to be received and evill to be removed Leigh on the Promises p. 5. Promissio Dei est denunoratio futurorum bonorum nobis dandorum c. Polan Syntag. l. 6. c. 31. not of such as had an eternall Being A Promise of what is already done or past is a contradiction in termes Prop. 2. When Christ undertook the work of the Salvation of his people he did at once undertake both their Justification and Sanctification Heb. 10. to v. 19. Prop. 3. I take Sanctification here in the sense as our Divines usually do to wit for the whole work of grace upon the soul after its first closing with Christ Christ did make one intire purchase of his peoples Salvation meriting both Sanctifying and pardoning grace for sinfull and guilty men who upon the purchase made had as much right to the one as to the other and no more Isa 53.5 Gal. 3.10 Tit. 2.14 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Hebr. 10. to v. 19. Therefore we can no more conclude Corol. that we were actually pardoned and justified immediately upon the price that Christ paid then that we were actually Sanctified Christ in his Gospell-offer tendereth himself both for our Justification and Sanctification Prop. 4. and commandeth us so to accept of him requiring Faith repentance and sincere obedience of all those that will be his And he that will not imbrace him for Sanctification shall not have him for Justification he that is not willing to have his sins mortified shall not have them pardoned Christ will be a whole Saviour or no Saviour Acts. 3.19 Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out c. Luke 13.3 5.19.27 Hence that offer Acts 3.19 of Remission of sins upon condition of repentance and conversion to God and all others in Scripture of the like nature are not the lesse but the more free because conditionall For the condition that is required is our priviledge Our turning from God by sin is our greatest misery and our conversion or turning to God in holinesse is our greatest happinesse as you have formerly heard 2. what the Lord requireth of his people he communicateth to them his grace for the performance of according to the tenour of the New-Covenant as in the next proposition So that the condition required doth but injoyne us to accept of a double blessing and oblige us to minde our whole Salvation to wit from sin as well as suffering that God may be the more glorified in the riches of his grace They are therefore utterly mistaken yea they much eclipse and lessen Gospell grace and turne most part of the Gospell into Law who call all conditionall promises the voice of the Law and not of the Gospell Suppose a King should offer to a poor unworthy subject two most precious Jewels joyned together in a golden link tendring them to him freely tels him withall Thou shalt not have the one without the other but take them both together as they are tendred Would it be wel for this poor man to say The gift would be more free of greater bounty if I might break that golden link and take one of the jewels without the other it is a diminishing of the freenesse of the gift that you injoyne me to take them both This is plainely the case The Lord hath in the Gospell individually linked together both his pardoning and Sanctifying grace but flesh and blood would fain break this golden link We are naturally willing to have our sins pardoned that we may be freed from suffering but nature is an enemy to Sanctifying grace Christ as the efficient cause 5. Prop. pardons the sins that are past and Sanctifies the sinner when he doth actually convert or bring him home from Satan to God so that those that come unto Christ or believe in him are then made actuall partakers both of Iustifying and Sanctifying grace of Iustifying grace by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse of Sanctifying grace by the reall communication of his grace unto them That as all the children of the first Adam are subject to sin and misery in the day of their generation and birth so all the children of the second Adam Jesus Christ are delivered from a state both of sin and condemnation in the day of their regeneration and new-birth Thus Paul as Christs instrument was sent to the Gentiles To open their eyes to turn them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God that they might receive forgivenesse of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified Acts 26.18 See also 1 Cor. 6.11 And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Here the Apostle maketh a plain Antithesis between what they then were what they had been formerly Ye are washed that is cleansed by the blood of Christ which was signified by the water of your Baptisme both from the guilt and state of sin ye are sanctified ye are justified Now make up the other part of the Antithesis and it must be this Ye were unsanctified ye were unjustified And when was that before they were converted when they lived in such sins as are mentioned ver 9. and 10. they were committers of them and guilty before God excluded from an actuall title to the Kingdome of God Such were some of you but ye are washed c. Eph. 2. to ver 10. Rom. 4.28 ch 5.1 Act. 15.9 Those then Corol. 