Gods turning hardning softning opening or shutting of Mens hearts as Men do of the motion of natural bodies by strength or wit not considering that these things are spoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the manner of Men Metaphorically for our apprehension And if wise Men are able by solid reasons to convince Mens judgments and Eloquent Men are able to incline their wills and affections how much more is the Alwise God by his Spirit able to clear our understandings to a full satisfaction and to draw our desires to those divine truths which he hath revealed by Jesus Christ What more there is in the work of God's conversion of Men by his calling Justification and Sanctification of them let any Man satisfie me fairly Saving Faith Et erit mihi magnus Apollo If Saving Faith properly so called be an entring into Covenant with God in assenting to the promises of his Last will and Testament and making reciprocal promises to him again for Justification And if Holiness be a keeping of our Covenant or faithfulness to our promises for Sanctification And if expectation of Glory be a hope of that Blessedness to which we are justified and sanctified Then where is the infusion of any habit or physical change insensibly made in the Soul But rather as in all Covenants is there not 1. A free offer or promise from God 2. A free consent of acceptance from Man 3. A free observation of obedience to God 4. A free expectation of reward from God All things are free in rational Agents and Patients A rational free Agent thus works upon a rational free Patient 1. By propounding his will in Doctrine 2. By intreaties and exhortations in promises This is Divine and Humane working and drawing with the cords of Love So Wisdom enters into the Soule Not as water out of one vessel into another while one vessel knows not what another doth but by illumination of Wisdom precept upon precept line upon line here a little and there a little This is our forcing and fashioning anew our partaking of the Divine Nature and of the precious promises of God our regeneration our new Creation our Translation from the power of Darkness into the Kingdom of the dear Son of God This is to be in the state of Grace to be Elect to have our Names written in the Book of Life to be in Covenant and Alliance with God to be his Children Heirs and Co-heirs with Christ If Faith comes ordinarily by hearing or otherwise Means of Faith where there is no preaching even by Conversation Contemplation observation of Divine Providences or by other unknown instincts and revelations All these waies and means are informative and persuasive and the more because they come from a Divine Spirit and offer a Divine reward and carry a Divine assistance along with them This is a more God like and Man like way from a free Creator to a free Creature than an insensible irresistible plastick power upon a dead stock or stone It would be mockery to a Soul in that senseless and slavish condition to bid it hear that is deaf or see that is blind or run that is lame Then to what purpose is Reason Will or Memory or are they lost by our fall and where are they if we can answer without blushing God can do all this and more Object God can do nothing but wisely and justly Answ It is not wise to save a Man without or against his Will or to make him willing whether he will or no. Therefore God cannot do it It is not noble to give any thing to one that refuseth or to continue it to him that after acceptation and reception will not use it or improve it As for the notion of a New Heart and a New Spirit A New Heart It is as when a Man is advanced to any Dignity or Rule He is a New Man and hath another Spirit yet the same individual Soul and Body remains How much more when a Man by being in League and Covenant with his God is advanced to the Dignity of a Son and Heir of Heaven hath a Man a New Heart and Spirit yet the same individual Soul and Body remains so doth he live above himself and all the World to what he did before yet he is the same Person though altered in his conditions And God gives this Spirit to this Faith which is the Gift of God 1. To hear his Word outward inward 2. To understand it 3. To love and embrace it 4. To persevere in it 5. To hope for Eternal Life by it So God is all in all not essentially by his Substance in our Hearts working as in a Shop but virtually rationally liberally operating and cooperating by his Spirit with our Spirits teaching moving helping in all our internal and external actions Amen The Fourth BOOK OF SANCTIFICATION The CONTENTS Transition Spirit the first Agent Hidden Man Outward Man Natural Man Supernatural Inspiration Penal and grievous Beneficial and gracious Holy Spirit Spiritual Man TITLE I. Of the Spirit THE Act of the Understanding apprehending the truth of Divine promises and the Act of the Will assenting to them The Transition and covenanting with the Promiser is the act of Faith justifying the Soul to all the Rights of God's Estate and engaging the Soul to all the Commands of God's Will The Act of the Understanding apprehending the Truth of Divine precepts and the act of the Will consenting to them and performing the Covenant is the act of Love sanctifying the Soul till it come to perfect holiness in the fear of God for the obtaining of the Inheritance amongst them that are sanctified by Faith which is in Christ Jesus Thus the Entrance into Covenant with God is the Exercise of Faith to Justification and the continuance in that Covenant is the practise of Faithfulness or Holiness to Sanctification and Glorification by the Spirit SECT I. There is scarce any word in the whole Scripture that hath more various significations than the word Spirit I shall pass by most of them and shall only lead the understanding to the sense which this word beareth particularly to the point in hand Spirit the first Agent That secret Engine which is the first mover in a Watch which moveth all the wheels but is moved of no wheel and without which no wheel doth or can move as to the going of the Watch is called the Spring of the Watch. And that secret fine substance which is the first Agent in Man which doth act all his Members but is acted of no Member and without which no Member doth or can act as to any humane action is called the Spirit of Man Whereof the knowing faculty which affirmeth or denyeth matter of truth or falshood is called the Mind or Understanding and the moving faculty whereby the Spirit chooseth or refuseth matter of good or evil is called the Will or Affection And the judging faculty which accuseth or excuseth acquitteth
the Flesh is a base fordid and slavish Life 3. The Life of the Flesh is a dull stupid and sottish Life 4. The Life of the Flesh is a vexatious toilsom and uncomfortable Life But on the contrary 1. The Life of the Spirit or of Faith is an high towring and Stately Life 2. The Life of the Spirit is a free generous and noble Life 3. The Life of the Spirit is a clear brisk and most ingenious Life 4. The Life of the Spirit is a pleasant and fully contented Life 5. The Life of the Spirit is an everlasting Life 6. The Mind and Will of Sense and the Mind and Will of Reason were the Gift of God by Creation passing to Mankind by the means of Generation without sin and before sin and Law that made sin to be known 7. The Mind and Will of the Spirit perfecting and sanctifying the Mind and Will of Sense and the Mind and Will of Reason were the Gift of God by Promise or Covenant and Faith of God and Man convey'd to Mankind by the means of Regeneration without sin and after sin and Law that made sin to be known by Grace and Pardon through Jesus Christ 1. Thus the Life of Sense is natural and good till it exceed in its operations the rules and limits of a law put upon it For sin is the transgression of a law and where there is no law there is no transgression but still the sense is unregenerate 2. The Life of Reason is natural and better in a tendency to Regeneration while it acts like it self by rules of right Reason and the Law of Nature till it be debauched by the carnal Mind and Will and drawn down to unreasonable notions and appetites 3. The Life of Faith is Supernatural good and best of all which is the state of Regeneration and a new Creation of a new and perfect Man in Christ Jesus SECT IV. 1. Therefore we are to do all in Faith Corollaries 1. Acts of Sense and Passions of love joy fear c. 2. Acts of Reason Arts Sciences and Mysteries Speculative and Practick So we live above all these 2. Therefore we are to suffer all in Faith 2. Sense pain sickness scorn shame c. 2. Reason ignorance errour and all failings So we live above all these 3. Therefore we keep integrity in all Conditions 1. Peace health honour wealth favour and all prosperity 2. War sickness shame poverty and all adversity 4. Thus we may try and judg of both estates the Old Man and the New the Flesh and the Spirit the Old Creature and the New the unregenerate and the Regenerate the Child of the Devil and the Child of God 1. Consider a Man that leads a Carnal Life He is very busie about what pleaseth his sense and carnal reason he takes care for his health and pleasure he hunts after gain honour and pride he studies for Learning Arts and Sciences Well what will all this do Ask him when he comes to die Where 's his pleasure profit Learning c. all is gone and he is going from all and what comfort have they left behind Now he must die and all 's left behind He enjoy'd his worldly wealth as long as he could and now some body will sing O be joyful and throw it away as fast as he raked it together and faster too 2. Consider a Man that leads a Spiritual Life He is very busie about what pleases his Soul he takes care for his Soul's health he searches for the true gain he studies for the true Wisdom Well what will all this do ask him when he comes to die Where 's his pleasure profit Learning c. all is present with him and go along with him his end is Peace and he enters into Peace He dies a wise and holy Man and he is happy and gone to God and his memory is precious 5. Thus by Faith I am justified to the promise By Faith I enter into the Promise by Faith I receive the Spirit of Promise the Adoption Sanctification Hope Comfort Love and Glory by Faith I labour in the works of Love and work out my Salvation with fear and trembling by Faith I hold out in prosperity from being translated ravished or overcome by peace wealth c. By Faith I hold out in adversity and live in all storms from being overwhelmed by pain grief c. into despair By Faith I resist and overcome the Devil by Faith I live by Faith I die and rest in hope to enjoy the end of my hope Everlasting Life Conclusion Therefore without Holiness there can be no happiness for to be carnally minded is Death but to be Spiritually minded is Life and Peace for if we live after the Flesh we shall die but if we through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the Flesh we shall live Ergo 1. In Feudation is Adoption Justification and engrafting into Christ By Faith 2. Homage is Regeneration Re-creation and Sanctification by works Quod erat demonstrandum The Fifth BOOK OF ASSURANCE The CONTENTS Transition Promises Publick Faith Spirit Waiting TITLE I. Of the Nature of Assurance OUR Justification doth create unto us a present right to the future possession of Heavenly Blessedness Transition The matter whereunto the Right claimeth is the Heavenly Blessedness it self the Title whereby this Right is acquired or had is Faith by the higher Title of Free-Grace the Tenure whereby it is continued or held is Sanctification or Works and the Services of Love and the Assurance whereby it is witnessed or proved is the Spirit by Faith For where a Right is imparted convey'd or settled upon me Reason it is good reason that besides my Title and my Tenure I should have some good Assurance from the Donor or Granter whereby the truth of such conveyance may be witnessed and proved in case the Donor or Granter should fail or deny or recal such conveyance But especially this Assurance is to be made where the Gift or Grant is imperfect as alwaies it is in all Promises For by force of a Promise there is convey'd unto me only a bare right or interest to a thing and not any possession of the thing it self but the actual delivery of it is suspended until some time future And therefore in the mean time some Assurance is most necessary for me that thereby I may know how to witness the Promise formerly passed unto me for my future possession of the thing promised when the time thereto assigned shall be expired 1. In the Old Testament God promised unto Abraham the inheritance of the Land of Canaan and Abraham believing God or accepting the Promise had by virtue of such his Faith a present right thereto But because he had not the present possession of it he requested some Assurance whereby he might know that he should inherit it Gen. 15.8 And he said Lord whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it And God gave him an Assurance by
ought to be exploded and rooted out of minds innocently tender and good and willing to be taught better Discerning Party The honest searching and discerning Clergy and Laity discover them to be pious frauds to get Reputation and Gain and labour wisely and carefully to undeceive and satisfie the world by the few necessary and plain Truths of Christ as he and his Disciples have published them to all Mankind in the four Gospels and the Acts and Epistles of the Apostles And till this course be taken the Church and the World will never be at peace Primitive Times This Course was prosecuted in the first four hundred years with plainness and simplicity of Life and Doctrine by the best of Saints not without some intrusion of Judaism and Gentilism betimes even in the daies of the Apostles with other workings of men of Antichristian spirits But afterwards when Riches and Honour and with them Pride and Worldly Interests came crowding in amongst Church-men out went the old plain way of preaching and living and in came vain Philosophy Oratory Flattery Ambition Persecution Division and what not most unlike to the profession of Christianity and contrary to the power of godliness Many noble Souls had their eyes fixed and their hands exercised in the old way of Truth and grieved for the Deviations which they could not help or reform at all but protested manfully against them like faithful Witnesses and Followers of their Lord and Master and kept the Faith all along which was once delivered to the Saints and some died for it But at last after many overtures of Truth that could not be hid Reformation a greater assault was made than ordinary to shake off her chains bring her out of the Dungeon and rowse her up against Lies and it was done effectually to rare intents and purposes Then were the Ages filled with more learned and unbiassed men than ever since the Apostles daies Then together with Religion Arts and Sciences revived and flourished not without great augmentations of Honour Plenty and Peace that accrued thereunto in the kingdoms of the World which fared the better for the Church Yet envious men were never wanting nor ever will to sow Tares still foggs and vapours arise but the Sun shines and climbs his Meridian The strong man keepeth his house and there is none stronger than he to turn him out The old abominable Heresies though revived and new ones added nevertheless their monstrous heads are and will be cut off by the mighty Giants defenders of the Faith They sneak into corners hang down their heads dare not shew their guilty faces save to the ignorant and rebellious others hiss them out of doors The Ancient paths are now more and more enquired for and glorious Captains lead the way They that do not follow are nevertheless convinced and cannot but approve of the things they refuse to practice Those therefore that aspire to this Evangelical temper are the noblest Souls and tread in the stateliest paths of Vertue and Peace and bring more Souls unto God For which their labour and moderation they feel the odium of the World and the unlucky blows of their Enemies but are commended and defended by God and all good men for their so honourable and gallant undertakings Besides what Errors have been of old there have been since by degrees brought in so many as threaten corruption of the whole Mass of Christian Doctrine As the setting up Infallibility and Supremacy where none should seek to be the greatest the Idol of the Masse the Worship of Daemons the Diana for Gain Purgatory and Pardons the cheat of Auricular Confessions Images Penances Reliques and innumerable Ceremonies repugnant to the simplicity of Gospel worship To these may be added the Chymistry of Rosicrucians Behemists Cabbalists Casuists Summists School-men Postillers and Enthusiasts of all sorts These high and Magisterial dictates imposed upon the pain of Damnation together with the intolerable Pride Avarice and Luxury of Church-men open the mouths of the Adversary to cry down the Clergy for Cheats and Robbers of the Souls Honours and Estates of Mankind cause them to question all Truths and fall into direct Atheism and Profaneness Yet am I not without powerful hopes and do already see and wonder at the wise and gracious Providence of God in stirring up the spirits of Rare men to baffle the Carnal Fallacies and Superstitious Riddles that have bewitched the Age and advance the power of Godliness and pure worship with obedience to Princes 1. God hath abolished the Jewish Service 2. God hath silenced the Heathenish Oracles 3. God hath ceased from Miracles frighting Mortals by Comets Plagues Famines c. into faith and obedience 4. Never purer Wits since the world stood 5. Never braver Clergy since the World stood 6. Never holier Souls since the world stood 7. Never baser Spirits since the world stood As for this Dross of the Age the Ranters and Atheists they will die and be damned like base fellows as they are they will soon be kick't off the stage and drove out of the Hives as useless and hurtful in Church and State the very shame of Mankind a fair riddance in God's good time and Truth which is greatest will prevail Wisdom shall be justified of her Children shame shall be unto Fools and God shall be glorified above all Amen The Clench for good and all The Dispositions of God's Will and Estate by Testament are concerning Things to be had videlicet a present Right to a future Inheritance and concerning Things to be done for the having them or for Justification to them by Faith and for the holding of them by Sanctification or Tenure of Love In Gods last Will and Testament managed and ratified for ever by Christ's death and performed by his Resurrection Ascension Oblation Session and Last Judgment is disposed a present Right to a future estate of Eternal Blessedness The Earnest and Assurance whereof is sealed unto us by the Spirit of God in the means of Faith justifying thereunto The Last stroke God is the Sole Lord of Blessedness to which the Faithful have the true Right by oath of Fealty to their Liege Lord to hold it in Fee by personal homage and service When they have performed their Faith and Allegiance and done their full homage constantly to the end of their Spiritual warfare then are they invested in the full and indefeisable Estate of Blessedness in a quasi Allodium for ever The End of the Second Volume
Christ's Mediation to bring us to God Cross to be gloried in Cross outward and inward Effect of Cross-crucifixion Procured by outward cross Philosophy Christianity Christ the Sacrifice and Priest Christians true Sacrifices and Priests Decrees Christ's doing and suffering our doing and suffering Corollaries Christ a Priest Christ quickened by his eternal spirit Christ a Prophet Christ a King p. 224 APPENDIX OR Application to the Clergy and Laity Title 1. Of the Clergie's Calling Word Sacraments Gospel-spirit p. 243 Title 2. Of the Clergie's Doctrine Precepts Promises Conditions p. 244 Title 3. Of the Clergie's Persons p. 246 Title 4. Of the Clergie's Study Law Law-terms p. 247 Title 5. Of the Laitie's Calling p. 251 Title 6. Of the Laitie's Doctrine ibid. Title 5. Of the Laitie's Persons p. 252 Title 8. Of the Genius of the Gospel Joy Fear Decrees Gospel dispensations Worship spiritual Ceremonies Difference of Mosaick and Christian Rites Church of Rome Perfection of Christianity Spiritual perfection Ritual worship abolished No other Rites to be superinduced No Rites ever pleased God Greater perfections in the Christian Religion Prayer and other duties are Relativi Juris p. 254 THE CONTENTS OF THE Second Volume of the Estate of God The First Book Of Rights Title 1. Of Things TRansition Testament Things Method God's Donation Things to be had Things to be done Free-will Right p. 287 Title 2. Of Persons Personality Forfeiture Freedom Falling Recovery p. 293 Title 3. Of Rights Transition Right Definition Instances Independency Indifferency Liberality Creation Donation Declaration Faction Reception Justification Private right Publick right Justice Rights to God Rights to body and soul Rights to wife Rights to children Rights to estate and honour Rights not to be violated Day of Judgment Shame To be right To make right To bestow right To have right To do right Collections Rather hurt self than others Moral honesty not doubted of Vse Reason Reason of Nature Equity of Conscience Tricks in law Severity of old in the Church Man's judgment Relations Friendship Possibility of law Fates Justice in God and Man Wrong none Truth evident Caution p. 295 Title 4. Of Actions Transition Intention Execution Free-will Imperfection Willingness Implicit faith Social actions Jussion p. 316 The Second Book Of Titles Title 1. Of a Sinner Transition Vnjust legally Vnjust morally Vnjust jurally Oppressed Blemished Distressed Tainted p. 322 Title 2. Of Original sin Rom. 5.12 explained Recapitulation Accounting Adam's will not ours Levi's paying of Tithes All mortal in Adam Righteous in Christ Immortal in Christ Every Individuum acts for it self Sinner legal Sinner moral Sinner jural Psal 51.6 explained Ephes 2.3 explained Soul a spirit Good most common Good lovely v. lib. 7. Tit. 3.2 Vol. Argumenta Laciniata p. 326 Title 3. Of a Just man Just Just legally Just morally Just jurally Right Accounting God righteous 349 The Third Book Of Justification Title 1. Of the Name of Justification The term Justifie Accounting Synonyma Bondage Freedom Burden Corporation Other names p. 357 Title 2. Of the form of Justification Imputation Logick Logistick Christ's Righteousness p. 364 Title 3. Of the Matter of Justification Right Corporation Impunity Liberty Provision Protection Audience Alliance Resurrection Jurisdiction Glory Rights of Christ Expectation Supplication Possession p. 371 Title 4. Of the Title of Justification Free grace Titles Birth Purchase Desert Favour Condemnation Gifts Impunity Election Glory Boasting Will of the Receiver Will of the Donor Free grace begins at God's will Free grace makes the Title stronger Free grace makes for God's grace and glory Justification is the best state of love All Rights are from Grace Donation Election Promise God justifieth Christ justifieth The wrong title Law Allegory of the two Covenants Ishmael and Isaac Hagar and Sarah Law a Covenant of bondage Gospel a Covenant of liberty Jacob and Esau Works p. 380 Title 5. Of the Continuance of Justification Relapse a revolt from God Breach of one Party disobligeth the other Mutability of Justification Kingdom of God Natural man Spiritual man Forfeiture Example of Israelites p. 398 Title 6. Of the Tenure of Justification Transition Works James 2.18 explained Works of love p. 405 Title 7. Faith Notions of Faith Credence Trust Promise given Promise taken Re-promise Courage Hope Covenant Faith in Christ Christ the conveyer of faith Christ the author of faith Declaring God's will Proving God's will Testament ad pias Causas Physical operation Moral operation Saving faith Means of faith A new heart 409 The Fourth Book Of Sanctification Title 1. Of the Spirit Transition Spirit the first Agent Hidden man Outward man Natural man Supernatural inspiration Penal and grievous Beneficial and gracious Holy spirit Spiritual man p. 421 Title 2. Of Conscience Definition Seat Vnderstanding Will Memory Reflection p. 424 Title 3. Of the disposition of Conscience To direct To urge To register To testifie To accuse Before the action In the action After the action p. 425 Title 4. Of the indisposition of Conscience Suspension of the offices of Conscience In good men In evil men Ignorance Learning Riches Poverty Self-love Idleness Prejudice Companions God 's not regarding Cross sins Success Satisfaction Want of a spiritual Clergy p. 431 Title 5. Of the restitution of Conscience Believe Conscience Not believe Conscience Self-examination Forsake sin Confess sin Collections p. 440 Title 6. Of a New Creature Transition Old man Old leaven Natural man Carnal mind New man New lump Spiritual mind New birth First resurrection Old creation Concurrency of God and man p. 444 Title 7. Of the Flesh and Spirit Transition Sensual and Spiritual life Mind and will of Flesh and Spirit Life in man threefold Spiritual senses and passions Life of Faith Corollaries Conclusion p. 450 The Fifth Book Of Assurance Title 1. Of the Nature of Assurance Transition Promises Publick Faith Spirit Waiting p. 455 Title 2. Of the Grounds of Assurance Matter of Fact Matter of Right Matter of Witness Spirit of Assurance Ability Sealed Earnest p. 460 Title 3. Of the Kinds of Assurance Names Species p. 465 Title 4. Of the Abuse of Assurance Doctrine of Masses Of no Salvation without the Pale of the Church Of lying still in sin Imputed Righteousness Collections Cautions Obstructions Rules Election p. 468 The Sixth Book Of Tenures Title 1. Of Allodium Transition Estates Allodium Lordship Model from the Goths Etymology Crown Lands Caution Apology p. 476 Title 2. Of Feudum Name Definition Promise Investiture Felony p. 481 The Seventh Book Of Christ's Church and Kingdom Title 1. Of a Feudal Kingdom Transition Feudal Customes Feudal Kingdoms best Goths and Vandals Goths honest Goths endowed the Church first with Lands and Lordships Jus Feudale Manners of Goths Resemblances of a Feudal Kingdom Blessedness Cursedness Church Militant Church Triumphant Tenure of Heaven conditional Holding of God Absolute dominion Feuds a middle government Christ sole Judge Customes in a Feudal kingdom Excellency of a Feudal government Collections Parables run not on all four Tenure of
proceeds only from Righteousness Wisd 1.15 for Righteousness is immortal Sin is mortal and mortalizeth the Body Righteousness is immortal and immortalizeth the Body Where sin rules death rules where sin is conquered death is conquered SECTION VI. The Reasons for Victory over Death are these 1. Because Sin is conquered which is the Sting and Curse of Death Sin conquered that else would hold us in everlasting Death For as long as sin is in death unpardoned by dying in sin there can be no recovery from Eternal death for sin As long as the Debt is not paid there can be no recovery out of Prison 2. Because the Law is conquered which stirred up sin Law conquered and accused sin unto death Christ hath fulfilled the Law and abolished the Types and Curses thereof 3. The Devil is conquered that lays the Law against us Devil conquered he came upon us as a strong man to bind us in death but Christ came upon him and bound him that had the Power of Death and cast him and Death both out of doors and brought life and immortality to light O Death I will be thy death O Grave I will be thy destruction Death is swallowed up in victory and Christ hath destroyed the works of the Devil and we shall bruise Satan under every one of our feet 4. Because Christ hath entred into the Holy of Holies in Heaven Christ entred into the Holy of Holies and is gone before to prepare a place for us therefore where he is there we shall also be Having hitherto shewed what are the great things which we have purchased for us by Christ and how we are to endeavour after them by the aids of his Spirit promised to be given to us for that purpose namely the Inward and Real Victory over sin and the Curse for sin that so we may obtain a victory over Death and Hell It will be very obvious to observe the Errours of those that pretend to high spirituality of Doctrine and walking with God and yet alledg an utter impossibility of ever conquering of sin in their hearts and therefore never go about the work of mortification or self-denial as there is no reason they should if it were true that all were done to their hands or if not that thing enjoyned were utterly beyond their Power The CONTENTS Nothing for us to do Trust to Outward Mortifications Superstition Natural Complexion for Divine Grace Rhetoricating Consequences of Christ's Death and Resurrection Material Cross Spiritual Cross Material Resurrection Spiritual Resurrection Material Ascension Spiritual Ascension No Oblation pleased God but Christ's Every one that comes to God must offer Christian Religion most Spiritual and Glorious No Mediator but Christ End of Christ's Mediation to bring us to God Cross to be gloried in Cross outward and inward Effect of Cross Crucifixion Procured by outward Cross Philosophy Christianity Christ the Sacrifice and Priest Christians true Sacrifices and Priests Decrees Christ's doing and suffering our doing and suffering Corollaries Christ a Priest Christ quickned by his Eternal Spirit Christ a Prophet Christ a King TITLE IX Of Mistakes of the Effects of Christ's Humiliation and Exaltation Nothing for us to do FIrst therefore some confidently believe That all things are already done for us and nothing remains to be done for our selves as if because Christ hath taken up his Cross for us we should not take up our Cross for our selves because he hath suffered we should not suffer with him and fill up that which is behind of the sufferings of Christ the Head as the Members of his Body which is the Church as if there were no Power of his Death nor vertue of his Resurrection nor Fellowship in his Sufferings nor any conformity with Christ wrought inwardly in our Souls by his holy Spirit turning all Righteousness into a bare accounting and being imputed Righteous by the Righteousness which is another's and no inherent Holiness or Sanctification of the Spirit which is our own without which no man shall see the Face of God This is an Idaea of Holiness and the Happiness will be accordingly .. A Shadow and no Substance This is to deny the Real Evil of Sin and the Real Holiness of the Spirit turning really from Darkness unto Light and from the power of Satan unto God Or else this is to make God to be bribed and corrupted by the Sacrifice and Oblation of Christ to indulge men in their own Sins by clothing them and hiding them with his Son's Righteousness though he knows well enough they are inwardly unrighteous and yet by vertue of that Imputed Righteousness they shall be excused from all Sin and the real Punishment of Eternal Death So there shall be an Impunity from God for Sin than which there cannot be a greater Evil nor more against the Mind of God who naturally hates Sin nor more against the mind of the Godly who more abhor the sin than they dread the vengeance So the Kingdom of Sin and Satan should be still unbattered and we partly under Satan and partly under Christ partly sinful that is inwardly and partly righteous that is outwardly by Imputation and being reckoned so to be not so indeed And so serve God and Mammon have fellowship with Christ and with Sin and Devils Overthrow all Reason and Religion of Justice or Mercy in God or Goodness or Vertue in us All the ground these men have for what they affirm is their strong belief that it is so without any Sense or Reason that it should be so or how it can be so that the undefiled Rewards of God should be enjoyed by impure and unregenerate men But the Pretense is that they speak only of Justification without any Condition of Sanctification as being no part of God's Covenant but Faith only But still let the shew of Humility and Modesty be what it will in them and the advancement of the free Grace of God by them it must needs exceedingly deceive men into hypocrisie and carnality which is very pleasing to Flesh and Blood For he that believes himself to be thus absolutely and compleatly justified by the Imputation of a mere External Righteousness through his Faith must needs believe that there lacketh no other Righteousness of his own for all such Holiness is perfectly supplied by the Holiness of another who is Christ And though it be yet pretended that Sanctification will naturally follow imputed Justification by way of Thankfulness yet this very Gratitude will easily be believed as all other Graces are by them supposed to be by the same Imputation reckoned and accounted so to be but not so indeed lest Grace should not be free and Works should prove Meritorious imagining that God makes a Covenant without any Condition or any other party to Covenant with him which is impossible Trust to outward Mortifications 2. Others there are of a contrary Spirit that trust to no Imputations of Righteousness external nor Holiness internal of
