this way as that they thought scarsly any Scripture there or worth a looking into unless brought in in this way which is a great and dangerous temptation But if at any time the Spirit of the Lord do in distress supply the soul in this way it may be known 1. When the Scripture is suitably applied to the souls condition 2. When the fruit thereof is thankfulness to God humility and an humble walk with God and with his people for delusions in this case are accompanied with bad effects as pride self-exalting neglect of duty to the Lord and slighting the Word unless it be in this manner of revelation as it 's called but to the Believer every word of the Lord is pure and precious and the Spirit meets with sealing evidences sometimes in one word and sometimes in another from the openings of the Grace and Glory of the new covenant with the applications thereof so that the soul can say on good ground this is my promise where-ever it finds it my Grace my Glory and the Lord is my Portion my God in whom I trust 2. By his work in the soul 2. The Spirit seals Assurance by his work in the hearts of Believers as by his Word he leaves such an impression upon the soul of his own likeness by which the whole man is in a measure formed into the Image and likeness of Christ that upon examination the Believer finds the Spirit of Christ is there he finds Faith and Love and Humility and Meekness and Obedience and Joy in the Lord from whence the Believer clâ—arly concludes that the Spirit of the Lord is there it is the Spirit of Adoption that inables those in whom it is to cry Abba Father that is it discovers the Adoption and Sonship to the soul and this doth not import alwaies an undoubted assurance yet the soul can cry it out cry Abba Father so it is in both Scripture that speaks of this truth Rom. 8. 15. Gal. 4. 6. It 's a Metaphor taken from children who when their Father frowns or hides his face yet they lose not their relation though they cry yet their cry is Father Father so gracious souls that have the Spirit of Adoption though but low in their apprehensions yet they cry it out Father Father and claim their interest and relation still Obj. In the same Scripture it 's said for Quest ye have not received the Spirit of bondage to fear again but the Spirit of Adoption c Which seems to import that where the Spirit of Adoption is all doubting and fears is done away and John saith 1 Joh. 4. 18. That perfect love casteth out fear Answ 1. We are to understand that the Ans Apostle in this place is distinguishing between the two ministrations i. e. between the old and new Covenants and the differing spirit that each tended to the first with all its sacrifices which could not make the comeâ—s thereunto perfect as pertaining to the conscience Heb. 9. 9. and 10. 1. had a natural tendency to leave them under bondage and fear there being a remembrance of sin every year when the sacrifice was over they must necessarily be under fear till another sacrifice But the Gospel ministration is a ministration of Liberty Life and Peace by that one Sacrifice once offered for all that there is no cause of fear for need of another Sacrifice so that the spirit of the Gospel in the ministration thereof hath its natural tendency to take away legal fear out of the hearts of Believers where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty that is from the spirit of bondage it doth not import that the Saints are freed from the filial fear of God nor from fear of sinning against him nor from having an holy fear of themselves lest they come short Heb. 4. 1. And it 's true perfect love casteth out fear that is that fear which hath torment the legal fear and it 's true likewise that if we did or could live up in the perfect apprehension of the love of God in Christ to us which could perfect our love to him we could not fear the legal fear you cannot fear that one whom you believe do intirely love you will do you hurt so live in this love of God and you cannot fear this fear that is you cannot fear that he will damn you and destroy you after all the Gospel-grace and manifestations of his love But yet for all this you may fear and you 'l have need sometimes to fear your own naughty hearts and sinful nature and to take heed of an evil heaâ—t of unbelief to depart from this Living and Loving God So that the sum of all is this that Believers under the Gospel are freed from the old covenant spirit of bondage and under that notion cannot fear again because they are by one Sacrifice for ever perfected they need not another to take away their sins if they live up much in the love of God they cannot fear that God will hurt them but do them good But when their fear works so high as to disclaim their relation that is besides the Spirit of the Gospel unless it be as a punishment of some former or present sin thereby to work the soul to a more watchful frame how it walks for time to come Now this new Covenant assurance as it admits of degrees so in the highest degree it admits of imperfection and reacheth not so far as sight and injoyment so that in the same souls may be high confidence and comfort at one time and flagings and fears at another not fears of Gods love and faithfulness nor the all-sufficiency of that one Sacrifice but fear of our own deceitful hearts and naughty natures and the reason is because as I said before our assurance depends not only on the truth and faithfulness of God in his Word but likewise on the truth of the work of Grace in us and that work being imperfect as in us our assurance must needs be something like unto it but when that which is perfect is come then that which is imperfect shall be done away then no more sin nor sorrow no more fear of coming short of that rest Quest If our assurance must come in Quest from the Divine works and workings of the Spirit through the Word in the way by you prescribed is it not the way to keep souls under doubtings still when those Divine Virtues are low and hardly discernable by reason of corruption it must needs minister occasion of doubting Answ 1. This is the most certain and infallible Answ way of discerning our interest and in this the Devil cannot delude or deceive souls when our assurance comes in from Scripture-grounds but the other is uncertain souls may be deceived and the most certain and sure must needs be best and most satisfactory to the sincere Christian 2. Those high supposed assurances without relation to the Word or work of the Spirit if true may fail as
the Children to be another Faith see Vers 23. 24. Now it was not Written for his Sake alone that it was imputed to him but for us also to whom â—â— shall be imputed if we believe on him who raised up Christ our Lord from the Dead Object This with other Scriptures mentions Object 1 Believing in God as well as Believing of God 1 Pet. 1. 21. John 14. 1. so that it seems it is not enough to Believe God but we must Believe in God and in Christ Answ It 's all one in substance to believe in God and in Christ is to believe his Faithfulness and All-sufficiency that he is as good and as true and able as the Scripture reports him to be to perform his Word you Believe in him that he will not fail c. But to return the Faith of Justification is to Believe the Truth of the Gospel Record concerning the Justification and Life therein promised to those that do Believe by Jesus Christ Crâ—cified Rom. 5. 9. Much more being now justified by his Blood we shall be saved from Wrath through him Eph. 1 7. Col. 1. 14. To Believe this truly being accompanied with the Concomitants of saving Faith i. e. Love and sincerity of Obedience is the justifying saving Faith of the Gospel to which the Promise of Life is made Mark 16. 16. He that Believeth and is Baptized shall be saved that is he that Believeth and Obeyeth the Lord shall be saved That of Baptisme being the first Initiating Ordinance iâ—to the viâ—ible Constituted Church of Christ includes the whole of Obedience Object But What must we Believe Answ The Gospel that which was to be preached Preach the Gospel c. The Gospel is the Glad â—idings of Pardon Peace and Life by Jesus Christ Mark 1. 15. Repent yea and Believe the Gospel was Christ's own Doctrine for further Confirmation of this Truth see John 8. 24. and 20. 31. Rom. 10. 9 10. 1 John 5. 10 11. All which Scriptures if well weighed with many others bear testimony to this Truth that Faith is to believe God to believe the Truth of the Doctrine of the Gospel Object This is accounted and called a Object 2 Historical Faith which though necessary to True and Sâ—ving Faith yet it 's common to Wicked Men and Devils and therefore cannot be the justifying saving-Faith of the Gospel Answ Notwithstanding it may be the Answ Faith of Wicked Men and Hypocrites and of Devils too Yet it is the justifying Faith of the Gospel for the Difference lyeth not in the Matter believed but in the Manner of believing Wicked Men and Hypocrites may believe it meerly as a History assent to it but they do not believe as Justified Persons doe We must distinguish in this Case not in the Matter believed but in the Manner of believing Quest Wherein lyeth the Difference Quest Answ The one from either common Illumination Answ Education Custom or Tradition believes the same things with a head-Assent to the Truth of the Gospel But the other believes it with the Heart Rom. 10. 10. For with the Heart Man believeth unto Righteousness Acts 8. 37. If thou believest with all thine Heart thou maiest Psal 37. 31. The Law of God is in his Heart none of his Steps shall slide It 's the Promise of the New Covenant that God will write his Law in the Hearts of his People that is implant a Holy sincere Disposition of Faith and Love and the Fear of his Name the Heart is wrought after God but Hypocrites have it at most and best but in the Head in the Understanding from common Illumination c. There is a great deal of Head-Faith in the World of Customary-Faith that will come to nothing But where it is in Truth in the Heart it effects a Heart-Change with a Change in the whole Conversation Heart-believing Heart-Love to God and his things Heart-hatred of sin and Heart-obedience to the Will of Christ and thus He that is in Christ is a New Creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. And he that Believeth hath the Witness in himself 1 Joâ— 5. 10. and do or might know that he hath this Heart-Faith in him So that the Truth remains that that which Men call a History call Faith i. e. believing the History the Truth of the Doctrine of the Gospel truly as hath been demonstrated is the justifying Faith of the Gospel And as for Devils if Christ had Dyed â—or them and God had in the Gospel promised Life to them on the Terms he hath to Mâ—n Liâ—e might be preached to Devils on the same terms as to Men But God having in Justice left them without the reach oâ— this Gospel-Grace whatever they believe about it let not Man quarrel about the easie way of Man's obtaining i. e. Believe Repent and Obey the Gospel and be justified and saved Quest But how shall I come to believe mine own Interest in Justification and Life which hath been accounted with some the Faith of Justification Answ True it hath so with many and I believe that want of Spiritual skill hath done wrong to many tender Souls and hath caused them to go with Sorrow to their Graves and that either 1. In teaching that the Faith of Justification and Life must be the Faith of Application or assurance of Interest which is not the Truth of the Gospel but this of Interest must grow from that of Justification Or 2. In not laying the right Foundation of Assurance so Souls have been kept much in the Dark in this matter For the Faith of Interest must be Founded on the Promise of Life if right as well as the Faith of Justification for it is to believe God as I said before all Faith if right must be Founded on the Word of God So that the right Gospel-way for Believers to Read their own Interest and to Read their Names in the Book of Life is to make a Resultancy or Conclusion from the Premises thus God hath promised Justification and Life to them that do Believe and Obey the Gospel I do so Believe therefore I shall be saved and this is the Gospel-Ground or Reason of our Hope of Interest in Gospel-Grace and Life and thus our Interest will be grounded on the Promise of God in the Gospel If I have the Faith of the Gospel and abide therein I am Justified and shall be Saved There are three Things that it behoves Three Things considerable Christians to be Instructed in in this Matter for their Support and Peace in this Mortal and Imperfect Estate 1. To understand and know that to believe the Truth of the Glad-tidings of Salvation by Jesus Christ crucified according to the Gospel is the Terms and Condition of our Justification and Salvation and that who doth so Believe shall be Saved 2. That who so doth believe hath the Promise of Life from the Law and Covenant of God in the Gospel and from hence must claim his Interest in Grace and Life and if he claim
war against it they have no ground to draw sad conclusions against themselves though it's cause of humiliation For support in such cases consider 1. The Prophet Psal 89. 34. 19 to 37. the Lord having made great and precious promises to David and in him to Christ on the new covenant account in which was much of the Gospel Grace yet immediately his Faith fails in the whole as if God had made void his covenant and broken all his promises in that matter ver 38. 45. which hath been fulfilled on the natural seed and worldly Kingdom to visible appearance but as it related to Jesus Christ it stands firm and he is exalted upon the Throne and the Promise is sure to all thee seed 2. John the Baptist who had many high confirmations from Heaven concerning the Lord Jesus that he was the Christ he saw the sign upon him which God gave him by which he should know him Joh. 1. 33. insomuch that he could say ver 34. 56. I saw and bear record that this is the Son of God and behold the Lamb of God c. and heard the voice from Heaven saying This is my beloved Son c. yet after all these testimonies and assurances of his Faith in this matter he being in Prison comes to doubt whether he was the Christ or not Matt. 11. 3. Art thou him that should come or do we loâ—k for another which discovers that there was in John a doubt whether he was the Christ or no and this appeareth not only by the message or question but if we consider 2. the time when he sent when he was in Prison it was a Prison temptation 2. By the answer of Christ to John to strengthen him under this temptation Go and shew John those things that you do hear and see c. 2. By his answer to the multitude What went ye out to see a râ—ed shaken with the wind c. which clearly imports that John was shaken in his Faith and yet for all that he was a Prophet and more than a Prophet v. 9. Which clearly imports that gracious souls may come under temptations and doubts in matters of Faith of highest concernment and yet be gracious still yea further gracious persons may through a sudden fit of fear and surprisal by temptation not only doubt in the main matters of Faith but even deny the Faith they have been established in The case of Peter is full in this matter who denied and forswore his Lord but the difference lieth here the gracious person may fall by a sudden surprisal of sinful fear and weep bitterly for it when it is done and loves the Lord the more but the other deliberately resolved and wilfully departs from the Lord and will no more of him but with the dog returns to his vomit and with the sow that was washed to her wallowing again in the mire yet it deeply concerns souls to be heedful of such temptations 2. The second sort of Assurance is the 2. Of Assurance of Interest assurance of interest in the Doctrine believed and in speaking to this I shall shew 1. That there is a Gospel Assurance of interest in Grace and Glory to be obtained in this World 2. What this Assurance is and how and how far it may be attained 3. What it is that ordinarily hinders persons from obtaining thereof 1. That a well grounded Gospel Assurance 1. That it may be attained of Faith may be attained here in this life it is that which many Saints have attained and a possibility is stated for all to attain it 1. That many have attained it Job though under afflictions yet could say I know that my Redeemer liveth c. whom I shall see for my self c. Job 19. 25. 27. and the Prophet could say after a cloud of darkness and temptation Psal 73. 24. 26. Thou shalt guide me by thy counsel and afterward receive me to Glory and Paul Gal. 2. 20. I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me and 2 Tit. 4. 7 8. I have fought a good Fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith from henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge will give me at that day c. But 2. Lest it be objected by any that these were extraordinary persons and therefore may doubt whether it be attainable by believers as such a possibility is stated for all to attain it and this will appear in the promise it 's promised not Prophets or Apostles or Ministers as such to all Believers he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved and John 6. 40. and this is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life see Act. 16. 31. Rom. 10. 9. If God hath made the promise of life to believers as such without distinction he hath stated a possibility to believers to obtain a Gospel assurance of their Salvation 2. It appears in that it was the Apostles work and should be the work and endeavour of every faithful Minister to help Believers in this matter that so they might attain a well grounâ—eâ— comfortable assurance of their intereâ—t in the grace of life so Paul Rom. 3. 22. The righteousness of God which is by Faith of Christ unto all and upon all that believe and Chap. 8. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus whâ— walk not after the flesh but after the spirit 1 Joh. 5. 13. These things have I written to them that believe c. that ye may know that ye have eternal life c. The Lord's design is not only to give his people eternal life but he would have them to know it for their comfort and for that end he hath stated clear grounds in his Word by which they may come to know it as I shall endeavour in the second place to shew what it is and â—ow it may be attained 2. What this Assurance is and how far it may be attained 1. What it is it is called in Scripture sometimes the assurance of Faith Heb. 10. 22. Let us draw near in full assurance of Faith Heb. 6. 11. The full assurance of hope the full assurance of understanding Col. 2. 2. Confidence boldness Eph. 3. 12. Heb. 10. 35. The confidence of hope Heb. 3. 6. Whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm to the end The assurance of Faith Hope Confidence is sometimes higher and sometimes lower sometimes more sometimes less according to the souls exercise in the word of Life and work of Faith and the working of the Spirit in the word of Faith for there is no such assurance to be attained here as when we come to the possession of the Kingdom and Glory promised when all occasion of doubting shall be done away for the assurance here
to be the case of many not only of the World but of those who pretend and profess to be called out of the World Job feared God and eschewed evil Chap. 1. 1. Fear God and sin if you dare 2. The fear of God as it is a sin-destroying Virtue so it is a God-obeying Virtue where the fear of God is in truth there is conscience and care to obey the Lord to keep his Commandments Eccl. 12 13. Fear God and keep his Commandments that is keep his Commandments as your duty and where this fear of God is you will keep his Commandments as your disposition the fear of God and obedience to him alwaies dwells together Ps 5. 7. As for me I will come into thine house in the multitude of thy Mercies and in thy fear will I worship toward thine Holy Temple Where sense of Mercy and power of Love and the fear of God meet together in one soul there will be sincere obedience and worshipping of God there will be serving God with reverence and godly fear Ps 2. 11. Serve the Lord with fear rejoyce with trembling You that have no care nor conscience of obeying the Lord of serving and worshipping the Lord according to his appointments and living to him according to his will have just grounds to suspect that you are without the love and fear of God 3. The fear of God is a soul-sanctifying Virtue where the love and fear of God is the desire of that soul is to be more like God and like Christ it doth not only out with sin but it increaseth Virtue it is as truly desirous of increase in Virtue of conformity to Christ as it is to be rid of sin outing of sin is one part of Holiness and inning of Virtue is the other and it 's accomplished by the fear of God Ps 34. 11 12 13. Come ye children hearken to me and I will teach you the fear of the Lord and concludes all in this Depart from evil and do good seek peace and pursue it This is the way to perfect Holiness 2 Cor. 7. 1. Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting Holiness in the fear of God The fear of God is a soul-sanctifying Virtue would you grow in Holiness and conformity to Jesus Christ which I dare say is the desire of all gracious souls both in the inward and outward man then see that you grow in this Virtue 4. The fear of God is a soul-consolating Virtue it affords very much ground of consolation to the soul where it is for where this is in truth there are all the Divine Virtues of the Gospel to which the promises are made as Faith Love Humility Meekness Patience Self-denial c. The Divine saving Virtues of the new Covenant goes not alone they are much besides the truth of the Gospel that tell souls that one Grace or Virtue of Christ in them is enough to demonstrate them to be in a saved condition whereas the Gospel-saving Graces or Virtues to which Salvation is promised goes not alone he that supposeth he hath one alone must suppose impossibilities either he hath more or none at all For from his fulness we all receive and Grace for Grace that is of every Divine Virtue of Christ the Believer hath something thereof within him and where the fear of the Lord is there is the truth of all Divine Grace it 's laid at bottom of all as that from whence it flows Acts 10. 34 35. In every Nation he that feareth God and worketh Righteousness shall be accepted Fear God and the work will be done matter of comfort to souls possessed with this Virtue Prov. 14. 26 27. The fear of the Lord is strong confidence c. That is it is a ground of confidence of interest in God which affords strong consolation Prov. 19. 23. The fear of the Lord tendeth to life and he that hath it shall abide satisfied he shall not be visited with evil It 's such a Virtue so much tending to life that affords satisfaction to the soul that hath it that he is in the way of life Hence the Lord saith speaking of such a person Isa 33. 6. The fear of the Lord is his treasure a treasure of Grace is in it here and a treasure of Glory shall attend it hereafter thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord. 5. The fear of God is a soul-preserving 5. It is a soul-preserving Grace Grace a soul-seasoning and preserving Virtue it tends to preserve those in whom it is to the Kingdom of Glory promised it not only preserves and keeps the soul from sin and keeps it close to duty but it preserves the soul from defilements in evil times and daies of temptation Mal. 3. 15 16. When they called the proud happy and they that tempted God were delivered and they that wrought wickedness were set up then they that feared God spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it c. That is he approved it and owned them and remembred them in mercy in the day of need The fear of the Lord will preserve souls pure to God in profane and sinning times and in persecuting times and in times of temptation in a word it will preserve those in whom it is through all difficulties and temptations it will preserve from the sinful fear of man Prov. 29. 25. The fear of man bringeth a snare Isa 51. 7 12 13. But the fear of God delivereth from this snare it keepeth from a wicked departing from God Jer. 32. 40. I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me O therefore all ye that fear God seek that ye may increase therein more and more it will tend to the increase of every Virtue and decrease of sin and preserving you in Faith Love and Holiness unto the day of Redemption I conclude this with Psal 34 9. O fear the Lord ye his Saints for there is no want to them that fear him CHAP. XXI Of the Law of God and what we are to understand thereby COncerning the Law of God which hath been and is the rule both of Faith and Practice throughout all Ages according to the manner of the ministration thereof of which it's necessary for Christians to be instructed in In speaking thereof I shall endeavour 1. To shew what it is 2. How it hath been in several times and manners given and administred since the beginning 3. The necessariness of believing and obeying thereof according to the time and manner of the administring thereof 4. What Law it was that Christ fulfilled in his active and passive obedience and for what sins it was that he suffered 1. What the Law of God is 1. Sometimes 1. What the Law of God is by Law we are to understand the whole Word and Will of God revealed relating 1. The whole Word and Will of God both to Faith and obedience things to be believed
