call I willingly answer his promise and covenant I adore his command I desire to obey and do obey his threat I dread and tremble at his institution of baptisme I look not on as an empty thing a vain fancy but sticking to my Fathers Covenant and heartily willing to answer the condition I with humble reverence plead that Covenant and my baptisme with God what he then engaged I know God is Soveraign of his Grace but how that comes under offers calls commands threats promises seals I cannot learn therefore I take up my thoughts about what is revealed and what is my duty neither quarrelling with the Soveraignty of God nor studying at all how to be content to be damned Let not the Reader be troubled though I mention my godly Parents with my baptisme thinking thus alas my parents were not godly I cannot make use of my baptisme Yes yes Christian thou hast room to plead it make use of it though they were not so the force of it deponds upon Gods institution I marvel what use Mr. Hooker and Mr. Shepherd would have us make of baptisme they being so strong for Infant-baptisme if we must study to be content to be damned His third Head is drawn from his observations of Christians the experiences he hath seen when Christians have been brought to his point to be content and quiet without Grace without Gods Love and so be damned He saith p. 140. I have seen it constantly that many a chosen vessel never hath been comforted till now and ever comforted when now So p. 154. The Lord hath kept you and it may be a long time from sight and sense of his peculiar love one would wonder why the Lord should hide his love so much from those to whom he doth intend it the great reason is because there is in many a heart desirous of his love and this would quiet them if they were sure of it but they never came to be quieted with Gods will in case they think they shall never partake of it So then it seems if they did come to be quieted without his Love they should have the sense of his Love because the great reason that hindered was removed I wonder that Mr. Shepherd being not only a very holy man but so able a Divine should let such a Logical fault slip and not take notice of it if you ask what Ignoratio Elenchi I pray what is our question What is the Head that now he is upon It is the Souls humiliation and preparation for Christ he is not come at Faith yet in Christ till the Soul comes to this Hence Mr. Hooker tells us p. 145. Before this no Faith can be infused into the Soul so far as the heart is from this contentedness to be at Gods dispose what that is read p. 112 140. so far it is from true preparation for Christ Here Mr. Shepherd gives us the experiences of Christians who were ever comforted now and never comforted till now So again now they come to have the sense of his Love this he hath seen constantly he saith But I pray are comforts and the sense of Gods love the same the next things to preparation for Christ I thought and I am sure so thought Mr Shepherd that between preparation and comfort union with Christ the ground of comfort should have come in Is it because you are weary and laden therefore Rest Mat. 11.23 Coming to Christ comes in between weariness and rest But Mr. Shepherd if he will prove his question by experiences which he hath constantly seen must prove that he ever saw Christians were rightly prepared for Christ and never rightly prepared for Christ till they came to this contentedness to be damned if God will have it so But his experiences tell us of comforts and sense of Gods love So true it is that Quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus We know it is a long time indeed before many Christians attain to comforts and sense of Gods love after they have union with Christ and that is more then preparation for Christ Reverend Mr. Hooker and Mr. Shepherd would have done well to have satisfied the Church of Christ whether in their own experiences upon their own hearts they found this work they preach to others and were assured of it upon infallible grounds they had no Grace till then I knew a woman of Mr. Shepherd's Church who told me as Mr. Shepherd writes that she could never come to settled comfort till she came thus to be content without Gods love no doubt but a man may trust his heart when it tells him so I knew the woman several years before as good a Christian as when she told me this but at that time there was no talk of being contented to be damned if God will have it so as now she had told me believe their hearts who will I shall never believe mine if it tell me so Moreover if Mr. Hooker and Mr. Shepherd had found this in themselves in their very first Conversion they must prove that God must go the same way in all whom he converts from Divine Authority else as said Chap. 1. It is tyranny to tie up every Christian to the way God wrought in me that so he must work in them Once more Mr. Hooker telleth us without this work there can be no Faith in more then one place yet in that Piece put out in defence of the right of Believers Children to Baptisme he undertakes to prove that God works Faith in Infants But are Infants also contented to be denied Grace and be damned if God will have it so before God works Faith in them As to quarrelling discontent and impatience if God denies his Love and Grace because it shall not trouble us when I come to give my Arguments against Mr. Shepherd this being another question I shall speak a few words here I said before as I will not study how to be content without Grace and be damned so I would not quarrel impatience with God I will not justifie O no I will and do beg pardon of my God I do admire and adore his Patience and long-suffering towards me that he can bear so with my frowardness it shall be his eternal praise But O how hard a thing is it when Souls are pressed and oppressed with temptations long and strong whether from apprehensions of guilt wrath and lye looking and listning for a little favour from God but none come or are pestered and plagued with the perpetual motions of some imperious lust that dogs them every day year after year long time together and though the Soul prayes begs useth all means yet can get no relief from God who could with as much ease remove it as I can move a finger and will not but here lies the lust striking at the root of Grace and makes the Soul question whether there be one spark in it or no I say how hard is it now for the Soul to keep from
Let us see if the case be parallel First To drink that dreadful bitter Cup was the design and intent of God in sending of his Son and the intent of Christ in coming Thus John 12.27 when his Soul was so troubled that he could not tell what to say but this Father save me from this hour he adds John 18.11 But for this cause came I unto this hour he should loose the end of his coming And is this the intent the design of God to send all men into the world to damn them if he please Secondly Christ undertook this work freely he was at his own choice whether he would or not He gave himself Gal. 1.4 T it 2.14 For this cause I came John 12.27 Is the case so with us Thirdly He was able to undertake it he did go through with it drunk up his Cup the dregs of it blessed be his Name left nothing in it for his poor people to drink of it Hence Luke 22.15 With desire have I desired this Passover his last when he should be made our Passover that was next Is it so with us Fourthly True Christ did pray to be delivered from it when he came to smell the Cup it was so horrid that the human nature flew back as if he had repented of his undertaking but Christ was not bound to pray that prayer there was no duty in it obedience to a Command which is my Argument but only the human nature amazed astonished at the dread of what he was now going upon would have saved it self it did discover the reallity of his humane nature but no sin in it whence I leave it to any judicious Reader whether there be any thing in this Answer to take off my Argument Seventh Arg. Lastly I will not draw my Argument into form but this I would say blessed Lord what mean these worthy men do we find the sons of men to be so eagerly set after thy Love after thy Grace are men so disquieted without thy Love and thy Grace that we must now go teach them that they must be quietly contented and satisfied if they suppose thou wilt never give them thy Grace How long may thy poor Ministers preach and mourn at last that they cannot get one perswade not one in a year to care for thy Love to regard thy Grace Instead of quarrelling with thee because thou wilt not give them thy Love and Grace they quarrel with us because we stir them up to seek it and threaten them from thee because they neglect it So that certainly of all doctrines this doctrine might have been spared Mr. Shepherd p. 97. speaking against some saith Are we troubled with too many wounded Consciences in these times that we are so solicitous of coining new principles of peace The same say I are we troubled with too many disquieted Souls for the Love of God and the manifestation of his Grace that we must invent a new way how to quiet them not new principles of peace but new principles of trouble heart-stabbing principles to be content without Gods Love Grace to be content to abide the state of damnation to tell the Devil that if God will give me up to my lusts and damn me yet so he hath the honour of his Power and Justice I am content Blessed be God for revealing his gracious name his Christ his Gospel Covenant Promises Seals we can find better principles for disquieted Souls out of these than this new one which I never read in any other Author but these So much for these worthy men as to this point whose persons as I knew so their eminent graces and Ministerial abilities I do most highly honour it being my greatest trouble in this that I must oppose those whom I do so much honour But Truth and the Lambs of Christ must be regarded Amicus Socrates Amicus Plato c. CHAP. VI. Of Faith in Christ How the Spirit draws the Soul to him THe awakened Sinner by this time is loosened and made willing to turn from that term from which he is called The next thing is to consider the term to which he is called to which he must