be so chearfull a Song to the redeemed neither would it warrant them to say Thou hast redeemed us in a peculiar sense seing these effects are common to others also many might have ground to blesse for these mercies beside these who are made Kings and Priests All which are most inconsistent with the strain and scope of this place It is true if we will consider the way and method how these benefits are applied to the redeemed or the order by which they come to be possessed of them that instantly upon Christs suffering all cannot be said to be actually justified nor glorified more than they can be said all to have really existed because the Lord in His Covenant hath particularly concluded when and by what means such persons and no other should be brought to believe in Christ and actually to be justified even as well as when they should have a being or at what time their life should be brought to an end and they actually be glorified yet if we consider the things purchased in respect of the bargain we will find that they were absolutely and actually bought unto such persons and satisfied-for by the Mediator so as not only in His intention He aimed to make their Justification and Salvation possible but really and simply to make it sure and to procure it to them yet so as in due time and method it is to be applyed And we conceive that it is a dangerous assertion to say that Peter before his believing had no more interest any way in Christs death than Iudas which yet followeth upon the last opinion that was casten and is acknowledged by the Authors thereof See Cameron part 3. pag. 583. Indeed if we will consider Peters own estate as considered in its self without respect to the Covenant of Redemption and if we consider any actuall claim which he might lay to Christs death in that condition for his own peace and comfort there was no difference but if we will consider Christs sufferings as in the bargain of Redemption before the Lord the procuring of Peters Justification and Glorification was really undertaken-for by the Mediator and his debt satisfied-for by His suffering in his name so as it could not fail in reference to him more than if he had actually had a being and had been justified and glorified when that transaction was closed none of all which can be said of Iudas whose name was never in the Covenant of Redemption as Peters was The second thing moved was to consider if Faith and other saving Graces be fruits of Christs purchase so as by His satisfaction He did not only really intend the purchasing of pardon upon condition of believing but also the purchasing of Regeneration Faith c. that so the Elect might come to the obtaining of pardon Arminius and the Patrons of Free-will do deny Faith to be a fruit of Christs purchase So doth Cameron and some others but with this difference that these last do assert that the gift of believing doth not flow from mans free-will or any sufficient grace bestowed upon all but from Gods Soveraign good-wil thinking meet to bestow that gift upon some whom He hath Elected and not upon others and this they say is a meer fruit of His Soveraign good will without respect to the merit of Christs death even as His decree of election was The reason of the denying of this we conceive to be their making of the fruit and effect of Christs death to be common to all and it being clear in experience that all men have not Faith it cannot be consistent with the former ground to account it the fruit of Christs purchase for what He hath purchased cannot but be brought to passe as elsewhere Cameron asserteth and so according to their first ground Faith would be common to all men And to say that Christ hath purchased Faith conditionally as He hath purchased life and Salvation unto all were absurd because there is a clear condition upon which men may expect life to wit believing but there can be no such condition conceived upon which Faith may be said to be purchased But to answer what was moved we say That Conversion Regeneration Faith Repentance c. are no lesse the fruit of Christs purchase than pardon and Justificatioâ— c. because first by His purchase we are made Kings and Priests unto God And wherein do these priviledges consist but in the having and exercising of these inward saving graces of the Spirit whereby the Elect are made in a spirituall sense Kings and Priests Secondly It can not be well understood how Justification and Glorification may be said to be purchased by Him if all the steps by which these are necessarily brought about be not in the same manner procured Thirdly We are said to be blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus Ephes. 1.3 which must thus be understood to wit that by His merit we have these communicated to us and Is not Faith and saving Grace to be accounted amongst spirituall blessings Fourthly He is made to us of God not only Righteousnesse but also Wisdom Sanctification and Redemption 1 Corinth 1 30.31 and certainly under these expressions all saving graces needfull to the working out of our Salvation are comprehended And the end of this is that whosoever glorieth may glory alone in Him as having all in Him and nothing but by Him Neither would there be such occasion of glorying in Him if these were not purchased by Him Fifthly The considering of the Covenant of Redemption will also fully clear this for no question that must be a fruit of Christs purchase which the Lord hath promised to the Mediator as a satisfaction to Him for His sufferings Now this is clear that it is not only promised to Christ that many through Faith in Him shall be justified but that certainly He shall see His seed and the fruit of the travel of His soul Isa. 53.10 11. That His people shall be willing in the day of His power Psal. 110.3 That these whom the Father hath given Him shall come unto Him Ioh. 6.37 and that they shall all be taught of God c. and What else can these speciall promises import but this to wit that the Son the Mediator for laying down of His life shall have many given Him and actually by the Spirit drawn to Him and made to believe in Him and to acknowledge Him as the Author of their eternall Salvation without which that promise of seing His seed could never be accomplished Yea must not all the promises of the Covenant have one rise and be derived through one meritorious cause Now these promises of Sanctification such as to take away the stony heart to give a new heart to cleanse us from all our idols and wash us with clean water c. are in one bundle with the promises of His pardoning our iniquity and remembering our sins no more as is clear in Ezek. 36.25 26 c. and
industrie he had procured something to pay for himself although the stock had been freely bestowed on him by the cautioner 2. It serveth to commend Christ and to bound all boasting and glorying in Him who is our Wisdom Righteousnesse Sanctification Redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 for this very end That â—e who glorieth might glory in the Lord. 3. This riddeth marches between the righteousnesse of the two Covenants that the one is inherent and consisteth in Works that is as the Apostle speaketh Tit. 3.5 the righteousnesse or somewhat which we our selves have done the other is without us and cometh by imputation and so is not only distinguished from our own righteousnesse but opposed to it Philip. 3.9 And although this truth be misrepresented by many yet we judge it to be impregnable and that in the great Day the decision will be found favorable thereto when only happy shall they be that shall be thus found in Christ. Thus therefore we are to conceive the terms of the Gospel as if a debaushed dyvour were ready to be apprehended having nothing to pay suppose one should offer to undertake for him and pay the debt so as he might be liberated upon condition that he should acknowledge his benefactor and plead ever his defence against the pursuit upon the cautioners payment and the discharge procured by Him in this respect the cautioners payment is the meritorious cause whereby such a man is absolved to wit because that payment is reckoned for him or imputed to him yet his pleading that defence or producing of that discharge immediatly may be said instrumentally to procure it because it is not the cautioners payment simplie that is sustained as a relevant defence in judgment till that be instructed and except the defence be founded thereon for so the Law provideth so it is not Christs satisfying simplie but His satisfaction pleaded by Faith and â—â—ed unto that justifieth for so the Law of Faith hath enacted yet the producing of such a discharge meriteth nothing but giveth a legall ground of right to the cause that doth merit and so to what is merited And the Lord hath appointed this to be the condition of Justification to wit the pleading of Christs satisfaction before the barr immediatly for 1. that stoppeth all mouths and none can produce that satisfaction but they must necessarily acknowledge emptinesse in themselves Justice and Grace in God and love and fulnesse in the Mediator 2. The pleading of this sheweth a compleat perfect equal evangelick righteousnesse in all whereas if it were any thing in us that were accounted so then it would not be equal if perfect which cannot be said of that which is our righteousnesse or that one man hath better ground to be justified upon and a better righteousnesse than another 3. That Faith is necessary for Justification so that none can expect to be justified but Believers hath been also hitherto almost amongst all uncontroverted till that of late Antinomians have opposed it But the Scripture is very expresse 1. in limiting all the promises of pardon to a Believer 2. in cursing all that believe not and declaring them to be under the curse 3. in placing Faith correlatively taken in the room that Works had in the first Covenant which must be in reference to Justification it self and not the sense thereof only 4. in asserting that we believe that we may be justified Gal. 2.16 c. So that there needeth not much speaking to this beside that many things spoken of Repentance may be applied here And if it be found that Faith is either the condition of the Covenant of Grace or the instrumental cause of Justification This will necessarily follow that there is no Justification without it I know there are some Divines that use different expressions here yet seing they also oppose Antinomians we will not now stick on that There is more difficulty in conceiving of the manner how faith concurreth that there is some eminency in it is acknowledged both by Papists who account it a radicall grace having influence on all other graces and so having special influence on that which they call Justification and also by some others who making works with it to be conditions of the new Covenant do yet acknowledge a special aptitude in it for applying of Christs righteousnesse and that therefore it is the principal condition and other things lesse principal In this â—ndeed these of the last opinion seem to differ from us 1. That they place Faith Repentance and Works in one and the same kind of causality in reference to Justification 2. That this causality is but to account them all causes sine quibus non 3. That all instrumentality is denied to Faith 4. That Faith is not alone the condition from any respect to its immediate acting on its object Christ but as other graces are 5. That Christ is not our immediate Evangelick righteousnesse but Faith properly taken and that as comprehending all other duties and graces under it and so it is both properly taken and improperly 6. That therefore we may be said to be justified by works as by Faith Faith being taken largely for all Although where the thing is clear and Christ is rested on in Justification and His satisfaction acknowledged as is in this case there needeth be no great debate for words and terms of condition imputation instrument c. yet these being still used among Divines we conceive there is no just reason to cast them the use of them having now of a long time made them to passe in this matter without mistake or strict binding of them to the acceptions wherein they are â—sed in other matters much lesse is there reason to cry down the matter expressed by them And it cannot but be sad that such new controversies should be moved We are perswaâ—ed that the reflecting on many worthy men the obscuring of the troden path by new Questions and Objections the confounding of Readers by proposing as it were of a different strain of the Covenant from what formerly hath been preached the giving of an open door to men to propose new draughts in all things and that not in expressions only but also as is alleaged in fundamentall materiall things c. shall be more prejudiciall to edification nor the bringing forth of this shall be usefull for if by this all the former Doctrine of Justification be enervated where are we till now if it stand so as the followers thereof may attain Heaven what is the use of this so full a new mould with so much professed danger in and dissatisfaction with the former will it not be welcome to Papists to have Protestants speaking in their terms and homologating them in condemning the former language of the most eminent Reformers and though unlearned or unread Divines be the Epithers of the opposers of this Doctrine yet possibly experience may shew that such may most readily be the embracers of it I say again when the Church
and with respect to the appointment did receive health yet so as that health was attained by looking thereto in which respect their eye or look might be called instrumental in their health although it was not looking simply but to that Object with respect to the Lords appointment even so it is here it s Christs vertue whereby we are justified yet so as by Faith it is apprehended and according to Gods appointment looked unto and thus as Matth. 7. the eye is called the light of the body because it is the organ by and through which light is brought or letten-in to it so Faith may be called our righteousnesse as it is the mean by which Christs Righteousnesse without us is apprehended brought in as it were and admitted of to be ours 3. Justification is still held forth in judicial expressions as is said Now as an accused party their producing of a Law for them or a discharge may be said to be instrumentall in their own absolution although it be only the vertue of the discharge given-in that doth procure the same so may Faith be said instrumentally to justifie us as it presenteth for us Christs satisfaction before the justice of God And so it is here as in humane Courts for although some Advocates it may be plead better and some worse yet suppose that they all produce the same discharges and the same Laws in favours of their Clients they might all be called instrumental in their absolution and the ground of their absolvitours would be equal whereas if their act of pleading without respect to what is pleaded were considered it would not be so even so here though some mens faith be more strong and others more weak yet all apprehending the same satisfaction of Christ there is equal sharing in Justification which could not be if Faith did not concur instrumentally in the use-making of Christs Righteousnesse even as of the only immediate Evangelick-righteousnesse as it respecteth our Justification because if Faith be considered in it self and not as with the object apprehended by it it is not equal even in those that are justified 4. See it in miraculous Faith as it concurreth for attaining of a particular benefit so doth saving Faith for attaining of Justification for that there is an equal influence of both upon their respective effects cannot be denied Now that miraculous Faith might be said someway to concur instrumentally for health is clear for it is said that some had Faith to be healed to receive vertue from Christ c. which others had not and accordingly the effects are attributed both to their Faith and to Christs Power therefore it may be so here to wit Justification may flow from Faith as the instrumental cause and from Christs Righteousnesse as the meritorious 5. In the ordinary similitude of Marriage or solemn Covenanting it may be seen for actuall consenting or the hand that writeth the name may be said to be instrumental in the closing of the bargain or in attaining the priviledges that follow thereon and the hand hath an other influence than the foot or eye although these also be necessary yet it is not consenting or subscribing simply but such and such in reference to such Objects and Covenants even as it is not the tongue its speaking truths and the reaching forth of discharges simply that are instrumental in mens courts for attaining absolution but it is the speaking of such pertinent truths or producing of such sutable discharges that cometh under that name and this is all we intend when we say that Faith concurreth instrumentally even to hold out the immediate cause of our Justification to be Christ apprehended by Faith so that Faith and Christ are both necessary but differently and so also that the efficacie of all the concurrence of Faith may be from Christ the Object from which it is not to be separated when it is said to justifie The other thing peculiarly attributed to Faith is that it is the condition of the Covenant of Grace properly which can be said of no other grace or work This is to be understood as is above expressed to wit that Faith is that which on our side is called-for for constituting of us Covenanters and giving us right to the great comprehensive promise thereof that God may be our God and upon the performing of which that which God hath promised in it may be expected as is before said That Faith is thus the condition peculiarly and not Works nor any other grace beside what is said afterward upon Repentance may thus appear 1. Because Faith only hath that peculiar aptitude of receiving Gods offer and returning of our engagement and so for making the bargain mutually to be closed and Faith cannot be conceived to be exercised but the bargain must be conceived to be closed and that person to be in Covenant therefore the exercising thereof must be peculiarly the condition 2. If Faith be that which peculiarly riddeth marches between the Covenant of Grace and the Covenant of Works and curse and a Believer so ipso be freed from the curse because he is a Believer and doth rest on Christ Then Faith must be peculiarly the condition of the Covenant of Grace But the former cannot be denied and is clear Ioh. 3 18 36. 3. If Works concur in the same causality with Faith Then it must either be Works before one be in Covenant or Works thereafter But it can be neither not before one be in Covenant because such Works cannot be accepted nor secondly after because then they could not be the condition upon which we are admitted for so we would be accepted before the condition be performed If it be said that the same reasoning will seclude Faith because if Faith be the condition Then it must either be Faith before we be in Covenant or after c. Answ. It followeth not because its Faith neither before nor after our entrie but that which enters us that is the condition and it cannot be conceived before nor after being an instantaneous act as solemn consenting in Marriage is not before nor after as it constituteth Marriage but instantly Here still observe that when we speak of a condition we speak of that condition whereby one is admitted within the Covenant and not of any thing that may be implied to be performed by one admitted already to Covenant because that must be the condition of the Covenant properly that intitleth one to the priviledges covenanted But what entereth one into this Covenant doth intitle him to the priviledges covenanted Therefore it must properly be the condition and Faith being that is therefore alone so to be esteemed Which we may further urge thus either being admitted to the Covenant one is freed from the curse and instated in all the priviledges of the Covenant or not It cannot be said not because that were to make one a Covenanter and not a Covenanter and one cannot be conceived to be in Covenant with God
but God is in Covenant with him actually as a wifes marrying of a husband doth actually state her in what is the husbands Therefore Faith being that whereby we are entered into Covenant as is granted must be properly the only condition Again either by Faith we are instated in the Covenant of Grace upon the very instant of believing and so justified or one may be supposed to be a Believer and not to be in the Covenant of Grace or to be in the Covenant of Grace and not to be justified both which are absurd Therefore Faith must be the proper condition If it be said here that Justification is a continued act Then we urge 1. If instantly upon believing one be justified and freed from the curse and instated into friendship with God Then it cannot be a continued act But the former is true as is said and to say otherwise would overturn the nature of the Covenant 2. If Justification be a continued act Then our being received and admitted into Covenant as to a right unto the saving blessings promised therein must be a continued act also For these two must stand and fall together to wit to be admitted thus into Covenant and to be justified for who are thus in Covenant are justified and who are justified are thus in Covenant But the last cannot be said to wit that the act of our being admitted or whereby we are entered into Covenant is a continued act because 1. so none living could be said to be in Covenant with God nor account themselves to be Gods or claim God to be theirs which is absurd 2. So one that is a Believer might be said to be under the curse of the Covenant of Works which is contrary unto that freedom pronounced unto Believers for if they be not under Grace they are still under the Covenant of Works and if under Grace then in the Covenant of Grace To say here that God continueth to justifie will not remove this because Justification must continue only as their admitting or the act of their admission into Covenant may continue But it cannot be said that they continue in being admitted into Covenant or that by a continued act the Lord is still admitting them or that they are continuing to enter as it inferreth non-admission or not entry or an imperfect admission but as it supponeth the person to be entered and to continue so It must therefore be so in Justification 3. If a Believer so ipso that he is a Believer hath a shield against all challenges and a righteousnesse that can abide the trial in justice Then cannot Justification be a continued act because if Justification be not instantaneous and immediatly perfect it must either be upon ones not-believing in Christ or because of some defect of the righteousnesse that Faith presenteth and so Faith were not a sufficient shield or it must be because the Word doth not pronounce him just upon the ground of that righteousnesse which were also absurd But the former is true a Believer cannot be conceived to be such but he hath a compleat righteousnesse in Christ and by being in Him hath a sufficient answer to justice upon the first instant of believing as the whole series of the Gospel doth demonstrate he that believeth shalt not come into condemnation c. Therefore must he be upon the first instant justified for if it were but a perfecting it could not be said that he had an actuall perfect righteousnesse but only that it were a perfecting Further we may argue against Works concurring with Faith thus If Works be a condition of the Covenant Then it must either be Works as begun or as persevered into But neither can be said not the first because it is granted that persevering in holinesse is no lesse necessary than entering thereinto not the second because perseverance is a mercy contained in the Covenant and if we may say so promised to us upon condition of our believing and entering Covenant it cannot therefore be the condition of our entering the Covenant Again many have not actual works and yet may be saved therefore Works cannot be the condition If it be said that such have resolutions of and engagement unto Works That cannot solve this because this opinion doth distinguish Works and the necessitie of them from Faith properly and strictly taken yet to them that hold it Faith strictly and properly taken even that which is justifying doth receive Christ as Lord and so implieth this engagement and therefore if that definition of justifying Faith were true and this ground also granted that engaging is sufficient Then also were Faith properly that is strictly taken the condition of the Covenant according as they understand it and so there were no necessity to adde or mention Works as distinct from it or to presse Faith to be the condition as more largely and improperly taken and so in some respect there were no difference for this far none denieth but that actual engaging to Christ and to Holinesse is necessary because it is impossible to conceive one closing with the Covenant but he becometh ipso facto engaged who doth close Or thus that which is the condition to one must be to all at age for of such we speak But actual Works cannot be the condition to all because some may be saved without them as suppose which is not impossible actual consenting to the Covenant and engaging to holinesse were the last act of a person before death neither can they say that engaging to holinesse were in this case sufficient and that it is here intended because Works are spoken of as the condition as they are distinguished from Faith as it is taken by them to be the accepting of Christ as Lord as well as Saviour as hath been said See more of this on Repentance But beside all that is spoken these two mainly stand in the way of our accounting works a condition of the Covenant or of Justification in the same kind of causality with Faith Because it obscureth the difference of the two Covenants to wit the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace for so works should be still the condition of the Covenant of Grace Now the Apostle doth directly oppose these the righteousnesse of the Law saith on this wayes the man that doth those things c. and the righteousnesse of Faith is holden forth as opposit to that and so cannot be said to consist in doing of works Rom. 10.5 6. Gal. 3.12 If it be said that He excludeth legall works or Law-righteousnesse which are not alledged by this opinion but doth not exclude Evangelick works which may well stand with Grace Answ. 1. The Apostles opposition is not made to exclude one kind of works and take in another but simply to exclude all which may come under the expression do this And hence Faith itself as it is our work hath ever been excluded in this respect 2. If we look to works with respect to the