1. that say Faith doth but manifest our Justification may as well say it doth but manifest our Sanctification for they were both proposed purchased and wrought together Hence Sanctifying grace is the necessary qualification of a justified person because Christ doth not bestow these saving mercies severally but jointly and individually where his sanctifying grace is not communicated his righteousnesse is not imputed and hereby even by sanctifying grace wrought in us we are to try our actuall interest in Jesus Christ Hence those that are perplexed with the sense of Gods displeasure pinched with the want of grace are to come to Christ for help in both kinds Those that say they dare not believe nor lay hold upon the Promises for the remission of sins because they are of unhumbled and impenitent hearts must learn to come to Christ that their hearts may be broken and humbled It is he that gives repentance unto Israel as well as remission of sins The believing sinner Prop. 6. being justified from all the sins that are past and sanctified inchoately The pardon continueth good in Law and the sanctifying grace bestowed is conserved by the same Jesus Corol. Hence the Elect of God though they many times fall to their sore wounding from the lively actings of grace and under Gods just paternal displeasure yet they never fall from a state of grace and their heavenly Fathers affectionate love Psal 89 28. to 34. with Isa 55.3 Prop. 7. Those that are regenerate being but partly renewed although in every part are subject to many infirmities and many back-slidings n Novis peccatis quantum in nobis est abdicamus no à gratia Dei Ita fit ut quotidiana peccatorum remissione upus habeant Sancti omne quia baec sola in Dei familia nos retiret Bulling in 1 Joh. 1.7 and the same Jesus who was the giver and preserver of the forementioned favours multiplieth pardons with renewing grace Hos 14.4 I will heale their back slidings I will love them freely for mine anger is turned away from him Thus in the salutation of both Peters Epistles he prayeth grace and peace be multiplied 1 Pet. 1.2 2 Pet. 1.2 And this renewing grace maketh the soul importunate for pardon of sin and power against sin Thus David when he was restored from his great fall prayed Psal 51.9 10 11. Hide thy face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me Hence the godly are to pray daily for pardon of sin and power against it Corol. Thus Christ taught his Disciples to pray Forgive us our trespasses and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil And here note that as in the fourth Petition he teacheth them and us daily to pray for our daily sustenance so in these Petitions which are adjoyned with a conjunction copulative he teacheth daily to pray for daily forgiveness and for daily preservation against tentations And it were far better for us to be a day without our daily Bread than without our daily Pardoning supporting and renewing grace It is true the Lord hath promised both and will perform what he hath promised yet thus saith the Lord I will for this be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them Ezek. 36.37 And because the Lord hath thus promised his people have the more incouragement and ground to pray Forgive us c. At the hour of death Prop. 8 the souls of the Saints are perfectly freed both from sin and guilt and so translated to heaven Heb. 12.23 Rev. 21.27 Prop. 9. Gloria ista inchâ—atur in hâc vita post mortem corporis fit auctior tandem à resurrectione perficitur Alst Qu. Theo. c. 41. At the general Resurrection and great day of Judgement the redeemed of the Lord shall be sententially justified before Angels and Men and perfectly sanctified in the whole man consisting of soul and body united to become meet instruments for the everlasting praises of God their Saviour To whom be glory for ever AMEN FINIS
this age be expired This sore evil is both our great sin and heavy judgement And for thi◠and by this justly may the Kingdome of God be taken from us given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof O that God would both pardon and remove this devouring evil and create peace in the hearts and Churches of his Saints Then should I hope to see holinesse in a thriving condition in the midst of contention it must needs be languishing For where envying and strife is there is confusion and every evil work Jam. 3.16 And 't is not without cause that peace and holinesse are linked together Heb. 12.14 Reader thou wilt find in this small piece little of Controversie but something of the mysterie of godlinesse 1 Tim. 3.16 which I hope is without Controversie with thee The Antinomian and Libertine which are scarcely two but rather one are the chiefest Adversaries that I oppose which every Minister of the Gospel must do that will preach practicall Divinity Yea which every man must really confute that will be a serious Christian and if thou art such a one thy self though but of small gifts it is probable thou hast besides thy Bible divers better Treatises than this written by some such men as Preston Sibbs Bolton Ball c. which I shall not desire thee to lay aside for the reading of this But if thou hast spare time to reade variety thou hadst better read this than many of the swarming Pamphlets that flie abroad in these times Thou wilt find cause enough I am confident to approve the subject although if thou art judicious thou maist have reason to blame me for handling it no better Here are I hope but few 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things hard to be understood for 't is my usuall course in preaching to run with Ahimaaz the way of the plain that so I may the sooner bring good tidings to the soule Such as it is I leave it to thy candid perusall at thy leisure It was first preached to the people of my own Charge and since published specially for their sakes And now that others also may reap some spirituall advantage by it is the unfeigned desire and earnest prayer of Thy Servant and Fellow-servant in the Work of our Lord Geo Hopkins The Contents CHAP. I. WHy fallen Angels are left to perish and Man redeemed p. 1 The Analysis of the chap. Mat. 1. and Explication of the Text ver 21. p 4 Doct. The great work of Christ our Saviour is the saving of his people from their sins even from sin it self p. 7 Explained in 5. Propositions p. 8 Proved by Scripture p. 9 Four Arguments confirming the Doct. 1. Hereby God is most honoured p. 10 2. Hereby Man is delivered from the greatest Evil. Sinne proved to be so p. 12 3. Hereby Man is restored to the chiefest good that he is capable of Holinesse proved to be so p. 15 4. Arguments drawn from the current of Scripture which treats most of the Doctrine of Sanctification p. 25 Obj. from Gal. 3.13 and