the Language of the Scripture and the Sense thereof and therefore may be understood and they that give their minds to it are found able to express themselves in it very well to the great comfort of themselves and others Obj. But how shall I partake of Christ and the Benefits of his Death Passion and Resurrection Sol. By the easie and only way of Credence Acceptation Covenanting and keeping Faith with God agreeable to the mind of the Spirit and renouncing the World the Flesh and the Devil Care must be taken for the Soul more than for the Body If God had asked some great thing must thou not have done it How much more when he saith Believe only and thou shalt be saved Ask and you shall have seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you If there be first a willing mind it is accepted of God according to what a man hath and not according to what a man hath not If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature And God giveth his holy Spirit to those that ask him So Christ by his Death and Resurrection hath externally conquered Sin Law and Death for all men So Christ by his Spirit doth internally conquer Sin Law and Death in every believing Soul and creates inherent holiness therein So by Faith the Righteousness of Christ is imputed to us to be the Righteous Sons and Heirs of God by Grace and Adoption as Christ is by Nature and Generation So by the Spirit of Faith we are inherently sanctified in Love and Good Works which maintains and upholds our Justification by Faith So Imputed Righteousness by Faith is our external Righteousness of the Spirit of Righteousness or Justification to Eternal Life So our Inherent Righteousness by Works is the inward Sanctification of the Spirit of Holiness In all this Book I have laboured to demonstrate Christ's Mediation between God and us especially as he is an High Priest I. In the outward Temple on Earth preparing himself for a Sacrifice by the sufferings and death of his Flesh II. In the inward Temple of Heaven by finishing the Sacrifice in the oblation of his blood to God He entred into the out ward Temple by his Birth and there he suffered and died He went out of the outward Temple by his Resurrection He entred into the Inward Temple by his Ascension and there he ministers as a Priest 1. By offering or presenting himself unto God by his Eternal Spirit 2 By Intercession at the Right hand of God 3. By Teaching and instructing of his Church 4. By Protecting and ruling by his Spirit He shall come out of the Inward Temple at the last day 1. To Judg of all that are capable of the Inheritance devised by God in his last Will. 2. To Admit and give Possession as an Executor of God's Testament 3. To give up the Kingdom to God the Father that God may be all in all The Head being thus entred into Heaven gives assurance for the Members to follow after In the mean time 1. They have a Right to enter 2. They do enter by Faith 3. They wait by Hope for a full entrance The Soul waits after death in Paradise Abraham's Bosome The Body waits in Corruption No Oblation ever pleased God but this of Christ No Oblation pleased God but Christ's Because Pure and Holy High and Heavenly and prepared by God himself For 1. The Person is heavenly that offers 2. The Sacrifice is heavenly that is offered 3. The Spirit is heavenly by which it is offered 4. God is heavenly to whom it is offered 5. The Place is heavenly wherein it is offered 6. The Blessings are heavenly for which it is offered Dead Sacrifices were fit for the Dead Law Living Sacrifices fit for the Living Law Earthly Sacrifices were fit for the Earthly Law Heavenly Sacrifices fit for the Heavenly Gospel No True Priest Altar Sacrifice or Temple but Christ We are Priests have Altars Sacrifices and Temples but all in Christ and in his stead do all offer all in his Name All was Earthly Typical and Carnal under the Law All is Heavenly Mystical and Spiritual under the Gospel 1. Baptism is the sprinkling of the Soul with the blood of Christ and the washing of the Holy Ghost 2. Communion is the Spiritual eating of the Flesh and drinking of the blood of Christ by Faith 3. Prayer is the Act of the Soul towards God 4. Conversation is in Heaven 5. The Kingdom of God is within us ruling and subduing our Lusts 6. The Kingdom of God is above us Triumphing 7. The Temple of God is within us in our Souls and Bodies offered a Living Sacrifice to God 8. Temple of God is above us in Heaven with Christ Every one that comes to God must offer Every one that comes to God must offer 1. Christ comes to God and offers Himself 2. Christians come to God and offer Themselves Religion is an Offering to God of our selves our Goods and Actions Atheism makes no acknowledgment by offering to God either our Selves our Goods or Actions Atheists live and die to themselves without God in the World All that offer in Christ are accepted of God for Christ's sake All that offer to God and all that is offered to God must be pure as God is pure Offering is an Acknowledgment of Subjection of Thankfulness of Liberality To God to Princes to Priests that are in God's stead Christian Religion most Spiritual and Glorious The Christian Religion is most spiritual and glorious 1. Christ the Author of it is God and Man Humbled in Sufferings and Death Exalted in Resurrection Ascention and Session at the Right Hand of God 2. The Gospel of Christ is the full Revelation of the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven and the most perfect Rule of Holiness 3. Christ's kingdom is over all inwardly in our hearts outwardly over our bodies and over all creatures 4. By Christ a new Creation new Heavens and a new Earth and new creatures 5. Christians are sons and heirs of God abstracted from Jewish and Heathenish Rites and from all carnal and profane conversation pilgrims strangers on earth wise to salvation pious to God righteous to men perfect as God is perfect Christianity is quite another thing than the World takes it to be 1. No carnal worship therein Altars Masses Idols Pilgrimages Reliques Sackcloth Ashes Whippings Crosses c. Exotick Paganish 2. No worldly Policy therein Infallibility Supremacy Miracles Pomps c. Cheats Spirituality Innocency Heavenly-mindedness Simplicity Obedience Love Quietness Chastity Temperance Patience Prudence Meekness Faith Hope c. are the Laws and Customs of the Church The scandal and shame of the Cross offends the World but was endured and despised by Christ and is endured and despised by Christians having an eye as Christ had to the recompense of the Reward and to the price of the High Calling
about with Powder and Shot to a man of War Farewell THE Second Volume OF THE ESTATE OF GOD Concerning things to be had of God The First BOOK OF RIGHTS The CONTENTS Transition Testament Things Method God's Donation Things to be had Things to be done Free-will Right TITLE I. Of Things A Testament is a just Disposition of things to be had or done Transition Testament and the things disposed to be done are the conditions of the things disposed to be had And because the conditions or things disposed to be done are contingent for daily experience shews that many of them are not done therefore the Legacies or things disposed to be had are contingent for daily experience shews that they are not had Because where precepts or things devised to be done are not done there Legacies or things devised to be had are not had And this is a just Disposition The object of God's Predestination or purpose to dispose are not Persons only but things also with relation to persons and it is all one in effect to predestinate the person to have or do a thing and to predestinate a thing to be had or done by a person For there is no difference between these two dispositions I purpose such a Mannour for my Son John and I purpose my Son John to have such a Mannour SECT III. Things All Entities or Beings are Things Rights Persons and Actions that is things to be had or done or actually had or done i. e. Corporeal or Incorporeal things by all Persons The best Disposition that can be made by God or Man is of an Inheritance because an Inheritance is an universal right to the whole Estate of the Testator And such is the Inheritance of the Estate of God by Jesus Christ For the gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord in whom we are heirs and co-heirs for all things are ours and we are Christ's and Christ is God's and if God hath given us Christ How shall he not with him also freely give us all things Now because by the works of the Law which is the first Disposition by way of Testament no flesh living can be justified to the Inheritance of Eternal Life which was by promise therefore Justification is without the works of the Law by faith in the promises of the Gospel which is the second Disposition by way of Testament So then Legal Righteousness by works is altogether insufficient as to give us any Right or Titles to the Kingdom of Heaven and Evangelical Righteousness of Faith is the only means to obtain the Inheritance of Promise SECT IV. Method The Nature therefore and Differences of the Old and New Testament being understood a way is fairly laid open to the true understanding of the great and so much controverted point of Justification which is very easie in it self but hath been made obscure and grievous by the perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and reprobate as concerning the right apprehension of true and saving Faith First therefore to treat of Rights and then of justification to the best of Rights in the best Testament of God to the best Inheritance will be the natural method herein to be followed After this order we will now begin speaking first of Things then of Persons then of Rights belonging to them and last of all of the Actions of those Persons for the obtaining of those Rights in those things that belong to those Persons for an Estate consists not only of Material goods of Lands Persons Cattel or Utensils or things immoveable and moveable but of immaterial goods as Rights to Lands Persons Cattel or Utensils or things immoveable or moveable And Actions Pleas Services or Priviledges in all these which are both beneficiary and honorary and burdensome parts of mens Estates of all which they may make a voluntary Disposition SECT V. God is an Eternal Being of all things in himself God's Donation and from him all things have their being and by him they are preserved and governed All things beside God are either Spiritual or Corporeal with or without life have or have no end and they all serve for the glory of their Creatour These things thus framed upheld and ruled by God are the Heavens and the Earth with the Waters and all that belong unto them The use and benefit of them all together with the regiment of some he hath given to the Sons of men Besides all this he hath of his abundant grace and bounty given and granted eternal blessedness to them in his Son the Principal Heir of all things that by him they might be made the Sons of God and Heirs together with him of the Inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven In order to this great donation we must consider the Things to be had by it and the Things to be done for it SECT VI. I. Things to be had The Things to be had by it are 1. Present all Spiritual and Temporal Things 2. Future all Celestial and Eternal Things For Godliness hath the promise of this life and that which is to come and all things are ours whether the world or life or death or things present or things to come and we are Christ's and Christ is God's and God is all in all SECT VII II. Things to be done The Things to be done for it are 1. Natural to understand desire remember put forth and exercise the faculties of Soul and Body in God's Service 2. Spiritual to receive and use higher illustrations affections memorials and aids for the exercising of Soul and Body in Divine Faith Hope and Love Now there is great reason that where there is something to be had there should be something to be done for it But especially in gifts of this nature where all things are to be had it is honourable for the giver and reasonable to the receiver that some small thing should be done which can no ways be commensurable nor proportionable to the liberality of the donor and those Temporal Spiritual and Eternal things bestowed by him yet at least in acknowledgment and gratitude they are justly and honourably expected and required by the benefactor at the hands of the beneficiary Obj. It is objected that all is given by the free-grace of God and nothing to be done by us Answ All things are given indeed freely because Christ is given but not absolutely without any condition for such a gift is not in wisdom and honour to give all and expect no return no not so much as of Love and Obedience As for Recompense and Requital there can be none in the Receiver nor is expected or needed from the Giver But every gift ought to be disposed prudently else it is no true bounty but waste and prodigality And all such gifts are thrown away from which there ariseth no true benefit to the Receiver nor honour to the Giver Now God doth all things most freely and with the greatest love imaginable
the act of his Faith in accepting of God's promise For as the promise was a meer act of Grace on God's part so the acceptance was a meer act of Faith on Abraham's part And as it was between God and Abraham so is the nature of all Promises Therefore I conclude that the Title to Justification is by the Free-grace of God This Point requires no more handling because so manifest in it self and things that are manifest in themselves need no farther proofs SECT XXIV This Work of Grace is done by God and Christ and God by Christ God justifieth God justifieth To declare his righteousness that he might be just Ro. 3.26 30. and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus Seeing it is one God which shall justifie the Circumcision by Faith and Uncircumcision through Faith Gal. 3.8 The Scripture fore-seeing that God would justifie the Heathen through Faith Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect it is God that justifieth 1. Because the promises come from God who is the Author and Maker of them Tit. 1.2 God that cannot lye promised unto us Eternal Life before the World began For all the promises of God in him are Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 unto the Glory of God by us Eph. 2.7 That he might shew the exceeding riches of his Grace in his kindness towards us through Jesus Christ The Covenant containing these promises is God's will and Testament we are made the Sons of God by God's will not by Man's will Joh. 1.13 Christ came from Heaven not to do his own will Joh. 6.38 but his Father's will that sent him SECT XXV Christ justifieth Christ justifieth Is 53.11 Acts 13.39 Ro. 5.9 19. Rom. 3.24 Joh. 3.36 1 Joh. 5.12 My righteous Servant shall justifie many By him all that believe are justified from all things c. being justified by his Blood we shall be saved from wrath c. By the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Justified freely by his Grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting Life We are justified to a present Right here to have the possession hereafter He that hath the Son hath life As many as believed in him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God SECT XXVI God justifieth by Christ God justifieth by Christ 1 Cor. 8.6 Rom. 6.23 There is one God the Father of whom are all things and we in him and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him The Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. God hath not appointed us to wrath 1 Thes 5.9 but to obtain Salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ No whoremonger Ephes 5.5 c. hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God Math. 20.28 God is the principal Person and Christ his Minister The Son of Man came not to be ministred unto Ro. 15.8 but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many Joh. 7.16 He was a Minister of the Circumcision for the Truth of God His Doctrine was not his but God's By confirming the Promises Ro. 15.8 A Minister of the Circumcision for the Truth of God to confirm the promises made unto the Fathers Dan. 9.27 and he shall confirm the Covenant with many Eph. 2.13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the Bloud of Christ for he is our peace who hath made both one c. Mat. 26.28 This is my Bloud of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins By assuring them to us Not by works of righteousness which he hath done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3.6 which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour that being justified by his Grace we should be made heirs according to the hope of Eternal life He hath given us his Spirit the earnest of our inheritance By calling us to them 1 Pet. 5.10 The God of all Grace hath called us into his Eternal Glory by Christ Jesus By performing them for us All the promises of God in Christ are Yea and Amen Who died for our sins and rose again for our justification i. e. to perform the promises in taking possession himself for us by his ascension into Heaven As Christ was delivered to death to confirm the promises so he was raised again to perform them Mat. 25.34 Come ye Blessed Children of my Father inherit the Kingdom of God prepared for you 1 Pet. 1.9 Receiving the end of your Faith the Salvation of your Souls Heb. 12.2 Joh. 6.40 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our Faith This is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Joh. 11.15 I am the Resurrection and the Life he that believeth in me yea though he were dead 1 Cor. 15.22 Phil. 3.61 yet shall he live As in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive Who shall change our vile Body that it may be like unto his Glorious Body Several Expressions 1. Words that constitute or create a Right as Grace Gift Good will Testament Covenant Promise 2. Words that confirm or assure Rights created as Seal Earnest Witness 3. Words that specifie Rights constituted and confirmed as Freedom Liberty Communion Fellowship Inheritance 4. Words contrary to Right as Injury Wrong Condemnation Oppression 5. Words of Appellation to such as have Right as Sons Heirs Co-Heirs Citizens Free-Men This word Freedom is a word so jural that it is the original and fundamental Right of all Interests and Priviledges because no Right can subsist in any Person unless it have Freedom for its basis and ground for a Bondman is capable of no Right SECT XXVII The true Title to Justification by Faith being Grace Wrong Law Transition the wrong Title must needs be Law Because Freedom which is the Estate of Justification cometh only by Grace through Faith and Servitude which is quite contrary to a justified condition is wholly from the Law Gal. 4.23 This the Apostle illustrates by the Allegory of Abraham's two Sons and their two Mothers which are the two Covenants of Bondage and Freedom SECT XXVIII 1. Ishmael the Elder by a Bondmaid his Natural Son not Legitimate Allegory of the two Covenants Hagar by Nation an Egyptian by State and Condition Sarah's Bond-maid by use and service her waiting Woman or hand-maid Ishmael and Isaak Gen. 16.3 Hagar and Sarah bought by Sarah in Egypt and by an act of priviledg given by her to be Abraham's Concubine or Wife quasily and usually For she had neither
kind Mother and Mistress This Ishmael was born after the flesh of Hagar a young Woman and Abraham able to beget by her Isaak born after the Spirit of Sarah an old Woman and Abraham an old Man not able to beget but Abraham was supernaturally enabled Heb. 11.12 especially Sarah who was both old and barren 1. Ishmael typifies those that seek Justification by the Law or works 2. Isaak typifies those that seeks Justification by Grace or Faith They that seek Justification by works depend upon themselves and their own natural goodness or strength or the works of Law They who seek Justification by Faith depend upon God's Grace and free Promise ☞ Note here by the way that Isaak was a Type not of personal Election from all Eternity but of such as shall be justified by Faith in the Promise For the scope of the Epistle is in opposition to the Jewish confidence to prove that Justification is not by the Law So that the conceit of Election and Reprobation from this place is quite and clear Eccentrical from the scope and business which the Apostle aims at in this place 1. From whence I observe That the Mysteries of Salvation are declared not by words only but by Providences and Dispensations 2. That God without acceptation of persons may advance one above another in temporal benefits Acceptation of Persons hath place only in Judiciary rewards not in Dispensations of Grace and Mercy to eternal Rewards SECT XXXII Gen. 25.3 Jacob and Esau Besides that Allegory of Jacob and Esau denotes two Nations for the Text saith Two Nations are in thy womb and is by the Apostle applied to the Freedom of God preferring the younger Brother the Gentiles before the Elder the Jews Ro. 9.11 c. not upon any account of works For the children being yet unborn neither having done good or evil that the purpose of God according to Election might stand not of works but of him that calleth it was said unto her The elder shall serve the younger As it is written Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated But the Preferring of the Gentiles before the Jews was only upon the account of Faith by the which they were justified and the Jews could not be justified because they stood upon their works So Jacob and Esau were not Types of a Personal Election and Reprobation but of a specifical National Election and Reprobation whosoever how many or how few soever not to an Eternal but to a Temporal Inheritance 2 Sam. 8.14 For the Elder shall serve the Younger and so the Edomite did serve the Israelite v. 2 Sam. 8.14 Je. 60. 1 Chron. 18.11 13. And the Idumaeans revolted Psal 137.7 Ez. 35.5 10. yet were they subjects 1660 years Jacob signifies the People of the New Testament by Faith Esau signifies the People of the Old Testament by Works Object Gal. 3.17 The Covenant that was confirmed of God before in Christ the Law that was four hundred and thirty years after cannot disannull that it should make the promise of God of no effect Solut. These words prove not that the Gospel or Covenant of Grace was before the Law or Covenant of works but before that solemn repetition or new Delivery thereof upon Mount Sinai When there was a Brief Transcript of it written and delivered unto Moses in Tables of Stone by God Rom. 5.20 Gal. 3 19 c. The Law entred that the offence might abound The Law was added because of transgressions till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made c. And that the Law or Covenant of Works was in being yea in force in the World before the publication of it from Mount Sion appears For untill Law sin was in the world Rom. 5.13 that is from the beginning of the World until the giving of the Law in words and writing from Mount Sinai And Consequently a necessity of the Law because where no Law is there is no transgression Rom. 4.15 but sin is not imputed where there is no Law that is Ro. 5.13 sin is not charged upon Men or punished nevertheless death reigned from Adam inclusivè unto Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression and consequently there must needs have been a Law without the breach whereof Men had not been obnoxious unto death Yea not only the Moral Law properly so called was extant in Men's hearts and delivered by Tradition but some particulars of the Ritual Law practised in the World before the delivery of the same Law much disused and forgotten to Moses in Writing upon Tables of Stone upon Mount Sinai As appears by the offering of Sacrifices of old and of the Sabbath and of Circumcision commanded to Abraham and his Seed and by the Marriage of the Widow of a Kinsman dying without Issue before the Law Yea the Law or Covenant of Works was as ancient as Adam and by transgression thereof he and all his Posterity incurred the guilt and punishment of Death Therefore the Law or Covenant of Works was the first born Testament or Covenant of Works made by God with Mankind And upon this account they who are of the Law i. e. who seek for Justification by the Law of works are resembled by Esau the Elder Son and they who expect Justification by the New Testament or Law of Grace i. e. by Faith are properly typified by Jacob the Younger Brother When God said to Rebecca Two Nations are in thy Womb ☜ and the Elder shall serve the Younger he mystically signified that his absolute will and purpose was never to own for Sons and Heirs of Heaven the People of the Elder Covenent i. e. those that should seek for Justification by the Law but to assign over those for Servants or Bondmen to his Children i. e. those of the later or younger Covenant who should seek the Adoption of Sons or Justification by Faith Thus God was pleased to declare to the World that his purpose according to Election might stand firme and unchanged and that he meant not to elect or make choice of those whom he should or would adopt by the rule of Works or by any rule that Men should commend to him or desire to impose or obtrude upon him but only by the Rule of his own most free gracious and wise pleasure which he hath declared to be the Rule of Faith Inasmuch as in equitable Right the making his own choice in this kind accrueth unto him as he is the sole Magnificent Founder of this Blessed Feast of Justification calling and inviting the World from all Quarters to come unto it For a Clench to keep this Interpretation from stirring The Prophet Malachi brings in God thus Saying Was not Esau Jacob's Brother Mal. 1.2 c. yet I loved Jacob and hated Esau and laid his Mountains and Heritage waste for the Dragons of the wilderness He gave Esau a lesser portion of an earthly
promise by a solemn oath See Gen. 13.15 and Gen. 15.18 and Gen. 22.16 and Gen. 26.3 and Gen. 28.13 And they had farther an assurance of this right settled upon them by many miracles and tokens 1 Cor. 10.1 c. For they all were under the cloud and all passed through the Sea and were all baptized in the cloud and in the Sea and did all eat the same Spiritual meat and did all drink the same Spiritual drink c. Hath any Christian a better right or a greater assurance to the Kingdom of Heaven than the Israelites had to the Kingdom of Canaan yet many of them by reason of their carnal sins of lust idolatry fornication and such like did never enter that inheritance but were overthrown and destroyed in the Wilderness for God in his wrath retracted by oath that promise which before by oath he had confirmed See Num. 14.23 and Psal 95.11 and Ez. 20.15 and Heb. 3.18 2. Now all these Judgments happened to them for our examples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the World are come 1 Cor. 10.11 12. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall The mischief therefore that regularly follows upon our walking after the Flesh and committing of carnal sins is a Disherison or exclusion of us from the actual entrance and possession of that Heavenly inheritance whereto by Faith we had a right and title For although our good works are not sufficient enough to create us a title to that Inheritance yet our evil works are miscreant enough to defeat us of the title we had by Faith and to draw upon us a forfeiture of our former rights because our evil works argue us to be the Children of disobedience who will not be led and ruled by the Spirit of God they convict us of ungraciousness and unthankfulness for the Grace of God and condemn us to endure the wrath of God For although the Gospel be a Charter of Grace yet this is the Law of it against evil works because thereby we not only despair but we do despite to the Spirit of Grace which is an affront unto God who grants it and so justly we lose the benefit of the Grant through our own default Quod erat demonstrandum The CONTENTS Transition Works James 2.18 explained Works of Love TITLE VI. Of the Tenure of Justification MY state of Election requires a Tenure Transition For because the state of it is thus mutable therefore it requires a Tenure to preserve and hold it And because my state of Justification had a cause to create it so also it requires a cause to conserve it That which I have my Estate by is my Title by Gift or Birth or work or Purchase and that which I hold my Estate by is my Tenure or Homage by serviency Escuage or Soccage i. e. by Court-service War-service or Plough-service And because Estates are in this Life transitory and defeisable to come and go to be had and lost therefore when I have an Estate I must use the means to hold it otherwise I may make no benefit by it And this is necessary in all Estates to have a Title to get and a Tenure to keep or else no Estate would be permanent yea the whole World if it were not upheld by him that made it would eternally fall to ruin The Tenure of my Justification is works Therefore this assertion Works A Man is justified by works and not by Faith is as much the word of God as this assertion A Man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the Faith of Jesus Christ and both are equally true 1. Faith is the Title of Right to my Justification 2. Works are the Tenure of this Right and Title till I am to possess the Inheritance which my Faith gave me Right and Title to The Reasons by which St. James proves this Justification by works are these 1. Because works keep Faith alive The act of Faith without them is of no effect though it did justifie to a right because without works following we can have no benefit of our Justification As a Bill or Bond or other specialty of Writing without a Seal or Hand is voi'd cancell'd to all intents and purposes contained in them So c. 2. Because Faith is by works made perfect it being alone a thing imperfect and ineffectual For in justifying it gives a Right and Title of Institution and Expectation claims Interest and Hope of a future inheritance which Right is escheatable and may be destroied but Faith seconded and animated by works 1 Pet. 1.4 finishes and compleats our Right to a fruition of the Inheritance seized upon invested in us and subject to no defeisance An inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for us Thus Abraham was justified by works when he had offer'd up Isaak his Son upon the Altar And Rahab was justified by works when she had received the Messengers and had sent them out another way Faith alone without works is like the Devil's faith who tremble without any hope or works And Faith without works is like the Body without the Soul But though my Tenure of Justification be works yet Faith is not excluded Not works alone nor Faith alone but both together do conserve the Title of my Justification which I had by Faith only And herein Faith hath the preeminence Faith without works doth justifie me to have my Right and Title but works without Faith do not justifie me to hold my Right and Title I say not works with Faith but thus Faith with works doth make me hold my Right Faith is the Principal and works are the Accessaries thereunto to animate enable and render Faith effectual to the possession of an Inheritance which that Faith gave right unto but could not bring to a full enjoyment without works And farther it is most certain that works do also justifie declaratively by manifesting that Faith to my self and to the World which did justifie me efficiently James 2.18 explained Shew me thy Faith without thy works and I will shew thee my Faith by my works ☞ Note here also That Paul by his assertion that a Man is not justified by the works of the Law but by Faith only opposeth the Judaizing Christians who were still operaries and rituaries of the Law thinking to be justified by them to the Evangelical Christians who were fiduciaries and spiritualists of the Gospel thinking to be justified by Faith only And that James opposeth the Gentilizing Christians who were still fiduciaries and libertines standing only for Faith and Freedom and neglecting and disgracing all works to them that were truly Evangelical that stood to their Faith and Liberty but admitted and honoured all good works also allowing therefore to the Verb justified these two senses of creating and conserving Justification it will follow That Faith only without works doth create