therefore that distinction will not hold here for Christ is either our legall-righteousnesse that is the righteousness which the Law holdeth forth and accepteth of it self or our Evangelick-righteousnesse that is the righteousnesse which the Gospel holdeth forth and which by it is accepted But he is not the first Ergo he must be the second And so Faith properly taken cannot be our Evangelick-righteousnesse seing Christ and Faith properly taken without relation to Him cannot both be so accounted Again if Faith properly taken and that largely be our Gospel-righteousnesse upon which we are justified Then it is either Faith including that respect to Christ or not But neither of these can be for if it respect and include Christ then it is what we say Faith with its object and not Faith properly and so not Faith in that same causality with works which is asserted if it respect not nor include Christ Then is there a righteousnesse and ground of Justification wherein Christ is not comprehended which will-sound no way like a Gospel-righteousnesse If it be said that he hath procured Faith in that large sense to be accepted Ans. 1. That maketh a new Covenant of Works as is said 2. That is not to make Christ to be our immediate righteousnesse but only to have procured that such works should be accepted and the former Covenant mitigated but not in its nature changed And so 3. It homologateth Popish Doctrine which we hope is far from being intended by the maintainers of this opinion 4. That overturneth the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse â—s our immediate righteousnesse which is enough to make it to be shuned for if we lippen to such graces and duties as abstracted from Christ and without resting on Him that is not to be found in him but in them for these two are opposed Philip. 3.9 and so they are a righteousnesse that will never quiet the conscience and which the Gospel will never own as an Evangelick-righteousnesse rest on it who will If it be said Cannot Faith then properly taken be in any respect counted a condition or ground of right For Answ. In sum we say 1. That Faith at most is but the condition on which Christ becometh our Righteousnesse or is impured to us for our Justification and so Faith it self properly cannot be our righteousnesse 2. We say that when Faith is called the condition of the Covenant or our righteousnesse it doth not imply that it is properly imputed but it sheweth to whom and upon what terms Christs Righteousnesse is imputed or how a sinner may have accesse to be justified by it 3. We say that Faith when it is called the condition is ever to be taken strictly that is as it receiveth Christ and by that manner of acting is differenced from all other graces and works And so 4. We say that it cannot be conceived under this consideration but as looking to Christs Righteousnesse as the object thereof even as we cannot conceive a consent which constituteth a Marriage without respect unto the party consented unto and his offer or declaration of his will preceding without which no consent could be constitutive of Marriage or be a ground of claim to any of the goods or priviledges of such a person or as we cannot conceive looking to the brazen Serpent as the condition upon or mean by which health was gotten but with respect to the object thereof to wit the Serpent and the ground and warrand preceding to wit Gods appointment without which a look considered simply in it self is not so to be esteemed If it be yet urged further here that if Faith properly taken be the condition of the Covenant of Grace and hath in that succeeded in the room that Works had in the Covenant of Works Then Faith must be our Evangelick-righteousnesse because Works then were our legal-righteousnesse and that upon which our right to life did stand But the former is truth He that said do and live faith now believe and be saved Ergo c. Ans. 1. This will say nothing for Faith largely taken as comprehending Works but at the most for Faith strictly taken as contradistinguished from them and so there will not be that same kind of causality in both but the contrary 2. In this condition Faith is never to be taken without implying the object Christ or without respect to its proper aptitude for receiving of Him and so believe and thou shalt be saved implyeth still this receive Christ and rest on His Righteousnesse or submit to Christs Righteousness and accept of Him for that end that He may be righteousnesse to thee and thou shalt be saved it is impossible to conceive it otherwise at least rightly Now when upon believing Justification doth follow and the person is declared just it cannot be said that the act of believing properly is imputed and that upon that account he is declared just it is rather Christs Righteousnesse believed on that is imputed to him and upon that account he is declared just which is the very terms of the Covenant of Redemption whereby the sinners sins are imputed to Christ whereupon He as Cautioner is sentenced and made sin that His Righteousnesse may be imputed to us and so we upon that account made righteous and that in him and not in our selves as it is 2 Cor. 5.21 which implieth that even our Evangelick-righteousnesse whereby we are absolved is in Him and not in our selves as the sin for which He was sentenced was in us and not in Him 3. There is this difference betwixt the two Covenants as was said The one is a servile Covenant to say so and must have what is engaged to in it performed before one have right to what is promised and so works were in the Covenant of Works the condition upon which life was to be expected and without the actuall performing of which there could have been no pleading for it but this to wit the Covenant of Grace is a conjugall Covenant therefore is not the condition thereof in all things to be squared by that Beside works were the very materiall righteousnesse upon which Justification was founded in the Covenant of Works but to say of Faith as taken in itself and without respect to Christ that it were so the condition now would be absurd Christ being by the whole strain of the Gospel holden forth to be rested on before we can be justified and yet even this would not confirm any way what is said of the joynt concurrance of Grace and works in that same kind of causality with Faith If it be further said may not Faith properly taken be called the condition upon which Christs Righteousnesse becometh a sinners and is imputed to him Answ. 1. This confirmeth what we say for if Faith be the condition upon which Christ becometh our Righteousnesse Then it is Christ who is our Righteousnesse and not Faith strictly and properly taken much lesse largely as comprehending all other Graces for if it were
whereof was contained in the Marriage-contract Yet cannot they be accounted properly the condition of the Marriage-covenant because the performing of them doth pre-suppose the Marriage just so is it here there are some things that in a large sense are pre-requisit to the clossing of the Covenant or at least do go alongst with it as conviction of sin Repentance historical faith desire of peace and union with God c. something to wit Faith doth actually close therewith some things follow thereon as duties to be performed by one in Covenant as the duties of holiness and bringing forth the fruits of it c. Now to come to our assertions the first of them is this If we take a condition largely Repentance may be called a condition of the Covenant as sensible poverty may be called a condition upon which almes is given or as the forsaking of the fathers house and cleaving to the husband may be called the condition of the Marriage as conviction may be called a condition of the Covenant because it is supposed Yet secondly we assert That if we take a condition strictly and properly Repentance cannot be called the condition of the Covenant but Faith only in that proper strict sense because 1. In the opposition of the two Covenants of Works and Grace Faith is put in opposition to Works and Repentance is not so formally opposed Rom. 10. vers 5 6 c. And Faith in that place is to be understood properly as distinguished from other Graces of Repentance Love c. because it is that Faith which doth peculiarly justifie in opposition to Works and as contradistinguished from them 2. Because that which is the condition of the Covenant of Grace and doth succeed to the condition of the Covenant of Works must be something laying hold on an externall object without a man to wit Christs Righteousnesse for the performing of the condition must be the ground of our expecting the thing promised which only Christs Righteousnesse laid hold on can be reckoned to be But Repentance cannot act thus upon Christs Righteousnesse by taking hold of it without a mans self but it acteth upon an object within himself to wit upon his own sins in turning from them to God which yet it doth but imperfectly and so cannot be opposed in reckoning with God in place of the condition of the Covenant of Works Therefore Repentance cannot be properly the condition of the Covenant of Grace nor yet any thing that is meerly inherent in us and doth not so act upon Christ whereof more was said formerly If it be said that Faith is an inherent Grace no lesse than Repentance The answer is easie to wit That Faith is not considered meerly as an inherent Grace when it is called the condition of the Covenant but as it uniteth to Christ and closeth with Him offered in the Gospel even as in a Marriage consent willingnesse and contentednesse to Marrie such a man although it be an act of the will yet as it is an act of the will it is not considered as the condition of the Marriage-knot but as it relateth to a proposed match and is the accepting thereof And hence though love respect to the party and other things be necessary to Marriage and in a large sense may be called conditions thereof yet are they not properly the condition which constituteth a person married to another because they act not so as to receive and close with the proposed offer 3. Repentance is not that which formally constituteth one a Covenanter because one is not a Covenanter as he is a penitent but as he is a Believer for the immediat satisfying ground of ones claim to the Covenant is because by Faith he hath received the offer and therefore as such he hath right to the Covenant it will not so follow from Repentance to wit upon this formal consideration he exerciseth Repentance therefore upon that formal consideration he is a Covenanter It is true it is an evidence of the former because a penitent is a Covenanter but his being a penitent is not the ratio formalis of his being a Covenanter only it supponeth him to have by Faith closed with the Covenant For we may consider repenting as abstracted from formal closing and covenanting although we cannot separate the one from the other but we cannot consider believing as acting on its object but we must consider it as closing with the Covenant Therefore Repentance cannot properly be the condition of the Covenant as Faith is 4. That which is properly the condition doth of it self upon its fulfilling give one a title to the things promised and doth become the ground of a right unto them it was so upon supposition of fulfilling the Covenant of Works and it is so in all Covenants But Repentance cannot do so Therefore c. If it be said although Repentance cannot so do it alone yet Faith and it may do so together And seing by this opinion Faith is admitted with Repentance joyntly to be the condition of the Covenant That argument cannot hold because it is not said that Repentance is the only condition Answ. The argument doth shut out Repentance from being accounted any part of the proper condition thus If Repentance cannot joyntly with believing in Christ be put in as a piece of our righteousnesse before Gods Throne Then it can be no part of the proper condition because the performing of the proper condition hath a ground in all Covenants to plead for the performance of what is promised and the absolving of the party fulfilling the same upon that account But the former cannot be said of Repentance for our Repentance can no way be alledged before Gods Justice as our righteousnesse Ergo c. This may be made out thus If Repentance may be tabled as any part of our righteousnesse Then it must be either as a Grace inherent in us or as it acteth on Christs Righteousnesse without us But neither can be said not the first because no inherent Grace is to be admitted in that respect in whole or in part not the second because Repentance hath no such faculty of acting on Christs Righteousnesse as hath been said and therefore cannot be said to concur so at all 5. If receiving of Christs offer be the formal and proper condition of the Covenant alone Then Repentance cannot be any part of the proper condition thereof because it is not by Repentance but by Faith that we do receive Him But the former is true receiving and closing with Christ by faith is the only proper condition thereof Therefore c. Beside what is said in the former discourse this appeareth thus If receiving of Christ by Faith doth only formally entitle one to the Covenant and all the promises thereof as such Then it must be formally the proper condition because that entitling to the thing promised is the great character of a proper condition But Faith only is such And therefore is the righteousnesse of
is ready to softer such divided conceptions we conceive it is safest not to alter the denomination of the Persons in the same Prayer especially where it is in the hearing of others who possibly may have such thoughts though we have none and I suppose this way is most ordinarly taken in Scripture For answering to the second to wit how the Mediator is the Object of Divine Worship we shall first distinguish this title Object then answer By Divines there is in this case a threefold Object acknowledged all agreeing to the Mediator in some respect 1. There is Objectum materiale or quod that is the Object or Person to whom Worship is given 2. There is Objectum formale or quo that is the account upon which it is given to that Person or Object 3. There is Objectum considerationis that is the consideration that the worshipper hath of that Object in worshipping of Him and is as a motive thereto or is as the learned Voetius calls it specificatio Objecti the specification of the Object whereby the heart of the worshipper by taking up the Object worshipped under such a consideration is warmed with love and thankfulnesse and strengthened in his confidence to Worship that Object Thus the relations that God took on Him to be the Redeemer of His people from Egypt and from the land of the North did give no new Object of Worship yet did they give some external denominations or specifications of that Object God to them the consideration whereof in their worshipping did much qualifie the Object to them so that with the more thankfulnesse and confidence they might approach to him and thus we distinguish between the Object worshipped and the consideration which may be had of Him in our Worship And this doth not make Him adorable simply and in Himself because He was so naturally but it is the ground upon which He is accessible to us who are sinners and enemies from which we may lay down a threefold distinction 1. Betwixt the material and formal Object of Worship 2. Betwixt the Object of the act of Worship and of our consideration in worshipping 3. Betwixt that which is the ground of Worship suppose Prayer Faith simply considered in it self and that which is the ground of our accesse considered in our selves to pray unto or believe in that Object To answer then the Question we say 1. That the Mediator is the Object of Divine Worship is fixedly to be acknowledged even the Man Christ is to be honoured with Divine Worship prayed unto c. as in Scripture is clear Thus the Mediator is the material Object of Divine Worship or the Objectum quod for we worship and invocate Him who is the Mediator and there is no question of this 2. Christ considered as Mediator and in the vertue of His mediation is the only ground upon which we have right to expect to be accepted in any part of our worship or to have prayers granted which we put up to God under what ever designation or title for so He is the Door and the Way Ioh. 10.9 and 14.6 and in this respect though He be not as such the formal Object of Divine Worship yet He is the foundation whereupon it is now built the Way by which it must be addressed to God and He is the High Priest Heb. 7.25 This was typified by the Temple Ark and High Priest under the Law for sinners have not accesse to God but by Him and this strengthens Faith to approach that God is manifested in our nature and that so we have by His suffering entry through the Vail to the Throne of Grace which formerly without respect to this was shut 3. Our Lord Jesus who is God in our worshipping of Him may be considered as Mediator and upon that ground the heart may be imboldened to approach unto God because He that is God is also Man and Mediator Thus we praise and pray to Him that died and considering Him as once dead in our uptaking of Him yet so as it is because He is God for had it been possible that the Mediator could not have been God there had not been ground for giving of this Worship unto Him yet this consideration warms the heart with love to Him and gives confidence and chearfulnesse in praying to Him or praising of Him as in this same place and afterward cap. 5. because seing we have a Man to do with who hath so experimentally felt sinlesse infirmities of purpose to be the ground of a sympathie with His Members and seing He hath still humane affections by having a glorified body still united in One Person with His Divine Nature which wants not humane feeling though in an inconceivable manner and seing also that that is given in the Word as an encouragement for us to step forward to expect grace and help in the time of need Heb. 2.18 and 4.15 16. and that even from Him there is no question but by the actual considering of this a soul may and ought to strengthen it self in its approaching unto God 4. Yet this Divine Worship is given to Him as He is God and because He is God and so Christ-God is the Objectum formale or quo of this Divine Worship because it is the Godhead that is the alone formal Object of Divine Worship as is said and Christ only as God hath these essential Attributes of Omniscience Supream Majestie Adorabilitie c. which are requisite for the Object of Divine Worship And therefore in this place although He be set out in what is peculiar to Him as Mediator yet His being reckoned with the other Two blessed Persons doth prove that notwithstanding thereof He is considered in His Person as God It is then thus as we say Christ-God died yet as Man so the Man Christ is worshipped yet as God for though He be one Person yet the properties of the two Natures are distinct Hence as the Fathers did prove Christs Godhead against the Arrians from this that He was worshipped with Divine Worship and account them Idolaters for worshipping Him thus whom they did not esteem to be God so do the latter Divines in reference to the Socinians 5. Therefore this Worship that is given to Christ the Mediator is of the same kind that is given to God to wit Supream Divine Worship for there are not two sorts of Divine Worship And to give the Mediator who is God an inferiour kind of Worship would 1. wrong Him who is God for by taking to Himself that external relation He hath not diminished His essential Glory and Majesty 2. It suppones two objects of Worship and two kinds of Divine Worship which is false Therefore Divines have ever censured that assertion in the Remonstrants Confession anent giving a peculiar and middle-kind of Worship to Christ the Mediator as of it self unsafe and as making way for the Socinian subterfuge which is to allow a Worship to the Mediator as Mediator inferiour to
staying of us in approaching to God for the Godhead considered in it self is an infinit inconceivable thing and as there is no proportion betwixt Him and us so not betwixt Him and our capacities of reaching Him so considered but by this union of the Godhead with our nature in the Person of the Son so that He who is Man is also God Having the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelling in Him bodily Coloss. 2.9 There is a condescendencie upon the Almighties side shewing Himself accessible to sinners and as appointing this to say so for a trysting place with them to wit that He is in Christ reconciling the World to Himself 2 Cor. 5.19 whereupon the heart fixeth there to meet God and find Him there and is thereby imboldened and helped to tryst with the great and dreadful God This was typified by the Lords placing of the Mercy-seat above the Ark by the giving of His answers from thence and appointing the people with respect thereto to make their addresses to him whence we see looking toward the Temple Jonah 2.4 toward the holy Hill and holy Oracle c. frequently mentioned in the Saints straits which were typical of this true Tabernacle which God pitched and not man and also held out there in their fixing Worship where God had by His Ordinance trysted them though it was but in Type And seing they made so much of it what wonder is it that the Saints since Christs incarnation and suffering make so great account of the Substance and Antitype it self Secondly A second reason is Because in Christ Jesus the glory and riches of the Grace of God in the work of Redemption doth most eminently and palpably appear which is both sweetest to the Saints to insist on and also tendeth to the advancement of the glory of God dwelling in Him and so furnishing Him for them And therefore these commendations that are given expresly to Christ the Mediator and whereby Faith is strengthened in Him do also set forth and commend exceedingly the Majesty of God and His Grace condescending thus to men and in the same act do serve to strengthen Faith in Him for honouring of God and the Mediator and also the speaking to the praise of God and to the commendation of the Mediator cannot be separated and what strengthens Faith in the one doth it also in the other Thirdly A third is Because there is most sensible footing and to speak so gripping to be gotten by looking to the Mediator and mentioning of Him for He being God and also Man there is more accesse to conceive what the affections and bowels that He as Man hath and for this end hath taken up to Glory with Him that sinners thereby might have confidence in approaching to and by an experienced high Priest Heb. 2.18 and 4.16 than can be had to consider God abstractly in Himself of whose divine Attributes there can be no such apprehension And this is not to give a new Object of our Faith as if thereby it were surer for nothing can be added to the fulnesse of God But is to make that Object to say so more discernable conceivable suitable and accessible unto us and to give us a new ground to strengthen our Faith and a new way of having our necessities made sensible to say so to Him that is when not only by His Omnisciense He knows them fully as God but also being acquainted thereby with the same In respect of His humane affections He is in an inconceivable manner by sympathie affected therewith which though it adde not to the hight or degree of His love and pity yet doth it bring it to such a channel to say so that hearts are more able to conceive thereof and are more delighted and comforted therein And therefore it is no marvel that the same be most frequently mentioned Fourthly He is as is frequently said the ground upon which we have accesse for sin made a gulf betwixt God and man man could not step over the same to God but God stepped over and hath come to mans side by being manifested in our nature in the Person of the Son that so He might give men accesse again to Him Hence Christ is in going to God the Door and Way and as it were the bridge by which they passe and that safely unto their former communion with God and therefore Christ being God so that they cannot have Him but they must have God and being also the Way by which accesse is given them to God it is no marvel that the mentioning of Him be sweet Fifthly The great effects of the love of God have kythed and have been brought about in the Person of the Son the Mediator and though there be no greater love as to its extent degree or freenesse in the Son than in the Father and Spirit as is said nor can be yet that maketh the Mediator more obviously lovely to the sinner although indeed in the same things the love of the other two Persons doth appear also And seing this maketh the Object of our love more sensible to us and helpeth us to understand Gods love the better which otherwise is inconceivable therefore God by proposing this as the pattern and evidence of His love and as the Object of ours doth even allow sinners to feed their love and strengthen their faith on this Object and on the immediate and explicite thoughts thereof which yet is the delighting and feeding on the love of God so manifested which cannot be so well read and understood as by direct looking upon it as it is manifested in the Mediator who being God became Man suffered died and is now though glorified yet a true Man touched in a humane manner with our infirmities as a mother or friend are touched with the difficulties of a child or one intirely beloved though still in a manner becoming His sinlesse glorified and most perfect state This is a main attractive to make souls look to God by this open Door and also by expressing this which is nearest to their own comfort and conception to expresse their Faith in God or their love to Him For encouraging and clearing of us in the improving of these grounds these things would be remembered 1. That our blessed Lord is true Man having these affections and properties that are natural and not sinful truly and really and that therefore there is a greater nearnesse conceivable in our approaching to Him than to God simply considered in Himself 2. That as He is Man having such properties so He is affected suitably thereunto that is He hath a humane affection to and sympathie with these He loveth and hath the experimental ramembrance of His by-past sufferings which also hath its own affecting influence on His soul for awakning of such pity as is consistent with His inconceivable glorified state 3. That He who is Man and thus affected is also God and so by His Omniscience acquainted with every need and strait of His people and
24. All Nations are as nothing before Him or as the dust in the ballance a little nearnesse to God should leave a stamp of humility and an impression of the Majesty and excellency of God upon us This is one of the fountain Graces humility and a holy awe of the Majesty of God and this is the way to come to it to get a right sight of that excellent Majesty that is in Him 2. Reverence and admire Gods wise and well ordered governing of this World especially these things that concern His Church and People Wonder that God hath carved out such a way in the works of Creation and Providence and in the dispensation of the Gospel and mysteries of Salvation sutable to our weaknesse and so as there may be communion kept with Him Iob. 26.9 It is made one of the stately steps of His power that He boldeth back the face of his throne and spreadeth his cloud upon it He draweth the vail of the firmament before His Throne to keep His Glory from breaking forth and eating up men And in the dispensation of the Gospel He hath chosen the Ministery of weak men to reveal His mind by them to us and speaketh not immediately Himself because we could not endure it if ye heard Him once speak as He did on mount Sinai ye would say as Israel did Lâ—â— not God speak to us lâ—st we die And this way of revealing Himself should be so far from making us cast at it that it should make us wonder at His condescendency in hedging up of Himself as it were for our good 3. It lets us see how much we are in His reverence that deals so tenderly with us when a little glimpse of His Glory a looking of His eye a drawing by of the vail would kill us and make us as if we had never been 4. It sheweth us also that humility and reverence even in the best of Gods People is often ready to degenerate into servile fear and discouragement The worshipping of Jesus Christ in humble reverence was a duty called for from Iohn yet this distemper of excessive fear was not called for such is our weaknesse and the slipperinesâ—e of our walking that hardly can we keep the right path but deviat to one side or other our faith is ready to degenerate into presumption and our humility to fainting and despondency of spirit and our fear to discouragement heartlesnesse and distrust our corruption is ready to abuse any thing for though there be no excesse in these graces Yet there may be in us excesse in the exercise thereof by reason of the corruption which is in us The 2. thing is Christs tender care of Iohn under this fit When he falls at his feet as dead He comforts him and this is set down in three steps 1. He laid his right hand upon him as a sign of His kindlinesse for his encouragement 2. Giveth him a generall word of exhortation for his comfort fear not 3. He giveth him three generall grounds why he should not fear to support his faith Observe in generall Our Lord Jesus His exceeding tendernesse of folks especially in their fits of fainting and discouragement which ariseth through their mistaking or wrong uptaking of Him First It points at the exceeding tendernesse and effectualnesse of His care that on the back of this fit layeth on His hand and saith fear not that taketh him at this nick of his distemper and raiseth him Secondly what is the great ground of consolation that is proposed it is a holding forth of Himself I am the first and the last And it lets us see when folks scares at Christ and discourages and faints through their mistaking of Him there is no such way of curing that distemper and mistake as by a right uptaking of Him The Note hath these two branches 1. That the great ground of our mistaking of Christ is our ignorance of Him in His Offices and worth 2. That the right curing of that mistake is the right knowledge and uptaking of Him 3. It sayes this that when souls are fainted and discouraged Christ is both the Cure and the Curer He must lay on His hand and speak the word He is the Cure that is applyed and the Physician that applyeth it He toucheth and speaketh and the Cure followeth This also sheweth 1. That there are some kind of bodily exercises that arise from a distemper of the mind that so faints and weakeneth the body that none can cure but Christ and this of discouragement and fainting is one 2. It sheweth to Believers their necessity of having the word out of Christs mouth for their encouragement erre they can shake off discouragement He hath gotten the tongue of the Learned to speak a word in season to the weary soul if He were more waited on in Ordinances and if the word were taken as from His mouth we should come better speed than we do and profit more by the Ordinances 3. More particularly His right hand is His Power and His laying it on Iohn is not any personall touch but an inward strengthening and up-stirring as Daniel Dan. 10.10 Behold an hand touched me which set me upon my knees that is some power for my strengthening and comfortable up-stirring And Psal. 138.3 David saith In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthnedst me with strength in my soul which is the communicating of inward strength to keep him unsinking under the sad condition he was in 1. It points out what our need is our weaknesse and discouragement is often such that we have need not only of comfort but of strength 2. It points at Christs way of dealing with souls that will sometimes strengthen ere He comfort first lay on His hand and then let the word of comfort fear not come behind He seeth this meet and its a main evidence of Christs tendernesse faithfulnesse and wisdom that takes this way with His People The second step of Christs care is His saying fear not a word that is often used and repeated in the Prophets especially Isa. 41.43.44 and 56. Chapters Obs. 1. There is an excessive fear that God alloweth not in His People every thing that passeth for fear and humility should not be admitted Christ saith to Iohn fear not which hath three marks from his experience 1. It 's a degenerating fear that breeds mistakes of Christ and scares them at Him that weakens and faints them in their fellowship with Him Christ alloweth not Iohn's fear to the marring of that 2. It maketh folks uncapable of hearing or receiving a message from Christ so that when He speaketh they are benummed senselesse and dead having ears but hear not and it locketh them so up that no word taketh hold of them Christ alloweth not this in Iohn 3. It disables obstructs and marreth in the discharge of that duty that Christ calls to When Iohn is called to write the Vision he falleth as dead therefore Christ saith fear not but
