inquire who they are unto whose right and possession a man may belong and then examine the Evidences which either can make for himselfe To sinne wee know doth appertaine the primitive right of every naturall and lapsed man for we are by nature the Children of wrath A purchase then there must come betweene before a man can passe over into anothers right this purchase was made by Christ who bought us with his blood And the treatie in this purchase was not between Christ and sinne but betweene him and his Father Thine they were and thou gavest them me for the fall of Man could not nullifie Gods Dominion nor right unto him for when man ceased to be Gods Servant he then began to be his Prisoner and though Sinne and Sathan weâ—… in regard of man Lords yet they were in regard of God but Iaylors to keepe or part from his Prisoners at his pleasure Besides though Christ got man by purchase yet Sinne and Sathan lost him by forfeiture for thâ—… prince of this world seizing upon Christ in whom he had â—…o right for he found nothing of his owne in him did by that meanes forteite his former right which hee had in men of the same nature Wee see then all the claime that can be made is either by Christ or Sinne by that strong man or him that is stronger A man must have evidences for Christ or else hee belongs unto the power of Sinne. The evidences of Christ are his Name his Seale and his Witnesses His Name a new Name a name better then of sonnes and daughters even Christ formed in the heart and his Law ingraven in the inner man As it is fabled of Ignatius that there was found the Name of Iesus written in his heart so must every one of Gods House bee named by him with this new name Of Him are all the Families in Heaven and in Earth named The Seale of Christ is his Spirit witnessing unto and securing our spirits that we belong unto him For hee that hath not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his and by this we know that he dwelleth in us and we in him because hee hath given us of his Spirit The witnesses of Christ are three The Spirit the Water and Blood The Testimonie of Adoption Sealing the Fatherly care of God to our Soules saying to our Soules that he is our Salvation and Inheritance The Testimonie of Iustification our Faith in the blood and price of Christ and the Testimonie of Sanctification in our being cleansed from dead workes for he came to destroy the workes of the Devill hee came with Refiners fire and with Fullers sope and with healing under his wings that is as I conceive under the preaching of his Gospell which as the beames of the Sunne make manifest the savor of Him in every place and by which he commeth and goeth abroad to those that are a far off and to those that are neere It was the Office of Christ as well to Purifie as to Redeeme as well to Sanctifie as to Iustifie us so that if a man say hee belongs to Christ and yet bringeth not forth fruite unto God but lives still married to his former lusts and is not cleansed from his filthinesse hee makes God a lyer because hee beleeveth not the Record which hee gives of his Sonne for Hee will not have either a barren or an adulterous spouse yea he putteth Christ to shame as if he had undertaken more then he were able to performe Besides Christ being a Light a Starre a Sunne never comes to the heart without selfe-manifestation such evidence as cannot be gainesaid unto him belongs this royall prerogative to be himselfe the witnesse to his owne Grace And when the Papists demaund of us How wee can bee sure that this Testimnoy of Christs Grace and Spirit is not a false witnesse and delusion of Sathan wee demaund of them againe If the flesh can have this advantage to make such Objections against the unvalueable Comforts of Christs Grace and the heart have nothing to reply If Christ witnesse and no man can understand it If the Spirit of Christ be a Comforter and the Divell can comfort every jot as well and counterfeit his comforts to the quicke and so cozen and delude a man what is any man the better for any such assertions of Scripture where the Spirit is called the Spirit of Comfort the strengthner of the inner man and the heart said to be established by Grace Certainely the Comforts of the Spirit must fall to the ground if they bring not along a proper and distinct lustre into the Soule with them And this Ambrosiuâ—… Catharinus himselfe a learned Papist and as great a scholler in the Trent Councell as any other was bold to maintaine against the contrary opinion of Dominicus Soto in a publike declaration unto whom Bellarmine dares not adhere though it bee his custome to boast of their unanimitie in point of Doctrine Besides sinne is of a quarrelling and litigious disposition it will not easily part from that which was once its owne but will bee ever raysing sutes disputing arguing wrangling with the Conscience for its old right Christ came not to send peace but a sword perpetuall and unreconcileable combats and debates with the flesh of man If a man hold peace with his lusts and set not his strength and his heart against them If they bee not in a state of rebellion they are certainely in the throne It is impossible for a King to rebell because hee hath none above him and so as long as lust is a king it is in peace but when Christ subdues it and takes possession of the heart it will presently rise and rebell against his kingdome Heere then is the triall of the Title If a man cannot shew the evidences of a new purchase the Spirit the Blood the Water the Sonneship the Righteousnesse the Holynesse Conversation and Grace of Christ If he be not in armes against the remnants of lust in himselfe but live in peace and good contentment under the vigor and life of them that man belongs yet unto the right of sinne For if a man be Christs there will bee Nova regalia extremely opposite to those of sinne A new heart for the Throne of the Spirit New members to bee the servants of Righteousnesse New Counsellors namely the Lawes of God A new Panoplie The whole armour of God New lawes The law of the minde and of the heart A new Iudicature even the government of the Spirit Thoughts Words Actions Conversations All things new as the Apostle speakes Now let us in the next place consider the power whereby sinne makes its commands to bee obeyed wherein it is more strong and sure then a Tyrant who ruleth against the will of his Subjects The particulars of this strength may be thus digested First sinne hath much strength from it selfe and that