Justification but Faith with works doth conserve Justification And so Paul and James do full well agree and James's Doctrine will be a consequence from Paul's principles For because my Faith only without works doth create my Justification and because evil works do destroy the state of it and do build again my state of Sin therefore it followeth That good works do continue my state of Justification and keep it from ruin For in case I should fall my Faith alone cannot restore me but if I recover working my works of repentance must be the means of my recovery 1 Cor. 13.2 And because as Paul saith Though I have all Faith so that I could remove mountains and have not Charity I am nothing Therefore as James teacheth Faith without works is dead And lastly because as Paul teacheth In Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith that worketh by Love Therefore as James teaches Faith working with works is by works made perfect For the farther clearing of this seeming contradiction of St. Paul and St. James note That as faith sworn by the Vassal to his Lord justifies the Vassal to his Fee or benefice to have right thereto so the Homage it self is the life of his faith and justifies him to the same benefice that he may hold his right so obtained by his Faith In like manner faith made to God justifies his Creature to the Estate of Blessedness to have right thereto and the Homage it self which is the life of his faith justifies him to the same Estate that he may hold his right so obtained by his faith For faith without homage or works doth not justifie fully nor homage or works without Faith So true it is that Faith though it doth justifie alone to have right yet works also do justifie to hold it so both Faith and Works do justifie compleatly and not one without the other And this distinction rightly weighed and compared may easily put an end to this Controversy SECT I. The works that are the Tenure of my Justification are works of Love Works of Love 1. The Right of Justification under the Law was Faith of the promise to Abraham and his carnal Seed for the Land of Canaan 2. The Tenure of Justification under the Law was by the works of the Law of Rites and Ceremonies Thou shalt walk in all the waies which the Lord your God hath commanded you Deut. 6.24 that ye may prolong your daies in the Land which ye shall possess i. e. you shall continue your possession in the Land whereto you have a right The Law it self speaketh thus Lev. 18.5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments which if a Man do he shall live in them i. e. shall prolong his life from violent death inflicted by the Law The Just shall live by his Faith He that hath walked in my Statutes to deal truly he is just he shall surely live The doers of the Law shall be justified i. e. continue to be justified For default of this Tenure of works the Ten Tribes forfeited their right to Canaan for ever and the other Two Tribes were sequestred for seventy years in Babylon 3. The right of Justification under the Gospel is Faith in the promise to Abraham and his Spiritual Seed for Heaven 4. The Tenure of Justification under the Gospel is by the works of Grace which are acts of Love exercising equity mercy and kindness above the works of the Law 1. Because the works of Love are super-legal above and beyond the Law of Moses as to feed the hungry and to cloth the naked to entertain Strangers visit the Sick relieve the Prisoners pray for Persecutors c. 2. The works of Love are supernatural above and beyond the Law of Nature as not to be angry and not to resist and revenge evil to suffer persecution gladly for Righteousness sake to rejoyce in temptations to lay down our life for the Brethren c. therefore much more for God To love our Enemies and comparatively to hate our Friends Luc. 14.26 as our Father and Mother Wife and Children Brothers and Sisters these and the like works of Love are not commanded in the Law but they are the commands of Grace Hence Christ calls Love a New Commandment Joh. 13.34 A new commandment I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another And Christ calleth it his Commandment That ye love one another as I have loved you And this Love is the fulfilling of the Law He that loves his Brother abideth in the Light 1 Joh. 4.16 He that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him These are the works of Love not of Law which St. James saith do justifie Was not Abraham our Father justified by works Jam. 2.21 when he had offered Isaak his Son upon the Altar That work was not a duty of the Law but a service of Love by God's immediat command to try Abraham's love for no Law did command a Father to sacrifice his Son His love therefore was superlegal beyond any Law of mercy And not only so but supernatural beyond any Law of Nature when his love to God to whom he had Alliance only by Faith surpassed his love to his only Son to whom he had Alliance only by Nature and in whose behalf he had received the promises Jam. 2.25 Likewise also Rahab the harlot was justified by works when she received the Messengers and had sent them out another way Those works were not duties of any Law Josh 2.12 but the Offices of Love or as she called it A shewing of kindness in entertaining lodging and protecting of Strangers Her love was therefore superlegal above and beyond the Law for no Law commanded to entertain Spies to the destruction of a City And her love was supernatural above and beyond the Law of Nature when she shew'd kindness to her Enemies in housing hiding and sending them away safely The Ceremonious works of the Ritual Law are carnal in themselves and could justifie to nothing but a carnal purity and a security from a carnal punishment of Death All these Rites of Sacrificing Washing Feasting Fasting Circumcising c. are extinct The Moralities of Moses Law as to be no idolater no forswearer no murderer adulterer thief lyar nor deceiver c. are the bare negative duties for the most part and according to the letter are themselves dead and I am dead to that dead Letter which killed those that are under it with a curse and it is a part of my Justification to be free from the Law for I am not under the Law but under Grace nor under the Letter but under the Spirit And therefore the works of the Gospel are works of the Spirit which gives life by faith and maintaineth it by Love the works whereof are purely Spiritual inward and lively free from all carnal and outward shew
and formality And these only are the works that are the Tenure of my Justification by Faith These supernatural and superlegal works of the Gospel that flow from a pure heart and make a Christian perfect and conformable to his Redeemer will find acceptation at the last day when the Sentence shall be pronounced saving Come ye Blessed Children of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World for I was an hungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a Stranger Mat. 25.34 and ye took me in naked and ye clothed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me And in as much as ye did it to one of these least of my Brethren ye have done it unto me And for default of these Evangelical Works the Sentence will be pronounced accordingly Depart from me ye workers of iniquity for I know ye not The CONTENTS Faith Notions of Faith Credence Trust Promise given Promise taken Re-promise Courage Hope Covenant Faith in Christ Christ the Conveyer of Faith Christ the Author of Faith Declaring God's Will Proving God's Will Testament ad pias causas Physical operation Moral operation Saving Faith Means of Faith A new Heart TITLE VII Of the Instrument of Justification FAith is a thing indefinite so high and universal Faith as that it hath no genus above it to define it by And Faith is a thing so notable and so well known that there are not words more known whereby to express and teach the Nature of it Such are the transcendent words Deus Ens Unum Verum Bonum which every body knows but no body is able to define SECT I. Certain * Notions of Faith Notions or Cases may be layd down as signs or marks to breed a competent understanding thereof 1. An †High esteem of God high esteem of God's Existence Greatness and Goodness is Faith in God for Faith is opposed to despising or having a low and base esteem of weakness and badness of any Person 2. An ‖ Acceptance of promises V. Ro. 10.9 1 Joh. 15.10 Mat. 9.28 Math. 21.32 Mat. 9.23 24. Joh. 5.24 Joh. 20.31 Acts 8.37 Rom. 4.3 Heb. 11.2 Jam. 1.6 7. Mat. 11.23 24. Joh. 1.12 Hebr. 11.13 Heb. 12.25 Joh. 12.48 Luc. 7.30 Substance of things hoped c. Evidence of things not seen acceptance of God's Promise is Faith as obedience to God's Precepts is works God by his promise willeth unto us two distinct things 1. A present Right to the Blessing promised 2. A future possession And then answerable to both these God requires 1. an Acceptance or taking of the present right to the Blessing promised 2. an expectance or trusting to the future possession of it The acceptance is Faith the expectance Hope the refusal unbelief The Non-expectance despair God's promise is Faith given our acceptance is Faith taken 3. The substance of things hoped for is faith i. e. where things hoped for that really do subsist in their own Natures do spiritually subsist as to us and where things truly to come as to us though in present being as to themselves are made as present virtually to us there is Faith 4. The evidence of things not seen is Faith i. e. where there is a sight in spirit of things not yet to be seen as they are in themselves there is Faith Credence 1. Faith is vulgarly taken for Credence Credulity or Belief upon the credit or report of one that is worthy to be believed An assent to a truth in point of Law or fact opposed to unbelief Trust 2. Faith is taken for trust or confidence hope assurance or reliance upon the honesty authority and power of another opposed to distrust Promise given 3. Faith is taken for a promise made Do fidem an engagement to do such or such a thing An obligation or tye opposed to disengagement or Liberty Promise taken 4. Faith is taken for a promise taken or embraced Accipio fidem an acceptance an obligation to take the thing offered opposed to rejection or refusal Re-promise 5. Faith is taken for a re-promise or responsion a League Covenant Alliance or Fief Homage Allegiance Loyalty Performance opposed to disloyalty and treachery a keeping of Faith fidelity faithfulness God is faithful Men faithful Courage 6. Faith is taken for Courage Heart valour opposed to fear Why are ye fearful O ye of little Faith Hope 7. Faith is taken for a Hope or looking for things to come as those worthies Hebr. 11. who lived by Faith and died in Faith having not received the promises but afar off believing that they should presentially receive them SECT II. Covenant But the principal acception of Faith I humbly conceive as to our purpose is a Covenanting with God A mutual making and keeping promise by both parties giving taking and keeping Covenant with each other By our faith or stipulation with God comes our justification or right to the things covenanted for for God to give and us to receive By our fidelity or faithfulness to God comes our sanctification or maintaining of the right to the things covenanted for by good works Faith actually given is crediting or trusting with the things bestow'd Faith passively received is to be credited or trusted with the things taken Faith performed or kept is the discharge of the credit or trust imposed by the giver to the receiver and of the giver himself each is faithful to promise give receive and keep 1. God's promise is his sponsion or faith given a single act of his will to devise to us a present right to a future inheritance 2. The Access of our acceptation of God's promise is our responsion or faith taken A single act of our will to embrace this present right to a future inheritance and to repromise to keep what is given to take and commanded to do 3. This consent of wills of giving and receiving makes a perfect Covenant whereby God and Man are sure to each other and mutually obliged as in all Contracts to each other For faith is that that binds both God and Man Law binds not God but Man only Because God is above his Law and may change it but God is not above his faith and promises he cannot change them Search then and see if there be any evidence or conveyance that can create a better right or settlement for any Estate in Heaven or Earth between God or Man than Faith can do 1. God binds himself by promise and oath as he is the Creator and Lord promising of and for himself and swearing by and for himself and more than all this takes his death by substitution of Christ upon it 2. Man binds himself by promise and oath to God as he is his Creature and Vassal then he binds himself over again in his Baptism as he is his Creature and Heir and takes his death upon it by
he that was impure in that he was impure is holy because Christ was so but because God will for Christ's sake accept and receive and embrace us as if we were so Unless we shall say that as we are wise with Christ and holy and righteous so with Christ also we do redeem our selves For he who is said to be our Righteousness is said also to be our Redemption in the next words c. Id. ib. S. 44 p. 1074 c. It is true indeed the Gospel hath been preached these 1600 years and above many questions have been raised about Justification For though Men have been willing to go under the name of justified persons yet have they have been busie to enquire how Justification hath been wrought in them They are justified they know not how Many and divers opinions have been broach'd amongst the Canonists and Confessionists and others Osiander nameth twenty and there are many more at this day And yet all may consist well enough for ought I see and still that sense Justification which is deliver'd in Scripture as necessary remains entire For 1. it is necessary to believe That no Man can be justified by the works of Law precisely taken and in this all agree 2. It is necessary to believe that we are not justified by the Law of Moses either by it self or joyn'd with Faith in Christ and in this all agree 3. That Justification is not without remission of sins and imputation of Righteousness and in this all agree 4. That a dead Faith doth not justifie and here is no difference 5. That that is a dead Faith which is not accompanied with good works and a holy and serious purpose of good Life And in this all agree Lastly that Faith in Christ Jesus implyeth an advised and deliberate assent that Christ is our Prophet and Priest and King And in this all agree Da si quid ultra est And what is more is but a vapour But those interpretations which have been made upon this Nihil ampliùs quam sonant Nec animum faciunt quia non habent What matter is it whether I believe or not believe know or not know that our Justification doth consist in one or more acts so that I certainly know and believe that it is the greatest Blessing that God can let fall upon his Creature and believe that by it I am made acceptable in his sight and though I have broke the Law yet I shall be dealt with as if I had been just and righteous indeed whether it be done by pardoning all my sins or imputing universal obedience to me or the active or passive obedience of Christ c. Id. 1. Vol. S. 22. p. 427. Adam sinned and we die We were all in the loyns of that one Man Adam when that one Man slew us all And this we are too ready to confess that we are born in sin Nay Original Sin we fall so low as to damn our selves before we were born This some may do in humility but most are content it should be so well pleased in their Pedigree well pleased that they are brought into the World and in that filth and uncleanness that God doth hate and make the unhappiness of their Birth an Advocate to plead for those pollutions for those willful and beloved sins which they fall into in the remaining part of their life as being the proper and natural issues of the weakness and impotency with which we were sent into the World But this is not true in every part That weakness whatsoever it is can draw no such necessity upon us nor can be wrought into an Apology for sin or an excuse for dying For to conclude and wrap up all our actual sin in the folds of Original weakness is nothing else but to cancel our old obligations and to put all on our first Parents score and so make Adam guilty of the sins of the whole World Our natural and original weakness I will not now call into question since it hath had such Grandees in our Church Men of great learning and piety for its Nursing Fathers and that for many centuries of years but yet I cannot see why it should be made a cloak to cover our other transgressions or why we should miscarry so often with an eye cast back upon our first Fall which is made ours but in another man Nor any reason though it be a plant water'd by the best hands why men should be so delighted in it why they should lie down and repose themselves under its shadow why they should be so willing to be weak and so unwilling to hear the contrary why men should take so much pains to make the way to happiness narrower and the way to death broader than it is In a word why we should thus magnifie a temptation and disparage our selves why we should make each importunate object as powerful and irresistible as God himself Petrar and our selves as Idols even nothing in this world Magna pars humanarum querelarum non injusta modò materiâ sed stulta est for when our souls are pressed down and overcharged with sin when we feel the gripes and gnawings of our Conscience we commonly lay hold on those remedies which are worse than the disease suborn an unseasonable and ill applied conceit of our own natural weakness which is more dangerous than the temptation as an excuse and comfort of our overthrow We fall and plead we were weak and fall more than seven times a day and hold up the same plea still till we fall into that same place where we shall be muzled and speechless not able to say a word where our complaints will end in curses in weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth Omnes nostris vitiis favemus quod propriâ facimus voluntate ad naturae referimus necessitatem we are all tender and favourable to our own sins and because they pleased us when we committed them We are unwilling to revile them now but wipe off as much of their filth as we can because we resolve to commit them again And those transgressions which our lusts conceived and brought forth by the midwifry of our will we remove as far as we can and lay them at the door of necessity are ready to complain of God and Nature it self Now this complaint against Nature when we have sinned is most unjust for God and Nature have imprinted in our Souls those common principles of goodness That good is to be embraced and evil is to be abandoned that we must do to others as we would be done to Those practical notions those anticipations as the Stoicks call them of the mind preparations against sin death which if we did not willfully stifle and choak them might lift up our Souls far above those depressions of Self-love and Covetousness and those evils which destroy us quae ratio semel in universum vincit which Reason with the help of Grace overcometh at
The Nature of the Two Testaments OR The Disposition of the WILL and ESTATE Of GOD to Mankind FOR HOLINESS and HAPPINESS BY Jesus Christ Concerning Things to be done by Men AND Concerning Things to be had of God Contained in his two great Testaments The LAW and the GOSPEL DEMONSTRATING The High SPIRIT and STATE of the Gospel above the Law In Two Volumes The First Volume of the WILL OF GOD. The Second Volume of the ESTATE OF GOD. The First Volume Of the WILL OF GOD Concerning Things to be done by Men. By ROBERT DIXON D. D. Prebendary of Rochester LONDON Printed by Tho. Roycroft for the Author MDCLXXVI Imprimatur Ex Aed Lambethanis THO. TOMKYNS TO THE READER THE principal Wisdom in all Learning is the knowledg of Rights made and granted by God or Man Rights and to whom they are made and granted and how why and when and for how long and how they are obtained and kept how lost and how recovered That men might be holy in themselves and righteous to others understanding what is their own and to do well to themselves and to all men that they and others might be happy He that can discern and judge rightly of these things is an Oracle amongst men and fit for all business in Church and State Other knowledge is very good Laws and greatly ornamental and useful in its kind but this Learning of Laws divine and humane excells all the rest as the Sun the Stars for the excellency of Piety Equity and Reason that is in it and for the infinite use and benefit that redounds by it to Soul and Body to Ecclesiastical and Civil Societies for this life and for a better I undervalue no Learning hereby but give every Art its due in its time and place and so I give this sublime Faculty of Laws its due also Hereby I do no more than perswade to choose the best things and to find out the most excellent waies Jural sense of Scriptures In order therefore to the understanding of the Scriptures which are Gods Laws I prefer the Jural sense as most genuine and kindly and make use of Jural Terms borrowed from Laws Ecclesiastical and Civil in their proper style as most homogeneal and sutable to the Divine Law in which God hath condescended to humane capacities by propounding his Will in the nature of Laws by his Servant Moses and by his Son Jesus Christ and this is the most stately eloquence for all business There are in the Scriptures which are the two Laws and Testaments of God published by the two Mediators Moses and Christ certain â—ccessories and Consequences as Histories and Prophecies to the explaining whereof Philosophy and Chronology may be very helpful But for the principal and essential Will Word Law Covenant Testament of God concerning mans salvation by Faith in Jesus Christ let any discerning person judge whether it be not expresly revealed by Christ and his Apostles especially St. Paul that great Divine and Lawyer as that other Testament by Moses and the Prophets in terms of Law Such as Predestination Election Justification Adoption Faith Grace Gift Covenant Will Testament Heir Inheritance Possession Liberty c. as shall be made more largely to appear hereafter So the Laws of God being described in terms of Law after the manner of Men are more aptly interpreted by the Science of Law than of Philosophy or any other Art whatsoever This I lay as a principle and foundation to my ensuing discourse Title of Scripture There is nothing more ordinary in our Discourses and Writings than the Laws and Testaments of God which are the Titles of the Scriptures and yet how few regard the Nature of these so considerable Titles For the Subject of every Book is best apprehended by the full Name and Title that is given to it expressing the Nature of the thing contained in it But because this is a New untrodden path and that I am almost alone in this Manner of speaking therefore unsearching and undistinguishing men that are lazy withal and hang upon others Judgments are shie of this Way and pass it by giving it no good report The terms of Philosophy and Oratory are pleasantly swallowed down by them because usual but the terms of both Laws stick and will not go down as harsh and crabbed Sure this doth mightily betray the Ignorance of these men I do not use any barbarous words as are in some Laws but the pure and elegant expressions of the best of humane Laws far more learned and significant than the froth of Rhetoricians or the Fustian stuff of Schoolmen or the Canting Rosicrucian Enthusiastick nonsense of Fanaticks This is our shame that so many Divines and Lawyers reject that most illustrious Faculty so highly useful to them and to the Nobles and Princes of the World in comparison whereof all other inferiour Arts are pedantick and base I take them to be the best Divines Distinction of Old and New Testament that distinguish best between the Old Testament and the New that preach the New Testament and not the Old the Spirit and not the Letter the power of Godliness and not the form A clear distinction between the two Testaments the Law and the Gospel I take to be the principal excellency of a Divine and a noble vein that should run through every Theological Treatise For which I note the most Illustrious Hugo Grotius Dr. Hammond Dr. Taylor Dr. Lushington Dr. Spencer Mr. Thorndike Mr. Farindon c. to be the most eminent in giving light to this great Point which deserves to be more enquired into For which cause I have offered my poor Endeavours hoping to find acceptance from all searching and free spirited men Such divine Lawyers as these I take to have the soundest Notions and the clearest and fullest Expressions no disparagement the World knows it Legists The Linguists and Disputants and Humanists make much ado with their Criticisms and subtilties and Fineries but 't is the wise Legist that must do the business in Church and State A wise Jurisconsult in my opinion knows more of Religion Equity and Government than the profoundest Platonist Aristotelian or Ciceronian of them all I admire the most Excellent Grotius for his rare knowledge in all things but especially for his wisdom in the Laws both divine and humane which makes him shine among all other Writers H. Grotius Tanquam Luna inter minora sidera And thence spring those incomparable Notions digested by a judicious and moderate spirit his Enemies being Judges Many Currs bawl about him that mighty Giant of whom the World was not worthy and spare not to abuse him now he is in his grave who were not worthy to carry his Books after him These and such as these are the Men that divide the Word of God aright like workmen that need not to be ashamed clearly unfolding the good will of God without taking any side or party wholly aiming at satisfaction to
due yea Grace gives much good when much evil is due The Law is inexorable and spares none but Grace is easie to be entreated and spares all For Grace is a priviledge above Law rather than extremely contrary to Law An act of Super-justice rather than contrary to Justice For Mercy rejoyceth and triumpheth over Justice as being the special and highest work of God in which he most delighteh This is the Trone of Grace this is the Mercy-Seat Throne of Grace the great Court of Requests and of Chancery Ubi Jus fit Jus datur where Rights are made and where Rights are bestowed whereas in other Courts of Law Rights are only declared Such Courts are much inferior Ubi Jus dicitur where Rights are declared upon Justice to those higher ones where they are created and granted upon Mercy and Bounty and God's Mercies are above all his Works 3. So God's Grace is opposed to Wrath in extremes Wrath. As Grace gives more good than is due by Law so Wrath gives more evil than is due by Law And this Wrath God executes by taking the Sword into his own hands and punishing our sins himself beyond the ordinary way of the Law as Kings by their Prerogatives may do by Wrath to execute Vengeance more than the bare Law calls for upon some extraordinary offences on some extraordinary occasions which they themselves can best judge of especially when the Inferior Judge is negligent of his duty in not inflicting the Punishment which the Law required and when sins have been done with a high hand in open defiance of Rule and Law to the endamagement of the Commonwealth Unto this Wrath God's Grace is extremely opposed For when Law and Anger were heavily against an obstinate Sinner and the Sword of both threatens to devour in an extraordinary way then steps in Mercy and stops the Flood-gate of Anger and saves the dying Soul from the Pit of Ruine which was ready to swallow him up because God sees remorse in him though he have been notoriously wicked yet it is the good will and pleasure of God for the Glory of his Grace to spare as a Father spareth his Son that serveth him to blot out iniquities transgressions and sins and to remember them no more but that they shall be as though they had never been and now that Soul shall live he shall not die SECTION I. Works 4. So God's Grace is opposed to Works which are the Merit of the Creature but this is the Grace of the Creatour Works deserve wages but Eternal life is the gift of God Grace dignifies a Person that deserves it not No man can deserve to be born of his Father or after he is born he cannot deserve to be made the Son and Heir of another man But the only cause of a Son is Love either by Nature or by Adoption and therefore the only cause to be made the Son of God is the Grace of God not the Works of Man Free Grace Such love of God is the Grace of God whereby the Receiver is honoured and profited and yet he never deserved it This is free Justification by Grace Ro. 3.24 of Faith and therefore not of Works that it might be by Grace only otherwise Grace were no more Grace and Works were no more Works This is the Riches of God's Grace whereby we are accepted in the Beloved The gift by Grace the kindness and good will of God This Grace of God is without Cause it is it self the supreme and high cause having no other Cause above or beyond it to actuate and move it Nor can any Works so much as concur with Grace because Grace is the sole Cause For if Salvation were of Works it should be of Debt and then it could not be of Grace They are inconsistent and contrary the one to the other Ro. 4.4 Now to him that worketh is the Reward reckoned not of Grace but of Debt But if it be of Grace it is of Gift and then it cannot be of Works Ro. 11.6 And if of Grace then it is no more of Works otherwise Grace is no more Grace Not by Works of Righteousness which we have done Tit. 35. but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost By this Grace I a poor miserable Sinner attainted in the attainder of Adam's sin and born to temporal and eternal Miseries am looked upon with the eye of Mercy to be justified from all my Sin and Misery and to be invested with Holiness and Happiness And the farther Love and Grace of God to me is that all this should be done in a Testamentary way whereby I should be the more sure of it For such an Instrument as a Testament is requires all the favourable construction that can be imagined that it may take effect according to the best meaning of the Testator Rich Grace And still the Exceeding riches of his Grace appears that he did settle this his Testament by the Death of Christ who was his own and only Son whom he substituted to die in his stead For God could have setled his Testament by means less chargeable than was the precious Blood of his own Son but he could not to shew the abundance of his Love who so loved the World as that he sent his only begotten Son into the same and gave him over unto death that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And lastly all this is Grace for Grace that is freely and out of mere Grace and only for the Thanks of the Receiver SECTION II. I have enough then to uphold my Soul withal till I die Assurance and when I die to lie down with my Body in hope of a glorious Resurrection And after my death my Soul shall wait for it and at last it will come at which time my Saviour will come again and call me from the Regions and Receptacles of Rest to put my Soul and Body both into the full possession of the Inheritance to which I have a present Right by Faith in the New Testament of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Against this New Testament established by Jesus Christ the Jews did mightily stickle Jews loth to leave the Law Because the Old Testament was God's Testament written and God had made a solemn Testimony thereof on Mount Sinai where with terrible Lightning and Thunder and the shrill sound of the Trumpet and by the Fire and Smoak and the quaking of the Mountain and the voice of the Angel who represented God it was testified in the sight and hearing of all the People And also because this Law and Testament had a long prescription of fifteen hundred years together and in such cases men do use to struggle very hard and are loth to part with their so ancient Laws Customes and Priviledges especially concerning their Religion and Worship and a Change is commonly very