Luke 1.71 72. answered p. 27 CHAP. II. How Christ saveth his people from their Sinnes I. As the Meritorious cause purchasing Sanctification for them p. 29 II. As the Efficient cause working sanctifying Grace in them He is 1. The Procreating cause p. 34 Obj. The Holy Ghost is in a speciall manner called our Sanctifier Answer'd p. 37 2. The Conserving cause p. 40 3. The Perfecting cause working perfection of Grace in his people 1. Comparative 2. Absolute p. 44 Qu. Why are we not perfectly sanctified at our first Conversion Answered p. 49 The Instrumentall causes of our Sanctification 1. Whereby Grace is first wrought p. 51 2. Whereby it is preserved and increased p. 55 The subject of this Salvation the Elect by nature children of wrath p. 57 The power by which they are saved is an Almighty power And why necessary so to be p 60 Six Propositions for the further clearing of it p. 62 Obj. If man be meerely passive in the work of Conversion to what purpose should a carnall person use the meanes of Grace Answered p. 65 Obj. Against outward teaching from Jer. 31.33 34. and Heb. 8.10 11. Answered ibid. CHAP. III. The Uses of Information 1. Inf. How from this Doctrine to answer a Popish Argument 1. Against Justification by Faith in Christ alone 2. Against Assurance of Salvation p. 70 2. No wonder if the godly want assurance of their Salvation when they fall foully p. 74 3. We may and must avoid evil and do good to this end that we may escape Hell and obtain Heaven p. 76 4. Christ hath not died and done alike for all men p. 79 5. The difference between saving Faith and the Faith of carnall persons p. 83 6. Those that preach the Doctrine of Sanctification as well as Justification are the best Gospel-preachers p. 84 7. Those that have most grace are the best Christians not they that have the greatest Gifts Gifts and Grace compared p. 93 8. A Soule given up to a state of sin is in a most sad condition worse than those that fall under the worst of Judgements p. 101 CHAP. IV. The Uses of Reproof I. To such as hinder the salvation of their own soules p. 105 II. To such as hinder the salvation of others 1. Such as teach corrupt Doctrine p. 110 2. Such as are enemies to Church-reformation p. 118 3. Church-dividers p. 119 Their sin aggravated by eight Considerations p. 126 The sin not the lesse because many godly persons are guilty of it p. 132 4. Such as give bad Example p. 134 Bad example the more dangerous 1. In Ministers 2. In Magistrates and other Persons of note 3. In Superiours of neere Relation as Parents Masters 4. In eminent Professors p. 135 5. Such as intice counsell or perswade others to sin p. 143 6. Persecutors p. 148 CHAP. V. The Uses of Exhortation I. In Generall To get the heart deeply possessed with a serious consideration of this Truth That the great work of Christ our Saviour is the saving of his people from their sins The not understanding or not considering this is the cause of divers evils p. 153 For the better understanding of this it is shewed how the Sanctifying work of Christ is specially held forth as well as his Justifying work Of the Old Test 1. In the Sacraments and Types p. 159 2. In the Promises p 162 3. In the Prophesies ibid. 4. In the Sacraments of the New T. p. 164 5. In the Gospel-invitations and other Scriptures p. 165 The Exhortation further prosecuted 173 Obj. Must we be saved by our Graces and Duties Answered in seven Propositions p. 174 II. The Exhortation Particularly directed 1. To such as are carnall p. 177 Obj. A naturall man hath not power to convert himself Answered p. 178 Carnall Persons left without excuse for 1. God is willing of their salvation p. 179 2. Christ is willing of their salvation p. 179 Five
former part of the tenth Chapter Now in the Epistle to the Hebrews the Apostle clearly shews that Christ was the substance of those things whereof the Ceremonies were shadows and that as Moses taught outwardly onely so Christ alone teacheth inwardly powerfully and effectually writing his Lawes in the hearts of his people So that all as I conceive that can be truly gathered out of these words is that the inward effectuall teaching or writing of the Law upon the heart is the proper and peculiar work of Christ and he was therefore to be preferred farre above Moses so highly magnified by the Jewes who being but a Minister could onely teach outwardly CHAP. III. IF the great work of Christ our Saviour be the saving of his people from their sins then this may informe us how to answer an argument of the Papists against two points of Doctrine wherein we with the Reformed Churches differ from them The first is the Doctrine of Iustification The second is the Doctrine of assurance of Salvation In the Doctrine of Iustification say they that which maketh us righteous before God and causeth us to be accepted to life everlasting is remission of sinnes and the habits of inward righteousnesse or Charity with the fruits thereof We deny the habits of righteousnesse or Sanctification to be the thing by which in whole or in part we are to be justified in the sight of God either as satisfactory to Justice or Meritorious of Reward and affirme that we are justified by Faith in Christ alone without the deeds of the Law They object among many other Arguments that our way of Justification by Faith alone is the way to banish good workes out of the world and to open a gate for carnall liberty To which our Divines usually answer that we are justified by Faith alone but not by such a Faith as is alone that it is such a Faith as worketh by love and brings forth the fruits of righteousnesse And although we do not doe good works to be justified by them as any part of our legall righteousnesse yet the practice of good workes we hold most necessary for many other good reasons But not intending to give any account of those many reasons we assigne let us consider what answer this Doctrine in hand will afford Saving Faith is to accept of and embrace