sooner then our sanctification by Christ and yet neither will discerning of it yeeld setled comfort to the soule till the Spirit of God doth witnesse from Christ Gods thoughts of peace towards him Quest XII VVhether when my sanctification lyeth prostrate I may not prove my self in a state of Grace by my sanctification Answ If my justification lyeth prostrate that is altogether dark and hidden from me I cannot prove my self in a state of Grace by my sanctification For whilst I cannot beleeve that my person is accepted in justification I cannot beleeve that my works are accepted of God as any true sanctification Quest XIII VVhether evidencing justification by sanctification be a building my justification on my sanctification or a going on in a Covenant of Works Answ To evidence my justification by my sanctification though it may seem at first blush a plaine and evident Phrase yet is it indeed ambiguous or at least obscure Give me leave to cleare the sense of it and then give you mine answer To evidence my justification by my sanctification is no more at first hand then to give or hold forth my sanctification for an evident Argument of justification Thus farre the Phrase is plain But now when I give it for an evident Argument I may give it either for an evident cause or ground of my justification or for an evident signe or effect of it Again when I give it for an evident sign of justification I may either give it alone for an evident sign having nothing els to shew for my justification or I may give it for a concurrent signe together with other signes and witnesses which may make both my justification and my sanctification evident and cleare to my selfe and others Having thus cleared the ambiguity and obscurity of the Phrase I give you mine Answer distinctly in these severall Propositions Proposition 1. To give my sanctification for an evident ground or cause or matter of my justification is to build my justification upon my sanctification and to go on in a Covenant of Works Propos 2. To give my sanctification for an evident ground or cause of my faith whereby I am justified as when I doe not nor dare not depend upon Christ for my justification till I evidently see my sanctification this is also to build my justification on my sanctification and to go on in a Covenant of works For sanctification or which is all one good workes are not the cause of justifying faith but justifying faith the cause of them Propos To give my sanctification for an evident cause and ground of my faith not whereby I am justified but whereby I beleeve my self to be justified which they call the Faith of Assurance this may be a building my justification on my sanctification or a going on in a Covenant of Works two waies 1. If the soule have no evidence of his dependance upon Christ for righteousnesse nor no evidence of his effectuall calling unto Christ and unto faith in Christ by the Fathers drawing him to come to him but onely he seeth an evident change in himselfe from a prophane and civill course to a sanctified conversation or at least upon that which is worse to wit upon that which seemeth true Christian sanctification which indeed is not but a legal Reformation For when a man hath been humbled under the Spirit of bondage by the terrors of the Law yet he may never come to feel his need of Christ nor his own insufficiency or unworthiness to receive him Though he may obtain 1 Restraining grace to keep him from known sinnes 2. Constraining or exciting Grace to provoke him to duty or else his Conscience sometimes terrified by the Law would flye in his face And though in this way he may finde comfort as the stony ground did and thorny soyle much more and so from this great change hee may build up to himselfe the faith or Assurance of his Justification yet in truth in so doing he buildeth upon such a sanctification which is indeed a sandy foundation 2. To give my sanctification for an evident ground or cause of faith whereby a man beleeveth himselfe to be justified may be a building of Justification upon a Sanctification in another case to wit when we shall give a man no other ground or evidence of his justification but onely from the evidence of his sanctification For the Publican did not as the Pharisee thought himselfe did see any evident fruits of his sanctification but was deeply affected with the sense of his sinnes so that he smote his breast with the Anguish of sin and durst not lift up his eyes to heaven through confusion of face for sinne but only cryed out to God to be mercifull unto him in this sinfull estate and yet by our Saviours own judgement this man went home justified rather then the other Luk. 18. though he saw no evidence of his sanctification but rather Evidence of his sinfull corruption If any of our brethren doubt hereof I would pray them to call to minde what some of them that lived in Essex have heard our brother Hooker and Master Rogers also teach soundly and