does He does it Freely without respect to Mens desert Nay their Vndesert rather is an expedient Consideration in this Act of Grace By Works I understand All that Self-Righteousness Goodness Conformity to the Law Or what ever else is performable by Men. These viz Grace and Works he proves as inconsistent as Contraries can be and that the least Mixture would vary the kind If but a sâ—ruple of Works be taken in Grace is no more Grace For to him that worketh is the Reward not reckoned of Grace but of Debt Rom. 4. 4. Grace and Faith are well agreed These both have the same scope and end But Rom. 4. 4. Grace and Works have always Clash'd The setting up of the One is the deposing of the other Either the Ark must Out or Dagon down One Temple cannot hold them both Rom. 3. 28. To the same effect is the drift of that discourse in Gal. 5. It appears from Acts 15. 1. That some there were who taught a Necessity of Circumcision as without which they could not be saved Pretty willing they were to admit of Christ so they might joyn Circumcision with Him and keeping the Law of Moses But this dangerous daubing with things unmixable our holy Apostle could not brook both as reflecting on the honour of his Master and undermining their onely Foundation And therefore to keep them from or bring them off that perillous Quick-sand he tells them expresly These two cannot stand together in that matter For if they be Circumcised they are Debtors to the whole Law and Christ is become of none effect to them because they are fallen from Grace It is as if he had said If you take in any part though never so little of Legal Observances as Necessary to your being Justified ye forfeit the whole benefit of Gospel-Grace The Grace of Christ is sufficient for you He is a Saviour Compleat in Himself and if you look though but a squint at any thing else it is a Renouncing of Him He will be Saviour altogether or not at all And therefore he tells them again and that with a kind of vehemency Gall. 5. 2. That if they be Circumcised Christ shall profit them Nothing And as a Man may not put in his Claim for Justification on accompt of his Works so neither of his Faith as if That were Mâ—terially or Influentially Causal of Justification For Faith it self as it is the Believers Act comes under the Notion of a Work Let us therefore Consider What part it is that Faith holds in this Matter least whiles we cast out Works as not standing with Grace we make a Work of Faith It is Faith's Office to make the Soul live wholly on Another and to Renounce Self ability as much as Self desert To apprehend that Righteousness by which Grace Justifies Not onely to be Justified thereby upon your Believing but to work in you even that Faith by which you apprehend it Isa 45. 24. answerable to that of the Prophet In the Lord have I Righteousness and Strength He that will be Saved must come as an ungodly Person to be justified freely by the Grace of God He must reckon himself an Vngodly Man to the very instant of his Justification True it is The Just shall live by Faith but 't is also true That it is not their own Faith or act of believing that they live by though not without it Which also seems the Apostle's meaning where he sayes The life which I now live I live by the Faith of the Son of God Where note That as Faith is the life of a Believer so Christ is the life of his Faith I live saith he yet not I but Christ liveth in Me Christ was his life and he lived on Christ by virtue of Christ's living in him Notwithstanding all which it is evidently true and must constantly be affirm'd That Grace and Works will still be together in the way of Salvation the one doth not extinguish or exclude the other Only not as Collegues or Joint-Causers thereof But rather as a Workman and his Tooles which himself first makes and then workes with them By Grace ye are saved through Faith Eph. 2. 8. and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God Even this believing or Acting faculty is a Creature of Grace's raising up and therefore in the Throne 't is meet that Grace should be above it Works therefore how good soever are not the Cause of Salvation and if so then not the cause of Election for This indeed is the Cause of them both And Works if right and truly Good will alwayes be ready to own their Original and to keep in their own place Where also they will be most considerable and do the best service III. Arg. 3. That the good pleasure of God's Will gives Rise and Foundation to Election is further argued from Men's Incapacity to afford any ground or Motive to God for such a Gift Adam stood not so long as to beget a Son in his first Image It is sâ—en by his first-born Cain what all his natural Sâ—ed would naturally be And though there be some that do Magnifie Man and presume to speak of him at another rate yet evident it is by Scripture-light and experience of those Renewed That Man fallen is poâ—r blind Naked and at enmity with all that is truly good and that he is never more Remote and farr off from God than whiles in high thoughts of himselfe Glorying in his own Understanding Strength Worthyness Freedom of Will Improvement of Common Grace and the like For These make him proud and presumptuous and to have slight thoughts of that special and peculiar Grace by which he must if ever be Renewed and Saved But the Lord Himself who best knows him reports the matter quite otherwise and we know that His witness is true viz. That all the imaginations of their heart are onely evil continually Gen. 6 5. That their inward part is very wickedness Ps 53. 1. That every Man is brutish in his knowledge Jer 10 14 ver 8 21. Altogether brutish and foolish yea even their Pastours that is the very best and most intelligent amongst them Ch 4. 22. Eccles. 91 3. They are wise to do evil but to do good have no understanding And their hearts are full of madness And it was not thus only with the Gentile Nations who were left to walk in their own way but even with the Jews Isa 5. 4. who had all the means of becoming better that could be devised Excepting that of special Electing Grace which took-in but a Remnant They were called Jews Rested in the Law Made their boast of God Knew His Will Approved the things that were excellent Were confident that they were a Guide of the blind and a light to them that were in darkness Instructors of the foolish Teachers of Babes And yet all this while and in the midst of all these high attainments did not