turn Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ Acts 20.21 was the sum of Paul's preaching to the Ephesians God the proper Object of Repentance Christ of Faith Christ then is the mediate Object of Faith in effectual Calling God the ultimate Christ I mean as Mediatour as Christ God in our flesh for as God he is the ultimate Who by him do believe in God 1 Pet. 1.21 The heart of the Sinner thus prepared as I have opened he is now enquiring if there be any way to get out of that state of sin and misery emptiness of all good and wants which he feels himself in the news of a Redeemer is welcome Is there such a one Yes What is he Is he able to do the work May one rest and confide in him Yes he is a Saviour and a great one Isai 19.20 Mighty to save Isai 63.1 May he be had Yes for he calls you What are the terms upon which he may be had They are but equal good such as when you come to understand them you would not have them changed A Redeemer must be that the Soul is convinced of there is no coming to God a consuming Fire a just Judge a holy God whose Law I have trampled under foot and that Law curseth me to Hell but I must have one to undertake for me besides I feel such a hell of filthiness within me such rebellion in my heart that if I be left alone I am undone Price and Power must be or I must perish As then in that term from which the Soul was called the Spirit let in Light which discovered the evil of that state Conviction accompanied that light and fears and sorrows followed that Conviction thus the affections with will did avert fly from and turn from that evil but how to help it self it could not tell feeling nothing but sin weakness and emptiness no righteousness no ability in it self So now in this term Christ and God to whom the Soul is called the Spirit enlightens the Soul to see the Son Every one that seeth the Son John 6.40 to understand him in his Person Offices work of Redemption it shews him the adequate fulness in God in Christ to answer its desires and will the loss of whatever the Soul stuck at which hindered it from turning from that term from which it was called the Spirit convinceth the Soul of the truth of all this goodness discovered it convinceth the man also that there is a fair probability of his enjoying this Christ yea convinceth him it is his duty to come to him and now he will add a worse sin to all the former if he obey not the Command and Call of God This sutable and adequate goodness being thus discovered and the will renewed now the will and affections move strongly
p. 177. l. 20. dele wretched p. 178 marg r. suavitas p 198. l. 16 17 c. concurse p. 199. l. 3 r. me p. 226. l. ult r. edification p. 228. l. 14. r. latitudinarians p. 235. l. 4. r. roll p. 240. l. 27. r. save p. 251. l. 10. r. is p. 252. l. 11. r. she 256. l. 11. r. roll and so often p. 282. p. 274. l. 31. r. to p. 289. l. 35. r. election THE INTRODUCTION WHen God gave commandment to Israel to appoint three Cities of Refuge Deut. 19 2. He gave another Commandment to them v. 3. To prepare the way to those Cities Upon which Commandment the Magistrates of Israel every year on the fifteenth day of the month Adar or February sent out Messengers to prepare the wayes to the Cities of Refuge to make them fit and broad remove out of them all stumbling blocks and offences they suffered not any Hill or Dale to be in the way nor water-streams but they made a bridge over it that nothing might hinder him that fled thither At the partition of wayes they set up in writing Refuge Refuge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the man-slayer might know and turn thitherward If any man met the man-slayer he was not to hinder him but two or three of their wise men were to be upon the way that if they did meet with the Avenger of blood they might by lenitive words endeavour the appeasing of his wrath and not fall upon the man-slayer till the case were judicially heard Some Divines I see make Christ to be typified by this City of Refuge if so methinks that which is spoken of John Isai 40.3 quoted by all the Evangelists crying in the wilderness Prepare ye the way of the Lord c. ver 4. Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill shall be made low c. may well alude to this their preparing the way to the City of Refuge That the Apostle Heb. 6.18 in those words who have fled for Refuge doth at least allude to this flying to the City of Refuge I think may well be admitted So * In tentum Consugimus per Baptismum ad Christum Lyra. Grotius intimates Confugimus tanquam ad Asylum ut illi de quibus Numb 35.2 and Josh 21.27 that is We fly as unto a Sanctuary as those in Numb 35.2 and Josh 21.27 who fled to the Cities of Refuge Jacobus Cappellus thus glosseth Confugimus A quo a Deo Ad quem ad Deum c. We fly from whom from God To whom To God to wit from an angry God to a pacified God through the intercession of his Son for then will a Refuge far most safe lye open to us when we fly to that promise of the Covenant of Grace which he bath declared in his Word and confirmed by his Oath This is very savoury Be this Refuge Christ or God pacified in his Son or the Covenant of Grace sure I am that the way unto this Refuge hath as much need to be kept clear from stumbling blocks offences or whatever might hinder the Soul under the sense of its sin and misery full of fears in danger of death eternal through an angry God or the Curse of the Law pursuing it now flying for Refuge as there was need of that way to be prepared to the City of Refuge to which the man-slayer was flying But whether some eminent Divines whose names are very precious in the Church have not layed some blocks in the way which have caused much trouble of spirit to loaden and afflicted Souls who have been flying to Christ for Refuge in the day of their fears and sorrows Ask and experience will tell you Let us see a little Here is a sinner whom God hath awakened hath set his fins in order before him He that before could say God is a merciful God say these Preachers what they will now he feels and finds God to be an angry God and one that is as good as his word one that will not endure iniquity he will not clear the guilty and this poor Creature seeth nothing but guilt and iniquity in himself no Creature under heaven so miserable as himself to abide here he cannot the Law speaks nothing but death and dye he must if there be no other way to save him then what he can find in himself Hearing of Christ and a Covenant of Grace revealed in the Gospel for such poor sinners to run to and hearing Christ calling of such to him Matth. 11.28 the sinner answers gladly with them Jer. 3.22 Behold we come to thee and now is hasting for Refuge But one meets him in the way and speaks to him How now sleepy sinner what are you now awake what are those lusts of thine wherewith thy soul was so delighted become evil things in earnest to thee Is thy sweet morsel which thou didst hide so under thy tongue Job 20 12. become bitter Is hell real do you believe wrath indeed is coming do you think God is just will be just whatever you thought of him before All this is very true saith the sinner I feel it all to my sorrow Well what would you have a Christ God reconciled his Love Yea saith the soul this it is you have named it this will quiet my soul indeed and nothing else But stay saith he Are you come to this Mr. Shepherd Sound Believer p. 154. in that Impression 1645. to be quiet with the will of God in case you think you shall never partake of his Love this you must come to if you be rightly humbled and prepared for Christ unto whom you are now flying Grace you would have and God to work Grace you desire yea carnestly saith the Soul I would fain have God manifest grace towards me But stay saith he What if God will not work Grace Mr. Shep. p. 140. p. 143. nor never manifest Grace to you will you not by sinking discouragements and secret quarralling resist God It may be you will be above Christ not under him and willing to be disposed of by him O I pray Sir what do you mean by this willing to be disposed of by him This Mr. Shepheard hath not so plainly expressed but observe what went before with the thread of his discourse and it is plain English if he dispose thee to hell and damnation Thus his Father in Law Mr. Tho. Mr. Hooker's Souls Humil. p. 112. Hooker that eminent man of God in his Souls Humiliation speaks it out in plain terms 'T is harsh and tedious and long it is ere the soul be thus framed yet the heart truly abased is content to bear the estate of damnation By the way observe if it be long first before this be attained then this soul is a long time under preparation and not yet come to Christ according to his discourse that he is upon Thus in several other places he hath these expressions Ibid. p. 114 116 140. The humbled
