1 Joh. 2.27 And I will put my Law in their mindes Heb. 8.10.11 And the comforter whom I will send he shall teach you Joh. 14.26 1 Thes. 4.9 Acts 2.17 Thus whatever doctrine of holinesse is in the new Testament we are to receive it because it is now the doctrine of him who is the Lord Jesus Christ the Lord as well as Jesus Christ and one who commands as well as saves Nor is there any Covenant of works in such kinde of obedience Life is given us to make us obey but not for obeying XXXVIII The new Covenant further set forth to be meerly a promise THe Covenant that is called the new Covenant that God makes with his now under the Gospel is all on his own part without any thing on mans he makes himself ours and makes us his all is of his own doing though a Covenant in the strict legal common sense is upon certain articles of agreement and conditions on both sides to be performed Thus stood the old Covenant there was life promised on condition of obedience and so in covenants and contracts betwixt man and man but now there is a Covenant or rather promise in Jesus Christ who is called the Mediator or Mannager of the Covenant in which God gives himself freely in Christ to be the God of a poor sinner Christ undertaking all both with the father and the soul such a kinde of covenant was established with Noah Gen. 9.11 Behold I establish my covenant c. nothing required on mans part This is called a new Covenant for it is clear against the strain of the old wherein man was to have his life upon condition yet it were good that we did not rest too much in the notion of a covenant nor is it the way of a covenant that the Gospel uses but rather the promise or grace or salvation for the Spirit uses the word Covenant onely by way of allusion and because the soul being under the power of the spirit doth it self contract and covenant with God to obey though God gives no life in such a way of a covenant or obedience And I observe that the usage of this word hath a little corrupted some in their notion of free-grace makes them conceive a little too legally of it And I conceive that the Doctrine of it in Heb. 8.10 c. I will write my law c. And I will take away your stony heart c. And put a new spirit within you Jer. 31.31 Hezek 36.26 doth clear it to be onely promise and grace and free-love to a sinner for if any thing were to be done for life or salvation we should darken the glory of free-grace and make it a promise neither wholly of grace nor wholly of works And if it be of grace it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace Rom. 11.6 Nor is this promise of salvation given to sinners as sinners barely simply and singly nor as qualified or conditioned not to sinners as sinners for God can onely love in Christ nor as qualified and conditioned for so life should be purchased by us rather then for us so as we are onely sinners in our own and others judgements but truely loved in Christ when the promise comes And thus the Scripture cals us ungodly and sinners and children of wrath Not that we are so but seem so or not so in Gods account but the worlds So as here is ground enough for any to offer salvation to the veriest sinners and for the veriest sinners to receive for God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them and hath committed to us the word of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.19 XXXIX The way of assurance for beleevers THe surest knowledge that any one hath that they have received the promise is the closing of their heart with Christ the real receiving and beleeving the relying and going out of the heart upon Christ The just shall live by faith Rom. 1.17 We walk by faith and not by sight This was the assurance the Father of the faithful had who staggered not at the promise but gave glory to God Yet this assurance is such as the soul cannot be content with onely there is something in man beside faith to be satisfied reason will have more light to see by and therefore the working of the spirit in new obedience and love and repentance and self-denial are such glimmerings as the soul may be refreshed by though not strengthned by and comforted by though not supported by Works though they cannot assure by themselves yet raised up by faith may with it cheer up the soul if we beleeve more of those works then we see or feel and so strengthen them by faith they may be like the tokens and change of raiment by which Jacob was perswaded that Joseph was alive by these we may be better perswaded that we live and live in Christ Therefore the soul being a reasonable and discoursive spirit is much satisfied in such a way when the Spirit of God helps it to reason and draw conclusions as thus The Word sayes Whosoever beleeves shall not perish But I beleeve saith the Soul and therefore according to this Word shall not perish The Word sayes To beleeve is to receive or put confidence in or trust as in John 1.12 But I receive Jesus Christ for mine I trust in him for salvation therefore I beleeve The Word sayes Repentance love self-denial obedience to the Will of God are all the fruits of the spirit but these are in me I can repent and love and deny