and practised throughout all Ages the Precepts and Promises comes under this Law and hence it is that not only the Law given by Moses is called the Law that was the Law of Commands but the Psalms is called the Law John 10. 34. Which relates to Psal 82. 6. and Psal 78. 1. Give ear O people to my Law c. And the Prophets are called the Law 1 Cor. 14. 21. In the Law it 's writen c. Which relates to Isa 28. 11. All the promises of God in his Word may come under this of Law 1. As it concerneth us to believe them this is the Law of Faith and it 's our duty to believe God in all his Word 2. As it concerneth God because he hath tied himself to us therein that as his Precepts tieth us to obedience to him in matters of Faith and Practice so his promises is the Law by which he walks towards his people and he would have his people to know that as he hath brought them under the Law of the new Covenant to him and they ought to be obedient to him in all things Acts 3. 22. So he hath obliged himself to his people in the Law of the new Covenant to him and they ought to be obedient to him in all things Acts 3. 22. So he hath obliged himself to his people in the Law of the new Covenant to perform all the good things promised therein to his people that keep Faith to him in that Covenant and that if we fail not in our duty he will not cannot fail in his Word having bound himself by his own Law and Covenant of Promise in this matter and he cannot lie he cannot break his own Law Covenant Rom. 3. 3 4. 2 Tit. 2. 11 12 13. Tit. 1. 2. Heb. 6. 17 18. And not only so but he hath bound himself by promise to supply the hearts of his people with Grace till they come to Glory Jer. 32. 40. 2 Thes 3. 3. 1 Pet. 1. 5. Joh. 10. 28 29. 2. Sometimes and most frequently in 2. The Law given by Moses Scripture by Law is intended the ten Precepts given by Moses in tables of Stone from Mount Sinai Rom. 7. 7 c. and 13. 8 9. Gal. 3. 17 to 22. Sometimes it intends the whole Law Moral Ceremonial and Judicial Eph. 2. 14 15. Gal. 5. 2 3 4. And the Prophet Ps 119. So frequently speaking of Law Statutes and Judgments c. Intends thereby the whole of the Law 3. The making known of the Will of 3. The Will of God before the Law God before this Law was given from Mount Sinai and in some sense without it is impliedly called the Law Rom. 5. 13. For untill the Law sin was in the World but sin is not imputed when there is no Law and 4. 15. Where no Law is there is no transgression Thereby clearly implying that there was no time from the Creation in which man was left without Law though God have had his differing waies of bringing it forth 4. The Will of God made known in the 4. The Will of God in the Gospel Gospel by Jesus Christ is called Law and is indeed the only Law Covenant on record for Believers called The Law of Faith Rom. 3. 27. The Law of Liberty Jam. 1. 25. The Royal or Kingly Law Jam. 2. 8. Given to us by the Lord Jesus Heb. 1. 1 2. Joâ— 12. 49 50. Unto whom we ought to submit in every thing Acts 3. 22 23. The Doctrine of the Gospel relating to Faith and Obedience is the Law of Christ His Royal Law to Believers 5. The new Covenant promised and 5. The Law written in the heart written in the heart that is an holy disposition and power of Grace to do what God in his Law-Doctrine of the Gospel requireth is called the Law Heb. 8. 10. Rom. 2. 14 15. This is the Law of God in the heart Ps 37. 31. The Law of God is in his heart his steps shall not slide 2. How the Law of God hath been at 2. How it hath been delivered 1. To Adam several times and in several waies and methods delivered Heb. 1. 1. The first was given to Adam in his state of Innocency Gen. 2. 17. Who by nature was the original or root of all mankind though it be not in them called Law yet it was a Law Covenant of Command with the penalty on the breach thereof Of the tree of the Knowledg of good and evil thou shalt not eat for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die or in dying thou shalt die Which Law he transgressed and brought in death on himself and all mankind 2. After this fall of man God had his Law in the World condemning sin till the Law was given by Moses though not so clear and plain else there had been no sin for Where no Law is there is no transgression and yet before the Law or untill the Law given by Moses sin was in the World yet not so clear a Law For the Law was added because of transgression that sin might appear to be out of measure sinful It was sinful before but it did not appear to be so sinful before as it did after by the Law they that sinned before the Law did not sin after the similitude of Adam ' s transgression Rom. 5. 14. That is against a plain Precept with a threat as those since the Law who received it and lived under it as their Law Covenant and voluntarily brake it and in that respect did sin after the similitude of Adam's transgression though it 's true in some respects none can sin after the similitude of his transgression And that first as he in a state of innocency and yet sinned 2. As a publick person and so let in sin and death upon all so none but himself personally could sin yet sin was in the World till the Law which argueth that there must be some Law So then the question is what that Law Quest was and how it was given and administred Answ It is the opinion of some that it Answ was the Law of Nature written in the hearts of all men which is the Moral Law or substance of the Law given by Moses Now though I shall not altogether deny this position yet I think it hath need to be inquired into and to be considered with other concurring circumstances without which it will not hold true for 1. There is no such thing as a Law written in the hearts of men by nature to teach them that God is and is to be worshipped and to convince of sin against him distinct from all means without him And this will appear if we consider 1. That all Nations in the World know and worship according to the traditions and customs received and judg that to be sin which by custom and account is so taken to be and hence it is that the World generally in many things call good evil and evil good
Preserve my soul for I am holy that is I am sanctified to thee and am one of thine holy ones and do love holiness and design holiness this is absolutely necessary in Prayer Ps 66. 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me Unholy Prayers are not like to have any acceptance with or answer from the Lord to pray and sin and sin and pray as if persons in Prayer did design to ask leave to sin to be covetous and oppressing to be proud vain and prophane such Prayers the Lord abominates Isa 58. 3 4. They fasted and prayed but their design was not for holiness but for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickedness this shall never cause their voice to be heard on high No God heareth not sinners that is those who held themselves servants to their lusts that design not holiness Chap. 59. 2 3. Your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear 10. To pray in a right manner and by 10. It must be in the Name of Christ the Spirit of Christ is to pray in the name of Christ to offer up all our Prayers to God in his Name and not in our own Name or on the account of any worth that is in our selves this is essential to a right manner of Praying for there is no acceptation of our persons or services out of him Col. 3. 17. Whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus that must be the manner of our doing Joh. 16. 23. Verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you that is that is good and according to his will ver 26. And this is by the Spirit of Christ for it is the spirit of the Gospel that leads us to Jesus Christ and to the Father by him but the question will be What it is to pray to the Father in the Quest Name of Christ Answ 1. To come to the Father in the Answ Name of Christ is to come to him in the authority of Christ though Prayer be a common duty to man as related to God his Creator yet on the new Covenant account true Believers stand related to God in Christ on the account of Redemption and that is the Service and Prayer I am speaking of and we must perform every duty to God by virtue of his authority as our Lord and Law-giver in the new and everlasting Covenant so that we are to perform this and every service in his Name that is in his authority by virtue of his commission and command Matt. 7. 7. 8. John 16. 26. 2. To Pray in the Name of Christ is to offer up our Prayers to the Father as persons interessed in Christ by Faith according to the Word believing and expecting acceptance with the Father for the sake of Christ and not for any worth in our selves Jesus Christ Son to the King of Glory being our only way of acceptance both of our persons and services therefore we must by Faith in all our addresses to the Throne of Grace have respect to Jesus as our way and as upon the Throne for us to plead our cause and to present the persons and services of his people in himself to the Father he is our friend in the Court of Heaven and to pray the Father in his Name is to pray the Father for his sake to accept us and grant our requests because by the Law of the new Covenant we belong to him and are the children of God by Faith in him And the reason why we must offer up all in the Name of Christ is because we are imperfect and our service imperfect and can have no acceptance but in him and for his sake who is perfect 1 Pet. 2. 5. 11. As an effect of this acceptation in 11. To pray boldly our dear Lord and for his sake a right Gospel way of praying is to pray boldly an holy humble boldness becometh Christians and God is well pleased therewith He would have them come with boldness to the Throne of Grace Heb. 4. 16. He having opened such a new and living way so full of Grace he would have his children to know it and improve it with all holy and humble boldness and confidence believing his readiness and willingness to hear and answer the prayers of his people God would have his people to exercise so much Faith in the way of the Gospel that new and living way as to command of him what he hath promised to give because he hath of his own Grace bound himself to it by his new Covenant Law promise and he takes it as Glory to his Name for his people to believe that he will not cannot with-hold what he hath promised therefore Believers ought to come to God with holy boldness and humble claiming their right by Grace in the blessings and blessed things promised in the new Covenant as the Apostles Acts 4. 24. to 31. 12. To pray in a right manner is to 12. Be constant pray constantly and not to faint and give over if you wax weary either through a carnal carelesness and sluggishness or fainting for fear of not being answered it 's the way to lose all and as a necessary ingredient to constancy and persevering herein you must add patience Ps 40. 1. I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined unto me and heard my crie that is it was long before I had an answer but I waited long and patiently and had my desire in the end Christ put forth that Parable Luke 18. 1. to this very end That men ought alwaies to pray and not to faint to assure us that if we wax not weary God will hear and answer in the end Rom. 12. 12. Continuing instant in Prayer Eph. 6. 18. Praying alwaies with all supplication in the spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance This is a duty that Saints must persevere in while they are in this World it 's the way in which God will be worshipped and they have daily need of mercy from him as for times of Prayer there is publick and private Prayer in Church in Family and in Closet all which ought to have its time The Prophet fixes on the morning Ps 5. 3. and 55. 17. Evening and morning and at noon will I pray and crie aloud and he shall hear my voice O that Christians would lay this to heart and not bethink time to spend in this holy and heavenly service to converse with God but according to the exhortation 1 Thes 5. 17. To pray without ceasing that is without being weary or giving over or neglecting so holy acceptable and needful a service it is a note of an hipocrite that does not alwaies call upon God Job 27. 10. but by fits and starts when he hath a mind to it or for fear in time of
of God was as respecting the persons so chosen and elected without any respect to any foreseen faith or grace or good in them as the preceeding meritorious cause of election if any meritorious cause at all it must be in Christ Jesus in whom and for whose sake the election was the truth hereof appears that it was not for our goodness faith or holyness 2 Tim. 1. 9. Not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace that was given us in Christ Jesus c. And Rom. 11. 5. There is a remnant according to the Election of Grace and if it be of Grace then it is not of work as the Apostle reasons it ver 6. Obj. Though it be not of works as the meritorious cause yet it may be of works as the conditional cause as in the matter of Justification Answ Though Faith c. be the condition of Justification according to the law of the new Covenant which is effected in time yet it is not the condition of election the reasons thereof are 1. Because it s no where stated in the Scriptures as the condition of Election as Faith is the condition of Justification 2. Because in reason it cannot be for Election and choice was before time and so could not be on the condition of what we had not we were not nor had not saith when Elected therefore faith would not be the conditional cause of an act past in God before the supposed condition thereof was in being that could not be either the meritorious or conditional cause of such an act so that its evident that Election was of Grace and not of Work whereas Justification is not till we believe and obey the truth 4. To what persons are elected and that 4. To what persons are elected is to believe and obey the Gospel to be holy here and happy hereafter 1 Pet. 1. 2. Elect c. Through Sanctification of the Spirit unto Obedience Obedience as the end which includes faith and love and all the divine vertues and duties of the Gospel through or by the Sanctification of the Spirit hence faith is said to be The faith of the operation of God Col. 2. 13. Eph. 1. 4. The end of the eternal choice is described to be That we might be holy and that we might shew forth the praises of him that hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light 2 Thef 2. 13. God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation Jam. 2. 5. By all which it appears that the end of God in his Electing grace was that he might have a holy obedient people that might shew forth his praise and be eternally saved and glorified in the world to come 5. How persons may come to know 5. How men may know their Election their Election of God and that they are of the number of his Elected ones God hath in his word opened a way by which his people may in a good and comfortable measure know their Election 1 Thes 1. 4. Knowing Brethren Beloved your Election of God But how may we know our Election of God Answ When Gods ends of Election are effected in us by that we may and must know it if ever we rightly know it when Faith Love Holyness c. is effectually wrought in us by that we read our Election the effects of electing Grace wrought in us and this the Apostle clears having asserted their knowing of their Election ver 4. he discovers how they came to know it ver 5 6. by the effectual work of the Gospel in them Gods shedding abroad his love in the heart and uniting the heart to himself in truth of faith and love is the alone way by which Christians may read their Election So the Apostle for himself 1 Tit. 1. declares himself to be an Apostle after the Faith of Gods Elect. And how does he prove that By the acknowledgment of the truth which is after Godliness and persons that pretend to know their Election of God any other way deceive themselves 6. The Reasons why God Elected some 6. The reasons why God elected some to Salvation before the world was are 1. his love his special love its true that God had a love to all mankind for they were and are his he made the nature of all in the first man and determined the being or persons of all in time and loved all Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his Son c. But herein is discovered his special everlasting love Jer. 31. 3. Yea I have loved thee with an everlasting love c. and this is the new Covenant love a promise of Gospel grace to the Spiritual Seed as appeareth Chap. 30. 10. to the end and chap. 31. throughout here is the great and special love of God and of Christ who loved the Church and gave himself for it Eph. 5. 25. Even the Vniversal Church of the First Born whose names are written in Heaven Heb. 12. 23. 2. That his design of Salvation by Jesus Christ might not be altogether frustrated and come to none effect for such was the Metamorphis and change made in man by the Devil and Sin in the Fall being gone out from God that he would never be willing rightly to return to him again and this the Lord foresaw and therefore it stood with the honour of his whole name to choose some in his Son to be made partakers of the life designed by him that so our Lord Jesus might not suffer in vain but might see of the Travel of his soul and be satisfied it would have been infinitely below and unbecoming an infinite God to have entered upon such a work of such glorious concernment to his own name and the good of sinners and to be effected by so wonderful a way as the sufferings of his own Son without a certain fore-knowledge of its event yea and without the certain accomplishing of the whole after the councel of his own will and too low and base thoughts are they in men to think the contrary as if God should go about such a work as a man not determining the event before the undertaking by which all his design and Christs sufferings might nay necessarily would have been in vain that man was gone out from God so as not by his own will to return again is evident not only by experience but by Scripture Ps 81. 11. Job 21. 14 15. Prov. 1. 24 25. Rom. 3. 11. to 17. with many like Scriptures to this purpose wherefore it was necessary that God should give some to Christ John 6. 39. which are his Elected ones that they might obtain the salvation designed and he might not bestow all his labour and sufferings in vain Isa 49. 4 5 6. read it at your leasure and consider it well Obj. If God hath Elected some it Obj. seems contrary to the Scripture that saith he is no respecter of persons c. Answ It s true that
be sound in the Faith and in the Principles of Religion is of deep concernment to all Christians and indeed a good and Christian walk in the way of sincere and universal holiness and obedience is that which greatly concerneth and becometh Christians in order to their eternal Welfare As a help to both have I presented this small brief Treatise to thy consideration in which I have to the utmost of my ability and light not only studied Truth that might be profiting to the Reader but brevity likewise that much might be found in a little Volume in which if persons exercise their own understandings in the use thereof they may probably reap some benefit thereby And Reader what thee dost find differing from thine own understanding be not hasty in judging or sensuring but read and ponder and search the Scripture to see whether it be so or no without which the most do wrong to the Truth and to thine own soul But I shall say no more but commit it to the Readers in the blessing of God praying for their profiting thereby and if your souls do reap any spiritual benefit or advantage in the use hereof let God have the Glory and the Author as Instrument hath his end answered And so fare the well in the Lord Grace Mercy Peace and Truth be with all that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity Amen An Account of the Particular Matters Treated of in the ensuing Discourse CHapter I. Concerning God 1. That he is 2. What he is 3. How he doth subsist 4. Where he is Page 1. Chap. II. Of the Holy Scripture that it is the Divine Word and will of God proved by many Divine Arguments P. 48. Chap. III. Of the Creation of the world and all things therein P. 70. Chap. IV. Of the Creation of Man P. 73. Chap. V. Of the Angels and of their Creation P. 85. Chap. VI. Of the Devil and wicked Angels P. 99. Chap. VII Of the Fall of Man from his Created Innocency P. 107. Chap. VIII Of the way and means ordained of God for the recovery of Man out of his faln Estate P. 113. Chap. IX Of the design of God in general in his New Covenant Restauration which was to make all things New P. 123. Chap. X. Of the order and method of God in preparing a people for his glorious Estate pag. 133. and followeth in rest of the chapters Chap. XI Of Faith 1. what it is 2. how its wrought 3. its grounds and objects 4. its excellency p. 139 Chap. XII Of Repentance P. 149 Chap. XIII Treateth of Justification P. 163. Chap. XIV Is a more distinct discourse of Justification by Faith which answers to several questions and objections about the Matter P. 180. Chap. XV. Of Gospel assurance and whether it may be attained in this life P. 209. Chap. XVI A further Discovery of the new-New-Covenant and Life of Faith P. 248. Chap. XVII Of Sanctification and good works P. 253. Chap. XVIII Of the true and saving knowledge of God P. 270. Chap. XIX Of the Divine Vertue and grace of Love P. 293. Chap. XX. Of the Gospel fear of God P. 324. Chap. XXI Of the Law of God and what we are to understand thereby P. 341. Chap. XXII Of Prayer P. 364. Chap. XXIII Of Perfection and whether it may be attained in this life P. 406. Chap. XXIV Of Sincerity p. 421. Chap. XXV Of Election p. 441. Chap. XXVI Of Reprobation p. 451. Chap. XXVII Of the Church of Christ in the New-covenant p. 457. Chap. XXVIII Of the Ordinances Officers and Administrations in the Church of Christ p. 464. Chap. XXIX That the Estate of the Church in this world is an Afflicted Estate p. 499. Chap. XXX Of Death and the State after Death of the Resurrection and Judgment p. 531. Chap. XXXI Of the Coming Kingdom and Reign of Christ on Earth p. 548. CHAP. I. CONCERNING GOD. 1. That He is 2. What He is 3. How He doth subsist 4. Where he is 1. THat God is or that there 1 That God is or that there is a God is a God i. e. an infinite self-Being that hath given Being to all things c. is necessary to be believed of all and is the first step of Faith in order to Salvation Heb. 11. 6. He that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Now though it be a common received Principle that God is yet in as much as it 's evident according to the Scripture That the Fool hath said in his heart that there is no God Psal 14. 1. And that the transgression of the Wicked saith within my heart that there is no fear of God before his eyes Psal 36. 1. And oft-times gracious Souls through their own weakness and Satans wiles meet with temptations on this account I shall therefore speak something to this so necessary a truth the grounds I shall present for evidencing this so great and sacred a principle of truth are as followeth 1. The Word of God the Scriptures of Truth Proof 1. The Scripture The word of God in the substance of them is to hold forth this one God or Invisible Creating Upholding and Preserving Power Gen. 1. 1. In the Beginning God Created the Heaven and the Earth v. 6. God said let there be a Firmament c. and so throughout the Chapter and indeed throughout the Bible I shall mention but a few instances in the name of the whole Gen. 6. 5. God saw the Wickedness of man c. v. 6. Iâ— Râ—pented the Lord that he had made man c. v. 11. The Earth was corrupt before God see ver 12. 13. Exod. 20. 1 2. And God spake all these words saying I am the Lord thy God c. Psal 29. 1 2. Give unto the Lord O ye mighty give unto the Lord Glory and Strength give unto the Lord the Glory of his Name Psal 82. 1. God standeth in the Congregation of the Mighty c. Joh. 1. 1. In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God c Let this serve among the multitude of Scripture-Testimonies to prove that God is A second Testimony is the Works of 2. The works of God God which do abundantly declare and Preach forth the Divine Being and Omnipotent Power and Wisdom of this Divine though Invisible Creator of all things for Reason will tell us that none of these things could give Being to or Create themselves Man who is the most Intelligible and Rational Creature here below was so far from creating himself that let all the Wisdom of all the men in the World be conjunct in unity they are not able to Create or give Being to the basest of Creatures no not a Fly or Worm It s true the Image or likeness Man madâ— not himself of Creatures they can make of matter that was made before by the Creator but nothing can they Create
though there are that are called Gods many yet to us there is but one God c. 1 Cor. 8. 5 6. And who amongst all that are called Gods are like unto him Mic. 7. â—8 2. What this God is and truly he is a 2. What God is mystery and if his people tremble at his Word how much more ought we to have trembling thoughts of his unsearchable Being and in this he is an invisible mystery such a one whom no man hath seen nor can see but in thinking and speaking of him we must think and speak of him as he hath discovered himself unto us in his Word and by his Works and the secret teachings of himself thereby 1. What he is in his Nature and Essential 1. What God is in his Nature and Essence Being 1. He is a Spirit Joh. 4. 24. God is a Spirit c. 2. A holy Spirit Lev. 19. 2. I the Lord your God am Holy and chap. 20. 26. I the Lord am Holy Psal 22. 3. But thou art holy O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel Psal 99. 5. 6. Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy Hill for the Lord our God is holy He is most holy 1. Sam. 2 2. There is none holy as the Lord c. 3. He is in himself an infinite unsearchable incomprehensible eternal and glorious spirit who is in and of himself and gives Being to all things therein is he differenced from all Created Spirits and Powers whether of Angels or men First in that he is infinite and incomprehensible in his whole name 2. In his Eternity 3. In his Power and Wisdom in Creating and upholding all things by the Word of his Power 2. What he is in his Name and Attributes 2. What he is in his Name and Attributes which are many and all thereby to make himself known to his people that they might learn to fear before him believe love obey him and trust in him as First His Power and 1. His Power Allsufficiency he hath let us to know that he is an Almighty One Gen. 17. 1. He saith to Abraham that not only Abraham himself but all his Children might know it and be encouraged I am God Almighty or Alsufficient walk before me and be upright Psal 62. 11. God hath spoken once twice have I heard this that Power belongeth to God hence he is called the Almighty Psal 68. 14. When the Almighty scattered Kings c. Psal 91. 1. He that dwelleth in the secret of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty 1 Cor. 6. 18. Rev. 1. 8. and this the Prophet David wonderfully describes in his Thanksgiving 1 Chron. 29. 11 12. Thine O Lord is the Greatness and the Power and the Glory and the Victory and the Majesty for all that is in the Heaven and in the Earth is thine thine is the Kingdom O Lord and thou aâ—t exalted as Head above all both Riches and Honour come of Thee and thou Reignest over all and in thine hand is Power and Might and in thine hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all A great Comfort it is unto Christians that they have such a great Almighty and All-sufficient God able to do for them what-ever they need they may say as 2 Sam. 22. 33. God is my Strength and Power he maketh my way perfect and as Psal 118. 6. The Lord is on my side I will not fear what man can do unto me and that because this God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide unto death and let it silence and still wicked men for ever Woe to them that God is such an Almighty one able to deal with and bring down all his and his Churches Enemies Ezra 8. 22. The hand of our God is upon all them that seek him for good but his Power and his Wrath is against all them that forsake him Psal 66. 7. He ruleth by his Power for ever his eyes behold the Nations let not the Rebellious exalt themselves 2. He is Omniscient as well as Omnipotent 2. His Wisdom he is most Wise see both Psal 147. 5. Great is our Lord and of great Power his Vnderstanding is Infinite Isa 40. 28. There is no searching of his Vnderstanding we may and must say as Psal 104. 24. O Lord how manifold are thy Works in Wisdome hast thou made them all all Wisdom and Counsel and Strength is in him Prov. 8. 14. Counsel is mine and sound Wisdome I am Vnderstanding I have Strength comfort for Christians that their God is such a God of Wisdom and Counsel he knows how to deliver his people in time of need 2 Pet. 2. 9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the Godly out of temptation and to reserve the unjust unto the day of Judgment to be punished and this Wisdom is all in Christ and for his people Who of God is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness c. he is Wisdom to us and Wisdom in us he giveth Wisdom to his people Prov. 2. 6 7. for the Lord giveth Wisdom out of his mouth cometh Knowledg and Vnderstanding he layeth up sound Wisdome for the Righteous c. see chap. 3. 13. 2. 3 4 5. 81. 3. In a word God is Infinite in his Wisdom and his Wisdom is exercised for and in behalf of his Church especially on the New-Covenant account in the Gospel of Salvation by Jesus Christ which is called the manifold Wisdom of God and exercised in all his works and wayes 3. He is a Holy God Infinite in Purity 3. He is a Holy God perfectly holy such a one with whom Iniquity can have no fellowship for God is Light and in him is no Darkness at all 1. Joh. 1. 5. therefore let no man say when he is tempted that he is tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with evil neither tempteth he any man Jam. 1. 13. No he is a Holy God most Holy infinite in Holiness Isa 6. 3. the Seraphims cryed one to another and said Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole Earth is full of his Glory and this holy name in this Scripture is attributed unto Christ who was to fill the Earth with the Glory of the new-New-Covenant Grace Joh. 12. 41. These things said Esaias when he saw his glory and spake of him i. e. of Christ as is evident a holy God and a holy Lord Jesus and he will have a holy People or none 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. As he that hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of Conversation because it is written be ye holy for I am holy Gods holiness should engage his People to holiness to prize it and press after it for Holiness becometh the House of the Lord for ever Psal 93. 5. O blessed Consolation for all New-Covenant-spirited holy Ones their God is holy loveth holiness owneth all that are Created after him in