argue out of the Word that there be saving graces which are not sanctifying but are wrought before sanctification which yet may beare witnesse to a safe estate and I may adde to Fellowship with Christ for there is no safety but in him before the soule can see any evidence of his Sanctification Propos 4. A man may give his sanctification for an evident ground or cause of his faith whereby he is justified and yet sometimes not build his justification upon his sanctification nor be under a Covenant of workes but only sometimes go aside to a Covenant of works As in case when a man is truly justified and seeth it not he doth then betake him to his workes for the hastning of his assurance As Abraham when he had long waited for the Promised Seed thought he was justified by beleeving the free Promise yet for the more speedy satisfying of his faith and hope he turned aside to go into Hagar who was a Type of the Covenant of works for the hastning of his sight and fruition of the promised Seed So there be sundry Children of Abraham even of his elect Seed that having been driven out of their sins by a Spirit of Bondage and finding a need of Christ and their own insufficiency and unworthinesse to receive him do therefore seek and wait for him by the mighty power of God in every Ordinance and Duty Such men are already truly justified though it may be as yet they do not know so much because this their seeking and waiting for Christ in the sense of their own need emptiness and unworthiness is a true act of a lively justifying faith But now if such souls because God may tarrie long before they can see and feel Christ given to them shall therefore seek Christ in their owne workes or sanctification and in the
Severall QVESTIONS OF Serious and necessary Consequence Propounded by the Teaching Elders Unto M. IOHN COTTON of Boston in New-England WITH His respective Answer to each Question LONDON Printed for Thomas Banks and are to bee sold in Black-Friers on the top of Bride-well Staires and in Westminster Hall at the signe of the Seale 1647. Certain Questions propounded by the teaching Elders in the Bay to M. John Cotton Teacher in the Church of Boston Quest I. WHat the seale of the Spirit is Answer The Seale of the Spirit is taken by some good Divines to be the sanctification of the Spirit as that which like a Seale 1. Distinguisheth the faithfull 2. Consenteth the faithfull 3. Confirmeth the faithfull Others take it for the Witnesse of the Spirit it selfe as it is distinguished from our Spirit Rom 6.18 In which sense it is commonly used by our Brethren in the Church Though I my selfe doe generally forbeare to call it by that name and do not usually call it the Witnesse of the Spirit least I might give offence to any who may conceive the Seale of the Spirit to be more generall Quest II. Whether every Beleever be sealed with it Answer Every Beleever is not sealed with the Seale of the Spirit if the Seale be taken for the Witnesse of the Spirit it self but in the former sense all Beleevers be sealed with it Quest III. What ground from the word of that Distinction a Bread Seale and the other Seale and the difference between them Answer I know no such Distinction between the Broad Seal and the other Seale Nor was that Distinction propounded by any of our Members but by one of your selves who expressing his conception in that Speech one of our Members answered him according to his meaning in his own word if you call it so saith he Neverthelesse thus much may truly be said There is a difference betweene the Witnesse of the Spirit as it regenerateth and reneweth our spirits and the Witnesse of the Spirit as it comforteth us with evident assurance of our Adoption Rom 8.16 Quest IV. Whether a man may or ought to see any saving worke of Christ in himself and take Comfort from it before he be sealed by the Spirit Answer A true Beleever may and ought to see if it be declared to him in the use of the means any work of Christ in himself that he accompanieth salvation as Cornelius did before he be sealed with the witnesse of the Spirit it selfe yet full setled comfort he cannot take nor rest in till it be witnessed unto him by the Spirit for Comfort without the Word is false Comfort and neither Word nor Spirit doe teach us to take any Comfort so much from the Worke of Christ in us as from the Object of it Quest V. Whether the testimony or Seal of the Spirit be so clear as to witness immediately by it self without respect of any work of Christ in a man or so constant that it being once obtained a man doth never after question his Estate Answ The Testimony of the Spirit is so cleare as that it may witness immediately though not without some work of Christ in a man yet without respect unto the Worke Neverthelesse it is not so constant or permanent at least not in all Beleevers but that a man after he hath received it may come in time of temptation to question his Estate though not so frequently