and acting on Him so by love fear faith c. is really to call Him and count Him Father in whatsoever degree they be which hath the promise of acceptation and is a fruit of the Spirit of Adoption for Gods Covenant runs not to him who believes at such a degree but simply to him that doth believe thus qualified whether his faith or unbelief be more or lesse and so the marks run not these that have Grace or fruits at such a bignesse only but these that have good fruits in any measure have them from Christ and may conclude that the tree is good and therefore cannot but be accounted living branches that will never be broken off which of no hypocrite can be said who do never bring forth their fruits in Him And it is hard to say that fruit brought forth by vertue and communication of life from Christ doth not differ but in degree from fruit brought forth from and to our selves Especially considering that the Scripture doth contradistinguish them on that account without this respect to their degree as we may gather from Hos. 14.8 being compared with Ioh. 15. v. 2.4.5 2. We would advert that this reduplication consisteth not only in the proposing of such an end or being acted by such a motive to wit a command c. but it takes in a singlenesse in both and gives such an end and motive the chief consideration in the act whereby in the practice of duty the heart not only purposeth the pleasing of God in the giving of obedience to a command but goes about it as a thing pleasing to God and honourable to Him and as such doth approve of it for a servant may desire to please his Master and do what he hath commanded and yet possibly not to be single in it as it is pleasing to him which as we said is the thing wherein the great pinch of discerning these differencing qualifications will lye Learned Baxter in his excellent Treatise of the Saints everlasting rest part 3. doth otherwise expresse the Doctrine of the difference and trial of saving and common Grace than what hath been usually rested in among practicall Divines which doth necessitate us someway to insist a litle further in the clearing thereof He hath these Assertions 1. That it is not the Law but the Covenant that can clear the sincerity of Grace as saving to wit as it is accepted by the Covenant as the fulfilling of the condition thereof pag. 205. and 206. 2. He saith that God hath not in the Covenant promised Justification upon any meer act or acts considered without their degree and suitablenesse to their object c. pag. 210. 3. There is no act considered in its meer nature and kind which a true Christian may perform but one that is unsound may perform it also pag. 211. From which he draweth That wicked men may really rely on Christ have recumbencie on him love God c. pag. 211. and 231. and that they may hate sin as sin and as displeasing to God Ibid. 4. He asserts That the sincerity of saving Grace as saving lieth materially not in the bare nature thereof but in the degree not in the degree considered absolutely in it self but comparatively as it is prevalent against its contrary that is when love adhereth more to God than any other thing and such like pag. 222. which he endeavoureth to show both in the infused habits and in the acts of saving Grace and pag. 235. doth assert That in loving God and Christ as Mediator there is no more than a graduall difference between the regenerate and unregenerate and in the end he doth load the common opinion with many dangerous consequents These assertions do seem at the first to be expresly contradictory to what hath been said yet if we will consider the explication thereof we will not find so great difference in the matter it self as to be the rise of a new debate and controversie in the Church wherein there are alace I too many already nor any just cause to reject the former received opinion for any prejudice that follows upon it to which two we shall speak a little 1. We conceive that the difference will not be found so great as the expressions at first seem to carry and were it not that this opinion of his is expresly laid down in opposition to what is commonly received there might be not so great ground to suspect it For. 1. the infusing of habits as necessary and antecedaneous to gracious acts is acknowledged by both and expresly part 1. pag. 158. and 159. he doth condemn the contrary in Grevinchovius at least as an error And part 3. pag. 224. he hath somwhat to the same purpose 2. It is not questioned whether true acts of saving Grace have a rational and deliberate prevalencie over the opposite lusts as he asserts part 3. pag. 212 213. that will be also granted by all Divines that though where true Grace is it may be captivated and not alwayes actually prevail against the opposite suggestions of the flesh yet in a sober and deliberate frame the interest of God and spiritual things will have more room in the heart of one that is renewed as he is such at least than sinful lusts unto which the flesh doth intice 3. It is granted also that beside the act there is necessary for the constituting of it to be saving a sutablenesse and adequatnesse to the object which we will find in the explication thereof to be almost the same with the positive qualifications which formerly we did lay down as pag. 211. and 212. he doth thus expresse it The sincerity of the act as saving consisteth in its being suted to its adequat object considered in its respects which are essential to it as such an object and so to believe in and love God as God and Christ as Christ is the sincerity of these acts but this lieth in believing accepting and loving God as the only supream God c. where expresly the act is considered as acting upon its object under the reduplication formerly mentioned and seems to be by him accounted the same with accepting and loving God above all And again pag. 229. to will God and Christ above all saith he this is to will savingly which he explains thus to will God and God the chief good and Christ as Christ the only Saviour and pag. 230. he saith that a man may will God and Christ who by the understanding are apprehended as the chief good as the devils do and yet by not willing Him as so considered that willing is not saving and wherefore It must be because it wants that reduplication which reduplication in the terme as must be indeed extended to the will as well as to the understanding as he there asserts but is not to be restricted to the degree of its act to speak so but is to be extended also to the nature of it Further we will find the same learned
Turks love their Mahomet Baal's Prophets their Baal even beyond their own lives Now may not one love God and Christ as one may love Mahomet or their Idols This Argument is also made use of by the forcited Author to prove that a natural man may love Christ really for kind pag. 236 237. And will not this â—ame hold in respect of the degree also Considering that there is as good ground and more even in a humane respect for Historical faith to believe the truth of the being and worth of God and Jesus Christ and as much proof and experience of the advantages and benefits that come from him as there are for any to be assured of the being and worth of Mahomet Iupiter Apollo c. Now suppose one that formerly loved Mahomet or Iupiter above all should by the force of Historical faith or some extraordinary deliverance be brought to account of and love the only true God as he did formerly love Mahomet or his Idols could that be accounted to be sincere love because the object were changed Supposing still no change to be in the man nor intrinsickly in the act it self in respect of its kind and yet upon the supposition foresaid this act would not be defective in respect of the comparative degree supposing him to love God now as formerly he did his Idol It must therefore be in kind And may not such acts as have proceeded from Nebuchadnezar and other hypocrites upon special and singular appearances of God be accounted such wherein there was some kind of reality as to their actual esteeming of God above all yet still being without sinceritie as the zeal of the Iews was because God was not esteemed of according to knowledge that is as in Christ Jesus in which respect He hath manifested Himself in His Word and without which there can be no degree of love acceptable to Him Fourthly Might not one have loved Christ above all while He was upon earth from the convictions of the worth that was evidently seen in Him and from particular favours received from Him suppose of health freedom from the rage of the devil c. as one man may love another especially His benefactor above all things so that He may become his Idol Now suppose it had been so which was not impossible that men had known and loved Christ thus after the flesh as the Apostle speaketh 2 Corinth 5.17 could that have proven that love to be sincere And yet the fault is not in respect of that degree Again we may instance it in faith for that one may trust Christ in some respect above all is clear by the many examples of the faith of miracles and that both active and passive yet is it also clear that saving faith is of another nature and hath other qualifications concurring in it's acting as such the first acteth on Him as powerfull to bring forth such an act and in respect of some particular manifestation of His Will for the bringing forth thereof the other considereth Him as a Saviour offered to us by Gods faithfulnesse in the Word and for that end to wit Salvation and upon that account to wit as offered and as such it receiveth Him and resteth on Him being moved thereunto by its giving credit to the faithfulnesse of God in respect of His Covenant and offer of speciall Grace So to be willing to have Christ is a main act of Faith and that one in nature may in some respect be willing to have Christ and Heaven above all cannot be denied especially by this Author Neither can it be said that this respect to God and Christ is inferiour to their love to earthly blessings which they prefer to Him as is insinuated pag. 237. for certainly they may esteem Him beyond temporal blessings therefore they will suffer the losse of these and their life it self upon this presumptuous ground of gaining Him by the abandoning of these yet cannot that be accounted sincere willing because they will Him not as such and according to the tearms of His Covenant Further it may be instanced in fear repentance love to the brethren c. as was formerly hinted wherein we will find that natural men may come to this comparative degree in respect of the external object to wit to fear God more than to fear men or any other thing to sorrow for sin in such a degree that it may prevail over delight in it and love to it wherein the comparative degree that constituteth the sincerity thereof is instanced pag. 231 232. and they may love the brethren so as to relive clothe visite them c. and for this end to part with their own case and estate which is the degree that is only marked as wanting to such as loved the Saints but yet could not part with temporal things for them pag. 239. and upon this ground it is we conceive that pag. 232. this necessary advertisement is given That these graces which are expressed by the passion as fear love joy c. are not so certainly to be tried by the passion that is in them as by the will that is contained in them or supposed to them which must either be to shew that somtimes the vehemency of the passion may seem more towards one object suppose in fear of men or love to creatures when yet the will rationally feareth and loveth God more or it is added to shew that somthing must be respected in the trial beside the degree simplie so that this degree is not to be accounted the alone mark of trial otherwise this advertisement were needlesse And what is spoken of the will its acting rationally in its act as contradistinguished from the passion or act of the sensitive part must infer some concurring qualifications to be necessary in the act of the will which cannot be in the sensitive part which doth necessarily infer a racite acknowledging of the necessity of observing somthing in the nature of the act beside this degree alone for the evidencing of the sincerity thereof On the other side may not habits for a time be without acts at least without acts prevalent in respect of this degree Now then what shall be judged of such acts suppose of love fear faith c. which for a time are prevailed over and the heart is led captive by the opposits They cannot be denied to be sincere acts of Grace nor can it be said that there are none such at all for in that one place Rom. 7. we will find the Apostle speaking of such motions of the Spirit or Inner-man which yet prevail not as to the effect but the heart is led captive over them so that what he would that he doth not and he is led captive to the law of sin over the law of his mind yet even then doth he acknowledge these acts of the Inner-man to be sincere acts of Grace and therefore doth comfort himself in them and doth oppose them to the law of sin in
the things commended in them are set down in five words exceeding comprehensive The first is their charity or love this setteth forth the inward frame of their heart in reference to God and the Saints and is in effect the sum and fulfilling of both the Tables of the Law This was defective in Ephesus The second is their service this looketh to their ministering to the Saints of their substance and otherwise and is a fruit and proof of the former The third is their faith which respecteth not only the purity of their profession by their keeping themselves from Error but mainly it looketh to their exercising of faith in Him and dependence on Him for it is faith to wit the grace of faith that is commended here as it is the grace of love patience c. The fourth thing is patience which is a fruit of faith and importeth their submitting to suffering for the Gospel of Christ without fainting or shifting in respect of the outward profession before others or frâ—ting in respect of the inward frame of their spirit as to themselves notwithstanding of all these sufferings The fifth word is and thy works which generally looketh to the strain of their carriage which by this the Lord holdeth forth as commendable All these being put together they shew an excellent frame this Church once had and withall give a Copie unto us Yet there is a circumstance or qualification added which doth exceedingly heighten the commendation that is and the last to be more then the first The meaning whereof is although thou hast been in a good condition for charity patience works c. since the beginning yet thy last works are for extent in practice for livelinesse in the degree and for a spiritual manner of performing of them beyond what they were so that heâ— present condition is set forth to be a growing condition which doth confirm her to have been really sincere and in a most lively frame The commendation was excellent but this qualification putteth the crown upon it for where a decay cometh upon the graciousnesse of a peoples frame as was in Ephesus or where there is an up-sitting without progresse these become as a dead she that maketh all the box of ointment to stink The challenge followeth vers 20. and 21. 1. Generally proposed 2. Particularly expressed 3. It is aggreged Who could have thought that the next word to such an excellent commendation should be a notwithstanding But this sheweth 1. The deceitfulnesse and desperatnesse of our corruption that may have its influence beside much grace he hath been frequently marked 2. It sheweth the Lords condescending and graciousnesse who giveth such a testimony even where there are faults The generall expression is I have a few things against thee which is the same upon the matter and so to be understood as was spoken to Pergamos vers 14. We shall therefore say no more of it More particularly the quarrel is because thou sufferest that woman Iezebel which calleth herself a prophetesse c. For clearing of which we would 1. consider Iezebels fault which the Lord chargeth upon her 2. The Angel's fault for which he is charged who yet was free of her grosse evils For the first Iezebel is described by her name and practice It is not to be thought that there was such a woman bearing such a name or owning the practices of Iezebel Queen of Israel who is recorded 1 King 16.31 c. But it is like there hath been in this Church some impudent woman who for her furthering the abominable Sect of the Nicolaitans getteth this name Iezebel to make her and her Tenents the more odious even as in the former Epistle some were said to hold the doctrine of Balaam for this very end For Iezebels practice 1 King 16 c. is recorded to be infamous for these two 1. For grosse idolatry and the spreading thereof 2. For painting and fairding herself in an impudent way which insinuateth her being guilty of Adultery and uncleannesse Which two being the faults whereof this counterfeit prophetesse was guilty the Holy Ghost giveth her this name of Iezebel thereby to scare His People the more from her c. for what ever she intended she was upon the matter but a Iezebel By this it appeareth also that she hath been some special promoter of the Sect of the Nicolaitans for we will find her practice and Tenents to agree therewith 1. She calleth her self a prophetesse that is she took on her and so gave out her self as if she had been extraordinarily inspired by the Holy Ghost thereby to gain more credit to her opinions It 's marked in Ancient History that there was never almost an eminent Heresie or Heretick but had some special women for the promovers thereof who oftentimes took to themselves the name of prophetesses Eusebius lib. 5. cap. 16. which is cited in the second Centurie cap. de Hares marketh it of many Simon Magus had his Helena Carpocrates his Marcellina Apelles his Philumena Montanus had two whom he called prophetesses to wit Priscilla and Maximilla and Augustine frequently mentioneth one Lucilla who was a great ring-leader of the Donatists so it is like the Nicolaitans had such a prophetesse for furthering of their designe If it be asked Why the devil seeketh thus to engage women and to put them on the top of such designes Answ. These reasons may be given 1. Because often women are most easily engaged and carried furthest on in the delusion and it is not so easie to make a man give out himself for a prophet as a woman to take on her the name of a prophetesse This generall we may gather from 2 Tim. 3.6.7 2. Women are most eager vehement and diligent in pursuing what they are engaged into even late times may teach how they may prevail and insinuate on many by their diligence if we consider what is recorded of Mistris Hutchinson and some others mentioned in that little Story of the Rise Reigne and Ruine of Familists Libertines c. in New England 3. Women are oftentimes lesse suspected than men and any seeming parts or abilities which in the Lords secret Justice they may be furnished with is usually more admired and taking than in men as if it looked like a thing above nature This same consideration occasioned a Schism in Phrygia because some had more respect to Montanus his prophetesses than was fit 4. Women also have more secret and private accesse to tempt and infect others than men can have for partly they are lesse suspected partly more slighted and despised by others partly also more forborn because of their sexe than men would be whereupon often they arrogate to themselves a greater liberty and impudency in speaking when they are corruptly principled than would be suffered in men And lastly There is more accesse for them to converse with women and to infuse their venom in them than there is for men Eusebius marketh this as a reason of
follow Christs advice and there is no sinner that heareth this Gospel but may think himself sufficiently warranted to close this bargain with Christ if heartily he submit to the terms thereof But of these no more for the time The fourth thing in the Body of the Epistle is our Lords pressing of this His counsell which is done two wayes vers 19 20. as many as I love I rebuke and chasten saith he be zealous therefore and repent The first part of the verse hath the Argument in it The second part is a conclusion drawn from it The Argument is whom I love I rebuke and chasten that is it is not my way to reprove with words or chasten with rods these whom I carry no respect unto but I use this way to them whom I love as I love my visible Church which is confirmed from Prov. 3.12 and therefore seing I take this way with you and do not give up with you my counsell ought to be the better received where it would be observed that it is still the same persons whom at first He chargeth The conclusion drawn from this hath two parts The first is be zealous that is mind to exercise Religion more seriously in opposition to their former formality and luke-warmnesse and that in the performing of the duties thereof zeal to the glory of God may be lively and predominant This we conceive doth not presse new duties but a more spiritual end motive manner and edge in the doing of them for many duties may be done without zeal to God though where this is not they are never acceptable The second part of the direction is and repent which calleth them kindly to be affected with their hypocriticall condition And these two are inferred by the word Therefore from the former ground that expresseth Gods love to them The second way he presseth it vers 20. is by a most instant and importunate pursuing of His offer with a protestation of His being there and of His making the same This is done four wayes First by shewing His work and posture I stand at the door and knock Hearts naturally are as Castles shut and guarded by the devil against Christ when Hâ— cometh with His Ordinances He doth thereby as it were lay a siege at them and by His Word knock at the doors thereof to gain their consent and the more pungently He presseth by His Ordinances He is said to knock the more and in this respect Song 5.2 His voice is said to knock at the Believers door in their sleepy condition Here these two things are imported 1. Christs continuing to deal with His Church and to wait upon her in His Ordinances notwithstanding of her many former refusals Thus He is said to stand at the door whereby is holden forth their ingratitude to Him in keeping of Him out and His patience that still waiteth on 2. In this by the other word is imported His growing more instant in His dealing with them therefore He is said to knock And indeed if the former sharp threatning and charge and the sweet and free offer be considered it may well be said that now His knocks are doubled The second way He presseth in this verse is by making His offer particular as it were bringing it to every mans door if any man hear my voice and open the door c. Wherein 1. He expresseth what He would have 2. From whom What He would have is in two expressions the one is if any man hear my voice that is its hearkning to His voice which He requireth as Psal. 95.7 for the want of which He complaineth Psal. 81.13 And in these expressions often the terms of the Covenant of Grace are expressed as Isai. 55.2 3. and is upon the matter that same with buying formerly mentioned as in that place of Isaiah is clear And it setteth forth Faiths consenting to hear and hearken to and accept of Gods offer of Grace in the Covenant as refusing to hear holdeth forth mens rejecting of the same The other word is and open the door it is the same thing for substance with the former Thus also Faiths closing with the Covenant of Grace is often expressed as Psal. 81.10 Act. 16.14 because by Faith the heart that was formerly shut against Christ is made open to Him and He hath way made for Him to enter into the same as is clear from Song 5.2 Psal. 24.7.9 and Act. 16.14 where the Lords opening the heart of Lydia is expresly expounded to be her giving heed to these things which Paul spoke that is her receiving of the same by Faith This then is the duty called-for and the terms upon which the offer is made to wit Faiths yeelding to receive and admit Christ for the end for which He is proposed Secondly The person called to this is expressed thus if any man c. which putteth it so to every hearer as if it went round to every particular person if thou and thou or thou c. and this manner of expression doth obviate any objection which might rise such as what if the most part reject be it so saith He if any man open it shall be well with him or if it should be objected I am a sinner miserable a hypocrite of long standing that hath often rejected the Gospel c. This if any man will open c. answereth all these at once because where the Lord saith any man without exception who is he that can limit the same where a person of whatsoever condition or qualification is found that will accept of the offer according to the terms proposed and so this any is a particular application of the former advice yet such a particular application as reacheth every one of whatsoever condition they be The third way how it is pressed here is by subjoyning a most comfortable promise unto any man so understood as it is said to wit if any man will open I will come in to him that sheweth an union which shall be betwixt Christ and him I will sup with him this sheweth a friendly familiar way of communion that Christ shall entertain with him as it is Song 5.1 I am come into my Garden I have eaten my honey with my hony comb I have gathered my myrhe c. Christ is a most heartsome guest where He is entertained It is added and he shall sup with me this is the fruit and effect of the former two and expresseth the sweet satisfaction that the sinner who openeth to Christ shall have by union and commuinon with Him as in that same place of the Song 5.1 when He cometh to feed Himself upon His own spices His own myrhe and His own wine and what He brings with Him then hath He a large allowance to His friends as in the next words eat O friends drink yea drink abundantly O beloved O so satisfying a life as it is to have Christ dwelling in the heart and thus to be feasted with the comforts of