would see such a one I believe yea I am assured he never truly closed with Christ and this was the cause not his want of preparation that he proved an hypocrite 3. How many men have had great humblings legal terrors sorrows in a high degree but never came to a sound work of faith in Christ So that we cannot put all in preparations unless you will say they never were so humbled as to be content to be damned which is the thing I must speak to in its place if they were so humbled then they truly closed with Christ But I hope the reason must be because the Scripture saith so which we shall expect in its place But in the mean time if this Position stand it will in part make against this notion and will be found to be the best help for those tender and gracious Christians who for many years have been kept doubting and disputing against their faith in Christ because they could not find these preparations which they hear and read so much of in Books When as the work of faith it self they dare not deny Only Reverend Mr. bound Believer p. 162 173. Shepherd doth puzzle them in his Deseription of Faith when he puts into it the subject that is the soul of an humble sinner All the other four parts they can answer which his Description treats of only this same humbling as to these terrors sorrows in such a measure though as to these some relief he hath given but especially to be quiet without Gods love without manifestation of grace to be content though God will never work grace to be content to be disposed of by Christ to Hell and damnation as both he and Mr. Hooker makes the humble sinner in which faith is wrought this it is troubles them For the present I only say this Christian I am sure God hath given thee a command and that upon pain of damnation that thou believe in his Son be sure you look to that But let these holy men find out a Text as clear where he hath given thee a Command to be content to be damned or to be quiet without his Love and Grace before you believe in Christ 2. Posit My second Position is this Man naturally especially if he be adult before God works upon him is not a subject fit or disposed to receive Christ immediately when offered to him but before he will receive him there must be some work of the Spirit upon him to prepare him make him willing and glad to receive him It is his Duty he ought to receive him according to my first Position but he will not Wherefore Christian if Christ hath got thy will if will be come home as Mr. John Rogers would say the bargain is done Revel 22.17 Whosoever will c. do not stumble nor trouble thy self The reason of my laying this Position thus is this Reverend Mr. Shepherd Sound Believer p. 52 53. in answering of Objections made against the Doctrine of Compunction from mens experiences who have proved good Christians without such compunction saith Many thousands are miserably deceived about their estates by this one thing of crooking and wresting Gods Rule to Christians experiences p. 53. then gives this Caution In this work of Compunction we must not bring Rules to men but men to Rules p. 52. What Christians are these this holy man means If they be Christians of a late edition when Religion was in fashion and the fairest Card for a man to play his game with if he meant to rise such as might have motions upon their affections whilst the dainties of the Gospel were disht out and set before them as in those times nothing but chymical notions in Divinity would down with many palates and now had their tongues tipt with Discourses of Free-grace and some Opinions which served their interest If these be the Christians he means I think they are miserably deceived indeed who make such mens experiences a mark for them to go by Yea if he mean others who had compunction felt legal terrors were cast down and after raised up with much comfort by the Spirits application as they apprehended of an absolute promise to their souls truly I will not make these mens experiences a Rule for me to go by though they had their compunctions and joys also I pray God give me better faith or else it will go sadly with me I will hardly give them two pence for theirs if they could sell it for all their compunctions But if by Christians be meant sound Believers and anothers experience do truly answer their experiences in that which is essential to saving faith I cannot tell how men should be deceived so miserably in this for the sound Believer doth answer Gods Rule Secondly I grant there is but one Rule to which all men must conform who shall go to heaven i. e. Regeneration or Faith in Christ or Conversion but is there one Rule God hath left to which all men must conform and by which they must be tried as to their preparing for Conversion or faith in Christ and that Rule is Compunction I pray observe I speak of Compunction as it is preparative for that is it Mr. Shepherd is upon and this is the fault he finds with those who suppose persons can be in Christ or truly regenerated it comes to one unless they be first prepared by Compunction Now that which is but in preparing is not yet effected it is in Motu Fleri While the timber is hewing there is preparing indeed but there is no house as yet But then what shall we say to all those whom the Lord Regenerates in their Infancy I am sure Mr. Shepherd Covenant of Grace opened p. 26 27. nor Mr. Hooker who saith Certainly God doth work faith in the hearts of all elected Infants that dye in their Infancy will deny but God doth regenerate some Infants If he works faith in all elected Infants that dye I hope he may as well in elected Infants that live Have we not very often known Children grow up and being under the nurturing of godly Parents especially when a wise prudent and godly Mother that knows how to keep her place in government joyn with a godly Father have given evident signs of grace from their Childhood I have known such families where all the Children have been godly and that began in their childhood for ought I could learn O you Mothers who are alwayes with your Children in the chamber at the fire side and have the advantage to be dropping into them when your Husbands must be abroad you may do much towards the saving of your Childrens souls if you be godly prudent and know how to keep Authority up This I have observed where the Mother hath not been godly and prudent though the Father be godly not so much good hath been done If once the Mother hath lost her Authority she never that I saw did good We read Prov. 31 1.
contend I had rather make sure my grace be saving let it differ how it will though I cannot satisfie my self in a meer gradual difference First For take the knowledge of a Geographer who writes of Countries which he never saw having never travelled beyond the smoak of his own Chimney the knowledge he hath of the Countries is true but is it like the knowledge of him who hath seen the Countries and travell'd in them If such a one writes of the River that goeth up to Sevil in Spain and tells me when you get over the Bar which lieth at the mouth of the River on the Star-board-side as you sail up there stands a Castle higher stands the Town of Saint Lucar higher another Castle and a Monastery by it higher the Chappel of Bonance and still on the Starboard-side this man saith true But doth he know these as I though I do not deserve the name of a Traveller do who have been in the Town in the Castle in the Chappel and seen them Thus let the Hypocrites who by hearing and reading or common works speak concerning sin Creatures God Christ Holiness Gospel-truths he will speak as sound truths concerning all these and seem to know them as well as the sound Convert But doth he see them as the sound Convert whom the Spirit enlightens and teacheth them as they are We see by the effect for one hath his heart and conversation framed according to the truth and the other walks as if all these truths were falshoods Doth the knowledge which I have by my eye seeing those places walking in them differ only gradually from the knowledge of him who learned it out of a Book Secondly The work of Conversion is called a new Creation Regeneration is Creation and Generation only a gradual matter Thirdly Degrees do draw out the positive into a longer thread but they draw out only that which was in the positive when the superlative hath drawn it out to the longest thread it is still but the positive extended the same essence that was in the positive is here in the superlative Draw the Hypocrite out as far as you will some make finer threads then other yet it is but Hypocrite still Fourthly If so then an Hypocrite differs from a Child of God one Modally for gradus sunt modi entis and no more Fifthly Then the Hypocrite and Child of God are both of the same kind for gradus non variant speciem yet the word makes but two sorts of men Dead and Alive Darkness and Light which differ more then any Degrees take them where you will Sixthly We will suppose a man loves the world four degrees he loves God but three degrees this man is naught his love to God gets another degree now he loves the world and God equally yet he is naught but then his love to God gets to five degrees he must rise by degrees if Grace as saving consisteth in such a degree now the man is a godly man for he loveth God more then the world Let this mans love rise to six or seven degrees as well it may Yet this we grant degrees of love may be lost too much experience proves this What abatements of love what coolings do many Christians meet with The seventh the sixth degree may be lost Rev. 2.4 Thou hast lost thy first love The first love that degree of love not love simply for doubtless by what the Lord testified of the Angel he had yet saving love Solomon lost degrees of love sadly and others also Now if the seventh and sixth degree may be lost why not the fifth degree what is there in the fifth degree to preserve it self more then the sixth or seventh I know not if degrees be all So it is a very easie matter to fall to the fourth degree again and loose all exceedingly from that light which any Hypocrite or unsound professour attains unto The first is spiritual practical and saving The other not so but may and doth stand with perishing To say there is no difference between the working of the Spirit upon the understanding of an elect Vessel and a Hypocrite till the elect answers the Call and so having union with Christ now the difference is made in the understanding this I cannot embrace To have a saving work in the will in order of nature before there be any in the understanding I think is not rational or to say there is no difference at all as to the understanding between a sound and unsound Convert but the difference is only in the will in that work which the Spirit putteth forth in the heart this is atheological and very absurd To think that the Hypocrite as to the light in his understanding and dictate of his practical judgment is as good and the same that a sound Convert is only this latter having saving grace infused into his will and the Spirit there dwelling acteth that grace and determineth the will of the sound Convert to follow the ultimate dictate of his practical judgment and not so in the Hypocrite and hence arise all the differences between them this I look on as an irrational figment I oppose not all but must maintain by what I seel as well as by what I read in Scripture that the will must be renewed the stony heart must be taken away and the Physical determination of the will sanctified by the Spirit of God but withall I affirm that there is saving light saving knowledge in the understanding of a sound Convert differing from an Hypocrite and I call it saving not only a posteriori because there are saving effects follow this in the will but I call it so a priori as it is the work of the Spirit of the Covenant in the understanding of the elect Vessel drawing into Covenant it is in its own nature as properly saving or accompanying of Salvation as any Grace in the will Certainly that Teacher John 6.45 makes his work as Teacher in all those whom he draws to Christ differ from what the Hypocrite hath Knowledge is a part of the Image of God according to which we are renewed Col. 3.10 then surely differs from an Hypocrites knowledge Is the Image of God renewed in the Hypocrite as to knowledge I believe it not The whole work of Conversion is sometimes set out by Conviction John 14. because Conversion in adult persons of whom we now speak is wrought in us secundum modum judicii then certainly there is some difference of the Spirits work in the intellectual part I know the Hypocrite as to the notional light and knowledge of Divine things may be equal with yea he may far excel a sound Convert he may be as quick-sighted as an Eagle as to the notional knowledge but as to the spiritual and saving knowledge as blind as a Beetle Conversion saith the Learned and Judicious Doctor Preston * New Covenant p. 277. is wrought not alwayes by making us know new things which we