God beleeve and all this strength and comfort is thine leane not upon thine owne wisedome trust not thine owne righteousnesse arrogate nothing to thy selfe but impotencie to good no strength of thy selfe but against thy selfe and Gods Grace no power but to resist and withstand the Spirit But rest only upon the Promises and Power of Him who is Alpha and Omega the Author and Finisher of thy Faith Who is a Head to take care of his weakest members When thou art as weake as a worme in thine owne sense yet feare not O worme Iacob be not dismaide O Men of Israel saith the Lord for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will helpe thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousnesse that is with the strength of my Truth and Promises How shall I give thee up Ephraim It is spoken to backsliding Ephraim How shall I deliver thee Israel How shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim That is How shall I make mine owne Church as the cities of Sodome My heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together and marke the reason of all I am God and not man Though you are Men subject to many changes and miscarriages yet I am not a Man that I should repent of my goodnesse and therefore I will not turne to destroy Ephraim But now as men who looke upon the Sunne when they looke downward againe upon darker objects can scarse see or distinguish any thing so ought it to bee with us our looking up unto God should make us see nothing in ourselves but matter to be humbled by and driven backe unto him againe If once the strong man beginne to glorie in his strength or the wise man in his wisedome If our prosperity and security make us resolve with David that we shall never be moved If because we finde our corruptions wounded and mortified wee beginne to insult over them more with our pride then with our faith How easie and just is it with God to let in Satan upon us to remove his hand from under us to overshadow and withdraw His countenance from us to set on our very wounded corruptious upon us to burne up our citie and peradventure to plunge us in the guilt of some such fearefull sinnes as at the very names and first suggestions whereof wee would haply before have beene startled and amazed Alas what are wee to David and Peter to Salomon and Hezekiah men of such dayly communion and intimate acquaintance with the Almightie And yet notwithstanding what fearefull testimonies have they left upon record for all posteritie to take notice what a fraile and inconstant creature man is when once Gods Spirit departs from him That the strength of the greatest champions in the Church of God is but like the strength of Sampson of whom in all his great exployts the Scripture saith that The Spirit of the Lord came upon him and when hee was overcome that the Lord was departed from him We should therefore labour to rejoyce in the Lord with trembling to worke out our salvation with feare to pray that wee may be delivered from our selves and from the traines of Satan that wee may never know by our owne fearefull experience into what an incredible excesse of sinning our flesh though otherwise mortified would breake forth if God should a little subduct his hand and give us over a while to the violence of our owne passions to the treacherie of our owne hearts Wee should be very watchfull and cautious against our selvees that wee presume not to sinne because Grace hath abounded How shall wee that are dead to sinne live any longer therein saith the Apostle What a monstrous perverting of the grace and mercie of God is this to build straw and stubble upon so pretious a foundation Surely wee would esteeme that man prodigiously foolish and contumelious unto nature who should spend his time substance and industrie to finde out a perverse philosophers stone that should turne all the gold it touched into lead or drosse how injurious then and reprochfull are they to the grace of God who extract their owne presumptions out of His mercie and turne the redundancie of divine Grace into an advantage and priviledge of sinning As if Gods mercie had no other use then a dogges grasse or a drunkards vomit or a Papists confession to his Priest to absolve us for some sinnes that there might be roome made for more Surely Grace teacheth men to make other conclusions from Gods mercie Deale bouâ—…tifully with thy seruant that I may keepe thy Word was Davids inference from Gods favour And Saint Paul assures us that none but hard and impenitent hearts despise the goodnesse and riches of Gods patience and forbearance not knowing that the goodnesse of God should lead them to repentance It is the worke of grace to re-imprint the image of God in us to conforme us unto Christ to bend and incline the heart to a Spirituall delight in the Law to remoove in some measure the ignorance of our mindes that wee may see the beautie and wonders of Gods Law and the difficultie and frowardnesse of the fleshly will against grace that Gods Commands may not be grievous but sweete unto us These are the branches and properties of that Life which we have from Christ. And wee have them from Him at the Sonne as a middle person betweene us and his Father First because the Sonne hath His Fathers Seale Hath Iudgement Power libertie to dispose of and dispense Life and Salvation to whom He will Labour for the Meate that endureth unto Eternall Life which the Sonne of Man shall give unto you for Him hath God the Father sealed Secondly because the Son is in his Fathers bosome hath His heart His eare His affections and therefore He is heard alwayes in whatsoever Hee desireth for any of His members and this interest in His Fathers Love was that by which He raised Lazarus unto Life againe Lastly he that hath the Sonne hath the greatest gift which the Father ever gave unto the World Hee cannot denie Life where He hath given the Sonne He cannot with-hold silver where Hee hath given gold and Diamonds If He spared not His Son but delivered Him up for us all how shall He not with Him freely give us all things Now our life is conveyed from Christ unto us First by Imputation of His merit whereby our persons are made righteous and acceptable unto God Secondly by Infusion or communion with His Spirit which sanctifies our nature and enables us to doe spirituall services For though we exclude workes from Iustification formally considered yet we require them of every Iustified man neither doth any Faith Iustifie but that which worketh by Love though it justifie not under that reason as a working Faith but under that relative office of receiving and applying Christ. Thirdly by