of the Saints by the Holy Spirit suitable to the Word of Grace the Work in them answering the Word without them as the New Covenant and Law of God written in their Hearts which hath wrought in them Faith Love and the Life of the VVord which are to them sealing Testimonies of the Truth and Divinity of the Word And hence it is that they set their seal to the truth thereof in believing loving and obeying thereof and cleaving to God therein and suffering any Difficulties inflicted by men for the truth thereof adventure their Souls and Eternity upon the truth of God therein and the loss of all in the VVorld rather than lose their share in the Word of Life A high Confirmation of the Divinity thereof VII Finally As the Resultance from the VII Danâ—er of deâ—ying the Scripture â—â— be of God whole To deny the Truth and Divinity of the Scripture is to deny God Himself and Jesus Christ and all Religion to pass a black Sentence on all the VVriters thereof as Lyars and Deceivers and on all the Saints throughout all Generations who have believed obeyed and suffered for adhering to the Truth therein and on all the Effectual Workings of the Holy Spirit in the Hearts of Believers conforming them thereunto so that it 's impossible for any man that hath lived under the Instruction thereof to deny it and not to be an Atheist if not to be guilty of the unpardonable sin for the whole matter the Scripture treats on in the substance thereof is as I said before God and Christ and Holiness the Reducing of Man back again to God through Christ from whom he was gone astray And therefore what can those expect who deny this Holy Divine Word of Truth but all the Judgments and Plagues that are written therein I shall now come to Answer some Objections in relation thereunto Object Though the Scripture was given of Object 1 God and Divine Truth the Word and Will of God to the People of these times in which they were given yet it 's a great Question whether it be so to us and whether we have ought to do with it unless the same Spirit work immediately the same Truth in us we are to hearken to what God speaks in us and not without us c. Answ To this I answer That Truth is Truth still and the Word and Will of God is the same still although its true that God hath made known his Will at various times and various ways under several manifestations yet when one Ministration ended it was by the coming in of another as the substance of the former and openly declared from Heaven by the Son of God with great Power and great Witness and the Word and Ministration of the Son of God is the same till his second coming Maâ— 28. 20. unto which all are bound to take heed unto under peril of Judgment Heb. 2. 23. Act. 3. 22 23. Joh. 12. â—8 and it is the Word and Will of the Lord still whether men believe it and obey it or not whether you have the Spirit to work you to it or not and if you are not taught by the Word and wrought to God in the Word to believe the Gospel it 's an evident sign that you have not the Spirit of Christ but of Errour and Delusion which will fail you in the day of need Obj. Though they were given of God Obj. 2 and Divine Truth yet they may be corrupted by men having been in the hands of men that knew not God but sought it themselves they might corrupt it and so it might either be mixed or lose much of its Purity and Divinity Ans It 's true that it hath passed through the hands of those who wanted not wickedness enough to do it but we have undoubted grounds to believe that the Lord preserved it and kept them from corrupting of it for if they or any other had corrupted it it must have been to serve their own ends but the Scripture that was by them preserved and by them owned to be the Word of God the Scripture of Truth is so far from serving their interest that it leaves them neither Root nor Branch no Word have they from hence to warrant them in any of their ways as a Church of Christ their Dependency lay rather in the Authority of their Church keeping people in Ignorance false Translations coercive Power and the like rather than in corrupting the Scriptures in the original Languages a Divine Hand it was that it should be preserved holy and pure as it is as hath been proved Obj. The Scripture is not all the Word Obj. 3 and Will of God to Men given by Divine Inspiration for there is in it the Words of the Devil and of wicked men the Failings and Miscarriages of the Saints c. Answ When I say it 's the Word or Words of God I intend thereby that the Body and substance thereof is the Divine Mind and Will of God made known to men by the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit by such ways as he pleased and by such persons as he pleased 2. As to the Discoveries of the Words or Works of Satan or wicked men and the Sins and Failings of the Godly I easily grant that it is not the Word of God in the first sence given by Inspiration Yet 2ly As written and recorded by holy men inspired by the Lord those things with many other Historical Relations recorded are true by Divine Testimony that such things were and so are of divine and undoubted Credence whereas all other Histories that are meerly humane can have but a humane and doubtful belief 3. It was written by the Will of God for the use and advantage of his Church and people Rom. 15. 4. Whatsoever was written afore time was written for our Learning c. 1 Cor. 10. 11 12. 1. Let us hence be informed of the greatness Vse 1 of the sin and danger not to believe the Scripture he that believeth not must be damned 2. Of Exhortation 1. to believe the Vse 2 Scripture to be the Word and Will of God to be of Divine Authority and to prize the Word more and to be thankful to God that hath given it to us and given to any the saving understanding thereof and wrought them into a conformity thereunto 2. To live the life of the Scripture the life of Faith and the life of Love the life of Obedience and the life of Holiness it is a holy Word and Holiness becomes all those who profeâ—s to own it what ever Scripture Faith or profession we pretend unto if we live not the life of the Scripture it will Judg us at the last day Joh. 12. 48. 3. To be improving and applying of the Consolations of the Scripture and that it may be so acquaint your selves more therewith Rom. 15. â— 3. Of Consolation to all those who Vse 3 truly believe and obey the Wordâ— as it is the Word the Will
is a height and depth unsearchable if we lived more in the apprehensions thereof it would fill us more with his fulness and conform us more to his likeness Eph. 3. 18 19. 2 Cor. 3. 18. Quest Did Christ our Lord give himself Quest a ransom for all men or for the elect only Ans He gave himself a ransom for all Ans men to be testified in due time 1 Tim. 2. 6. he tasted Death for every man Heb. 2. 9. he was a Propitiation for the sins of the world 1 Joh. 2. 2. God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself not imputing their sins Cor. 5. 19. and God so loved the whole world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16. Object If it be so these absurdities will Object follow 1. That where Justice is satisfied the sinner must be saved it seems to be injustice to take satisfaction in Christ and to damn the sinners unless you hold that all shall be saved 2. Christ suffered in vain if he bear the sins of any that may miss of Salvation by Him Ans 1. The Satisfaction that God took Answ in the Sufferings of Christ lay more in the Excellency of the Person suffering than in the Greatness of the things suffered though the sufferings were exceeding great being born by an infinite Person it was the infinite Worth of the Person that suffered that set an infinite value on the Suffering more than if all the World had suffered to eternity 1 Peter 18 19. 2. Had it been for the redemption but of one person it must have been with the same price so that Satisfaction for the Sins of the World no whit augmented the price paid therefore no absurdity at all 3. No person is delivered only and simply on the sufferings of Christ but the satisfaction that God took in the sufferings of Christ was on terms of their believing and obeying the Gospel and on these terms it is that the Grace of the New Covenant is published to all and none are like to partake thereof without Faith Repentance and Obedience though not as the meritorious cause yet as the terms on which it is dispenced Mar. 16. 16. Luke 24. 47. though it 's true Repentance effected is the gift of Grace 4. VVere it not so the Plaister would not be as large as the VVound nor the Physicians hand be as large in the Cure as the Destroyer was to destroy which seems not only dishonourable to the Undertaking of Christ but contrary to Rom. 5. 15. to 20. though all partake not of the benefits the fault is in themselves and not in the Physician Hosea 13. 9. 2 Peter 2. 1. 5. Yet God had a special respect in this great transaction of the Suffering of his Son unto his elect whom he foreknew and predestinated them to be partakers of the Benefits thereof Rom. 8. 2 3 Heb 2. 10. Eph. 5. 25 26 27. 6. And finally the manner and method of Gods work both in the Creation of Man and since the Fall was 1. He made Man upright in his own Image and so left him in that good created estate to his own power and will to stand or fall God did not act to forward his Fall nor yet to hinder it more than give his Law of Command with the Threat on Disobedience but he sinned voluntarily by the temptation offered 2. Man being fallen from God he hath provided a Remedy a blessed way of Recovery and this Remedy is as large as the case requireth and is to be published and tendred to all and that truly too on the terms thereof that is Faith Repentance and sincere Obedience c. that now whoever will may come and take of this Water of Life freely and Man is left free to accept or not accept and so mans Destruction will be the second time of himself God hath not bound himself nor is he tyed in Justice to work men to the terms prescribed nor doth he any thing to hinder but very much the contrary not only in the All-sufficiency of the Means but by the publishing thereof and manifold mercies and invitations to Repentance VVhat he affords of special Grace and Assistance to any is his superabounding Mercy and it no whit derogates from from his general Love Kindness and Provision for mankind in general and it is mans wilful wickedness in choosing Death rather than Life and thereby judge themselves unworthy of the Life that is offered to them It is true God foresaw Man in his fallen state and saw that notwithstanding the Greatness of the Grace of his New Covenant yet that none would of themselves seek after God and sincerely cleave unto him in that New and Livings way on which he did determine and it was the Covenant and Contract between the Father and the Son in this great Undertaking that his Suffering might not be in vain to bring in some Souls effectually into the Grace of the Covenant and that not from any natural good in them more than others but without all respect of persons only his special and superabounding Grace having passed no Act but as relative to Sin and Disobedience that may hinder any but hath afforded both Means and Helps sufficient by which men might believe obey and be saved but they will not CHAP. IX Of the design of God in general in this his New Covenant Restauration-Work which was to make all things New THe design of God by Jesus Christ in his New Covenant-work was to make all things New Rev. 21. 5. And he that sate upon the Throne said behold I make all things New c. God made the first or old World both Heavens and Earth and all things therein for the use of man and then made man to possess it but man fell by sin and the whole Creation fell with him as a just Judgment of God upon man for his sin Gen. 3. 17. Job 15. 15. Now in as much as this old Creation was lost and faln the design of God by Jesus Christ was the recovery and restauration of all again and to make all New not of new matter that was not before but to make the Old New again all Old things must be made New Quest What is it that God designed by What will God make new A new People Jesus Christ to make New Answ 1. A new people brought out from the old stock a people renewed by the power and spirit of Grace by and through the Gospel and this is that which is owned of all the godly witnessed in the Scriptures and in a measure experienced by all the Saints 2 Cor. 15. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a New Creature Old things are past away behold all things are become New Eph. 4. 23 24. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that ye put on the New Man which after God is Created in Righteousness and true Holiness and
this is that birth which is from above without which no man can see the Kingdome of Heaven Joh. 3. 3. Obj. This is effected here in the Kingdome of Grace c. 8. Answ True It is so in the beginnings thereof in order to its perfection in the Kingdom of glory for it will not be perfected till the Resurrection of the body from the dead that is called the day of Redemption Rom. 8. 23. Eph. 4. 30. It is perfected already in Christ our head the second Adam who was the Lord from Heaven but it must have its time of perfecting in the members begun here and perfected in the day of Christ 1 Cor. 13. 10. then it is that our vile bodies shall be changed and fashioned like unto his glorious Body Phil. 3. 21. Then the whole man shall come forth compleat in the Heavenly Birth 2. This new Creation shall be effected 2 By a neâ— Covâ—nant by and under a New Covenant man lost all in the breach of the Old Covenant but by the New Covenant he shall be renewed and become Heir of all things in and with Christ the Head and Lord thereof it 's new-New-Covenant Grace and New-Covenant-Work all true blessedness is by the New Covenant i. e. the Covenant of this new estate Jer. 31. 31. Heb. 8. 8. 13. 12. 24. Obj. This Covenant is said to be made and to be of force from the death of the Testator An. True it is so it took its effect then and virtually from the Fall from the first Promise that the Seed of the Woman should break the Serpents head so that all the Saints since the Fall were renewed and sanctified by virtue of this Covenant which became the alone ministration of God to men after the death of the Testator in and with whom the Covenant was made and that before the world was 2 Tim. 4 9. Tit. 1. 2. so that it hath had its effect virtually from the beginning as a preparation to glory but it is indeed the Covenant of the glorious Estate 3. And in this New Covenant is brought 3 A new Law forth a new Law for this new People the Law of Faith and the Law of Love Joh. 13. 34. A new Commandement give I unto you that ye love one another c. Obj. This was the Old Commandement and from the beginning the Sum of the whole Law Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy might and thy Neighbour as thy self Ans True as the Law it did require it as imployed in it but if any answered it it was by the Grace of the New Covenant though the duty of the Old but now it s the duty of the New Covenant seated on the new terms of the Gospel from the grace thereof from the love of Christ and effected thereby Rom. 5. 5. The love of Christ is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Spirit that he hath given to us 1 Joh. 4. 19. We love him because he loved us first it s therefore new because in all the Saints it s not only required but is true both in him i. e. Christ and in you i. e. the Saints and this is that which is and shall be the great Law of the perfect and glorious Estate in the new world and that to Eternity 4. There shall be a new habitation or 4 A new Habitation dwelling place for these new people a new Heaven and a new Earth Rev. 21. 1. I saw a new Heaven and a new Earth and the first Heaven the first Earth was past away c. Is 65. 17. 66. 17. to these Peter hath Relation 2 Pet. 3. 13. Nevertheless we according to his promise look for new Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth Righteousâ—ess in which note 1. That the Apostle in this Scripture relates to the promise before mentioned Isa 5. 17 as appears in that he uses the express terms of that promise and there is no other promise thereof in the terms exprest in the Old Testament 2. That it is to be understood literally and not mystically or spiritually that is a wrong to the Scripture for it is the material visible Heavens and Earth that Peter treateth of vers 5 6 7. its the same that must be dissolved and this is that which is frequently called in Scripture the World or Earth to come Mat. 12. 32. Luk. 2. 35. Heb. 2. 5. the world of which the Saints by Faith are made Heirs Rom. 4. 13. For the Promise that Abraham should be the Heir of the world was not to Abraham or his Seed through the Law but through the Righteousness of Faith and this cannot be understood that it intends that all Believers should be accounted his Children though that be a truth and is exprest vers 11. and that for two reasons 1. It 's improper so to understand it for so believers are rather his Heirs his Children and not he their Heir for in this he is to be Heir of the world 2. Because in this Heir-ship of Abraham to the world his Children are Heirs to the same Promise with him the Promise is to Abraham and his Seed vers 16. therefore it is of Faith that it might be by Grace that the Promise might be sure to all the Seed What Promise to be the Heirs of the world this is the Country that our Fathers were seeking after and dyed in the Faith thereof Heb. 11. 13 14 15. Wherefore God hath prepared for them a City vers 16. a Holy and Heavenly City that must come down into this new world Rev. 21. 2. New Jerusalem that must come down from God out of Heaven that the Tabernacle of God may be with men Obj. This seems to be expalined vers 9. Object 10. to be the Church the Bride the Lambs Wife Answ I question not but that the Answ Church the Bride the Lambs Wife is included herein but it 's a description both of the City and of the Inhabitants the like we have chap. 3. 12. and Gal. 4. 25. Old Jerusalem was in Bondage with her Children and vers 26. but Jerusalem which is above is free which is the Mother of us all Here is new Jerusalem the holy City which is above and her Children which are the Saints exprest in these words which is the Mother of us all who are born from thence without which they cannot see the Kingdom of God Joh. 3. 3. see Psal 87. 3. and in this is clearly a distinction between the City and the Inhabitants Heb. 12. 22 23. 5. The Saints shall then have a new 5 A new Câ—vâ—â—ant name Rev. 2 17. and 3. 12. as they are already in some measure made partakers of the new nature and new name they shall then be perfected therein 2 Pet. 1. 4. Phil. 3. 21. 1 Cor. 15. 44. 48 49. 53 54. they shall have a new name Isa 55. 15. he will call his Servants by another name chap. 62. 2. and thou shalt be called
Love of Holiness believes the Truth of all the Holy Institutions Ordinances and Commands of the Lord and it 's Bounden Duty to live up to him therein In a word Faith in the Word of the Lord it is that works the Soul to Eschew Evil and to do Good to abhor that which is Evil and to cleave to that which is Good No Holiness without Faith and the more Faith is thus exercised the more Holy Conformity will there be to the Lord. 5. Excellency of Faith is that it fills the 5. It fills the Soul with Jâ—y Peace Soul with Joy and Peace Rom. 15. 13. Now the God of Hope fill you with Joy and Peace in Believing c. It 's true it is the God of Hope that gives this Joy and Peace but it comes into us through Believing it never comes to any Soul but by Believing that is believing the Truth of the Doctrine of the Gospel in all the good Tydings thereof in all the Promises and Precepts it all affords Joy and Peace to the Believer who is exercised therein 1 Pet. 1. 8. 6. Excellency of Faith is that it 's the 6. Iâ—s the Mother of all â—ther Divine Vertues Mother if I may so say of all other Divine Vertues Love Hope Patience Obedience c. They are all Nursed and Nourished up under Faith and without Faith there can be none of all these though Faith worketh and getteth strength by these Yet without Faith there can be none of these as Without Faith we cannot please God So without Faith we can have no Divine Virtue and if our Faith be right and true then it carryeth in it something of every Divine Virtue of the New Covenant And this Christians should be instructed in that it might engage their Hearts to be Adding to their Faith Virtue c according to 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7. Faith is the first Active Demonstrative Virtue in the Soul and lyeth at the bottome of every Virtue and of every Duty 7. Such is the Excellency of Faith 7. It renders both Persons and Services acceptable that it renders our Persons and Services and all we Doe and Suffer for Christ according to his Will acceptable to and with the Lord See Heb. 11. almost throughout The Works of the Saints and Elders of old were all accepted being done in Faith and vers 6. Without Faith it is impossible to please him Object The Apostle 1 Cor. 13. seems to prefer Love as the only Gospel amiable and acceptable Virtue yea even above and beyond Faith vers 2. Though I had all Faith c. and have no Charity I am nothing Answ It 's true if it were possible to have all Faith without Love it would be nothing that is produce nothing issue in nothing true Faith is always accompanied with true Love and though Love be the most Heaven-born Virtue that which makes us most like God yet this Love is not cannot be before and without Faith we cannot love God till we believe him to be God nor Jesus Christ till we believe the Truth of the Gospel concerning him nor love his Word till we believe it to be his Word c. 8. It 's excellent End and Issue discovers 8. It 's excellenâ—s End the Excellency of the Virtue it Issues the Soul in Glory it prepares the Soul for Glory through it it 's preserved by the Power of God to Glory He that endureth i. e. in the Faith and Profession thereof to the end shall be Saved 1 Pet. 1 9. Receiving the end of your Faith the Salvation of your Souls By Soul we are to understand the whole Man Body and Soul and this is and will be the end of all true Faith to bring you to Salvation both Body and Soul but this note it 's not Faith only in the Habit of it but in the Living-working Power thereof according to the Gospel as it brings forth those other Divine Virtues aforementioned But to this of Faith I shall speak more distinctly in the Doctrine of Justification in some Cases CHAP. XII Of Repentance REpentance and faith are undoubted Chap. 12. Of Repentance Companions in as much as sometimes Repentance is included in Faith and sometimes Faith is included in Repentance and it comes in immediately with Faith and much spoken of in the Scripture as absolutely necessary unto Life and in my Method in speaking to it I shall endeavour 1. To shew what it is the Greek Word 1. What it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Metanoesate properly signifieth a Change of the Mind which cannot be without a Measure of Faith and that not an ordinary change of the Mind from one thing to another but it is a change of the Mind from owning of delighting in and following after the Service of Sin Satan and the World to the owning of delighting in and following after the Lord in serving of him In a Word true Repentance is the turning of the whole Man from Sin and Satan unto God to Believe and Obey the Gospel for where the Mind is effâ—ctually changed there will be a change in the whole Conversation it 's one in Substance with Conversion for that is a turning from Sin to God and so is Repentance it 's not a turning from one Sin to another or from one Opinion to another unless it be from Errour to Truth or a turning from Prophaneries to Civility or Formality So the last Estate may be worse than the first but it 's the turning from the Power of Sin and Satan to God Acts 26. 18. Isa 55 7. Let the Wicked forsake his Way and the Vnrighteous Man his Thoughts and let him turn to the Lord and he will have Mercy on him c. This I take to be the Essence and Substance of Repentance the change of the Mind and so the turning of the whole Man from Satan to God in the way of the Gospel in which Way and Work of Repentance the Soul shall obtain Remission of Sins here and an Inheritance amongst the Sanctified Ones hereafter 2. That this Repentance is an Evangelical 2. It 's an Evangelical Duty Duty and Virtue and not Legal as some imagine unless it be the Law of the New Covenant so it 's Legal and a Duty Persons who think Repentance to be only a Legal Old Covenant Work and the Persons exercised in it to be of an Old Covenant Spirit discover themselves to be indeed strangers to the New Covenant Grace and the way of Interest therein that must needs be Evangelical that is the Condition or Terms of all our New Covenant Mercy the Grace and Mercy of the New Covenant is propounded on the terms of Repentance and without it we may not expect any Interest therein Luke 24. 47. That Repentance and Remission of Sins might be preached in his Name c. Repentance must precede the Remission of sins as the Condition no Repentance no Remission of sins Acts 2. 28. Repent every one