it 2. Hence What necessity is there of preaching the Law to discover and open sin with the effects thereof if this be the way of the Spirits working to convince first of sin and Ministers be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 3.9 workers with God why should not they work as God works To preach the Law in order to Christ to labour to make men that lye in their spiritual Lethargies to know and feel their disease that they may see the need of and embrace the blessed Physitian is not this rational I think all men naturally stand under a Covenant of works and to make men know what that state is I think is very requisite if ever we would make them feel the necessity and know the worth of a Covenant of Grace yet I know not how it comes about of late years this kind of preaching is laid by When I consider the people then I can see their reasons why they love it not but when I think of the Ministry I know not why Ministers should so gratifie the corruptions of people So the Law were rightly preached I never knew it offend any godly and judicious Christian I remember my Father-in-law told me that Bishop Vher having once an Ague and being in Essex when Mr. Thomas Hooker preached it so fell out that my Father-in-law went to visit him a little before his fit should come they both lying on the bed discoursing I wish said the Bishop that Mr. Hooker were here to preach the Law home to my Conscience that fit they talked away he missed it By this we may read the Spirit of that highly learned and pious Bishop Thousands of Christians have wished they had felt more of it to Gospel-ends but to slight it as some cry out against it as others such will hardly approve themselves to be persons well skilled in the work of Conversion That some Ministers may be imprudent in their preaching of the Law and not carry it with that wisdom that doth become them I deny not but for the Principle it self that the preaching of the Law is necessary to make men know their sins and their woful condition by sin that thereby they may be glad to listen after and embrace the Gospel I think this cannot be denied by any judicious Divine In Physick indeed we find that those things which have gone for Principles for above a thousand years none so much as questioning them within less then thirty years are turned out of doors very few of the ancient Principles standing but if men will do so in these great points of Divinity they may prove themselves Fools but no spiritual Physitians Mr. Saltmarsh in a book of his which I read many years since but have it not now by me gives these legal Preachers a notable jeer he tells his Reader that these Preachers will preach Christ Gospel and Free-grace also but they do by these as some do by Wine at Funerals or Baptizings they offer it freely and bid the people drink but the Wine being burnt they give it so hot that the people cannot nor dare drink it for scalding their mouths So do these offer Christ Grace Gospel very freely bid people take and drink but they have so heat the Gospel with legal preaching that they are afraid to meddle with it Had there been as much Piety and Truth as there is wit in the jeer I should have liked it well I do not justifie men in their errors want of wisdom prudence in preaching of the Law I condemn them as much as he but for the Principle I do contend To win Souls to Christ by teaching them the Gospel and overflowings of Christs blood without preaching the Law to convince men of sin and make them see and feel the necessity of Gospel and Christs blood to convince men of sin by the Gospel first this I look upon as very irrational and immethodical Take my mind under these heads First It is not the proper work of the Gospel to convince of Sin but of the Remedy Paul tells us he had not known sin but by the Law Rom. 7.7 By the Law comes the knowledge of sin Rom. 3.20 For sin is the transgression of the Law 1 John 3.4 The Law then must be preached or Sin cannot be known Paul doth not say he knew Sin by the Gospel but there he found the remedy against Sin as in many of his Epistles we observe Gospel bringeth glad tidings Secondly The Gospel convinceth men of sin by consequence but the Law directly As if I see an Apothecaries Shop full of Physick and a Physitian there I can gather by consequence then there is sickness else why is all this Physick prepared why Physitian though I see no diseased person nor feel any disease my self Thus when I read of glorious Promises in the Gospel and find Christ the Physitian there I may well conclude then there is Sin and condemnation for Sin else what need of Christ and these promises of pardon and justification through his righteousness Yea I grant also by the Gospel we may argue how great an evil Sin is that must have such a Medicine as the blood of Christ to heal it but still this is by consequence The Law tells you directly what that Sin is and that condemnation for Sin Thirdly Men may be convinced of Sin without the Gospel but not without the Law God hath convinced many of Sin where the Gospel was not known or not understood The Heathen had Convictions Rom. 2.16 by a Law not written But to have men convinced of Sin by the Gospel where no Law was known I wish Mr. Saltmarsh would tell us where those persons are Tell men of the Son of God being incarnate doing suffering dying rising interceding and tell them of his righteousness obedience and blood what will you convince men of by this discourse alone unless you first teach them the cause of all this and then I am sure you must teach them the Law and this being opened and set home will soon teach them the meaning of the work of Christ in Redemption Fourthly As the Gospel convinceth of Sin only by consequence so only in general but the Law convinceth of Sin directly and in particular When the Gospel is first preached what particular Sin doth it convince a man of how doth that make him appear to be guilty but the Law will tell him his particular Sins and this must be done else men will hardly come to a thorough and saving Conviction that they are Sinners indeed After men have had the Gospel preached and refuse to embrace it then there is a particular Sin against the Gospel this is true but I think never was it heard that any man was convinced of this Sin against the Gospel who was not first convinced of Sin against the Law what cares he for the Gospel that seeth not himself in his sin and misery and condemned under the Law Grant it that Repentance to life and Faith
the bed-side heard him and God was pleased to convince that man that he was such a person who had lived upon himself without Christ to that day and would say afterwards had I died before score and sixteen I had perished for I knew not Christ Another man lived a civil life kept his Church on the Lords dayes went often to hear Mr. John Rogers of Dedham on Tuesdayes and so attended other Lectures thus he lived in a fine civil course till he was about fourscore and seventeen years of age then the Lord opened his eyes and shewed him that he was not acquainted with Christ at this time and then revealed Christ unto him he lived after this I think four years when any asked him how old are you he would answer two or three and according to the number of years were from the time that he knew Christ for then began his life in his own esteem all his years before he did not live 1. This agrees with Adam's principle once it was so we had life in our selves and needed not to go out to another for righteousness we are all born under a Covenant of works till the Lord brings us under a Covenant of Grace and we would live by a principle that agrees with a Covenant of works 2. This agrees with the pride of mans heart We have heard the pride of Moah he is exceeding proud Jer. 48.29 It may be truly applyed to us all as to this point proud yea exceeding proud poor as beggars not one rag of righteousness to cover us but proud no man cares to be beholden to another every man would be an Independent Rom. 10.3 The Jews went about to establish their own righteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they sought to make it stand they have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God would not submit their hearts too proud Was this proper to the Jews only No verily it is common to all the Sons and Daughters of Adam Whence rise these disputes against imputed righteousness exalting of merits works c. the bringing of men to walk according to the light within them i.e. which light within them is all the Christ that many know in these dayes Yea let a man that keeps a narrow watch over his heart and observes what rises there tell me doth he not feel sometimes in his life what risings there are against this self-emptying principle Verily mans nature loves it not he hates it 3. Satan helps here he seldom or never troubles that person whom he findeth living upon