my self and obey The Word sayes That we are compleat in Christ and righteous in Christ but when I repent or love or obey I beleeve I am in Christ and therefore my love and repentance and obedience is such as I may beleeve though not in themselves yet in him to be good and spiritual And thus a beleever may beleeve for assurance and yet reason for assurance and some other questions a beleever may put to his own spirit and draw it out into more conclusions for beleeving Am I Christs or my own If I be Christs do I walk with Christ And live to Christ And obey Christ Do I delight in Christ and those that are Christs Or do I live to my self to my lust To my profit or credit To others or the world XL The Gospel-Ministration very glorious THe ministration of the Gospel exceeds in glory for now under the ministery of Jesus Christ himself the heavenly things themselves are brought forth the free-love of God in Jesus Christ and the free-love of Jesus Christ himself all the powrings out of spirit and the full discoveries of love were reserved for Christs own day the Kingdom of God the righteousnesse the justification the forgivenesse of sins the spirit of comfort the glorious liberty of peace and joy unspeakable are the glory of Christ come in the flesh the treasures that went with his
God is said to be in Covenant with a soul A Soul is then properly actually or expresly in Covenant with God when God hath come to it in the promise and then when it feels it self under the power of the promise it begins onely to know it is in Covenant and yet to yeeld and obey as if it were but to enter into that Covenant which God hath made with it in Christ before it could do any thing so as they that beleeve do rather feel themselves in that Covenant which God hath made with them without any thing in themselves either faith or repentance c. X. A justified person is a perfect person A Person justified or in Covenant is as pure in the sight of God as the righteousnesse of Christ can make him though not so in his own eyes that there may be work for faith because God sees His onely in Christ not in themselves and if they were not in such a perfect righteousnesse they could not be loved of him because his eyes are purer then to behold iniquity or to love a sinner as a sinner XI Sin separates not his from God but from Communion with God NO sins can make God who loves for ever unchangeably love us lesse and yet a beleever will grieve for sin because it grieves the Spirit of his God and though he know sin cannot now separate from God yet because it once separated he hates it and because it separates still though not from God yet from Communion with God grieving the holy Spirit of God XII Christ in the flesh CHRIST in the flesh was God himself who that he might reveal his love to us made us partakers of the divine nature by fashioning our nature for his own glory to live in and by being both God and man amongst us and for us and herein is the mystery of reconciliation None but the nature of God could reconcile God and no nature but mans that had sinned could properly suffer for man therefore there is one Mediator betwixt God and man the man Christ Jesus XIII Christs being in our nature CHRIST was love mercy and riches of free-grace manifested in the flesh and in our nature that they might slow out more abundantly upon our nature on the vessels of mercy chosen in this Christ before the foundations of the world XIV Christs love CHRISTS love must needs exceed all the love of the children of men for he was the very love of God clothed in flesh and blood This is he that was red in his apparel as he that treadeth in the wine-presse XV Christ doing and suffering for our sakes CHRIST came into the world that he might do what we could not do to the fulfilling of the Law and suffer what we could not suffer for the breach of the Law XVI Christs Mediatorship CHRIST standing now as a Person betwixt God and the children of men takes in the fulnesse of righteousnesse and sin from both natures righteousnesse from God and sin from men whereby all the sins of his people are fully done away by the infinite glory of that righteousnesse both from himself and us XVII The right general Redemption by the second Adam CHRIST is the second Adam in whom all are made alive as all in the first Adam were dead but not so as if all who were dead in the first Adam were made alive in the second but as the first Adam was the person in whom all that are dead did die so Christ is the second Adam in whom all that are alive do live for Christ is the common nature of the living mankinde who live unto righteousnesse as Adam was the common nature of the dead mankinde who die unto unrighteousnesse For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many are made righteous God hath concluded all under sin That the promises by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve Gal. 3.22 XVIII Christs love THe love of Christ exceeded in this that he gave himself to die for us when we were enemies to him and crucified him our selves who came to be crucified for us and could neither love him nor pitty him for what he did For