of you for the Remission of sins that is that your Sins may be remitted or forgiven So that Repentance is so much a Gospel Duty as that there is no Remission of Sins without it which leads us 3 To the Necessity of this Repentance the Necessity appears in â—wo things 1. From the stress the Lord hath laid upon it 1. By Precept and Command Mark 1. 15. 3. The necessity thereof Repent ye and believe the Gospel Acts 17. 30. Now he commandeth all Men every where to Repent That answers the Terms of the Gospel on which Remission of Sins is to be Preached that is on the Terms of Repentance which implyeth a strong Command unto Repentance So that Unrepenting Sinners continue in a way of Disobedience to God in the Gospel in this matter 2. The Danger of not Repenting discovers the Necessity thereof if there be no Remission of sins without Repentance then there is no Salvation no New-Covenant-Blessedness Rom. 4. 7. Blessed is the Man whose Iniquity is forgiven and whose Sin is covered It 's the same in Sence and Substance as that of Faith Mark 16. 16. He that Believeth and is baptized shall be Saved he that Believeth not shall be Damned What Christ here calls Believing Peter Act. 2. 38. Calleth Repentance who best understood his Lords Commissâ—on Repentance and Faith being inseparable Christ saith he that Believeth and is Baptized answering those very Terms and Acting according to this Commission saith Repent and be Baptized c. So that it followeth that he that Believeth not he that Repenteth not must be Damned Luke 13. 3. Except ye Repent ye shall all likewise perish So that such is the Necessiâ—y of Repentance as that without it there is no Remission and so no Salvation but on the contrary Perishing and Damnation God accepts of none on any other Terms but this of a Soul turning to him he Remits sins on no other terms And the Reason is because it was indeed the great Designe of God in the Gospel and End of Christs suffering for sinners to Effect this Work to bring us off from Sin and Satan to God in this way of Repentance and indeed they are wonderful contrary Base and dishonourable Thoughts of God and our Lord Jesus to think he should give his Life and Bloud to so base an End as to purchase a Liberty for Persons to serve Satan and Sin without danger No it 's far otherwise 1 Pet. 3. 18. For Christ hath once suffered for our sins the Just for the Vnjust that he might bring us to God And we turn to God by Repentance Isa 55 7. There is no other way for us to come to him it 's true Christ Crucified is the alone way of Acceptance when we come yet no Acceptance in him without Faith and Repentance 4. That this Grace of Repentance is the 4. Repentance is the Gift of God Gift of God Acts 11. 18. Then hath God also to the Gentiles granteâ— Repentance unto Life it 's the Gift and Grant of God on a Twofold account 1. It 's his Gift his Grant that poor 1. He giveâ— the Doctrine Forlorn perishing sinners may have Acceptance and Life by Jesus Christ on the terms of Repentance It is a wonderful free and rich Grant if this were all for God to grant Remission of Sins and Life Eternal on our Acceptance and turning to him by Repentance Then hath God granted Repentance unto the Gentiles unto Life that is God hath granted the same Grace to the Gentiles as to the Jews that on Repentance they shall have Life and this Graâ—t is Universal where-ever the Gospel comes Life upon Repentance is to be published that whosoever doth Repent and Believe the Gospel shall be saved O bless the Lord for this Grant and improve it 2. Not only the grant of Life on terms of 2. He gives the Grace of Repentance Repentance is the Gift of God but the Grace of Repentance i. e. that Grace by which we do Repent is the gift of God The Grace of Repentance or to Repent is as all other Divine new-New-Covenant Virtues are the gift of God Every good and perfect Gift cometh down from the Father of Lights So doth this good Gift and Grace of Repentance hence the Apostle exhorteth firmly and with him all true Ministers 2 Tim. 2. 25. In Meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them Repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth c. That is give them Grace to repent and to turn to him Man by Nature is Averss to this great Work of Repentance he will not come to God though he perish John 5. 40. Ye will not come to me that ye might have Life But it is the Lord that gives and works the Grace 5. What are the concomitant Virtues or 5. The concomitance or companions of Repentance Companions of Repentance And they are many indeed all the Divine Virtues of the New Covenant as Faith and Love and Holiness c. it contains the Birth which is from above without which none can see the Kingdom of God John 3. 3. It contains in it the whole Work of Regeneration and Sanctification But that which I shall more particularly mention is 1. That true Repentance is always accompanied 1. It abhors the Evil and loves the Good with a Soul-â—ating of sin and Love of Virtue and Holiness It abhors that which is Evil and cleaves to that which is Good It doth not only leave Evil but abhor it as it is Evil and Sin as it is against God his Holy Name and Nature and not only abhor sin all sin But those in whom it is do abhor and loath themselves because of sin and the sinful Nature Ezâ—k 36. 31. Then shall ye remember your own â—vâ—l ways and your Doings that were not Good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your Iniquities and for your abhominations Jer. 31. 19. After that I was turned I Repented I smote upon my Thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the Reproach of my Youth These are New Covenant Discoveries of this great Work of Repentance Rom. 7. 24. O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of Death Therefore in vain do those talk of Repentance and Interest in gospel-Gospel-Grace and Life who love themselves and sin still And are not purged from their old Filthiness 2. True Repentance is always accompanied 2. Godly Sorrow with godlâ— Sorrow for sin as it is against God his Holy Will his Holy Name and Nature Contrition and Brokenness of Heart for sin as it is against God always accompanies true Repentance Psal 51. 4. Against thee thee only have I sinned c. So Peter Mat. 26 75. When he had sinned and repented He went out and wept bitterly 2 Cor. 2. 7. Ye ought rather to forgive him and comfort him lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much Sorrow By
followeth Remission of sins That they may receive Forgiveness of sins where note that Forgiveness of sins followeth a Soul turning to God which includes both Faith Repentance and Obedience according to the Gospel and the Inheritance followeth Forgiveness of sins that is Justification the sum of all is this that where the Gospel is sincerely Believed and Obeyed there is a Legal New Covenant-Right to Forgiveness of sins and to the Inheritance a Legal Right to the Justification and the Glory of the Gospel Heb. 5 9. He is become the Author Our right is continued on the same account of Eternal Salvation to all those that Obey him And as we come to have a Legal New Covenant-Right in Justification and Salvation by Believing and Obeying the Gospel so our Right is continued therein by our Sincerity and Constancy therein And this is as abundantly Witnessed too in the Scriptures as the former Mat. 10. 22. He that endureth to the End shall be Saved Luk. 9. 62. No man having put his Hand to the Plough and looking back is fit for the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 5. 13. Mark 13. 13. And this is confirmed by the Apostles Col. 1. 21 22 23. Heb. 3. 6 12 14. and 9 1. 11. Object This seems to imply a Possibility Object of falling from Grace after Believing and Obeying the Truth which is contrary to the Scriptures and the Common Received Faith of the Godly Answ The Unchangeableness of the Love Answ of God and this Truth will and must stand together as I said before we may not nor must not so understand one Truth as to Destroy another 1. Therefore I say that the Lord knoweth them that are his and who are effectually Called and they shall be kept through Faith unto Salvation 2 Tim. 2. 19. Nevertheless the Foundation of the Lord standeth sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth them that are his But we know as yet no otherwise but by Faith and sincere Obedience and our Constancy therein by which we are under the Law of Grace of the New Covenant so that though we ought to believe the Unchangeableness of the Lord's Love in the New Covenant of his Grace and that there are a People known to him who shall be kept by his Power through Faith and shall obtain the Inheritance promised and that we are of that Number if we in Truth and Sincerity Believe and Obey the Gospel unto the end And the more stedfast we are in the Faith and Constant Sincere and Universal in our Obedience the Greater and Well-grounded will be our Assurance both of Interest Standing and Glory 2 Pet. 1. 10 11. Rom. 2. 7 10. Rev. 22. 14. Luke 6. 47 48. 2. We must distinguish between the state of Grace and the state of Glory the Assurance of the Saints in the state of Grace must be distinguished from their assurance in the state of Glory then all Doubts will be over But in the state of Grace there are and will be ground of Doubts and Fears not to Fear or Doubt the Truth of the Gospel and of the Love of God therein or of the Changeableness thereof here our Faith should be without Doubting but as to our Interest therein and certainty of Obtaining in as much as it depends according to the Law of Grace not only on the Truth of God in the Gospel but the Truth of our Faith therein and Constancy of our Obedience to the end and our Interest must flow from both for without the second we have no Interest in the first So that it requireth not only Self-examination of the Truth of the Work of the Heavenly Birth and Regeneration but Constancy therein to the end and by reason of the Corruption of our Natures and Imperfections in those Divine Virtues to which the Promise is made necessarily may occasion sometimes Doubtings and Fears and this seems to be owned by the Scriptures to be rather a Virtue than a Vice in Believers Rom. 11. 20. Be not High-minded but fear Heb. 4. 1 11. Let us fear left a Promise being left us we come short Prov. 28. 14. Happy is the man that feareth always Not only feareth God but feareth his own deceitful Heart feareth a Heart of Vnbelief to depart from the living God feareth to sin against God whether in Omission or Commission This is a Godly fear that must be where Grace is and may sometimes be accompanied with Doubts and Godly Jelousies of a Man's self tendeth to establish the Soul in a well-grounded Assurance sutable to the Gospel and this I must say I had rather have Fellowship with Self-examining Self-judging and Self-fearing Souls stable in the Faith though as to Interest something at sometimes mixed with Doubtings than with High-flown Believers without all fear that have High Assurance on Low grounds scarcely able to give from the Law of the New Covenant a Reason of their Hope But see this more in Chap. 15. CHAP. XIV Wherein I shall speak more distinctly to the matter of Faith and of Justification by Faith With Answer to several Questions and Objections about the matter HAving spoken something to the matter Chap. 14. of Justification what it is and whereit doth consist that is in the Pardon and Remission of sins taking away the Guilt and Condemnation of sin with the Terms on which we must have it if ever we have it 1. Relating to God 2. Our selves i. e. on the Terms of Faith Repentance and sincere Obedience I shall in this speak more distinctly unto the Doctrine of Justification by Faith and endeavour to answer such Questions and Objections as ordinarily are or may be made about it What the Faith is to which Justification is promised I have already stated in the substance thereof in Chap. 11. that it is to believe God in his Word to believe the Truth of the Doctrine of the Gospel of God's Grace to Sinners in Jesus Christ which if True and Right is accompanied with true Repentance Truth of Love to God and sincere Obedience or a Hearty and Willing Consenting to the Truth of the Doctrine of the Gospel to be saved by Jesus Christ and in all things to be Ruled by him as Lord and King They are vain Imaginations that People create to themselves of a Faith without Repentance or a Faith with Works or a Faith without Works after their own Imaginations and not after the Will of Christ or to expect to be saved by him when they have no mind to be ruled by him Acts 3. 22 23. But as to the particular distinct Act of Faith it is to believe God in his Word and that not only in this but in all Cases Faith is to believe God It 's a Fancy and not Faith that hath not the Word of God for it's Foundation I intend in Divine and New Covenant Concerns Abraham believed God and it was accounted unto him for Righteousness This was the Faith of the Father and may or must we suppose the Faith of
it any other way it may be a Fancy only note this that we cannot be so Infalliable as to our particular Interest in Life as we are or ought to be in the Truth of the Doctâ—iâ—e of the Gospel as I have before minded because the one fixes only on the Truth of God the other not only on the Truth of God but likewise on the Truth of our own Faith which being accompanied with Imperfections may occasion Doubtings But of this more full in Chap. 15. of the Assurance of Faith 3. That in all the Faâ—lings of the Saints for the Lord knew that his People could not live perfectly without sin in his New Covenant of Grace his Law of Grace on this account is that his People sincerely humble themselves confess their sins forsake them and beg Mercy and he will Forgive them for the sake of his Son And this is the Law of Grace in the New Covenant for support of Believers in their Spiritual Race and Warfare after Conversion and the way for them to have the Assurance of the Pardon of their daily Miscarriages it must come in from this Law of Grace it 's true I sin daily and come short in every Duty I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good Thing But it is my Burden I am in Truth humbled and do not only Watch and War against it but do daily implore the Throne of Grace for Pardon Hence I have ground from the Law of Grace to believe mine Acceptance and Remission of my sins this is the way of the New Covenant for the daily Pardon Peace and Comfort of the Saints Mat 6 12. Psal 32. 5 Prov. 28. 13. Heb. 8. 12. 1 Joh. 1. 9. Quest The Scripture saith that we are Quest 1. justified by Faith Rom. 5 1. 2. That we are justified by Grace Rom. 3. 24. 3. That God justifieth and Christ justifieth Rom. 8. 33 34. 4 That Works justifieth and not Faith only Jam. 2. 24. How may we understand these Distinctions and reconcile the Scriptures Answ 1. Faith is said to justifie not as Answ the meritorious or satisfying Cause of Justification that is Christ crucified only But as the conditional Cause or Terms on which we are justified that is we are not nor cannot be justified without it This is the Law of the New Covenant it 's said Rom. 4. 3. That Abraham's Faith was accounted to him for Righteousness or imputed as vers 22. 23. Not that Abraham's Faith was his Righteousness to Justification but God accounted him Righteous and doth account one Righteous that doth Believe or imputeth Righteousness to such a one that was not so accounted before nor can be Righteous without it for he that believeth not must be Damned So that Faith justifieth as it is the condition of Justification in the New Covenant on our parts to be performed though in the Spirit and Life of the Covenant or Law written in the Heart 2. We are justified by Grace that iâ— it 's all of Grace and nothing of Desert in us our Faith is not any meritorious Cause in us but it 's all Grace it 's Grace in God to give his Son for us and Grace in Christ to give himself and Grace in God as to us-ward to accept the Sufferings of his Son for us and Grace in him to Pardon and Justifie Sinners on their Believing so that it 's all Grace as from God and we may and ought to câ—y Grace Grace unto it 3. It 's God that justifieth it is God the Father that justifieth 1. Because he Prepared and Dâ—signed the Sacrifice and our Justification thereby John 3 16. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19 20. Heb. 10. 5. 2. He accepted the Sacrifice for us when offered Eph 5. 1. 2. and 1 6 7. 3. It is he that Pardons us that is justifieth us for the Sake of Christ our Peace-Offering when we do believe and Christ is said to justifie us as the Meritorious Satisfactory Cause of our Justification therefore it is said Rom. 8. 34. It is Christ that dyed c. 4. We are said to be justified by Works and not by Faith only because that the Faith to which Justification and Salvation is promised must be a working Faith and when Salvation is promised to Believing we must understand it to be such a Faith as the Gospel intends that is a Faith that carrieth in it Love and sincere Obedience to the Will of Christ it is a Faith which worketh by Love Gal. 5. 6. the contrary is a dead Faith as a Body without a Soul that will never justifie Jam. 2. 26. Thus Works justifie 1. The Truth of our Faith for Faith without Works is dead 2. Works justifieth in some sence as Faith doth that is not as the Meritorious Cause but as the Condition because the Faith to which Justification is promised includes Works in it and so is as truly the Condition of our Justification as Faith for the Gospel excludes that Faith as no Condition at all that is without Works so that Faith without Works is none of the justifying saving-Faith of the Gospel So that thus considered here is a sweet Harmony and Concurrence in those Scriptures and helps to a more full Understanding of the glorious Method of God in this way of Justification and Salvation of Sinners by Jesus Christ Object The Apostle saith Rom. 4. 4 5. Object Now to him that worketh the Reward is not reckoned of Grace but of Debt but to him that Worketh not but Believeth on him that justifieth the Vngodly his Faith is counted for Righteousness Answ We are to understand in this Answ Scripture by not Working is intended Meritorious Working that may deserve Life vers 4. it 's such a Working as that the Reward is not counted of Grace but of Debt not that we may not Work at all that is prophane to imagin But not to Work Meritoriously so as to expect Justification and Life as a due Debt for our Working here Works are nothing He that Worketh not in this sence but Believeth But Faith and Works as the terms on which God will justifie and save of his own Love and Grace in Christ Jesus is absolutely necessary to Salvation And further Works are necessary for thereby we shew forth the Life of Christ in our Mortal Bodies and glorifie God in our Bodies and Spirits who hath done and doth all freely for us and in us Quest Do not this seem to make Faith Quest and Works co-partners with Christ in the Work of Justification and Salvation contrary to Col. 3. 31. Christ is all and in all And Rom. 9. 32. They sought Righteousness as it were by the Works of the Law Answ It makes it no otherwise Co-partners Answ with Christ in the Work of Justification then God hath made it What God hath joyned together let no Man put asunder God hath joyned Faith and Work as the Condition and the Sufferings of his Son our Lord Jesus as the Meritorious satisfying Cause
and his own Eternal Grace in Christ Jesus as the Foundation and applying Cause so all these doth concur in Unity see Eph. 2 7. 8. Yet not of Works as any deserving Cause lest any should boast vers 9. Tit. 3. 4 5 6 7. Yet Works are absolutely necessary to Salvation as the Concomitant of true Faith and Condition of our Salvation and Way that we must walk into Glory For without Holiness no Man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. see Mat. 7. 24 25 26 27. Rom. 2. 7 8 9 10. Rev. 22. 14. There are four things which stand in Unity and it greatly concerns Christians to be instructed therein 1. That all our Spiritual and Eternal Note four Things Good is Founded in and is the Effect of the Eternal Love of God there is all the Grace and Glory of the New Covenant bottomed 1 Tim. 1. 9. Jer. 31. 3. 2. That Jesus Christ is the Way and Meritorious Cause of the accomplishing of this Salvation God never intended to save any One by his Grace alone without Relation unto Jesus Christ crucified Acts 4. 12. Though probably many saved-Ones have dyed without Faith in Christ Crucified before he came in the Flesh and had Suffered yet in the great Day all the saved Ones shall know that their Salvation was effected by him 3. That Faith is the terms on which we must have this Salvation and so is on that account absolutely necessary for he that Believeth not must be Damned 4. That Works as included in Faith and may not be separated from it are absolutely necessary likewise without which the Faith is naught dead feigned that will stand the Owners thereof in no steed in the day of Need. Quest Whether the Scripture do not hold Quest forth the Justification of the Elect before Believing Some are of the mind that the Elect were justified from Eternity others that they were justified when Christ dyed that when God was Actually satisfied the Elect must be Actually justified Answ Actual Justification cannot be Answ before and without Faith because it is contrary to the Doctrine and Law of the New Covenant which is the ground of our Faith and Hope in the matter for that saith expresly that He that Believeth not shall be Damned and Act. 13. 39. By him all that Believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses It is a Doctrine the New Covenant is unacquainted with and therefore contrary to the wholesome Words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Doctrine that is according to Godliness It 's true we Read Rom. 8. 29 30. of a Calling and Justification to be from Eternity but we must understand that as in God's purpose to be done not as Actually done for a purpose in God to justifie is not Justification and the Scripture will clear it self in this matter Whom he foreknew them he Predestinated to be Conformed to the Image of his Son Note Predestination was to something in time namely to Conformity to Christ which is not before Believing Whom he Predestinated them he Called and Calling is in time And whom he Called them he Justified and whom he Justified them he Glorified or as the Margin Reads it them he is wont to Call wont to Justifie wont to Glorifie and take it in this Sence and It 's clear But however they were no more Justified than Called than Glorified from Eternity which must all relate to Purpose and to be Effected in time they are called Sheep John 10. 16. Children Gal. 4. 3. Yet still in Purpose Rom. 4. 17. will clear us in this matter and many other things of like concern that God calleth things that are not as though they were They are not in Actual being yet are in his Purpose to be in time we may as well say God made the World before he did it and that the World was Drowned before it was and that Christ was come in the Flesh and had Suffered and was Raised and Ascended and come again to Judgment c. before it was or is because it was God's Purpose that all these and Multitudes more of things should be done which is indeed contrary to all Reason and would overturn all Truth to say it is done and as for Actual Justification when Christ Dyed and Rose again it 's true there was Actual Satisfaction to Divine Justice both given and taken in order to Justification but Satisfaction is one thing and Justification is another It 's true if Christ had done for us what he did as our Surety being bound with us to pay our Debt if we could not and in so doing had fully answered the Law to which we were liable then Actual Justification must have followed Actual Satisfaction without all terms of Believing and Obeying for if the Surety pay the Debt and Cancel the Bond in strictest Law the Principle is quit without any terms and likewise no need of pardoning Grace if the Satisfaction was such that Christ as our Surety paid our Debt in strictest Law-sence but it 's evident that what Christ did for and in behalf of Sinners was by voluntary Contracts between the Father and the Son John 6. 38 39. 2 Tim. 1. 9. and voluntarily undertaken by the Lord and the Satisfaction that Christ gave and Justice took was not the Payment of our Debt in kind as our Surety obliged to it if we could not do it neither was he the Person that the Law might expect Satisfaction from for the Law saith The Soul that sinneth that shall Die and We all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God So that the Satisfaction that Christ gave was voluntarily given and graciously Received and Accepted as Acts of Grace to us both in the Son in Suffering and the Father in Accepting and therefore it must come to us as it is indeed Acts of Grace and on the terms agreed on between the Father and the Son which are published in the Gospel and it was no ways intended to acquit the Sinners presently without any more adoe no it holds true That he that Believeth and is Baptized shall be Saved but he that Believeth not shall be Damned Therefore it concerns you to take heed how you understand Actual Justification to be when there was Actual Satisfaction lest you put an end to the Terms and Conditions of Justification by the law-Law-Covenant of Grace and to the Pardoning Grace of God the Father and so miss of Justification and Life on the Terms propounded This will make way for two Questions further 1. Quest What is the Reason that God Quest should lay so much â—tress on Faith as that there should be no Justification nor Salvation without it 1. Answ Because thereby we justifie Answ God as I shewed before in the Excellency of Faith and so Honour him in his Truth and All-sufficiency Unbelief is the Dishonourable sin therefore the Damning sin He that believeth not hath made him a Lyer 1 John 5.