himself with temptations he labours to settle them in the way they are in keeps off all disquieting thoughts if he cannot draw them into that profaneness he would then he seeks to undo them this way if he can but keep them from closing with Christ well enough he is sure of these other men may possibly meet with an Alarum from their Consciences which these men seldom do 4. The life of Faith in Christ is the most cross duty to flesh and blood of any that God requires let men think of it what they will to be sure here is the same holiness required that the Law requires and that is as cross to mens lusts as the Law can be this is opposite to mans badness Then it empties a man of himself all his conceited righteousness duties abilities and this is opposite to mans goodness So that Faith is cross every way hence the vile heart frets against it 5. As to the poor humbled sinner of whom we are now treating he is ashamed to go to Christ he seeth himself in such a forlorn condition he knows not how to look Christ in the face nor can tell how Christ should look on him as if the Prodigal seeing himself in his rags should be ashamed to see his Father till he had gotten better clothes on his back So doth this if he had repented mourned changed his life and he thinks at least he might come better to Christ then now he can in this ragged condition Secondly Though the convinced sinner hath not a principle in him naturally that leads him directly to Christ but to self yet all that are convinced of sin by the Spirit do not turn aside to settle upon themselves their own doings duties righteousness instead of Christ All would do so if the Spirit let them alone but all do not so this I add to remove that stumbling block which temptation may lay before some who when they hear or read of the Spirits work in taking off the Soul from sinful self in former Heads and now of taking of it off from good self under this Head and this must be done else the Soul will never truly close with Christ they examine themselves when was this done in me when was that distinct time after my conviction of sin that I settled upon my own duties doings repentance changes c. then the Spirit took me off now I say this is not the case of all in the work of Conversion Commonly as is the light persons live under and as is the manner of the Spirits working If persons live where Christ is clearly and powerfully preached the Spirits work also very quick follows the Soul close that it stayes not long in the birth many times such persons turn not aside into this by path but are carried to Christ more directly search and many experiences will tell you this truth Thirdly Let the works of God in the former Heads be various yet in this work of self-unbottoming taking off the Soul from its own goodness righteousness abilities all converted Souls meet The reason is this unless this be done the end of Gods call will never be attained his call will not be effectual for no man will come to Christ for life John 5.40 Who can find life in one hand by his own duties and workings All the sin against the Law as a Covenant of works all a mans badness by reason of this sin is not so opposite and cross to Christ as is this self-righteousness self-considence a mans own goodness Consider God and Christ as being holy so indeed sin directly opposeth him but consider Christ as Redeemer Mediator High Priest Righteousness Jesus so it is not sin but self-righteousness that is most directly cross to him for not sin but our self-righteousness nulls and makes void his Righteousness and whole work of Redemption Mans nature had rather turn to God if he must turn directly by himself then turn to God by Christ So that all believers meet in this work Quest How doth the Spirit take off a man from his self-confidence and own-righteousness Answ I shall give my answer very briefly under several Heads premising this first He who will stand upon his own legs or seek to make his righteousness stand as Rom. 10.3 the Jews would do he must First Be able to make satisfaction for the wrong that sin hath done the broken Law and he must agree Secondly He must be
is no Apostolical preaching Mr. Shepherd nor any other ever found that in Christ or his Apostles preaching I put that question to old Mr. Daniel Rogers Whether it were the duty of Ministers to preach the Soveraignty of Gods Grace to give it where he will when we are upon the work of Conversion or effectual Calling and the Soul under that work He answered To preach the Soveraignty of his Grace in triumphing over all the guilt and vileness of the broken hearted sinner that lyes under the sense of his sin is proper preaching of it This is very true but this is not Mr. Shepherd's sense How sparing is holy Writ in this great point but how abundant is it in setting out his Goodness Grace Mercy towards poor sinners who feel the want of it and would gladly embrace it upon his terms Let us observe the Apostle in his practical Catechisme the Epistle to the Romans when he had opened the state of every man by nature in his first second and part of the third Chapter quite outed him and shewn where our remedy lay how we came to be justified by the righteousness of Christ imputed and reconciliation through his blood in the end of the third fourth and fifth Chapters and touched the Doctrine of Sanctification in the sixth Chapter the spiritual Combate in the seventh Chapter excellent priviledges of Believers in the eighth Chapter then indeed upon the occasion of an Objection that might be made about the Jews in the ninth Chapter he openeth this Soveraignty but the Apostle doth not use to preach this to awakened Souls as Mr. Shepherd doth and Mr. Hooker while under the work of Conviction Compunction c. For Mr. Shepherd's Similitude which he brings to illustrate his Reason but illustration and probation are different things from a Beggar coming to our doors asking alms and will have what he desires else he falls a quarrelling with the Master of the house draws his knife What saith the Master Away proud Beggar shall I not do with my own what I will c. Laying by this quarrelling drawing the knife and so that devil-like fierceness against God which Mr. Shepherd mentions and which is another question this must not be I acknowledge I shall with this holy mans leave give him a Similitude which answers the case and Scriptures more aptly then his doth For the beggar if one man doth not relieve him another may and save his life But let us suppose first There is but one man that can relieve a poor man in a miserable painful starving condition Secondly This rich man calls this poor man to his door Thirdly Promiseth him if he will submit to such a condition he will relieve him and save him from perishing Fourthly He commands him to come Fifthly Threatens him if he will not come Now for this poor man to go and beg at his door and declare that he doth and will submit to his condition and to have a servant of the house come and tell this poor beggar my Master is Lord of his own goods may do what he please with them you must be content to starve and dye if the beggar quarrels with the servant yea and Master too I cannot blame him For the Reddition or Application of the Similitude the case is the same Man hath dealt vilely with God brought himself into a miserable undone and damned condition God hath made the man sensible of this his state and lies under the burden of it God who is rich in grace and only able to help this man calls him to his Son whom he hath sent to redeem such miserable Creatures and by Christ he calls him to himself Secondly In calling him he offers to him if he will come and submit to his condition he will save him from his woful misery perfectly give him his Love Grace Pardon Image c. Thirdly He commands him to come to his Son Fourthly He threatens him with damnation if he will not come Fifthly He promiseth covenants and sets seals to his Covenant that he will do all for him in the second Head upon that condition This man now finds the Lord hath wrought in him a willingness to submit to the condition oh with all my heart do I yield if thou wilt give me what thou hast said To have a servant now come and tell me the Lord is soveraign over his Grace true he can pardon sanctifie c. but he will dispose of his Grace where he pleaseth you must be content to have no Grace but be damned for ever though it 's true I would not fly like a Devil against God nor draw my knife yet I will quarrel with this servant and tell him his Master is of a sweeter nature and told me otherwise bad me come and promised he would save me if I did come to his condition which I heartily submit to Whatever thoughts people have of God while they are filling themselves with their lusts and dead in sins yet when once people come to be awakened Conscience roars people then are apt to have ill surmises and hatd thoughts of God the Devil will throw them in fast enough we had need keep up as good thoughts of God as we can in the hearts of awakened sinners This answer may serve to another kind of argument like this p. 148. when he saith It is the greatest pride when the Soul will be discontent and grow sullen because God denies it not small things but treasures of Grace Mercy Christ and all that he is worth This he illustrates from a Beggar that must have a thousand pounds c. To which I answer I grant they are wonderful things indeed but considering the infinite fulness of himself and the fulness of Christs purchase it is no more for God to give me them then to give me the bread I eat every day God may give his Grace Mercy Love Pardon to millions of men more then are in the world hath been or shall be and when he hath so done not one farthing the poorer I am the poorer by a penny if I give a penny less then these will not serve the turn our misery is so great Be they never so great his sweet heart intended them his Christ hath purchased them He hath pleased to promise them Covenants and Seals to give them upon condition submitted to He calls me commands me to come and take them He threatens me if I do not No pride then at all to be discontent disquieted without them Doth God call me thus command me to seek the lesser things of this world and threaten me with damnation if I do not pursue them The case then is not the same In page 147. I find another Argument I think he intends it for one and I would leave nothing untouched which I see may carry a shew of an Argument in it it is that which at first I noted Why art thou quiet and still when the Lord denies thee any common mercy