might be made the Righteousness of God in Him and so God might be Just in Justifying of them Faith in this matter holds the place of an Evidence or Seal of that Righteousness which belong'd to us as being in Christ before we believed and is given us on the account of our Interest therein Phil. 1. 29. that we might apprehend it and enjoy the Benefits of it Which is surely a far better Ground to build our Justification upon than our weak and imperfect faith which stands in need daily of the Righteousness of God for its own support Therefore V. Inference Make it a main part of your Care and business To get into Christ and to abide in Him VI. The founding of Election upon Grace Affords Vs divers useful instructions As I. Inference To fall down and Adore the Great GOD for this unspeakable discovery of His love to Men. It is one of the Richest Mercies that He would not betrust us in our own keeping That Another and He One that had not the least need of us should be more provident for us than we would have been for our selves That our Chiefest Interest should have the highest security That it should be founded upon Grace the Attribute which Our Great King most delights to honour And that He should do it as it were against our wills For so it is in as much as to graft our happiness on the Will of Another is contrary to Nature Of all Bottoms we should not have pitcht it there and yet in truth no other ground would hold us His Name may well be called Wonderful Psal 118. 23. It is not after the manner of Men This is the Lords doings and let it be Marvellous in ovr eyes II. Inference It shews what Reason we have to discard and Casheir for ever that Groundless and blindfold opinion which layes the stress of Salvation on a thing of Nought For what else is the Will of a frail and Mutable Man To forsake a living fountain and Rest on a Cistern a broken Cistern What folly is it To cast our Eagles wings and trust to a foot out of Joint who would do it that is not void of understanding Surely Job was aware of it when he professeth He would not value a life that depended on his own Righteousness Job 9. 15 with 21. The Grace of God is little beholden to that Doctrine which would give the Glory of it to a graceless thing And as little have the Souls of men to thank it for It feeds them with dreams and fancies Isa 8. 21. which when they awake will leave them hardly bestead and hungry Therefore sit not down under the shadow of that Gâ—urd It hath a worm at the Root And they will not be held guiltless nor kept from the Scorching Sun whoever they be that shelter themselves in the Covert of it It 's a spark of Men's own kindling wherewith though compassed round they 'l lie down in sorrow Isa 50. 11. Therefore let those who disrellish this Doctrine because it founds not Salvation upon Self look well to their standing and shift from it in time III. Inference Fall in practically with the Doctrine of Election as founded upon Grace As it was Grace which gave you your Elect being So let it be your Spirit and utmost endeavour to improve this your being to the praise of that Grace 1. Give it the sole honour of Election's Original Suffer not Free-will Grace or any thing else pretend to a share in the parentage of it Let not your faith whether foreseen or perfected be reckoned the ground-work or Motive of your Election Rom. 11. 18. It is a branch of it and the branch you know cannot bear the Root Even Faith it self must not yea if it be right it will not gather where it hath not strewed Own nothing therefore that may detract from the honour that is due to Sovereign Grace 2. Bear your self upon this Grace against all your wealâ—ness and unworthyness Let not these discourage you but rathâ—r plead them as occasions by which Grace will be manifested and shew it self to be What it is Thus did David Pardon my Sin Ps 25. 11. for it is great And Moses when all that peoples obedience could not furnish him with an Argument for God's continuing His presence with them what 's his Plea They are an honest ingenuâ—us people Tractable to thy Commands plyant to thy will They are worthy for whom Thou shouldst do this For tâ—ey love thy Company and have buâ—lt Thee a Tabernacle No there is none of this Stuff in it But Exod. 34. 9. Isa 48. 4. let my Lord I pray thee go with us For it is a stiff-necked people their Neck is an iron sinew and their Brow brass Therefore go Thou with us to better us to soften us and to pardon us And by this shall the freeness of thy Grace appear to us For How else shall it be known that I and this people have found Grace in thy Sight Exod 33. 