nor so desperately as before Quest VI. VVhether a Christian may maintaine like constant Comfort in his soule when he hath fallen into some grosse sinne or neglected some knowne duty as when he walked most closely with God Answ A Christian man cannot find like constant comfort maintained to his soule after he hath fallen into sin whether of Commission or Omission as when God keeps him in a close walking with him For the Spirit of God in him being grieved and grieved it is by any grosse sin especially it will not speak wonted Peace and Comfort to him If David fall into such grosse sins as Adultery and Murder it cannot be but the bones of his comfort will be broken Psal 15.8 Neverthelesse the assurance of a mans good Estate may be maintained to him when the frame and course of his spirit is growne much degenerate Isai 63.16 Quest VII Whether a weake Beleever may not warrantably apply some promise to himselfe as given by God although he doth not yet discerne his interest in it by the Broad Seale of the Spirit Answ A weak Beleever may warrantably apply some promise to himselfe and may have it also given him of God even whilest he is yet waiting for it before he can discerne his interest in the promise by the witnesse of the Spirit it selfe For the soule that waiteth for Christ may come to see and know by his renewed knowledge that he doth waite and may from thence conclude that he on whom he waiteth will not absent himself for ever Quest VIII VVhether a Christian must of necessity have his first assurance from an absolute and not from a conditionall promise Answ A Christian mans first assurance doth arise from the Spirit of God applying Gods free grace in an absolute promise Or if in a conditionall promise it is not to workes but to faith and to faith not as it is a worke but as it revealeth the free grace of God offered and applied in Christ Jesus Quest IX VVhat you meane by Christian sanctification whether immediate acting of the Spirit or infused Habits If habits infused whether such as are contrary to corrupt Nature and all vitious Habits and if so whether you must not mean the Image of God in Adam renewed in us to be our sanctification Answ I meane by Christian sanctification the fruit of the Spirit of Christ dwelling in true Beleevers working and acting in us both infused Habits and actions of Holinesse contrary to all vitious Habits and actions of corrupt Nature And yet I do not mean that the Image of God in Adam renewed in us and no more then so is our sanctification our sanctification in Christ hath in it this more Faith in the Righteousnesse of Christ and Repentance from dead Works and that which is the root of all the indwelling power of the Spirit to act and keep Holinesse in us all which Adam wanted Quest X. VVhether this sanctification being discerned by us be not a true Evidence of Justification Answ If this sanctification be evidently discerned it is a true evidence of Justification à Posteriori as Justification is likewise a true Evidence of Sanctification à Priori Quest XI VVhether sanctification being discerned may not bee and often is a ground of primitive Comfort as it is an evidence of our being in Christ Answ I doe not beleeve that this sanctification being discerned is a ground of Primitive Comfort though when it is evidently discerned it be an evidence of our being in Christ I conceive our faith depending on Christ is as soon discerned and
promises and blessing given to such workes and not finding such workes can finde no Peace nor Assurance such soules though they doe not build their justification upon their sanctification for indeed they were truly justified before while they depend on CHRIST for righteousnesse according to the free Promise of Grace and so are truly under a Covenant of Grace yet they goe aside to a Covenant of workes as unto Hagor to bring forth to the sight of Christ the seed of promise whom they so long waited for The failing of such soules is this that they having Christ laid in their hearts as the foundation of their justification though they know not so much Upon this golden and precious foundation they build hey and stubble in seeking and setling and grounding their faith of assurance not upon Christ nor upon the free promise of grace nor upon the witnesse of the spirit it selfe applying the same but upon the holiness of their owne workes In which case they are often put to many and sad doubts ever and anon renewed upon them till the faith and confidence which they had built upon their own workes be at length burnt up with the fire of temptation and the clearer day-light of Gods Word and Spirit And then though their owne workes and their owne building thereupon be burned yet their soules will be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Propos 1. The soule that hath lyen under the terrors of the Law and cometh afterwards to see and feele his need of Christ and his owne strength and worth to receive