hypocritical what may be the characters of a hypocrite as they are here drawn by the Lord Answ. There are two sorts of hypocrites one is more grosse and do indeed know that they are but dissembling these are not properly hypocrites but dissemblers A second sort is more subtile that is when not only they make others to esteem of them as if they were sincere but when they come indeed to have such an estimation of themselves These are properly hypocrites and such as are described here vers 17. Now from this Epistle such a description may be gathered 1. A subtile hypocrite is one that hath some large profession and fruitfulnesse as to many external duties in this respect he is not cold as wanting all form but it may be he aboundeth in that 2. Though he hath much form yet hath he no power nor reality at all otherwayes he could not be denominat a hypocrite though he might be said to have much hypocrisie in him and in this respect the hypocrite is not hot even as he is not cold 3. He is one that notwithstanding of this his want of sinceritie is yet still insensible of his poverty wretchednesse and miserie c. Thus vers 17. he knoweth not that he is poor miserable blind c. and this is a main piece of the subtilty of hypocrisie whereby not only others but even the person himself is deceived in respect of his own state and condition 4. As he is insensible of his poverty so is he highly puffed up with the estimation of what he appeareth to himself to have and thus his security is perfect peace his presumption is strong faith and confidence his praying and common liberty in the same are most lively parts of communion with God in His account and thus he saith he is rich vers 17. and really thinketh so 5. He is a man that doth continue and grow in this self-opinion for being unacquainted with through convictions and with any apprehension of declining or falling from the good which he had he doth apprehend himself to be upon the growing hand and so to him still his faith grace and state of friendship with God c. do become the more unquestionable to him and he supposeth himself to be in all these respects upon the thriving hand therefore it is said that he thinketh himself to be increased with goods c. 6. He is one that is exceedingly well content and satisfied with his own condition and so in his own estimation there is none more honest and sincere none that loveth God more singly or is more beloved of Him and in a word none with whom he would exchange his condition This is a man that hath need of nothing in his own account but is as if all were well already 7. Under all this he is a man that hath never been at the market of free Grace nor hath bought or put on the white raiment c. therefore still all the wares are his own his righteousnesse is of his own spinning his peace standeth on his own bottom and Christ hath never been fled unto or accepted of for righteousnesse by him therefore is there still need of making offer of and pressing the market of Grace unto and upon him 8. Notwithstanding of this he is as confident as if all were well and he is in an incapacity except the Lord do it in an extraordinary way to be convinced either that he wanteth sincerity in the strain of his walk or that he hath not received Christ or made use of His righteousnesse and though he may take with many particular challenges yet he is guarded as it were against these two Therefore it is said there must be eye-salve bestowed upon him to discover his nakednesse to him And this is even the height of all when self-conceitednesse and vain confidence so possesse the heart as to make all convictions to be rejected and to keep the foul sleeping securely without suspecting its own naughtinesse 3. If it be asked how a person that is so unsound cometh to have such thoughts of himself or such confidence of his own condition We may Answer Upon these confiderations 1. Men naturally are lovers of themselves and admirers of what is in themselves Hence it is that men are so easily induced to overvalue their own natural and moral parts and upon the same account these things that look more Spiritual-like 2. Men naturally cannot discern the things of God for they are Spiritually discerned it is no wonder therefore that they take that which glittereth to be gold especially this being added to the former consideration 3. He hath all the concurrence the devil can give him to cause him entertain such thoughts and therefore often such a man is kept from grosse tentations and foul out-breakings which many sincere persons are tortoured with by which the devil aimeth to keep all in quiet as the scope of the parable runneth Matth. 12.29 If we consider his practice it needeth not seem strange that he be thus deluded for he doth not search himself he doth not make hypocrisie his burden or use these means whereby the sincere-hearted are helped to a discoverie of their own naughtinesse and therefore what wonder is it that such be strangers to this 5. When they go on smothering convictions neglecting duties and such like there is something that cometh judicially from God to give them up to that delusion so as to trust the language of their own hearts concerning their own state beyond the most clear convincing reproofs that may come from the Word of the Lord and this is to be found Isa. 44.20 in a very irrational like thing as the worshipping of stocks and stones yet such a person being turned aside by a deceived heart cannot deliver his own soul nor say is there not a lie in my right hand 6. There are some concurring things which may also have influence upon this as suppose men be so esteemed of by others who are esteemed gracious especially if upon some fits of convictions or common exercises they have been inconsideratly cryed-up by Ministers as exercised Christians when as yet the exercise hath not taken root not hath it been adverted possibly how it came to a close by such and such like means often may a Novice or one who is not a Christian throughly come to be puffed up and fall in the condemnation of the devil by this or some other way And no question these foolish Virgins were not a little confirmed in their vain confidence and presumption from this that they had the companie and countenance of the wise Virgins which it may be many others had not Mat. 25. 4. If it be asked If a hypocrite can discern his own rottennesse and hypocrisie or fear and suspect the same Answ. 1. A hypocrite may come a great length as to this at some particular times and occasions especially when some sudden fears seem to surprise or when some particular challenge and the
the Word off his hand We see the Pharisees invited Christ to their houses thinking it a part of their esteem and name to be familiar with such a person yet it is not recorded of any of them that they intended their own edification or made use of such opportunities for that end as Marie did Luk. 10.42 6. Men in such a frame as they are professed enemines to profanitie so are they secret whisperers against true tendernesse and tender persons they wonder what spiritual exercises are and why folks will not believe and so quiet all their doubts they are ready to count diligence and seriousnesse beyond their own pitch to be but fansie and conceits as we see in some Pharisees condemning poor women that were mourning at Christs feet and upon occasions they cannot well hide the same especially when any faults break out in such as once seemed to be more tender then they blesse themselves in their own form of Religion and insult upon these whereas these that are truely spiritual are commanded to restore and will readily endeavour it such as fall with the spirit of meeknesse Gal. 6.1 7. Somewhat is discernable by a peoples conversing with others for such readily love to converse with these that do admire them and make no doubt of their piety and sincerity and so Ministers and People both that speak most smoothly to them without riping up any thing of their wounds are most beloved by them and spoken of with the greatest commendations even in their absence 8. Some-thing also may be gathered from this if the Congregation be esteemed to be generally religious and if their manner of carriage under it be still the same and hath been so for a long time together without any observable change and such like When these things concur it may justly be suspected if such a work be reall that 's so universal and easily constant By these and such like an observing and discerning Minister may at least come so farr in the knowledge of such a case as may warrand him to apply himself to deal with them suitably to the same 6. If it should be asked How it is that a Minister ought to deal with people in such a frame This will be indeed more difficult to answer and will be the matter of many serious thoughts to a faithful Minister lest he run and labour in vain among such a people For there is no people with greater difficulty gained by the Gospel and there is not ordinarily any case that doth destroy so many souls in the visible Church as this doth and therefore there is not more zeal and prudence required in reference to any sort of persons than in reference to such For helping to answer this we may offer these things from the way which our Lord useth in this Epistle 1. A Minister that hath to do with such a people would endeavour to have a ministerial esteem amongst them that is that upon the one side he may have a testimony in their consciences that he loveth them and wisheth the good of their souls as a faithful Minister should do otherwayes if there should be any other jar all his reproofs and threatnings will be accounted to flow from that and so be rejected Again on the other side when I say this respect ought to be ministerial it is to seclude a carnal trivial respect and affection that doth proceed from too great familiarity with such persons than which there is nothing more dangerous both to Ministers and People for where it is he is accounted a companion and plainnesse from him hath no weight with it for they cannot think that he would converse with them so familiarly if he had indeed such thoughts of their condition as faithfulnesse will put a Minister to expresse in such a case and as such persons usually seek to gain such affection and familiarity from their Minister as a special mean to keep him in esteeming so of them as they do of themselves So Ministers would beware of giving them such a stumbling but to endeavour such an esteem amongst them as is for the works sake 1 Thess. 5.12 2. A Minister in such a case would not hold upon general Doctrines nor the reproving of grosse scandals only but he would set himself in application to insist upon hypocrisie and luke-warmnesse and so to describe it to shew the rifenesse of it to set forth the loathsomnesse and the hazard that cometh to souls by it and that in a searching grave and weighty manner that he may be seen to be affected therewith himself as the Lord doth in this place 3. This would be done pungently and purposly as if a Minister were building forts to besiege a City or taking a strong hold by the Gospel and therefore one battery would be made to follow upon the back of another if so be such stout pillars of presumption may be battered down and for that end the Word would be sharpened and edged that it may prove a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart and lay open not only what is the mans practice without but what is the heart-language within what are his thoughts of himself what are the grounds upon which he buildeth them what are the answers whereby he shifteth challenges what are the deceits wherwith he beguileth himself in all these and such like which is the Lords practice here thou sayest c. 4. A Minister would threaten such indefinitly as here and when he hath described them with their characters and symptoms thunder out the Lords wrath and curse even against hypocrisie luke-warmnesse self-conceitednesse want of humility such as have not fled to Christ are not born again and such like that they may know such spiritual ills are loathsome to God 5. It is fit in such a case to rid marches between Nature and Grace accuratly and distinctly and to give such symptoms of the one and marks of the other as may clearly from Scripture â—et bounds between hypocrisie and sinceritie between duties done in the right manner and such as are but in shew so as consciences may be bound with it that these things are the Truths of God 6. There would be â—â—ll a plain opening-up of the way of Justification through Faith in Christ which is the sure ground of all peace and there would be a clearing of the terms of the Covenant of Grace and of the Doctrine of Regeneration and withall a most serious pressing of them to make the right choise and to accept of the best bargain Lastly This application would be carried-on with more than ordinary veâ—emencie in the manner weightinesse in the expression convincingnesse in the Arguments and Motives c. beside secret wrestling with God for them therefore the Lord here obtesteth and protesteth in the pressing of this this also would not be done for some little space of time but would be continued and insisted in therefore the Lord knocketh and He standeth and knocketh which
possible upon mans side as a satisfaction to that Justice there is an external righteousnesse provided to wit the satisfaction of the Mediator which being imputed to the sinner is in law to be accepted as satisfactory for him by vertue of the Covenant of Grace and by vertue thereof he is to be absolved and discharged as if he himself had satisfied this is the meritorious cause of our Justification 3. This satisfaction of the Mediator is not imputed to all nor to any but upon the terms agreed upon to wit that it be received and rested upon Therefore the Gospel is Preached and this righteousnesse is not only revealed therein but offered thereby to all who shall by Faith receive the same in which respect the Gospel â—s it is contained in the Word and the Preaching thereof is â—oâ—â— only called the external instrumental cause of our Justification 4. When by the Power of Gods Spirit the sinner is brought to receive this offer and to rest upon this righteousnesse as the only ground of his peace and his whole defence against the Law before the Justice of God then according to the offer he becometh interested in this righteousnesse and Christ becometh his righteousnesse who is by this receiving of Him put on by the Believer and by this he may plead absolution from the challenges of the Law before Gods Justice as a debtor may plead absolution from his debt upon his instructing the Cautioner to have payed it And in this respect Faith is called the condition of the Covenant because it is upon this condition that Justification is offered to us therein and upon this condition God becometh our God and Christ our Righteousnesse and it is also called the instrumental cause of our Justification because it acteth by receiving Christ as He is â—olden forth in the Word and if that be justly called the external instrumental cause which doth offer him for our righteousnesse Then may Faith well be called the internal instrumental cause because it doth receive Him for that same end and because by this receiving He becometh our righteousnesse upon which our Justification is grounded Hence 5. upon this receiving of Christ and presenting of His righteousnesse for our defence before Gods Justice that righteousnesse and satisfaction is imputed to us and accounted for ours and upon this our sins are pardoned and we absolved before God and this is that wherein formally our Justification consisteth and this is the end why this counsel is proposed that by receiving of this offered righteosnesse this may be attained This way of restoring of sinners by Grace is often set forth by way of mutual bargain as in Covenanting Treating by Ambassadours Marrying Bâ—ying and such like All which do import a mutuall dosing of a bargain upon mutual terms and thus it is expressed to shew not wherein formally our Justification doth consist but to shew the way and terms by which we may come at it and upon which we close with God and in this respect Faith is called the condition of the Covenant of Grace because it supplieth that place and hath in it that which ordinarily a condition hath that is proposed in making of a mutual bargain sometimes also it is set forth under legall expressions as to lybell an accusation against to charge and arraign a sinner before Justice and then to absolve him from that charge in opposition to condemnation and thus sin is called debt and to punish for it is to exact or require satisfaction and Christ in that respect is called the Cautioner or Surety and His suffering satisfying the pardoning of the sinner is called justifying or absolving in opposition to condemning and the deriving of this from Christ is called imputation or to repute the sinner righteous upon Christs satisfying for him or it is the reckoning of Christs satisfaction on the account of the sinner All which expressions are borrowed from the way of legall and judicial procedour before men The first way sheweth how we become friends with God to wit by Covenanting with Him in Christ Jesus The second sheweth a prime benefit which doth slow from that friendship to wit our Justification These two are not to be conceived different things or successive in time much lesse to be separated but as they be different wayes of holding forth the same thing whereof the one doth especially relate to the means the other to the end and that so as Grace and Justice may be seen to go alongst in this great businesse and that a sinner may be helped to conceive of the same the more distinctly when he hath it moulded in the terms and forms used among men and that under diverse considerations that so he may the more satisfyingly comprehend this mystery of free Justification Concerning which in the general we say 1. That the immediat meritorious cause of our Justification is Christs Righteousness we take for granted for it is the gold here that maketh rich without which the dyvour could not pay his debt it is the raiment which covereth our nakednenesse and therefore the righteousnesse of the Saints must be a put on communicated external and imputed righteousnesse so that supposing a man to be pursued before the barr of Gods Justice there is no defence can be proposed but Christs satisfaction which only will be a relevant exception in that Court which in Paul's example is clear Philip. 3.9 as if it were asked Paul what will thou flie to in that day Only to be found in Him saith he not having my own righteousnesse which is by the works of the Law but that which is by Faith in Christ. Thus Christ is our Righteousnesse and we are righteous in Him as He was made sin for us for that opposition 2 Corinth 5.21 doth evince this but our sins were imputed to Him and so were the immediat ground upon which He was found liable to Justice in that same manner therefore His Righteousnesse must be the immediate cause of our being absolved seing His Righteousnesse must be transferred to us as our sins were to Him as is said 2. That this Righteousnesse of the Mediator is immediatly imputed to us hath also been accounted a truth amongst the Orthodox hitherto that is that as a cautioners paying of the debt being instructed in a Court is sufficient for absolving of the debtor from the creditors pursuit because in the Law the cautioners paying in the debtors name is reckoned as if the debtor had paid it and so it is imputed to him and accepted for him so it is here And this way of imputing Christs Righteousnesse immediatly doth serve exceedingly 1. to humble the sinner when that whereby he is justified is not in himself this being certain that we are more proud of what is supposed to be in us than of what is imputed to us even as a dyvour hath lesse to boast of when the cautioners paiment is immediatly imputed to him for his absolution than if by his
is overwhelmed with controversies already it is not fit to contend for words seing there is some agreement in the nature of Faith and in the necessity of works and we are sure where both these are there can be no hazard yet if under this new model an other matter be comprehended than formerly hath been intended by other expressions in the writtings of others it cannot be so easily approven lest we should condemn the generation of Gods People who have gone before us laying by therefore prejudice and contention for words we shall a little so farr as our scope permitteth enquire in the truth of Faiths peculiar concurring for the application of Christs Righteousnesse in the Covenant of Grace and what may be said of works In reference to which we would premit 1. That this way of Covenanting is borrowed from the practice of man with man to set forth somewhat of a spiritual nature betwixt God and man for which end the similitudes of Covenanting Marrying Treating Accusing Iustifying c. are borrowed as hath been said 2. That though all mutual Covenants have their conditions yet are they to be distinguished because sometimes the Covenant is such as entering into it intitleth to the benefits comprehended in it as in a Marriage-covenant entry thereunto intitleth the Wife unto the Husband and all that is his sometimes again the relation must not only be entered but all the terms thereof actually performed before there be a right to the thing promised thus is the covenant betwixt a Master and a Servant for though the Servant be the Masters Servant at the first instant of the agreement yet hath he not a right to the covenanted hire till he hath performed the service and accomplished his Term in the first of these Covenants that which entereth one in that relation is the condition not so in the second 3. Hence we may distinguish the condition of a Covenant sometimes it is taken materially to say so and more largely to wit for all the duties that are required of one in that relation and so a Wifes dutifulnesse to her Husband after Marriage and an adopted Sons dutifulnesse to his Father after adoption c. may be called conditions of the Marriage-covenant and of adoption sometimes again a condition is taken more strictly and to say so formally that is for such a thing as maketh up the relation and entitles one to and instates him in the priviledges Covenanted So formall consenting in Marriage is the condition and a Sons actuall accepting of the offered adoption and engaging himself to be dutifull do enstate him in the priviledge of a Son although he hath not yet actually performed all that he is engaged unto and in this respect the actuall performing of some duties is rather the duty of one in such a relation than the condition required to the up-making of it 4. There is a difference betwixt these priviledges and benefits of a Covenant that flow from it as such and to all in such a relation thus all wifes as such have interest in their Husbands all adopted Children in their Parents what ever years they be of c. and these benefits and priviledges of a Covenant which are but conditionally promised even to these within such relations and require more than being in Covenant as although a Wife cannot but have interest in her Husband as she is a Wife yet can she not plead the Dowry covenanted except she continue a faithfull Wife for if she fail in the essentials of the covenant she may be diâ—orced or an adopted Son cannot plead actuall possession of the inheritance though â—e be a Son till the term come that is appointed by the Father or he perform something called-for in the right of adoption which is insinuated also Gal. 4.1 2 c. Now to apply this we may some-way see in whâ—â— sense works may be called the condition of the Covenant of Grace and in what sense Faith only 1. If we take the condition largely and materially for what is called-for from one in Covenant so works may be called the condition of the Covenant even as a Wife or Soâ— their performing of conjugall and filiall duties to the Husband or Parent may be called conditions of Marriage and adoption yet if we consider the condition of the Covenant of Grace strictly and formally as that which doth actually interest one in or entitle him unto Christs Righteousnesse and maketh him a Son that is Faith properly taken as it doth unite with Christ Ioh. 1.12 because it is impossible to conceive one to believe in Christ but he must be conceived to have title to him as a Wife hath to her Husband or a Son hath to his Father And so he cannot be conceived to be a Believer but he must be justified because to have interest in Christ and His Righteousnesse cannot be seperated from Justification 2. We say if we look to such priviledges of the Covenant of Grace as presuppose something beside being in Covenant to anteced as for example entering into life admission unto Glory and the like in that respect works and holinesse may be called the condition of Salvation because that is not actually attained without these even as a Wifes dutifulnesse may be called the condition of her obtaining her Dowry yet neither is this properly a condition of Marriage nor the other of Covenanting with God but if we look to the priviledges which follow the Covenant immediately and do agree to a Covenanter as such as to be justified adopted c. in that respect not works but Faith is to be called the condition of the Covenant and of Justification because by Faith they are enstated into that Covenant and so in these priviledges that agree to a Covenanter as such Hence 3. We may see that when we speak of the Covenant of Grace and its condition it is not to be compared with every covenant amongst men indifferently as suppose to that agreement that is betwixt a Master and a Servant and a Husband-man and his Labourer for his hire which presupposeth working and so the performing thereof must go before ere the Servant or Labourer can plead any thing upon their agreement but it is like a Marriage-covenant or free adoption which doth indeed inferr duties to follow in the respects foresaid and doth imply an engagement to perform them but doth not-presuppose the actuall performance thereof before any right can be pleaded by such relations but only consenting and engaging to the same Hence in Scripture the Covenant of works is compared to that Covenant which is betwixt Masters and Servants and the Husband-man and his hired Labourers c. and the reward is called debt or hire not because of any merit or condignity in the works which cannot be pleaded even in Adams case but because the performance of the duties of holinesse and obedience was necessarily presupposed to the having right to the great priviledges contained in that Covenant for though