grievous in such cases The CONTENTS Writing Testimony Confirmation Execution Christ the Executor Executorship conditional Flesh and Blood Christ's Assention Spirit 's Mission TITLE VI. Of the Confirmation of the New Testament NOW the New Testament though it were not written as was the Old with the finger of God upon Tables of Stone but was Nuncupative yet this Nuncupation was by God himself not by any Angel and that unto Christ himself only to be published and accordingly was published by him in his own Person and by his Spirit in the persons of the Apostles and their Disciples through the whole World and afterwards committed to writing by the chief of the Apostles and not only so Writing but written again after a better manner by the spirit of God himself upon the Tables of Mens Hearts Testimony And as for the Testimony given thereunto to prove it to be the Will of God Christ himself did testifie thereof with such mighty miracles as never had been done before Besides the unquestionable Holiness of his life and the solemnity of his death Which things were not done in a corner but in the full view of a greater Congregation than was at Mount Sinai for he preached in their Temple and Synagogues and did wonders in all Judea and suffered death upon Mount Calvary Mat. 27.51 At which time the Vail of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom the Earth did quake and the Rocks rent and the graves were opened and many bodies of the Saints which slept arose The Sun also was darkned after an extraordinary manner when the Moon was at the Full. And after all this was added as the last and greatest Proof of all the glory of his Resurrection and Ascention into Heaven He saith therefore of himself John 18.37 To this end was I born and for this cause I came into the world that I should bear witness unto the truth And the Apostle said of him 1 Tim. 6.13 Rev. 3.14 that before Pontius Pilate he witnessed a good Confession Hence he is called the Amen the faithful and true Witness the Martyr of the New Testament to testifie it with his Blood His death was not only a Testimony Confirmation but a Confirmation of the New Testament because his death doth wholly and for ever extinguish in him all will or power to revoke it and evidence that immediately from that Death God's Testament was ipso facto in force and began to take effect for the Justification of Mankind to all the Rights in that Testament contained by the Access of their Faith Thus the immortal God came as near to Death as he could by the Death of his Son in his Divine Nature immortal but made a mortal man to dye in his Father's stead and to demonstrate his own and his Father 's unconceivable Love to lay down his Life for Sinners Which thing deserves a perpetual Commemoration so commanded by Christ in the Holy Eucharist instituted by him for that purpose And as Wills are to be proved and confirmed Execution so they are to be executed and performed or else the Will it self is as dead as he that made it and so was made to no purpose The publick Wills of Legislators are to be put in Execution by sworn Magistrates or else the Law is in vain and a dead Letter And the private Wills of Testators are to be put in Execution by their Heirs or Executors covenanting and swearing so to do else the Will or Law of the Testator is frustrated Now of this New Testament Christ is the Executor or Mediator Christ Executor between God the Testator and the Legataries in the Will expressed to convey unto them from God as a Priest the Expiation of their Sins by his Sacerdotal offering up of himself to God in the Temple of Heaven and the Mission of his Spirit to cleanse their hearts and as a King sitting in the Throne of Heaven to rule his Church and protect them from their Enemies and to raise them up from Death and set them at his Right hand and at his left in heavenly places and as a Prophet to lead them into all Truth And Christ as an Executor and Mediator received to himself this benefit to be the universal Heir of God who was so by Nature and was so appointed by Grace to be Heir of all things Heb. 1.2 And for this purpose had all Power given unto him both in Heaven and Earth Mat. 28.18 and universal honour also wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name That at the name of Jesus Phil. 2.9 every knee should bow of Persons in Heaven and Earth and under the Earth For let all the Angels of God worship him Heb. 1.6 and he hath spoiled Principalities and Powers and triumphed over them openly 1 Cor. 15.27 and hath put all his Enemies under his feet The Reason is because Christ's Executorship was conditional Reason 1 Executorship Conditional that is charged upon the Condition of his own Death he must dye before he can enter upon it and therefore dye that he may perform it because every Testament is a Decree of things to be done after Death and this Testament of God hath this strange Prerogative above the Testaments of men that it is confirmed by the Death of a Man who was God and that the Executor not the Testator dyes and that the Disposition of things to be had or done is made after the Death of the Executor who for that purpose rose from the dead that he might justifie the faithful to the Inheritance of Heaven A Cause quite contrary to the Testaments of men wherin the Testator only dies to confirm his Testament and the Executor surviving performs it Therefore as Christ the principal Heir was fitted to receive his Inheritance ordained for him in that Testament whereof he was Executor So we that are Christ's Co-heirs must be fitted to receive the same Inheritance ordained for us in that Testament wherein we are Legataries Reas 2 Flesh and Blood 1 Cor. 15.5 Joh. â— 14 1 Cor. 15.45 Heb. 2.9 2. Because Flesh and Blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of heaven And CHRIST the Word was made Flesh but afterwards he was made Spirit For the last Adam was made a quickning Spirit And JESUS who was made a little lower than the Angels for or by they suffering of Death was crowned with glory and Honour And so Christ was made perfect For it became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many Sons unto glory Heb. 2.10 to make the Captain of their salvation perfect through Sufferings And though he were a Son yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered and being made perfect he became the Author of Eternal Salvation unto all them that obey him And so Christians they are first Flesh For that which is
power of his Resurrection and the Fellowship of his Sufferings being made conformable to his Death Phil. 3.10 If by any means I might attain to the Resurrection of the dead not as though I had already attained either were already perfect but I follow after that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus This is the New man put on and the old man put off and the renewing of the Spirit the New Birth and the new Creature Christ formed in us our crucifying dying rising with Christ This is the internal real inherent Righteousness of Poorness of Spirit Mourning Pureness of heart Meekness Patience Love to Enemies c. According to the Precepts of Christ far exceeding the negative Righteousness of Moses to be no Adulterers no Swearers no Murtherers c. And farther Act. 3.26 God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his Iniquities 1 Cor. 7.18 The Preaching of the Cross is to them that perish Foolishness but unto them which are saved it is the wisdom and power of God beating down the strong holds of Sin and Satan Tit. 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquities and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good Works ye were not redeemed with corruptible things 1 Pet. 1.18 as Silver and Gold from your vain Conversation c. The Gentiles that followed not after Righteousness have attained to Righteousness Ro. 9.30 c. even the Righteousness which is of Faith But Israel which followed after the Law of Righteousness have not attained to the Law of Righteousness Wherefore because they sought it not by Faith but as it were by the works of the Law for they stumbled at that stumbling stone Ro. 10.3 They being ignorant of the Righteousness of God and going about to establish their own Righteousness have not submitted themselves to the Righteousness of God For Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth Act. 26.18 I have sent thee to open their Eyes and to turn them from Darkness to Light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of Sins and an Inheritance among them which are sanctified by Faith that is in me I have searched all I can to make out this Imputed Righteousness but cannot for my heart find it I should be glad to be better informed But the true Inherent Righteousness by Faith is plentifully discovered in the Scriptures to be the True Gospel Righteousness which Christ came to set up in the heart And this is the wish of every true Christian to have an inward healing and not an outward hiding of his inbred Corruptions The Principle of a new Life the Seed of God the Spirit of Christ inclining our Spirits to the love of God and of all Righteousness And this is a thing correspondent to our true Nature which is desirous to act freely and ingenuously in the waies of God out of the Principle of a Living Law written in the heart and to eschew Sin as contrary to a Vital Principle This was somewhat hinted at by the Philosophers of Old who judged Vertue not to be merely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a thing taught by outward Rules and Examples like an Art or Trade and Aristotle is bold to affirm that Men are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good by a divine Inspiration Whether or no this be not that Evangelical Perfection which St. Paul called the Resurrection from the Dead Phil. 3.12 towards which he so much pressed I leave it to others to judge And doubtless they that by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern Spiritual things and understand the wisdom of Perfection and hunger and thirst after it notwithstanding the Irregularities of sensual Motions and violent assaults of Passions and daily incursions and obreptions of Infirmities through Ignorance or Inadvertency shall be accepted of God in the honesty and meekness of their Souls through the worthiness of Jesus Christ 4. There is a Jural Righteousness Jural Righteousness For our Faith is imputed to us for Righteousness or which is all one we are justified by Faith as will be proved hereafter But this is not the Moral or Legal Righteousness of another made ours but our Faith gives us a Right and Title to be the Righteous Sons and Heirs of God and Co-heirs with Jesus Christ who maketh us partakers of his Rights not individual his Personal Rights but specifical procuring for us the Right of Adoption and Sonship after his likeness by Grace who is the Son of God by Nature and by the Means and application of Faith made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption Thus I have endeavoured to prove by the Scriptures That by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ God hath given us through Faith a Spiritual Resurrection from sin and a Victory over Sin inwardly by the inherent Righteousness of the Spirit SECTION II. I shall farther labour to prove the same comfortable Truth by these Reasons Victory over Sin We have a real Victory over Sin and a real Righteousness of heart by the Spirit of Christ 1. Because it is the property of Light to conquer Darkness Light conquers Darkness Truth is the Light in us This Truth is of God who hath made it innate and cognate with the Soul Falshood and Lies are Darkness This Falshood is of the Devil who hath made it adnate and allied accidentally to the Soul When the Natural Light which was created in the Soul is used by Faith in the Promises it is enlightned farther with the supernatural light of Grace and so the unnatural Darkness of Sin is dispelled by the Beams of a Heavenly Illumination 2. Because Sin is no Native Sin no Native but a Stranger and Intruder into the Mind which is the Lord's inheritance therefore Sin may be conquered and beaten out and shall be beaten out when a stronger than she is come upon her An adventitious and extraneous thing is expellible by the Original The true and ancient Nature of the Soul suffers violence by these Strangers Sin is the Praeternatural state of Rational Beings Men are born free and ingenuous Servitude is unnatural Therefore as Sin was not Primary or Connatural with the Soul so we have no reason to think that it should be perpetually adherent or unalterable there-from A jarring Instrument may be set in tune A dyscrasy of Body may be rectified A discomposed ruffled Passion may be laid The Soul was harmonious as God first made it till Lust disordered the strings and faculties thereof And God the great Harmostes is able easily to put it in perfect Concord again The Soul was perfectly sound and Righteousness was the health thereof till Sin made the dyscrasy And God the great Physitian of Souls is able to bring it to the right and
frightful nor of Catonian or Cynical Spirits But rather as becometh you gentle and merciful as your Heavenly Fais merciful who is free to all and rejects none that come unto him Observe your Saviour's temper upon earth fair free easie of access compassionate and liberal to all TITLE III. Of the Clergie's Persons II. IN your Persons Look to your selves as well as to your Doctrines be ye no Market or Fair-Divines nor Haunters of Plays Taverns Ale-houses or Schools of Debauchery In your conversation shew the spirit of men of Scholars and Gentlemen of Divines of Christians sober studious grave and regular 'T is a great while before a Divine can throughly understand himself and his profession if he studies never so hard and live never so warily But if he do neither of these or both but slightly he shall never throughly understand himself or his profession To be a Scribe throughly furnished for the kingdom of Heaven a good housholder producing out of his Treasury things new and old A Skilful workman that needs not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of Truth shewing both in his life and in his doctrine uncorruptness gravity and sincerity The CONTENTS Laws Law-Terms TITLE IV. Of the Clergie's Study AS a means therefore to make you every way compleat study Logick Philosophy History and all the Liberal Sciences but above all these study Law which is the most noble Faculty next to Theology and most Homogeneal to God's Law Remember the famous and illustrious testimony of Cicero Cic. lib. de Orat. speaking in the person of Crassus concerning the Laws of the twelve Tables Fremant omnes licet dicam quod sentio Bibliothecas meherculè omnium Philosophorum unus mihi videtur duodecem Tabularum Libellus si quis Legum fontes capita viderit Authoritatis pondere utilitatis ubertate superare i. e. Let all that hear me be never so much offended I will speak boldly what I think That this one little Book of the laws of the twelve Tables if it be rightly considered as containing the fountains and heads of all Laws doth excel the Libraries of all the Philosophers both for the weight of Authority that it carrieth along with it and the plentiful profit that is contained therein The same Author also affirms Cic. lib. 2. de Leg. That Children were wont to learn the Laws of the twelve Tables as their Primar the better to lay a foundation for knowledg and practice all their life after The Science of the Civil Lawes that flowed from this fountain of the twelve Tables the most and best of learned men have ever professed Quintus Mutius Servio Sulpitio cum de jure respondentem parum intellexisset turpe est inquit Patritio Nobili causas oranti jus in quo versatur ignorare i. e. Quintus Mutius replyed to Servius Sulpitius when he perceived that he answered not as if he understood Law saying It is a shame for a Senator a Noble Man and an Advocate to be ignorant in the Law which he professeth I always looked upon true Church men as to be the greatest Lawyers and such as therefore beside being versed in the holy Scriptures which are the Laws of God ought also to be skilful in the Ecclesiastical and Civil Laws of Men as being the most connate and genuine helps for Divinity creating better Notions by far as is found by experience than can be raised from inferior Arts which are all subservient in several ways but much less as being more heterogeneal and remote from Divinity than Laws are And this you will find to be true to your comfort and satisfaction if you will but give your minds to understand the method rules cases and terms of the Laws which next to the Scriptures do comprehend in them purest Wisdom Justice and Equity that is any where else to be found Take therefore by the way a short view of the most principal and useful Terms of Law which I have promiscuously set down for an Essay Viz. Law-terms Testator Testament Will. Codicil Heir Co-heir Inheritance Executor Administrator Dis-inheridation Preterition Institution Substitution Fidei Commissum Adoption Possession Right Title Claim Interest Propriety Usufruct Use Emphytensis Tenure Fee Allodium Allegiance Vassalage Homage Investiture Infeudation Fidelity Refutatio feudi Apertura feudi Rebellio Vacancy Administration Accompt Justice Mercy Sin Grace Virtue Vice Faith Repentance Recidivation Relapse Apostasy Predestination Election Justification Sanctification Reprobation Redemption Emancipation Exemption Jus Postliminii Curse Blessing Majesty Supremacy Emperour King Prince Duke Lord. Magistrate Judge Jurisdiction Legislator Arbitrator Policy Law Dispensation Ordinance Statute Custome Sentence Inhibition Decree Act. Interdict Appeal Priviledg Barr. Tribunal Trial. Court Advocate Witness Adversary Register Scribe Record Testimony Proclamation Petition Summons Accuser Appearance Accusation Arrest Publication Answer Defence Exception Replication Confirmation Convention Intervention Dilation Litis Contestatio Articles Probation Presumption Conclusion Absolution Condemnation Imputation Pardon Grace Glory Triumph Victory Confession Procurator Tables Action Complaint Suspension Equity Rigor Dammage Charges Recovery Restitution in integrum Jaylor Jaol Tormentor Executioner Reprieve Sergeant Sanctuary Refuge Protection Usury Wages Extortion False Weights and Measures Bribery Stellionates Sacriledg Tribute Tax Toll Custome Sedition Rebellion Poysoning Treason Crimen laesae Majestatis Parricide Murder Man-slaughter Ambitus Repetundae Annona Residuum Fiscus Falsifying Witchcraft Plagiary Sorcery Witches Curious Arts. Conniving Subornation Conjuring Conjurer Familiar Spirits Wisards Exorcists Demoniacks Lunaticks Southsayers Astrologers Pythonists Wise men City Common wealth Kingdom Citizens Free-men Exchequer Communion Sacrament Division Senate School Church Hospital Colledg Physician Chirurgeon Medicine Tumult People Poor Banishment Honour Degrading Diminutio Capitis Augmentatio Capitis Tuition Pupil Guardian Curator Orphan Minor Major Adult Minority Majority Puberty Master Servant Lord. Slave Patron Liberty Bondage Captivity Ingenuous Libertine Manumission Imprisonment Redemption Redeemer Ransome Saviour Exchange Satisfaction Satisdation Fiduciary General Captain Souldier Siege Army Camp Arms. Provision Bulwark Castle Strong hold Magazine Arsenal Ships War Peace League Truce Battel Victory Triumph Allies Confederates Conditions Heraulds Messenger Spoils Hostage Lot Chance Buying Selling. Letting Hiring Redhibition Lending Borrowing Paying Pawn Pledg Interest Recompense Restoring Surety Suretyship Security Earnest Debt Wages Debitor Creditor Market Fair. Merchandise Partnership Trade Manufacture Division Fraud Negotiation Acceptilation Theft Infamy Gift Loan Alms. Gain Loss Melioration Deterioration Use Depositing Usucapio Prescription Donation Alienation Acquisition Sequestration Fidejussor Transaction Compromise Compensation Society Mandate Familiae erciscendae Indebiti solutio Delegation Injury Violence Vindication Rescinding Peculiar Communi dividendo Finium regendorum Bona Fides Justus Metus Cession Espousals Marriage Matrimony Patrimony Divorce Saparation Nullity Fornication Adultery Rape Ravishing Incest Concubine Connubium Harlot Virgin Spouse Husband Wife Dowry Joincture Paraphernalia Parents Children Bastards Legitimate Portion Gift Promise Houshold Family Housholder Treasury Steward Widow Talent Fame Overseer
freely in the spirit above the slavery of Carnal Ordinances a higher Genius hovers over this Age. The first Reformers did well and cleared much rubbish out of the way and by their help others have come on to do more good And now the great points delivered by St. Paul and other inspired Writers concerning Faith Justification Sanctification Grace Law Works Adoption Priesthood Kingdom Mediation of Christ c. are better understood and more clearly expressed than ever they were before The world hath as good Wits as ever it had and nothing hinders yet the farther advancement of all knowledg divine and humane but the slavish tying our selves to the sole authority of the Antients without examinination of Scriptures and Reason making it religious to go no further than they for fear of being wiser than our Fathers Besides the shameful idleness of men of excellent parts for fear Forsooth of dangerous Innovations I do not mean that we should find out a new Religion but labour to understand the old better Enquire for the old ways that have been untrodden and by ways invented not for new Lights but for old better discerned But what have I done that talk so much of improvement A little I do God knows And thanks be to God if it be a little I hope others more able will be perswaded to do more I have only shewn a good heart and there is no hurt I hope to wish well to the peace of Christendome Well be it how it may be 't is agreeable to a Gospel-Spirit to pray for and aspire towards perfection to strive to be no longer children but in understanding to be men to covet after the best gifts and to find out the most excellent ways and all this while to keep liberty and peace And however men fail out of meekness and ignorance yet I condemn none that have honest hearts and strive to know and do better things But those that swell and look big upon all but their own party let them alone till their stomacks come down or if they will be wilful let them be wilful still only I am sorry in the mean time that the blind should lead the blind but the obstinate only shall fall into the ditch But they may say worse of me and therefore I had best to hold my peace for fear of bringing an old house over my head for fear of bringing swarms of Wasps about my ears Obj. In the Church nothing must be changed Sol. No truths may be changed but all errors must as Transubstantiation Purgatory Image and Saint-worship c. Alterations for the better do well at any time never for the worse Obj. Many things are different from the Articles of the Church of England Sol. It is well known to wise men that the chiefest of the first Reformers and Compilers of those Articles had a special eye to the Augustan confession and yet respected the Geneva Church too so that both parties have subscribed so could they not do to the Synod of Dort It was therefore prudently and charitably done of our Church not to fright any from her Communion but to open her breasts freely to all that would suck in her Doctrine Nor does our Church forbid her Sons to see farther if they can into her truths or to build upon her foundations This were to set bounds to all industry and ingenuity as God hath set bounds to the Sea saying Hitherto shalt thou go and no further The Scriptures are everlasting Mines new veins discovered to men that take pains to dig or else all is lost vast Treasures hid in them require searching to the world's end Who can hinder invention and industry with moderation And why may not the old foundation be enlarged and strengthned and new superstructures raised thereupon Is it good to be straitned or confined under penalties to a certain number of Articles in Religion besides or beyond the letter of which none ought to speak or write May not succession see farther into the same truths and more clearly The Tabernacle must have room to spread her curtains and enlarge her cords that she may receive the more company and stand the surer But if any thing be brought in contrary to the sound doctrine of the faith always received though it should be preached by an Angel from heaven let him be Anathema Maranatha The heat of the angry Reformation may be well near out by this time it is high time it should Did we not take many things upon trust And did we not flie from one extremity to another And may we not in all this time see our mistakes and honourably reform them Lay aside therefore all heats and interests and the business will be far better and sooner done and when it is done we will be glad and rejoyce and wish it had been done sooner Besides is it not good encouragement to searching and free spirits to look out farther and find out higher Truths which if they be stopt by reproach and persecution will perhaps lie undiscovered Who will take pains if they be disgraced and cried out upon for Hereticks and dangerous Innovators and kept under the hatches to please the humours of formal men What sense or reason is there that the Doctrine or Worship of Christian Religion should not be reformed in every Age from any error or superstition which shall creep into them by any evil custome because of antiquity Or that we should not stir a foot from those by-paths because of antiquity we know they were good men but they did not see all things as the Latin Service the half Communion c. merely out of a wilful formality and pretence of Constancy though we be convinced of such false ways It is no shame for any man or society of men to recant a manifest mistake Do not all wise Law-makers the same when manifest inconveniences do arise for the peace and wellfare of the Common-wealth And why not the same for the Church also Is it not the bane of Christianity to be stubborn in maintaining old errors merely out of pretended inconstancy and dangerous change and questioning of old truths also May not a change be safely and honourably made from worse to better in any Church or State Think again and is it not piety wisdom and charity so to do I humbly leave it to the wise to judg of these things Obj. But my Discourse is too high for ordinary capacities and therefore cannot edifie Sol. I confess it as to the lowest capacities of the most illiterate and yet not of all those neither but they and others not much learned in arts yet of good natural parts may with care quickly apprehend the meaning of the matter especially when it is before them in writing But the learned Preacher may so order his business as to hide his art and condescend sweetly to the apprehensions of the vulgar and make zealous applications upon these principles for practice of life and conversation as well and
as fully every way as upon those vulgar or scholastick notions that they have been used to and spent their oratory upon in the Geneva knack of sermonizing Now whether Preaching have not been extremely abused let the sober judg When the plain simplicity and purity of the Gospel is left and sentences of Fathers and Councils or School-subtilties or Casuistical Mootings but especially Rhetorical flourishings mingled with Poetical flashings and ginglings are all hudled together in a Pulpit to amaze the Hearers that the Preacher may be admired for a deep Scholar and a precious man of God All the Learning that hath been in esteem for the most part was the learning of the Antients and of the latter Schools and to stuff our Books with their Sayings was our greatest glory but give me the men that can invent of their own and add better to the former labours of learned men Lord what great care and psins is there taken and what vast expences made to search in forrain Parts for old ends of Gold and Silver Brass Wood and Stone in Coins Mettals Plates Marbles Statues Tables Pictures Banners Escucheons and Manuscripts to print them in stately Volumes to know the customes and habits of Idolatrous Heathens or superstitious orders of ignorant Monks and Friers and to what purpose How do some men stretch their memories for there is nothing of judgment in the case to understand the Oriental Tongues consuming the precious time and strength of rare Wits in Criticisms upon words and Idioms of strange tongues by Lexicons only which might be far better imployed in the understanding of things profitable to the Church and State I deal freely and ingenuously with my Reader I care not to pump and plod for other mens notions less proper for my purpose and so lose my own If I meet with any better I shall not stick to use them and so to make them mine in my own composition without plagiary He is no fool that saith Potest homo sine Magistri ductu Claubergius Invention suo remigio è solâ mentis suae Tabulà mundi vasto volumine studere imò pluris in rebus naturali lumini subjectis facienda est una veritas proprio Marte reperta quà m decem ab aliis acceptae dantur exempla eorum qui è semetipsis mundi libro studentes magni viri evaserunt Every man may without the conduct of a Master guide himself by his own steerage and study in the Book of his mind and in the large volume of Nature and one truth so found out by a man 's own ingenuity in those things which are evident by the light of nature is of more worth than ten that are conveyed to us from the wits of other men And there are not wanting examples of many that being students of themselves and of the world have attained to be very great and learned men The Mind is sensible of the Distemper of the Body but the Body is not sensible of the discomposure of the Soul Most men not using their rational faculties lead more an animal than an intellectual life Our reason began to be disturbed as soon as ever we began to speak and that corruption corrupted our speech afterwards and most men go clear away with false reasons or flashes of wit for sense And by custome for want of observation this cheat is established and none but discerning and honest unbiassed men do seriously mark it An Oratour or a Buffoon makes us merry and gets applause when a sober plain wise man cannot be heard and especially when mens interests come in to get favour or gain any thing is swallowed and the cunning man will not own it that he cheats another or is cheated himself If therefore we use the common way of speaking we shall speak truly but if we use the common way of reasoning we shall not reason truly For right reason is a very hard thing to come by and few have it and yet every man pretends to enjoy it Fearfulness For my own part I am distrustful of my self and this is the only satisfaction that I can give my own Soul that I am sensible of nothing more than of mine own weakness I do therefore fearfully commend my Thoughts to the world and because I have few or no succours nor encouragements I am come a begging to every wise man's door for his relief in charity to tell me truly where I am and how I am likely to be accepted and whether all this be worth my labour I confess I may be over-conceited of my own conceptions and dote upon my own homely Brat I would fain know my errors which my own self-favouring spirit may not suffer me to understand Act. 8.26 I seem to aim as Apollos was taught by Aquilla and Prissilla to understand the way of God more perfectly The things I deliver are the same but they have not had the luck to be clothed altogether in the habit And what then have I done And what will become of me How shall I be slash'd for my presumption Some body I hope will take my part for I look to be hated because I single my self from the company of other men Giants to me and whose Books I am not worthy to carry nor be named the same day with them Yet still my little Candle may give a small Light amongst those vast Tapers Tell me some good body my fortune in this case and what I am likely to trust to for I am by nature very fearful Imperial Law If in this great case of God's disposal of rights to his Church and their Justification to them by faith I have made use of the Terms of the Imperial Law of the Romans or the Feudal Law of the Lombards Feudal Law I hope it is not without good grounds And if in any point I have erred I shall be glad to be convinced thereof that I might amend it And if in any thing I have afforded any light towards the right understanding of the Two Testaments and the great cases of Justification and of Christ's Church in order to a fair composure of needless Controversies I shall be mightily satisfied and heartily thankful to God and good men And I hope by this Essay some stately spirits will rouze up their Lion-like strength Essay and carry all before them with an high hand laying all the perverse disturbers of the Church at their conquering Feet and tumble them into their everlasting graves from ever rising up again to perplex the world any more at least in a degree if God so please If any be so scornful as to slight me or so cruel as to smite me with reproaches I shall never reply but lie still and defend my self with my good intentions to be serviceable in the Tabernacle of God though but as a Hewer of Wood or Drawer of Water And why may not a Dwarf carry Arms for a Giant Or a poor Boy run