16. But yet withall 1 Look that you make not a light Matter of your Sins or of your Sinfulness you cannot think bad enough of your self or of them nor be too much humbled Onely be not cast down 2 Use the Means that Grace hath appointed Watch and be Sober Watch unto Prayer Put on the whole Armour of God and keep it close about you Your Sword and your Shield be sure you forget not But still let your eyes be towards the hand of Grace through Christ for Councel Strength Agency and every good thing And depend on it for conserving and actuating the Grace it hath wrought in you as Plants do on their Roots The Spouse after Married to Christ Cant. 1. 4. prays to be Drawn to Him 3 What-ever befalls you Remember the Good Pleasure of God is in it Levit. 10. 3. Hold your peace as Aaron did or if you will speak 1 Sam. 3. 19. let your speech be seasoned with Salt It is the Lord let Him do as seemeth Him good Other useful Instructions from the Doctrine of Election in General and Together I. Inference It being a Doctrine of so great Importance be not indifferent about it Put your self on the tryal touching your interest in it and bring forth your evidences for it Observe what are the properties of Elected Ones and see if they stand on your side 1 As touching the Great business of Salvation Do you submit to Mercy without Indenting and making terms with God Have you laid your self at his feet with Peradventure He will save me alive And if He say I have no pleasure in thee Lo here I am and here I will lye If I must perish I will perish here I cannot die in a better place or posture Thus did Job when the Lord seemed to set Himself against him as resolv'd to destroy him yet still he resolv'd to Trust in Him and to hold
will Believe begins at the wrong end of his Work and is very unlikely to come that way to the knowledge of it The first Act of Faith is not That Christ dyed for All or for you in particular The One is not true the other not certain to you Nor can be till after you have believed He that woulâ— live Must submit to Mercy with Per adventure He will save me alive 3. There are Reasons enough and of great weight to induce Men to believe without laying Generall Redemption for the Ground of their Faith As 1 That faithful saying 1 Tim. 1. 15. and worthy of all acceptation That Jesus Christ came to save Sinners and such are you 2 That He gave His Life a Ransome for Many Math. 20. 28. and you may be of that Number as well as Another 3 That those He died for shall be Justified upon their believing Rom. 5. 8 9. Phil. 1. 29. and shall have Faith also upon their seeking for it as a part of His Purchase and given on His behalf 4 That to Believe on His Son is the will and Commandment of the Everlasting God Whom we ought to obey although our Salvation were not dependent on it Rom. 16. 26. 1 John 3. 23. 5 Those many faithful Promises assuring Salvation to them that believe Mark 16. 16. Joh. 3. 16 36. Chap. 6. 47. Matth. 11. 29. And 6 Lastly The Remediless danger of unbelief He that believes not shall be Damned as Mark 16. 16. Joh. 8. 24. c. And if such Considerations as these will not prevail with you to believe the Notion of General Redemption together with the general successlessness of it to be sure will never do it Redemption is often set forth in terms that import a Vniversality As That Christ takes away the Sin of the World That He is the propitiation for the Sins of the whole World c. The word World hath many and various acceptions in Scripture It is not alwayes meant of Men but something else And when Men are intended it seldom intends the Vniversality of them yea 't is often understood of a very few in comparison of the whole It would therefore be very great Rashness to appropriate or limit so general a term to any particular Sense and much more if extended to Men Universally as is shewn in part by the following Instances 1 The word World is taken for the place of Mens habitation upon earth Nahum l. 5 The earth is burnt up at His presence yea the World and all that dwell therein 2 For the Inhabitants of the World good and bad together Psal 9. 8 He shall judge the World in Righteousness 3 For the Things of the world and dispositions answerable to them Eccles 3. 11 He hath set the World in their heart 4 For the time of the Worlds continuance from one Remarkable period to another The time before the flood is called the old world and the time of Christ's Kingdom the world to come 5 The particular time of a Mans life upon Earth Mat. 12. 32. Whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him in this World Nor in the World to come 6 For the extent or Compass of the Roman Empire Luke 2. 1 There went a Decree from Caesar Augustus That all the World should be taxed 7 For the time and state of things after the dissolution of the present frame Luke 20. 35 They that shall be accounted worthy to obtain that World and the Resurrection c. 8 For the Religion and Manners of the World Acts 17. 6 These that have turned the World upside-down are come hither 9 For the troubles which Christ's Disciples meet with in the World Joh. 16. 33 Be of good Comfort I have overcome the World 10 For the splendour honour wealth pleasure or whatever else in the World is taking with the hearts of Men Gal. 6. 14 I am Crucified to the World and the World to Me. 11 To set forth the greatness of something that cannot well be exprest Job 21. 25. The World it self could not contain the books that should be written 12 For the Gentiles in distinction from the Jews Rom. 11. 12 If the fall of them that is the Jews be the riches of the World c. 13 For the Multitudinous increase of some particular Party Job 12. 