him and doth depend upon Christ for righteousness and mercy he may come in his estate to see by his renewed knowledge his dependance on Christ and withall some fruits of sanctification that flow there-from as prayer sometimes with unutterable sighs and groanes brokenness of spirit mourning for sight of Christ longing desire after the sincere Milk of the word love of the Ministery that wounded him c. And seeing God helping him here he may thereby gather that he that hath begun to help him will go on to help him still But yet to give these for certain evidences of his justification the poor soule dare not though another Christian of better discerning may justly so apply to him as good evidences of his justified estate But neverthelesse he will still seek and wait for further and clearer fellowship with Christ till the Spirit of God himself do witness to him the gracious thoughts of God towards him in a free Promise of Grace before he can plead his own good works whether after Conversion or before for good evidences of his justification For as it hath been observed by some of our godly learned Countrymen the graces of Gods Spirit in our Soules are like the Stars in the Firmament which shine but with a borrowed Light from the Sun If the Sun were hid from them their Light would be obscure so is the light of our graces if the Spirit of God do hide his light from us Propos 6. But now if the spirit of God do shew abroad his light into such a Soule and give him a clear sight of his estate in a free Promise of grace in Christ such a one evidently discerneth both his justification and his sanctification and the one of them giving good Evidence to the other the blood to the water and the water to the blood and the spirit to both 1 John 5.9.8 And thus in evidencing his justification by his sanctification he doth not build his justification upon his sanctification nor hereby go on in a Covenant of works nor go aside to it Propos 7. But though the Soule may gather knowledge of his estate from such Evidences of Sanctification yet if he shall therefore build his justifying Faith upon such evidences he shall againe go aside to a Covenant of works though his person may be under a Covenant of grace For justifying Faith cannot safely build or rest upon any ground save only upon Christ and his Righteousnesse Quest XIV Whether a Christian be not further active after Regeneration then before if there be a difference wherein it lyeth Answer A Christian is more active after Regeneration then before before Regeneration we are not active at all in any spiritual Christian Action no nor in Proximam Potentiam Passive to receive helpe from God to do it but after Regeneration Acti Agimus If wee act and go forth in the strength of our own spirituall Gifts without looking up to Christ we fall as Peter did Math 26.23 Quest XV. Whether it be not a safe way to conclude my safe estate by my practicall Reasoning Answ It is not an unsafe but a lawfull way to conclude a mans safe estate by way of practicall reasoning so it be the reason be not carnall but spirituall One Proposition being expressed in the Word or safely deducted thence the other being experimentall observation of a good conscience enlightened by the Spirit of God and looking up to Christ to cleare the conclusion from both Nevertheless a good conscience will not satisfie himselfe in this way till it be established by the witnesse of the Spirit or if it should so satisfie or rest it selfe for a season God will awaken it in time to a sense further need of Christ Quest XVI Whether a Christian may not presse the Lord for spirituall Mercies with Arguments drawne from the graces of Christ in himselfe Answ A Christian soule is more usually wont to presse the Lord for spirituall Mercies by Arguments drawne from his owne spirituall miseries and infirmities then from the graces of Christ in himself Neverthelesse the Saints do also make use of Arguments drawne from the graces of Christ when they doe discerne the same in themselves but they are usually such graces whereby they go out of themselves and their owne strength and worth as faith hope desire seeking waiting c. or such as doe expresse their spirituall bent and inclination or affection which they desire might be quickned and satisfied with their spirituall proper Object or end but the force of their Arguments from those graces is fetched not from the force or fulness or power of them but from the weaknesse and emtinesse of them Thus have you according to your desire a plain and short Answer to all your demands except the thirteenth which being exposed to greatest agitation and exception I have spoken the more largely and distinctly to it that so I might avoid carefully as I see it needfull all suspition of ambiquity and obscurity Now the God of Truth and Peace lead us by his Spirit of Truth into all Truth through him who is made unto us of God the Way the Truth and the Life AMEN FINIS