tasting no sense that is the instrument of so neere a union as that So then as the motion of the mouth in eating is not in the nature of a motion any whit more excellent then the motion of the eye or foote or of it selfe in speaking yet in the instrumentall office of life and nourishment it is farre more necessarie So though Faith in the substance of it as it is an inherent qualitie hath no singular excellencie above other graces yet as it is an instrument of conveying Christ our spirituall Bread unto our soules and so of assimilating and incorporating us into Him which no other Grace can doe no more then the motion of the eye or foote can nourish the body so it is the most pretious and usefull of all others It may be objected doe not other graces joyne a man unto Christ as well as Faith Vnion is the proper effect of Love therefore wee are one with Christ as well by loving Him as by beleeving in Him To this I answere that Love makes onely a morall union in affections but Faith makes a mysticall union a more close and intimate fellowship in nature betweene us and Christ. Besides Faith is the immediate tie betweene Christ and a Christian but love a secondary union following upon and grounded on the former By nature we are all enemies to Christ and His Kingdome of the Iewes minde wee will not have this man to raigne over us therefore till by Faith wee are throughly perswaded of Christs Love to us we can never repay Love to Him againe Herein is Love saith the Apostle not that wee loved God but that Hee loved us and sent His Sonne 1. Ioh. 4 10. Now betweene Gods Love and ours comes Faith to make us One with Christ we have knowne and beleeved the Love that God hath to us ver 16. And hence it followes that because by Faith as Hee is so are wee in this world therefore Our love to Him is made perfect and so wee love Him because Hee first loved us vers 19. So that we see the union we have with Christ by Love presupposeth the Vnitie wee have in Him by Faith so Faith still hath the preeminence The second office wherein consists the excellencie of Faith is a consequent of the former namely to justifie a man for there is no man righteous in the sight of God any further then he is taken into the unitie of Christ and into the fellowship of His Merits God is alone well pleased in Christ and till a man be a member of His Bodie a part of His fulnesse hee cannot appeare in Gods presence This was the reason why Christ would have none of His bones broken or taken of from the Communion of His naturall body Ioh. 19. 36. to note the indissoluble union which was to bee betweene Him and His mysticall Members So that now as in a naturall bodie the member is certainely fast to the whole so long as the bones are firme and sound so in the mysticall where the body is there must every member be too because the bones must not be broken asunder If then Christ goe to Heaven if Hee stand unblameable before Gods justice we al shal in him appeare so too because his bones cannot be broken That which thus puts us into the Vnitie of Christ must needs Iustifie our persons and set us right in the presence of God and this is our Faith The Apostle gives two excellent reasons why our Iustification should be of Faith rather then of any other grace The first on Gods part that it might bee of Grace The second on the part of the promise that the promise might be sure to all the seede Rom. 4. 16. First Iustification that is by Faith is of meere Grace and favour no way of worke or merit For the Act whereby Faith Iustifies is an act of humility and selfe-dereliction a holy despaire of any thing in our selves and a going to Christ a receiving a looking towards Him and His Al-sufficiencie so that as Marie said of her selfe so we may say of Faith The Lord hath respect unto the lowlynes of his grace which is so farre from looking inward for matter of Iustification that it selfe as it is a worke of the heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere doth not justifie but onely as it is an apprehension or taking hold of Christ. For as the hand in the very receiving of a thing must needs first make it selfe emptie If it bee full before it must let all that goe ere it can take hold on any other thing So Faith being a receiving of Christ Ioh. 1. 12. must needes suppose an emptinesse in the soule before Faith hath two properties as a Hand To worke and to receive when Faith purifies the heart supports the droaping spirits worketh by love carries a man through afflictions and the like these are the workes of Faith when Faith Accepts of righteousnesse in Christ and receives Him as the gift of His Fathers Love when it embraceth the promises a farre of Heb. 11. 13. and layes hold on Eternall Life 1. Tim. 6. 12. This is the receiving act of Faith Now Faith justifies not by working lest the effect should not bee wholly of Grace but partly of Grace and partly of worke Ephesians 2. 8 9. but by bare receiving and accepting or yeelding consent to that righteousnesse which in regard of working was the righteousnesse of Christ Rom. 5. 18. and in regard of disposing imputing appropriating unto us was the righteousnesse of God Rom. 3. 21. 1. Cor. 1 30. Phil 3. 9. To make the point of Iustification by the receiving and not the working of Faith plaine let us consider it by a familiar similitude Suppose a Chirurgian should perfectly cure the hand of a poore man from some desperate wound which utterly disabled him for any worke when he hath so done should at one time freely bestow some good almes upon the man to the receiving whereof he was enabled by the former cure and at another time should set the man about some worke unto the which likewise the former cure had enabled him and the worke being done should give him a reward proportionable to his labour I demaund which of these two gifts are arguments of greater grace in the man either the recompensing of that labour which was wrought by the strength hee restored or the free bestowing of an equall gift unto the receiving whereof likewise he himselfe gave abilitie Any man will easily answere that the gift was a worke of more free grace then the reward though unto both way was made by His owne mercifull cure for all the mercy which was shewed in the cure was not able to nullifie the intrinsecall proportion which afterwards did arise betweene the worke and the reward Now this is the plaine difference betweene our doctrine and the doctrine of our adversaries in the point of Iustification They say we are justified by Grace and yet by workes because