19 The World is gone after Him More of this kind might be cited But these may suffice to shew How much it behoves to consider well the scope and Context of Scripture and Not to be led by the Vocal sound of words There are yet two other Senses of the word World which come nearest the Matter in hand One is that which takes-in the whole party of Wicked Men alone and by themselves As where it is said The Saints shall judge the World 1 Cor. 6. 2. It must be intended of the World of ungodly For the Saints shall not Judge one another That All the World wondred after the Beast Rev. 13. 3 4. Ch. 14. 4. And worshipped the Dragon This also must be meant of the Herd of Idolaters exemptive of Those who followed the Lamb. And again The whole World lyeth in wickedness 1 Job 5. 19. Here ye have the very words and in the same Manner connex'd as in the place objected which therefore may well be supposed to be of as large a Comprehension And yet it cannot be meant of the Vniversality of Mankind But of such of them as are under the power and conduct of Satan which the Saints are not and so cannot be any part of the World or whole World there intended The other sense of the Word seems Couched in the places objected where Christ is said To take away the sin of the World And to be a Propitiation for the sins of the whole World For it seems Agreeable to Reason to understand the word in a Restrict and limited sense here as in the places above-quoted For if by World is sometimes meant The World of Vngodly as seperate from the Saints By like Reason at other times it may be meant of the World of Saints as seperate from the Wicked especially when there is Nothing in the Context and scope of the place to Contradict it And what then should hinder but that the word World in the places objected may be soâ—ly intended of the World of Elect exclusive of Others As the World that lies in wickedness is of those Others exclusive of the Elect To be sure There can be no peril in so understanding it For we know that Christ is the Propitiation for their sins But To affirm it of the whole of Mankind as it hath no solid foundation so many uncomly and unruly Consequents do attend it some of which are shewn afore To end this Debate I would ask the Objector What World it was that Christ would not pray for For by knowing that it may be gather'd What World it was that He died for It could not
be That for which He would not Pray For the Priest was bound to pray for Those for whom he offered It must then be Another And so it seems there be two Worlds 1 A lesser World which consists of Elect Persons and was taken out of the World Vniversallâ— As the Israelitish Nation was out of the Egyptian Deut. 4. 34. Or as the Christian Church at first was out of the Jewish These our Saviour stiles Joh. 17. 6. v. 9. The Men which His Father gave Him out of the World For These it was that He sanctified Himself And for these He prayed And of These consisteth that World whose Sin He taketh away and for whose Sins even of the whole of it He is the Propitiation These are the Men that shall be counted worthy of the World to come And they are as properly termed a World as that blessed Place and State they shall be in Luke 20. 35. Or as the Dwellers upon earth are denominated a World from the Place of their habitation Ps 9. 8. 2 There is also a World of Vngodly Joh. 15. 19. ch 17. 6. 2 Cor. 4. 4. Rev. 13. 3 4 with v. 8. 1 Joh. 5. 19. from among whom that lesser World are taken and seperated Of whom it is said The Devil is their God And that their Names are not in the Lambs book of life But the whole of it lies in wickedness And This is the World for whom Christ would not vouchsafe to pray Then surely He would not make His Soul an offering for their sins The Reason why all Men are not Saved is not because Christ did not die for all but because they will not Believe Men's Not believing in Christ is not the Onely or first procuring Cause of their Condemnation but their Rebellion and Apostacy from God Albeit the Condemnation of those who reject Christ is greatly aggravated by their Not-receiving Him As One Condemned or Condemnable for an Act of Treason refusing a Pardon His Refusal is indeed the next and immediate cause of his execution and perhaps shall heighten the Rigour of it But his treasonable practise was the first procuring cause of his death which also he should have suffered for if no such pardon had been tendred to him It must always be granted and Maintained That Faith is the one thing necessary on our part in order to our being Saved And as true it is That this Faith adds nothing of virtue or Merit to the Cross of Christ Where Men are said to be Justified or Saved by Faith it is meant of the Object of Faith and not of the Act For the Righteousness of Christ alone is the Matter of our Justification which this Objection seems to deny 2 Christ's Redemption extends to Unbelief For this Purpose was the Son of God Manifested 1 Joh. 3. 8. to destroy the works of the devil Of which Vnbelief is the Chief And He gave Himself to Redeem from all iniquity Tit. 2. 14. And if from All then Unbelief which is the Sum and Sâ—um of all cannot be exempted For Otherwise scil If He had Redeemed from all but this that Redemption would litle avail us It would be as if One should purchase your pardon for pilfering felonies but let the Guilt of your Treasons lye still upon you Or undertake to Cure a Man of his phrensie upon condition he will be Sober What will they do who content themselves with such a Redemption as this 3 Faith it self is a Grace of Christ's own Working It flows from His Fulness Joh. 1. 