not fallen And I read Barwardin with other learned men inclining to the affirmative giving their Reasons which I think may easily be answered this is but an airy speculation Sum. 3. p. q. 1. a 3. Aquinas speaks more rationally and according to Scripture in which we ought to rest Thirdly Was not this the end of Christ his Offices and all the work he did on earth and doth still in heaven To bring many sons to glory Heb. 2.10 Did he not come to seek and save those who were lost Matth. 18.11 Was this the very business of Christ and yet thou standest doubting of thy saith because thou aimest at thy salvation May not I aim at that for my self which Christ doth Fourthly Is not thy salvation the end of thy faith 1 Pet. 1.8 And that I may joyn several heads together that which thou art commanded To work out with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 Hast not read the price Nay it is the unvaluable worth of a Soul Christ himself being the Judge and how he sets thee to look after the salvation of it Matth. 16.26 Fifthly Was not that the work of the Spirit in the work of preparation to make thee feel thy misery through sin and guilt that fearing the wrath to come thou mightest flee to Jesus to deliver thee 1 Thes 1. last To conclude Art thou afraid thy faith is not sound because thou didst aim at thy salvation I will be bold to tell thee thy faith is unsound and thou didst never close with Christ truly if thou didst not close with him for thy salvation Thou poor abused Christian didst not receive Jesus Did not the Father call thee to Jesus If you never received Jesus you never received Christ as lyet I pray what is Jesus What doth this signifie Is it not a Saviour Good Lord that ever Christians should be so abused blinded by a Devil that they should not see that it is impossible for them to receive a Christ but they must receive Jesus Christ they must receive a Saviour and yet make their faith worth nothing because they aimed at their own salvation Will you be for ever fooled thus Come come friend leave your cavilling your simple silly foolish quarrellings I tell thee Christ is a glorious Saviour and will have abundance of glory in thy salvation And where is Christ like to have it most but in those who being most sensible of their horrid vile undone and miserable condition through the guilt of their sin and slavery of their hearts to their lusts and creatures and being enlightened to behold the glorious and great salvation Heb. 2.3 which Christ hath wrought do with admiration of this Jesus and his salvation receive him embrace him upon his own terms that they may obtain compleat redemption and salvation by him the more throughly sensible they are of this great salvation they have by him and aim at in him the more will they admire him Object This is to love Christ for his goods we should love Christ for himself not for his goods thus we have heard Ministers preach and Hypocrites may love the goods of Christ Answ Must we love Christ for himself not for his goods I pray what wise man was it taught you this Who taught you to divide the object of your love when as God hath joyned Christ and his goods together I mean by his goods all the benefits of communion all the good things that believers united to Christ are to partake of Did God offer you a Christ without goods Is not the whole Covenant of Grace are not all the Promises of which Christ is the Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 the things in which the Lord offers to joynture the Soul upon the Marriage of his Son Whence then came this Divinity Not from Heaven Yet sometimes I have heard such passages like to this when men will seem to let people know they have more skill than others in the mysteries of Conversion they must strain themselves to speak something new though it be non-sense I know full well Christ is to be loved for himself and believers are taken with the Person of Christ he is and shall be very glorious in their eyes but to say and not for his goods this is just as if a woman were taken with the person of a man but this person hath no goods nor the woman any and so when they are married they must either work hard beg or starve Christ is no such person if he were whatever these men say I suppose he would have but few to believe in him you may preach long enough before you will draw Souls to him It is not the Person of Christ which doth immediately answer the Soul and help it under the misery it now lieth If a woman be ready to starve or pinched with cold ragged c. it is not the comeliness of the mans person that will feed her or cloath her but his goods When Christ called the Angel of Laodicea Revel 3.18 to come to him he tells him of gold and white rayment these are goods It is righteousness peace pardon justification holiness c. which are fit to answer the condition of this poor Soul now called to Christ these are his goods Why then are these blocks thrown in the wayes of poor Christians to trouble them in their self-examinations Object But Hypocrites love the goods of Christ and would be glad to partake of them Answ Speak at length I pray make what you object clear that we may know how to understand you Hppocrites love all the goods of Christ and would willingly have them Say you so Doth an Hypocrite love all the goods of Christ all the benefits of communion all the new Covenant Doth he love them all Is his love real and entire to these would he have them all Speak out plain that we may know your Divinity and is not that Hypocrite willing to embrace and receive the Person of Christ that he may have all the goods of Christ which he loves I pray show me that Hypocrite Why do we speak so darkly when we have to deal with Souls so often in the dark Who are more apt to take up such sentences than poor upright Christians who are afraid of Cheats I know Hypocrites will be glad of some of the goods of Christ some part of his redemption what is this to the work we are upon The difficulty lyes in the next question to which now I come What the state of the question is see before These things we grant First That the glory of Gods Grace the honour of Christ are above our salvation Secondly God hath his Grace glorified in the Souls first closing with Christ and shall have the glory of it to eternity Christ hath his honour and shall eternally be exalted by the believer In the very first receiving of Christ he doth wonder at the Grace of God he admires the Love and Redemption of Christ and doth so all his
terrible his wrath is and will be against sin should now have God his Friend and Father and Christ a High-Priest to be alwayes pleading his cause then thoughts fill the heart with admiration and astonishment a pardoned justified reconciled estate What tongue of man or Angel can speak the blessedness of it If Castellio can flout at imputed righteousness yet he might have learned to write truth Where did he ever read any of our Divines who maintain yea must and will exalt imputed not putative as he scoffingly calls it righteousness Interpret that Text 1 Cor. 6.9 11. as he glosseth and imputes to us thus Neither fornicators nor adulterers De obedien praestand a p. 232. nor effeminate c. but ye are washed but ye are sanctified c. that is saith he God doth not impute these sins though they abide in you still you are fornicators as before you are adulterers as before but these sins are not imputed to you We abhor his putative Comment Where did he ever read a Divine of ours I presume he aims at Calvin who takes washing for justification in that Text but he might have read Calvin there saying Sanctificat vitiosam naturam spiritu suo reformando ita sanctificatio ad regenerationem pertinet Calvin's Comment is quite cross to what he puts upon him that took sanctified for non-imputing of sins Why did not he there tell us the difference between sanctified and justified in the Text if justification be only to make just as he contends They were such but they are justified so the Lord doth not impute the guilt of their sins And they were sanctified and if made holy then they were no more fornicators or adulterers as he fancies the doctrine of imputation leaves men as to inherent righteousness and it found them before effectual Calling men of sedate quiet tempers and constitutions rational heads bookish men given only to study never acquainted with self-emptying workings loads of guilt pressing dark desertions violent and strong temptations are fit men to take up Arms against the most precious Gospel truths riches of free Grace imputed Righteousness the blood of Atonement cut off Christ in his Priestly work and set up a Dagon of self-righteousness a Castellian perfection imperfectly proved Diana of mans free will which we grant is free in part when made free by Grace and if this be the fruit men make of their learning and tempers c. we thank God for our temptations If we had nothing else but self-righteousness and persection to boast of woe to our Souls but blessed be God for our High-Priest for imputed Righteousness for the revealing of a Covenant of Grace What David said of the Covenant struck with him This is all my salvation and all my desire 2 Sam. 23 5. the same say we for take away imputed righteousness the righteousness of God-man take away the bloud of Atonement even the bloud of that Saerifice God in our flesh take away the Covenant of Grace in which the free Grace of God is resolved to triumph over all the guilt enmity sins lusts hypocrisies slavery of the vessels of mercy by pardoning justifying cleansing healing and yet be just take away these I say then fare well blessedness peace and comfort and though I cannot say welcome yet misery wrath and sorrows will come and they who can find another way to escape them must be wiser than men or Angels are yea wiser than God himself Pardon is a good word in the opinion of all men that think there