grace enables us to worke we say we are justified freely not by the workes of grace but by the grace which bestowes our Iustification and therewith our strength of working unto us For surely Gods free grace is more magnified in giving us undeservedly both righteousnesse and workes then in giving us workes to deserve our righteousnesse Secondly Iustification by Faith doth make the promise sure to all the seede If unto a begger should bee proposed some excellent benefit upon condition to performe some acceptable and perfect service unto the personne that offers it whom yet it would bee impossible to please by working without some exact abilitie for the dutie required the man might easily doubt of the certaintie of the benefit because his performance of the condition requir'd is uncertaine but if the same benefit should bee proposed upon no other act on his part requir'd then onely the acknowledgement of his owne want and the willing acceptance of the thing offered a man could not bee unsure of it So if the Lord should propose righteousnesse oâ—… salvation to a man upon condition of his morall obedience mans corruptions are so many and his abilities so weake his enemies so potent and his heart so treacherous to comply with them that the promise cannot bee made sure to him upon the concurrence of his owne workes But when there is nothing required of a man but to cleave to Christ nothing but to relinquish his owne endeavours and to accept the helpe of a sure Saviour and to rely upon the sure mercies of David this must needes make our righteousnesse and salvation to be as certaine as is the value of the merits or fidelitie of the promise on which we rely If there bee nothing requisite to the firmenesse and consistencie of a house but onely to be put upon the foundation then the house must needs be as sure as the foundation if there bee nothing requisite to the safenesse of a mans money or writings but to put them in a closet or boxe the things must needes be as safe as the place into which they are put so since nothing else is required to make our salvation sure but onely to rest upon Christ who is a safe foundation to his Church Math. 16. 18. and a certaine Treasure Col. 3. 3. Faith which alone puts us into him doth therewithall make our Salvation sure unto us Behold I lay in Sion a chiefe corner stone elect and pretious there is both our foundation and our Treasure now the safety which Faith brings from hence is this He that beleeveth shall not be confounded or put to shame in the Prophet it is shall not make hast 1. Pet. 2. 6. both words expresse safetie For a man to rely upon another for any good thing and at last to faile in his expectation this must needes shame him in the disappointment of his hopes but when the hopes of a man are grounded upon the unsearchable riches and the unfaileable promise and the immutable truth power and goodnesse of God impossible it is that the faith of such a man should shame or deceive him When a man is secure and certaine of any good thing he is contented to waite the season of it David by Gods promise and unction was certaine of the kingdome and therefore he would not take away the life of Saul when it was in his power but waited till the time of his death by God appointed should come 1. Sam. 26. 9 10 11. but when a man is unconsident of a thing hee is ready to snatch at every probabilitie to make use of every occasion that happens to further his desires If I should see two men going towards the Court in competition for some office or preferment and should observe the one to ride night and day in full speede to deny himselfe the comforts of the way and to expresse much impatiencie and indignation at every stoppage that met him the other to take time and leisure to rely upon the former promises of the prince or the prevalencie of some honourable friends and to laugh at the gredinesse of his competitor I should easily conclude that the hopes of that man were greater whose hast as lesse for when a man hath a thing already in promise and that from the hands of a man of whose power and fidelitie he hath infallible assurance he is not over vehement for performance but willingly attends the times and good pleasure of his friend Now this is the businesse of faith to give a being to the things we hope for and though in themselves they bee a farre of and out of sight yet to make them subsistent and at hand in the promise even within the reach and embracement of Faith Heb. 11. 1 13. So that Faith doth therefore keep a man from greedinesse and precipitancie in his pursuite and from confusion and shame in his hopes of good because it sees them as safe certain in the power and promises of Christ as if they were already made good unto him So then to conclude this point Faith being the onely Grace wherein is magnified the fulnesse and freenesse of Gods favour and wherein is secured his promise to all the seede It must needes bee the fittest grace for a mercifull Iustification The third office of Faith is having put us into Christ and Iustified us by him to give us together with Him all other things which is the conviction that the Apostle makes Rom. 8. 32. If Hee have given us Christ how shall He not with Him freely also giue us all things These All Things are of two sorts First All graces Secondly All secular good things Saint Peter puts them together and shewes how they runne from Christ to us through Faith as the pipe His divine Power hath given unto us all things that pertaine to Life and Godlynesse and that through the knowledge that is the Faith of him that hath called us to glorie and vertue 2. Pet. 1. 3. First all Graces Faith is the first Grace in a Christian Soule and the spring of the rest This is the maine businesse of that excellent chapter Heb. 11. to shew how Faith was the master wheele in the lives and actions of those holy men whose renowne is there upon record The Apostle tels us that Faith worketh by Love Gal. 5. 6. where by Love we may understand either generally the universall habit of all other operative graces and then the sense is that Faith doth as it were actuate and animate all other habits of grace and apply them to their severall workes Or rather particularly that Love of God which is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost and then the method and meaning of the place is this First Faith shewes us the great Love of God in Christ The life that I live saith the Apostle I live by the Faith of the Sonne of God who loved me and gave Himselfe for me Gal. 2. 20. where we see the