Christ for Salvation to wit that we may have that Salvation applyed to us which he hath purchased for us and what that is hath been already shewed to wit Salvation from sinne and not meerely from wrath for sinne This is Salvation both in Scripture-sense and language as you have heard at large Christ did not purchase our Salvation piece-meale neither doth he bestow it piece-meale neither can we receive it piece-meale he will be a whole Saviour or no Saviour He that believes that he may be saved believes that he may be saved from the whole misery of his Soul which is both sin and wrath and he that doth not thus believe doth not saveingly believe and he that doth thus believe in Christ or embrace him leaves no room for carnall liberty If we phansie to our selves such a salvation as Scripture speakes not of and then draw absurdities from the Doctrine of Salvation by Faith alone the absurdity will returne upon the misapprehension of the Objectors If a Man should say he believes in Christ to be saved from sinne and not from wrath our Adversaries I suppose would not call that saving Faith and we have lesse cause to call that saving Faith that professeth to believe in Christ to be saved from wrath and not from sinne as appeares by the arguments confirming the Doctrine Christ as our whole Saviour to wit from both those evils is the adaequate object of saving Faith which is therefore both Justifying and Sanctifying Faith and not a Carnall or Licentious Faith or rather phantasie as they make it Were there no evill that we should be saved from by believing but onely that of suffering the wrath of God for sinne their argument might seem to have the greater strength although it would then be found too weak But when the Soule looks upon sin it selfe as the great enemy from which Christ came to save his people and flies to Christ that it may obtaine deliverance how can it at the same time give welcome entertainment to sinne Is it possible for a Man to have fellowship and communion with pleasure and delight and without feare with a man that he is flying from as his most mortall adversary hasting to a place of refuge to be secured from him 2. They object likewise against the Doctrine of assurance of Salvation We affirming that there may be a certainty and infallibility by Faith l Faith together with experience of speciall Grace wrought in the heart gives us assurance of Salvation they asserting that we can only have a probability by hope arguing that the Doctrine of certainty of Salvation tends to carnall security to which we may likewise answer out of this Doctrine That if Christ came to save his people from their sinnes it would be a contradiction to assert that a Man may be assured of his Salvation at the same time while he allowes himself in carnall security which is reall bondage He that deliberately allowes himselfe in a course of carnall liberty may thereby assure himselfe that he is not in a state of Salvation for 't is evident that he lies under the great evil that Christ came to save his people from and it may be truly said to such a Man as Peter said to Simon Magus Thou hast neither part nor lot in this Matter of Salvation for thy heart is not right in the sight of God thou art in the gall of bitternesse Act. 8.21 and bond of iniquity In this objection of theirs there would be likewise the more appearance of strength although not strength enough to their purpose did Salvation consist onely in being justified and so delivered from Gods avenging wrath But if the Master-piece of our Salvation be to be saved from sin it selfe as hath been proved how can it be supposed that assurance of Salvation should give liberty to sin 2. Hence it is no wonder that a child of God after falling into grosse sinnes or more then ordinary remissenesse in the service of God should upon the triall of his Estate want assurance of Salvation If Christ came to save his people from their sins can his people be assured of Salvation while they goe on carelesly in sinning It is true a misguided or sleepy conscience may forbeare to molest or trouble a man that hath let loose the reines to carnall liberty but a cleer awakened conscience will not speak peace in such a case as this When David had fallen into those foule sinnes of Adultery and Murder no sooner was his Conscience awakened but he was at a losse for the comfortable assurance of his Salvation his inward joy and peace were drowned
Christum omnia Christi membra continuitas quaedam ratione Spiritus Sancti qui plenâ—ssime residens in Christo capite imus idem numero ad omnia etiam ejus membra diffunditur vivificans ca singula uniens universa Dav. in Col. c. 1. v. 18. of the body Col. 1.18 He is the head of the body the Church As then in the naturall body the members have their life preserved by being united to the head being compact together by certain bonds and ligaments and if any be cut off and severed it becomes void of all life and motion So is it in the mysticall body if a soul should be dismembred from Christ it would as a hand cut off immediately become livelesse and uselesse If man at his first Creation so soon lost the life of perfect grace having the custody thereof committed to himselfe much more would he lose it now the degree thereof being so imperfect as it is were not this life originally in Christ Were it in us alone it would be but as water in a broken cisterne that would presently leake all out But Christ is an ever-over-flowing fountain continually streaming forth into the souls of his people yea as a spring arising within them as his words to the woman of Samaria import John 4.10.14 Jesus answered and said unto her if thou hadst known the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee Give me to drink thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life Undoubtedly Christ himself is this Fountaine of grace and well doth Paul call it the grace which is in Christ Jesus 2. Tim. 2.1 God hath not then