Yet 3. We ought to believe that God will pardon our sins on the Terms mentioned after they are committed Quest Is not this Legal Doctrine Quest It is the Judgment of some that a Believer ought to believe the Pardon of all sins past present and to come and that to pray for the Pardon of sin is Legal Answ It 's true it is Legal i. e. according Answ to the Law of the new-New-Covenant and is Gospel all Mercy and Pardon after the Fall is Gospel and a Fruit of the new-New-Covenant and the Truth is that they that Darken this lose the Life of the Grace of the Gospel and savours much of Ignorance and Pride It 's infinite Mercy that God hath opened a Door of Hope and Way of Mercy and Pardon of the sins of his People after Conversion as before and if they walk humbly with God in this way of his Ordaining they shall not miss of obtaining Mercy Heb. 4. 16. We ought to believe that God will continue the Grace of Faith and give us Repentance for sin and will Pardon our sins in this way of Repentance and this is according to the Law of the New-Covenant The Great day of Mercy and Pardon will be at the Great day of Judgment when we must all appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ Act. 3. 19. 2 Tim. 1. 18. Jude vers 21. Looking for the Mercy of our Lord Jesus unto Eternal Life And this I understand to be the glorious Ministration of the New-Covenant Heb. 8. 12. For I will be Merciful to their Unrighteousness and their Sins and Iniquities will I Remember no more Though Believers are interested in this Covenant and God pardoneth their Iniquities here in the Order and Way prescribed that they shall not prove their Eternal Ruin if we are not yet under the perfect and glorious Ministration thereof for the New-Covenant in the Perfection of it's Ministration is the Covenant of the perfect Restauration and Glory God do now remember the sins of his People so as to correct them by various Ways according to his own Will Psal 89. 30 31 32. 1 Cor. 11. 30 31 32. But then he will so Pardon the Iniquities of all his People as not to Remember them so as to Correct or Punish them Isa 33. 24. Mich. 7. 18 19 20. Quest Whether the Faith unto Quest which Justification is imputed be an Act of the Old or of the New-Man Answ True and Saving Faith is an Answ Act of the Soul renewed by Grace of the Law of God written in the Heart the New-Covenant admits of no Old thing it 's New Wine is not put into Old Bottles 2 Cor. 5. 17. Old things are past away behold all things are become New It 's the Act of the New Man from a principle of Life wrought in the Soul by the Gospel flowing from the Second Man the Lord from Heaven who is a quickning Spirit Note 1. That there is or may be a Faith without Life John 2. 23 24 25. and 8. 30 31. Mat. 13. 20 21. Luke 8. 13. 1 John 2. 19. 2. That that Faith to which Life is promised is an effect if Life Joh. 11. 26. Whosoever Liveth and Believeth in me shall never Die that is the Faith of Life that is an Effect of Life 2 Cor. 4. 13. Having therefore the same Spirit of Faith c. There is a Spirit of Faith that is the Spirit of the Gospel that begets Life and Faith in Men by the Word of Faith called by our Lord The Birth from above and a Begetting again by the Word of Truth Jam. 1. 18. and a being Born of God 1 John 3. 9. and 5. 18. The New-Covenant or Law in the Heart Heb. 8. 10. Quest If the Case be thus How shall Quest I know that my Faith is Right I shall be left still in Doubt and at a Loss in this Matter Answ I must say to this as Christ Answ said in another case By their Fruits you shall know them Mat. 7. 16 20. If thy Faith be the Effect of the Spirits Working and Work of the New Man then see 2 Cor. 15. 17. If any Man be in Christ he is a New Creature Old things are past away behold all things are become New New Light and new Life new Affections new Objects of Love new Delights sutable to the new Birth and new Man Which is created after God in Righteousness and true Holiness Eph. 4. 24. Gal. 5. 22 23. Where the Fruits of the Spirit are described as effected in the true Believer The Fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance c. Where these Fruits of the Spirit are in Truth there the Faith is Right and Saving But more particularly 1. Where Truth of Faith is there is Humility this is a special distinguishing Character of New Covenant Faith when the Soul is truly Humbled it 's the Property of the Effectual Working of the New Covenant-Spirit in the Gospel to lay the Creature low Rom. 3. 27. Where is Boasting then It is excluded by what Law Of Works Nay but by the Law of Faith So that Faith takes off all Boasting where it is in Truth and the Reason is because the true Believer seeth and knoweth that he is a poor Nothing wretched Creature in himself and that he must have all both Pardon Peace and Life from the Mercy of God in Christ Jesus and that all he doth or can do is no Meritorious Cause of Grace or Life of Pardon or Peace but that when he hath done all that he can he is an Unprofitable Servant And that his best Services are Defiled with sin and sinful Imperfections of Nature and this makes the Soul humble and low in it self to abhor it self and this declares it evidently to be under the Blessing pronounced by our Saviour Mat. 5. 3. Blessed are the Poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Revel 2. 9. and 3. 8. This is the Man to whom God will look Isa 66. 2. and with whom He will dwell Chap. 57. 15. and that shall dwell with him for ever Zeph. 3. 12. to 18. For this groweth not upon the Old stock of Nature that is Proud and Self-conceited and if any New-Covenant Gifts come into such a Soul it is but as the Putting of New Wine into Old Bottles that will make them swell and burst first or last 2. Where Truth of Faith is there is Truth of Love and therefore it behoves every one to prove the sincerity of their Love that great new-New-Covenant Virtue and Heaven-born Grace to love God and Christ above all Mat. 22. 37. Eph. 6. 24. Mat. 10. 37. To love his Word and Will and to Delight in it and prize it above all Worldly Treasure Psal 119. 97 103 127. To love his People for his Sake because they are his and bear his Image and Likeness 1 John 3. 14. and 4 12. 3. Where Truth of Faith and Love is there will be
Willing and Universal Obedience to the Will of Christ he that loveth the Lord sincerely will Obey him Universally it 's in Vain to talk of Faith and Love without Obedience see Psal 119. 6. John 14. 15. 1 John 2. 3 4 5. 1 Pet. 1. 14 15. Whoever accepteth of Jesus Christ to be his Saviour must and doe Willingly consent that he shall be his Lord to Rule him Quest VVhat is the Reason that Quest God should bring Forth Accept and Apply unto Men such a Righteousness unto Life in the new-New-Covenant which is not their own but of Grace imputed and Accounted theirs on Believing c. Answ His own good Will and Answ Pleasure his everlasting Love and Grace 1. No Desert in us there was nothing in us unless our Misery that called to the Depth of Mercy Psal 42. 7 8. Deep called to Deep The Depth of our Misery that called to the Depth of Mercy and the Love of Pitty and Compassion in God brought forth this Free Ministration of Grace and Life by Jesus and this is rendred as the Cause Joh. 3. 16. God so Loved the VVorld that he gave his only Begotten Son that whosoever Believeth in him should not Perish but have Everlasting Life VVhat he hath Done for us on this Account is Love and likewise what he Worketh in us Eph. 2. 4 5. And 2. His Eternal Councel and Purpose as well as his Eternal Love Eph. 1. 11. The Apostle speaketh of this Wonderful Mistery of Grace and Life through Faith in Christ saith He worketh all things after the Councel of his own VVill. And Isa 25. 1. The Prophet speaking of the Restauration-Work saith Thy Councels of Old are Faithfulness and Truth all the Salvation-work of the New-Covenant is the Effects of God's Ancient Purpose and Councel 3. Because else there could have been no Salvation for Man our own Righteousness could not have done it at best that could have been but as filthy Rags Isa 64. 6. Though we had endeavoured to Answer the Righteousness of the Law Acts 13. 39. Phil. 3. 9. It must have left us short of Justification and Salvation Joh. 8. 24. If you believe not that I am He you shall Die in your sins 4. That so our Justification and Salvation might be sure Rom. 4. 16. Therefore it is of Faith that it might be by Grace to the end the Promise might be sure to all the Seed c. It is a Righteousness that will not Fail though we in many things through Weakness fail Rom. 7. 18 19. Jam. 3. 2. Yet the Apostle Triumphs in this Righteousness because it 's sure Rom. 7. 25. and 8. 1. It 's called the Sure Mercies of David Isa 55. 3. and an Everlasting Righteousness Psal 119. 42. Thy Righteousness is an Everlasting Righteousness and thy Law is the Truth Christ our publike Person having undertaken the whole Work both for us and in us it 's very sure to those who commit themselves to him to be Saved and Ruled by him John 6. 38 39. Phil. 4 13. Eph. 3. 16 Isa 26. 5. CHAP. XV. Of Gospel-Assurance and whether Assurance of interest in Christ in Grace and Glory may be attained in this life I Shall now come to speak something about Of assurance of Faith Gospel-assurance or the assurance of Faith whether the assurance of interest in Justification and Salvation may be attained in this life on this side the possession of the purchased inheritance and as for the assurance of Faith we must consider it in two particulars 1. Assurance of Faith in the truth of the Assurance of Faith in the Doctrin Doctrine to be believed and the truth and faithfulness of God therein this being the Faith to which Justification is promised as hath been before proved and in this assurance of Faith is requisite unto Justification and life for if we falter in the truth of the Doctrine we must needs fail in the whole by believing the truth of the Doctrine of God we justifie him and set to our seal that God is true and he will justifie those who justifie him if we believe not yet be abideth faithful to those who believe he will not he cannot deny himself 2 Tim. 2. 13. this being the Faith of Justification and life of this we ought to be fully assured and infallibly and undoubtedly satisfied of the truth of God in his Word and of all things related therein relating to Salvation by Jesus Christ Crucified raised and ascended Joh. 6. 69. We believe and are sure that thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God Chap. 8. 24. If ye believe not that I am he ye shall die in your sins so that Assurance in this is positively necessary i. e. the full assurance of Faith this Peter Preached as necessary to Salvation Act. 2. 36 therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified bâ—th Lord and Christ 1 Thes 1. 5. Our Gospel came not to you in word only but also in Power and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance c. to that end was those mighty gifts given to and by the Apostles in the Primitive time for confirmation of the truth of the Doctrine of the Gospel Act. 5. 3. 1 Pet. 12. which confirmation stands firm to us and to all believers to the Worlds end though it 's true it is by the work of the same spirit in the same Doctrine that doth establish our hearts therein 2 Cor. 4. 13. Yet in this it 's possible for gracious souls sometimes to be under temptation and to want that assurance of Faith as is requisite in so weighty a matter as this is there is no temptation but a Christian may be assaulted with consent is the dangerous sin and in this matter to depart from the Faith and to reject Christ crucified and Salvation by him is the unpardonable sin Heb. 10. 26. 29. and 6. 4 5 6. Many gracious souls trouble themselves The unpardonable sin in two things about this sin fearing themselves to be guilty thereof through their ignorance of the sin what it is all sin it's true is against the Holy Spirit but the unpardonable sin or sin unto death consists especially in two things 1. A wilâ—ul departing from the Faith and refusing and rejecting Salvation by Jesus Christ crucified by persons after they have professed Faith in him and obedience to him according to those Scriptures before mentioned 2. A wilful and malicious opposing of the Spirits workings or any known truth of the Lord Jesus after conviction that it is the Holy Spirit and the truth of the Lord Jesus yet contrary to light and convictions of conscience for base by and fleshly ends to oppose contradict and blaspheme is the sin against the Holy Spirit and this is it mentioned Mat. 12. 31 32. with v. 24. but for Christians to meet with doubtings about the matters of Faith though they ought to watch and
is but the assurance of Faith Hope and Confidence which affords Peace Joy and Consolation the Scripture and so must reason too make a vast disproportion between the life of Faith and the life of present and full Injoyment 2 Cor. 5. 7. We live by Faith and not by sight that is not by present injoyment Heb. 10. 38. Now the just shall live by Faith that is now in this side the Glory promised in which it may be supposed is danger of drawing back If any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him 2. How it must be obtained the assurance 2. How it must be obtained of Faith and hope must be attained by a reflect act of the soul or a resultancy or conclusion from the condition on which life is promised to instance Mat. 5. 3. c. are many precious promises made to persons that are indowed with those Divine Virtues therein exprest as Blessed are the poor in spirit c. Who so finds those Virtues in him may and ought to claim his interest in the promises so Mat. 16. 16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved that is he that believeth and obeyeth the Lord of which Baptism is the first and ingageth to the whole duty of the Gospel shall be saved I do believe and obey the Gospel therefore I shall be saved so 1 Jâ—h 5. 1. Whosoever doth believe that Jesus is the Christ is born of God this Faith if right is accompanied with those other Virtues mentioned as love to God love to his people obedience to his will and his Commandments are not grievous it getteth victory over the World c. as ver 2. By this we know we love the children of God when we love God and keep his Commandments ver 3. For this is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous that is they are not grievous to Believers ver 4. Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the World and this is the victory that overcometh the World even your Faith What the World is that Faith overcometh the Apostle had before explained Chap. 2. 15 16 17. Faith getteth the victory by fixing the soul on better objects than the World is Heb. 5. 9. He is become the Author of eternal Salvation to all them that obey him Now the resultancy from the whole is I do believe that Jesus is the Christ and my Faith is accompanied with love to God above all and do love his people for his sake and do sincerely desire to know and do his will and keep his Commandments they are not grievous to me but my failing therein is my grief and by this Faith I have overcome the World and am dead to it and it is my real desire and endeavour to abandon all things that are contrary to the will of the Lord to abhor that which is evil and to cleave to that which is good therefore I am born of God therefore I have an interest in the new covenant this is the way appointed of God in which they may make their Calling and Election sure if they give diligence to it 2 Pet. 1. 10. and these are the things that John write in his Epistle to them that did believe that they might know that they had eternal life 1 Joh. 5. 13. and according to our abounding in those Divine Virtues or not abounding so will our assurance be 2 Pet. 1. 10 11. Quest. Is not Assurance the immediate Quest gift of the Spirit does not the Scripture speak of being sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise Eph. 1. 13. 2 Cor. 1 22 Answ 1. It 's without all question to me Answ that the ground of all sealings is from the Holy Spirit and that he doth refresh the hearts of Believers and seal up love to them in the waies of his own appointment yet for persons to take that for a sealing evidence which relates neither to word nor work of the Spirit but some apprehended over-powrings or â—rong perswasions without all grounds â—rong confidence and consolation but knows not â—rom whence it comes can give no reason thereof but supposeth that it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be from the Spirit this may 〈◊〉 〈…〉 on of our own spirits or the 〈◊〉 who can transform himself into an Angel of lâ—ght and I fear many souls have miscarried on this account 2. The assurance and comfort of Saints must come in by believing if right Rom. 15. 13. The God of Hope fill you with joy and peace in believing as 1 Pet. 1. 8. What ever comes in any other way may prove a â—ancy and Faith in this matter must have a relation to the word of Grace or the work of the Spirit suitable to some word or both in which is found the sealings of the Spirit it must be in and by the word and work The Spirit was promised and given for a twofold Seal 1. To seal the truth of the Doctrine to be believed by its gifts and mighty works in and by the Ministers thereof and 2. To seal the truth of our Faith relative to interest in that Doctrine and that is by the word and work of the same Spirit 1. By the word Joh. 16. 13 14. Where â—he Spirit seals by the Word the manner of the Spirits work is 〈◊〉 ed that is he shall guide you into truth â—e 〈◊〉 not speak of himself he shall shew you things to come he shall glorifie me he shall take of mine and shew it unto you so that the way of the Spirits working and leading into truth is in opening the Word and shewing the goodness of the Word the Doctrine of the Gospel which leads us to Christ for he shall glorifie him and take of his and shew it to the soul and there is nothing of Christ to be shewed to us more than is revealed in and by the Word so that the Spirits sealing is in and through the Word and this Believers have experience of more or less of the Spirits sealing through the Word read heard and applyed to their joy and comfort for the Spirit comforts by opening Christ and the blessed truths of the Gospel relating to him by his Word and his Ordinances appointed for that end Quest In what manner doth the Spirit Quest work by the Word in sealing up assurance to the souls is it by an immediate bringing in of Scripture over-powringly unthought on or unexpected Answ Sometimes the Spirit of Christ Answ may so work and I question not but that in some cases and at sometimes he hath so wrought though it 's not so usual nor alwaies may it prove so fafe to be depended on for when we respect more the manner of its being brought in than the matter and the shew of the sealing testimony as apprehended lieth rather in the manner than the matter Sathan may transform himself therein and deceive the soul I have known some looking so much after the manner of receiving evidence in
way in which souls may undoubtedly read their interest it 's true it 's matter of meditation and consolation to gracious souls to have the Word brought into their remembrance but not the way prescribed by which they may undoubtedly conclude their interest 2. The Scripture saith that we should be able and ready to give a reason of our hope now this is no sufficient reason according to the Scripture either to satisfie our selves or others that I had such a Scripture brought home to me at such a time in which the assurance of my interest in Grace and Life was sealed this singly of it self may be true or false if there be not the rational Scripture ground that is the true work of Grace it 's a hundred to one but it's false and delusive therefore at a distance from the work of the Spirit it 's no sure ground for Satan can make use of Scripture to deceive souls So that I say that evidence that may admit of doubt and if the party receiving it be void of those evidences I have minded then it 's undoubtedly false and therefore not over-confidently to be built upon But in the other way of concluding our interest from the work of the Spirit in us suitable to the Word without us when there is an answerableness in this matter it 's surely of God and in this the Devil will not cannot deceive you it works you more to love and be like the Lord but the other if not right it serves rather to harden and to cure miscarriages ever after Well saith such a soul I had such a word brought in at such a time in such a manner in which I was sealed I will never let go that it was of God I fear neither Devil nor men c. Though the right use of former experiences is precious yet I fear this hath proved to the damage of many souls And on the other hand gracious and tender souls that hath the root of the matter in them understanding that this is the supposed way to get assurance and having no experience thereof in themselves put their souls upon the rack of doubts and fears without cause fearing they have no Faith being afraid to draw conclusions from right Gospel grounds O saith the soul I never had experience of such a sealing evidence therefore I fear all is naught 4. Some talk of assurance at such a rate not only as if it must come in some strange immediate way from the Spirit but likewise it must come to whom and when he pleaseth and that it 's retained from some for ever that is in this World and as if it were reserved to sometimes and for some persons c. And this puts tender and serious souls to a doubt in the matter where ever they may meet with any comfortable assurance of the love of God to their souls c. To this I say it 's true it is the gift of God but no other than the Spirit and Faith is and if any one hath not the Spirit of God and Faith he is none of his and whoever can assure himself that he hath the Spirit of Christ is sure of all for God no more with-holds assurance from any of his than he does his Spirit and the virtues thereof but it is as common for all Saints as believing though all Saints are not so commonly instructed herein God is no respecter of persons he would have all his little ones to have the consolations of the Gospel it is true there are causes why God may hide his face from his people in this matter but that relates to themselves as the cause which is the second hindrance of assurance 2. Sin proves a great hindrance to the 2. Sin proves an hindrance to assurance comfortable assurance of the Saints and that 1. Sometimes through mistake and 2. Sometimes justly 1. Sometimes through mistake for indeed sin if seen and repented of cannot justly hinder assurance for to such souls there is the promise of mercy they are under the promise of the pardoning Grace of the Gospel 1 Joh. 1. 9. The remembrance of old sins or new sins if repented of should not hinder 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. 2. Sin sometimes justly hinders assurance when it is regarded in the heart and unrepented of it stares in the conscience and fills the soul with fear and no wonder if sin be harboured secretly in the soul whether it be pride covetousness oppression disobedience neglect of duty loss of first love c. one of these two things must necessarily follow either 1. a dull insensible hardened frame without all fear or doubts or 2. Clowds and darkness doubts and fears do arise about interest and that justly too till the soul do repent forsake and turn to the Lord If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear my Prayer there is the same reason as well as rule for a Believer to repent of sin before he can have true Peace as for a sinner in the first work of Conversion for sin is the same still where-ever it is and on this account it is that God doth hide himself from his people and leave them under affliction and sorrow Deut. 32. 20. And on this account it is that persons may have a comfortable assurance and lose the sense thereof again by renewed acts of sin without repentance 3. Hindrance is mistakes in the manner 3. Is misunderstanding the Spirits working and method of the Spirits working and so of witnessing in some cases proves a great hindrance to Christians in their assurance by reason of which gracious souls take up that against themselves as an hindrance which is one of the most assured grounds of the truth of Grace and of the Spirits working to instance Joh 16. 8 9 11. The Spirits work is to convince the world of sin of righteousness and of judgment now when the Spirit in the Word effects this work in the hearts of sinners when they see themselves to be sinners and miserable in themselves and that they are unrighteous and that their own righteousness is nothing worth and that there is righteousness in Christ for sinners because he is gone to the Father to make good his suffering on that account and of the certainty of Judgment because the Prince of this World is judged this work being effected in them they sink in their spirits and think they are undone that there is no hope of mercy when they are in the high-way of mercy and the Spirits working in order to their eternal safety Hard it is to suffer the loss of all things not only their sins but their own righteousness and to submit themselves to the righteousness of Christ Phil. 3. 7 8 9. and this not only in the first work of Conversion but after some progress in Christianity many gracious persons are exceeding liable to this mistake O saith the gracious soul that lives most in self-examination and so in the knowledg of