or filthinesse which is iâ—… the world through lust so do they serve to ad one grace to anâ—…ther and to make them abound in us till we come to chaâ—…ity which is the bond of perfection as Saint Peter shewes And againe Grow saith he in grace and in thâ—… 〈◊〉 of our Lord 〈◊〉 Christ. The more a 〈◊〉 doth abound in the knowledge of Christ who is the sâ—…mme fountaine â—…le treasurie of all the promises the more will he grow in grace and unto perfection For as some promises are in our hand and perform'd already as Rewards for our service past so others are still before our eyes to call and allure us as the price unto which we pâ—…este Be ye stedfast and unmoveable and abound alwaies in the worke of the Lord saith the Apostle for as much as you know that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord. Holding fast and going on hath a Crowne attending it The more we proceede in holinesse our salvation is still the Neerer unto us If we lose not the things which wee have wrought we shall receive a full reward THE VSE OF THE LAW ROM 7. 13. Was that then which is good made death unto me God forbid But sinne namely was made death unto me that it might appeare sinne working death in me by that which is good That sinne by the Commandement might become exceeding sinfull HEre we finde the Originall discovery of all that Sinfulnesse of sinne which wee have hitherto insisted upon namely the manifesting and working property which is in the Law of God It will bee therefore very requisite by way of Appendixe to the preceding Treatise and of manuduction to the consequent to unfeld out of these words The uâ—…e of the Law by which we shall more distinctly understand the scope and purpose of the Holy Ghost in loading the spirit of man with tâ—…e vanity of the Creature and in shutting up the conscience under the sinfulnesse of sinne both which have respect unto the Law that as an effect of the cursing and this of the Convincing power thereof and yet in both nothing intended by God but Peace and Mercie The Apostle in the beginning of the Chapter shewes that we are by nature subject to the Law and death which is an unavoidable consequent of the breach thereof even as the wife is to her husband as long as he liveth And that by Christ we are delivered from that subjection who hath shine our former husband and taken him out of the way as the Apostle elsewhere speakes Now because this doctrine of justification by faith in Christ and deliverance from the Law by him was mainely opposed by the Iewes and was indeed that chiefe stumbling blocke which kept them from Christianitie which I take it was the reason why the false brethren under pretence the better to worke on that people to pacifie affections and reconcile parties and ferruminate the Churches together would have mingled the Law with Christ in the purpose of Iustification as the papids now upon other reasons doe Therefore the Apostle who was very zealous for the Salvation of his brethren and kiâ—…sfolke according to the flesh labours to deerâ—… thâ—…s doctrine from two maine objections in this Chapter which it seemes the Iewes did use against it The ground of both is tacitely implied and it is the same generall hypothesis or supposition that all deliverance is from evill and carries necessary relation to some mischiefe which it presupposeth Therefore if that doctrine be true which teacheth deliverance from the Law then it must be granted that the Law is evill for to be unsubjected to that which is good is no deliverance but a wilde and bâ—…utish loosenesse Now evill is but two fold either sinne or death So then if the Law be evill it must be either sinne or death The former objection is made vers 7. What shall wee say then is the Law sinne that we should now heare of a deliverance from it Doth not the Scripture account the Law a priviledge an honour an ornament to a people and from the Iustnesse and Holinesse of the Law conclude the dignity and greatnesse of a nation What nation is so great saith Moses which hath statutes and iudgements so righteous as I set before you this day He shâ—…weth his word unto Iacob his statutes anâ—… iudgements unto Israel He hath not dealt so with every nation saith David I sent unto them Honorabilta Legis saith the Lord the honorable and great things of my Law but they were counted as a strange thing And is that which Moses and the Prophets esteemed a priviledge and honour become now a yoke and burden Shall wee admit a doctrine which over-throwes the Law and the Prophets To this the Apostle answeres God for bid The Law is not sinne for I had not knowne sinne but by the Law It is true sinne tooke occasion by the Law to become more sinfull vers 8. but this was not occasio data but arrepta no occasion naturally offered by the law but perversly taken by sinne whose venomous property it is to suck poison out of that which is holy So then the Law is not sinne though by accident it enrage sinne For of itselfe it serveth onely to discover and reveale it ver 9. But as the Gospell as well when by mens perversnesse it is a savour of dâ—…ath as when by its owne gratious efficacie it is a savour of life is both wayes a sweete savour So the Law either way when by it selfe it discovereth and when by accident it enrageth sin is still Holy lust and Good ver 11 Vpon this followes the second Objection in the words of the Text. Is that which is good made death unto me If a deliverance presuppose an evill in that from which we are deliver'd and no evill but belongs either to sinne or death then admitting a deliverance from the Law if it be good in respect of holinesse it must needs be evill in the other respect and then that which is good is made death unto me And this casts a more heavie aspersion and dishonour upon God then the former that he should give a Law meerely to kill men and make that which in its nature is good to be mortall in its use and operation Wine strong waters hard meates are of themselves very good to those purposes unto which they are proper yet under pretence of their goodnesse to craâ—…me the stomicke of a sucking infant with them would not be kindnesse but crueltie because they would not in that case comfort or nourish but kill Gold is good of it selfe but to fetter a man with a chaine of gold would be no bounty but a mockery So to conceive God to publish a Law good indeed in it selfe but deadly to the subjects and to order that which is holy in its nature to be harmefull and damnable to the Creature in its use is so odious an aspersion