is any sin and no man will refuse it Justification by imputed righteousness may be very well liked by a laxe careless and vain Christian who either in opinion will deny as some any inherent created righteousness or grace in us or be their opinion what it will do not much regard it to find the work of Grace in them as I have known some crying up the righteousness of Christ to our justification their tongues could speak of nothing but this how pure we were so that God could see no sin in his people not to see it that is not to impute it to a justified person in Christ we owned but that was too low not enough God could see none but inherent righteousness was never made mention of and if the question were put But how shall I know I am in this justified state Their answer was For that you must look to it and that was all the answer that ever I heard them give Thus I say for a laxe Gospeller the notion may please him but for a man from the sense of the imperfection of his inherent righteousness the sin the mixtures that cleave to his own duties and performances from the high estimation he hath of Gods righteousness Rom. 10.3 The righteousness which is through the faith of Christ Phil. 3.9 in earnest to say Surely in the Lord have I righteousness Isai 45.24 In him who is Jehovah our righteousness Jer. 23.6 In him do I glory Isai 45.25 Making mention of thy righteousness even thine only as David Psal 71.16 saith Though in another sense yet Calvin saith Calvin in Text. that B. Austin doth a hundred times make use of this Text to overthrow the merits of works and did plausibly oppose this righteousness which is freely given of God against the meritorious righteousness of men this frame is not found in all Gospellers this the proud heart of man will not set up and upon this for a guilty self condemned Soul to rest and roul it self it cannot in a day of sin appearing unless as faith is the gift of God so this act of saith be given from above But still upon this imputed Righteousness blood of Atonement Christ his High-Priest doth the real Christian venture and lay the stress of his Soul if these crack I am gone Examine Christian doest thou experience this in thy heart feelingly Secondly This Jesus Christ is the Lord as he was received before for our High-Priest so he is received for our Lord and King if we receive him right as all real Christians do Zech. 6.12 Behold the man God directing it saith Grotius Pilate fitted these words or applyed them to Christ John 19.5 Pilate saith to them Behold the man whose name is the Branch Messiah is his name saith the Chaldee ver 3. even he shall build the Temple of the Lord both the material Temple which Joshua and Zerubbabel could not without him and the spiritual Temple the universal Church especially and he shall bear the glory all the glory and excellency of the Church is in Christ the Head of it the glory of rearing up and building a Church to God in the world is a burden too heavy for any but Christ to bear he builds it and wears the glory Munster and Clarius interpret this glory by Revel 19.16 On his Vesture was written King of Kings Lord of Lords and shall sit and rule upon his Throne Christ is King Psal 2.6 and he shall
be a Priest upon his Throne Christ a Priest Psal 110.4 and the Counsel of peace shall be between them both Here is the glorious Conjunction of the two Supreme Dignities the Kingdom and the Priesthood in Christs most excellent Person The Prophetical Office saith learned Pemble is not mentioned which it may be is but an Appendix of his Priesthood What is meant by these words Between them both some between the Jews and Gentiles this I like not some between Zerubbabel the Prince and Joshua the Priest But 1. Here is no mention of Zerubbabel 2. Both the Crowns were set upon Joshuah's head ver 11. 3. The Branch ver 12. was to sit on the Throne and rule De Dieu I see differs from all he shall sit and rule upon his Throne he will not have it translated super thronum suum but super thronum ejus by ejus meaning Jehovah So by them both or those two he understands the Branch and Jehovah But what then is meant by the Counsel of peace he doth not interpret Cor. a Lapide thus Either saith he between both the Thrones the Kingly power and Priesthood or the Prince and the Priest q. d. In Christ shall be the greatest consent and concord between the Prince sitting upon his Kingly Throne and the Priest sitting upon his Pontifical Throne because he shall be both and shall conjoyn both the Dignity of the Pristhood and Kingdom in himself This is something but not enough Mr. Pemble better Counsel of Peace an allusion to the former government of the Jews State wherein the King and Priest several Officers did take counsel one with and of another for the maintenance of peace and prosperity in the Church and State Now likewise the Churches peace should be wrought though not by two several persons yet by vertue of two several offices meeting in one Christ purchasing all peace to his Church by his Priesthood and maintaining and defending it by his Kingdom the effect which the conjunction of both Thrones and Offices in Christ doth produce is peace and reconciliation with God with safety and deliverance from our spiritual enemies thus Mr. Pemble agreeing with Junius To these I shall only add Diodati and no more These two offices in Christ shall perfectly agree one with another though they seem to be very different the one having the administration of Justice to command and punish the other of mercy to expiate and pardon but Christ shall expiate and pardon that he may be obeyed when he commands Psal 130.4 having brought men again into Gods favour to make them receive his Spirit which enclineth them to a voluntary obedience and shall command in pardoning viz. he shall enact the Law of the Spirit as much or more binding then the literal Law thus he This comes up to what I aimed at in the quotation thus I conceive Peace or reconciliation between persons at distance is not properly made up till both parties be agreed Christ on his Priestly Throne as he offers himself a Sacrifice expiatory to his Father satisfying of his Justice makes up the breach on Gods part Christ on his Kingly Throne delivering us from our spiritual enemies as Mr. Pemble and let me add our enmity against God by giving his Spirit to incline us to voluntary obedience by enacting the Law of the Spirit as Diodati doth heal or make up the breach on our part thus the blessed Counsel of peace is made up of both these Offices in Christ and now it prospers God reconciled to us our wills to his The sum then is Christ sitting on both the Thrones must be received and so trusted to rested upon if peace comprehending all spiritual prosperity as peace among the Hebrews was used to signifie prosperity be ours What Christ upon the Throne ruling doth towards the outward peace of his Church I do not now speak though I am sure the Church shall enjoy outward peace from hence also and that in a glorious manner as yet on the earth but I let that alone this is the peace we most need which I am now upon spirittual inward peace with God and our Consciences Christ sitting upon the Priestly Throne the former Head spake to now I am to speak of Christ sitting and ruling on his Kingly Throne and see whether he be so received Quest But here one Question What is it to receive Christ as Lord Answ B. Davenant on the Text Colos 2.6 thus comments The Colossians and so all true Christians have received Christ the Lord both of their faith and of their life neither will they suffer any rules of Faith or Christian life to be imposed upon them by any other This is a great truth and spoken like a Christian who owned Christ for his Lord only but this doth not take in all whether Christ did make any new Laws added new Commandements is a great question between us and the Socinians I will not at all meddle with it yet I will venture one Argument against Socinus here If Christ be a Law-giver then he is God Jehovah But he is a Law-giver Ergo. That he is a Law-giver Socinus yields The consequence I prove James 4.12 There is One Law-giver c. not two Law-givers One God and Man the other James 2.8 He speaks of the Royal Law given under the old Testament Jehovah gave the Law Christ then as God Jehovah gives the Law binding the Conscience able to save and to destroy as in the Text and so is the Object of Divine worship One only Law giver the Dutch read This I am certain of the receiving of Christ as King as Lord is not meant only of receiving him as a Law-giver as giving Commands to be obeyed and thus it may be many Christians understand it when they hear they must receive Christ as Lord and King that is I must obey his Commands be subject to him which though it be a truth yet if this be all we are but in a sad case we have received Commands enough to sink us considering the vile enmity of our hearts unto them how opposite they are to the holy Commandments we need no more Law-givers or Laws to damn us for breach of them The Question is How shall my vile heart be brought about to obey these holy Commands this blessed King how shall my will ever be made subject to him 2. Therefore Secondly To receive Christ King and Lord under a Covenant of Grace is to receive him not only as a King to give me Laws morally but I receive Jesus my King efficiently to incline my will bow my heart and to enable me to be subject to him and obey his Commandments this is the King under a Covenant of Grace which we chiefly look at and thus I conceive he is chiefly to be looked upon for thus not by giving Laws doth he heal us all his Offices tend to healing to redemption but giving Laws is no healing no redemption they may make our sore worse our