with God improving Divine Grace received and acquaintance with the right way of attaining of assurance it 's true that Hope as well as Faith admits of degrees sometimes there is the full assurance of Hope which is the next step to the full assurance of Faith we are saved by Hope as well as by Faith Rom. 8 24. And Hope is the anchor of the soul to hold us firm and stedfast to the Lord Heb. 6. 19. Therefore be sober and hope to the end and cast nâ—t away your confidence if you never get above a well grounded hope of an interest in Grace and Glory you are safe See the precious promises made to this Grace or rather to the persons in whom it is Ps 31 24. 33. 18 19 147. 11. Quest How may I know that my Hope Quest is right and not the common ungrounded Hope of the World and Hypocrites Answ 1. When it is rightly grounded Answ not meerly fancy and imagination taken up either from a common notion of Christianity and hear-say of Heaven and Happiness conclude an interest and pretend an hope to be saved without any work of Grace at all in the heart and thus deceive themselves with a vain hope can give no reason thereof but God is merciful and Christ died for sinners and they be Christians and hope to be saved although altogether strangers if not enemies to the work of Grace Others hope ariseth from a meer rational conversion from some external acts of sin to some external duties and so it may be to another though not a new life altogether without a new heart and thence hope to be saved Now the well grounded hope of the Gospel must be on the same that Faith of interest is on the same grounds must souls get first into hope that is the word and promises of the New Covenant and the work effected in the heart where there is an harmony in word and work there is a stable ground for hope as there is no stable ground for hope from the Word without the work so is there no ground for hope from the work without the Word but when the soul can say I have believed repented and obeyed the Gospel and it is its desire and endeavour to persevere therein to the end there is a Gospel ground for hope of an interest in the precious promises of the Gospel 2. From the effects of this hope to increase and strengthen it when the soul is sincerely prosecuting the design of Holiness and desireth and endeavoureth to be more like Christ daily and less like the World it 's an undoubted discovery that the hope is right 1 Joh. 3. 3. Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself as he is pure And a wonderful discovery I fear it is of the vanity of the hopes of multitudes of professors that think themselves gotten above the World whose great design is to be like the World great and rich like the World proud and vain in their fashions like the World dead and lifeless to the power of Religion like the World but where is the man where is the woman to be found who designs conformity to Jesus Christ and mourns in the sense of non-conformity that yet remains and reioyceth that a time will come that the vile body shall be changed and fashioned like unto his glorious body He that hath this hope in him purifieth himself as he is pure CHAP. XVI A further Discovery of the New Covenant and Life of Faith OF this much hath been spoken in what hath been before minded yet I shall speak a little more distinctly to it in this place 1. The Gospel or New Covenant are 1. Of the Gospel or New Covenant tearms equivalent and intends one and the same thing in substance the New Covenant is so called because it is the Covenant of the renewed Estate of the new Life and deliverance out of that estate of sin and death into which we fell by the first transgression this Covenant relating to new men and women in Christ Jesus and the new World the whole new estate propounded and promised therein made 1. In and with Christ Jesus the head of this new and glorious design of God in the renovation and restauration work and 2. In him with all the members of his body the Church Tit. 1. 2. Tit. 1. 9. On whom this design of God shall undoubtedly be accomplished it being the glorious and undoubted end and issue of the great undertaking of Christ our Lord in his suffering for sinners Joh. 6. 38 39. Eph 5. 25 26 27. Called a Covenant of Grace because the regeneration and restauration work in all the parts thereof is the effect of the free Grace of God in Christ Jesus and a Covenant or promise of Life because it is a deliverance from death into a state of Life never to die again it 's called the Gospel which signifieth glad or good tidings Luke 2. 10. Rom. 10. 15. It imports all the good promised in the New Covenant of Pardon Peace Life of Justification Sanctification and Glory with the way by which it is effected that is by Jesus Christ crucified raised and ascended in the performance of his Mediatory Office 1 Cor. 15 1 3 4. It intends the glad tidings of remission of sins by Jesus Christ and of Salvation Luke 24. 47. with Mark 16. 15. It being one and the same commission it promiseth remission of sins and Salvation on its own tearms i. e. on Faith Repentance and new Obedience it promâ—seth acceptation in service and gives rules relating thereunto unto which all New Covenant spirited people ought to take heed Acts 3. 22 23. It promiseth assistance in service Isa 26. 12. 2 Cor. 5. 5. Phil. 2. 13. Eph. 1. 6. With eternal Life and Glory in the World to come and preservation thereunto in the way of Faith Holiness and sincere Obedience unto the end 1 Pet. 1. 5. Heb. 5. 9. This is the New Covenant the Gospel the glad tidings of Gods free Grace and good will to men accompanied with the discovery of the dreadful state of all that do not believe and obey this Gospel There is Pardon and Peace Grace and Life a Kingdom and Glory and that Eternal given by covenant and promise to all that in truth believe and obey the Gospel Heb. 5. 9 9. 5. Contained in that Gen. 12. 3. In thee shall all thee Families of the Earth be blessed which includes all the blessings of the New Covenant relating to Grace and Glory but of this I have written distinctly and of the Mediatory Office of Christ in this New Covenant in a Book entituled The Discourse of true Gospel Blessedness or The distinction of the two Covenants Old and New to which I refer the Reader that desireth to see further in this matter And 2. As for the Life of Faith in this 2. Of the Life of Faith Gospel or New Covenant and the truth of God therein what
9. 24. Let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exerciseth loving kindness judgmeâ—â— and righteousness in the earth c. To know that he is the Lord gracious and merciful c. As he hath opened and made known himself in Jesus Christ crucified in whom he was and is well pleased and satisfied and 〈◊〉 his sake pardoning justifying and saving all that come unto God by him In a word He that cometh to God must believe and know that God is as he hath made known himself to be in the Gospel and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Knowledg differs little from Faith and sometimes it 's all one when thâ— soul is so inlightned into the knowledg of God and Christ and Truth as to believe Joh. 6. 69. We believe and are sure Greek know that thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God 1 Joh. 5. 20. And we know that the Son of God is come c. And Job I know that my Redeemer liveth c. By all which it appears that knowledg which is saving differs but little from Faith and includes Faith Now in as much as knowledg or illumination Difference between saving knowledg and that which is not is common to all where the true light shines i. e. to hypocrites and formalists as well as sincere Christians as Heb. 6. 4. 6. 10. 32. 2. 2 Pet. 2. 20 21. Rom. 2. 17 18. 21 22. 1 Cor. 8. 1 2. I shall therefore rather apply my self to speak something to shew the difference between the saving knowledg of God and Christ in the new covenant of his Grace and that which men may have and yet be short of Grace and Life referring the Reader to Chap. 1. for the distinct knowledg of God The first difference is the saving knowledg 1. It is a soul-humbling knowledg of God and Christ is a soul-humbling self-abasing knowledg and that in the first work of Conversion the very entrance of saving knowledg gives the soul such a sight and apprehension of God and of Christ and of himself and sin that it throws down and lays low the soul and makes him cry out as those Acts 2. 37. Being pricked at the heart with the light of truth they understood and believed what they did not before both concerning Christ and themselves They cried out men and brethren what shall we do How wonderfully was the case changed they who but a little before cried out Crucifie him Crucifie him now are pricked at the heart for it and cry another cry Men and brethren what shall we do Sutable to this is that Psalm 119. 130. The entrance of thy Word giveth light it giveth understanding to the simple The very entrance of the Word of Life into the heart giveth this light the soul comes thereby to know something of God of his Holiness of his Justice and Goodness and something of himself of his own badness unholiness sinfulness and need of mercy and this amaseth and abaseth the soul and if the work be right this soul-abasing is not only in the sight and sense of some one particular sin or particular sins but it gives a sight of the body of death that is of the sinful nature that there is nothing but sin a sinful state the thoughts and imaginations the words and works yea that the best works as done by us are menstruous and filthy A soul never rightly knows himself till he thus know himself and the want of this is the cause of so many abortives in Religion that comes to nothing Persons may meet with some convictions of and conversion from some particular sin or sins but never see themselves utterly lost and undone and filthy all over and such conversions ordinarily first or last comes to nothing not but that the beginning work oft-times may arise from conviction of some capital iniquity as those Acts 2. 37. But if saving it leaves not till it discover the body of death this is the effect of saving knowledg or if it meet with and steal in by degrees on those that have lived under good education and use of means that it makes not so great a noise at first This must be effected first or last the knowledg of God in Christ Jesus in the way of the Gospel and of themselves to know themselves to be indeed wretched and miserable without which they never rightly imbrace Christ and the Grace and Mercy of the new Covenant And this self-humbling self-abasing and self and sin-abhorring frame is not only a work for a day i. e. at first conviction but where the true light shineth it abideth and gracious growing Christians the longer they live and the higher they grow in Gospel light the more they know themselves and the more they abase themselves have little and low thoughts of themselves This is that which sincere Christians do and can experience see witnesses from Scripture of this truth David a man after God's own heart though a King when he danced before the Ark and withal his wife mocked him he said I will yet be more vile than this and base in my own sight By which we may see that this is the common work of God in all gracious souls Greatness nor Kingship did hinder it laies low the souls of Great men and Kings where it is in power Job 40. 4. I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay mine hand upon my mouth c. And Chap. 42. 5. 6. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes The more a soul knows of God and Christ the more he abhors himself not only an abhorrency of sin but of self because of sin attends gracious knowing persons Isa 6. 5. That Evangelical Prophet cries out Wo is me I am undone I am a man of unclean lips c. For mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts He had seen King Jesus it was a Gospel sight which did thus humble and abase him Joh. 12. 41. These things said Isaiah when he saw his glory and spake of him It was the glory mentioned in this Chapter the Evangelist alludes unto John the Baptist the fore-runner of our Lord of whom he testifieth that he was greater both in light and work than the greatest Prophet yet he had this frame of spirit in him Joh. 1. When they sent to him to know who he was he confessed and denied not that he was not the Christ He it is who coming after me is preferred before me whose shooes latchet I am not worthy to unloose ver 20. 27. Not worthy to do the meanest service for him So the holy Apostle Paul acknowledgeth Rom. 7. 18. I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing and hence he cries out ver 24. O wretched man that I am who shall
Christians have great work to do for God in the World in matter of service and suffering in doing good and eschewing evil in mortifying sin great burdens to bear for the sake of Christ and it is only love flowing from Faith that will make all easie and help us through every duty and every difficulty for Faith worketh by love Gal. 5. 6. Faith getteth victory over the World but it is by love for Faith can do nothing without love as it ought to be done for it is nothing but Faith and love working together makes the soul bold and valiant for God and strong able to do suffer and bear for Christ what-ever he calls us too It is the never-failing Virtue it will never fail us hear as it shall not fail us hereafter it 's the bond of perfection or the perfect bond that ties us perfectly to God in all difficulties and perfectly one to another in every duty holiness in life is the great concernment for every Christian to be pressing aften to be holy in heart and holy in life to be holy in all manner of conversation and godliness 1 Pet. 1. 15. But this we must attain in the power of the love of God in the Gospel if ever we attain it Eph. 3. 17 18 19. 1 Thes 3. 12 13. 3. Love is the fulfilling of the Law 3. It is the fulfilling of the Law yea and of the Gospel too Mat. 22. 37 39 40. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and thy neighbour as thy self on these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets it all hangs upon love Rom. 13. 8. 9. He that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law so that Love to God and love to Man is the fulfilling of the Law not that any should suppose that meerly love without any thing else is intended but that where truth of love is to God and to man for God's sake it will carry on such souls chearfully to every duty both to God and Man that the Law requireth that is the Law of the new Covenant for the Law as it is holy just and good is still to be observed as administred by Christ in the new Covenant and is the rule of the Believers sanctification and he that loveth truly fulfilleth it rightly and the true cause why Believers live so little to the Law of Christ is because they love so little 4. Where this Grace of Love is in truth 4 It is an evidence of being born of God it 's an evidence that such souls are born of God and in a state of life it 's an Heaven-born Virtue and they are Heaven-born Christians in whom it is and the contrary discovers a state of death 1 Joh. 3. 14 15. And this of love in this Scripture is not intended as some imagine only a sign to others that such persons are born of God but to the persons themselves in whom it is see ver 19. And hereby we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him It 's an high evidence to a gracious soul that he is born of God and is of the truth and that he is passed from death to life And thus much as to the excellency of this Virtue of Love 2. It may inform us of the great coming 2. It informs of the great comeing short herein short and wonderful failing of Christians in this matter every one may best find out this in his own heart as among all the choice Virtues of the new Covenant this excelleth so it is to be feared that among all Christians fail most in this of love to God to Man to the Word to the Precepts yea to the promises of the Gospel the Lord help souls to lay it to heart in time for nothing demonstrates us to our selves to others to be Christians indeed as this of love doth 3. It inform us of the true cause of all 3. Of the cause of all miscarriages miscarriages among Christians to God to Man both Saints and Sinners it is want of love love would make us willing to every duty it would set the soul upon the wheels to run the way of Gods Commandments and to make them the joy and delight of our souls We should then make God's Statutes our songs in the house of our pilgrimage we should then be free and universal in our obedience love would end very much and many of the differences among Christians and cause them to bear with and forbear one another In a word if ever there be a reformation of things amiss among Christians it must begin here 2. Use of exhortation to this great duty 2. Vse of Exhortation of Love the Excellency the Beauty the Glory thereof should quicken the hearts of Christians to a greater desire and endeavor after so holy so lovely and desirable a Virtue if it be so excellent let us approve it Phil. 1. 9 10. And this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in all knowledg and in all judgment that you may approve things that are excellent that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. Let us approve it in our hearts in our lives Let us walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and given himself for us To provoke your hearts to be more reaching after this Heavenly Virtue consider not only what hath been already said which is enough to quicken any living believing soul with an earnest desire of increase herein but further consider 1. That duty to God calls for it see the 1. Duty to God calls for it many commands in Holy Scripture to this great duty of love to God to one another and to all men Mat. 22. 37. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. Ps 31. 23. O love the Lord ye his Saints and whoever sincerely performs this duty is under the Blessing of Grace in order to Glory Eph. 6. 24. Grace be with all that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity Amen But on the contrary if any be without this Divine disposition and so perform not this duty see 1 Cor. 16. 22. If any man love not the Lord Jesus let him be accursed Anathema Maranatha accursed till the Lord come and for the duty of Saints love one to another see John 13. 34. A new Câ—mmandment give I unto you that ye love one another c. 1 Joh. 4. 21. This Commandment we have from him that he who loveth God should love his Brother also 2. The Saints relation to God and one 2. Relation calls for it to another calls for it they are the children of God the Sons and Daughters of God Almighty this is their relation to God and their priviledg They are all the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus they are all the children of one Father espoused to one Husband members of one Body 1 Cor. 12. 27. Ye are the body of
and would as truly hate and persecute them they never saw if they were present as they do those that are alive and present with them 10. And finally the honest hearted sincere 10. He fruitful Christian is fruitful he heareth the word of God and keepeth it and bringeth forth fruit with patience He knoweth that hereby God is glorified Joh. 15. 8. and that his account shall be thereby advantaged in the day of account Phil. 4. 17. They have their fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life Rom. 6 22. Even the fruit of righteousness that is by Jesus Christ to the praise and glory of God Phil. 1. 11. Fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God it is the fruitless trâ—e that must be cut down But the Hypocrite is a fruitless branch an empty vine that bringeth forth fruit to himself he never goes out of or above himself seeks himself in all that he doth but brings forth no fruit to God no fruit to men no fruit for the good of his own soul unless it be the fruit of his Hypocrisie that is woe and wrath The Hypocrite in heart doth heap up wrath Woe to yoâ— Scribes Pharisees Hypocrites ye Serpents ye Generation of Vipers how can ye escape the damnation of hell Mat. 23. 29. 33. 2. I shall shew the advantages of sincerity 2. The advantages of sincerity and honesty of heart to God-ward in the New Covenant of his Grace 1. Sincerity of heart to God is that which renders all the weak and imperfect services of his people acceptable to him not as the meritorious cause that is alone in Christ Jesus and for his sake both ouâ— persons and services are accepted in the belâ—ved Eph. 1. 6. But in him neither are ouâ— persons nor services accepted without sincerity feigned faith and love and obedience is not accepted it must be as you have heard before heart faith heart love and heart obedience that God accepts iâ— Christ and for his sake this of sincerity and truth in the inward parts God desireth and accepteth in all things according to what we have and not according to what we have not Weak and imperfect services are accepted where sincerity is this sweetens all our services keeps the soul humble and holy with a dayly dependance on the Grace that is in Christ Jesus God in Christ Jesus covers the many failings and accepts the weak services of his upright ones David a man of many failings yet being upright and sincere he was owned of God to be a Man after his own heart sincerity of heart makes us after Gods own heart he delights in owns and approves of sincere souls he takes them for his own with all their weaknesses and imperfections But Hypocrisie marrs all it is as the dead Fly in the Box that causeth all the Oyntment to stink The Hypocrite may to visible appearance in outward shew exceed the sincere soul as the Pharisee did the Publican he may preach and pray and converse at such a rate as if he were an Angel of light or a Minister and man of righteousness and yet be an Hypocrite all the while proud and self seeking designing himself and his own ends in all and this spoileth all God owns not any person under heaven for such external painted excellencies though men sometimes through weakness may admire them and they may admire themselves yet God owns not on any such account see Mat. 7. 22 23. Luke 13. 15 16. 2. Sincerity of heart towards God in the faith gives great boldness to the soul before the Lord both here and hereafter 1. Hear the sincere heart can appeal to the Lord in the most difficult case when the Hypocrite must sink in his spirit so Hezekiah Isa 38. 2 3. Remember Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart c. and Joh in his great tryal was supported and bold on this account Job 13. 15 16. I will maintain mine own ways before him for an Hypocrite shall not come before him and 31. 6. Let me be weighed in an even ballance that God may know mine integrity O the boldness of a sincere soul that dares to appeal to the Lord in the matter and to say as Peter Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest I love thee But the Hypocrite faints and sinks when God deals with him Prov. 28. 1. The wicked flee when none pursue but the righteous are bold as a Lyon 2. Hereafter in the day of accounts the great day of the Lord who may abide it sincerity then will be worth the world then shall the righteous sincere upright ones stand with great boldness before the Lord 1 Joh. 4. 17. Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of Judgment Hypocrites shall then be ashamed and confounded they shall be speechless the ungodly shall not stand in the Judgment nor Sinners in the Congregation of the Just then they shall be ashamed and confounded in their own spirits knowing themselves to be Hypocrites and the Congregation of Hypocrites shall be desolate Job 15. 34. See Isa 33. 14. 3. Sincerity will preserve the soul pure to God from sin and keep the soul close and constant to God in duty 1. It will preserve from sin it is a wonderful preserving vertue a sincere heart would not sin against God for a world it not only preserves from the common sins of the time and place but from the sins of mens callings and relations and from the sins that men are by nature most inclined unto Psal 18. 33. 23. I was also upright before him and I kept my self from mine iniquity Sincerity will keep souls from the iniquity of their natures to which they are most inclined it will pluck out the right eye and cut off the right hand but Hypocrisie must have that spared and kept alive the darling lust must live though in the death of the owner thereof Psal 25. 21. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me for I wait on thee 2. It will keep the soul constant and close to God is duty it makes conscience of every duty and service private and publick and keeps the soul in a right frame in the performance thereof that is holy humble awfull believing and rejoycing in the Lord it s that will tend to compleat the soul in all the will of God sincerity goes through with the work does not half it with God nor turn back in the day of tryal but the Hypocrite is fleeting and inconstant will not pray always doth nothing in conscience and love to the Lord especially to private work and duty he is a stranger looks not at the frame of his spirit in the work but is too and fro fast and loose with God suitable to the time occasion and advantage of Profession Obj. Sincerity I perceive is a choice vertue Obj. and all without it is nothing but I find that I have much and many