given unto his Saints as Abraham gave to Hagar water in a bottle to be soon exhausted that they should hopelessely bewaile the childe of grace as in a starving and perishing condition But hath sent the Angell of his Covenant who hath cheered their hearts by opening their eyes and shewing them a well of water whereby they may have assured hope that the babe shall be preserved and nourished till it come to perfect stature And this directs me to the next head As Christ is the Conserving so he is also the Perfecting cause of sanctifying grace in his people Christ the perfecting cause of sanctifying grace He is the Alpha and Omega in the work of grace He layes both the foundation and the top-stone in the spirituall building He is the Finisher as well as the Authour of our Faith Hebrews Chap. 12. ver 22. and we are said to be compleat in him Col. 2.10 In the work of Sanctification as well as Justification * Ph. 2.12 Not as though we were already perfect or could attain it in this life as the perfectists fondly argue from thence x Quae itaque in sanctis reperitur est imperfecta quaedam perfectio tum scientiae tum obedientiae De bac Aug Cont. duas Ep. Pelag. l 3 c. 5 Secundum istius vitae modum est quaedam perfectio cique per fectioni hoc deputaetur ut se quisque noverit nondum esse perfectum Dav. in Col. cap. 4. v. 13. In this life this work of Christ is but opus in fieri not in facto esse A work in doing not done Yet is grace perfect in its kinde from the first instant of it in the soul There is a twofold perfection 1. Of parts 2. Of degrees Or there is a Perfection 1. Of truth 2 Of Growth 1. That is perfect in Parts to which no parts are wanting and is opposed to maimed Thus a child is said to be perfect in the day of his birth that hath all parts that a child should have That is perfect with a perfection of Truth which is not Adulterate or counterfeit thus that is said to be perfect gold which is true and not counterfeit In this sense the work of Sanctification is Perfect at the first the soul is Sanctified throughout and in every part though it be but partly Sanctified The new man at first forming hath all its parts and members and the child of grace hath no part wanting in the day of his birth y Animalia nascuntur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Hist anim l. 7 c. 8. 1 Tim. 1.5 2 Tim. 1.5 2 Cor. 6.6 Ro. 12.9 Then also is it perfect in respect of Truth there is Faith unfained Love without dissimulation and every other grace in sincerity It will abide the touch-stone although it be not full weight 2. There is a Perfection of Degrees and of Grouth this is twofold 1. Comparative compared with that which is very weak little and much beneath it 2. Absolute as having nothing to be superadded Thus in a Comparative sense he is said to be Perfect that is a strong man in Christ an able Christian in Comparison of those that are as babes and but weak in the faith Thus saith Paul Phil. 3.15 Let us therefore as many as be Perfect be thus minded And Heb. 5.14 Strong meat belongs to them that are of full age 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 5.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 3.15 the Greek word here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Perfect and is the same that is used in the foregoing proof This perfection also doth Christ give unto the soule that is his he brings it in and leads it on in the wayes of grace He who is called the Everlasting Father who hath begotten us againe is not contented meerely to preserve the children of Grace that they die not but doth tenderly nurse and cherish them and cause them to grow to greater strength and stature Eph. 4.15 16. But speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ from whom the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplyeth according to the effectuall working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of it selfe in love But alas how imperfect is the greatest perfection that is attainable in this life how many are the sinfull weaknesses of the best of Gods servants and what little dwarfs are they here in comparison of their heavenly stature Christ doth not therefore set up Hercules Pillars with a Nil ultra to what he doth for his people here but he writes a Plus ultra there is something more that he doth for them yea that he works in them which exceeds this as far as heaven is higher than the earth There is therefore in the last place Perfection of dâ—greeâ— absolute an absolute perfection of Degrees which he bestows upon the Souls of his people at the houre of death z Tunc enim erit perfectum illud de quo loquens Apostolus Ex parte
instance in one or two of them First that Pelagian Heresie that denies the propagation of Originall sinne They say we derive sinne from our parents onely by imitation How shall that enemy be destroyed that is concealed and denied How shall a man labour to mortifie this body of sin when he denies that we beare any such body about us Surely Rahabs hiding the Spies was not more effectual to their preservation and the ruine of the city Jericho than this Pelagian doctrine is to the saving of sin and the utter ruin of the soul Whoso covereth his sins shall not prosper but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy Prov. 28.13 2. The Antinomians teach that no man ought to doubt of Gods love but immediatly believe that his sins were eternally pardoned and himself justified and that whatever he doth he need not be in care or doubt God sees his sin no more the Lord takes no notice of the sins of his servants say they abusing that Scripture to that end Numb 23.21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob neither hath he seen perversenesse in Israel And repentance they affirm to be the voice of the Law not of the Gospel Is not this the very way of the carnal multitude to sin without godly sorrow and yet perswade themselves of an interest in Gods saving mercy What is this but to turn Faith into a meere phantasie And whither doth this tend but to make sinners secure in the midst of the greatest misery O how many soules are this day poysoned in England with this damnable doctrine and how sad will the account be of those that have so grosly deluded them to deny the doctrine of repentance to be Gospel-doctrine is no lesse dangerous and destructive to soules than that Popish doctrine that denies Justification by Faith in the alone merits of Jesus Christ I will not now stand to confute this presumptuous doctrine it being improper in a use of reproof and it hath been well done already by other n By Mr. Gataker Mr. Anth Burgess others hands But I shall leave a few texts of Scripture to your consideration which you may peruse at your leisure for a sufficient confutation Exod. 4.14 2. Sam. 11.27 ch 12. to v. 13. Psal 51.2 Sam. 24. 