God hath blessed our English Nation abundantly Satan might deal with them as he hath dealt with others before take occasion from some things written to fill some with perplexing thoughts and put others upon some practises in which they shall wurry and tire themselves and when they have done so be never the nearer But I have exceeded already and gone beyond what at first I intended Leaving this work for more able men and well acquainted with varieties of temptations I shall add no more but Blessed be the Lord for the discoveries of the riches of his Grace in a Covenant of Grace Blessed be the Lamb upon whose blood this Covenant is founded and of which he hath undertaken to be the Mediatour and Surety Blessed be that good Spirit that brings our Souls under this Covenant and keeps us in it This is all our salvation this is all our desire Those who can find salvation any where else let them take it But by the faith of this we live in the strength of this will dye FINIS These Books with several others are printed for and to be sold by Dorman Newman at the Chirurgions-Arms in Little Britain near the Hospital-gate Folio THe Exact Politician or Compleat Statesman By Leonard Willan Esquire Il Cardinalismo di Santa Chiesa Or the History of the Cardinals of the Roman Church from the time of their first Creation to the Election of the present Pope Clement the Ninth with a full account of his Conclave Written in Italian by the Auth. of the Nipotismo di Roma Eng. by G. H. A Relation of the Voyage and Residence of Charles II. K. of Great Britain c. in Holland By Sir W. Lower Knight Memoires of the Lives Actions Sufferings and Deaths of those Noble Reverend Personages that suffered for the Protestant Religion and the great Principle thereof By David Lloyd A. M. sometime of Oriel Colledge in Oxon. Mr. Knox his History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland A Treatise of Justification By George Downam D. D. Spencers History of Ireland Brathwaites English Gentleman and Gentlewoman Austins Meditations Review of the Council of Trent Babingtons Works Jermin on the Proverbs and Ecclesiastes Quarto THat excellent Piece of Mr. George Swynnocks Christian mans Calling in three Volumes Faiths Universal Usefulness with the excellency of a Spiritual life By Mr. Matthew Lawrence of Ipswich Mr. Elborough's Sermon on the Fire Gospel Remission By Mr. Jer. Burroughs lately extant The Virtue and Value of Baptism By Mr. Zach. Crofton Mr. Durham's Exposition upon the Canticles Doctor Hamptons Sermon before King James Lesley's Sermon tending to Unity Hampton's Three-fold State of man A Serm before K. James Hist of Gentle Craft Dod and Clever on the Commandments Souls Sentinels Spiâ—ers Elogy on Sir Arth. Chester Octavo THe Life of Cardinal Woolsey L. Chanc. of England c. A guide to Ladies Gentlewomen and Maids how to behave themselves in all Estates Relations and Conditions By Hannah Wolley A guide to the true Religion By J. Clapham M. A. The Christians great Interest By W. Guthry late Minister of the Gospel in Scotland The fifth impression Justification only upon a satisfaction or the necessity and verity of the satisfaction of Christ as the alone ground of remission of sin asserted and opened against the Socinians By Rob. Firgirson Minister of the Gospel in London The Pastors Love to a loving People By M. William Thomson Minister of the Gospel in London A Synopsis of Quakarisme or a Collection of the Fundamental Errors of the Quakers With a brief Refutation of them By Thomas Danson sometime Minister of the Gospel in Sandwich in Kent The Laws and Canons drawn up and agreed upon by the General Assembly or Meeting of the Head of the Quakers from all parts of the Kingdom Phanatick Primer for the instruction of little ones in order to perfect reading By H. Adis Rebukes for sin by Gods burning Anger By T. Doolittle The Life of Doctor James Vsher late Arch-bishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland A most comfortable and Christ Dialogue By W. Cooper Spare Minutes or resolved Meditations and premeditated Resolutions By Arthur Warwick Clarissimi Viri Adriani Heereboordi Philosophiae professoris Ordinarii Disputationum de Concursu Examen à Jo Stearne M.D. Institutum ad Amicum suum Jo. Rawlineum An excellent Oration of that Learned J. Raynolds DD. Archers Jests Sejanus Heaths Transubstantiation Owens Epigrams
is it not because the Lord will have it so Now look as we say him that bates sin as sin he hates all sin so he that is meekened with Gods good pleasure in any one thing because of his good pleasure upon the same ground will endeavour at least to stoop in every thing So then if Gods pleasure be to deny thee mercy c. I answer If this Argument be well looked into I think there is a fallacy appears in it If you lay it thus If the Soveraignty of God in denying me any one common mercy be the ground which makes me quiet and still in want of it then if Gods pleasure be to deny me another common mercy upon the same ground I will still be quiet So there may be some use of what is added be that hates sin as sin hates all sin for all sin is of the same nature transgression of the Law enmity against God So all common mercies as common are of the same nature none argue special love But this Argument speaks not ad idem for your Argument runs from common mercies to saving special mercies these are not as sins quâ sins of the same nature enmity to God but these differ infinitely quite of another nature So that to argue because I am quiet with the will of God in denying me common mercies ergo I must be quiet contented with the will of God though he denies me special mercies will never give me his Love Grace but damn me This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fallacy Secondly It seems by this Argument that all the reasons or the only reason why we are content and ought to be content when God denies us any common mercy is the soveraignty and pleasure of God for this is the reason expressed and none but this That the pleasure of God doth much and ought to do much among Christians I deny not but that this must be the sole reason as if no other reason should quiet us I understand not this Divinity With his leave I shall give him other reasons why I am content and quiet though God denieth me some common mercies since it is his pleasore freely to give me himself his Christ his Love his Grace his Pardon and Peace which are sure mercies therefore I desire to be quiet and content though he hath denied me many common mercies and let me say this with honour yet to that holy man that the will being a most hungry appetite and good being the meat that must satisfie it and this is Gods own work to make the faculty then if the will be hungry and sharp set after any common mercy that it tastes as good and very good for it then if the temptation blows hard it will be impossible to make that man quiet contented but either he must enjoy that particular good or he must find some other good counterpoizing nay overcoming and conquering that good and what is that but God himself in Christ Soveraignty doth not satisfie the appetite in it self simply it is no good for the will to possess but the love of the Soveraign God which gives the will union with God this is heavenly food for this appetite and this will do when this good God will give out himself to the Soul and make the Soul know it What the Soveraign God might have done with his Creature I deny not but it hath pleased him graciously to deal with man as a rational Creature giving him commands and doth many times give this reason for obedience I am Jehovah but yet withall he gives Argumeuts sutable to the will there is good for it How often is that Argument used to israel That it may go well with you and your Children How many promises of good How many threats of evil from which the will flies Then flie from disobedience Let us observe the twelfth of the Hebrews what Arguments the Spirit of God doth give to quiet Christians under afflictions want of common mercies Is Soveraignty the only Argument there insisted upon Search and we shall find others and but little of that if any thing at all Verse 3. an example from Christ our Lord and Head what he suffered ver 6. the love of God Whom he loveth ver 7. Childrens fare He deals with you as Sons ver 8. Else Bastards ver 9 10. Our own fathers after their own pleasure here was a fit place to have added so God for his pleasure his soveraignty but the Spirit opposeth God chastiseth us for our profit to make us partakers of his holiness These are all quieting Arguments so that for my part I do not find the Scripture speaking after Mr. Shepherd's manner who hath infisted upon nothing but only Soveraignty except his first Argument I find no more Reasons in Mr. Shepherd there is one which I have in my mind which may carry some strength in it I will set it down though I see it not in these holy mens Books and make their case as good as I can Either you must murmure and quarrel against God if he will not give you his Love and Grace but damn you or else you must be content though God will never give you his Love and Grace but damn you But you must not murmure and quarrel ergo you must be content To this Argument I answer I deny the disjunction there is no necessity that one of the parts must be true or I deny both the parts of the Proposition for I would neither murmure quarrel or fly out against God nor will I study to be content to be given up to my lusts denied Grace and be damned Quest If you ask me what will you do then Answ I answer The Lord hath made me see what a finful and miserable Creature I am in my self and hath made me feel how unable I am to help my self being nothing in my self but sin misery rebellion emptiness wants the Toad more happy yet in the Gospel I see he hath revealed his Chaist he offers Christ to me calls me to receive Jesus who delivereth me from wrath to come 1 Thes 1.10 Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity 2 Tit. 14. From this present world Gal. 1.4 Christ himself calls me to come Isai 55.1 Revel 22.17 tells me he will not shut the door against me nor cast me out if I do come John 6.37 He promiseth if I do come I shall not perish John 3.16 Gods will and command is that I do believe in him John 3.16 1 John 3.23 It is obedience to believe in him Rom. 1.5 and 16.26 Obedience of Faith He threatens me if I believe not with his wrath John 3. last When I was in my infancy he took me into Covenant with my godly Parents and powred clean water upon me in my baptisme Ezek. 36.25 signifying and sealing up to me the blood of Christ with his benefits if I answer the condition of his Covenant Now his offer I most thankfully accept his