in all cases of Christs service in first listing themselves under him ver 5. They first gave themselves to the Lord c. this is acceptable when souls give themselves to the Lord to be saved and ruled by him Rom. 6. 17. and 2. in their continuance with him it must be willing John 6. 67 68. God hath in all his Administrations throughout all ages had his instituted Ordinances by which his people his Church was distinguished from others and in the observation of which they did visibly own God in the World and the truth is that the institutions of God in matters of Worship have been the Badge of distinction between his Church and the world throughout all ages and the cause of all the woe and misery that hath come on mankind and on the people of God hath been for the transgression of instituted Ordinances Adams transgression of an instituted Ordinance brought in death and misery in all mankind and all the Plagues and miseries brought on Israel of old was for transgression of the instituted Ordinances of God in the matters of his worship See 2 King 17. 7. to 20. all the misery and wrath complained of in the Lamentations of Jeremy was the effect of this very sin the Transgression of the Laws of God in the matters of his Worship in his Instituted Ordinances Levit. 1. 18. The Lord is righteous for I have rebelled against his Commandments and ver 16. Woe unto us we have sinned c. And for this will be the great controversie of God with the pretended Christian world in the latter days Isa 24. 1. to 6. The Lord Christ having appeared in the latter end of the world to put away sin by the offering of himself he being the substance of all former institutions they leading to him Col. 2. 17. Heb. 10. 1. and so he is become the great Lord and Lawgiver of his Church God speaking to us by him Heb. 1. 1. 2. Whom we are to hear i. e. to obey in all things Acts 3. 22. 23. all his Ordinances and Laws are indespensably necessary for his Subjects to obey him in so far as they know his will and ignorance will not altogether excuse in this matter therefore it behoves all to be dilligently inquiring that so they be not willingly ignorant The Laws Ordinances and Institutions of Christ for his Church his Kingdom to serve and worship him in are as followeth 1. Baptism after believing repenting 1. Is Baptism and turning to the Lord is the first duty required Mat. 16. 15 16. Acts 2. 38. 41. and is the imitating Ordinance into the visible Church and kingdom of Jesus Christ and is the duty of all true Believers and there is no other way or door of enterance declared by Christ but by Faith and Baptism Not by natural generation or birth as some imagine that is done away as being of the old Covenant where the natural seed were accounted for the seed Gen. 17. 7. ver 14. but in the New Covenant the spiritual seed that is believers are accounted the seed and subjects of Christs Kingdome and are to live under his laws Gal. 3. 26 28. nor by entring into Covenant as some others imagine which is after their own devising mistaking and misapplying the Scriptures as that 2 Cor. 8. 5. They gave themselves to the Lord and unto us by the will of God Hence some and that too men of parts and learning gather That they first gave themselves to the Lord by believing and accepting the Gospel and after to us that â—s to the Church by some Covenant which is a clear and palpable mistake its true in the first sentence that is they gave themselves to the Lord may be included their giving themselves to the Church by Faith and Baptisme for those who give up themselves to be the Lords Subâ—ects in his Church do give themselves to the Lord and to us by the Will of God that is they gave themselves to the ministry of the Saints in their necessities and that beyond what the Apostles hope was considering their great affliction and deep poverty that this is the true meaning of that Scripture is so plain that he that runs may read it so that I know no other way of enterance into the Church and visible Kingdom of Christ but by Faith and Baptism Neither understand I well what they mean that call Baptism a Covenant and talk so much of a Baptismal Covenant it s a language the Scripture knows not neither know I any other Covenant then the Gospel new Covenant of Grace which on our part is a willing consenting from believing the truth of the Gospel to be saved by Jesus Christ and to be ruled by him as Lord and King which faith and consent is to be confessed in order to Baptism by which the believer visibly gives up himself to the Lord as to be saved so to be ruled by him What other things are held forth in Baptism its meet for Christians to be instructed in as the washing away of sin Acts 22. 16. that is the pardon and purging away of sin by the blood of Christ not the washing of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience toward God 1 Pet. 3. 21. Yet the washing of the flesh is a figure of that within and a Conformity to Christ in his Death and Burial thereby signifying our Death to sin and our natural death likewise to confirm our Faith in the truth of the Resurrection Rom. 6. 3 4 5 6. 1 Cor. 15. 29. and why Baptism and the Supper of the Lord which is the second instituted Ordinance that I shall mention should be so frequently called Seals as they are by some I know not because the Scripture knows no such things some calls themselves to Seal Gods love to the soul and the believers interest therein As to this its true the love of God and Christ is abundantly held forth therein and the believer exercising faith may and I hope do meet with refreshing and sealing consolations therein and so he doth in other of the instituted Ordinances of Christ i. e. the Word and Doctrine of the Gospel but without the exercise of Faith he profits by neither Heb. 4. 2. Others say they are Gods Seals to confirm his truth in his Covenant to us and that God never sets Seal to the truth of any mans interest that we must look to our selves whether we have the faith to which the Covenant is made God seals to that he will not fail in performing of the Covenant on his part which have something of truth in it i. e. it behoves us to look that our faith is right and God will not fail in performance of his Covenant of life but its true likewise that God hath and doth set seal to the truth of his peoples faith in the Covenant of his Grace else they can have no seal but their own which must needs prove invalid in the day of
none but God a principle that makes persons not meet to live among men much less in the Society of the Churches of Christ 3. That on the grounds stated it is the duty of the Churches in case of complaint of scandal in Doctrine Discipline or Manners of any particular Church in the same fellowship to make dilligent and speedy inquiry into the matter that they may thereby shew their love to and zeal for the Glory of God the purity and peace of his Church the good of the offenders and preservation of themselves from the guilt of others sins 4. That if any Church come under a report or complaint of miscarriage and scandall in Doctrine Manners or unjust censures and refuse to give an account thereof being tenderly desired or to clear up the matter in a just way that is the supposed Offenders and offended with their witnesses to be heard before the Neighbour Churches or their Ministers and Members appointed for that service the Churches ought to withdraw their fellowship from such a Church to preserve themselves pure from their sin whatever is a just ground for one Church to exclude a Member is a just ground for a Church to be excluded in like case and this is a just ground to exclude a Member 1. Report and complaint of scandalous sin 2. It being inquired after a positive refusal to give an account especially before the witnesses that accuse 3. A denying the power of the Church to make inquiry and to deal in the matter c. If such a person be fit for fellowship in a particular Church then such a Church may be fit for the Fellowship of Churches Mat. 18. 17. So that in a word its evident that it s not only the Churches sin that refuseth to be accountable to her Neighbour Sister Churches but that the Churches do sin in neglecting or delaying to call such a Church to account which is under complaints reports and jealousies of sin in any case in not performing their duty to God or men nor can they acquit themselves before the Lord untill they have impartially done their duty in this matter that it is a duty and to be done in Christs authority is clear and full from Col. 3. 17. or else they must leave Christs authority or leave the work wholly undone which is contrary to the true sense and reason of the Scripture as hath been before proved or do it in their own will and authority CHAP. XXIX Sheweth that the Estate of the Church in this World is an Afflicted Estate NOtwithstanding God hath called his people in the New Covenant of his Grace to glory and vertue and that he hath made them nigh to himself his own children by Grace and Adoption and interested them in Glory yet in this world in their following and serving him they must expect to meet with Afflictions and Tribulations for his Name and Sake the truth hereof appeareth 1. from Scripture 2. from Experience 1. From Scripture nothing is more fully and clearly stated then this Joh. 16. 3. 3. Mat. 16. 24. this must be the portion of every one man and woman that will follow Christ they must expect to meet with Tribulations to meet with shame and reproach in the world with loss of friends relations and life it self when called to it Mat. 10. 37 38 39. this truth the Apostles confirmed in their doctrine after Christ Acts 14. 22. That we must through much Tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God 2 Tim. 3. 12. That all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution men may live Godly according to the customs and wills of men in the times and places where they live without persecution but if any will live godly in Christ Jesus that is according to his laws and his will they must expect to meet with persecution 2. This the Primitive Church and all ages ever since hath and doth by experience witness I need not mention particular Scriptures or History or Experience in this matter it being so obvious and clear that he that runs may read Act. 20. 23. 1 Cor. 9. to 13. 2 Cor. 11. 23. to 28. 2 Thes 1. 4. Rev. 2. 9 10. History and Experience proves the same the wonderful persecutions wrongs and deaths the Saints have met withall in all ages abundantly confirms the truth The reasons hereof are 1. Relating to the men of the world from whence the persecution always cometh and that 1. From their ignorance that is the foundation cause men are ignorant of God and his truth Strangers to the life of God through the ignorance that is in them hence flows all the mischief ordinarily that is in the world Joh. 16. 3. And these things will they doe unto you because they have not known the Father nor me 1 Cor. 2. 8. Had they knâ—wn they would not have Crucified the Lord of Glory Hence Christ prayeth for his Persecutors Luke 23. 34. Father foâ—gâ—ve them for they know not what they doe and the Apostle confesseth that while he was a Persecutor he did it ignorantly in unbelief 1 Tim. 1. 13. Let us learn to pitty poor Persecutors and pray for them according to the command of our Lord and example of himself and his servant Stephen Acts 7. 60. for they are blind and they know not what they doe 2. As flowing from their ignorance is their Pride of Heart who think their own ways and wills best and so hate the will of Christ and persecute his people for walking therein they will have their own imaginations to be the truth and nothing else and this pride flows from ignorance for all pride flows from ignorance for if men knew God and themselves it would not be possible for them to be proud but to abase themselves and submit to him and would be willing that he should rule and that his people should serve him Psal 10. 2. The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor c. ver 4. The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God c. Isa 10. 12 13. so that ignorance and pride goeth together and both bringeth forth Persecution Psal 140. 5. The proud hath hid a snare for me and Cords they have spread a Net by the way-side they have set grins for me And note it s the proud that hath done it 3. As flowing from both enmity and mallice the old enmity still remaining and working in the Serpents seed Gen. 3. 15. Mat. 23. 33. saith Christ â—e Serpents ye Generation of Vipers how can ye escape the damnation of hell From hence it is they love violence Psal 11. 5. Him that loveth violence his Soul hateth and that not only the Anti-Christian Heathens but the Anti-christian and false Church walketh in the same steps Rev. 1â— 6. And I saw the woman that is the Babylonish false Church drunken with the blood of Saints and with the blood of the Martyrs of Jesus Christ c. chap. 18. 24. and in
the greater will their loss be all buildings contrary to the Lord must be accounted for and the owners thereof suffer the loss though they may be saved yet it will be so as by fire 1 Cor. 3. 12 13. 4. The Lords people must come to Judgment because allâ—sin must be repented of first or last there are many sins in the Saints that they allow themselves in and some it may be they know not to be sins but take them to be virtues all which they must have a time to be convinced of and to repent May we imagine that God hath ordered repentance for his people here and his Church to expect repentance for known and gross sins and yet if any sins pass unrepented of that they must never be repented of surely we cannot rationally imagine it In this I understand that not any sins of the Saints repented of and warred against shall be accounted for at that day but they are pardoned by the Law of Grace according to the word of Grace 1 Ja 1. 9. Object The Scripture saith Heb. 8. 12. Object I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities I will remember no more this seems to contradict the present affection of an after reckoning and account to be given by believers Answ 1. We ought not so to understand Answ one Scripture as to contradict another especially such a general truth asserted in so many Scriptures as this is Therefore 2. We are to understand that Covenant to relate in its glorious and perfect ministration to the glorious state of the Kingdom although it took its enterance from the death of the Testator and believers are now under it in its first and beginning ministration for there is no other Covenant but this new and everlasting one yet we do find that now God doth remember the sins of his people so as to afflict and judge them and this they have felt and do feel and are like to feel in this imperfect State But in as much as the new Covenant is the Covenant of the new and restored state and especially in it is the perfection thereof intended thougâ— it hath a preparative enterance now in waâ— of grace it shall then be perfected both iâ— Grace and Glory and the final doing awaâ— of sin will â—ot be till after the judgment and then God will remember their sins no more so as to judge them for it neither shall hâ— people sin any more Isa 33. 24. Rev. 21. â— And so 5ly The Saints must come to judgment that so God and Châ—â—â— may be admired in the pardoning Grace of the new Covenant at that day they shall admire and glorifie his mercy more then ever they did or could before they shall then see how justly they might be condemned and sent away with Hypocrites and Unbelievers and shall admire the grace of their Salvation beyond what they were of capacity to do in this mortall Estate Acts 3. 19. 2. Tim. 1. 18. 2 Thes 1. 10. Jude verse 21. 6. And finally it must be so that the justice of God may appear the more righteous and convincing to his and his Churches enemies when they shall fee and know that his people that have owned him here must come to judgment and be scarcely saved through the appearing difficulties how justly must they be condemned 1 Pet. 4. 17 18. which is truly applicable hear relating to the afflictions of the Church and so it will be then Judgment must first begin at Gods house he will judge and acquit them first Where then shall the ungodly and sinner appear what judgment must they expect how will it silence them and cause them to justifie God for ever in the righteousness of his judgment toward them Let the Lords people believe this truth and so live in this world as those that do expect to give an account of themselves and of all their works to God 2. The wicked must then come to judgment all men great and small must then appear to give an account of all their wickedness their unbelief disobedience persecution hard speeches and hard actions spoken and done against the Lord and his people for all their abominations and filthiness O! woe will it be at that day to all the wicked of the earth who will now forget God and will have none of him that bid God depart from them they will none of the knowledge of his ways the Lord will bid them depart at that day into everlasting fire O consider this ye that forget God least he come and tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver Psal 50. 22. 2. Who shall be the judge and that is Jesus Christ he shall be the great judge of the World and of the Saints too see both Mat. 25. 31. Acts 17. 31. He hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained c. Rom. 2. 26. and 2 Cor. 5. 10. We must all appear before the judgment Seat of Christ c. And the Father will judge in and by the Son so that it will be the judgment both of the Father and the Son God will judge the world in righteousness by that man c. Quest Why will God judge the world by Jesus Christ and not do it himself immediately Answ 1. Because he hath done all his works by him from the beginning he at first made the world by him Heb. 1. 2. by him he Redeemed the world again out of that estate into which it fell by Transgression which shall be accomplished in his times Eph. 4. 30. Rom. 8. 23. Rev. 21. 5. by him he governs the world now even in its fallen estate Eph. 1. 21 22. and by him Believers shall be saved Acts 4. 12. By him the dead must be raised Jâ—h 5. 28. And by him must the World be Judged God the Father never did nor never will do any thing without him but by him he hath and will accomplish all his work especially the Restauration work 2. Christ must be judge of the World because he is most sutable and fit to judge the World because he is the son of man Joh. 5. 27. He hath given him authority also to execute judgment because he is the Son of man God considered out of Christ is dreadful would destroy men none can see him and live till after the judgment be past so that he alone is fit to judge because he is the Son of man and able to Judge because he is the Son of God 3. Christ must be the judge of the world because he dyed for the World He gave himself a ransome for all men he â—â—â—â—ed death for every man therefore must he judge the world for their sin against him in neglecting and refusing the salvation by him wrought forth and tendered to the world and to justifie his people that have believed his love and owned him in the world so that he died for the