while we were as yet sinners Christ died for us and greater love then this hath no man This is the mystery that man could not live in Christ till he had killed Christ first And thus he was wounded in the house of his friends O all ye that passe by the way behold and consider if ever there were mystery like unto this mystery XIX Christs blood THe blood of Christ was not the blood of man onely but the blood of the Son of God and therefore it was a price for sin the very power of the Godhead as it were bleeding for sin by which it is called The Redemption of his blood and the blood of the Son of GOD XX Christs Blood powred out THe Blood of CHRIST powred out wrought greater compassion in GOD towards men I speak as a man then the sufferings of all the men in the world could do because he being begotten of GOD himself and the expresse Image of his person though he could not suffer being so infinite a glory yet because that person suffered which was GOD and man or the Son of GOD in man the Father in an unspeakable way beheld the travel of his soul and was satisfied XXI Christs Vesture dipt in blood CHRISTS Garment which he was described in by the Prophets under the Law is of a colour to set forth love and suffering under the Gospel for this is he that came from Bozra with his garments died red XXII Christs comelinesse THe comelinesse of Christ in the Gospel is a most desireable comelinesse for the sons of men to love it is the glory of the onely begotten Son of God full of grace the â—weetest object for those in misery to delight in This is that beloved which is more then another beloved XXIII Christs beauty CHRIST hath both the form and power of love in him and therefore it is that his Spouse or His behold him as white and ruddy and the fairest amongst ten thousands white in the glory of his Godhead and ruddy in the sufferings of his Manhood and because of his sweet oyntments or powrings out of spirit the Virgins follow him for his hands drop myrrhe upon the soul even spiritual graces upon the handles of the Lock XXIV Christs names CHRIST will be known to His by no other names but names of love and grace a Lover a Bridegroom a Physitian a Saviour an Emmanuel or God with us an onely begotten Son of God the brightnesse of his glory a merciful and faithful high Priest a Sacrifice for sin a Mediator an Advocate for sin a Beloved and he brings a soul to the banquetting house of spiritual things and his banner over it is love XXV Christ and His CHRIST having adorned his in the riches of his
own person they under the Law saw this day but afar off they saw but the blood of bulls and goats and grace and peace afar off but blessed are our eyes for we see and our ears for we hear that which many Kings righteous men have desired we see the Son of God bleeding himself and are under a more spiritual sprinkling then they they were under a fleshly purifying they were as children and servants that were not at age so had neither the use nor freedom of the heavenly inheritance they were subject to death and bondage we are delivered to serve him without fear they were kept under the school-mastership of the Law we now the fulnesse of time is come enjoy the pretious liberty of the sons of God the light which they lived in before was glorious compared with the darknesse the Nations lived in even under a region and shadow of death but it was darknesse compared with the light of the Gospâ—l now light covers the earth and it is not such an enlightening as that of mount Sinai to bondage and fear a light with smoak in it and thunder in it or a light with types and terrour in it but a more clear comfortable and soul-refreshing light the beams of Christ now shine with grace and love upon the souls of his people like the Sun in the Spring-time in whose light there goes a vertue which causes the earth to spring and blossom so do the souls of the Saints under the Sun of righteousnesse now grace mercy and salvation is in the light thereof and love joy peace with all the fruits of the spirit do appear So as Gospel-times have the substance and body of Christ and all that is Christs the Gospel-ministery hath the flowings of the spirit Act. 2.17 18. Joh. 16.17 hath power and life in it to change the soul from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 5. Joh. 5.25 hath spiritual freedom to set souls at liberty from death and the curse everlasting righteousnesse is brought in Dan. 9. and the fulnesse of age is come so as the severity of the Law the Schoolmaster hath done whipping us we are now under grace Gal. 4.5 6. the Gospel-ministery hath Jesus Christ himself no signe of him no type of him here is no sacrifice now no Moses now but the very Son of God and with him a whole change of the Priesthood and Ordinances now no more Priests to reconcile God but God reconciled and Ministers of reconciliation the Ordinances few clear and spiritual and the ministery free and large no more to Jew onely but to Jew and Gentile even to the world God so loveth the world now that whosoever beleeveth shall have life Isai. 54.1 XLI In what kinde the Gospel is glorious THough the Gospel tels of glorious