so that sin being once committed there must be a double act to justification the suffering of the curse and the fulfilling of righteousnesse a new Vnto a double apprehension of Iustice in God there must answere a double act of righteousnesse in man or in his surety for him To Gods punishing Iustice a righteousnesse Passive whereby a man is rectus in curia againe and to Gods commanding Iustice a righteousnesse Active whereby he is reconciled and made acceptable to God againe The one a satisfaction for the injury we have done unto God as our Iudge the other the performance of a service which we owe unto him as our Maker Secondly In Christ as a Mediator there is a merit likewise belonging unto both these acts of obedience in Him by vertue of his infinite person which was the Priest and of his Divine nature which was the Altar that offered up and sanctified all his Obedience By the redundancie of which Merit after satisfaction thereby made unto His Fathers Iustice for our debt there is further a purchase made of Grace and Glory and of all good things in our behalfe He was made of a woman made under the law First toredeeme those that were under the Law which is the satisfaction and payment He hath wrought Secondly That we might receive the Adoption or the inheritance of Sonnes which is the Purchase He hath made for us Thirdly there is the Intercession of Christ as our Advocate which is the presenting of these his Merits unto his Father for us whereby He applyeth and perpetuateth unto us the effects of them namely our deliverance and our Adoption or Inheritance So then the life of righteousnesse consists in two things First The remission of sinne and thereupon deliverance from the Guilt of it and curse of the Law against it which is an effect of the satisfaction of Christs Merit Secondly Adoption or the acceptation of our persons and admittance into so high favour as to be heires of Salvation and Happinesse which is the effect of the Redundancie of Christs Merit there being a greater excesse and proportion of vertue in his obedience then of malignitie or unpleasingnesse in our disobedience To consider both these together wee are delivered First from Sinne and the Guilt or Damnation thereof There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus their sinnes are blotted out and forgotten and cast into the depth of the Sea and done away as a cloud or mist by the heate of the Sunne they are forgiven and covered and not imputed unto us they are finished and made an end of they were all laid upon Christ and Hee hath beene a propitiation for them and his flesh a vaile betweene them and his Fathers wrath and in opposition hereunto His obedience and righteousnesse is made ours Hee is made unto us righteousnesse and wee are the righteousnesse of God in Him we are cloathed with Him and appeare in the sight of God as parts and portions of Christ himselfe for the Church is the fulnesse of Him that filleth all in all Secondly wee are consequently delivered from the Law so farre forth as it is the strength of sinne and are constituted under another and better regiment which the Apostle calls Grace or the Law of Faith First we are delivered from the Law as a Covenant of righteousnesse and expect Iustification and Salvation onely by faith in Him who is The Lord our Righteousnesse Christ is the End of the Law for Righteousnes We are righteous by the righteousnesse of God without the Law that is not that righteousnesse by which God as God is righteous but by a righteousnesse which we have not by nature or in our selves or from any principles of our creation which Saint Paul calls Mans own righteousnes but from the meer grace gift of God Secondly hereupon consequently wee are delivered from the rigor of the Law which consisteth in two things first it requireth perfect obedience secondly perpetuall obedience Wee must doe all things that are written in the Booke of the Law and we must continue to doe them Now from this we are delivered though not as a Dutie yet as such a necessity as brings death upon the faile in it When a mans conscience doth summon him before Gods tribunall to bee justified or condemned he dares not trust his owne performances because no flesh can be righteous in Gods sight Though the Gospell both command and promise and worke holynesse in us yet when wee goe to finde out that to which we must stand for our last tryall by which wee resolve to expect remission of sinnes and inheritance with the Saints there is so much pollution and fleshly ingredients in our best workes that we dare trust none but Christs owne adequate performance of the Law whereby wee are delivered from the rigor and inexorablenesse thereof That inherent and habituall exactnesse which the Law requireth in our persons in supplied by the merit of Christ that actuall perfection which it requireth in our services is supplyed by the incense and intercession of Christ. And though wee are full of weaknesse all our righteousnesse as a menstruous cloth many ragges and remnants of the old Adam cleave still unto us and we are kept under that captivitie and unavoydable service of sinne which hee sold us under yet this Priviledge and Immunitie we have by Christ that our desires are accepted that God spareth us as Sonnes that Christ taketh away all the iniquitie of our Holy things that when we faint he leads us when we fall he pitties us and heales us when we turne and repent he forgives accepts welcomes and feasts us with his compassions Thirdly we are delivered from the curse of the Law Christ being made a curse for us and the chastisement of our peace being laid on him From punishments eternall He hath delivered us from the wrath to come and from punishments Temporall as formall punishments When we are judged of the Lord we are chastened but wee are not condemned they are for declaration of Gods displeasure but not of his fury or vengeance they are to amend us and not to consume us blowes that polish us for the Temple and conforme us unto our Head and weane us from the world not tastes and forerunners of further wrath They are like Iobs dunghill set up to see a Redeemer upon And besides this as Sons of promise we are blessed with faithfull Abraham have interest in that pretious vertue of the Gospell which makes all things worke together for the best to those that love God Lastly we are hereupon consequently delivered from those effects of the spirit of bondage which come along with the Law And they are principally three First To manifest to the Conscience that a man is in a desperate and damnable condition in stead whereof there comes along with Christ