taken or received this is jus habere in them that have power to consent SECT VIII Creation 1. The creating all Rights as of all Things is absolutely in God the fountain of all Being and Justice who giveth power unto men subordinately to make Laws and to do acts of Grace in imitation of that absolute Supremacy Legislative power and Prerogative that is in him alone this is Jurisfaction or making of Rights SECT IX Donation 2. The giving of all Rights as of Things is absolutely in God the fountain of all Beings and Graces from whom every good and perfect gift doth proceed who giveth power unto men to do acts of kindness and good will in imitation of that absolute Bounty and Liberality that is in him alone this is Jurisdation and Mercy SECT X. Declaration 3. The declaring of Rights is absolutely in God the fountain of all Wisdom who giveth power to men to know good and evil Right and Wrong that they might give every one his due in commuting just valuations and distributing proportionable rewards or punishments to vertue or vice in imitation of that infinite wisdom prudence justice and bounty that is in him eminently alone This is Jurisdiction and Justice SECT XI Faction 4. The Doing of Right is absolutely in God for there is none good but God the fountain of all goodness who giveth power unto men to do good and eschew evil by the practice of all vertue and honesty in imitation of that infinite goodness and integrity which is highly in him alone This is Righteousness and goodness SECT XII Reception The Taking of Right is absolutely in God who hath all right properly in and from himself who giveth power unto men to receive and take from him and them to whom he hath given Rights to such things as may be their own by free gift or law in imitation of that infinite possession and profit which is in him transcendently alone This is owning and enjoying Right SECT XIII Amongst all Rights whatsoever Justification the act of Justifying others unto Rights is the best and highest act of Justice or Judgment because it produceth or bringeth forth all original Rights as the parent or stock to the off-spring and branches that spring from the same For if he do right that either deals right or declares right much more doth he do right who creates that Right whereby actual Right is done by a neighbour to his neighbour or by a Judg to his Client When a Tenant pays thee his Rent he doth thee right but when thy Father gave thee thy Estate he did thee more right for he made that right and gave it to thee whereby thy Tenant doth thee right When I was questioned for my Living the Judg justified me by declaring me to have a good right thereunto but when my Patron presented me he justified me much more for he created and gave to me that right which the Judg declared me to have SECT XIV Of Rights some are private and some publick 1. Private Right Private Right is that which belongeth to the honour or benefit of every private person as they are in private capacity and society with themselves 2. Publick Right is that which belongeth to the honour and benefit of all persons as they are considered in publick capacity and communion with the State or Commonwealth which things are farther illustrated in the Civil Law In the Church of Rights some are private and some publick 1. Private Right is that which belongeth to the honour and profit of every particular person as Faith Justification Sanctification Love Hope Patience Temperance c Adoption Resurrection Ascension Glory SECT XV. 2. Publick Right Publick Right is that which belongeth to the honour and benefit of the whole communion of Saints and Body of Christ as 1. The Rights of Creation Protection Maintenance 2. The Rights of Redemption as Victory over World Flesh Death Devil 1. The Rights of Creation or Nature are common to all men good and bad and to all creatures and are the same that ever they were and ever shall be to the world's end And though the wicked amongst men are unrighteous legally and morally and therefore jurally have no spiritual Rights of the Gospel yet they are not unrighteous naturally to the use of the Creatures for food and raiment or temporal Dominion which are not founded upon Grace but upon natural and Civil Establishments Thus God left not the heathen that worshipped him not as God without Witness Act. 14.17 but gave them rain from heaven filling their hearts with food and gladness 1. The Rights of Redemption or Grace are peculiarly enjoyed by the Faithful only and are the same that ever they were and ever shall be world without end These Rights of Grace by Regeneration and a new Creature which were lost by the Fall of Adam are restored by the Redemption of the Second Adam Christ Jesus And all that have put off the Old man with the corruptions and lusts and have put on the New man which after Christ is renewed in righteousness and holiness are the righteous Heirs of God that have right to themselves and to their own spiritual actions and to the food and clothing of the Soul and all things that conduce to their everlasting welfare Rights are considered as private or publick 1. Natural in all natural Entities 2. Civil in all Corporations Politick 3. Religious in all Civil Communions 1. Singly to each person 2. Jointly in Divine or Humane Society SECT XVI Justice All Rights are Dues and may be claimed and Just and therefore Sacred and therefore not to be violated or profaned Because they are allowed to those to whom they do belong by the Laws of God and Man And therefore God forbid but every man should have his due that is his own Just Rights And this way of Justice and Honesty if it were trod in exactly would bring peace and quietness into the world and for want of it is all strife war and misery SECT XVII Rights to God My chiefest Rights of my Soul and Body Wife and Children Honour and Estate are of and to and from my God whose I am and all mine SECT XVIII Rights to Body and Soul My next Rights of my Soul and Body are to my self for I have Right to my self to be mine own for God hath given me my self my Soul and Body to be mine under him and for him and they are mine as they are his and therefore they are mine because they are his and because he hath given them to me and therefore he hath given them unto me which is his act and deed that I might give them again to him and this is my act and deed and so we have Rights interchangeably to each other And so I am contracted to my God and my God is contracted to me and I am his and he is mine I have interest in him and he
through all the Labyrinth thereof I think it necessary besides all these proofs to add the best reasons I can to fortify this cause Right Reason 1. The matter whereunto a Man is justified is some Right which cannot be a Moral Righteousness for that is a virtue and is not deviseable to be convey'd as Rights are to any by gift or otherwise nor can Moralities descend to any by succession No Man was ever able to bequeath his Wisdom or Goodness to another from himself in his life time neither did any Son or Heir inherit his Father's Mental perfections as he may his corporal likeness or constitution or his Honour and Estate A Right is an incorporeal thing belonging to some Dignities or Revenues and Men attain to them several waies by Birth or Gift or labour This Right of Justification comes not by Birth nor yet by Work but by Gift or Grace Ro. 4.4 5. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of Grace but of debt but to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for Righteousness i. e. For a Right because it hath reference to the three former words Reward Grace and Debt The labourer and believer agree in this that both have a Right or claim the labourer to his Wages the Believer to his Promise but they differ in this the labourer hath a Right of Debt to his Wages by the title of his work that earned them the Believer hath a Right of Grace to his Promise by the Title of his Faith Abraham had a Seal of the righteousness of his Faith Now a Seal cannot be of any Moral Righteousness but of a Jural Right or Interest to some Estate of Honour or Profit A Seal fixed upon a Cabinet or parcel of Goods or upon an Instrument is a sign of the Right which the owner hath that none but he can challenge any of those Goods contained or expressed in those vessels or Writings The Right sealed to Abraham is that he might be the Father of all Believers which is a Jural Right of Dignity and that he might be the heir of Canaan which is a Jural Right of propriety Ro. 4.13 For the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his Seed through the Law but through the Righteousness of Faith i. e. not by the Right or title of the Works of the Law but by the right and title of Faith for Righteousness hath reference to the two former words Promise and Heir which are Jural terms proper for matter of Right And a Promise is an act that worketh a Right and an heir is a person that hath a Right The Hebrew word Zedakah is Englished a Right 2 Sam. 19.28.29 What right have I therefore to cry any more unto the King saith Mephibosheth and that right must be concerning his Land of inheritance whereof he stood then disseized by the treachery and calumny of Ziba For the King said unto him in the next verse Why speakest thou any more of thy matters I have said Thou and Ziba divide the Land And Mephibosheth said Yea let him take all c. Nehemiah said to Sanballat and Tobiah Neh. 2.20 You have no portion no right nor memorial because they were strangers in Jerusalem Sanballat a Samaritan Tobiah an Ammonite and Geshem an Arabian Some strangers were made capable of Rights with the native Jews these Proselytes were called Gerei Zedeck Advenae Justitiae Strangers of Righteousness because of their conversion to the Jewish Religion So they had right to eat of the Pass-over Exod. 12.19.48 49. to the Feast of Expiation Lev. 16.29 to offer Sacrifice Num. 15.14 c. to use Holy water Num. 19.10 to Judicature Lev. 24.21 Ye shall have one manner of Law as well for the stranger as for one of your own Countrey Deut. 1.16 Num. 25.30 Lev. 19.33 Lev. 25.35 c. Num. 35 15. A Free holder in our Writs of Common Law is styled Homo probus legalis one that hath right to something So that Justice and Righteousness though they do signify Moral Justice Righteousness in some places yet in others they must signify Jural Rights and Titles Gal. 2.21 as If Righteousness come by the Law that is the Right to the inheritance as it is expressed Gal. 3.18 If the inheritance come by the Law it is no more of promise Both these sayings carry the same meaning that the Right of inheritance is by promise not by Law The reason of this reason is because every inheritance is a right though every right be not an inheritance And an inheritance is the best kind of right because it is an universal and perpetual right to an Estate ex asse ie to all Honours Priviledges and Profits thereof freely given by Testament for ever And the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taken for Right is a Genus to the special word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is one of the best kind of Rights And again both these sayings as Premisses infer the same conclusion That a Man is not justified by the Law proved ab absurdo for if a Man be justified or if his Right of inheritance be by the Law then the Grace of God is frustrate Faith is frustrate and the death of Christ frustrate and the Promise frustrate Rom. 4.14 Tit. 3.7 Gal. 2.21 So that to a discerning ear To be justified by Faith and to be made an Heir of God and to have Faith imputed to us for Righteousness or Righteousnes imputed to us by Faith do sound one and the same thing Reason Effect 2. The Right or matter of Justification is the effect of God's promise which can be no moral Righteousness but a thing promised God promised a right of Alliance Issue and Inheritance to Abraham and therefore he by his Faith had a right Title and interest in this promise else it had been unjust and of no effect His Faith was counted for Righteousness Rom. 4.5 or his Faith was imputed to him for Righteousness Gal. 3.6 When Phinebas stood up and executed judgment This was counted to him for righteousness to all Generations for evermore That is this gave him right to the fee simple of the Priesthood to him and his heirs for ever For so the Charter runs Num. 23.10 11 12. Wherefore I give unto him my Covenant of Peace and he shall have it and his Seed after him even the Covenant of an Everlasting Priesthood because he was zealous for his God and made an attonement for the Children of Israel He had a right to the Priesthood before by his Birth but this was a corroboration of it to him for ever SECT V. Reason Accounting 3. All Rights consist in accounting which is their essence As that the use-fruit or propriety of such a thing is accounted or reckoned to such a person as belonging to him and no other Now no Moral Righteousness
Laws and therefore above them as morally righteous or gracious and jurally righteous or an owner of all things to make Man not only legally righteous according to Law and morally righteous according to Law but jurally righteous according to free Grace The CONTENTS Imputation Logick Logistick Christ's Righteousness TITLE II. Of the form of Justification Imputation THe Form of Justification is Imputation or rather Reckoning Accounting Reasoning or Concluding Computing Ascribing or Numbring The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that so signifies The great Acts of Counting are Logick and Logistick SECT I. Logick 1. Logick is the counting of sayings or Propositions according to their Rations or Reasons as they are composed to infer their Conclusions and to be resolved into their Principles For the Conclusion is the effect of two Propositions rightly figured whereof one is the Cause the other the Medium or mean between the Cause and the Effect and produceth the Effect The major Term in the major Proposition is the Cause the minor Term in the minor Proposition is the Effect and the medium or middle Term in both major and minor Propositions is the mean that produceth the Effect in the Conclusion as thus Every breathing Creature hath sense Every Man is a breathing Creature Therefore Every Man hath sense This last Proposition is the effect of the two former in which sensibility which is the major term is the cause and a Man is the effect and a breathing Creature is the means whereby this cause produceth this effect For because a Man is a breathing Creature therefore a Man hath sense or is sensible SECT II. 2. Logistick is the Counting of Numbers Logistick according to their rations or rates as they are composed into their powers and resolved into their roots The power or product is the effect of two numbers rightly multiplied when one of those two is the root of that power and the other is the rate between the root and the power As 6 is the cause of 12 and 12 is the effect of that cause and the root 2 multiplying 6 is the means between the cause and the effect producing the effect 12. So the cause of Salvation is God's promise The effect of this cause is Salvation it self The Mean between both that makes the cause to produce this effect is Faith And as in Logick the Conclusion is the effect of two sayings or propositions rightly figured when one of those sayings is the cause of that effect and the other saying is the reason or mean between the cause and the effect so in Logistick the power is the product of two numbers rightly multiply'd when one of those two numbers is the root of that power and the other is the rate between the root and the power Both these Countings or reckonings or reasonings do manifest the ration or rate of a saying to a saying and of a number to a number SECT III. The grounds of both these reasonings and reckonings are two 1. Those things that agree in one third do agree among themselves as in Logick the major and minor agree in the medium therefore they agree among themselves so in Logistick the multiplication and the product agree in the root or multiplier therefore they agree among themselves As 6 and 12 agree in 2 for 2 times 6 is 12. So God's promises and our salvation do agree in Faith 2. Whatsoever is affirmed of the genus is affirmed also of the species and all that are under it As whatsoever is affirmed of Abraham the Father of the Faithful is affirmed of his Children For all that believe are blessed with faithful Abraham A Believer is blessed Peter c. are believers Therefore Peter c. are blessed So that to account is to conclude by reasoning or numbring by arguing to find the conclusion by addition to find the total by multiplication the product and by division the Quotient The Grammatical sense of the word Impute is to cut divide purge or clear but custom hath made it to signifie to account reckon ascribe pass over the right or title to a thing or the thing it self or something for it by acceptilation either voluntarily by private act of gift Contract Payment release or consideration otherwise or necessarily by publick act of condemning or discharging for punishment or reward Imputation therefore that is accounting or reckoning is a Spiritual action for the conveyance of rights which are Spiritual things belonging to corporeal things Which rights are jural belonging to Persons and may be passed over from one to another by donation succession cession or dereliction deputation or assignment degradation or deprivation And therefore in this great business of Justification to the Rights of Spiritual and Celestial Blessedness Faith is the means whereby all these things are accounted or reckoned to be due unto us or which is all one Faith is accounted for our right unto them And this is clearly demonstrated Rom. 4.3 1. From the letter of the Scripture Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness Ja. 2.23 And ver 9. Cometh this blessedness then upon the Circumcision only or upon the uncircumcision also for we say that Faith was reckoned to Abraham for Righteousness And ver 22. It was imputed to him for Righteousness not for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe c. 2. From the scope of the Scripture Faith is the means of Justification instead of works by the which no Flesh can be justified and this is the only true work that God would have us to work even to covenant with him and embrace what he hath promised as for other works of our own righteousness Joh. 6.28 29. we may not relie upon them at all but meerly depend upon Grace accounting our Faith only for our right What shall we do that we might work the works of God Jesus answered and said unto them This is the work of God Ro. 3.24 c. that ye believe on him whom he hath sent Being justified freely by his Grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his Blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God to declare I say at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus Where is boasting then it is excluded by what Law of works nay but by the Law of Faith Therefore we conclude that a Man is justified by Faith Ro. 5.1 2. without the deeds of the Law Therefore being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom also we have access by Faith unto this Grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God Much more then being now justified by his Blood Rom. 5.9
we shall be saved from wrath c. Do we then make voyd the Law Rom. 8.32 through Faith God forbid yea we establish the Law In all the letter and scope of Scriptures upon this point the form of our Justification appears to be the Imputation or Accounting of our Faith for our right or Justification to the rights promised Ro. 5.17 8. There is mention made of Abundance of Grace and of the gift of righteousness And that by the righteousness of one the free-gift came upon all Men unto justification of life And that by one Man's obedience many were made righteous Phil. 3.9 St. Paul also desires That he may be found in Christ not having his own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by Faith No Man is justified by the Law in the sight of God for the just shall live by Faith and the Law is not of Faith but the Man that doth them shall live in them Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us For it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree That the Blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through Faith And the promise that Abraham should be the Heir of the World Ro. 4.13 was not to him or to his Seed through the Law but through the righteousness of Faith SECT III. But in all those places or any other Christ's Righteousness I cannot find any imputation of Christ's Righteousness The Righteousness of Faith and the Righteousness of God by Faith I find but no other By the Righteousness of Christ must be meant his personal obedience to the moral Law which cannot be made ours or translated to us or accounted to us and reckoned as ours for diverse and weighty reasons First because Christ's obedience was the obedience of a Mediator fitted exactly for such a Person and Office and no other A High Priest harmless undefiled separated from sinners c. Hebr. 7.26 one that makes all Men just and righteous and is made unto them righteousness sanctification and Redemption and is God our Righteousness That hath the Spirit of Righteousness without measure that is anointed above all his Fellows with that fulness from which we all receive Grace for grace whose Glory is the Glory of the only Begotten Son of God full of Grace and Truth and much more than the Tongue of Men or Angels can express Now for a Man to be clothed with the Robes of this Righteousness as they speak is to appear before God not in the habit of a righteous and justified Man but of the justifier of the Sons of Men whose righteousness is too excellent and glorious for our condition of a Mediator God and Man We are the better for his active and passive obedience for it is the cause of our Righteousness by Faith The Members partake of the benefit of the Head The Wife is endow'd by Marriage with all her Husband's goods but the virtue of the Head is not appropriated though communicated nor made over to the Members nor is the estate of the Husband past away or made over to his Wife The Endowment of the Wife is no formal cause nor ingredient of Marriage but a fruit or consequent thereof So our justification or our right to the Righteousness of Christ that is to his Rights and Priviledges accrues to us by our Marriage with Christ which is by Faith the formal cause thereof The Estate Wisdom and Righteousness is Christ's but the benefit of them and of all that is Christ's is ours as is the Wealth and Wisdom and Honour of the Husband to the Wife In a word Christ's Righteousness is that for which Faith is accounted to us for Righteousness Ergo the Personal righteousness of Christ himself is not accounted to us Secondly Because Personal moral virtues cannot be past over to others by act of Nature or Law as by Descent Donation Succession Cession Dereliction Degradation Deprivation or any other way or means Because they are inherent habits of the Mind and therefore inseparable from the Mind and if separable altogether inconveyable to the Mind of another by deed of gift Descent of Blood or any other conveyance whatsoever during life or after death But Jural Rights are of that nature as that they may be derived by act of Law not Nature from Parents to their Children from Predecessors to their Successors or Alienated from the Proprietary to any other Person not only to be reckoned but to be really his or theirs to whom the alienation reversion or derivation is made by any act or deed according unto Law to take place in life or after death Also some act of mine may be accounted for a right to my self as my labour for my wages my purchase for my Estate my Faith for my justification Thus Moral Righteousness is inseparable from the Person to which it doth belong and cannot be reckoned to another but Jural Rights are separable and may be accounted to another I may possibly be respected and saved for another's Virtue and Worth but his Virtue and Worth can no waies be made mine Virtue Learning Vice and Ignorance are habits and qualities which are a Man 's own without accounting but Riches and Honours we have as rights accounted unto us or else we cannot have or hold them My Health or Sickness of Body may be propagated to me and from me to another but not the Health or Sickness of my Soul Who can be healthy by another Man's health while he possesseth it Who can be sick by another Man's sickness while he possesseth it Who can be rich by another Man's riches while he enjoyeth them Who can be honourable by another Man's honour while he enjoyes it Who can be disgraced by another Man's disgrace while he suffereth it Who can be poor by another Man's poverty while he endures it Who can be learned by another Man's Learning while he hath it Who can be virtuous by another Man's virtues or vicious by another Man's vice These Virtues or Vices are really his who hath them not really mine whose they are not or how can these things in another be so much as reckoned or accounted to be mine I may be reckoned guilty of another Man's sin and so of his punishment by consenting or helping c. but not for his acting or suffering I cannot be reckoned virtuous by another Man's virtue or sinful by another Man's sin or miserable by another Man's misery If I have many virtues others may have as many virtues or more than I and I have no less than I have but if I have many rights to such or such things others can have no rights to the same things If they be taken away from me in part I have the less if in full I have none at all but others
have them more My virtues or vices can no Man have but my self but others may have the like Ergo no Individual Rights can be reckoned to another Person but specifical only The particular right to such a place Dignity or Profit may be taken away from one Man and given to another but if it belong not to a Place but to a Person only then the specifical right of one may be taken away from him and given to another Man No reckoning or accounting any thing to any Man but rights Faith is accounted and Right is accounted Faith for Right and Right for Faith The righteousness of the Law is not imputable or transferrible to another But the Man that doth them shall live in them Gal. 3.12 and no other And the unrighteousness of the Law is not imputable or derivable to another but the Man that doth them shall die in them for the Soul that doth well that Soul shall live but the Soul that sins that Soul shall die If it be objected that we are united with Christ and therefore all that is Christ's is ours I answer It is all for us and our union with Christ is our capacity to have a righteousness imputed to us from Christ by our Faith in Christ and therefore was Christ united unto us that we might be united unto him Hence there is a sympathy between Christ and us Saul Acts 9.4 Saul why persecutest thou me Heb. 4.15 In asmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me He was touched with the feeling of our infirmities So if we suffer with him we shall be glorified with him Rom. 8.17 He hath raised us up together Eph. 2.9 and made us to sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus My Beloved is mine and I am his Christ espoused our Nature Cant. 2.16 and took our sins and sorrows upon him and Christ espoused our Persons and we take his Righteousness and Glories upon us And all things are ours 1 Cor. 3.22 and we are Christ's and Christ is God's As Christ was made sin by imputation not inhesion for us so we are made righteous by imputation but not inhesion by him Is 53.6 The Lord hath laid upon him the iniquities of us all and by his stripes we are healed God hath made him to be sin for us that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him And be found in him 2 Cor. 5.21 not having our own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the Faith of Christ Phil. 3.9 the Righteousness which is of God by Faith So Christ's righteousness that justifies us is not the righteousness of Christ in us but a righteousness put upon us and imputed unto us by Faith Ro. 4.6 And Blessed is the Man to whom God imputeth righteousness without works Justification is not the discharge of a sinner acquitted from blame and punishment but the collation of a right from the justifier to some farther benefit Not a legal right to the sinner that was illegal but a jural right to the Quasi-sinner that had no jural right by his Faith the means to make him imputed righteous and morally righteous to walk accordingly Which righteousness though it be not exact coming up to the perfection of the Law yet it is accepted for exact in and through the perfection of Christ Here is still no imputation of Christ's Personal righteousness to be found given out and bestowed upon us but an imputation of righteousness by Faith for Christ his righteousness sake not our own We are accounted righteous before God saith our Church * See the 11. Artic. of Religion That is the merits of Christ's righteousness hath so far prevailed with God in our behalf that by and upon our Faith we shall be accounted righteous before God in Christ by our Faith which in it self and by it self justifies not but instrumentally and as the means of justification So God looks not upon a justified Person as if he had done and suffer'd sufficient to justifie him but upon Christ and the justified in Christ who did and suffered sufficiently for him It appears on all hands that there is such a thing as Imputed righteousness but at no hand is there found any agreement what this should be 'T is true that Christ's righteousness is imputed to us but not as they mean who in a popular pleasing phrase tell us That we put of the rags of the Old Adam and put on the rich Robes of the New that we are clothed with garments of our Elder Brother as Jacob was with Esau's that we as he may steal away the Blessing What dint of argument will such weak sayings endure So the Adulterer may say he is chast with Christ's chastity the intemperate sober with Christ's temperance the Rebel obedient with Christ's obedience the malicious loving with Christ's love and every wicked Person righteous with Christ's righteousness May it not as well be said That as we are holy with Christ's holiness so we are redeemers with Christ's redemption for he who is said to be our righteousness is as much said to be our redemption Many strange and dangerous consequences may issue from such imputations as they fancy If any eye can pierce farther into the Letter and find more than Imputation of Faith for Righteousness and not Imputation of sins for Christ's Righteousness sake let him follow it as he pleases so it be not to dishonour Christ and cheat his own Soul by taking no care to be any thing that is good because Christ is all in all unto him not flinging in so much as a mite into the Treasury of Holiness because Christ hath poured in that Vast Talent which at the last day he accounts of his own Head shall be reckoned to him as his own proper goods to all intents and purposes The better to fix the true sense of Imputation in our minds we must know That Imputation is a Genus to these three things Justification Condemnation and Oppression which how different soever and opposite they are among themselves yet they all agree in this one common general that they are an imputation whereby some good or evil is ascribed accounted and imputed to us For Condemnation is an imputation of that punishment to a Man which he hath deserved by Law Oppression is an imputation of that punishment which he hath not deserved by Law And Justification is an imputation of that benefit which he hath deserved by Law or not deserved by grace and favour And besides we have no word whereby to express our owning of any thing that is ours but this of Imputation Hence sin is imputed to us because it is properly our own as we have made it by our evil will and punishment is said to be ours because by our sin it is justly imputed to us And Righteousness is imputed to us because it is made ours by