and thus Faith is the condition thereof Then 2. Suppose him to look to the charge that standeth against him for his former sins in Gods threatned curse and to satisfie this he giveth-in Christs satisfaction which being offered to him for this end that he upon the receiving thereof may be justified he by Faith resting on Gods faithfull Word through Christ repelleth all these charges by presenting that as his defence and by the letter of the Law of Faith which saith He that believeth shall not come into condâ—mnation but hath passed from death to life he is absolved and this is Justification even as he was formerly condemned by the Law of Works Here the only meritorious cause of the absolution and the righteousnesse upon which the sentence passeth is the Cautioners payment yet so as it is Judicially pleaded in which respect we say that Faith is instrumentall And though this pleading of it be necessary and the Law absolveth not but when the ground iâ— instructed yet this pleading or instructing is not the persons righteousnesse properly or the ground of his absolution but that which is pleaded and instructed to wit the Cautioners payment which being according to Law instructed is the ground of absolving the debtor from the charge this is plain even in the dealing of humane Courts And the tennor of the way of Justification being holden forth in the Word with respect to a judiciall procedour in humane Courts as is said it can no other way be more satisfyingly cleared To insist a little more then there is a twofold peculiarity attributed to Faith beside what is given to works and any other Grace 1. That it is the condition of the Covenant properly 2. That it hath an instrumentall causality peculiar to it in our Justification By the first is meaned that believing in Christ and receiving of Him is that which enstates one into the Covenant and giveth him right to what is promised and doth in our having right to Gods promises supplie that room which conditions do in mens mutuall bargains wherein when one promiseth somewhat on such a condition the performance of that condition doth turn the conditionall promise into an absolute right to him that hath performed it and so a condition is that upon which the title to the great promise to wit Gods being our God doth depend And Faith getteth this name in respect of the place God hath put it into in His Covenant and so it floweth from His extrinsick ordination By the second to wit that it is called an instrumentall cause the intrinsick manner of its acting is respected for though it be from the Spirit with other Graces and they be not separated yet hath it a peculiar aptitude to look to Christ receive Him apprehend and â—at Him take hold of and rest on Him c. which no other grace hath For it is in the new Creature and Inner-man someway proportionably as it is in the Outter-man for though there be many members of one body yet all act not in the same manner the hand acteth one way and the ear another c. So it is in the Inner-man there are many Graces which are members thereof yet have they their peculiar way of acting whereof these mentioned are attributed to Faith for which often it is called the eye the hand and the door of the renewed soul because by it Christ is apprehended received and admitted thereunto We conceive this instrumentality is justly attributed to Faith because seing there must be an application of the righteousnesse of Christ and seing Faith doth concur or is made use of as a mids for receiving of Him which is the way by which His Righteousnesse is applied why may it not be called instrumentall in our Justification as it is instrumental in receiving of and resting on His Righteousnesse by which and for which we are justified And thus Faith is not our receiving but the mean by which we receive as the eye is not our seeing nor the hand our gripping of any thing but the organs or means whereby we see and grip Neither doth this give any thing to Faith that derogateth from Christ for it leaveth the praise and vertue to Him but doth infer only an exercising of Faith for attaining of that benefit to wit Iustification Justification it self being an apotelesma to say so or effect both of Christs purchase Gods Grace and our believing and doth flow from them all respectively and doth presuppose the same The dispute about active and passive instruments is needlesse here seing the meaning is clear that for attaining of Justification by Christs Righteousnesse Faith doth peculiarly concur in the apprehending thereof and resting thereon otherwise than other Graces can be said to do And this cannot be denied if we consider 1. That to be justified by Christ and by Faith or by the righteousnesse of Christ and the righteousnesse of Faith are still one in Scripture even then when that concurrence which is allowed to Faith is denied to all other things which saith that Faith concurreth peculiarly and that so as Christ is rested on by it when it justifieth or that it justifieth by obtaining Justification through Him 2. If this be truth that the righteousnesse of Christ is the thing immediatly presented before Gods Justice upon which we are absolved as is said and also if it cannot be denied that Faith hath a peculiar aptitude to act on Christs Righteousnesse and present the same Then it must be granted first that Faith must have a peculiar way of concurring to the attaining of Justification And secondly that this may well be called an instrumental causality in reference to that end otherwise there is no use nor exercise of this its peculiar aptitude which is still acknowledged And if it please better to say that Faith justifieth or concurreth in Justification in respect of its peculiar aptitude to act on Christ and to receive Him than to say it concurreth instrumentally we shall not contend providing it be the same upon the mater with the ordinary doctrine concerning this instrumentality of Faith which we may illustrate and confirm by these considerations and similitudes 1. It is granted that the Word is the external instrument of Justification and that must be because it doth offer the same upon condition of believing or holdeth forth a righteousness by which we may be justified So Faith must be the internal instrument because it receiveth the same that is offered by the Word and receiving is no lesse necessary to Justification than offering and seing that receiving and offering relate so to each other and both to the end there is reason to attribute the same kind of causality to the one that is given to the other respectively 2. We are said to be justified by Faith in Christ as the people were healed by looking to the brazen serpent which was to typifie this Ioh. 3. vers 14. Now they by the vertue of the serpent considering it typically
Covenant of Works even so works have no proper merit nor proportion unto the things promised of themselves but as it is determined and condescended to in the Covenant and by vertue of Gods promise made thereunto therefore it is called a Covenant of Works not because of the merit of the works but in respect of the formality of the condition thereof to wit doing that is the righteousnesse which we our selves do Tit. 3.5 And in this respect to work one day and to work twenty years or paying of a thousand talents and one peny doth not difference the nature of the condition of the Covenant supposing the condition of both to be expressed in these terms although the degree thereof be different 3. Faith is opposed to works as the condition of the Covenant or of Justification not as considered in it self but as with respect to its object Christ and so we are thus to conceive the opposition works inherent in us and performed by us are called-for in the Covenant of Works as the righteousnesse thereof and as the only ground upon which we can expect to be justified by it again by the Covenant of Grace Christs Righteousnesse without us received by Faith is only admitted as a Righteousnesse and ground of Justification that Faith is so to be understood in Rom. 10 5.6.and Gal. 3.10 11 12 c. is evident for the righteousnesse spoken of Rom. 10. vers 3 4. which is the righteousnesse of Faith and is opposed to our righteousnesse is Christ the end of the Law for righteousnesse to all that believe who was stumbled at by the Iews c. So it is also in that other place Gal. 3. as the scope manifesteth to wit Faith as making use of Christ His becoming the curse for us And it is observable that in both these Chapters the difference of the conditions of the Covenant of Works and of Grace is insisted on to plead the necessity of a righteousnesse without us in opposition to our own and so Faith must be the condition of the Covenant of Grace as it acteth or resteth on that The second thing that mainly disswadeth from that opinion is that it doth propose something in our selves as the immediate ground of our Justification before God under that title of being our Evangelick righteousnesse for if works concur in that same causality with Faith Then our believing properly must be accounted our righteousnesse and not Christs by Faith taken hold on because these two are inconsistent to wit Faith and works in a proper sense to be our Evangelick-righteousnesse and Christ also For suppose one to be charged at Gods Barr for sin the one way Christ is represented and the other way the mans believing and obedience If it be faid that when we mention believing or Faith it cannot but respect Christ. Answ. 1. Then there is no difference for we acknowledge Faith correlatively taken to be our righteousnesse 2. Then also works cannot concurr in that manner for they cannot so respect him which is all that is intended If it be said that Christ is our legall-righteousnesse that is that by Him we have satisfied the Covenant of Works He having paid in our name but Faith and obedience are our Evangelick-righteousnesse that is as He hath procured a new grant of life upon these easie terms in the Covenant of Grace and so as by performing thereof we may come to have right to what He hath purchased in satisfying the first Covenant Answ. 1. This mis-representeth Gods way of Covenanting who hath not appointed our paying of a small rent as it were a peny to be the ground of our right unto Christs purchase but seing Christ became Cautioner in our name to pay the debt He hath appointed the debtors claiming of and submitting unto his payment to be the terms upon which he shall be absolved as was at the entry to this discourse observed and is clear from Philip. 3.9 where the righteousnesse of Faith which is our Evangelick-righteousnesse and opposed to works and to be found in Christ are one and the one is explained by the other 2. This way doth make a Covenant to be a mids or way for attaining of another righteousnesse for Justification beside Christs and so doth make two righteousnesses in Justification and one of them to be the mids for attaining the other whereas the Gospel righteousnesse is but one in it self by Faith apprehended and made ours 3. Although this may seem not to exalt works by giving them any merit yet it is impossible to account them even to be our Evangelick-righteousnesse or a condition of the Covenant of Grace but there will still be a readinesse to heighten them above their own place which derogateth to the way of Grace that is laid down by Faith in Christ for it is easie to exceed in reference to any thing in our selves considered in it self whereas when Faith is only respected as it apprehendeth Christ it cannot be so considered for it not only merits nothing but it excludeth merit and all boasting and therefore the Lord hath thus wisely ordered that all may be keeped from boasting even of Faith 4. We may answer if by legall-righteousnesse be understood that which may be satisfying to the Law so Christ indeed is our legall-righteousnesse yet so as by the Gospel only we have accesse to Him and have a promise of being accepted through Him without the receiving of which by Faith He is not a legall-righteousnesse to any and so He is our only Evangelick-righteousnesse also and thus our legall-righteousnesse and Evangelick are the same for there is but one charge to a sinner which only can be answered by fleeing to Christ and so He is our legall-righteousnesse as the Laws charge is satisfied by Him and He is our Evangelick-righteousnesse as that mean of answering the Law is to us proposed in the Gospel and for us upon the condition foresaid accepted by the same without which Christ had never been our legall-righteousnesse and the dividing of these two righteousnesses doth suppone that there may be a legall-righteousnesse in Christ to such as may actually never partake thereof and we are afraid that some such thing may occasion this distinction whereas Gods way in the Gospel is to provide a righteousnesse for such as were given to Christ by which they may be actually justified Isa. 53.11 And if Christ be not this Gospel-righteousnesse what can be it For it is by Him we are freed from the curse of the Law which is the end wherefore this Gospel-righteousnesse is preached And it is by putting on Him that even the Gospel holdeth forth Justification But if we consider the Law-righteousnesse strictly as it requireth personall holinesse or satisfaction from the very party so Christ is not our legall-righteousnesse and in that sense it cannot be pleaded for it must therefore follow that He is our Gospel-righteousnesse seing no other way but by the Gospel we have accesse to Him And
Repentance and Pardon is more peremptorily enforced as Luke 13.2 3. Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish than which nothing can be more clear and Prov. 28.13 He that covereth sin shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh which is upon the matter all one with Repentance shall find mercy 3. It is confirmed from such places as ground the cause of peoples ruine upon their not repenting as in Levit. 26. Amos 4. Ezek. 18. Raâ—el 16 c. and many such places is clear where this they repented not is given as the cause of Gods continued quarrell against them All these considerations we will find in these Epistles where the Lord doth not only require the exercise of Repentance by command but doth threaten judgement except Repentance prevent Chap. 2. vers 5 16 and 22. and it is particularly marked to be the ground of His continued controversie with Iezebel vers 21. that she did not repent and so Chap. 3.21 In the second place this may be made out if we consider the promises of Gods Covenant in which remission of sins is subjoyned to the exercise of Repentance as necessarily antecedent so that without it there is no accesse to any promise of pardon See first Levit. 26.40 41 42. If they shall confesse their iniquity then will I remember my Covenant which doth presuppose confession and the exercise of Repentance and the humbling of the heart to go before the application of the Covenant And left it should be thought a legall-covenant it is expresly said to be the Covenant with Isaac and Abraham which cannot be denied to be of Grace The like also may be gathered from the 1 King 8.47 where Solomon expresly Covenanteth for pardon on these terms and 2 Chron. 7.13 the Lord doth expresly assent to these articles Yet this is a Covenant of Grace being a Covenant for obtaining of pardon through Faith in Christ Jesus whereof praying toward the Temple and Mercy-seat was a type and it is expresly said to be upon the matter Gods Covenant with David which cannot be denied to be the same Covenant of Grace with that comprehended in the Gospel seing the mercies sworn to the Fathers Abraham and David are the same mercies that are now conferred upon Believers And although there were some peculiar promises made to Abraham and David in respect of their own seed and some other things yet these peculiar promises were not the grounds of their own Justification much lesse are they to be pleaded by any other for that end Now the Covenants end as it holdeth forth remission and its essentiall promises must be common to all It may be confirmed also from 1 Ioh. 1.9 If we confesse our sins God is faithfull to pardon c. which supponeth that there is no engagement to speak so upon Gods faithfulnesse to pardon any sinner but him who repenteth In the third and last place the necessity of Repentance may be confirmed if we consider the qualifications of such persons as God pronounceth pardon unto in His Word it is not to sinners as sinners simplie but to lost sinners that is lost in their own eyes such as are weary and loadened such as are broken in heart grieved wounded c. as appeareth from Isa. 61.1 2. and else where All which qualifications shew the necessity of Repentance in a person that may expect pardon It is true both Repentance and Remission are Christs gifts but in this method he giveth first Repentance and then Remission Acts 5.31 And though he came to call sinners yet doth he call them to Repentance as that which maketh way for their getting good of Him From what is said we may gather these two conclusions in opposition to the Doctrine of the Antinomians The first is That Repentance is no legall duty unbecoming for a Minister of the Gospel to Preach or a Professor thereof to exercise with respect to the obtaining of pardon and that it is not only to be looked after and to be pressed upon the account of the faith of sins being already pardoned Secondly It followeth from this That remission of sin is no immanent or eternall act of God but is a transient act and that after the committing of the sin for if remission presuppose Repentance it must also presuppose the sin to be committed because Repentance doth presuppose that and therefore it cannot be from Eternity This opinion of sins being remitted from Eternity doth stand and fall with the former to wit of the needlesnesse of Repentance for the obtaining of pardon and therefore the overturning of the one is the overturning of both It is true Gods purpose and decree of pardoning sin is Eternal as all His decrees are But this actual pardoing of a sinner is no more from Eternity than his creating or glorifying men yea in the same decree he hath pâ—â—posed the giving both of Repentance and Pardon in the method laid down If it be said that thus it will infer 1. That there is no difference betwixt the Elect in respect of their estate before Repentance and reprobates And 2. That it will infer some change to be in God if He should behold sin in a person immediatly before his Repentance and not thereafter both which say they are absurd For answer to the first we say That if we consider an Elect person before conversion with respect to himself and to the Law and Covenant of Works without respect to Gods purpose There is indeed no difference betwixt him and a reprobate because they are both as impenitent unbelievers without the Covenant without hope and dead in sins and trespasses as is spoken even of the Elect Ephes. 2.1 2. and 12. and both of them are under the curse seing the Law doth indifferently curse all that have sinned and are not by Faith in Christ. This is no absurdity but contributeth exceedingly to the humbling of the Elect and to the advancement of Grace Again if we consider the Lords purpose there is a great difference although as it is His purpose it doth make no reall change except in the manner time and method in which he hath purposed it to be To the second we answer that this doth not infer any change in Gods will as if he now willed that which He would not before more than to say His will changeth when He glorifieth a person which He did not actually glorifie before although He purposed indeed to do the same It only proveth that there is a change wrought upon the creature who is glorified by that same unchangeable will of God which did before the world decree that in due time to be done so it is here in time He pardoneth and maketh a change upon the creatures state by that same will and in the same manner as it was decreed And this is no absurdity because according to the rule although God cannot change His will yet He may will a change upon the creature etsi Deus non potest
connexion between Repentance and Remission upon grounds laid down by it self no sinners could have expected pardon not would their sins have been remissible even upon supposition of their Repentance more than if there had not been Repentance if such a supposition may be made 3. We say that Repentance doth not concur for the obtaining of remission of sins as it is a piece of our own new obedience and of the condition of the Covenant of Grace and so now to be imputed to us with Faith and the other Graces for Righteousnesse in stead of the perfect holinesse which was the condition of the Covenant of Works as if now God in the pardoning of penitent sinners their sin should not respect Christs imputed Righteousnesse as the immediate cause making them acceptable to Him but the very acts themselves of Faith Repentance c. and so the first Covenant of Works will be mans performing of all holy duties according to the Commands perfectly which Covenant being now broken and man made unable by sin to perform the condition thereof this opinion supponeth Christs satisfaction to have procured which yet Socinians deny as any procuring cause of a new Covenant upon these terms that sinners who are short of perfect Holinesse and yet do believe and repent of their sins should be accepted and these acts of Believing Repentance c should be accounted to them by vertue of that Covenant as if their obedience had been perfect This way is not sufferable because it shutteth out Christs imputed Righteousnesse from being the next immediate and meritorious cause of our Justification and continueth the Covenant to be in substance a Covenant of Works for its form although it place no condignity of merite in these works yet by this it is still some work of outs that is the ground of our defence before Gods Justice and so cannot be admitted for even Faith it self in this case cometh not in to be considered but as it uniteth with its object to wit Christ Jesus in the promise as hath been said These wayes which are more grosse being disowned so that there is neither ground to charge us with Popery nor Arminianisâ—us for our asserting the necessity of Repentance we come now to show positively in what respect it is necessary 1. We say Repentance is necessary not only by necessity of precept but also of mids necessitate praecepti medii that is not only as a duty laid on by God but as a mean appointed by Him for attaining that end to wit remission of sins in which respect a penitent or repenting sinner may be said to be using the means how pardon is attained and to be in the way of obtaining it which cannot be said of a sinner that repenteth not For although Repentance as absolutely considered in it self doth not make a penitent any nearer unto remission yet it being considered in respect of Gods contrivance and of the order which He hath laid down and the promise which He hath subjoyned to it it may well be called a way and mean for attaining to pardon 2. Beside this there is a kind of congruity and suitablnesse in this order which God hath laid down by subjoyning the promise of pardon to it thus it is more suitable that a penitent sinner should have pardon than an impenitent because he is a more congruous object to speak so for grace to shew it self gracious upon than if there were a continuing in security Neither hath this congruity any causality or merit in it but only doth shew Gods wise contrivance in appointing a mids suitable to His end which is the glorifying of His Grace and the making of Himself to be precious to the sinner 3. Repentance concurreth in the obtaining of pardon by qualifying the sinner in reference to the promise wherein pardon is proposed which is not to be understood as if this qualification were a thing previous to a saving work of Gods Grace or as if it did dispose the subject for receiving of any inherent quality Or lastly as if there were any merit in it to commend the person so qualified unto God for the attaining of pardon these things we have already rejected But it may be said to qualifie a person in these two respects 1. That it putteth one within the reach of the promise which speaketh pardon to none but to such who are so qualified and thus it qualifieth the person meerly with respect to the promise and the qualification contained it â— and so a true penitent sinner may be said to be qualified for remission and may take hold of the promises that make offer of the same which no other not so qualified can do because the promises are peculiarly holden forth to such who are so qualified 2. It qualifieth the sinner in reference to the promise as it doth dispose him to accept the offered salvation freely and to rest upon Christ alone for that end Thus it qualifieth for obtaining of pardon as felt poverty qualifieth a proud begger to receive willingly an offered almes and to be thankfull for it neither is the almes the lesse free that it requireth one sensible of poverty to receive it but it is rather the more free and acknowledged to be so when it is conferred even so it is here There is one thing more questioned even among Orthodox Divines that is if Repentance may be acounted a condition of the Covenant with Faith and if in that respect it be necessary and do concur for the obtaining of Pardon For answer That we may not disgresse long in this we shall lay down some assertions after we have premitted this distinction A condition may be taken more largely for any thing required as an antecedent for obtaining the thing promised in this sense there may be many conditions 2. It may be taken more strictly and properly for that upon which the closing of the Covenant dependeth and that which as such cannot be considered but as implying the closing thereof 3. A condition may be taken as it looketh to some consequent following the close and is virtually implied therein As for instance in Marriage there are several things necessary as the hearing of the proposall the believing historically the truth of the thing heard an esteem of it and a desire to have it with a loathnesse to offend the party proposing it These are supposed to be requisit and necessary in one that is called to Marrie that she should forget her kindred and her fathers house and cleave to the husband and so forth Yet none of these resolutions or qualifications are properly the condition of the Marriage-covenant but the parties consent to accept the offered match upon the terms proposed The actuall and positive solemn declaration whereof in the approven way is that which formally closeth the match and entitleth the party so accepting to the husband which none of these former qualifications did't after which there followeth the performance of Marriage-duties the obligation
this Covenant called peculiarly the righteousnesse of Faith and not of Repentance Love c. because Faith giveth a title to the righteousnesse Covenanted which Repentance doth not And because in the performing of the mercies Covenanted in the way of Grace greater weight is laid on Faith than on Repentance or any other Grace Again that Faith is the proper condition may appear thus because it is properly and expresly proposed as the condition Act. 8. It is said to the Eunuch If thou beleivest thou may be Baptized and Act. 16. to the Jaylor when the Question is expresly proposed What shall I do to be saved Believe saith Paul and thou shalt be saved So answered the Lord Ioh. 6.28.29 This is the work of God to believe c. Neither can it in reason be objected that as these places do propose Faith so other places do propose Repentance as the condition as Act. 2.38 c. For it cannot be denied but Faith doth otherwise act on Christs Righteousnesse and the Covenant than Repentance can do and therefore Faith is acknowledged to be principall whereas if that objection hold Repentance and Works would be equalled with it We therefore take it thus where Repentance is proposed there the whole way of turning to God more generally is proposed But where Faith is proposed that which more properly and peculiarly doth state our interest in God is proposed as the consideration of the formal actings of these Graces will clear and is wholly denied by none 6. That must be the proper condition of the Covenant which doth entitle God to the person as the person to God For the Covenant being mutual that which giveth men a right to God and bringeth them within the compasse of the Covenant must constitute them to be Gods and give him as it were a right to them by vertue thereof But it is not Repentance that giveth God formally a Title to a soul but it is receiving of Him by Faith and submitting to His Righteousnesse Therefore it must not be Repentance but Faith that is the proper condition This is seen in a Marriage-covenant For that is the womans condition upon her part which doth entitle her to her Husband as well as her Husband to her Now it is not Repentance that giveth up one to Christ as His as is clear but Faith c. that delivereth up a person to him and is that whereby one taketh him and consenteth to be His. And therefore it is Faith that doth entitle Christ to be His. Ergo c. 7. If all these works were the condition of the Covenant then entry into the Covenant were a successive work and not instantaneous but this is absurd Therefore not these but Faith alone is the condition of the Covenant for if in an hour yea in an instant at a Sermon a man may have his heart opened to receive Christ and by that have a right to Baptism as a Covenanter Then it is not successive But the former is truth Ergo. 8. If these Works were the condition and not Faith only Then upon supposition of Faith could not the Sacrament of Baptism be administred But it behoved to have antecedaneous to it not only the purpose but the actuall performing of these works because Baptizing supponeth the accepting of the Covenant what therefore entitleth one in profession must when it is really done be the condition of the inward covenanting 9. If Faith be the proper condition Then Repentance cannot be so because Faith is not a condition of the Covenant meerly as it is a Grace but as it is peculiarly qualified in its manner of acting Now Repentance not being qualified with that manner of acting cannot be a part of the proper condition 1. Because if so then were graces of different actings admitted to concur in the same capacity and manner of acting contrary to their natures 2. If so then not only Repentance but every Grace and all good Works might be accounted parts of the proper condition of the Covenant as well as Repentance and Faith if there were no peculiarnesse in Faiths acting respected in this And though this may be counted no absurdity by some yet to such as plead only to joyn Repentance with Faith it may have weight And to others we propose these considerations First That the evidence of light doth constrain the acknowledging of Faith to be eminently the condition beyond all yea that it may be called the only condition of the new Covenant 1. Because it is the principall condition and the other but lesse principall 2. Because all the rest are reducible to it as necessary antecedents or means c. so Mr. Baxter Apho. Thos 62. and the formall and essentiall acts of this Faith are acknowledged to be subjection acceptation consent cordiall Covenanting and self resigning Now if Faith be the principall condition and that as acting so in which respects no other Grace can act Then certainly Faith hath a peculiar property here and that not as a Grace simply but in respect of the formality of its acting which doth confirm all that is said And thus Faith is not the principall condition as being only so in degree like a chief City amongst many Cities but in respect of a different manner of acting and an excellency to say so that is in it in that respect Such acts being peculiar and proper to it which are the proper characters of a proper condition and if so seing all other things mentioned are acknowledged as necessary antecedents or means or implyed duties c. why should there be a contending about words and a new controversie stated for the nature of a condition when the Church is almost suffocated with controversies already Secondly If Works be the condition equally with Faith Then our being accounted Covenanters must follow actuall Holinesse and till then none are indeed Covenanters which is absurd as was formerly said for so none could otherwayes have right to any thing in the Covenant If it be said These are seminally and in purpose at the entry That will not answer it because it 's not the purpose but the actuall performing of the condition that giveth right Beside if a purpose satisfie for a condition in these Then either seminall Faith or a purpose thereof is to be admitted also which is absurd or if actuall Faith be required and but other conditions in purpose Then it is actuall Faith and not these that is the proper condition of the Covenant Thirdly If these Graces and good Works be the condition of the Covenant Then it is either in respect of their particular acts or of persevering in them But neither can be said Ergo c. Not particular acts because the Scripture hangeth the prize on overcoming continuing to the end c. and not on acts Nor can it be perseverance because so no benefit of the Covenant could be pleaded till it were ended for it is the intire condition and not a part thereof that