things yet they that overlook this glory may soon see little of it for in the word there is but a little noise A sad story of one crucified dead and risen all the out-side is but mean the ministery onely a plain businesse of tydings or the foolishnesse of Preaching 1 Cor. 1.18 The other wayes of it plain and homely some water for Baptism a little bread and wine for food The meanest and poorest most commonly for followers and friends of it not many noble nor many mighty 1 Cor. 1. The Ministers of it or preachers and publishers of it but homely What is Paul or Apollo's but Ministers by whom we beleeve 1 Cor. 2.5 The House of God or family or Church some poor ones called Saints in fellowship the Officers but few and plain Pastors Deacons Elders the Laws some bare words of entreaty as well as command all both Word Ministery Officers with all the doings and administrations that concern Christ all suited to a poor crucified dying Jesus to a state of humiliation And thus all so mean as to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishnesse 1 Cor. 1.23 Thus the Gospel looks on the worldly side of it Thus Christ neither striving nor crying nor any one hearing his voice in the streets Matth. 18.19 20. Thus is the work of salvation carried in a mystery This is the wisdom of God in a mystery 1 Cor. 2.7 8. And yet great is this mystery of godlinesse First In Jesus Christ himself though he look like the Carpenters Son yet he is the onely begotten Son of God full of grace and truth The brightnesse of his glory and expresse image of his person John 1.14 Heb. 1.2 The Word it self or Scriptures though a Word or Book like a common writing yet it is a Word of truth The power of God unto salvation Rom. 1.16 The Ministery though but a little plain teaching yet mighty to save to cast down high imaginations to reconcile and the Ministers of it Stewards of the Mysteries of God Ambassadours in Christs stead their feet beautiful with glad tydings to sinners 2 Cor. 47. 2 Cor. 5.20 The people of God or friends of this Gospel though counted the off-scouring of the world yet a spirit of glory resteth on them 1 Pet. 4.14 As dying and yet behold they live as sorrowful and yet alwayes rejoycing as poor yet making many rich as having nothing and yet possessing all things 2 Cor. 6.10 11. The Kingdom of God though a thing not seen yet righteousnesse peace and joy Rom. 14.17 XLII The form of the Gospel or way of dispensation THe Gospel is formed up of exhortations and perswasions We beseech you to be reconciled c. And suffer a word of exhortation c. And of conditional promises c. As Whosoever beleeveth shall not perish c. Of threatnings as he that beleeveth not is condemned c. Of Commandments If ye love me keep my Commandments c. Now this Gospel thus fashioned is on purpose for the better dispensing of it to the souls of his people that his divine and spiritual things might be more naturally conveyed in a notional and natural way as the Key is made fit to the Wards of the Lock And this is the end rather of this Gospel fashion then any supposed free-will in man as some imagine for the Gospel is offered not upon freedom of will in any but that those who are made to receive it should be wrought on in a way as neer to their own condition and nature or reason as can be for none are converted against their will but their will is spiritually changed and so they are made willing in the day of his power God doth not break up the hearts of his people but doth open them and stands and knocks Lydia's heart was opened and he stands at the door and knocks Revel. This is the Gospel-way of his enterance He doth not strive nor cry nor doth any one hear his voice in the streets He doth not force in himself nor any thing of his into the soul but brings in spiritual things so naturally as they cannot nay will not resist XLIII
some famous approved men of our times in Testimony to what is in this Discourse in part asserted and in these times by others Assertors of FREE-GRACE The Law by the preaching of it cannot reform but onely Faith and Grace Dr. Preston in his Serm. on the new Coven Comment. in Galat. 3.5 which he quotes Pag. 347. IF I should onely preach to you the Commandments c. I might preach long enough ere you could keep them Do you receive the Spirit by the preaching of the Law No but by preaching promise of pardon and forgivenesse Page 333. 