1 Kings 11.29 2 Chron. 32.25 26. Luke 13.3.5 Romans 2.4 5. Acts 17.30 And here I cannot but take notice by the way of a tenent much applauded by some in these parts which carries all other errors in the belly of it and it is this That it is better that a hundred errors should be preached than one truth be lost To which I shall give answer First this supposeth that those who ordinarily preach Errors have some speciall truth to reveale that others are ignorant of But that is strange that a truth of God should be hid from all godly able and Orthodox Ministers of the Gospel and revealed to such as ordinarily maintain a multitude of errors When the Apostle 1 John 4.1 bids Try the spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the world he intimates that seducing spirits are not of God that those that preach gross Errors are of the false Prophets that are gone forth Now that God should reveale his extraordinary secrets to such as these and hide them from his servants the Prophets is a secret indeed such I believe as was never heard of Secondly If this position be true the Jesuite may come in and plead for a childs part in this toleration for he will preach some truths with lesse than a hundred errors Thirdly This is a very strange way to preserve one Truth from being lost for if a hundred Errors be preached with one Truth it is most like that the hearers receive many of the Errors and lose the Truth that can scarcely be discerned in so great a crowd of falshood especially considering how ignorant the multitude is and how prone we are by nature to erre And a stranger way this is to nourish souls Truth is as wholsome food Error of a poysoning nature and if you cut and set before a child a hundred bits of poyson and but one bit of wholsome food and bid him eat t is a hundred to one but he poysons himself Fourthly When a Preacher preacheth Truth and Error mixed together he presseth all upon the hearers for truth Suppose then a hundred Errors and one Truth should be received by the people they lose a hundred truths for the gaining of one for in every error received there is a truth lost to him that receiveth the error because every error is contradictory to some truth Verily he that should lose five pounds to gain a shilling would at last be forced to cry Fie on the winning Lastly A hundred errors such as are in our daies were enough to make another Gospel or rather to pervert the Gospel of Jesus Christ and then tell me what meanes that saying Galat. 1.8 There be some that trouble you and would pervert the Gospel of Christ But though we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed Consider also that saying Rom. 16.17 Now I beseech you brethren mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them I might instance in divers other corrupt tenents tending to root out the power of godlinesse and that which makes the temptation the more strong and dangerous is that all manner of corrupt and rotten tenents go under the name of higher attainments True piety is accounted but old formality and the most wanton Opinionists are reputed for precious Saints But when Sathan transformes himself into an Angel of light and his Ministers into Ministers of the Gospel no marvail if a vizour of holinesse be put upon many strange faces even Familists and Ranters will be re-baptized by the name of Saints and Arius Pelagius Socinus c. must be canonized Doubtlesse his Holinesse the Pope hath much hopes of a great harvest amongst us for by this time he may be perswaded that many of those that were so hot against a few Ceremonies calling them the rags and remnants of Popery were offended with the rags because they were but rags and rejected the remnants of Popery because they had a minde to receive it by the whole piece What are the Doctrines of Arminius but pieces of Popery a little more finely dressed that they may be the more handsomely worne or a Popish dish more finely cooked to please the palate and so go the more easily down 'T is not long since this assertion that God did choose his Elect for some excellency that he foresaw to be in them was presented to some of you at a private meeting in a Lordly dish o By an Officer of the Army who quartered in town Surely Papists are glad to see us relish so many of