wolvish and wasting lusts and by consequence is not able to settle and secure the heart in the enioyment of them But now by Faith in the promises the godly have their hold altered have their estate setled in a better and surer tenure delivered from those many encumbrances and intanglements vnto the which before they were obnoxious so that now a mans heart is secured beyond all doubts or humane feares A poore man may object I am not wise enough to order my affaires I am disabled by sicknesse and weaknesse to attend my Calling my charge encreaseth vpon mee and my probabilities of providing for them waxe smaller then before But yet Faith is able to answer these and all other the like objections by proposing the promise Dost thou live by thine owne strength Dost thou prosper by thine owne wisedome and industry or by the blessing and truth of God in his promises and is Gods Truth an Accepter of persons Is not his fidelitie as firme towards weake and poore as towards rich beleevers Is there any want or weakenesse any poverty or deficiency in heaven Doe the promises of God stand in need of mans wisedome or strength to bring them to passe Can thy encrease of charge or occasions exhaust the Treasures or drie vp the Fountaines and truth of God If an honourable and wealthy person have occasions to enlarge his retinue and live at a higher pitch then before yet because hee hath abundance he doth not repine at this necessitie All the faithfull are of the houshold and family of God who is no whit the poorer in his state and power by maintaining many or few He gives to all men yet he gives liberally Iam 1. 5. which no rich man in the World is able to do because as he gives to others himself decreaseth But God gives out of a Fountaine as the Sunne gives light which whether it shine to one or to thousands retaines still equall light in it selfe neither can the eyes of men exhaust or draw out the light of the Sunne All the Creatures are mine saith God upon a thousand hills If a thousand hills can beare corne enough or feed Cattel enough for any poore mans reliefe he need not doubt or feare for God hath still thousands of mountaines as it were so many granaries or store-houses in his truth and promises for the faithfull in any straits to have recourse unto And thus faith gives us all things by entituling us to the Promises Against all this which hath been spoken touching the excellency of Faith may be objected that determination of the Apostle Now abideth Faith Hope and Charitie these three but the greatest of these is Charitie 1. Cor. 13. 13. By which comparison this point touching the precedency of faith seemes to be impaired To which I answer That the Apostle speakes of a greatnesse extensivè in regard of duration Charitie being an everlasting Grace but faith pertaining onely to this life as being requisite to the present qualitie and states of the Church for faith and fruition are oppos'd 2. Cor. 5. 7. Faith looketh upon things in their promises fruition in their reall existence but now consider faith as an instrument to lay hold on Christ and the precious promises of life and grace in him and consider it as a Roote a living principle to put the heart in worke to purifie the conscience to enflame the heart to spirituall obedience and a retribution of holy love to God for all his love to us in his Sonne and thus Faith exceeds Charitie as the motion of the mouth in eating which is an act that tends immediately to life doth the motion of the mouth in speaking which tendeth not to an end so important nor absolutely necessary Another objection may be this Other Graces make a man like Christ which Faith cannot do because Christ could not beleeve unto justification or life having the Fountaine of both aboundantly in himselfe whereas the proper and primitive worke of Faith is to carry a man out of himselfe and to make him see all his sufficiency in another To which I answer two wayes First Christ had faith though not to such purposes as wee Faith in the common nature of it as it imports assent to all divine truth and adherence or reliance of the soule to the benefit and goodnesse which the same brings with it for ratio veritatis and ratio commodi are the two objects of a right faith or rather severall qualifications of the same object thus it is a Legall thing comming under the compasse of those duties of the Law unto which Christ made himselfe subject But faith as a Condition an Officer an Instrument of justification so it could not stand with Christ who was not to be righteous by beleeving but to bee himselfe the righteousnesse of those that beleeve But in other respects when the Apostle saith hee was heard in that which he feared when hee saith himselfe My God my God it is manifest that though he had not faith for righteousnesse yet he had it for deliverance that though he were not saved by beleeving yet hee was obedient in beleeving Secondly it is more to be one with Christ then to be like him more to bee a part of him then a picture now faith makes a unitie with Christ other graces onely a resemblance faith makes a man a member others onely a follower of him and so in that respect still Faith hath the prehemiuence Now then from the great necessitie and pretiousnesse of this duty we may first inferre the greatnesse of their sin who neglect it who live with no sense of the want and little sorrow for the weaknesse of it to lie sweare revell cozen to live in the practice of any notorious outrage and morall enormitie many men esteeme hainous and vnworthie But to live in infidelitie without the knowledge or fellowship of Christ in an utter unacquaintance with their owne unworthinesse and unexperience of their everlasting insufficiencies to compasse or contrive their owne saluation are things seldome or never seriouslie thought on by them And yet infidelity is indeed the edge and sting of all other sinnes that which bindes them and their guilt everlastingly upon the soule and locketh them like shackles to the conscience which otherwise by the helpe of Christ might easily shake them of He that beleeveth saith Christ is not condemned he that beleeveth not is condemned already and the wrath of God abideth on him There is a displeasure which is but for a moment a wrath which doth only sing and blow vpon the soule and then away such the faithfull themselues after some bold adventure into the waies of sinne may haue experience of And there is a wrath which is constant permanent intimately and euerlastinglie adherent vnto the Soule which will seize onely vpon vnbeleeuers The spirit shall convince the World of Sinne because they beleeve not saith Christ. Sinne there stands in opposition to righteousnesse and Iudgement