16. He apprehends us before we do or can apprehend Him The People's Sins under the Law had not been expiated by the Sacrifice without sprinkling the blood And it was not themselves who sprinkled it but the Priest And can we think that Christ shed His Blood for those on whom He will not sprinkle it That He died for Those to whom He will not give a little faith when as without that all that He doth besides will not profit them If any say He would but they will not I ananswer This Will not is their Unbelief which He is to take away by making them Willing A Will to believe is Believing Ps 110 And in the day of His Power they find it And for any to say That a Will to believe is not purchased by Christ Heb. 9. 12. 14. is a great derogation from the virtue and Merit of His sufferings This is further Argued where the Office of Christ in order to Effectual Calling is treated of Inferences From what hath been proved in behalf of Redemption as peculiar to the Elect I infer I. The important necessity of Trying the Spirits Infer 1. and the Doctrines they bring whether they be of God A plaâ—sible outside and fair shew in the flesh are no Argument of Truth in the bottom Takingness with Nature should Render things suspitious to us rather than approved Our best rule of Judgement in this case is that of our Saviour The Tree is known by its fruits And if by this we measure the general point it will be found wanting in what it pretends to and not-a-little Reprovable 1. In stead of Magnifying the Grace of Christ and Merit of His sufferings it does in effect Nullifie both It makes Redemption general as to Persons but not as to Things That is it Redeems the whole of Mankind from part of their bondage but no part of them from the whole of it Or upon such a Condition as no Man in nature is able to perform which sure is too defective to be the Devise of Sovereign Wisdome and Grace That cannot be call'd An Universal Remedy that suffers it self to be Worsted by the disease I doubt not at all That the blood of the Son of God in our Nature is of infinite Merit but withall that is of like Infinite Virtue and Efficacy and will for ever operate accordingly But if the success and saving effects thereof should depend upon something to be done by Men which Redemption it self doth not Invest them with then will Men come in for a share with Christ in the glory of their Salvation yea in this case any addition of humane ability annihilates the Grace of Christ Gal. 5. 2. Whereas to depend upon Christ for Sanctifiction as well as Righteousness To expect from Him a Power to Repent and Believe as well as Acceptance upon your believing gives Him His true honour as intit'ling Him to the whole of your Salvation which is indeed His proper Due and due to Him alone And this may be a main Reason why Men professing the Name of Christ are so generally strangers to Faith and Holiness They do not seek it at the hands of Christ as a part of His purchase according to John 5. 40. 2. In stead of laying a foundation for Faith and an help to believing the General Doctrine nuzzles the Soul in its unbelief upon a presumption of Power in himself to believe
can happen to His There can be no other Event of them but what He setly intended The least of His Purposes shall never suffer disappointment much less that great Design of Men's Salvation by the Death of Jesus Christ For 1. The Thing it self iâ— feasible Millions of Souls are gon to Heaven on His accompt 2. It was so wisely contrived That all Interests concern'd are secured and satisfied God is Just in Jâ—stifying The Sinner saved even whiles Vengeance is taken on his Sins and Christ well pleased with a Seed to serve Him 3. The way of obtainment is such as will certainly compass the End The Divine Power is engaged in it which rests not in the least on the concourse or compliance of any frustrable Instrument 4. His Heart cannot be taken off from it It is That which His blessed thoughts have run upon from Eternity and those Thoughts of His stand fast to all Generations And 5. No higher Power can supersede His Decree He is Sovereign Lord and controlleth all There he divers Arguments which readily offer to confirm the Matter in hand I. The first is from the Nature and Import of Redemption Arg. 1. It was not the mere depositing of the Ransom demanded as a pledge to secure the Creditor's Satisfaction in case the Treaty took effect Nor was it such a pledge as might be resum'd or paid-back in case it succeeded not Neither yet was the Price of that undervalue and imperfection as to need the addition of any thing from without it self to make it effectual But such a Price it was so paid so accepted and so qualified as for ever concludes all Parties and Interests concern'd in it It was in all respects Adequate to and worthy of the Purchase design'd by it Redemption is a term of large comprehension It is next to Election and carries in it All that Election hath Chosen us to It does not barely make Men Releasable or Capable of pardon but the Actual and Eternal Deliverance from Sin Satan Death and the Law together with the full and perfect Salvation of Redeemed Ones is included in it And this is not barely affirm'd but evident proof will make it good A Witness or two for each of these 1. The Redemption wrought by Christ imports Satisfaction Without this the World had not been Reconciled Nor could it be said the pleasure of the Lord had prospered in His hand But both these are affirm'd Isa 53. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 18 and 19. and Heb. 2. 17. expresly That He made Reconciliation for the Sins of the People Yea our Grand Creditour proclames Himself satisfied by His sending from Heaven to Release our Surety 2. Justification or Deliverance from Guilt Eph. 1. 