spirit c. Here the water of Baptism signifies Regeneration by the spirit of Christ Tit. 3.5 1 Pet. 3.21 The Lords Supper is for the strengthening of Faith and the several graces of the spirit in the Soule and Food is for the maintaining and increasing of naturall strength John 6.55 My flesh is meat indeed my blood is drinke indeed 5. Let us take a view of some of the principal Gospel inviations Isa 55.1 Ho Gospel-invitations every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters c. Joh. 7.37 In the last day that great day of the feast Jesus stood and cried saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink Rev. 22.17 And the spirit and the bride say Come and let him that heareth say Come and let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely In these texts we see free and gracious offers made to the thirsty and accordingly our Saviour Christ pronounceth them blessed which do hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Mat. 5.6 Hungring and thirsting are metaphoricall expressions and signifie the earnest and importunate desire of the soule for as the hungring and thirsting appetite is not satisfied but with meat and drink which it earnestly craveth so the soul that is truly sensible of its wants is restlesse unlesse it obtain a supply Now let it be considered whether the offers before mentioned be onely of pardoning grace and the blessednesse Christ speaketh of be to such as hunger and thrist after his justifying righteousnesse onely or whether sanctifying grace is not here principally I do not say only intended Should we understand these of pardoning and justifying grace alone who would not desire such grace that ever heard of it Should the blessedness here spoken of belong to all that earnestly desire Christs justifying righteousnesse who among us would fall short of the blessing that ever heard the Gospel preached The most wicked among us desire to be pardoned for the sake of Christ and justified by his righteousnesse and if in their health and prosperity they little regard it yet when sicknesse arresteth them and death looks them in the face they unfeignedly desire it which is to hunger and thirst after it and so the multitude of wicked and ungodly men that live and die in their sinnes would be pronounced blessed by Christ himself it here were no more intended When a wicked impenitent sinner lies upon his death-bed and expresseth his desire that God would pardon his sin for the sake of Christ and justifie him through his righteousness we have no reason to think that he dissembles not meaning what he speaks for who would be willing to be condemned But those gracious offers hold forth to us both pardoning and sanctifying grace and sanctifying grace more especially Hear John explaining the invitation of Christ forementioned John 7.37 38 39. But this he spake of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive And what Spirit is this but the holy Ghost which is our Sanctifier Here let me ask the sound Believer What hast thou hungred and thirsted after what hath been thy desire didst thou never earnestly desire sanctifying grace dost thou not still finde it to be thy greatest want dost thou not daily beg it at the hand of God would the assurance of a pardon content thy soule if it were possible to obtain it without sanctifying grace I know it cannot be Thus likewise saith Christ Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest These expressions are also metaphoricall and reteining the Metaphor what is the burden here spoken of If it were onely the burden of wrath due for sin Cain and Judas groaned under the burden and would have been glad of ease and so would the most desperate sinner◠in the world If you say they did not come to Christ for ease I answer that coming is also a metaphorical expression and we cannot understand it of a locall motion To come to Christ for ease is but to be willing to be eased by him and to accept of his help And what reason have we to think that Cain or Judas were unwilling that Christ should ease them of that horrour and judgement their souls lay under Yea let me adde I doubt not but all the Devils in Hell would be willingly eased of the intolerable burden of Gods eternal vengeance If you say But there is no promise made to Devils but to Men I answer it is true but sure the men to whom this rest belongs have other kind of desires than what the Devils have And in this as James compares the faith that is not saving with the faith of Devils Jam. 2.19 so may I compare the desire that is not saving with the desire of Devils The burden then here spoken of is the burden of sin it selfe with the wrath of God as the fruit of it and those that have found or shall find ease by Christ are such as groan under the intolerable burden of sin it self and not meerly under the burden of wrath And here I might also appeal to the sincere Christian Wouldst thou think thy self sufficiently eased of thy burden if Christ should onely deliver thee from eternall torments would the body of sin be no burden to thee would it be a pleasure to bear it about thee It was Paul's greatest burden it made him groaning and panting after ease cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death His complaint in this expression is the voice of one tired out with a wearisom burden and neere spent with sorrow We shall now consider some other texts of Scripture When Paul states the doctrine of salvation by free grace he magnifies free grace mainly in the sanctification and not meerely in the justification of the sinner Ephes 2.8 By grace ye are saved through faith and not of your selves it is the gift of God What this salvation here spoken of is let the Apostle himselfe declare in the foregoing verses Ver. 1 2 3 4 5. And you hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world but God who is rich in mercy for his great mercy wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ by grace ye are saved In which verses you plainly see that Grace is magnified up in the quickning from death in trespasses and sins to live the life of grace So likewise saith Paul to Tit. c. 33. to 7. For we our selves also were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hatefull and hating one another But after that the kindnesse and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared not by works of righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by