are in the Corporation but not of it As the Bastard is in the Family not of it he is disabled from inheriting because he is a Person unlawful and unright He is not right himself and therefore he can have no right he is not born as he should be therefore not born to what he should be As the Slave is in the Family but not of the Family he is uncapable of possessing any thing because he himself is possessed he can be no Master of any goods because he is his Master's goods All his acts are nothing because he is dead in Law As the Alien is in the City but not of the City he hath no right there he is not Homo legalis because he is not born there as he should be As an unbeliever is in the Church but not of the Church he hath no right he is not Homo fidelis because he is not born again as he should be Contrarily some Persons have right they are in the Corporation and of it they have title to claim the benefit and power to sue for it As a Son hath right in the Family to succeed his Father if he dies intestate As a Wife hath right of Dower for her joynture or her Thirds As a native Subject in a Kingdom is free to enjoy and dispose and hath a suffrage in Elections and other Priviledges to which he is born As a Believer is in the Church and of the Church he hath right to Christ and to the ordinances of Christ the Word and Sacraments because he is Homo fidelis and born again as he should be Now when he that had no right is made to have a right he is said to be justified to it or he that is absolved and released from some burden is justified from it All Legitimation is a justifying for therein a Child is released from the burden of Bastardy All Absolution is justifying for the party is released from the burden of some Bond. All Purifying and cleansing under the Law was justifying for therein the party was released from the burden of uncleanness And so Men were justified in the Law of Moses in some things but not in all Acts 13.39 But Faith justifies from all things from which the Law of Moses could not justifie All Pardoning is justifying for therein a Sinner is released from the burden of punishment The Romish Writers quarrel with our Divines when they place Justification partly in the Remission of sins for indeed that is a part or branch of it for all pardoning or remitting of sin is justifying but all justifying is not pardoning He whose right is declared is justified the Judg justifies the party whose right was controverted and doubtful The Matter of right the Judg creates not but only declares what was concealed He whose right is restored is justified All restitution is justifying for thereby the party hath his right again and repossesseth that which was his own before All In-lawing is justifying for thereby the party out-lawed is restored to his former right So as Legitimation is to a Bastard as Manumission is to a Slave as Naturalization and Enfranchisement is to an Alien so is Justification to a Sinner The Reasons are these 1. From the Names that are given to Persons justified before justification We are Bastards not born right but born in sin And God was our Natural Father not our Legitimate not our Spiritual Father For except a Man be born again he can never enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Joh. 3.3 Bastards are not born as they should be We are Aliens and Forreigners we should be born in Paradise where our first Parents dwelt in Innocency and Immortality but we are born in the World a place of banishment to them and us where God is our Ruler only Eph. 2.12 not our King Without Christ we are Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel strangers to the Covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the World That is having no right in Christ nor hope of Inheritance in Glory but dead Men as Slaves are in Law i. e. morally dead in trespasses and sins and therefore jurally dead as to the capacity to any right For the dead loose all other rights save only that of Burial we are not born where we should be 2. From the Names that are given to the acts of justification As Joh. 17.20 1. Uniting or making us one with God and Christ That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us Ro. 12.17 2. Grafting Christ is the true Olive stock the Jews the natural branches the Gentiles wild branches till ingrafted into Christ 3. Marrying while we were in the Flesh we were married to the Law but when justified by the Spirit we are dead unto the Law and married unto Christ Ro. 7.4 4. Adopting Redeemed from being under the Law that we might receive the adoption of Sons Gal. 4.4 5. The Spirit of the Son sent forth into our hearts crying Rom. 8. Abba Father We have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear but the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father As many as have received him i. e. have believed on him to them gave he power i. e. a right Joh. 1.12 as in the Margin to be called the Sons of God which is their justification by Faith For we are all the Sons of God by Faith in Christ Jesus 5. From the Names given to our state in Christ after justification as 1. Our being in Christ As the Wife is in the Husband the Child in the Parents Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus Our Fellowship with Christ the first born and heir So we are born again die with him rise with him Co-heirs with him shall co-rule with him Reign together with him in Heavenly places God hath called us to the Fellowship of his Son 1 Cor. 1.9 And we have fellowship with the Father and the Son 3. Our Corporation with Christ Our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in Heaven Our Bodies are the Members of Christ Phil. 3.10 1 Cor. 6.15 Eph. 5.3 we are Members of his Body of his Flesh and of his Bones not naturally but jurally The matter of our Justification being our right of Incorporation into God and Christ in general from thence may follow these three principal rights in particular 1. A right to things present 2. A right to things in future 3. The degrees of our Right to both these things in present and in future SECT II. 1. A right to things in present As 1. A right of Impunity or Pardon of sins Impunity That all his sins whatsoever he hath committed or shall commit hereafter are forgiven God may correct his Children in this Life otherwise they should not be his true Children but Bastards but he will not punish them in the Life to
at our will A mystery of God's will not ours and we cannot but admire and praise the riches of the glory of his Grace that hath called us to this state of Salvation and translated us from the power of Darkness into the Kingdom of his Dear Son SECT XVII Because Free-Grace makes our Title the stronger as for instance among Reason 2 Men if a Prince grant a Boone to two Persons Free-Grace makes the Title stronger to the one upon his meer motion and to the other upon petition and supplication of the Receiver or of some other Man the first is resolved to have Jus pinguius the best Title SECT XVIII Because Free-Grace makes more for God's grace and glory than any Reason 3 other grace Because it is not a Lordly but a Paternal grace Free-Grace makes for God's Grace and Glory A grace of a Benefactor ad pias causas to Church or Poor to Malefactors or Condemned Persons to Captives or Prisoners to perishing Souls that were enemies Where sin and misery abound Grace and Mercy do much more abound SECT XIX Because Justification is the best state of Love therefore requires the best Reason 4 Title by Love Justification is the best state of Love SECT XX. Besides all Rights are from grace that are derived unto us by the means Reason 5 of Faith in grace it self or in Donation or in Election and Promise All Rights from Grace SECT XXI 1. By grace or donation our right is a gift Donation which we have from God's Free-grace by the means of our Faith for a right by grace is made ours only by acceptance of it or by a will or act of receiving of it And that makes up the Nature of Faith For every acceptance of God's grace is Faith and our apprehension and acceptance of Christ who is God's grace and favour to us is Faith in Christ For God's grace and our Faith are mutually consequent inferring each other his Grace inferres that it is of Faith and our Faith inferres that it is of Grace So St. Paul inferres the reason Therefore it is of Faith Rom. 4.16 that it might be by Grace And the inference holds backward also therefore it is of Grace that it might be of Faith SECT XXII 2. By election Gods kingdom is an elective kingdom Election not on God's part but on ours that are his subjects for in being subjects of that kingdom we are called God's Elect and Gods chosen because we come into that kingdom by election and choice Now all Rights that arise from election come to the party elected by no other means on his part but by his Faith i. e. by his consent to the election and by acceptance of that Right whereto he was elected Saul had a Right to be King of Israel and was justified to that Kingdom to which Right his title was by grace for God had chosen him to that office and caused the people to choose him by lot So his title was by grace of election on Gods part but the means on Sauls part whereby this Right was applied unto him was his Faith i. e. his consent to the election and his acceptance of the Kingdom The like may be said of King David his title also was by grace of election and the means on his part was his Faith i. e. his consent to God's election his acceptance of the Kingdom The like of Christ's Disciples who had a Right to their office of Apostleship to which their title on Christ's part was by grace of election for he had chosen them and the means on their part was their Faith i. e. their consent to the election and acceptance of the office when upon his calling of them they arose and followed him Hence the infidelity and unbelief of the Jews who were chiefly in the first place Gods chosen generation is described by words of refusall and rejection and gainsaying acts quite contrary to those of consent and acceptance O Jerusalem how often would I have gathered you and ye would not i. e. not consent or accept of it God complaines that he stretched out his hand all the day long to a disobedient and gainsaying people i. e. that would not consent nor accept SECT XXIII Promise 3. By Promise God made the Promise to Abraham in diverse particulars that he would give him the land of Canaan for his Inheritance that he would give him an heir from his own bowels that he would make a great nation of him and bless all nations in his Seed that God would be a God to him and his Seed would be their shield and their exceeding great reward Hence Zachary the Father of John Baptist sings in his Benedictus that God raised up Christ as a Horn of Salvation for his promise sake to perform the mercy promised to our Fore-Fathers Hence St. Stephen in his Apology grounds the People's delivery from Egypt upon God's promise when the time of the promise drew nigh that God had sworn unto Abraham Hence St. Paul in his Sermon at Antioch grounds the whole Gospel upon God's promise Acts 7.17 in his Apology before King Agrippa I now stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our Fathers unto which promise our Twelve Tribes hope to come instantly serving God day and night Acts 26.6 Hence St. Paul grounds our adoption upon God's promise The Children after the Flesh are not the Children of God but the Children of the promise are counted for the Seed Rom. 9.8 For this that Sarah should have a Son was the word of promise Now all Rights arising from promise come to the Party to whom the promise is made by no other means but by Faith i. e. by acceptance of the promise by his consent to accept of the Right specified in the promise For all promises are made effectual by Faith i. e. by his Faith to whom the promise is made For if he be unbelieving and refuse it then the promise is dead and of no effect but if he give Faith to it and accept it then it binds him that made it and creates a right to him that accepts it For acceptance forms a promise into a Covenant whereby there is a conveening or meeting of mind unto mind and will unto will i. e. of the mind and will of the Receiver to the mind and will of the Promiser Hence the Scripture saith of Abraham That he believed God and it was counted unto him for Righteousness i. e. God made a promise to Abraham Abraham consented and accepted of the promise and that acceptance created him a Right to all the things promised And again The promise that Abraham should be heir of the World Rom. 4.13 came not to him through the Law but through the righteousness of Faith i. e. Abraham had a right of inheritance to him and his Seed yet that right came not to him by any act of the Law but by
inheritance and who hath to do with it if an Earthly King or Parent do so And what is this or can be to an Heavenly Estate Esau being saved as well as Jacob brought up in the same Family and Principles of the Fear of God though for reasons best known to God he had not an equal share of an Estate of Land and Dignity in this World This is enough to satisfie if Men would not be willful for the true sense of that Paragraph Ro. 9.9 c. so much mistaken and misapplied in the world to the dishonour of God and the destruction of ignorant and tender minds And as this so those other controverted points of the Real presence Free will Prayers to Saints c. might easily be understood if Men would learn to observe the scope and Analogy of the Scriptures the standard and rule to try and settle all things by and the publick Interpretation of all doubts without a visible infallible Judg. After these Allegories let us return to the true Title of Justification by Grace Transition All Right of State Power Honour or Profit requires a Title much more the state of Eternal Salvation A means must be used or some act must be done for the reception of a Divine state else the Testamentary acts of God's Predestination or Institution may be ineffectual as they are to all that refuse despise reject Because all Testamentary acts do leave unto the Party instituted a liberty to accept of or refuse the Gift For a Testament is no Law to constrain much less a fate to necessitate but is the Grace or Good will of a Testator to offer and invite to acceptation A Title is the cause that makes a just Right and assures the party thereof and defends it to him against all opposers As Birth doth to an Inheritance Work to Wages Mony to a Purchase Acceptation to a Gift SECT XXXIII Works If then the true Title to our Justification by Faith be Grace then the wrong Title is Works So Grace excludeth Works for he that claimeth by one Title must exclude all the rest Therefore no works of the Law either in the Literal sense as delivered by Moses and understood by the Israelites or in the Spiritual sense as it was declared by Christ and is understood by the Faithful are of efficacy or virtue to create us a true Title to the Right of Eternal Blessedness Seeing then the true Title to Justification by Faith is Grace under the Gospel that of Works under the Law is to be relinquished as an act of God once propounded but ever ineffectual and now altogether expired and dead together with the Law it self that required it For we are dead to the Law Gal. 2.19 that being dead wherein we were held that we might live unto God For seeing God by Christ hath declared his New Will and Testament of the Gospel therefore his former Will of the Law though for a time it were good and useful is now utterly infringed cancelled and void For by the Works of the Law no Flesh living can be justified That is no mortal Man whose life is exactly scann'd by the Law shall by observance thereof be found so compleat as to have performed universal and perpetual obedience to every Precept in every sense thereof without failing The reasoning of this Point by the Apostle runs thus If a Man will be jurally justified by the works of the Law Gal. 2.16 i. e. If he will claim a right to Heaven by the Title of his works then he must be legally justified i. e. declared never to have offended the Law For supposing but not granting that the Law can justifie morally yet it cannot do this to any but to such as are upright every way in the sight of God for if a Man offend in any one Law he is guilty of all and the work of the Law is presently to condemn him without mercy imputing to him a Right to a future Curse Rom. 4.15 saying Cursed is every one that walketh not in all the Commandments of God to do them The Law worketh wrath and whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point is guilty of all i. e. is guilty of Death and of more he could not be guilty if he broke all because Death is a final punishment beyond which there can be no other there being no subject of punishment because the offender is not Now though in Mens Tribunals some may be legally justified as Paul might be Touching the righteousness of the Law blameless Phil. 3.6 yet was he not thereby justified in the sight and knowledg of God So Job was a perfect and upright Man before Men but not before God Luc. 1.6 So Zacharias and Elizabeth were said to be both Righteous before God walking in all the Commandments of God blameless yet truly before God no Man living save Jesus Christ ever was or ever will be legally justified i. e. sinless or blameless before Almighty God See Ro. 1 Ro. 2. Such are all Men shut up under sin by the Law Rom. 3.9 19. that every mouth may be stopped and all the World may become guilty before God because all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God Therefore all Men being and being declared sinners by Law Heaven can come no other way but to them that are made Righteous and declared so by promise The Scripture hath concluded all under sin Gal. 3.22 that the promise by Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe The summe is this If a Man have right to Eternal Life by works jurally then he must by these works be declared upright legally before God But no Man living can be declared upright legally before God by his works and therefore works are a wrong Title to Justification which was the thing to be demonstrated Yet though works are no Title to acquire a Right yet they are a tenure to hold a Right that is acquired To be justified or to have righteousness imputed reckoned or accounted is to be absolved and quitted from sin and misery and to be intitled to holiness and happiness and all by Faith not Law v. Gal. 2.21 Gal. 3.18 Ro. 4.3 45. Reward may be of debt to the worker but it is properly and purely of Grace to the Promissary A promise creates a right and he to whom the promise of an inheritance is made by his acceptance thereof is a Person invested with right unto it 1. Therefore Justification is the Acquitting of the penitent Believer by a Judicial act of God's Grace in the Covenant of the Gospel through Christ Justified freely by his Grace Rom. 3.24 through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ 2. Therefore Justification is the Approving commending rewarding adjudging or giving right to holiness and happiness As to impute no sin is to forgive sin so to impute Righteousness is to adjudg to the high reward of Faith
Rom. 4.4 i. e. to be accounted for Righteousness and the reward to be reckoned of Grace are all one For all our Justification from sin and misery to holiness and happiness is by the Grace or kindness of God Ro. 1.17 18. The Righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith i. e. the kindness of God for it is opposed to wrath v. 18. For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men who hold the Truth in unrighteousness But now the Righteousness of God without the Law Ro. 3.21 c. is manifested being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets even the Righteousness of God which is by Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all that believe for there is no difference for all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God being justified freely by his Grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his Bloud to declare his Righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God To declare I say at this time his Righteousness that he might be just and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus Where is boasting then it is excluded by what Law of Works Nay but by the Law of Faith Therefore we conclude that a Man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law Eph. 2.7 8. That in the Ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his Grace in his kindness towards us through Jesus Christ for by Grace ye are saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God Not of Works lest any Man should boast But after that the kindness and the Love of God our Saviour towards Man appeared Tit. 3.4 Not by works of Righteousness but according to his mercy he saved us The Conclusion will be That by Faith in Christ we have through God's kindness or Grace 1. Legal Righteousness i. e. we are accepted for exactly righteous before God who imputes no sin unto us through the merit of the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ 2. Jural Righteousness i. e. we are imputed or accounted heirs at present to the future inheritance of Eternal Life through the Righteousness of Christ the righteous heir of God to whom all the promises were made and in him are Yea and Amen and through him are derived to all his Seed who are partakers of the same rights with him So by Faith in Christ 1. We give credence to the report of a promise 2. We trust thereto and rely upon it 3. We accept and embrace it 4. We re-promise and so enter into Covenant with God which is the state of Grace and Salvation The CONTENTS Relapse a revolt from God Breach of one party disobligeth the other Mutability of Justification Kingdom of God Natural Man Spiritual Man Forfeiture Example of Israelites TITLE V. Of the Continuance of Justification MY Justification by Faith through the Free-Grace of God puts me into a state of Righteousness and therefore it doth extinguish and destroy my state of sin formerly I had no right to any thing save a curse for my sin but now I obtain a right to a Blessing through the Righteousness of Christ imputed to me When a Slave is enfranchised his slavery is thereby extinguished so when a Sinner is justified his sin is thereby actually destroy'd Because these two states are contrary one to another and inconsistent one with another in one and the same Person at one and the same time Yet upon my Justification the passions motions or lusts of my sin are not destroy'd in facto esse complete but they are in fieri begun to be suppressed and in a good course and ready way to be extinct For their Dominion and over-ruling power is already destroy'd so that they cannot compel me to the acts of sin And my Justification by Christ obliges me to this resistance against sin and my Sanctification by the Spirit of Christ doth enable me to beat back the force of Satan's temptations more and more and will enable me if I faint not or will fully turn back to be more than a Conqueror But after my Justification if I through the subtilty of Satan or the pravity of mine own heart shall suffer my self to be perswaded that either there is no bond upon me or no power in me or no Grace sufficient for me to finish the work of mortification and thereupon shall either neglect this work or act quite contrary not the acts of Ignorance or Infirmity but of malice and presumption and of despair it self Then by these my sinful acts I do destroy the state of my Justification and degrade my self and make my self unworthy of that Salvation which I was an heir unto if by my resipiscence I do not recover it again For 1 Cor. 6.9 For The unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God such as are fornicators adulterers idolaters effeminate abusers of themselves with mankind thieves covetous drunkards revilers and extortioners And they which do the works of the Flesh shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Gal. 5.9 This I know that no whoremonger nor unclean person nor covetous Man who is an idolater hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God SECT I. 1. Because by this Relapse I am a revolter from God Reason Relapse a revolt from God and a Traitor to him who after my Homage and Allegiance sworn to him have deserted him and rebelled against him For doth not the Law of Nations teach me that by such contrary facts as these I forfeit my Estate Liberty and Life And doth not right Reason teach me that if my Tenure fail my Estate must needs escheat and my Life too in case of Treason And doth not the Sacred Scripture teach me that my last state is worse than my first and if I sin wilfully Hebr. 10.26 after that I have received the knowledg of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for that judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries And it had been better for me not to have known the way of Righteousness 1 Pet. 2.21 than after I have known it to turn from the holy Commandment delivered unto me And the Devil being cast out as out of a house haunted if he be re-admitted Luc. 11.24 doth re-enter with seven Spirits worse than himself and so the last state of that Man is worse than his beginning And such are like unto the dog 2 Pet. 2.22 that licketh up his vomit again and like the Sow that after washing walloweth in the mire 2. Because the Right of impunity which is one of the priviledges which Christ justifies me unto gives me no licence to sin For shall I sin that Grace may abound God forbid As in the Family the right of impunity which
the Son hath above the Servant not to be ejected or punished for every fault as the Servant may doth give the Son this priviledge in faults only such as are ignorances and infirmities but excuseth him not in crimes such as are malignities and wilful presumptions from being disinherited As a Malefactor relapseth into the same crimes or worse after pardon destroies himself As a Slave after liberty sells himself again to bondage is the author of his own ruin My unthankfulness therefore is the cause of the forfeiture of my right by Faith Not that I have no Faith for then I could not be justified but my Faith for want of works becomes dead It had life enough to accept of the promises and legacies of God's Will and Testament but not of the precepts and conditions So my Faith not working by Love dies and looses the right to Blessedness except it revive again by Resipiscence SECT II. Reason Breach of one party disobligeth the other Because God promiseth me a present Right to a future Blessing I accept the Promise and thereupon have right unto it and by this acceptance I do tacitly re-promise unto God that duty which as a beneficiary I owe unto my Lord by the Law of Nature and Equity Now if I for my part perform not this my promise God for his part is disobliged from the performance of his promise of which my unfaithfulness is the cause who have broken the Covenant betwixt God and my Soul My ungraciousness is also the cause of the forfeiture of my right by Faith This is a high degree of unthankfulness 1. To God so High a Person 2. For so Great a Grace as to be his Son and Heir 3. For so Free Grace without any desert desire or motion of mine or any other only my Faith to accept it If therefore to this Great God for so great Grace so freely bestowed upon me I do not return that love honour and obedience with all my heart and with all my Soul as is due from me a Son to such a Father then this extream unthankfulness and ungraciousness of mine deprives me of that benefit which I should have received from it SECT III. From hence will flow these Consequences Mutability of Justification 1. That my state of Justification is mutable It is in it self stable and permanent it may and should be perpetual but during my Natural Life and before I die it may be defeated and destroyed I do not say It must be defeated and destroyed for the mutability of it is not necessary as is the mortality of the Body which must die But the mutability thereof is possible for as it may so it may not be defeated It may not be defeated 1. It may not be defeated For when I was made a Member of Christ a Child of God and an Inheritor of the Kingdom of Heaven this state was intended to continue to me for ever For when I am dead and dissolved into dust God still remaineth my Father and my God and Christ my Elder Brother and Co-Heir and from the dead I shall be raised to the possession of my Father's Blessing for God is not the God of the dead but of the living For as Marriages so rights of Inheritances are not temporary for term of years but of perpetuity for ever Hence the Son is said to differ from the Servant because The Servant abideth not in the House for ever John 8.35 i. e. hath no right to abide for ever but the Son abideth for ever i. e. hath right to abide for ever 2. It may be defeated It may be not defeated Gal. 2.18 Else how could I build again my first state of sinfulness which once I destroyed If therefore my state may be not destroyed it may be destroyed I find by good history and sad experience that states of perpetuity have been defeated and destroyed that many a Man which had a good Estate in Fee-simple to him and to his Heirs for ever yet by making himself a transgressor against his Lord and King hath forfeited that his Estate to him and his Heirs for ever That many a Woman who was married for life till death should depart her and her Husband yet by making her self a transgressor against her Husband hath been divorced from her Husband and lost her Husband and her Dower That many a Son who was Heir apparent to his Father's Estate yet by making himself a transgressor against his Father hath been disinherited and lost his Estate And the like is possible concerning my Estate of Justification see the Scriptures Joh. 5.14 Rom. 11.20 1 Cor. 10.12 1 Tim. 1.19 Heb. 3.12 1 Pet. 2.11 Math. 12.43 44. Heb. 6.4 Heb. 10.26 27. 2 Pet. 2.20 As also consider the examples of Aaron David Solomon c. which exhortations and examples do necessarily demonstrate the mutability of my Justification Because to a thing that is impossible there needs no Exhortation Reason or Dehortation And Because of a thing impossible it is impossible that there should be any Example The Grand Reason that my state of Justification may be defeated is because it is Conditional for though God's donation of my present right to be his Son and Heir is absolute without any condition or preceeding act on my part except it be the passive act of my Faith to accept thereof yet my future possession of that inheritance whereto I have now a present right is conditional and that condition runs upon my good behaviour of deporting my self as becomes the Son of God for this condition is sufficiently expressed in God's last Will and Testament Or supposing but not granting that in God's Testament there is no mention made of any such condition yet such a condition must be understood because the very Nature and Equity of the thing requires it And the state of a Son and Heir wherein I stand doth necessarily draw this duty along with it and so bind me thereto that for non-performance thereof my state may be destroyed Yet every trespass will not destroy it neither because God will forgive me a thousand faults upon my repentance and commands me to pray unto him therefore and promises to forgive my trespasses and commands me to forgive my Brother that repenteth though he sin against me seven times in a day nay seventy times seven times Therefore certainly he being my Father will upon my repentance forgive me more times for all the daies of my life For because I am his Son therefore I am not so much under his Law as under his Grace i. e. God will not deal rigorously and strictly with me according to Law to reject or punish me for every trespass like a Slave who is under the will and pleasure of his Lord but he will use me mercifully and kindly to correct me in measure or to forgive me like a Son who is under the love and grace of his Father But if I rise up in open rebellion against my
Heavenly Father notwithstanding his great Grace and though I would be glad of his Inheritance yet am unwilling to do him service for it but wilfully choose to serve my own lusts and follow the World and am led captive by the Devil according to his will then I deserve to be rejected and shall be rejected unless I repent For those that honour God God will honour but those that dishonour him shall be lightly esteem'd God's Grace is so far from being a licence for me to sin that it is a restraint from it to make me fear to offend The more kind a Father is the more should the Son fear to offend him because the greater is his trespass if he do offend him who hath been so loving to him And as a kind Father is grieved to disinherit his incorrigible Son so when my transgressions become presumptuous malicious and incorrigible my Heavenly Father is grieved to reprobate me and cast me off and decrees it not but in his wrath when there is no help for it As he did with the Israelites Ps 95.10 Fourty years long was I grieved with this Generation and said It is a People that do erre in their hearts and they have not known my waies unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my Rest SECT IV. Kingdom of God 1. The Kingdom of God is the Estate of final Blessedness which God will impart to the Saints in the Kingdom of Heaven For the Kingdom of Heaven as by Matthew only it is called and the Kingdom of God are all one and the same thing though diversly denominated for both signifie that Blessedness whereof God is the cause and Heaven the place where it is enjoy'd Yet in diverse places of the Scripture the Kingdom of God is put for the means whereby we are convey'd to that State Natural Man The Natural Man neither hath nor ever had any right at all to this Inheritance of Blessedness because this right comes by God's promise which he for want of Faith accepts not and therefore is not in Covenant with God for it Spiritual Man But the Spiritual Man hath a right unto it for his Faith whereby he accepts the promise of it gives him a Title to it and the Spirit which by reason of his Faith is infused into his heart makes him an assurance of it for the Spirit is the Seal the Witness and the Earnest of that Heavenly Inheritance yea farther the Spirit is his Guide and Comforter for light and strength to enlighten lead and enable him to the performance of those Offices and Services which make up the Tenure whereby he holds that right and perseveres in it For as Faith doth infiliate and make him jurally the Son of God by way of Adoption to have a right in the Estate of God so the Spirit doth in a degree farther super-infiliate him by making him jurally the Son of God by way of sanctification to be Holy as God is Holy Because as Faith so also Holiness is a mean unto the state of Blessedness whereto he shall certainly attain who follows and perseveres in that Holiness whereto the Spirit leads and enables him For by his Title of Faith and by his assurance from the Spirit he hath a present right to the future possession of it as every Heir hath to his Father's Estate But if the Spiritual Man whose regeneration is in fieri Forfeiture will not follow and walk after the Spirit whom God hath given him for his leader but upon the conflict between the Spirit and the Flesh will side with the Flesh to walk after the Flesh and do the works of the Flesh he cannot hold his right to Blessedness but must needs forfeit it because he performs not the Services and Works which are his tenure whereby he should hold it and at last enjoy it but doth work so contrary to his tenure that they extinguish and destroy his right of entrance whereby he should enjoy his future possession For what Father will not disinherit that Heir who grows disobedient and rebellious unto him by committing acts contrary to the duty of a Son Seeing that our Filiation or Christian liberty whereby we are the Sons of God is not a state of licentiousness which leaves us loose from Holiness unto sinfulness but contrarily makes us loose from sinfulness unto Holiness and consequently unto Blessedness And seeing the Grace of the Gospel which grants us that Blessedness grants us not the least indulgence to the Flesh or releaseth the bonds of Holiness and virtue or promiseth any pardon to him that sins in hope of pardon yet it is very indulgent and merciful to the sins of infirmity and human frailty and leaveth God to the prerogative of his mercy for a sin of presumption in case it be timely washed by a subsequent humiliation and repentance in forsaking that sin and returning to the course of Holiness And the inheritance of Blessedness in the Kingdom of God is reserved for those Sons of God who through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the Body and are led by the Spirit of God Rom. 8.13 14. For such are genuinely and properly the Sons of God because both jurally they have a right and also morally are righteous to persevere in that righteousness whereby they hold their right and whereby they are regenerated reformed and sanctified after the Image or likeness of their Heavenly Father which Image he that practiseth the works of the Flesh doth deface in himself and thereby defeats himself of his Heavenly Inheritance For although the righteous have a right yet if he forsake that righteousness whereby he should hold the right he hath and commit wickedness all his right that he had and all his righteousness that he hath done shall neither be mentioned nor remembred but in his trespass that he hath trespassed he shall die See Ezec. 18.24 and Ezec. 33.23 God hath bestow'd upon us the Sacred Gift of his Spirit to dwell in us and to quicken our mortal Bodies and we for this Gift are debtors not to the Flesh to live after the Flesh For if we live after the Flesh Ro. 8.11 c. we shall die c. If in Christianity we know any thing we must needs know this That no whoremonger nor unclean person nor covetous Man which is an idolater hath any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the Children of disobedience St. Paul tells the Ephesians that they knew this Ephes 5.5 6. and therefore chargeth them that no Man should deceive them with vain words Example of Israelites And hereof we have both a notable example and a figure in the Israelites who during their pilgrimage through the Wilderness had a right and title to inherit the Kingdom of Canaan for God had made a solemn promise for their inheritance of it and had confirmed his