7 In whom we have Redemption through His blood the forgiveness of Sins Gal. 3. 13 Christ hath Redeem'd us from the Curse of the Law being made a Curse for us He blots out the Hand-writing against us Nailing it to His Cross Col. 2. 14. 3. It imports the vanquishing and binding of the Strong Man who would not else have let-go the Prey By death He destroyed Him who had the power of death that is the Devil Heb. 2. 14. By the blood of His Cross He spoiled Principalities and Powers and triumphed over them Col. 2. 15. 4. Freedom from the power of sin Rom. 6. 6 Our old Man was Crucified with Him that henceforth we should not serve Sin Upon which it follows Sin shall not have dominion over you ver 14. 5. Inherent Holyness or Sanctification Col. 1. 21 You that were somtimes enemies in your mind now hath He reconciled in the Body of His flesh through death to present you Holy c. ver 22. We are sanctified through the offering of the Body of Jesus Christ Heb. 10. 10. and Rom. 6 18 Being then made free from Sin ye became the Servants of Righteousness And that it was by virtue of Christ's death appears by ver Heb. 9. 14. 8 For if we be dead with Christ we shall also live with Him 6. It likewise imports Resurrection Joh. 6 54 55 I will raise Him at the last day For my flesh is meat indeed that is as Crucified Christ dying was the death of death Hos 13. 14. 7. It also extends to the actual possessing of Redeemed ones with blessedness and Glory Rom. 8. 30. Whâ—m He justified them He glorified Liberty of entring into the holiest is by the blood of Jesus Heb 10. 19. and Rev. 5. 9 10. That hast Redeemed us unto God by thy blood and hast made us Kings and Priests It is the voice of Those in Heaven Now All these are in Redemption they proceed out of Christ's fulness as a Redeemer And for this cause it was that Paul cared not to know any thing but Jesus Christ and Him Crucified It is true That the Resurrection of Christ His Ascention Sitting at God's right hand and Intercession have their respective influence into every of those particulars aforenamed but they all spring from His Crucifixiâ—n If He had not dyed He had not been a Priest for ever as He is after the order of Melchisedeck Heb. 9. 12. II. Another Argument is from the inestimable worth and dignity of the Ransom that was given Arg. 2. It was the life of the Son of God Matth. 20. 28. Heaven and Earth will bear no proportion in value to this price of Redemption which therefore could not be parted-with for a doubtful or uncertain Purchase In this lies the stress of the Apostle's Argument Who when He would set forth the happy estate of God's Elect and prove them above the Reach of danger He doth it in two words but very significant ones Christ hath dyed Who shall condemn It is Christ that dyed Rom. 8. 38. The Eminency of the Person and the sufferings He submitted to as they greatly illustrate His love to Men So they strongly affirm and insure the event of His death If reconciled to God by the death of His Son much more Saved by His life Rom. 5. 10. It may truly be said of every one He died for Ezek. 18. 9. He is just He shall surely live But this in the same respect and sense as those then unborn were said to be sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ Heb. 10. 10. And their Old Man to be crucified with Him Rom. 6. No Man is actually justified till he actually believes But Repentance and Faith being purchased by Christ for those He died for They shall as certainly be made to Repent and Believe as that Christ died for them Phil. 1. 29. III. The Righteousness of Christ is more prevalent and effectual to His Seed Arg. 3. than Adam's transgression was to his All his Posterity indeed fell under the Curse by it yet so that there was still through the Intervention of Grace a possibility of Release But the Righteousness of Christ hath so perfectly recovered and ' stablished His Seed that their justified '
which in the Sacred Language is termed a Giving of all things pertaining to life and Godliness The Sum of what I intend upon this Subject 2 Pet. 1. 2. is comprised in this Proposition That what ever things are requisite to Salvation are given of God freely to all the Elect and wrought effectually by the Divine Power as the necessary Means of that Salvation to which He hath appointed them By Salvation here I understand the Saints perfect settlement in Blessedness and Glory And by things requisite thereto all those Gifts Graces and Operations that are any way necessary to their actual obtainment of that State The Divine Power is that Ability of working which God hath reserved to Himself and is not Moved or Governed by the Creature 's act but by the Good pleasure of His Own Will That divers things are Requisite to Salvation needs no proof My business therefore is to shew I. What these Requisites are II. Whence they come III. To whom they do belong and by what Right IV. The Way and Manner of God's dispensing them I. What these Requisites to Salvation are They are of three sorts Some to be done for us Some upon us or in us and others by us yet so as Not without the special assistance of that good Spirit who began the work and who worketh all in all The Great thing to be done for us next after Election is Redemption from sin This was a work of infinite moment and as far above the Undertaking of Creatures For 1 The Justice of God that must be satisfied bya bearing the Curse due to Transgressors By this we are saved from wrath and without This Divine Justice will not open the house of His Prisoners 2 All Righteousness must be fulfilled by an absolute perfect Subjection to the Law By this we are interested in Eternal life and without it there is no Entring into Rest 3 The Devil who had the power of death must be destroyed and his works of darkness by which he leads captive at his will dissolved That life and immortality might be brought to light and the prey delivered None of which works could ever have been perform'd but by One of the same Nature with the parties peccant or agressing and yet equal in power and dignity with the Majesty offended For which cause and end it was That God sent forth his Son made of a woman and made under the law Gal. 4. 