giveth title and right But it is absurd that none should have right to any benefit before perseverance be ended whereas perseverance is a priviledge that a Covenanter may claim These may indeed be called someway conditions of obtaining the possession of the great benefit in the Covenant but not of the Covenant it self and are duties implied to be performed by â— Covenanter but cannot be conditions upon which he is admitted And though somewhat to this purposes was said formerly yet the matter being so like there is no hazard nor prejudice from this co-incidencie Assert 3. Although in strict speaking Repentance be not the proper condition of the Covenant yet as to the naming of it a condition or not we conceive there is no great ground of debate and if the matter be well guarded the expression may be suffered Otherwayes it is no strife about words We conceive that the guarding of the matter doth require 1. That these Errors both of Papists Arminians and Socinians formerly mentioned be carefully eschewed and that by giving it the name of a condition we do not fasten upon it any of these senses especially the last to which it is most liable 2. This would be guarded that Repentance be not shufled-in as a piece of our righteousnesse or that which we make an immediat defence and shelter against the Justice of God of which somewhat hath been formerly spoken 3. This would be guarded that Repentance be not accounted to be a condition is that same capacity and formality of acting as Faith is because that would either confound the nature of these Graces or wrong the way of the Gospel wherein ever something peculiarly is attributed to Faith We come now to the third thing proposed that is if Repentance be necessary to a justified person for obtaining the pardon of sins committed after Justification as well as before it To which we Answer shortly That the Scripture doth hold forth the same necessity in this case as in the former 1. Because there is the same order in the Commands that are given and the promises that are made to them for obtaining pardon as may be gathered from the Epistle to these in Ephesus who may well be supponed to be Believers and the ground is generall in this Epistle to Laodicea vers 19. Whom I love I rebuke and chasten saith the Lord be zealous therefore and repent where Repentance is put-in as a necessary mids for removing of Gods rebuke and quarrel even from them whom He loveth 2. The promises made to Believers run in the same terms 1 Ioh. 1.9 If we confesse God is faithfull to pardon c. where Iohn keepeth the same method in reference to pardon even when he wrote to Believers and putteth himself in the roll 3. Experience doth also confirm the same as we may gather from David Psal. 32.3.4 c. While I kept silence my bones waxed old c. but I confessed unto thee and thou forgavest me c. In which place this connexion and order is clear Neither can it be said that David only obtained the sense of pardon 1. Because he himself doth account it pardon and such happinesse as doth proceed from the not imputation of sin 2. Because Rom. 4. the Apostle maketh use of this experience for the describing and confirming of Justification it self which could not have been if the place had spoke only of the declaration thereof And it cannot be otherwise seing the Law curseth every sinner and the Gospel absolveth none but the penitent It may be gathered also from Nathan's word to David 2 Sam. 12. declaring his sin to be pardoned after his acknowledging which supposeth it not to have been so before that time So also it may be gathered from the Lords dealing with Iobs friends Iob 42. with whom the Lord was angry till they humbled themselves before God Neither can it be well objected here That this may hazard the perseverance of the Saints supposing that some of them may die without actuall Repentance For 1. The Doctrine and nature of the Covenant betwixt God and Believers doth include a twofold impossibility 1. That a sinfull Believer can be pardoned without Repentance because the Lord hath appointed that order and method and that wisely and graciously for the scaring of Believers from sin for the humbling of them under it and for directing of them how to be freed from it And there is need of this least Believers being in a great part corrupt should abuse Gods goodnesse The other is that it is impossible for a justified person to die under sin without Repentance And these two do not crosse one other because the first is conditionall no justified person having sin if he repent not can be pardoned the other is absolute to wit no justified person can die under sin without Repentance because they are kept by the power of God to Salvation 1 Pet. 1.8 And he who hath ordered the end hath also in His Covenant ordered the midses necessary thereunto so that they cannot be again renewed unto Repentance And it is in this as betwixt election and effectuall calling for no elect can be justified till he be effectually called so that if it were possible he should die at age before effectuall calling he could not be saved yet it is simply impossible that any of them can die before effectuall calling so must it be here in respect of the renewing of Faith and Repentance It will be difficult to clear the fourth thing to wit what kind of Repentance to speak so is to be accounted simply necessary for obtaining the pardon of sin because sometimes persons are not soon satisfied with the degree and kind of their Repentance sometimes again even Believers after foul slips are taken away without any sensible-like work of Repentance for the same It may be questioned therefore upon the former suppositions what is to be accounted Repentance In answering to which we shall first lay down some advertisements concerning Repentance in the generall and then some distinctions of the same from which the answer may be easily formed 1. It is no peremptory degree of Repentance that is required as simply necessary it is sincere Repentance having its native fruits that is to be acquiesced in This sincerity of Repentance is not to be judged only by the sorrow horrour or grief that sometimes do accompany it nor by the continuance thereof in its exercise because Repentance may be true where little of these are and it may be unfound where much of these is sensible and that for a long times continuance as experience doth confirm 3. The sincerity and sufficiency of Repentance therefore is to be tried mainly by the rise and effects thereof c. to wit if respect to Gods honour affect the heart with the sense of its sin and if it so affect as sin becometh hatefull the person is humbled in himself and brought to esteem of and put a price upon Gods Grace in Christ
when he pleaseth If it be further moved how at the first exercising of Repentance and Faith a man can be said to be justified that is accepted as righteous and pardoned of all his sins seing his sins after Justification are not pardoned untill they be committed and repented of Ans. Both are true for future sins are not actually pardoned till they be committed and repented of yet is the man a justified person and in a justified state having a ground laid in his Justification for obtaining the pardon of these sins that follow so that they shall not overturn his former absolution for Gods Covenant hath both fully in it yet in due way to be applied And it is as if a company of rebels were subdued and by treaty they are paâ—doned changed from that state of enemies to be natural subjects and priviledged with their priviledges so that if they fall in after faults as subjects may fall in yet are they never again counted enemies nor is their first freedom cancelled but they are dealt with as native subjects falling into such offences and have priviledges that strangers have not nor can plead in the same faults one of which priviledges may be supposed to be that they shall not be rigidly fallen upon although their guilt deserue death but that they shall have means used to reclaim them and thâ—se such as cannot but be effectual and that upon recovery they shall be pardoned these faults and be preserved from the deserved punishment It is so by the treaty of Grace and Justification the believing sinner is translated from the state of an enemie to the condition of a friend this is unalterable he cannot afterward but be a friend yet because a friend may be ingrate and fail to his benefactor therefore by that treaty it is provided that there should be a way to forgivnesse by vertue of that Covenant yet so as there should be a new exercise of Repentance and Faith for the commending of the way of Grace and so a sinning Believer is a sinner but not in the state of sin nor is an enemie as he was before Justification even as a faulty subject is guilty yet is no enemie nor rebell nor can be punished by death when he becometh penitent although he deserveth it because the Law of Grace is such to the subjects of that Kingdom that their pleading of their former treaty and betaking themselves to the terms thereof is ever to be accepted as a righteousnesse for them in reference to any particular sin following Justification as well as what preceded And this no stranger to God can plead who hath no such ground for his recovery from sin or that God will give him Repentance for it much lesse that he will certainly pardon him Yes it differeth from a penitents case at first conversion because a Covenanter may expect pardon by vertue of that same Covenant in which he is engaged and to which he hath already right and he hath jus ad rem another cannot do so but must consider the Covenant as offered only and so expect pardon not because God is actually engaged to give it to him as in the others case but because God doth offer to accept of him on these terms and then to pardon him Some generall Observations concerning Preaching and especially Application HAving now gone through these Epistles we may see how wisely and seriously our Lord Jesus the Prince of Pastors who hath the tongue of the Learned given unto Him doth from Heaven speak to the condition of these Churches to whom they are directed wherein we may have an excellent copy according to which Ministers ought to carry themselves in discharging of their Trust. We conceive therefore it will not be impertinent to shut up these Epistles with some generall directions concerning the way of Ministers making application to Heaters which can hardly any where else more clearly fully and together be gathered and although every thing may not be particularly pitched upon which is necessary in Preaching that not being the Spirits intent in the place yet we are sure that as His prosecuting of the respective cases of these Churches is very comprehensive so it cannot be but most worthy of imitation 1. In generall we see that Ministers in their application ought to conform themselves to the case of the Church and persons to whom they Preach to erroneous people or such as are in danger of errour more convincingly to the secure more sharply to the afflicted and tender more comfortably c. as may be seen in our Lords dealing with these Churches 2. Ministers ought in their Doctrine to apply themselves to all sorts of persons to wit to Rulers and People to hypocrites and openly profane yea to the good and these that have most tendernesse reproving all convincing all as there shall be cause So that neither hoplesnesse of profiting some that seem to be desperate nor preposterous affection to these who are tender and affectionate ought to marr this manner of dealing And thus we see our Lord Jesus doth threaten profane and grosse erroneous Iezebel upon the one hand and backsliden though Godly Ephesus upon the other Sometimes it is more difficult freely and faithfully to reprove one that is Godly or to withstand one Peter than to threaten or contend with many that are profane and yet both are necessary and profitable for edification 3. This universall application to all sorts would yet notwithstanding be mannaged with spiritual wisdom and prudence so that every one may get their own allowance Hence the Lord doth so threaten the secure and stubborn that yet he excepteth these who were not defiled and so comforteth the faithful as the profane may not have a ground to take the same consolation with them This is a main qualification of a Minister of the Gospel rightly to divide the word of Truth and not to follow all applications promiscuously and in heap together in any Auditory without such discriminating expressions as may guard against confusion therein especially as to these four 1. That a tender soul may be so strengthned and confirmed as a secure person be not more hardned and that a presumptuous hypocrite be so stricken at as an exercised soul be not wounded 2. When both the good and profane are in one fault the one is otherwise to be reproved and restored than the other and we see Ephesus is more tenderly dealt with than Laodicia according to the rule Gal. 6.1 3. The faults of Believers would be so reproved as with these their state and what is commendable in their practice be not condemned and rejected also but that there be intermixed commendations or approbations of what is approveable least Godlinesse suffer when the fault of a Godly person is reproved and least the sentence go beyond the Masters intent which is not to condemn the person but to reprove the fault as the Lord doth tenderly distinguish these in the case of Ephesus and Pergamos
of all Nations Kindreds and Tongues and we who are not of the stock of Abraham but are of strange Nations have reason to praise for this Gospel and to blesse the Mediator who hath purchased it unto us Again although this object in some respect hath been extended to all Nations Kindreds c. without distinction or discrimination Yet somewhat is added to qualifie and restrict the same that it may not be understood collectively of all of every Nation Language c. but distributively of some of these Nations Kindreds and Tongues for the redeemed their Song is expressed in these terms Thou hast redeemed us out of every tongue and kindred and people and nation And certainly there is a palpable difference between these two to wit to say Thou hast redeemed all Kindreds Tongues and Nations and to say Thou hast redeemed us out of every Tongue Kindred and Nation whereby the redeemed are contradistinguished from the rest of the Kindred Tongue and Nation out of which they are redeemed and yet it cannot be thought but that all who are redeemed do concur in this Song therefore the other contradistinguished from them cannot be said to be redeemed Beside this peculiarnesse of Redemption is a speciall ground of the redeemeds praise to wit when they were lying under the curse with others Christ hath redeemed them from among them Further all this Song doth agree to any person that hath been redeemed by Christs bloud They that are redeemed are also made Kings and Priests And seing all cannot praise for this mercy as experience sheweth therefore can it not be said that they are comprehended under the former And if we will remember what was just now said to wit that Redemption doth import a peculiar right to these that are redeemed beside others to wit a right by Election Then it will follow that no other can be said to be redeemed but the Elect that were given to Christ and seing all men are not Gods by this peculiar right for to be Gods in this respect and to be given to Christ and so to be actually redeemed are of equal extent Therefore can it not be said that all are redeemed The third reason or ground of their praise which is also the effect of the former will confirm this and it is contained vers 10. And hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests and we shall reign upon earth So that if it be asked what are the advantages which they reap by Christs Redemption which make them thus to praise They answer they are very great for not only are they freed from the former bondage they were under and set at liberty as in the former verse But they are honoured and blessed with many excellent priviledges exceedingly commended in four words 1. Thou hast made us Kings this respecteth that spiritual freedom that the Believers have from their former enemies and that spirituall dominion which they have over them and that eternall glory whereof they shall be partakers when they shall sit upon one Throne with the Lord Christ. This is a great priviledge that all the redeemed who were formerly slaves shall be made Kings 2. They are made Priests this was also a title and office of great dignity under the Law and by it is signified that by Christ Jesus all the redeemed are honoured to have accesse unto God with boldnesse and to offer up their own prayers and praises unto God by Him with hope of being accepted which priviledge is founded upon Christs Redemption and without this there had been accesse to no sinner to pray or praise acceptably and with any comfort before God But now say they we are Priests and may offer our own sacrifices yea now under the Gospel we are not tied to any typicall service nor to one place or Temple nor to seek a Priest to offer our sacrifices unto God for us But we our selves may approach therewith unto Him 3. It commendeth and sweeteneth this priviledge that they are made Priests to our God which implyeth that now by Christs purchaâ—e they may worship and serve God as in Covenant with them and as their own God which doth make all the services they can be put to very light and easie and strengthens them against all the difficulties they may meet with therein seing it is no idol nor strange God whom they worship but their own God who will pity them in their service as a Father pitieth his Son Lastly They say and we shall reign upon earth which is set down not only to shew the spiritualnesse of this Kingdom which being on earth and common to all the redeemed many of whom have a poor being here can be no other wayes understood than of His spirituall Dominion but mainly we conceive it is mentioned here as the ground of their Song that not only have they a hope of reigning and being freed from sin in Heaven but that in some measure they are made partakers of the vertue of Christs purchase in the subduing of their sin and the mortifying of their lusts whereby they are keeped from the dominion of sin because they are not now under the Law but under Grace according to the promise Rom. 6.14 And this is a kindly evidence of a redeemed person and a convincing ground of praise to a truly gracious soul to wit to have Sanctification thriving the body of death born down and even before they come to Heaven to be looking Heaven-like and to be brought someway to triumph over their spirituall enemies than which as there is nothing that will be more desired by them so there will be nothing more acceptable to them even thus to be priviledged and dignified to reign spiritually on the earth And we may see that as this is a great mercy to be Sanctified So it is a fruit of Christs death and floweth from His purchase even as Justification doth in which respect He is our Sanctification as well as our Righteousnesse 1 Cor. 1.31 The second company who joyn in this Song is the Angels who are described vers 11. and then their Song is expressed vers 12. They are described First by their title and number they are Angels that is glorious ministring spirits Heb. 1.14 called sometimes in Scripture the host of heaven and because of their excellency the Sons of God Iob 38.7 And they are many Angels The number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands this is a great number it seemeth to be taken out of Dan. 7.10 where thousand thousands are said to Minister unto Him and ten thousand times ten thousands to stand before Him yet the expression is but put for an indefinite to shew the innumerable company of glorious and mighty Angels which the Lord hath waiting on Him as servants and ministers to do His pleasure in any part of the world as it is Psal. 103.21 The scope is to shew how glorious He must be who is thus waited upon Secondly The
method forsaid there is warrant to believe all these But if any will invert the order and at first perswade himself that the benefits of Christs purchase do belong to him as being particularly redeemed by His death before he actually rest on him by Faith this will prove but strong presumption and never give title to Christ or any thing that is His but on the contrary greatly provoke the Lord because in all the Word of God there is no promise of Justification Life or Salvation or any benefit of Christs Redemption made to any person but to him that believeth and to do otherwayes is as if a woman that were wooed for marriage should fancie her self to have title and right to all the priviledges of such a mans wife before the marriage were actually consummated or before she had given her formall consent thereunto And so according to these grounds we see that all hearers are not simply and instantly called to believe that Christ did die for them But first to receive Him as their Saviour and then to draw such a conclusion which upon the performance of that condition can never fail From this also we may see the fallacie and weakness of that much tossed vain Objection to wit That which every one is obliged to believe that must be truth But every one is obliged to believe that Christ did die for him in particular Therefore that Christ did die for every one in particular must be a truth This Argument I say dependeth only upon the former mistake of Faith and this being denied that all men are instantly called to believe that Christ died for them in particular when they are called to believe in Him for obtaining of life The strength of it will evanish because supposing that many in the Visible Church which experience doth put out of question do never believe in Christ or by Faith rest on Him for the obtaining of life Then it will follow that many even in the Visible Church are never obliged to believe that Christ hath died for them in particular because none hath warrant to make that application but such as have first betaken themselves by Faith unto Christ whereby the assumption of that Argument is palpably false for it must be so assumed Every man that heareth the Gospel and hath received Christ ought to believe that He hath died for him and so the conclusion will be That Christ hath died for all that believe in Him which is true or it must be That every one that heareth the Gospel is obliged to receive Christ and rest upon Him and upon that condition may expect life which will make nothing to the intended purpose This occasion giveth ground to insist a little further in clearing the extent of the merit of Christs death in respect of the effects thereof and though it be neither possible for us to make every thing fully clear nor pertinent to our purpose long to insist on the same yet the former grounds being laid we may enquire shortly in some things and answer to them with a particular respect to this place First It may be enquired What is the proper effect of Christs satisfaction and that which is purchased thereby to sinners Secondly If this purchase extend to the procuring of Faith and the first Grace as it doth to the procuring of Pardon and Justification Thirdly If it may be said that any benefit in any respect doth redound to any Reprobate from Christs death as the proper effect of that purchase And fourthly If there may be an Uuniversal conditionall Redemption admitted as consistent with the former grounds yet so as the effect thereof is made sure to the Elect and to them only To the first to wit What is the native proper and immediat effect of Christs purchase unto the redeemed We Answer That we conceive it to be not only the procuring of Salvation to be possible to them so that now by the interveening of this satisfaction there is a way for the just God to pardon mens sins without wronging of His Justice which without this could not have been and so some say that by Christs death God is made placabilis or to say so put in a capacity to be pleased or made placable but is not actually appeased or placatus which is the assertion of the Arminians Nor yet is it only to make reconciliation with God upon the condition of believing and Faith in Christ possible that is by this intervening satisfaction to give a ground for Faith to rest upon with hope of obtaining Salvation thereby which otherwayes would not have been profitable had not this satisfaction of Christs procured a new Covenant to be made upon that condition Thus according to some Christ by His death hath procured an object to be held forth to all to be by faith rested upon and hath established this general that all who should believe on Him should be saved and that Faith alone should have Salvation annexed to it in whatsoever person it should be found but such do deny that actually and absolutely He hath redeemed any or procured Faith Justification and Salvation to them But we say further that the immediate and proper fruit and effect of Christs purchase to these for whom He suffered is actuall Redemption and the benefits following thereupon to be applied in due order and manner and not the possibility thereof only First This is clear from the 9. vers of this Chapter where they acknowledge and praise for this that Redemption and Justification c. are not only made possible unto them but that absolutely they are purchased by Christs death for them and that they are actually redeemed to God by His bloud Secondly This doth clear it that by His bloud He is said to make them Kings and Priests unto God which cannot be understood of the possibility only of any priviledge but must take-in the absolute purchase and the actuall conferring thereof in due order and time Hence Revel 1.5 washing from our sins in His bloud is mentioned as the proper effect of His purchase and Justification and Salvation are frequently derived from Christs bloud as from their immediat meritorious cause particularly in that place Isa. 53.11 whereof was spoken a little before And if there were no more but a possibility of Salvation flowing from Christs death then Christ might never have seen His seed or never had satisfaction for the travel of His soul. And if by Christs death only Faith and Salvation should be knit together and so Faith made thereby to have an object proposed to it and that indifferently in respect of all Then it will follow that the grounds of the redeemeds Song would not be Thou hast redeemed us by Thy bloud and made us Kings and Priests c. neither could these be accounted the immediate effects of His purchase but that He hath given them a ground to believe upon and made Salvation certain upon condition of believing which would not