but would do even what they list Many Controversies trouble many as of Original Sin Free-Will Justification Real presence Merits Predestination Infallibility Supremacy Discipline c. But Faith Repentance Love Honesty Peace c. are easie practical things and perplex no body for who can except against a Holy Life None but profane Libertines and Atheists whom all abhorre will find fault with Godliness and Honesty It were good if Learned Men would leave their idle and curious Speculations and busie themselves in practical Sciences which make for the Glory of God and benefit of Mankind Magna est dementia in tantâ temporis brevitate supervacanea discere It is madness to spend a short life in learning unnecessary things Discito eam Scientiam cujus cognitio perseverabit in Coelis Learn that Knowledg which in Heaven we shall perfectly understand Socrates was famous above all the Philosophers of the World for reforming Philosophy from Speculation to practise There are but two things which are necessary in respect of God our selves and the World a good Conscience and a good Name Qu. What shall we do when we are not satisfied Answ I answer For practise conform to the Supreme Authority which determine as well as they can for the settlement of peace As for Judgment we are free and if we doubt we must be content to doubt and be quiet till we can be better resolved but to be fully resolved in all things cannot reasonably be expected A wise Man is of an universal Spirit and tries all things but is slavishly tied to no blind obedience The prime essential Reason of the Indisposition of the Conscience in Bad men is the sensual lust or carnal will whereby the Mind and Conscience is defiled Tit. 1.15 The secondary subordinate or popular courses consequential from and included in the Grand universal cause are these Ignorance 1. Ignorance not pure and invincible because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which may be known of God is manifest in all Men For God hath shew'd it unto them but wilful and vincible so that they are left without excuse because they did know enough to convince them and might have known more from thence Ro. 1.19 but would not search nor gather consequences from the Principles that were in them Learning 2. Learning Invention of nice distinctions to call evil good and good evil Is 5.20 21. Wise in their own conceits setting up the Idol of abominations in their own hearts and the stumbling block of their wickedness before their own faces hiding iniquity under their tongues scorning to be taught and hating to be reformed Riches c. 3. Riches Honour Power willing to be flattered none daring to reprove them and they will not reprove themselves A Principle of pleasure Ede bibe lude Eat drink and be merry swimming in delights and forgetting all goodness Poverty 4. Poverty shame misery makes careless of the Laws of God or Men fancying themselves to be wronged because not forward as others and therefore refusing to serve such a Master as rewards them no better not considering that Poverty is no vice and that if they would look up to God they might be rich in Grace and highly recompenced for their patience under so great afflictions 5. Self-love We are too partial judges of our selves Self-love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 29.19 When he heareth the word of the curse he blesses himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my heart to add drunkenness to thirst Is 28.15 18. We have made a Covenant with Death and with Hell are we at agreement when the overflowing scourge shall pass through it shall not come to us for we have made lyes our refuge and under falshood have we hid our selves but your Covenant with death shall be disannulled and your agreement with Hell shall not stand when the overflowing scourge shall pass through then ye shall be troden down by it These things hast thou done and I kept silence Ps 50.21 thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes Prov. 30.20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman she eateth and wipeth her mouth and saith I have done no wickedness Is there not a lye in my right hand 6. Idleness Reflectio aegrè fit hinc oblivio peccatorum Idleness Hardly do Men reflect upon their actions past by thinking over their old thoughts and recollecting their former desires words and actions hence in time comes a forgetfulness of sins excepting such as are extraordinary loading us griping us and staring in our faces and cannot be put off by any diversions or avocations of business or pleasure in this World 7. Prejudice and want of Love to a Soul-searching ministery Prejudice as Ahab said to Elijah Art thou he that troubleth Israel And he answered 1 R. 18.17 I have not troubled Israel but thou and thy Father's House And as Ahab said to Jehoshaphat concerning Micaiah He is a Prophet of the Lord 2 Chr. 18.7 but I hate him because he prophecieth not good unto me but evil As Amaziah said of Amos The Land is not able to bear all his words And again Amos 7.10 O thou Seer flee away into the Land of Judah and there eat bread and prophecy there but prophecy not again any more at Bethel for it is the King's Chappel and it is the King's Court. So Isaiah speaks of a rebellious People lying Children Children that will not hear the Law of the Lord Is 30.10 Which say to the Seers see not and to the Prophets Prophecy not unto us right things speak unto us smooth things prophecy deceits A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the Land The Prophets prophecy falsly and the Priests bear rule by their means and my People love to have it so Jer. 5.31 and what will ye do in the end thereof Ezechiel sets them forth thus They come unto thee as the People cometh and they sit before thee as my People and they hear thy words Ez. 33.31 32. but they will not do them For with their mouth they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousness And loe thou art unto them as a very lovely Song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an Instrument for they hear thy words but they do them not Because they have seduced my People saying Peace Ez. 13.10 and there was no peace and one built up a wall and loe others dawbed it with untempered mortar And it shall be as with the People so with the Priest Is 24.2 Hos 4.9 Je. 6.13 14. Like People like Priest From the Prophet unto the Priest every one dealeth falsly they have healed also the hurt of the Daughter of my People slightly saying Peace Peace when there
be loath to lose his Senses and have his eyes put out if he could help it Alwaies remembring the frequent and earnest exhortations of the Holy Ghost to put off the Old Man and put on the New c. Whereas if no act of Man were hereunto required why should or how could the Holy Ghost fairly or honestly or wisely press Men thereunto For though it be a thing ordinary for Men to press Men to absurdities and impossibilities yet it is incredible that the most High and Wise and just God should so do 1. The opposers themselves of this Truth confound the Metaphorical and primitive sense of words 2. Neither do they apprehend that these two actions of God and Man have no Identity to be the same though they have some similitude to be alike 3. Neither do they remember That every Metaphor is but a contracted simily and that every simily is but a lame reason for though it may somewhat illustrate yet it can conclude nothing SECT XII This Doctrine of Sanctification as it is Spiritual so it is obvious to the weakest Understanding of the Spirit to apprehend Faith Repentance Honesty and a New Life And the largest Understanding can comprehend in substance no more for the summe of all Religion is but to fear God and keep his Commandments to love God and our Neighbour And what doth the Lord require of thee but to do Justice and love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God he that believeth shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned To renounce the Devil and all his Works the Pompes and vanities of this wicked World and all the sinful lusts of the Flesh to account all the World but vanity of vanities and vexation of Spirit to fight under Christ's Banner and to continue Christ's faithful Souldier and Servant unto our lives end The Gospel is plain and contained in a little compass The People asked John Baptist saying Luc. 3.10 c. What shall we do and he answering said He that hath two coats let him impart to him that hath none and he that hath meat let him do likewise The Publicans said unto him Master what shall we do And he said Ask no more than that which is appointed you And the Souldiers demanded of him saying And what shall we do And said unto them Do violence to no Man neither accuse any falsly and be content with your wages Let him that stole steal no more but let every one labour truly to get his own living that he may have wherewith to give unto others Be not deceived God is not mocked That Soul that sinneth that Soul shall die As ye mete to others so shall it be meted to you again As a Man soweth so shall he reap c. 1. Let every one therefore use his own Reason and Understanding to learn what he can 2. Let every one use his own Conscience to reflect what he hath learned and done 3. Let every one use his own Will to chuse as well as he is able according to the best of his skill to curb his Senses and restrain his Passions to the best of his power 4. Let every one suffer his Understanding to be taught 5. Let every one suffer his Conscience to be convinced 6. Let every one suffer his Will to be persuaded 7. Let every one understand with God 8. Let every one examine his Conscience with God 9. Let every one exercise his Will with God 10. Let every one increase his Wisedom 11. Let every one keep his Conscience good 12. Let every one increase his Love to perfect Holiness in the fear of the Lord to covet after the best Gifts and still to find out the most excellent waies In a word consider reflect strive Fac quod in te est do what you are able Work with God work with your selves Enter into Covenant with God keep it enter into Covenant with your selves keep it Aspire to perfection what if infirmities are many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Do but desire and breath after God God will help and further your desire The assistance of God the Spirit with our holy endeavours doth not take away the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the weakness attendant on our Christian practises but the honesty of the heart and the purity of our Love for the worthiness of Christ will hide all our imperfection◠God acts upon us ad modum nostrum according to our capacities and Quicquid recipitur recipitur ad modum recipientis And God accepteth a Man according to what he hath and can do and not according to what he hath not and cannot do Though the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the frailties of natural actions are not removed yet they are excused and pardoned and the bruised Reed he will not break and the smoking flax he will not quench all things are well done that are well meant and God will pardon the infirmities of us all The CONTENTS Transition Sensual and Spiritual Life Mind and Will of Flesh and Spirit Life in Man threefold Spiritual Senses and Passions Life of Faith Corollaries Conclusion TITLE VII Of the Flesh and Spirit Transition THe nature of Sanctification or a Spiritual Life will more clearly appear by the contrary i. e. the nature of contamination or a carnal Life Sensual and Spiritual Life 1. The Subject of a carnal Life is the Flesh living after the Flesh for that which proceedeth from the Flesh is Flesh 2. The subject of a Spiritual Life is the Spirit living after the Spirit for that which proceedeth from the Spirit is Spirit 3. The organ or instrument of a carnal Life is the sense that is the mind and will of the Flesh or the sensitive understanding and appetite called I know not why the lower part of the Soul 4. The organ or instrument of a Spiritual Life is the Understanding that is the mind and will of the Spirit or the Rational understanding and appetite called the higher part of the Soul 5. The object of a carnal Life is the World and all that is seen heard smelt felt or tasted therein 6. The object of a Spiritual Life is the World to come or all that is seen heard willed or understood therein 7. The Precepts of a carnal Life are to love our selves to love our Friends to hate our enemies to curse and be revenged of them to love the World to choose pleasures riches and honours to please our selves to flatter and please the World to get what we can how we can and such like 8. The Precepts of a Spiritual Life are To deny our selves to love our enemies to pray for them and do them any good to hate the World to suffer affliction with the People of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season to please God and good Men to be content with our own and to invade no Man's rights and such like 9. The rewards of a carnal Life are adequate and homogeneal
thereunto that is temporal 10. The rewards of a Spiritual Life are adequate and homogeneal thereunto that is Eternal SECT I. Thus there are two Minds or Understandings Transition Mind and Will of Flesh and Spirit that I may so speak and two Wills or Appetites in Man The first is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mind of the Flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Will of the Flesh the other is the Mind of the Spirit and the Will of the Spirit Or which is all one there is in every Man Sense and Reason and the Sensitive and Rational appetite a part Terrestrial and a part Celestial a Brute and an Angel According to these Principles and essential parts constituting the Persons of Men so they do and must live both the Life of sense and of reason But if the sensitive powers are predominate then the Rational faculties lye still and the life is just like the life of a Beast and no more purely sensual But if the Rational faculties prevail then the sensitive powers are kept in compass and the life is the true life of a Man and no more purely Rational But if the Spirit of Faith come upon the Soul it advanceth the Judgment and directs the Will to the greater mortification of the Flesh and suppression of the unjust desires thereof and the life is the true exact life of a Christian purely Spiritual So there is a threefold life in Man of sense of Reason and of Faith Life in Man threefold Natural Animal Spiritual 1. The Life of Sense is unregenerate for that which is born of the Flesh is Flesh and no more as it came from its principles So the Flesh acteth and satisfies it self in Hearing Seeing Tasting Feeling and Smelling as do the Brutes 2. The Life of Reason is the Embryo tending to Regeneration and almost Christian for that which is the off spring of Reason is Reason and no more as it came from its principles So the Soul acteth and satisfies it self in understanding willing and choosing and reflecting as do Angels and Men with themselves and with one another 3. The Life of the Spirit by Faith is the consummation of Regeneration and a new Creation and altogether Christian for that which is the off-spring of the Spirit is Spirit and all true Sense and Reason as it flow'd from its principles So the Soul acteth and satisfies it self in more sublime Judgment Love and Choice and rare Recognitions and Contemplations as do Saints and Blessed Spirits with God and their own Souls So there is the Life of Natural Sense the Life of Natural Reason the Life of Supernatural Faith and Reason 1. The Life of Nature is good quà Nature or Sense till it exceed the bounds of Natural Reason and positive Law for sin is only a transgression of Law 2. The Life of Reason is better till it opposes unreasonably the Reason of Grace and Faith 3. The Life of Grace is best of all which regulates the Sense and Reason and perfects both SECT II. The Soul hath her Spiritual Senses of Seing Hearing Tasting c. as well as the Body Spiritual Senses and Passions The Soul hath her Spiritual Food and Raiment as well as the Body meat and drink indeed and clothing indeed which the Body knows not of nourishing and cherishing and adorning her unto everlasting Life The Soul hath her Passions of Love Joy Hope c. which reason and Faith and the Spirit of God moderate and refine into perfect Holiness and Sanctification till it arrives unto Glory The Soul hath joy indeed when she rejoyces in the Lord and is ravished and sick of love labouring to know and feel the height and the length and the bredth and depth of the Love of God which passeth all knowledg to enjoy the Peace of God and a good Conscience which passeth all understanding to have fellowship and communion with God to relish Heaven and to taste of the powers of the World to come There are Riches for the Soul as well as for the Body which are the true Riches the treasure layd up in Heaven where neither rust nor moth doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal There are Honours for the Soul as well as for the Body to be the Servant and Friend of God the Spouse of Christ the Son and Heir of God and Co-heir with Christ There is the Wisedom of the Soul as well as of the Body to be wise to Salvation to know God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent The fear of the Lord is true wisedom all other wisedom is but foolishness Scientia contristans scientia sine capite A sorrowful and imperfect knowledg and altogether unsatisfactory See a most lively description of a Carnal Life in the second chapter of Wisedom Life of Faith You have seen the Life of Sense and Reason but oh the life of Faith how sublime and lofty is the state thereof above them both 1. It is above all Prosperity whatsoever it knows how to use this World as though it used it not is treads the Moon under her feet and counts all things but loss and dung to gain Christ it is not ravished nor transported by letting out the stream of affections upon the World even the stupidity and madness but looks higher and hath an eye to the recompense of the Reward and to the price of the High Calling is the more humble and thankful and fruitful in good works in an advanced Estate abounding therein in all piety and love 2. It is above all Adversity whatsoever it knows how to want as well as to abound in the midst of apparent dangers it stands still to see the Salvation of God not knowing when nor how Believes above hope and contrary unto hope retains her integrity when tempted to curse God and die Though he kill that Soul yet will she put her trust in him though she stick fast in the deep mire and clay though she be gone down to the sides of the works and to the roots of the everlasting Mountains and the weeds of despair be wrapped about the dying head in the Judgment of weak Flesh and Bloud yet will she look up once more toward the Holy Temple of God and never leave hoping and trusting in him who she knows will never leave nor forsake her This Ship can tell how to live in all storms amongst all rocks and quick-sands this House can stand all the blustering winds and roaring waves because it is built upon a Rock In a word the Life that the Soul lives she lives by the Faith of the Son of God and her life is hid with Christ in God who is all in all unto her abundantly above all that she is ever able to ask or think and she can do and suffer any thing through Christ that strengtheneth her SECT III. 1. Thus the Life of the Flesh is a poor obscure Corollaries low and inconsiderable Life 2. The Life of
a solemn Sacrifice of a Heifer a Goat and a Ram and a Turtle-Dove and a young Pigeon And before that when God made a general promise unto Abraham That he would be his exceeding great Reward Gen. 15.2 Abraham said Lord God what wilt thou give me seeing I go Childless and the Steward of my House is this Eliezer of Damascus As much as to say Who shall enjoy this thy Gift after me seeing I have none to succeed me Therefore give me an Assurance of an Heir of my Body lawfully begotten lest a Stranger a Servant enjoy it and that will be as no Gift at all to me Then God spake unto him and said This Servant shall not be thine Heir but one that shall come forth of thine own Bowels shall be thine Heir And for his assurance of that he brought him forth abroad and said Look up towards Heaven and tell the Stars if thou be able to number them And he said unto him so shall thy Seed be 2. In the New Testament God promised to Believers the inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven and Believers by the virtue of their Faith of God have a present right thereto But because their possession of this inheritance is not present but future Therefore upon their request God also gives them the Holy Spirit Luc. 11.13 If ye then being evil know how to give good things to your Children how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him Let not your heart be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me In my Father's House are many mansions Joh. 14.1 c. if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to my self that where I am there ye may be also And whither I go ye know and the way ye know I will pray unto the Father and he shall give you another comforter Joh. 16.7 c that may abide with you for ever Nevertheless I tell you the truth It is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you And this Gift of the Spirit is our Assurance whereby we know that we shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven Because by this Spirit we know that God abideth in us 1 John 3.24 And he that keepeth his Commandments dwelleth in him and he in him And hereby we know that he abideth in us 1 Joh. 4.13 by the Spirit which he hath given us Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit Every Man ought to be satisfied and fully perswaded in his own mind and judgment concerning himself whence he is and what he is and what he hath and what he hopeth for and for what end and for how long But more especially in the business of his future Estate and Salvation with God And this is to be sought for here in this life as much as may be according to our utmost capacity in the revelations of God concerning this matter That Blessedness which we have right and title to have Transitionâ— and a tenure to hold it by we must needs also have assurance of to the end we may wait for the possession of it through the Spirit which is given us by Faith For we in or through the Spirit by Faith wait for the Hope of Righteousness Gal. 5.5 The Jews quite contrary in or through the Flesh waited by works for the hope of Righteousness That is they sought for Justification by the works of the Law which they could by no such means be assured of Because without Faith it is impossible to please God For when they went about to establish their own Righteousness they came short of the Righteousness of God That therefore which is our Right or Due from God by our Justification through Faith we may be assured of from God because it is his promise and all his promises are sure For SECT I. 1. The nature of a Promise is to give a present Right Promises to him that accepts it 2. The work of a Promise from a sure person is to beget an assured hope of possession God and good Men never fail of their promises to give every one their Dues We know what things by God's gracious promise we ought to have and hold by We know what things by God's holy Precepts we ought to do and continue in We know these things are promised and commanded and confirmed in God's Testament by God's Oath by Christ's death by God's Spirit and therefore they are settled upon us by the publick Faith of God and our publick Faith in God There is a Private Faith and there is a Publick Faith and therefore there is a Private Assurance and a Publick Assurance SECT II. 1. A private Faith in a private person is but a weak security Private Faith 1. Because of mortality private persons that promise though they intend to perform and be able to perform yet they may die before they perform their promise and must die at last and may be disabled before they die that they cannot perform it And though they do live and be able to perform and do perform yet they cannot live ever to maintain nor protect them to whom they have promised and performed 2. Because of unfaithfulness of private persons they are but weak at the best though never so faithful but few are true amongst them 3. Because of inability They may be honest and yet not able and so all hope and dependance upon them faints though they cannot help it But SECT III. 2. A Publick Faith in a publick persons or persons Publick Faith is strong Security 1. Because of immortality Princes States Kingdoms c are immortal Such Persons and Corporations never die That is they are not presumed to die or if they do not so soon as others 2. Because of Faithfulness Publick persons and Bodies Ecclesiastical and Civil are very sure and faithful Hence Fides Romana the Roman Faith was such a Rock and so Sacred an Asylum that other poor Nations having by League sheltred themselves under their protection counted themselves sure upon their Publick Faith which give them their due they did highly stand upon and would not violate 3. Because of Ability Publick Persons and States incorporated are the greatest strength in the World and most lasting To shew nothing is perfect in this World to secure our Faith in them the greatest and strongest and richest and wisest and justest Corporations of Kingdoms Empires and States As of the Egyptian Babylonian Persian Median Graecian Roman c. have breathed out their last and lye in rubbish and scarce the relique of their Glories are to be found Therefore we are taught to look up higher to the
the King doth what pleaseth him both in heaven and earth 30. To this King his Feudal Subjects may truly say so as no other can All that is ours is thine and all that is thine is ours and we our selves are thine and thou thy self art ours yet thou art all things and hast all things without us but we are nothing and have nothing without thee Thy riches are ours thy wisdom is ours thy beauty honour and glory is ours but thine by property but ours by grace and favour All things are ours and we are Christs and Christ is Gods And if God hath given us Christ how shall he not with him freely give us all things By Faith and Love we are in God and God in us one with Christ and Christ one with us For God is love and he that loveth dwelleth in God and God in him 31. In other kingdoms Kings swear to be faithful to their Subjects but in a Feudal kingdom Subjects only swear fidelity to their Kings Yet God himself vouchsafes to swear By my self have I sworn that I will never fail David And it is no waies improper for a Prince or Lord to swear to be faithful to his Subjects as well as for Subjects to be faithful to their Lords For Relatives are mutual 32. In other kingdoms Kings tax their Subjects to bear the charge of their Government but in this the King bears all the burthen and the Subjects are at no charges at all of his fullness we all receive grace for grace 33. In other kingdoms Tributes and taxes are oftentimes oppressions and stir up Rebellion or bring in Poverty but in this kingdom all peace and plenty 34. In a Feudal kingdom there is but one supream Lord so in Gods kingdom 35. There are many Intermedial Lords but all Vassals to the supream Lord so in Gods kingdom there are Gods many and Lords many as Kings and Rulers but all Vassals to the same supream Lord. Yet they may not Lord it over Gods Inheritance no more than Feudal Lords may Lord it over the Kings inheritance 36. The Inheritance of the Fee is equal to all in Gods kingdom yet not so in mans for some have more in Fee and some less 37. The Inheritance of the Fee is conditional to all in Man's kingdom so also in God's kingdom 38. Some have gifts more than others in Gods kingdom extrinsecal to their Inheritance of Fee for the benefit of the Subjects The Spirit of God divideth to every one his portion some more some less to all some as he pleases 39. The way of Investiture is alike to all by Sacrament or Oath of Fidelity and Homage All holding in one and the same Faith and Love to one Lord. 40. No faith and love to any by Imputation but inherent in every Subject for his Justification 41. No faith and love descendeth to any by Inheritance but is personal and individual in all Every man being faithful and loving for himself and God faithful and loving to all and for all 42. All Fees alike in Nature though of different degrees 43. One Assurance for all alike 44. One Judge of all men alike Jesus Christ 45. One Covenant for all obligation equal to all To be no Owners or Proprietaries is a low estate Obj. Christians are Quasi Owners in Feudo not in Allodio To be Tenants to a supream Owner is an honourable estate Answ which advances them to an indefeisable Tenure and a quasi Propriety in heaven 'T is slavish to hold in Fee Obj. They are all Sons in this Tenure therefore no slaves Answ They have Right to the Inheritance therefore no slaves who have right in nothing To hold of Kings is honourable to hold of the King of Kings much more honourable Princes hold in quasi Allodium but properly in Fee from God SECT XII The nature and excellency of a Feudal Government Excellency of a Feudal Government may plainly be discerned by what hath been observed thereof and more by comparing it with the old Roman way of Rule For whereas by the Roman Law all obligation between Prince and Subjects was upon the consideration of the Common good only after that the Roman Emperours had by the example of the Longobardian Kings granted their Lands in Fee then a more strong tye was twisted between the Lords and their Vassals for the Benefices granted to those Vassals and their Families and instead of bare obedience generally due from Subjects to their Superiors love and fidelity was introduced by solemn Oath and Covenant for the Vassals to perform all things which concerned the dignity safety and profit of their Lords and to keep the Peace amongst themselves and to help one another and altogether to serve their King Many other things different from the Civil Law were found out as the Customes of Millain the most ancient then the Laws made by the Emperours Lotharius Frederick and others by the advice of Bishops Dukes and Marquesses Earls Palatine Judges and other Nobles in which if any thing was wanting they had recourse to the Civil Law for a supply as is usual at this day because though the Civil Law is not of force to overcome Customes yet the learned in those Laws if a Case occur which is not contained in the custome of the Fee may safely give counsel by the written Law After the expulsion of the Longobardian Kings the Emperour was the supream Lord with supream Legislation and Jurisdiction in all Causes And to him Allegiance was due from all his Liege People by which they were obliged for their Goods Persons and Protection to their supream Lord. Than which a better constitution never was nor peradventure never will be made for the resemblance and nearness which it hath to the government of God and of Christ SECT XIII Collections Observe kind Reader how the Tenure of Fees in a Feudal kingdom is agreeable to the Tenure of Faith in the kingdom of Christ 1. Because given by meer grace of the Donor The Receiver is a meer Beneficiary and hath nothing to boast of 2. Because the Donor hath the absolute propriety in himself 1. The thing is his Allodium he depends upon none 2. The Rights Jurisdictions and Priviledges are all his 3. Because the Usufruct only is the Receivers 4. Because he ows service fidelity and love 1. For the use of the things so given 2. For the use of the Rights belonging to them Now where is glory but in the Donor whose Grace it is Where is Merit the Lord doth not thank the Vassal that serves him he is rewarded for it it is his duty he holds his Fee upon it Note that the Lord hath given the Fee therefore he will not take it away without the fault of the Receiver Note that this is a noble way of giving 1. To give the Use only not the Dominion For this keeps up Soveraignty and maintains obedience and acknowledgment fear and love duty and distance 2. To give the