4 5. c. That what the Law could not do because of its weakness through the flesh the Son of God in the likeness of sinfull flesh Rom. 8. 3. might condemn sin in the flesh This was the proper subject of the former Head The end of which Redemption was To bring in the next sort of Things requisite to Salvation viz. Such as are to be Done upon and in the Elect namely their Reconcilement to God and Receiving the Adoption of Sons This is the actual performance of what was intentionally in Election and Virtually in the death of Christ as the necessary way to their ultimate End The sum of these Requisites lies in Faith and Sanctification the One imports their Right the Other their capacity Faith intitles and Holiness meetens Both which though express'd as two are alwayes together as if but One and as inseparable as light from the sun and without These our little world would stil be in darkness notwithstanding all the light that shines about us or within us Neither knowing our danger nor how to escape it 1. Faith This in generall is that spiritual light in which we see our selves by nature the children of wrath and wholly unable to change our state and withall do apprehend God Justifying freely by His Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ Rom. 4. 24. and to that end do Roll our selves upon him and give up our selves to His Laws and Government It is of the Essence of Faith to empty the Soul of self and 1. Of its own understanding It is a beam of Divine light which evidenceth all a Man 's natural knowledge to be ignorance and darkness as to Spirituall things The Apostle speaks of it as of a Faculty newly given and the Nature of its new objects requires it For the natural man cannot discern the things of God They that have the best eyes now were sometimes Darkness 2. Faith empties the Soul of its own Righteousness 1. By discovering the uncleanness of it Isa 64. 5. 2. By shewing the necessity of a Better Rom. 3. 20. 3. In whom this better is to be found Rom. 10. 4. 4. That it may be attain'd and had Rom. 3. 25. 5. That being attain'd the Soul is happy and may triumph over all Rom. 8. 34. 6. That this better Righteousness and its own cannot stand together Gal. 5. 2. Rom. 10. 3. And then 3. The next work of Faith is To empty the Soul of its own Strength that is of all confidence in himself as to the obtainment of that better Righteousness He makes it indeed his business to be shut of his own and most gladly would be Invested and clothed-upon with the Righteousness of God but findes it a matter of transcendent difficulty Now he 's convinced 't is no easie matter to be saved since To believe and to keep the whole Law are things of an equal facility i. e. They are in truth both alike impossible to him Isa 27. 5. He therefore takes hold of the Strength of God to work this Faith in him And so by a Faith unseen believes to a Faith that is visible It 's Faith that is at work all this while though the Soul knows it not till afterwards II. Sanctification or Inherent holiness This consists in the expulsion or rather subduction and bringing under of Corrupt nature by bringing in the Divine and setting it uppermost in the Soul Col. 1. 13. It is an Actual translating of us out of Satan's Kingdom into His Own It is To have Christ formed in us To bear the Image of the Heavenly To have Dispositions according to God and an heart after His Own It is sometimes called Regeneration or a being born again John 3. 7. Rom. 11. 17. The separating a Man from his Old stock and grafting him into the New Whereby the Law becomes written in the heart It is also called The Passing away of old things 2 Cor. 5. 17. and a beâ—oming New of all Not that the old faculties are destroyed or blotted out in Regeneration but reduced duced Col. 3. 10. or Renewed â—ccording to the Image of Him that Createth it As the Body when it shall be Regenerated or raised again It shall be the same that was sowen but so changed in its qualities as if it were another So in the Regeneration of the Soul the same Understanding Will Affections Memory remain but are quite otherwise disposed and qualified according to the New Objects they are to Converse with 1 John 5. 20. And
Inference It also imports Matter of Duty from us When Princes conferr titles of honour lands or Immunities They use to reserve some kind of Rent or other acknowledgment To mind their Subjects though Favourites of whom they hold You have no such way of Owning your great Benefactour Nor no such Means of being Considerable in the World as by bearing the badge and impress of Him who gave you this Name of honour Let His Name therefore be Named upon you Carry His Name in your bosom bear it on your Shoulders and the Palms of your hands Let the Choyce of your Affections The Chief of your Strength and the whole of your Activity be employed for His honour Let every thing you do bear an Impression of Him whose Name is Holy Then from the Antiquity of Election I. Inference Let the Ancientness of Electing love draw up our hearts to a very dear and honourable esteem of it