was formerly observed Therefore it must be something that can no otherwayes be procured but by Christs purchase And according to what is said it is not purchased to any Reprobate though it be necessary for their obtaining of any benefit of Christs purchase Therefore it cannot be said that they are redeemed For at most it saith that they are redeemed upon a condition which they can never possibly perform and this will infer That they are not redeemed at all for a peremptory exclusive conditionall offer where the condition is impossible and known to be so to the offerer is equipollent to an absolute refusall as suppose one would offer to relieve another from bondage or to pay their debt for them upon condition and no otherwayes that such a person should at once drink up the whole sea that offer so circumstantiated could not be looked upon otherwayes but as an absolute refusall Again if He hath not purchased Faith to them Then there is no saving Grace purchased to them And if neither Faith nor any saving Grace be purchased to them It will be hard to say that Christ hath died for such for whom no saving Grace is purchased Fifthly We say further If all men be conditionally redeemed Then we must say that all the midses necessarily concurring in the Work of Redemption for making of it compleat must be conditionally purchased also for as by the acknowledged ground that is called absolute Redemption wherein Faith and all the midses are absolutely purchased So it will follow that in this conditional Redemption all these midses must be conditionally purchased for the end and midses are in one bargain where the one is purchased the other is purchased so where the one is absolutely purchased the other is so also and therefore where the one is conditionally purchased the other must be so also but it cannot be said that the midses to wit Faith Regeneration and other Graces are conditionally purchased because this will be the sense thereof that Christ hath purchased Faith in Himself to such persons upon condition that they should believe in Him which I suppose none will affirm It will follow therefore that they cannot be said to be conditionally redeemed even as to the end Sixthly If any conditionall Redemption be supposed to be or if Christ be said to have payd the debt of all even conditionally Then this must be looked upon as a singular effect of Gods Grace and a speciall evidence of the excellent freenesse thereof for provoking the hearts of all such to praise for the same now such a mould of conditionall Redemption as is proposed doth no way look like Grace nor tendeth to the engaging of such as are so redeemed to blesse and magnifie God Therefore it is not to be admitted That it doth not look like Grace will easily appear by considering 1. that Grace is every way Grace else it is no way Grace according to an ancient saying of Augustine that is it is Grace in the end and Grace in respect of the midses also But here whatever may be said of the end sure there is no Grace in respect of the midses seing no necessary and effectuall mids for attaining of the end is provided for in this supposed bargain of conditionall Redemption Therefore it can neither be said to look like a bargain of Grace nor yet to tend to the commendation thereof 2. We may consider that as to the effect or end this bargain doth not make the same free unto these that are comprehended under it for it leaveth them to perform a condition for obtaining of the end and that in their own strength without furnishing them for the performance of it even though they be of themselves in an incapacity to perform the same and how unlike this is to a Covenant of Grace may easily be gathered 3. This conditionall Redemption doth neither make the effect supposed to be purchased certain nor possible certain it cannot be seing it never cometh to passe possible it is not seing it dependeth upon a condition which as it is circumstantiated is simply impossible yea and is supponed to be so in the Covenant of Redemption for we must look upon this condition in respect of its possibility not only with regard to men as men endued with natural faculties but we must look upon it with respect to men as they are in their corruption incapacitated to do any thing that is spiritually good such as this act of believing is Now in the Covenant of Redemption it is supposed not only that Faith is necessary but also that man is corrupt sold under sin and so cannot of himself except it be given him believe and yet in this same Covenant It is agreed that Faith be purchased and bestowed upon some because of the former reasons and even then such who aâ—e supposed conditionally to be redeemed are past-by and deliberately no such thing is capitulated-for concerning them Therefore the effect must notwithstanding of this be still impossible And if so Can it be said to be of Grace which is so clouded in the terms thereof and doth neither make any good possible to these who are comprehended in the same nor give through occasion to glorifie Grace as shining in the freedom comfortablnesse and refreshfulnesse thereof and in effect it seemeth rather to obscure Grace than to manifest the same and therefore ought not to be pressed in the Church For a conditionall transaction in this mould would be as if one should be said to have paid the Turks for so many slaves to be sent home to him in such and such Ships as himself only could send for them and that this purchase should be valid as to these slaves upon condition allanerly that they should return in such and such Ships unto him and yet in the mean time he never intend to send these Ships for them but in the same bargain conclude that Ships should be sent only for such and such others would not these slaves necessarily continue under their bondage and would this so be accounted a Redemption amongst men or yet a wise conditionall bargain and is that to be attributed to the only wise and gracious God and our blessed Lord Jesus which is upon the matter the same to wit that our Lord Jesus should pay the debt of so many upon condition that they should believe in Him by such Faith as He only can procure unto them and withall that in the same Covenant it should be expresly capitulated that our Lord Jesus His sufferings should be accepted for procuring of Faith to some others allanerly and to none else whereby these supposed to be conditionally redeemed are absolutely excluded upon the matter This conditionall Redemption therefore is not to be contended-for Lastly Besides these this opinion will infer many absurdities and intricacies not easily extricable as First If Christ Jesus hath died for all conditionally Then it will follow that either He died equally for all or one
that as upon the one side He doth hold forth Gods peculiar respect to the Elect World so upon the other He doth hold forth Gods acceptation of all whosoever shall believe that the peculiarity of the Redemption may not stumble any in their approaching to Christ who have the offer of the Gospel made unto them for the Word saith in sum a Believer cannot fail of Salvation seing God had that respect to His Elect as to give His only begotten Son to purchase this unto them and this is to be preached in these indefinit terms and cannot but be true seing it is the revealed will of God A fourth difficulty following this opinion is That it will be hard to conceive how Christ could conditionally die and lay down His life for the redeeming of many who were actually already condemned in Hell yet this Universall conditionall Redemption will infer this otherwayes the Reprobates who lived before Christs death were not so much obliged to Him as these who did succeed If it be said that although Christ actually died in time yet the transaction was eternal before any man lived in the world This will not remove the difficulty because though it was transacted before time yet no question it was so regulated as it might be performed in time Now can it be supposed that the transaction was in these terms that the Mediator should die and lay down a price for so many Elect who by the vertue of His death were to be brought to Glory before His sufferings and that also He should pay so much in the name of so many Reprobates who for their own sins were to be actually damned at the time of paiment And whatever be said of the transaction yet when it came to Christs suffering it must either be said that these were scored out so as Christ did not bear their iniquity or die for them in any respect or it must be said that before Gods Justice Christ did bear the iniquity and pay in the name of such as were actually in Hell suffering for their own sins at that same instant of time Fifthly It may be asked what doth become of all infants whether in the Visible Church or without it who die in their infancie According to the former grounds it will be hard to determine for none can say upon the one side that they are all absolutely redeemed and saved there being no warrant in Scripture for this on the other side to say that Christ died for them upon condition that they should believe in Him cannot be well understood for though some of them be within the conditionall Covenant made with the Church and therefore cannot be more rigidly constructed of than these at age yet are they not in a capacity to perform acts of Faith and to fulfill that condition and this incapacity doth not meerly flow from mens corruption as it doth in men at age but is naturall to young ones as not to understand speak or walk are now it were unreasonable to say that such children who die in their infancie were redeemed by Christ upon condition that they should understand speak walk c. or of a child dying in such a condition suppose it be one not absolutely redeemed It cannot be said that that child was redeemed upon this condition that it had walked spoken c. when as yet it was not possibly of one houres age Again can it be said of children within the Visible Church which are not absolutely redeemed that it is indeterminable whether Christ did die conditionally for them or not at least till they come to such an age as they themselves may act Faith Neither can it be said here that He redeemed Reprobate children in the Church conditionally as He did absolutely redeem these that are Elect although even these cannot act Faith for He purchaseth to the Elect saving Grace in the seed thereof and a new nature to be communicated to them whereof the youngest children are capable seing therein they are meerly passive But in that conditionall Redemption there is nothing purchased to any but upon condition that they receive Christ offered and believe in Him which doth suppose an activenesse and acting to be in these to whom the offer is made of which children are not capable And if this condition could be supposed only to infer something wherein children might be meerly passive Then this will be the meaning thereof to wit that Christ redeemed such children upon condition that He Himself should confer such and such things on them in receiving of which they could only be passive which would not look like a conditionall Covenant for the performing of the condition will be on Christs side and not upon theirs and so it would be absolute as in the case of the Elect children Neither will it remove this difficulty to say that children are partakers of the fathers priviledges and are to be reckoned accordingly for this cannot be said of saving priviledges so as if no Elect parent could have a Reprobate child or no Reprobate parent an Elect child dying at such an age because these things belong unto the Soveraignty of God and He is not so to be bounded in respect of all particular children Beside experience in the Word giveth ground to us to call it in question It must then be understood only of federall priviledges and that in respect of the externall administration of the Covenant and this will say nothing to the difficulty because the doubt is still what to say of children that are within the conditionall Covenant in respect of their parents that are within the Visible Church yet supposing them to die instantly or in their nonage they cannot be said to be conditionally redeemed because of the reasons foresaid Sixthly If the Reprobate be conditionally redeemed Then that Redemption of theirs is either transacted in the same Covenant with the absolute Redemption of the Elect or not they cannot be said to be comprehended within the same Covenant because all such as are comprehended in it are contradistinguished from others as being the Lords chosen and such as are given to Christ c. Again this Covenant of Redemption includeth the means with the end for it is orderd in all things and sure which cannot be said of this conditionall Covenant Therefore they cannot be comprehended in one And it would not sound well to say that the Elects Redemption and that of the Reprobates were contained in one Covenant Nor can it be said that it is a distinct bargain beside the Covenant of Redemption Because 1. That were indeed to grant that it is no Redemption seing it is not comprehended in the Covenant of Redemption 2. The bussinesse of Christs death is only transacted in that Covenant where the Redemption of the Elect is absolutely concluded because it is the great mids designed for making of that effectuall therefore ought it as to the extent of its merit to be proportioned to the object of that
that this intercession is a thing of old determined iâ— the counsel of God and that â—t was determined for this end that sinners who were banished from Gods presâ—nce might again have accesse and find grace to hâ—lp in the time of need Heb. 4.16 and 10.19 c. this cannot but be exceeding comfortable Thirdly We may consider the comfort of this intercession in respect of the extent and reach thereof which we may point at in these four First In reference to all cases it is a great word Isa. 63. in all their aâ—â—â—iction he was aâ—â—â—icted c. and this was even in the dayes of old before the Word was made flesh and therefore it must be conceived to be much more fresh and lively in so far as concerneth that sympathie which the humane naâ—ure hath with it Secondly This extent appeareth in respect of persons for all that will make use of Christ and come to God are admitted neither was there ever a sinner that offered to make use of Christ in approaching to God or sought to have peace with God through that mids but this intercession did bear Him through as that great word is Heb. 7.25 He is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by Him sâ—ing he liveth for â—ver to make intercession for them And if men will not make use of Christ they do in this forsake their own mercy Thirdly The reach of this consâ—lation may be considered as to the degree it is a perfect salvation that cometh by this intercession it is from evâ—ry thing and that to the uttermost so that more cannot be imagined as the same word is Heb. 7.25 He saveth to the uttermost or unto perfection Fourthly Iâ—s extent may be looked to in respect of the parties against whom Christ interceedeth There is no party but this doth give a dash unto it whether devil challenge tentation or what else upon this the triumph proceedeth Rom. 8.33 34 c. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect which is a defying word to all and these are the grounds it is God that justifieth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again sitting at the right hand of God where this of making intercession closeth the triumphall defiance given by the Apostle All which being put together can it be but comfortable that there is such a compleat delivery whether from sin or misery and that of whatsoever sort Fourthly The consolation of this intercession may be considered in respect of its efficacy for as Christ can refuse no cause put on Him but must interceed being employed so He cannot but be heard alwayes as He said Himself Ioh. 11. and so His promâ—â—e is what ever ye ask in my name it shall be done unto you Ioh. 14. vers 13 14. yea what ever ye ask in my name I will do it where the Intercessor beâ—ng the Executor of what He pleadeth for it cannot be but comfortable and it is suitable to the terms of the Covenant it should be so Fifthly We may consider the Soveraignity and freenesse of this intercession which tendeth not a little to the consolation of Gods people for in the exercise thereof our blessed Lord Jesus hath not tied Himself to wait on our prayers or on our sight and sense of or weightednesse with our own evils either of sin or misery but often His way appeareth to be very gracious and soveraignly condescending that He answereth before we call Isa. 65. vers 24. and that He interposeth even when we are like fruitlesse trees troubling the ground Luk. 13. and when we are secure not minding the snares the devil is laying for us as Luk. 22 32. He prayeth for Peter that his faith fail not He in the mean time not knowing any such snare Hence in the Scripture grace iâ— exalted and sinners are invited to come with boldnesse thereunto upon this ground of Christs intercession â—s much aâ— any so Heb. 4. when the compassionatenesse of this high Priest hath been spoken to this conclusion is drawn from it Let us thâ—refore approach with boldnesse unto the thrâ—nâ— of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need here grace hath a Throne and He that seeketh upon this account may expect to find mercy and grace as that which aboundeth most under thiâ— Dominion and about this Throne It is from this ground of His intercession that so many evils are prevented and kept back from the people of God which have even been at their door and were the mercies which we obtain and that without any direct petitioning of the Lord for them and the many evils which we are liable to and might and would come if the Lord prevented not we our selves in the mean time being but little watchfull to have them prevented were these I say considered how much O how very much would we find our selves oblieged to the Intercessor from whom His people have all these yea if we will consider this freenesse more nearly we will find that this Intercession and sympathie is not broken off and made lesse because of the Believers sin but is in some respect the more stirred and provoked because this sympathie floweth from the relation that is betwixt Head and members which sin doth not cut off and it is as with a tender naturall parent who cannot but be affâ—cted with the childs straits even though he hath shamefully brought them on himself yea his very failings do touch and affect so our high Priests sympathie is not only in crosses but it is to have pity on the ignorant and compassion on these that are out of the way Heb. 5. and thus the very sin of a Believer affecteth Him so that He cannot but sympathize and be provoked to sympathize with him O what a wonder is this the more sin the more sympathie â— which ought to make Believers humble and yet exceedingly to comfort them under a sinfull condition for it is written if any mâ—n sin we have an Advâ—câ—te 1 Ioh. 2.1 whereby in some singular manner Christâ— intercession is suited unto appointed and dâ—signed for sinners The last thing wherein we shall consider the consolation of this intercession is the sympathie from whence it floweth and which it carrieth along with it This is a main ground of consolation which doth sweeten all the rest We may consider this humane sympathie either as it giveth a ground of consolation to us or as it doth someway make us more capable to conceive of the consolation that doth flow from the consideration of the bowels of Jesus both which tend to our actuall comfort That there is an humane sympathie in the Man-Christ with the Believer cannot be denied the Scriptures whereof some passages have been cited are so clear only we shall give some properties thereof for helping to understand the same so far as we can reach First then we say it is a reall and humane sympathie when we
the Doctrine of the Trinity and Person of Christ pure as Gregorius Roma did but miscarrying in the nature of His Offices and His executing of them it corrupteth mainly by adding unto and mixing somewhat with truth yet such addition as altereth the nature of them such are the Popish additions of merits pennances indulgences mediatours and intercessions of Saints and Angels c. whereby that which was is not removed but by this addition corrupted 3. It cometh from Stars in Heaven and riseth more from within than the former thus being applyed it relateth to no particular heresie but to the generall decay of the Church If it be necessary to be applied to one I incline to apply it to Pelagius and his heresie more than any other for these reasons It agreeth 1. in the time he began under Arcadius and Honorius about the year 415. or according to some 405. 2. He was of great parts and was once thought a good zealous man and was advanced to Ecclesiasticall orders 3. The nature of that heresie was not against Christs Person but His Offices teaching corruptly of Nature Sin Grace Faith Justification Election c. subtilly undermyning grace 4. It spread exceedingly through Italy Britain France Africk and the eastern Empire c. yet some were keeped free of it and great Lights set themselves against it as Augustine Hieronymus Prosper Optatus c. 5. It entered and continued in a great measure in the Church of Rome and the dregs of it sticketh to the Popish Writters in their free-will perfection of righteousnesse c. to this day for though the natures and person of our Lord be keeped free by them yet their Doctrine eâ—ervateth His Offices and maketh them bitter to all that would drink thereof which are the special springs of Grace in the Gospel they put in other satisfactions other mediators others with Authority to adde and diminish from what He hath commanded other Officers to teach and other matter to be taught than He hath instituted as traditions c. which being the rise of much Antichristian Doctrine still retained by them it agreeth best with the scope to be thus applyed Hence 1. See here the nature and usefulnesse of pure Doctrine and what men ought to think of it and how to use it to drink it in as fountain water and to wash and make clean aâ— it it is as profitable to souls and they cannot live without it and when they want it they want that which both purgeth and maketh them grow Observe 2. the ill of error it corrupteth the Truths of the Gospel and maketh the sweetest and best things bitter it removeth them not professedly but poisoneth them so that it is better to forebear than drink in such waters 3. See what the nature and native office and place of Ministers is and what advantage they are while they keep their station They are like Stars and great Stars exceedingly usefull and profitable in their place And upon the other hand what a sore judgement and plague is it when Ministers fall from receiving light from Christ and are infected they are most hurtfull 4. The moe parts and the better mens life be that are infected they are the bitterer and do the more wrong as the corruption of the best things is worst so is the corruption of eminent men 2 Cor. 2 ult 5. Errour venteth not still after one way now it corrupteth more subtilly than it did in the former â—rumpets there is no bloud nor fire here though it be as dangerous often contentioâ—s for dominion in Government have more fire and heâ—t thaâ— dispures about more fundamentâ—l truths 6. There may be much glancing false and counterfeit light both among Ministers and Professors where there is little solidity it is not all gold that glisters in them It is good light that cometh from a right principle within It is good when a mans works shine as his gifts shine This would teach us not to admire gifts many make a fair shew in the flesh and if their light and parts were well tried by the effects they might be called wormwood that imbittereth the waters torches that do glance but not Stars Obâ— 7. That men of great gifts fair professions and blamlesse lives may fall very foully while they are not solide and sincere they may fall as it were from heaven so may particular Churches there is no state nor degree of any state exempted when errour breaketh in Therefore the moe gifts and parts men have they have the more need to be humble and to fear and tremble considering many experiences both of former ages and of this which should make us take heed lest we fall and infect or be infected such were once Pelagius yea Sociâ—â—â— Swenkâ—eldius and Arminius thought to be 8. Errour when it infecteth Ministers or Professours bringeth death with it as well as profanity when this Star falleth from heaven and poisoneth the waters many die he that teacheth men to break the least command shall be least in the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 5. O that men in this time thought on this that errour bringeth to hell as well as Adultery that it is like rebellion and witchcraft It is like the grossest evil and worse it inciteth teacheth and encourageth to break the Commands of God and there is much cruelty done to souls in tolerating of these 9. The Church sustaineth no greater prejudice often in corrupting of her Doctrine than by the falls and slips of eminent men these spots are hardly removed because they sink deeper 10. Every corruption and plague hath its degrees and steps 11. It is a signe of a decaying Church when eminent men fall and it is a great judgement to others LECTURE V. Vers. 12. And the fourth Angel sounded and the third part of the Sun was smitten and the third part of the Moon and the third part of the Stars so as the third part of them was darkened and the dâ—y shone not for a third part of it and the night likewise 13. And I beheld and heard an Angel flying through the midst of heaven saying with a loud voice Wo wo wo to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three Angels which are yet to sound THe fourth Angel with his trumpet bringeth the last of the four lesser woes it is greater than the former yet lesser than these that immediately ensue which clearly doth relate to that age immediately going before Antichrists discovery and so falleth betwâ—xt this time andthe sixth Century This is set down vers 12. And the 13. vers is a preface and introduction to the three great woes which the last three Angels bring There are but two things mentioned in this fourth trumpet 1. The judgement or type it is a smiting of the third part of the Sun Moon and Stars 2. The effect of this judgement is a following darknesse suitable to it and the day shone not for a third part
