth with the things therein then hath been in the faln state wherein he hath been so much dishonoured and abused it had been but little differing from its being dissolved immediately upon the Fall But we are to understand that the design of God was not to let such a Creation and glorious building to fall to nothing or die away by degrees through age and corruption for his own creating power and glory to restore it to a more glorious â—ate then at first he will not let go the glory of such a Creation at so low a rate as is imagined No no but he will yet once more make the place of his feet glorious Isa 60 13. What that is see Isa 66. 1. chap. 44. 23. Sing O Heavens for the Lord hath done it shout O ye lower parts of the Earth break forth into singing ye Mountains O Forrest and every Tree thâ—rein for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob and glorified himself in Isâ—ael What is the matter Why it is for the accomplishment of the Restauration Work When God did send Jesus Christ from Heaven Prophecyed of by the Prophets it is for the New Heavens and new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness it is for that God hath made the place
the Faith of the Gospel is to which the promise is made hath been before shewed but the Scripture speaks of living by Faith Heb. 10. 38. Now the just shall live by Faith 2 Cor. 5. 7. We live by Faith and not by sight that is in this side the glory promised we live by Faith and not by present possession and enioyment only the Spirit and Faith we have as the Earnest and Evidence of the Inheritance and purchased Possession 2 Cor. 1. 22. Hebr. 11. 1. Now this Life of Faith imports three The life of Faith in three things things 1. A constant abiding in the Faith and profession of the Gospel unto the end Heb. 3. 12. 10. 23 38 39. 2. A constant exercise of Faith in the truth and faithfulness of God in all the good discoveries and promises of the Gospel 1 Thes 5. 24. Faithful is he that hath called you who will do it Heb. 10. 23. Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering for faithful is he that hath promised Faith rightly exercised on the faithfulness and all-sufficiency of God will fill the soul with Joy and Peace Rom. 15. 13. To believe not only the truth of the mercy promised but the faithfulness of God therein and his all-sufficiency in the performance thereof this was it supported Abraham in his life of Faith Rom. 4. 31. He did not only believe the faithfulness of God but being fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform 3. When the soul thus abides in the Faith and thus exerciseth Faith on the good promises of the Gospel as that it is strengthened comforted nursed up and nourished thereby unto life eternal when the soul is kept alive to God thereby in the greatest temptations and difficulties this World affords this is to live by Faith to live by believing the truth of the good Word of God to live by believing the truth of his precepts in the Gospel so as to obey him therein the truth of all his great and precious promises of life so as to be comforted therein Matt. 17. 5. Rom. 15. 13. O that Christians would study more this life of Faith the want of which is the cause they go on so heavily in the waies of the Gospel and meet with so many obstructions and hindrances therein whereas if the life of Faith were kept up more in the true nature thereof how might Christians make Christ's commands their songs and sufferings for him their joy in the house of their pilgrimage but for want of this it is that his service is too often a burden and sufferings for his sake too much feared whereas the Lord would have his people to serve him with delight and to suffer for him with joy Ps 100. Luke 6. 22 23. Acts 5. 41. Which is possible to be performed in this life of Faith and no otherwise Mark 9. 23. 1 Pet. 1. 8. CHAP. XVII Of Sanctification and Good Works THE next thing in order that I shall speak of is Sanctification and good Works for whom he justiefith them he sanctifieth and maketh to be an holy people for himself Sanctification in Scripture-sense is variously It 's variously understood understood and applied 1. It imports a separation to an holy use for a time as was frequently used under the Law which was a legal or ceremonial Sanctification or separation to an holy use for some time as Aaron and his Sons were separated consecrated and hallowed for the Priests Office which was a typical sanctifying or hallowing during that ministration with their holy garments as appears Exod. 28. 1. 29. 1. Holy garments holy place holy anointing oil holy vessels c. which were all typical and but for a time But this is not the Sanctification that I am to speak of It 's true that in the Gospel there are some sanctified and holy instituted ordinances ordained and left by our Lord for sanctified and holy ends to promote and carry on the work of Sanctification in his people till they come to Glory but the Sanctification that I shall speak of is the sanctification of justified persons in order to Glory for Without holiness no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. Sanctification in general sometimes includes the whole work of Grace a mortification of sin and vivification of the Spirit by which the whole life of Grace is carried on and effected 1 Thes 5. 23. And the very God of Peace sanctifie you throughout and I pray God that your whole spirit soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God But 2. And more particularly and distinctly Sanctification of two parts Imputed and Inherent or Imparted Sanctification consisteth of two parts 1. Imputed 2. Imparted or Inherent 1. Imputed there is an imputed Sanctification as there is an imputed Justification if any scruple the time of imputed Sanctification it 's no other in sense and substance than the accounting the holiness of Christ our Head in his own person to be the Believers the Scripture speaks of an imputed righteousness to Believers Rom. 4. 6 7. Which must be their Faith as ver 3. 22 23 24. Or the pardon of sin on the satisfaction of Christ by his death which most properly is the righteousness of Saints unto Justification Rom. 5. 9. And on this account there is as much said in Scripture for this imputed Sanctification as of Justification 1 Cor. 1. 30. Who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption He is made to be our Wisdom and Sanctification as our Righteousness that is the perfect purity of Christ the Son of God with his perfect and compleat obedience to the holy Law of God is reckoned and accounted the Believers as their Sanctification as he is not only wise for them and communicates of his Wisdom to them but as their Head his Wisdom is accounted theirs and he is made to be their Righteousness that is his death and satisfaction was accepted for us and on that account does God remit and pardon the sins of Believers and he is made our Sanctification that is his Sanctification is accounted ours and this is fully included in Col. 3. 11. Where Christ is said to be to Believers All and in all all in matter of Justification and all in matter of Sanctification and in all effecting the work of Sanctification in his people by his Spirit that dwelleth in them and in this sense as he is made the Sanctification of or to Believers their Sanctification is perfect as their Justification is perfect as considered in the Sanctification and perfect holiness and obedience of Christ and hence it is the Apostle saith 1 Joh. 4. 17. That as he is so are we in this World that is by his imputed