Pieces of Antiquity though of base Mettal and otherwise of little use or value how venerable are they with learned Men And ancient Charters how carefull are Men to preserve them although they contain but Temporary priviledges and sometimes but of Trivial Moment How then should the Great Charter of Heaven so much Elder than the World and Containing Matters of Eternal Weight and Glory Which also hath been confirm'd by so many Promises Exemplified by Multitudes of Cases with a Seal affix'd more precious than Heaven it self All which proclaim The Eternal Validity of it How should this I say be had in everlasting Remembrance and the thoughts thereof be very precious to us Lying down Rising up and all the day long Accompanying of us And how carefull should we be Not onely to keep this Charter uncancelled but also to keep it clean from all sorts of Dust and soil by which the legibleness thereof might any way be obscured to our selves or Others II. Inference Let Election's Eternal Origine be an Argument for Its Eternal Duration and so of the Saints Invincible Perseverance to Glory That which is from Everlasting shall be to Everlasting If the Root be Eternal so are the Brancâ—es Surely For this good End among others is it twice recorded in the Revelation Rev. 13. 8 That Their Names were written in the book of life from the foundation of the World Namely Ch 17. 8. To signifie and assure That the Elect shall be safely and surely kept from those dreadful Apostacies which the Rest of the world shall fall into And hence perhaps it is That we read of Nothing done in Eternity but Election and things peculiar thereto as the Promise of Eternal life The Lamb slain The Kingdom prepared c. Election is an Eternal Fountain that never leavs Running whiles a Vessel is empty or capable of holding more and it stands open to all Comers Therefore come and if ye have not sufficient of your own Go and borrow Vessels Empty Vessels not a Few Pay your debts out of it and live on the Rest to Eternity V. From the Doctrine of Choâ—sing in Christ I. Inference It is an high Demonstration of God's love to His Chosen Ones We may say of it as Huram to Solomon Because the Lord loved His People 2 Chr. 2. 11. He set His Son over them It is also an eminent proof of His Manifold Wisdom To Contrive the blessedness of His people in such a Manner as should most Certainly secure their obtainment of it Most signally illustrate His love to them and so most affectionately winn upon their hearts and oblige them to Himself for ever We may hence also discern somthing of that Immense Greatness and Holiness of God That though He so loved His Elect Joh 17. 21. as to make them One in Himself That Union could not be admitted without a Mediatour equal with Himself II. Inference Gather hence your stability and safety What ever streight or difficulty you are Entring upon Drink of this Brook in the way and lift up your head What ever pertains to life and Godliness Grace and Glory This life and That to come is all layed up in Christ As all sorts of Food in the Ark for those who found Grace in His sight All Fullness dwells in him and that for you He is not onely a Root stable in himself but stablishing to you Communicating sap and spirit to all his Branches Whiles there is life in Him you cannot die This is That makes the Saints stand Firm and sacred in the midst of dangers 1 Joh 5. 18. The evil one touchâ—th them not Let all the Rebell-Crew of adversaries Satan the World your own evil hearts associate themselves and take Counsel together it all comes to nought Let their Asaults be Renewed again and again they are still beaten off They gird themselves and are broken in pieces They gird again and again they are broken in pieces Thus it is and thus it shall be Isa 8. 9. to the end of our Warfare For God is with us This was it made David fearless even in the valley of the shadow of death Ps. 23. 4 The Lord was with him And those three Noble Confessors they walked secure in the fiery furnace Dan. 3. 25. 27. because the Son of God was Among them Therefore Do All Suffer All and Expect All as being in Christ and not otherwise But woe to him that is alone who when he falls hath not Christ to help him up III. Inference Let this your Relation to Christ be evidenced by your Likeness to him He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit The holy Oyl that was poured on your Head runs down to the Skirts of His Garmâ—nâ—s i. e. to the very meanest of His Followers and they carry a-long the precious scent with them where ever they go or should do as Paul did 2 Cor. 2. 14. It is natural to those married to Christ to bring forth fruit unto God and see it be such as will abide the Test Rom 7. 4. Endure all sorts of weather and be bettered by it IV. Inference This Doctrine illustrates That of Justification as shewing Wherein the true Matter of Justfying Righteousness doth consist and How it comes to be Ours Our Faith or Act of Believing cannot be the Matter of it for that it is an imperfect thing and so cannot be Reckoned in the place of perfect Righteousness For It must be a Righteousness perfectly perfect that Justifies as it was a sin sinfully sinfull that Condemn'd This Righteousness also must be our own and is in a way of Right as Adam's sin also was though perform'd in the person of Another Christ and Adam being Paralels in their Head-ship the imputation of the One's Guiltiness and of the other's Righteousness are Righteously applyed to their respective seeds And this was a Main end of the Lord 's Putting Those He would Justifie into Christ That He being made sin and a Curse for them They