his friends a Rod of Iron for his enemies Christ's most glorious rule is in Heaven therefore after his Resurrection his first work was to send his Ambassadours to preach his Kingdom to every Creature As my Father hath sent me so send I you Whos 's sins ye remit they are remitted and whose sins ye retain they are retained Whatsoever ye bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven He that receiveth you receiveth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me And after his Ascension he sent down the Holy Ghost with great power to work wisdom and Miracles When he ascended up on high he led Captivity captive and gave gifts unto men In Christs life time upon Earth the Holy Ghost was not given and the reason was because Christ was not yet glorified This Mission of the Spirit being the most glorious administration of his Kingdom when the great Wisdoms and Powers of the World were not able to resist the wisdom and power of his Spirit by which his Disciples spake When the foolishness of God was wiser than the wisdom of men and the weakness of God was stronger than the power of men SECT II. Corol. Thus Christ considered as a Mediator is the Conditional Heir of all things under God And so Christians as Christians are the Conditional Heirs of all things under Christ Thus God Covenanted with Christ to give him a Kingdom but he must get it by Conquest according to the nature of a Feudal kingdom So God Covenants with Christians to give them a kingdom with Christ and under Christ but they must get it by Conquest The kingdom of Heaven must be pressed into and the violent take it by force and no otherwise The good fight of Faith must be fought out before we can lay hold upon the Crown of Righteousness So the Children of Israel had the kingdom of Canaan given them but they must fight for it before they could be put in possession And this is the true nature of getting and of keeping a Feudal Kingdom SECT III. Christs New way of conquest Thus a New way had Christ of conquering by Obedience and Sufferings So do Christians conquer by Self denial Love of enemies Patient suffering for Righteousness sake outward force against force and learning against learning and policy against policy may clash together like rocks of equal force and come off from each other safe and as strong as ever but when Weakness is advanced against Power in the Name of God and Simplicity and Innocence against Learning and deep Policy then is the mighty Power of God discovered Who sees not as man sees nor judges according to outward appearance Whose wayes are not like mans waies but of another fashion Christ is the Heir of all things therefore God covenanted with Christ as the Testator covenants with his Heir to enjoy his Inheritance upon such terms as to convey part of his Estate to such or such Legates or Co-heirs So the Promise was made to Christ that it might be sure to all the Seed for in Christ the Promises of God are Yea and Amen And therefore if God covenanted with Christ he hath also covenanted with his Seed Behold I and the Children which God hath given me Of those whom thou hast given me have I lost none for they are mine and I am thine SECT IV. And this is all that can be made of the Covenant of Grace Covenant of Grace and this is conditional which some make absolute contrary to the nature of a Covenant If a Covenant therefore be conditional with Christ how can it be absolute with Christians Thus they confound and perplex all things A Donative may be absolute a Testament may be absolute a Law or Constitution may be absolute a Promise may be absolute but a Pact or Covenant is upon some condition and the non-performance of the Condition dissolves the Pact and brings in a penalty of forfeiture And such a Condition there is in Gods Testament namely Faith and Repentance which some make the Effect or Means or they know not what If so then the main point of the Scriptures must be quite laid aside or quite expunged Because the whole Tenour of the Scriptures runs along clear contrary If thou believest thou shalt be saved Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand c. This is to have and to hold of God in Fide So God gives his Estate first to Christ to have and to hold of him in Fee Secondly to Christians to have and to hold of Christ in Fee This is free Grace and the more free because of meer grace and upon such noble terms as 1. To have all good of God 2. To hold all good of God 3. To do all good of God and for God As for conceits of Merit in this case they are vain and idle speculations producing aery notions and words without knowledge which darken the counsel of the wisdom of God SECT V. Thus Christ shares all things with Christians Christ shares with Christians 1. Christ shares his Holiness with them For therefore he hath anointed himself that we might be anointed with him and by him of whose fullness we all receive and grace for grace 2. Christ shares his Sufferings with Christians We fill up that which is behind of the Sufferings of Christ for his Body's sake which is the Church Saul Saul why persecutest thou me He that toucheth them toucheth the apple of his eye In as much as ye did it unto them ye have done it unto me And Christ is crucified in his members 3. Christ shares his Victory with Christians In him and through him we are more than Conquerors I thank God through Jesus Christ my Lord. We shall bruise Satan under every one of our feet This is our victory whereby we overcome the World even our Faith Thus Christ could not have the benefit of Gods Promise on Gods part till he had performed the condition on his part And how then can Christians expect the benefit of the Promise on Gods part except they perform the condition on their part 1. Christs Condition was Obedience and Sufferings 2. Gods Reward was Resurrection Kingdom and Glory 3. Christians Condition is Faith Repentance and Sufferings 4. Gods Reward is Resurrection and Eternal life By Christs death though faith is our Justification 1. From sin to righteousness 2. From bondage to adoption By Christs Resurrection through faith is our Justification 1. From death to life 2. From Jus ad Rem to Jus in Re. 4. Christ shares his kingdom and Priesthood with Christians Christ the principal Heir Christ the chief Priest And Christians are all Kings and Priests with him by him and under him In my Fathers house are many Mansions I go before to prepare a place for you that where I am there ye might also be If I be lifted
up I will draw all men after me Where the Carkass is thither will the Eagles be gathered together Ye shall sit on twelve Thrones Ro. 6.5 judging the twelve Tribes of Israel The Saints shall judge the World If we have been planted with him in the likeness of his Death we shall also be planted with him in the likeness of his Resurrection Are ye able to drink of the Cup that I shall drink of and to be baptized with the Baptism that I shall be baptized with Math. 20.22 Ye shall indeed drink of the Cup that I shall drink of and ye shall be baptized with the Baptism that I shall be baptized with and so they shall sit on his right and on his left in his kingdom for whom it shall be prepared SECT VI. Great mistakes about the two Covenants of God 1. The Law of Innocency or Works was made with Adam to do Gods will if not upon the least breach to die without hope of pardon upon Repentance 2. The Law of Grace was made with Adam to do Gods will if not to obtain pardon upon Faith and Repentance by Christ in whom God rendred himself reconcileable to deliver from death due by the law of Works This Covenant of Grace was renewed to the Patriarchs especially to Abraham David and the Prophets but especially manifested by Christ to all men The Errour of the Jewish Christians was to hope for Justification by the Covenant of Works without Faith Christ was the head Party in this Covenant made with Adam and all Mankind who are or may be the seed of Christ by believing and Christ by being born under the Law answers the Law by fulfilling it for all his Seed and takes away the Curse and brings in Blessedness by the Covenant of Grace SECT VII Covenant of Grace made with all men And that this Covenant of Grace was made with all men is demonstrated by these Reasons 1. Because the Parties of a Covenant must needs be certainly known who they are Parties of Covenants must be certainly known 1. God is known who promiseth the Reward 2. Mankind is known to whom the Reward is promised and who stipulate with God for it But if the Covenant was made with some of Mankind only and the rest excluded it cannot be certainly known who those are that are contained in the Covenant and who not Now it is most contrary to the nature of a Covenant to be struck with persons that are unknown or not certainly known because the Parties interested must certainly know themselves to be interested and others that have the same interest must certainly know their fellows that are parties with them in the same Covenant because all together they make but one party and God is the other And both these must know one another and understand one another and agree one with another and know the Terms of their agreement and be discernable from all others Therefore in all Covenants the names of the Covenantees are exprest Appellative names in Covenants that is either their Proper names or else Common names sufficient to express every individual by so that they may as plainly be understood who they are as if they were particularly named So in the Testamentary Covenant of God all with whom God Covenants and that do mutually covenant with God are expressed by the Appellative name of the Faithful in Christ These persons Adam and his Posterity did not understand what Covenant Christ their Head procured to be made for them nor what the condition was which they were to perform till they had a Being and the use of a Rational understanding But when they came to Adult age it was revealed unto them and they found not their proper but their appellative Names in the Bond and thereby had a determinate knowledge and were able to ensure themselves and each others that they were the true Parties that were to covenant with God and that they were bound so to do or else to forfeit their Blessing And from their understanding it came to their Wills to choose whether they would covenant with God or no and that it was their own fault if they did not because the terms were indifferently offered to them all And that if they did perform the Condition which Christ their Head had undertaken to make them capable to perform they should obtain the benefits purchased by him for them if not they must of necessity lose it and suffer the punishment expressed in the Bond. So in the Covenants and Testaments of men when there are many persons to covenant with one single person and those either in present or future being it is impossible to particularize every single person that is now alive or are yet for to come nor can any Will or Covenant contain them nor is it rational to set them down if they could but it is very sufficient to comprehend them all that are or shall be the Parties by some common name as of Heirs Executors Administrators or Assigns or of all honest painful and miserable persons in such or such a City or Country whereby they that are so qualified are undoubtedly the persons meant by the Testator or Covenanter in his said Will and Covenant and may lawfully claim the Legacies or Benefits intended for them and promised unto them SECT VIII A Publick person may stipulate for himself and all under his power Publick stipulation at present and that shall be when they come to be As a King for all his Subjects born or to be born A Head of a Corporation or Syndick for all the Citizens A Father for all his Children If this Publick person break the Covenant for himself and by himself he only is guilty for himself and by himself properly and really as to the sin but improperly and quasily and by act of Law his heirs or successors are guilty that is so accounted and therefore they really suffer the loss and penalty by their Fathers sin not enjoying the benefit which they should have had if he had not broken the Covenant for himself by act of Nature nor they with him by act of Law So that they suffer the shame and loss by being Sons to such a Father and are so far tainted in their blood and lessened in their heads but yet they may stipulate for themselves and be faithful and recover the honour and estate which they lost by their Father so far as in him lay If this Publick person keep the Covenant for himself he is only rewardable for himself properly and really as to the virtue of his keeping it and his heirs and successors are not really nor properly rewardable but quasily and by act of Law and therefore they are really rewarded and enjoy the benefit only by such act and constitution and have the honour of being Sons to such a Father are pure in blood and advanced in their heads If the heirs to those Publick persons actually break the Covenant
Subject the Faithful and stated thus Whether God would have all the Faithful to be saved or blessed the matter would soon be at an end 2. Because ex naturâ rei Reason there is or can be no other right reckoned or accounted to a Promise but by Faith For Abraham believed God i. e. accepted his Promise and this his acceptation or faith was accounted to him for righteousness For the Promise offers Right and the Receiver takes it and it is his own and he is thereby justified to the thing promised Faith creates a Right or a Right passes by or through Faith without which the Promise is of no effect Now for this great point of Faith Faith it hath been largely handled in the Book of Justification But here for the explaining the point of Election now in hand I shall declare briefly the several notions of Faith which are these 1. A Belief or Credence to the truth of a thing revealed from the Authority of God or man is Faith which we call historical as to matter of Fact 2. A Confidence or Trust in the Party that promiseth upon the high esteem which we have of his honesty and ability to perform is Faith which we call Fiducia estimatory Faith 3. A Promise made and established and offered to another party freely is Faith which we call Fides data Faith given 4. An acceptance or embracing of a Promise so made established and given freely is Faith which we call Fides accepta Faith taken Promissory Faith 5. A Re-promise or returning of another Promise to the first Promiser is Faith which we call Fides reddita Faith returned 6. A Covenant or Agreement made up of these two Promises by consent of wills of both parties is Faith which we call Fides mutua Faith reciprocal Fides data fides accepta fides reddita fides servata 7. A Promise kept by both parties is Faith which we call Fidelitas Faithfulness 8. A Spiritual sight of Invisible things or the evidence of things not seen is Faith which we call Evidence 9. A Spiritual presence of things future is Faith which we call Substance SECT IV. Walking by Faith Hence may be understood that great Evangelical Precept of walking by Faith and not by sight 1. Because it is rational to believe the things of God upon the Authority of God that hath revealed them and testified them by the Miracles of Christ the Prophets and Apostles by whom he hath revealed them 2. Because it is as rational to repose full trust and confidence in the Most high God who is truth it self that hath revealed his Promise and is both able and faithful to perform them 3. Because it is rational for the Promiser to offer and give his Faith freely 4. Because it is rational for the Party promised to receive and take the Promise so freely offered and given him 5. Because it is rational for the party Promised to re-promise to the Promiser 6. Because it is rational that mutual Promises or Agreements of wills of both parties do make up a Covenant compleat between them 7. Because it is rational that a Promise mutually made and performed by both parties is a demonstration of their mutual faithfulness and love 8. Because by the Spiritual sight of invisible things is the sure footsteps of a divine Faith 9. Because the Spiritual presence of future things so far off is the divine Assurance of a divine Faith And therefore to walk by Faith after this manner is to walk highly above flesh and blood and contrary to flesh and blood above our senses by our understandings and reasons a walking out of the body in the Spirit out of the world and in the world to come So as did those Worthies of old Worthies of old Heb. 11. Noah that foresaw the flood and prepared an Ark for it by faith Abraham that went out of his Country when God called him he knew not whither and sojourned in the land whereof he was the righteous heir because he looked for a City whose builder and maker was God He sought another a better Country even a Heavenly and had no mind to return from whence he came as he might have done The same Abraham offered up his only hopes Isaak by which his faith was tried to the purpose So Sarah received strength supernatural to conceive seed when past Age as was Abraham and both as good as dead yet from them such as they were sprang so many as the Stars of the skie for multitude and as the sand which is by the Sea-shoar innumerable So Isaak blessed Jacob and Esau by faith preferring the younger before the elder as were the Gentiles before the Jews long after this great Type So Jacob blessed the Sons of Joseph preferring typically also Ephraim before Manasseh So Joseph by the great faith he had in Gods Promise gave commandment concerning his Bones to be buried in the Land of Promise So Moses Parents hid their proper Child for future hopes of divine Advancement and feared not the cruelty of Pharaoh So the same Moses by the same faith in that God that had so miraculously saved him when he came to years fit for honour in Egypt refused to be called as he had right by Adoption the Son of Pharaohs Daughter An emblem whereof he shewed in his infancy in kicking down the Crown given him to play with And after all the learning and pleasures of Egypt made a better choice rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season and boldly by his faith forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King for he endured as seeing him who is invisible The same Moses kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood for the saving of those Souls alive that believed in God for such salvation By the same faith the same Israelites passed through the Red Sea which the Egyptians without faith assaying to do by an Arm of flesh were drowned and sank down as lead in the mighty waters It was the Faith of the Israelites that threw the towring Walls of Jericho flat upon the ground It was the faith of Rahab that saved her and her Family alive from perishing with the unbelievers The same faith saved Gideon Barak Samson Jephthah David Samuel and all the Prophets and other holy men of God who through faith subdued kingdoms wrought righteousness obtained promises stopped the mouth of Lions quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword out of weakness were made strong waxed valiant in fight turned to slight the armies of the Aliens women received their dead raised to life again and others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings yea moreover of bands and imprisonment They were stoned they were sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the sword they wandred about in sheep skins and in goat skins being destituted afflicted
and tormented of whom the world was not worthy they wandred in deserts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth And all these having obtained a good report through faith received not the Promise God having provided some better thing for us that they without us should not be made perfect For the same Promises were made more lively to us and expect a more lively faith from us and they came in by accession to the same Promises and are made perfect by them together with us in one Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ for the same blessedness and salvation through him to whom be all praise and glory for ever Amen SECT V. Seeing therefore as hath been demonstrated the Faithful are the Elect people of God and in Covenant with him it must of necessity follow that the Unfaithful are the Reprobated of God and out of Covenant with him For as it is plain that the Elect are the peculiar and choice People because God hath propounded the Right to be chosen by them and they have chosen that Right and are approved of God for choosing that Right So it is as plain that the Reprobate are the strange and Refuse people because God hath propounded the Right to be chosen by them and they have refused that Right and chosen the wrong and are disapproved and condemned of God for choosing the wrong By Faith men are elected or intituled to a Promise of salvation By Infidelity men are rejected from a Promise to damnation Election not to be concealed This is that great point of Election which hath been represented as an Abyss that none could ever see into the bottom of a Mystery unconceivable and therefore dangerous for any but high and mighty Doctors to dispute of and sat intra Cancellos in their retired Schools apart from the rude Multitude from their Chairs not from their Pulpits And their Writings must be lockt up in Archivis never exposed to common view What is the matter Is it the Will of God the Law of God the Testament of God and must it not be known Are not all Laws proclaimed and Testaments opened And are they not made when wisely made so plain that all that are concerned might understand them or else how shall they know what is commanded them and conferred upon them that they might perform that obedience and gratitude which is due from them to such their Rulers and Benefactors The Learned use to say Quod omnes tangit ab omnibus tractari debet That which concerns all is to be understood by all Does not the good Will and Word of God concern all Is it only to be spoken to the Learned and Nobles in such languages and phrases which they only understand Are we sent to preach only to such as they that are in high places of employment in Church and State and not as well to the poor Watchmen that sit on the Wall that they might hear the Will of God and understand it as well as others Surely God is no respecter of persons but we may plainly perceive his mind and will is to have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the Truth and that in all Nations he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted of him Heb. 10.6 c. Say not therefore in thine heart Who shall ascend into heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring up Christ again from the dead But what saith the Scripture The word is nigh unto thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart that is the word of Faith which we preach That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation For the Scripture saith Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed for there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Under the favour therefore of the Deeper Clerks my poorest judgment is apt to believe Election an easie Point◠that this Doctrine of Election is the most easie and familiar in all Divinity take Divinity for the Scripture and not for systems and sums and postils or golden decisions c. Especially for Christ's Sermon in the Mount and his other Sermons and answers as also the Sermons of the Apostles and all of their Epistles except that of the Romans and Galatians where most things are easie but some things are hard to be understood which some that are unlearned and hardly honest have wrested to their own destruction and grievously abused the Vulgar in catching at some dubious expressions which may be variously construed and neglecting the main scope of the whole Bible especially of those two most famous Epistles which is to prove Justification by Faith and not by Works or the Righteousness of God which is by Faith distinct from the Righteousness of Man which is by Works And the just rejection of the Jews the Elder Brother for going about to establish their own Righteousness which is by the Law and the just election of the Gentiles the younger Brother for embracing the righteousness of Faith which is by the Gospel SECT VI. Take therefore St. Peters godly Admonition 2 Pet. 1.10 Diligence to make Election sure to give all diligence to make your calling and election sure And do you long and pant and thirst after God and endeavour honestly to close with God in hearing and understanding and doing the will of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Do but well and God will meet you And that of St. Paul Phil. 2.12 13. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling for it is God that worketh in you both to will and do of his good pleasure And know that Veritas non est salutanda in transitu Truth is not to be saluted in haste It is the diligent hand that maketh rich And Manus est causa sapientiae It is the hand that is the cause of wisdom Dii omnia laboribus vendunt God gives all upon labour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God helpeth all that labour And he that hath and useth well what he hath shall have more Ex mandato mandatum discimus By doing Gods Command we learn to do his command If any man will do his will he shall know the Doctrine whether it be of God or no. We learn to do well by doing well and the more we do well the more we may Devotion comes by prayer and Charity by Alms. The Practical hand makes better than the Speculative brains Vae mihi si haec habeo in mente servo in charta non facio in vitâ Wo be unto me if I
a word they say and unsay sometimes bring in remission of sins and sometimes their own satisfaction and so set St. Paul and their Church at such a distance that neither St. Peter himself nor all the Angels and Saints she prayeth to will be able to reconcile them and make his Gratis and their Merits meet in one It is true every good act doth justifie a man so far as it is good and God so far esteemeth them holy and good and taketh notice of his graces in his Children he registreth the patience of Job the zeal of Phineas and the devotion of David not a cup of cold water not a mite flung into the treasury but shall have its reward But yet all the works of the Saints in the world cannot satisfie for the breach of the Law for let it once be granted what cannot be denied that we are all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 guilty and culpable before God that all have sinned and are come short of the glory of God then all that noise the Church of Rome hath filled the world with concerning Merits and Satisfaction and Inherent righteousness will vanish as a mist before the Sun and Justification and Remission of sins will appear in its brightness in that form and shape in which Christ first left it to his Church Bring in Abraham and Isaac and all the Patriarchs and Prophets and Apostles and deck them with all those vertues which made them glorious but yet they sinned Bring in the noble Army of Martyrs who shed their blood for Christ but yet they sinned They were stoned they were sawn asunder they were slain with the sword but yet they sinned and he that sinneth is presently the servant of sin obnoxious to it for ever and cannot be redeemed by his own blood because he sinned but by the blood of him in whom there was no sin to be found Justificatio Impii this one form of speech of Justifying a sinner doth plainly exclude the Law and the Works of it and may serve as an Axe or Hammer to beat down all their carved work and those Anticks which are fastned to the building which may perhaps take a wandring or gadding fancy but will never enter the heart of a man of understanding We do not find that beauty in their artificial and forced inventions that we do in the simple and native truth Neither are those effects which are as irradiations and resultances from forgiveness of sin so visible in their Justification by faith and works as in the free remission which is by faith alone The urging of our Merits is of no force to make our peace with God They may indeed make us gracious in his eyes after remission but have as much power to remove our sins as our breath hath to remove a mountain or put out the fire of hell For every sin is as Seneca speaketh of that of Alexander in killing Callisthenes Crimen aeternum an Eternal crime which no vertue of our own can redeem Let me add my passions to my actions my Imprisonment to my Alms let me suffer for Christ let me die for Christ But yet I have sinned We may observe those Justitiaries how their complexion altereth how their colour goeth and cometh how they are not the same Men in their Controversies and Commentaries that they are in their Devotions and Meditations Nothing but Merit in their ruff and jollity and nothing but Mercy on their Death-Beds nothing but the Bloud of Martyrs then and nothing but Christ's now nothing but their own satisfaction all their lives and nothing but Christ's at their last gaspe Before Magis honorificum it was more honourable to bring in something of our own towards the forgiveness of our sins but none for the uncertainty of our own Righteousness Because there is no harbour here Christ's Righteousness is called in with a Tutissimum est as the best shelter And here they will abide till the storm be overpast Id. ib S. 24. p. 870 c. Imputed Righteousness Some stand much upon imputed Righteousness and it is true which they say if they understood themselves And upon Christ's Righteousness imputed to us which might be true also if they did not interpret what they say For this in a pleasing phrase they call To appear in our Elder Brother's Robes and apparel that as Jacob did we may steal away the Blessing Thus the Adulterer may say I am chast with Christ's Chastity and if he please every wicked Person may say That with Christ he is crucified dead and buried And that though he did nothing yet he did it though he did ill yet he did well because Christ did it This Righteousness if they have no other doth but ill become them because it had no Artificer but the Fancy to make it For that Christ's Righteousness is thus imputed to any we do not read no not so much as that it is imputed though in some sense the phrase may be admitted Jerm For what is done cannot be undone no not by Omnipotency it self for it implyeth a contradiction Deo qui omnia potest hoc impossibile God who can do all things cannot restore a lost Virginity He may forgive it blot it out bury it not impute it account of it as if it had never been but a sin it was We read indeed that Faith was imputed to Abraham for Righteousness Ro. 4.3 And the Apostle interpreteth himself out of the 32. Psal Blessed is the Man unto whom God imputeth Righteousness without work Gal. 3.6 2 Cor. 5.21 That is as followeth whose sins are forgiven to whom the Lord imputeth no sin And Abraham believed in God and it was imputed to him for Righteousness And we are made the Righteousness of God in him That is we are counted righteous for his sake And it is more than evident that it is one thing to say That Christ's Righteousness is imputed to us another that Faith is imputed for Righteousness or which is the very same our sins are not imputed to us Which two imputations of Faith for Righteousness and not-imputation of sin make up that which we call the Justification of a Sinner For therefore are our sins blotted out by the hand of God because we believe in Christ and Christ in God That place where we are told that Christ of God is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification is not such a Pillar of Christ's imputed Righteousness in that sense which they take it as they fancy'd when they first set it up For the sense of the Apostle is plain and can be no more than this That Christ by the will of God was the only cause of our Righteousness and Justification and that for his sake God will justifie and absolve us from all our sins will reckon or account us holy and just and wise Not that he who loved the error of his life is wise or he that hath been unjust is righteous in that wherein he was unjust or