or holinesse so that the meaning is The spirit shall convince men that they are unrighteous and unholie men held under by the guilt condemnation and power of sinne shut vp in fast chaines unto the wrath and iudgement of the great Day unauoidably cast and condemned in the Court of Law because they fled not by faith unto that office of mercie and reconciliation which the Father hath erected in his beloved Sonne All sinnes do of themselues deserve damnation but none doe de facto inferre damnation without infidelitie This was that great provocation in the Wildernesse which kept the people out of the Land of Promise and for which God is said to have beene grieved fortie yeeres together How long will this people provoke mee How long will it bee ere they beleeve in me they despised the holy Land they beleeved not his word they drew backward and turned againe in their hearts into Egypt The Apostle summes vp all their murmurings and provocations for which they were excluded that type of heauen in this one word They entred not in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of their vnbeliefe If there bee but one onely medicine against a deadly disease and when that is offered to the sicke person he refuse it and throw it vnder his feete the state of that man is infallibly desperate and remedilesse There is but one name but one sacrifice but one blood by which we can be saved perfected and purged for ever and without which God can have no pleasure in us how can wee then escape if we neglect so great salvation and trample under foote the blood of the Covenant It is a fruitlesse labour and an endlesse folly for men to use any other courses be they in appearance never so specious probable rigorous mortified Pharisaicall nay angelicall for extricating themselues out of the maze of sinne or exonerating their consciences of the guilt or power thereof without faith Though a man could scourge out of his owne bodie rivers of blood and in a neglect of himselfe could outfast Moses or Elias though he could weare out his knees with prayer and had his eyes nail'd vnto heaven though he could build hospitals for all the poore on the earth and exhaust the Mines of India into almes though hee could walke like an Angell of light and with the glittering of an outward holinesse dazle the eyes of all beholders nay if it were possible to be conceiv'd though he should live for a thousand yeeres in a perfect and perpetuall observation of the whole Law of God his originall corruption or any one though the least digression and deviation from that Law alone excepted yet such a man as this could no more appeare before the tribunall of Gods Iustice then stubble before a consuming fire It is onely Christ in the bush that can keepe the fire from burning It is onely Christ in the heart that can keepe sinne from condemning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without mee that is separated from mee yee can doe nothing towards the iustification of your persons or salvation of your soules or sanctification of your lives or natures No burden can a man shake off no obstacle can hee breake through no temptation can hee overcome without faith shake off every thing that presseth downe and the sinne which hangeth so fast on and runne with patience namely through all oppositions and contradictions the race that is set before you saith the Apostle But how shall we do such unfeasible works Hee shewes that in the next words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 looking of from our selves unto Iesus the Author and finisher of our faith When a man lookes inward upon his owne strength hee may as justly despaire of moving sinne from his soule as of casting downe Mountaines with one of his fingers but he who is able to give vs faith is by that able to make all things possible unto vs. The world tempts with promises wages pleasures of sinne with frownes threats and persecutions for righteousnesse If a man have not faith to see in Christ more pretious promises more sure mercies more full rewards more aboundant and everlasting pleasures to see in the frownes of God more terror in the wrath of God more bitternes in the threats of God more certainty in the Law of God more curses then all the world can load him withall impossible it is that he should stand under such assaults for this is the victory which overcommeth the world even our faith Satan dischargeth his fierie darts upon the soule darts pointed and poysoned with the venome of Serpents which set the heart on fire from one lust unto another if a man have not put on Christ do not make use of the shield of faith to hold up his heart with the promises of victory to hold out the triumph of Christ over the powers of death and darkenesse to see himselfe under the protection of him who hath already throwne downe the Dragon from Heaven who hath Satan in a chaine and the keyes of the bottomlesse Pit in his owne command to say unto him The Lord rebuke thee Satan even the Lord that hath chosen Ierusalem rebuke thee impossible it is to quench any of his temptations or to stand before the rage and fury of so roaring a Lion Whom resist saith S. Peter stedfast in the faith Our corruptions set upon us with our own strength with high imaginations with strong reasonings with lustfull dalliances with treacherous solicitations with plausible pretences with violent importunities with deceitfull promises with fearefull prejudices with profound unsearchable points and traines on all sides lust stirs workes within us like sparkles in a dried leafe sets every faculty against it self The mind tempts it self unto vanity the understanding tempts it selfe unto error and curiosity the will tempts it selfe unto frowardnesse and contuinacie the heart tempts it selfe unto hardnesse and security If a man have not faith impossible it is either to make any requests to God against himselfe or to denie the requests of sinne which himselfe maketh It is faith alone which must purifie the heart and trust his power and fidelity who is both willing and able to subdue corruptions In vaine it is to strive except a man strive lawfully In prayer it is faith which must make us successefull in the word it is faith which must make us profitable In obedience it is faith which must make us cheerefull in afflictions it is faith which must make vs patient in trials it is faith which must make vs resolute in desertions it is faith which must make us comfortable in life it is faith which must make vs fruitfull and in death it is faith which must make us victorious So that as he said of water 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so may I of faith It is of all things the most soveraigne and pretious because it is of universall use in the