Reign and he must execute Justice and Judgment in the Earth c. To this agreeth Ps 96. throughout ver 13. as the sum of all Before the Lord for he cometh for he cometh to Judge the Earth he shall Judge the VVorld in Râ—ghteousness and the people with his truth see the same Ps 98. 9. and 82. 8. After divers exhortations to worldly Governours to do Justice to the poor and fatherless to the afflicted and needy c. and reprehensions for their wilful miscarriage in this matter and hopeless expectation of any redress therein concludes the whole as the comfort of the afflicted with this petition and assurance of Faith Arise O God judge thou the earth for thou shalt inherit all Nations implying that there will â—e but little or no righteousness in the earth till that day and then shall he possess the Nations and judge them with equity and truth 2. In his daies Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely c. that is free from afflictions and wrongs from enemies as they had been formerly liable to which cannot be rationally understood otherwise than the peaceable Kingdom of Christ on earth sutable to Ezek. 37. 24. to the end and Jer. 30. 8 9. Which Scriptures cannot be allogorised unless men resolve to turn all Scripture into allegories and so turn out all the truth of Scripture as some have done according to their own fancies but God hath put a stop in the way of allegorising these Scriptures and turning out this so great a truth as that Acts 3. 20 21. The Heavens must receive our Lord till the times of the restitution of all things which God both spoken by the mouth of all his holy Pâ—ophets since the world began What is this restitution spoken of by the Prophets but the restoring and glory of the Church and this must be when God does send Christ again from Heaven in Glory the first coming of Christ was a preparative to this work as that without it the restauâ—ation could not not be accomplished and as what the Prophets foretold of his humiliation was even so fulfilled ver 18. Why should we be incredulous that what they have spoken concerning his Kingdom and Glory in the restauration work should not be even so fulfilled likewise And what reason there is for us to turn plain Scriptures into Allegories relating to the Reign of Christ on Earth any more then for the Jews to Allegories the Scriptures that spake of his humiliation and so lost the truth thereof I do not yet understand Bâ—t to proceed to further proof of the truth Dan. 2. 44. The God of Heaven will set up a Kingdâ—m which is this fifth Kingdom of the store cut out of the Mountains without hands which shall never be destroyed and chap. 7. 27. And the Kingdom and Dominion under the whole Heaven shall be given unto the people of the Saints of the most high whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and all Dominions shall serve and obey him here is the Reign of Christ and Saints on Earth so plainly and expresly stated as is impossible with good conscience to gainsay it is the Kingdom under the whole Heavens not above the Heavens in the greatness and power thereof given to the Saints when taken by Christ and all Dominions shall serve and obey him that is Christ as the great Lord and King of the World To this agreeth the new Testament Testimonies relating to this truth and fully holding harmony therewith Luke 1. 32 33. And he shall be great and he shall be called the Son of the highest and the Lord shall give unto him the Throne of his Father David and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever and of his Kingdom there shall be no end This fully answers the old Testament Prophesies in this matter 2 Tim. 4. 1 The Apostle in express terms states the Kingdom of Christ to be at and after his appearing He will judge the quick and dead at his appearing and his Kingdom which must be the Kingdom spoken of by the Prophets Rev. 11. 17. The Song of the Saints was and will be for that thou hast taken to thy self thy great power and hast raigned and the nations were angry c and no wonder for many of his people are angry at those who believe the truth thereof we may not understand it to be his providential reign over the World as it is constantly exercised nor his spiritual Reign in and over his Church which he hath always exercised but some more higher and glorious visible Kingdom and reign on Earth after the sound of the seventh Angel and the seventh Angel sounded and there were great voices in Heaven saying the Kingdom of this world are become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever What can be more plain in the very terms of the Prophets they were his before but now in another manner then before chap. 19. 1 to 8. it is the great Song of the Saints That the Lord God Omnipotent Reigneth What did he not Reign before Yes surely but now in another manner more visibly glorious ruling the world and saving his people with the everlasting Salvation spoken of Isa 45. 17. and to this agreeth Rev. 20. 4. Where the Saints are said to Live and Reign with Christ a thousand years and chap. 5 9. 10. it is the Song of the Saints That Christ the Lamb of God hath redeemed them from the Earth by his blood and made them unto God Kings and Priests and they shall reign on Earth and to this time and state do that Phil. 2. 9. 10 11. agree thus amongst the multitude of Scripture testimonies to this great truth have I mentioned some plain full and undeniable testimonies for confirmation that he that runs may read 2. I shall further confirm this truth from Reasonâ— thereof clear Scripture reasons and arguments infallibly drawn from thence 1. It is the great promise of the new Covenant Reason and therefore it must be contained in Gen. 22. 18. And in thy Seed shall all the Earth be blessed compared with Rom. 4. 13 For the promise that he i. e. Abraham should be the Heire of the World was not to Abraham oâ— to his seed through the law but through the righteousness of Faith where Abrahams heirship to the World and the Heirship of all hir spiritual seed i. e. Believers is stated to be not by the Law but by the Covenant of Grace in Christ Jesus who was the Seed to whom the promise was made Gal. 3. 16. and is to be obtained by the righteousness of Faith and the Heirship is exprest to be Heirs of the World both of Christ and Abraham and all the true seed Rom. 4. 16. and by this Scripture that is to say that Abraham and his seed are the heirs of the world may we understand all other Scriptures that speak of the Saints heirship yet not of
of his feet glorious In a word it is for the Salvation of the Church for that God hath thus glorified himself in Israel chap. 60. 21. Thy people also shall be all righteous they shall inherit the Land for ever the branch of my planting the works of my hands that I may be glorified We may not imagine that God made himself such a Creation to lose the glory thereof but he will so order it in the Restauration thereof as shall be more for his glory then if it had never faln and thus it appears that this new restored Estate and Kingdom of our Lord on Earth must be for the gaining and augmenting of the Glory of God in the Created World beiâ—g restored by Jesus Christ who shall be the Visible Lord of that Estate 7. Reason to confirm this truth is that Reason 7 God hath stated the perminancy and everlastingness of his New Covenant Grace and Life to his people on the durableness of the Works of Creation which includes both the Heavens and the Earth Jer. 31. where the new and everlasting Covenant is stated ver 31. to 34. saith ver 35 36. Thus saith the Lord who giveth the Sun for a light by day and the Ordinances of the Moon and of the Stars for a light by night c. If those Ordinances depart from before me saith the Lord then the Seed of Israel shall cease from being a Nation before me fâ—r ever intimating in plain terms that when the Creation of Heaven and Earth ceaseth to be his Church must cease to be so that those who believe the destruction and nihelation of the Creation and that Christ shall have no restored Kingdome therein do thereby though inconsiderately believe an end of Church and Salvation by Jesus Christ chap. 33. 20 21. Thus saith the Lord if you can break my Covenant of the day and my Covenant of the night that there should not be day and night in their season then may also my Covenant be broken with David my Servant that he should not have a Son to Reign upon his Throne and his name muâ—t continue as long as the Sun Psal 72. 17. Which implyeth the perpetualness of the works of Creation if it were possible for these to fail then Christ our King and Covenant of peace might fail Psal 39. 29. the promise of the Saints glory being no longer then these do continue and if so Christs Reign on Earth is in it self no strange thing For as the new Heavens and new Earth which I will make shall continue before me saith the Lord so shall your Name and your Seed remain Isa 66. 22. As for the New Heavens and the new Earth see chap. 65. 17 18. 2 Pet. 3. 13. Rev. 21. 1 5. 8. I think I may say that it is the judgments Reason 8 of all Intelligent persons that if man had not sinned he had not dyed but lived for ever and then he must be created in such an estate and the Earth and Heaven must have been for ever for man to be supposed to be more durable then the matter of which he was and the Creation that was first made for him is irrational And man for sin returns to the Earth again his matter whereof he was made and is as truly Earth again as any other part of the Earth is and yet we on good grounds believe that God will bring up all men anew out of the Earth again in the Restauration and why should it be incredible to us that the Earth and Heavens that fell with man and for mans sin shall be renewed and changed any more then to believe the Restauration and change of men having as full and plain promises from the same God for the one as for the other The Restauration of the Heavens and Earth to be a habitat on for Christ and the Saints is I answer as authentick from Divine Revelation as the Resurrection and Change and as rational to all Rational and Intelligible persons 9. The Scripture saith expresly that Reason 9 the Earth abideth for ever Eccles 1. 4. One Generation passeth away and another cometh but the Earth abideth for ever Psal 104. 5. who laid the foundations of the Earth that it should not be removed that is it shall abide for ever in the renewed estate and then no wonder if the Kingdom of Christ be for ever in his Reign on Earth and the Saints Kingdom with him according to Dan. 7. 27. 10. And finally it must be so because Reason 10 both the Heavens and the Earth was made by Christ and for him Col. 1. 16. and he shall possess it all in another manner then yet he doth Heb. 2. 8. But now we see not yet all things put under his feet that is as it shall be in his visible Kingdom and possession Psal 2. 8. Ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thy inheritance und the uttermost parts of the Earth for thy possession And thus it is clear both from plain Scripture and from Scripture Reason that Christ and the Saints shall Reign on the Earth that is in the new Heavens and new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness Isa 32. 1. Behold a King shall Reign in righteousness and Princes shall rule in Judgment c. 3. I now come to answer such Objections Ob. Answered against this truth as I have met withall Object 1. That Heb. 2. 5. For unto the Angels Ob. hath he not put in subjection the world to come of which we speak intends the present ministration of the Gospel that being the matter the Apostle is treating about both in the first Chapter and in the verses preceeding that saying and therefore it relates not to this Kingdom or World to come Answ It s frequent in Scripture to apply Answ that which especially relates to the glory to come to the present Ministration and that truly too because the present Gospel Ministration is an Usher and Preparative to that glory to instance in this Epistle c. 4. where the Apostle applyeth the rest of the Sabboth to this rest in Glory ver 4. 9. yet he applyeth it to the present time as began to be entered into by Faith ver 3. For we which have believed do enter into rest and chap. 8. 6. to 13. the Covenant which in its perfection relateth to the State of Glory and is the everlasting Covenant the Apostle applyed to the present time and Ministration and the reason is because it is all one Covenant it s the Gospel Covenant and the Application of it to the present time no whit derogates from its being the Covenant of the glorious state I could give many instances to this purpose as Joel 2. 28. to 31. is a Prophesie especially of the glorious estate yet the Apostle makes the Application thereof to the present time and that truly too But 2. the Apostle is treating both before and after of this restored estate as well as of the present ministration of the
the time of his peaceable Kingdom so much spoken of in Scripture to Commence from the time that he hath brought his enemies under him after his first appearing from Heaven which must admit of time to bring down his enemies and to bring the world in subjection to him as in the Type David and Solomon the one Conquering and preparing the other comes in and sets up the peaceable Kingdom and Reigns in glory as if he had been the person to whom the promise was made and so indeed he was in the Type but Jesus Christ was the true Solomon and King of Righteousness and King of Peace that shall Reign for ever I say probably it intens some such Kingdome State of which Solomons was the Type which shall succeed the fall and subjection of the worldly Monarcks and Enemies of Christ sutable to the many Prophesies and promises of such a thing Psa 110. 5 6 7. Isa 66. 15 16. Ezek. 38 and 39. chapters with multitudes of like Scriptures of the Prophets and in Rev. 19. is the same work described as a preparatory to the 1000 years Reign of which David was a special Type Psal 18. 32. to 46. now may be its enterance and probably its period will be at the perfecting of the Judgment Death it self in the last Resurrection being the last enemy that is to be conquered and so probably this 1000 years Reign is that which is intended 1 Cor. 15. 24 25 26. For he must Reign till he hath put all his enemies under his feet c. which probably will be at the end of the 1000 years when Death and Hell and the Sea shall give up their Dead and so the last enemy i. e. Death destroyed and when this period of time is over and this work is done will be the time of giving up the Kingdom to the Father that God may be all in all and the Son subject 1 Cor. 15. 24. to 28. not that the Son was not subject before or his work was to do his Fathers will ever since his Incarnation but probably it imports an other manner of Government after the 1000 years Reign and the final judgment is over more immediately by the Father the Mediatory Kingdom of the Son being over and the Restauration work is finished not but that Christ is King still and Head of his Body the Church in the perfect state and in all things he shall have the preheminence as head of the Church and Lord over all and so his Kingdom shall be everlasting according to the distinct manners and methods determined and probably till this time that is the end of the 1000 years and perfecting the Judgment and conquest over all enemies and giving up of the Kingdom to the Father may not the Saints be capacitated to the glorious sight of the Father it being Christs work in his times to shew the Father to his members 1 Tim. 6. 15 16. for till this time will not the Mediatory Kingdom of Christ be finished nor the immediate Kingdom of the Father take place nor the Saints be capacitatâ—d thereunto 3. Quest Whether the New Heavens Quest. 3 and new Earth promised shall begin from the enterance of the 1000. years Reigne or from the ending thereof and of the final judgment Ans Very likely it may and must take its Ans enterance from the beginning of the 1000. years though probably not perfected till after the 1000 years and last judgment is over God having in all his works proceeded gradually and not done it upon a sudden so in the work of Creation and so in the work of Redemption and Restauration God hath been about it ever since the fall and may we rationally imagine that he will do any part of his great work on a sudden but that he will as always he hath done work by degrees accomplish his work gradually that it must have its enterance in the beginning of the 1000. years seems clear from the time of the new Heavens and new Earth must be fullfilled some promises which is not probably proper when the last judgment is over viz. as outward Prosperity Building Planting Eating Drinking c. as Isa 65. 17 to 25. which things are Relative to the Reign of Christ and probably may be accomplished in the 1000. years That we may without wrong to the usual way of Gods discovering his will in Scripture so understand it how frequently doth God as is said before bring forth that in one sentence as it were that gathers in all the time from the humiliation of Christ to the glory of his Kingdom as the new Covenant of his grace the promise of his spirit c. so that we may safely conclude that the new Heavens and new Earth shall be perfected in the Restauration work according to the time or times determined 4. Quest Whether we may suppose that Quest 4 there will be any place for unconverted persons in the new Heavens and new Earth during the thousand years Reign Ans It seems very clear from Scripture Ans that it shall be so see Isa 65. 20. Zec. 14. 16. to 19. which will be the Generation that after the thousand years is over Satan being loosed to tempt them will compass the Camp of the Saints and the Beloved City Rev. 20. 7 8 9. Which is like to be the last attempt of Satan and Men against the Church though then they shall do no act to hurt them but in their enterprise Fiâ—e shall come down from Heaven and shall devour them and then will be the final judgment v. 10. to 15. 5. Quest May we suppose that men can Quest 5 be so hardened as that after they have seen such wonders and the Glory of Christs Kingdom and enjoyed so much of Peace and good thereby as to attempt such a work against the Lord and his people Ans 1. What the Lord hath declared in Ans his word that we ought to believe will come to pass 2. It is no other in substance then hath been before notwithstanding all the judgments of God on Aegypt yet Pharaoh was hardened to his own destruction and notwithstanding the wonderful works of Christ when he came in his Humiliation yet the Jews were hardened against him to their own destruction 3. The Scripture saith that the Devil shall be loosed for a season to deceive them and so to harden them and there is no question but that he will be the same to the end that he hath been And 4. Their nature not being changed there will remain the same enmity against Christ and holyness on which Satan working they will be ready for the same work as other Persecutors hath been before them 6. Quest May we not account the day of Quest 6 judgment to be till after the thousand years Raign be over and finished Ans The judgment includes the whole Ans time from Christs coming from Heaven untill the work be finished it will be a day of Judgment in the various parts of
in by Grace to be interested in their promise Eph. 3. 6. Ob. It is true the promises run to them but it is on the new Covenant account and so to all believers both Jew and Gentile for they are by nature all alike under sin and the Gospel knows no difference and as for the promises to the Tribes of Israel it hath been already performed to them in the Primitive times many thousand of them believed and lived under the Government of Christ their King and James directeth his Epistle to the Twelve Tribes scattered c. By which it appears that the 12 Tribes believed and owned the Lord Jesus Ans It s granted that the glory promised to Israel is a new Covenant Grace and Glory and that by nature only they shall obtain no more then the Gentiles yet it is as true that God designed Gospel Grace to multitudes of Abrahams natural seed though not on the account of nature only or alone because they are Abrahams seed by nature but as in Christ Jesus in the Covenant of Grace and Conversion to God in the Covenant for without the birth from above neither Jew nor Gentile may expect to inherit the Kingdom God will do this work for them but not by their Covenant Ezek. 16. 61. but by his new Covenant of Grace 2. The beginning work of Grace effected on some of them in the Primitive times was not the whole fulfilling of the promises relating to that people in the Scriptures mentioned and multitudes of others of like import that might be mentioned not only in the old Testament but in the new by which its manifest that God intended that very people and designed to do them good in the latter end Rom. 11. 12. 15 25 26. where the Apostle saith That blindness is happened unto them in part and that but for a time and then all Israel shall be saved ver 32. I do not understand by all is intended every individual person but a great coming in to the Lord shall there be of all the Tribes I understand this with Isa 6. 13. Zec. 13. 8 9. Rev. 7. 4. to 8. And as for the Twelve Tribes mentioned James 1. 1. its evident that the ten Tribes carryed away by Salmaneser 2 Kings 17. never returned For 1. we read not of their returns 2. They came not into their own Land for that was possest till the days of Christ by those people sent by Salmaneser to possess it and they were a people with whom the Jews had no fellowship nor would Christ permit his Disciples to go among them 3. It s a received truth by tradition among the Jews that they never returned neither is it certainly known where they are and as for James he might well write to the twelve Tribes for 1. We must understand that he writ not to the Tribes in general but to those that did or after might believe and own the Lord Jesus out of all the Tribes which comparatively were but few 2. There were some out all the Tribes that did cleave to the house of David when the ten Tribes revolted very many of them did cleave to Judah 1. Some dwelt in Judah 1 Chron. 10. 17 2. Others resorted out of Israel to Judah chap. 11. 13. 14. 3. They â—ell to Asa abundantly in his Reformation of Religion chap. 15. 8 9. 4. Abiah took from Jeroboam several Cities with the Toâ—ns thereof chapter 13. 19. by which it appears that there must needs be many of all the Tribes in Judah and in as much as James writeth but to some that were converted out of the Tribes it s no wonder that he mentions the Tribes in general seeing that there were some out of all the Tribes remaining and some of all converted to the Faith But the Scripture presents us with the return of those carryed away Captive by Shahnaneser that they shall return to or with Judah in the latter day and shall have one King viz. the Lord Jesus Jer. 3. â—8 Ezek. 37. throughout so plainly stated that might silence all opposition in this matter and chapter 48. where is the glorious City with its Borders and Suburbs and very probably is the same as is mentioned Rev. 21. 10. to the end for the name of the City must be called hence forth the Lord is there and there is the portion of every Tribe exprest which City was never yet in this world and therefore is to come and so the gathering in of the Tribes is yet to come Jer. 3. 17 18 Isa 11. 17. and 27 13. Zec. 8. 20 21 22 23. The new Testament confirms the same Revel 7. where the Tribes are Sealed i. e. the number of the Sealed of every Tribe which is a latter day work by all which it appeareth with such evidence from Scripture light that might silence all gain sayers in this matter 2. The time when they shall be gathered in from their dispertion and so of their conversion it seems plain to me that it will be at and after the appearing of our Lord from Heaven Isa 11. throughout and chapters 25 26 27. Zec. 12. 10. Isa 59. 20 21. Rom. 11. 26. which is an explanation of Isaiah 59. 20. applyed to this last and great work that God will do for those people and must be done for them when God does send Christ again from Heaven So all Israel shall be saved as it is written there shall come out of Sion the deliverer and shall turn ungodlyness from Jacob this is my Covenant with them when I shall take away their sin so Rev. 7. with chap. 14. the Sealing of the Tribes seems to be at Christs coming again from Heaven Luke 21. Christ first speaks of their dispersion among the Nations and after a description of the signes of his second appearing saith verse 28. When ye see these signs begin to come to pass look up and lift up your heads for your Redemption draweth nigh Which is especially a Relative to the Jews dispersion and their Redemption from their dispersed estate and clearly argueth that their Redemption will be at Christs appearing and if so it clearly argueth that there must be time probably some years after Christ our Lords appearing till he hath Conquered the World to himself and setled his peaceable Kingdom for the Jews must inhabit their own Land again in Peace for some years after their gathering before the Conquest of Gog and the fatal concluding Battel of the day of God Almighty and setling his peaceable Kingdom Ezek. 38. 39. chapters Revel 16. 13 14 15 16 and 19. 21. Which I understand to intend all one and the same thing and why we may not understand the time from the Types of these great works that have gone before I am not yet informed Moses and Joshua made up one full Type both of the deliverer and of the deliverance it being compared to that Typical work and time of Gods accomplishing thereof Mic. 7. 15. According to the days of thy