the Gospel that shines to the honour of God Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your father which is in heaven And of this sort of light our late professors are farre more barren than those of former yeares If there be now more light in the head there is lesse in the heart and life and light in the head will be but an aggravation of darknesse in the heart The Servant that knew his Masters will and did it not was to be beaten with many stripes Yet I much question whether this light so much gazed after be light from the Sun of righteousnesse or not There is a sort of wandring light in the night season which ignorant people call by divers names but Philosophers call it ignis fatuus fooles fire because ignorant and foolish people when they see it wonder and are amazed at it and are led by it out of their way into pits and ditches and lose themselves and afterward usually say they were led by a Spirit not understanding that it is but a vapour arising out of the earth So there is a sort of light which ignorant professors admiring wander after out of the way of truth into many pits of Sathans digging yet they take themselves to be led by the Spirit while they understand not that this light is not from above but is earthly sensuall devillish But I return to answer more fully to the Objection 2. If by the voice of the Law you mean preaching justification by the law as a covenant of works so as by our own works to be justified either in whole or in part I blesse God I never heard any such preaching in all my life nor I believe any of you 2. I suppose by the Law you mean not the law of ceremonies for no man preacheth such doctrine among us 3. If you conceive that those that lived under the Law till the coming of Christ were under a Covenant substantially and essentially different from the covenant of grace under the Gospel you do but grosly mistake For the covenant of God with Abraham and his seed and the covenant now made with the faithfull and their seed is one and the same Hence saith Paul Gal. 3.9 They which be of faith are blessed with faithfull Abraham Hence likewise Rom. 4. he proves justification by faith by the example of Abraham's justification And the blessings of Abraham are said to come upon the Gentiles through Jesus Christ Gal. 3.14 4. If you think that those that lived under the Law did not so clearly understand the promises of Grace but were more plentifully threatned with judgements It is true 1. There is a graduall difference of light or of the manifestation of the grace of Christ now from what was then 2. Judgements were more plentifully threatned in the Old Testament then in the New 3. Yet as the Law threatned more plentifully so the threats were more of temporall Judgements Deut. 28.16 c. And as the Gospel threatens more sparingly so it threatens more heavily and dreadfully with spirituall and eternall vengeance As one milstone will weigh down many pibbles So one Gospell-threat will overpoise many of the curses threatned in the Law There is in Deut. 28. a Catalogue of curses containing no lesse then fifty two verses And that one Gospell threatning 2 Thes 1.7 8 9. is farre more dreadfull then all of them doe but weigh and consider it The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power What are all temporall Judgments in comparison of this everlasting destruction here denounced against all those that obey not the Gospell The voice of the Law-threatnings is but as the rushing of winds lesse terrible but more frequent But the voice of the Gospel threatnings is like the loudest thunder-claps from heaven more astonishing though more seldom 5. As the morall Law it self is not yet abolished so all the threatnings of the Law for morall disobedience are still in force also I doubt not but warre sicknesse poverty and the like are now Judgments from God upon the disobedient for as godlinesse hath promise of the life that now is and that which is to come so ungodlinesse is threatned both with the judgments of this life and that which is to come And if the threatnings of the Old Testament are still in force and more terrible ones are denounced in the Gospel against impenitent sinners must a Preacher passe them all by and take no more notice of them than so many cyphers and preach nothing but grace and peace to all sorts of sinners Whereas the Gospel is a message of glad tidings or good newes and such thundrings as these seem somewhat heterogeneous and unsuitable to it you must understand that as there is a twofâ—ld coming of Christ to wit his first coming to redeem sinners and to seek and save that which was lost and his second coming to take vengeance on them that have neglected so great salvation So there is a two-fold intention of the Gospel 1. To offer life and salvation and to conferre it upon all those that believe and obey it 2. To denounce and pour out vengeance upon all that are unbelieving and disobedient As in the Law of our Land the first intention of the Law of our land is the good of the Subject that men may be obedient to it protected by it but the second intention of the Law is to punish the disorderly and the penalties are annexed to the Law and published with it that Obedience may be the more readily yeilded and the transgressors of the Law may know what to trust to So the primary and direct intention of the Gospel is the salvation of the sinner yet the judgement of God upon the disobedient is written and published in the Gospel that Obedience may be the more readily given to Christ and that his enemies that will not be subject to him may know what to look for at his hands 3. I hope Christ and his Apostles were not legall preachers let us see how they preached 1. Christ preached repentance and destruction to the impenitent Luke 13.3 5. Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish He preached most terrible woes to them that they rejected the Gospel-message Mat. 11.20 21 22 23 24. He preacheth no less than eight woes in one Chapter See Mat. 23.13 14 15 16 23 25 27 29. He threatneth with the damnation of hell ver 23. Ye Serpents ye generation of Vipers how can ye escape the damnation of hell And the worm that never dieth and the fire that never goeth out Mark 9.44 46 48. And this is the condemnation c. Joh. 3.19 See also Luke 11.42 43 44