2. If a man would desire to change his course to be made a new Creature the way is not to consider the Commandments what he ought to do but my beloved the way is to get assurance that thy sins are pardoned to consider the Covenant of Grace Heb. 9.14 No preparatory works before Christ Master Rogers in his Book of the right way to be saved c. P. 54. DIvers mistake and look for something to ground on in themselves and so are wofully bewildered and in great perplexity It is as if one should not set a young Tree but let it lie above the ground till they see what it will bear Free-grace hath many enemies We should stand for Free-grace Dr. Sibbs his Book of the excellency of the Gospel above the Law Pag. 241. DO ye wonder why the Free-grace of God hath found such enemies c. The heart of man is in a frame of enmity against God and sets it self most against that God will be most glorified in Let us vindicate nothing so much as grace We must live by grace and die by grace and stand at the day of judgement by grace not in our own righteousnesse Faith is no condition of the new Covenant of grace Master Perkins Commentary on the Galathians P. 157. THe Gospel called by Paul the Promise offers and gives life freely without the condition of any work and requires nothing but the receiving of that which is offered It may be objected that the Gospel promiseth life upon the condition of our Faith Answ. The Gospel hath in it no moral condition of any thing to be done of us Indeed Faith is mentioned after the form and manner of a condition but in truth it is the free gift of God as well as life eternal c. Pag. 184. We have all in Christ Thou must not receive the Promise immediately of God but Christ must do it for thee though thou be unworthy yet there is dignity sufficient and worthinesse enough in him If thou say that thou must at the least receive the promise at the hand of Christ I adde further That he will not quench the smoaking flax c. And ou◠salvationg stands in this not that we know and apprehend him but that he knows and apprehends us first of all Christ is every thing to us Mr. Calvin in his Book of Institutions Book 2. chap. 16. P. 167.8 WE must take heed of drawing any part of Salvation but from Christ If we seek Salvation let it be in the Name of Jesus Christ if the Spirit or any gifts or graces let us seek them in his Unction if strength let us seek it in his power if purity in his conception if mercy in his nature which was touched with our infirmities if redemption in his passion if forgivenesse in his condemnation or being a curse for us if satisfaction in his sacrifice if cleansing in his blood if mortification in his Sepulcher and death if newnesse of life in his Resurrection if immortality in the same if an heavenly inheritance in his entering into Heaven if all good things in his Kingdom and Dominion here All treasures are in him and they who are not content onely with him shall have no rest anywhere although too they may look principally at him Nor can there be any unbelief nor doubtings where his fulnesse is thus known God was never an enemy to his Calvin quoting Augustine in his Book of Institut Tract. in Evangel Johan 110.2 Chap. 16. P. 106.1 INcomprehensible and unchangeable is the love of God not that love which we obtain from reconciliation by the Blood of Christ but wherwith he loved us before the foundations of the world therefore when it is said Christ reconciled us it is not to be understood as if then he begun to love those whom he hated before but he reconciled us even to that love wherwith he loved us Rom. 5.8 therefore in a wonderful manner he loved us when it is said he hated us That we and those commonly called Antinomians differ little Mr. Gattakers Testimony in a late Treatise Gods eye c. in Epist. to the Reader P. 10. THe matter in controversie between us and these men is not how far forth sin is removed or abolished in Beleevers or how far forth it is by Justification abandoned or in what sense God is said to see or not see sin or to take notice of it in beleevers and justified persons c. As if all these things were granted on both sides Note Men of learning you see and judgement do not cry out Antinomianism on Free-grace or free justification as others do c. But acknowledge a consent in all these c. Why Luther is not quoted here LVther I could quote but he is now lookt on by some as one that is both over-quoted and over-writ Free-grace and bending himself against works which was the Popery and Antichristianism of those times He raised up grace rather in opposition as some think to whom I dare not so fully agree to the excesse of works then to the just advantage of grace and yet they can allow him in other things Thus we can pick and chuse from a Reformer what fits to the standerd of our own Light and Reformation and cast the other by I shall therefore quote some later Concerning our not resting on sight or our own graces for assurance Mr. Tho. Goodwin in his Book Christ set forth in Epist. to the Reader Pag. 1 2. AN immoderate recourse unto signes though barely considered as such is as unwarrantable when therby we are diverted taken off from a more constant actual exercise of daily thoughts of faith towards Christ immediately as he is set forth to be our righteousnesse c. And yet the mindes of many are so wholly taken up with their own hearts that as the Psalmist sayes of God Christ is scarce in all their thoughts· But let these consider what a dishonour this must needs be unto Christ that his trai◠and favourites our graces should have a fuller court and more frequent attendance from our hearts then himself who is the King of glory and likewise what a shame also it is for beleevers themselves who are his Spouse to look upon their husband no otherwise but by reflections and at second hand through the intervention and assistance of their own graces as mediators between him and them Now