take orders from him and be as slaves to him It is a sort of submission from some apprehension of some deity peculiar to this beast and this state of it beyond all others as is said 3. Lest it should be thought that all went wrong and there were no Church the Elect are excepted and this universality is restrained by this implied exception All such as were written in the Lambs book of life are preserved These are the little Temple set by Chap. 11. and the same who were sealed Chap. 7. and excepted from the hurt of the fifth trumpet Chap. 9.4 and the one hundred fourty and four thousand which Chap. 14. are standing as conquerours over the beast with the Lamb upon mount Sion Whereby it appeareth 1. There will be some excepted in the greatest tyranny of Antichrist 2. That they are the same with the one hundred fourty and four thousand that were sealed and consequently then this beast is Antichrist and this worship antichristianism for these Saints or Elect are not keeped or exempted from giving civil worship to temporall powers or from being overcome with this beast as to temporall hurt but from worshipping of him which is the sinfulnesse of this plague Therefore after it is said they got the victory over him Chap. 14. and 15. this also is to be understood of full and finall yeelding to the Popes blasphemies for otherwayes Elect souls have sometimes been ensnared In which respect here it is implied to be impossible that an Elect can worship him whence plainly it followeth that no native Pope-worshipper owning him and the compleat body of his doctrine and dying so can be saved except we would say one not elected may be saved for clearly this is pointed at as inconsistent with election and proper to the Reprobate Matt. 24.24 2 Thess. 2.10 It is true this assertion is not rigidly to be extended to all who in part shall be guilty of Popery Nor 2. as is said to these who shall repent but where there is a full and finall whoring with wondering after this beast this standeth as a peremptory truth because in the Spirits account this worshipping of the beast is blasphemy and derogatory in a high degree to God And 2. his manner of worship in its compleat body is Idolatry And 3. his intermixing of Traditions Satisfactions merit of Works in Justification c. in his doctrine is a perverting of the right wayes of the Lord and a corrupting of the pure waters that who drinketh thereof must die Therefore we may confidently assert it and indeed seing the Lord distinguisheth His true Church from Antichrist and calleth them Gentiles Chap. 11.2 and such as are not elected Chap. 13.8 but are to be damned 2 Thess. 2.10 and to drink of the wine of the wrath of God without mixture for ever Chap. 14.9 10 11. there is no place left for disputing this which is set down as a dread full sentence for scaring all from worshipping of that beast or receiving of his mark Popery will be found no little crime before God and to bring no little guilt and hazard upon souls what ever men think of it LECTURE III. Vers. 9. If any man have an ear let him hear 10. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity He that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints 11. And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth and he had two horns like a lamb and he spake as a dragon THe Spirit having given a dark description of Antichrist before He proceed to enlarge it in the following type He doth in these two verses to wit 9. and 10. set down in plain words something necessary for the consolation of the Saints 1. He layeth down that common and often repeated advertisement He that hath ears let him hear by which in this place he setteth out 1. the concernment of the knowledge of this mystery to Believers and therefore we would not think it unworthy the pains to search in it 2. It holdeth out an impossibility save to these who have ears to take it up and understand it Therefore it will need the more diligence to search it 3. It importeth a deafnesse in many who want ears for such Truths and therefore it is not to be wondered although many Papists continue blind and do not discern this Truth Having premitted this generall He subjoyneth vers 10. a speciall consolation which may be a reason why people in the flourishing estate of the wicked would be the more observant because there was retribution coming on the greatest and cruellest enemies of the Church they being to be dealt with as they dealt with others He that leadeth into captivity he that killeth shall be so met with which judgement holdeth out 1. the singular observing of justice meeting them in their own measure Psal. 137. ult Isa. 33. 1 2. 2. A great change coming on the highest power and so that there can be no stability in greatnesse when this admired beast is captivated as if he said think not this beasts standing will be eternall he that leadeth captive some banisheth and killeth others the day cometh when he shall be led in captivity for if the generall be true that all that lead captive shall be led captive then this beast also shall be so dealt with beside that it peculiarly relateth to him The consolation is expresly in these words Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints Here that is in this thing and on this promise there is a good ground for founding of both the patience and faith of the Saints So that here saith this much that from this word they may patiently abide a whiles suffering and by Faith expect an end to it and an overthrow and turn upon this powerfull enemy that carrieth all now before him Or here that is in this triall of Antichrists before the end come is exercised the patience and faith of the Saints now they will have to do with faith and patience now is the time of their acting of it till this word spoken to give them an encouragement come to passe to wit that the two evils they suffered killing and captivity shall be returned on their enemies heads Gods promise is that which keepeth life in faith and patience and strengtheneth them but still a time interveeneth between the promise and the outgate for the exercise of both these and this is the end of continuing straits else there should be little use for these Graces which are well put together From the 11. vers followeth the second part of Antichrists description under a different type because his way end and pretexts are such as cannot altogether by one beast be set out It being no strange thing to set out our Lord differently sometimes as a Lyon and sometimes as a Lamb as in the fifth Chapter So is his ape Antichrist under a twofold consideration described
new task and a new piece of work He provideth Himself of new Ministers and it may be some out from among Antichrists followers and none of these who stood on mount Sion of such did the Lord make use in the beginning of the Reformation to preach and to be instrumentall for Him who were not of the Waldenses or Albigenses but drawn from the midst of Popery For the third His errand or work is to preach the everlasting Gospel to them that dwell on the earth and that to every Nation and Kindred and Tongue and People wherein we have 1. His work 2. The object or extent of it 1. His work is the preaching of the everlasting Gospel we need not tell you what the Gospel is or what the word signifieth it is that that the Angel hath to the shepheards Luk. 2.10 good tidings of great joy and it is called the glad tidings of salvation because it is eminently and excellently beyond all comparison the gladest news that ever were made mention of to sinners and the word Gospel is drawn from an old Saxon word that signifieth Gods-spell such a word to man as is the best word that ever was heard of there is none to it And it is called everlasting for these reasons 1. From the rise of it from everlasting in Gods eternall plot and purpose 2. From the effect it bringeth life and immortality to light 2 Tim. 1.10 and 1 Pet. 1. ult It is said the word of the Lord endureth for ever the effect and efficacy of it never endeth 3. It is here called the everlasting Gospel in opposition to the Papists calumnie who enquire where was our Church and Gospel before such a time and to charge the Gospel at its reviving with novelty because differing from their traditions which for a time had obscured it as if it had been buried now what is preached is the ancient everlasting Gospel although it be of new revived and the Angel is here said to have the everlasting Gospel according to that word 2 Cor. 5.18 He hath given or committed to us the word of reconciliation He is made a steward of it which designeth and denotateth an office he hath not so given it to the community or multitude but hath committed it to such and such Angels 2. The object or extent of it is generally to all that dwell on the earth and to every Nation Kindred and Tongue and People as if he said the Gospel is not now to be sent to some few as in the dayes of Antichrists prevailing but to be manifested to all sorts of People of whatsoever Kindred Tongue or Nation And it is by vertue of this commission that so many Nations and we at this day enjoy this Gospel The fourth or last thing is his message or sum of his preaching more particularly set down saying with a loud voice implying great boldnesse to be in these Ministers as was in our first Reformers His meaning is they should not by whispering do it but with great authority and boldnesse should publish the Gospel The preaching it self hath three heads and a reason is annexed to perswade unto the first two The first is Fear God The second is Give Him glory the reason annexed for the hour of His judgement is come And the third and last head is And worship Him that made Heaven and Earth c. These three look to the three great parts of Religion opposit to the three faults that the followers of Antichrist are given to The first looketh to the regulating of men in their inward frame the second in their Faith the third in their externall worship 1. Fear God This regulateth our fear as to its object to wit God which supposeth now that many things have been feared by the world more than He also it sheweth that outward service will not do it there must be a right principle within and so it is opposit to profanity and hypocrisie fear of men and Antichrists cursings which should from this forth be lesse feared 2. Give Him glory The giving of God glory is diverse wayes taken according to His diverse Attributes but we take it here to look mainly to the giving of Him the glory of His Grace in resting by Faith on Christ alone as the only Mediator and Saviour so renouncing all others as it is said of Abraham Rom. 4.20 he was strong in Faith giving glory to God and Hos. 11.7 though they called then to the most high none at all would exalt Him none would give Him the glory of His Grace by believing for as the rejecting of the Gospel is a despising of God so the receiving of the Gospel is a giving Him glory Reason 1. Because the glory of Grace is especially the glory which the Gospel holdeth out 2. Because this meeteth especially with Antichrists dishonouring of Him by giving the glory due to Him to other things Saints Angels and mens own works and in not resting on His Mediation Intercession and Satisfaction alone and this cometh nearest the scope The reason perswading to these two for the hour of his judgement is come which being compared with a word Acts 17.30 The times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men every where to repent the force of the argument is this beware now of giving the glory of Gods Grace in a Mediator to other things for though God hath spared men a while in the times of ignorance and darknesse He will not do so now when the light is broken up but will send suddain judgements on the despisers of the Gospel and many Churches that have not made use of the Gospel find this true this day 2. It is called the hour of His judgement to teach us that as God hath a set time for all things so hath He a peculiar time for judgement and as for all sinners so for these that follow Antichrists way and also that often the hour of preaching the Gospel hath the hour of judgement waiting on it if it be abused The third head of his preaching is And worship Him that made heaven and earth This looketh to their externall worship as if he said ye have been worshipping stocks idols and images of gold and silver vanities that cannot profit you now beware of continuing any longer in that way but worship the alone living and true God who is thus described that He made heaven and earth the sea and fountains of waters even as the the Apostle speaketh Acts 14.15 We preach to you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God which made heaven and earth the sea and all things that are therein almost in the same words and this cleareth that these exhortations are set down in opposition to the way they look before while they were following Antichrist God is thus described here 1. That they may see the vanity of worshipping any other than God and that they had just reason and cause of worshipping Him 2. To point
the first may be removed by Justification when the other to wit the punishment is to be satisfied for at least in part by satisfaction to Justice where the sins have been committed by the free-will of the person to wit if he were adult or at age for they acknowledge this not to be necessary for infants and originall sin See Suarez lib. 7. pag. 128. Et pâ—ena aliqua as he saith non remittitur gratis sed per condignam satisfactionem And therefore gratis remittitur culpa licet postea sit de justitiâ satisfaciendum pro poenâ To lay down then their way these things are supposed without controversie 1. That man naturally is obnoxious to Gods curse and cannot save himself from it 2. That before he can be admitted to happinesse he must be justified 3. That God is the efficient cause of this and the principall worker is also without controversie 4. That both infusion of Grace and remission of sin do accompany Justification is denied by none 5. That the ultimate or finall end is the glory of God and the salvation of the person justified is the subordinate is agreed unto by all 6. That Christs righteousnesse is the only meritorious cause is in word professed 7. They acknowledge the necessity of Faith to concur in it as we do of good Works to follow after hitherto there seemeth to be no great absurdity we had need therefore to consider it the more narrowly in respect of three other causes added by them to wit the formall materiall and instrumentall causes with the effects and consequents following thereon And we put the question thus Wherewith may a sinner hazard to appear before Gods justice so as to expect Gods acceptation of him This will draw the question nearer when a sinner is to choose what defence to take him to or whereupon to ground his plea before the Throne of God 1. They answer roundly that man is justified per solam gratiam inhaerentem tanquam per forman integram sine imputatione externae justitiae Christi that is by inherent Grace alone as the intire form of righteousnesse without any imputation of Christs Righteousnesse and that this inherent righteousnesse doth confer this of it self as Suarez layeth it down lib. 7. cap. 7. pag. 83. in two corollaries expresly although they differ amongst themselves Some making it habituall Grace only as Bellarmin some both habituall and actuall as Suarez yet all agree that it is inherent Grace which constituteth us just before Gods Throne therefore do they call it gratia gratum faciens 2. This inherent Grace they acknowledge to be infused by God without any condign merit and to imply these two 1. Some-what positive to wit the bringing-in a new quality or Grace in the soul which is as it were a new form to it 2. Some-what privative that is a purging or cleansing of the soul from the blot of sin which necessarily followeth upon the former as two contrary forms are inconsistent together Thus they say this Grace expelleth or excludeth sin from the soul as light doth darknesse or heat coldnesse in water when it is calâ—fied This to them in effect is the remission of the fault which they account necessary to Justification and so Gods justifying of a sinner is His infusing that first Grace into the soul whereby necessarily sin is really and actually removed and not in opinion only as they object to our not imputing thereof Aquin. 1.2 quaest 113. doth include four things in Justification to wit an act of free-will tending to God and another in reference to sin beside the former two 3. They acknowledge Christs Righteousnesse to be the only meritorious cause of this first justification because that cannot be merited either by Faith Works or any thing that preceedeth pag. 127. that is He procured the infusion of this Grace 4. The materiall cause of this Righteousnesse or Justification they hold to be the soul of man which by the acts of its free-will in Faith Fear Contrition Love Prayer and other dispositions must necessarily concur for disposing to the receiving of this Grace and that as a cause without which it is not attained for faith the forecited Author lib. 12. pag. 504. cap. 24. Faith Contrition and such dispositions are laid down in Gods appointment to be the condition of His infusing this Grace and so man obtaineth this Justification when of his free-will and otherwayes he is congruously disposed to receive the same and saith he pag. 524. God infuseth Grace with respect to mans contrition idea infundit quia contritus other wayes not Although these dispositions be not de condigno meritorious of it yet they are matter whereby or out of which it is brought forth as a pre-existing materiall cause and in this mans soul is not the subject capable only which we say but the materiall cause 5. For the way how or instrumentall cause by which this is applied because this is so lesse necessary than other causes for it cannot profit if it be not applied they maintain that to be done by the Sacraments of the Church although some name the Word and Ministers also these according to their grounds confer this Grace ex â—pare operatoâ— or by the applying of them to persons so disposed especially Baptism and Pennance that is the Priests absolution after confession which to them is a sacrament this they say ex Dei ordinatione attrito confert gratiam pag. 68 and if there be noâ— occasion of the Sacrament they may have it in their vow and for be accepted without it pag. 225. Baptism they say conferreth it injusto poenitentia contrito 〈◊〉 justâ—â— Therefore are these two Sacraments simply necessary to them the first for originall sin the second for actuall 6. When one is thus justified by this first Justification although the blot of sin be removed and the person be just and holy there remaineth yet satisfaction to be made for the removing of the punishment at least in part and that as some affirm satisfaction condign as Vasquez 3. part disp 1. cap. 11. for which end they prescribe their Pilgrimages Pennances Fastings Vowes Almes Dotations and even Purgatory it self and Soul masses come in here for removing of the punishment and making the satisfaction to God for their guilt And because where there are many sins it will draw to thousands of years in Purgatory for they prescribe sometimes 5.7.10 or 20. years for one sin and they may be multiplied in one day and so draw to a great length therefore it is to them as Bellarmin calleth it a great difficulty what cometh of such whose satisfaction is not compleat as at the day of Judgement seing it may draw 20000. years He answereth it either by the Popes indulging of it or by the greater intensnesse of suffering whereby to 300. or 400. years that may be contracted De indulg lib. 1. cap. 9. col 1174. 7. Because heaven cannot be obtained according to their principles
now obtain life upon that same condition and upon the same way that Adam did even though he be habitually renewed Then can he not come to obtain life in this way laid down But to say the former were to continue the Covenant of Works and exclude the Covenant of Grace This way therefore to life is utterly impossible 2. If by the strain of the Gospel Christ Jesus be made all to us in respect of our peace and happinesse and that immediately that is without the interveening of any new merit occasioned by His merit Then the former way cannot be consistent with the Gospel because immediately infused Grace is made our formall Righteousnesse or first Justification and our actuall good works our merit or second Justification and these two are inconsistent together for Christ cannot immediately be our Righteousnesse as we stand before God and inherent Grace and good Works also be immediately the same because according to the first if it be asked at the sinner What is thy righteousnesse by which immediately thou darest appear before God or expect absolution and heaven from him He is to answer Christ and His satisfaction offered to me in the Gospel and by Faith received this is the defence I mind to shelter my self with at the barr of His justice and by which I expect to be saved According to the last he were to answer that former question thus Inherent Grace is that which maketh me acceptable to God and my good works and their condign merit is that upon which I expect heaven according to His promise made thereto Which certainly would rellish most uncomfortably to a challenged sinner and is contrary to the former But the former is true that by the Gospel Christ Jesus is immediately made our Righteousnesse by whose merits we may have only confidence to appear before God to expect remission and salvation from Him according to that Scripture 1 Corinth 1.30 He is made to us of God Wisdom Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption Col. 3.11 Christ is all which is expresly mentioned in opposition to circumcision and uncircumcision and every thing else which are not admitted to be any thing to the Believer in the former respects but Christ alone Phil. 3.8 9. 3. Gods contrivance of the Gospel for the justifying of a sinner through Christ Jesus is clearly holden out to be by a judiciall transferring of our sins as a debt upon Christ the Cautioner and of His Righteousnesse and merit to us to be imputed for our Justification before God without any respect had to our inherent holinesse or good works whether done before or after Justification as may appear from these two places 2 Corinth 5.20 that Christ is said to be made sin for us that we may be made the Righteousnesse of God through Him where this is clear that by the Covenant of Redemption we are to be righteous by Christ as Christ was sin for us but Christ was made sin or sentenced by Justice for it not by any infusion of sinfull habits which were blasphemous to think but by having imputed to Him the guilt of our sin in respect of the punishment thereof It will follow therefore that He is our Righteousnesse or we are justified or made just by Him by having His Righteousnesse imputed to us and accepted as performed in our name without laying the weight upon any inherent qualification in us and can there be a more clear way to expound what this is to be made just by Christ than by its opposit what it is to be made sin for us The second place is Philip. 3.8 9. where Paul is seeking to be in readinesse for appearing before Gods Tribunall and he was one who wanted not inherent Grace or actuall good Works and in a great measure yet in reference to Gods acceptation he can rest no where but in Christ not having his own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that Righteousnesse which is by Faith in Christ where we have first Paul looking on a Righteousnesse within him which was his own and that at the highest pitch of it for it respecteth any posterior time when he might be called to a reckoning this righteousnesse he disclaimeth as not being that which would be accepted 2. He looketh to a Righteousnesse without him in Christ Jesus which he considereth as being the only shelter even of a Believer from the wrath of God so that if the question be proposed to Paul What will thou choose to lippen unto Where will thou choose to be found in the day of Judgement His answer would be only in Christ. If it be asked what this is he answereth it is to have His Righteousnesse in opposition to his own If it be again asked How he cometh by it he sheweth by Faith in Christ he cometh to partake of His Righteousnesse which he dare lippen more unto than to his own Whereby it appeareth that the Gospels way of justifying a sinner is by imputing of Christs Righteousnesse and by a sinners resting upon it For this righteousnesse is not that which is procured by Christ and is inherently in the Believer but is that which is in Christ and whereof the Believer partaketh by hiding himself under it and by his faith opposing it to Justice which can be done no other way than by imputation Now there being nothing more opposit to the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse than the former Doctrine there can be nothing more opposit to the way of the Gospel and so if it be impossible to be justified without the imputation of Christs Righteousnesse it is impossible to be justified by the way of the Papists 4. The Scripture holdeth forth Gods way of reconciling sinners to Himself to be by way of Covenanting as Isa. 55.2 3. wherein God offereth and the hearer receiveth and closeth with His offer upon which followeth Gods acceptation of the person as Iob. 1.12 Heb. 8. Ier. 31. and his being reconciled to God Hence there is so much spoken of Covenanting in Scripture that the whole Doctrine thereof beareth that name of Covenant or Testament and one that closeth with it cannot but be justified Now by this Doctrine of Justification by inherent Grace or merit of Works there is no place left for such Covenanting upon such tearms yea they are inconsistent together Therefore this cannot be the way of making up the breach between God and a sinner 5. That Justification which the Gospel speaketh of is that wherein Faith hath a peculiar causality beyond any other Grace as that which doth entitle a sinner unto Pardon and Justification by the vertue of Christs Righteousnesse which it doth take hold of Hence it is that so frequently in Scripture it is called justification by faith and that as opposit to all other Graces in that respect the righteousnesse which is of faith and such like Now the former way is utterly inconsistent with this Therefore cannot be the way to Salvation And considering that Covenanting with God
imputation of Christs Righteousnesse Justification by Faith c. are things so essentiall unto the up-making of a sinners breach with God and that yet all of them are so great strangers even in the very name to the Popish way of justification and materially inconsistent with the same it cannot be of God More particularly we will find it overturn 1. the nature of Justification and at best it doth put in Sanctification in the room thereof and there is never any distinct ground laâ—d by which a sinner may come to receive a sentence of absolution before God but this to wit Justification is lost by the former Doctrine and they acknowledge no such thing distinct from Regeneration or Sanctification as if no such act as Justification were needfull or mentioned in Scripture as distinct from these and in effect it leaveth a sinner to a way of Salvation that wanteth Justification in it and therefore cannot profit him For by denying that which is the formall cause of Justification they deny it self seing that giveth it a being 2. It derogateth from the nature of Grace and that in severall respects 1. As to graces efficacie that it hangeth at mans free-will 2. As to its Soveraignity that it boundeth it to mans disposing of himself 3. As to its freedom in that it appointeth mans own satisfaction for the removing of punishment and his own merit for the obtaining of reward and as to its spirituall sublime way of working making it carnally to be conferred ex opere operato 3. It enervateth the merit of Christ For at the best it attributeth to that only the restoring of a Covenant of Works which may be entered keeped and broken according to mens working and as it were the procuring to men a new stock of habituall Grace with which they are to trade and procure their own happinesse by their after merit In reference to which if they fail Christs merit and their habituall Grace will not profit them Therefore the weight of obtaining life is laid there But the removing of the punishment and the obtaining of the reward they ascribe to humane satisfaction and good Works and that by reason of their own intrinsick worth without the imputation of Christs merit except in respect of the generall influence formerly alleaged yea they fear not to call Saints their Redeemers in so far as by their works of Supererogation they suppose them to have satisfied in some thing for them as Bellar. asserteth lib. 1. de indulg cap. 4. col 1161. and at most they are sanctified by Christs merit but after that they do for themselves 4. It wrongeth the Lord Himself 1. In His Grace as hath been said 2. In His Justice as if He were to be satisfied by creatures satisfaction and that in such things as many men would not be pleased with yea they scare not to affirm that such holinesse could not but have satisfied Him and merited although Christ had never suffered which sheweth also how little they respect Christs merit as the forcited Suarez pag. 484. and 486. afterteth 3. It wrongeth His soveragnity in that it tyeth Him in proper Justice to be mans debter and that not by vertue of His promise only but from the consideration of the intrinsick value and merit of mens good works that He were not just if He did not reward them 5. It wrongeth Gods Covenant for either it alloweth no Covenant at all or quite altereth the nature and tearms thereof and turneth it to Works as hath been said For it doth still make the stipulation on mans part the same which doth constitute the form of the Covenant of Works however one be enabled to perform that stipulation which certainly was by Grace even to Adam 6. It enervateth Faith excluding altogether that Faith that receiveth Christ and taketh hold on Him and closeth with the Covenant of Grace and leaveth no more to a Believer but a naked assent to the Truth of God which is in the devils and utterly secludeth Faith from any particularity of application in the making of our peace with God in any respect 7. It overturneth the Truth concerning mans naturall estate in giving him a free-will in reference to spirituall good and that before the infusion of Grace and in making this acting of free-will a necessary disposition to Justification and a necessary condition of merit 8. It corrupteth the holy Law of God 1. In its end as if now it were to be the condition of Gods Covenant upon which life is to be attained 2. In its meaning as if it did not condem naturall concupiscence and many other things are exempted by them from it that they may make the fulfilling thereof possible 9. It denyeth the true nature of sin and maketh many things that are contrary to the Law of God to be no sin as by its excluding of the remainings of originall sin and many others by that fond distinction of venial and mortal sins from being accounted sins that make men lyable to eternal wrath 10. It overturneth the nature of the Sacraments 1. In making these to be Sacraments which are not as Pennance Extream unction c. 2. In attributing other ends and another manner of attaining to these ends than agreeth with the Word or can quiet a conscience in reference thereto as the conferring of Grace ex opere operato 11. It doth not leave Discipline undestroyed for it abuseth the power of the keyes in this absolution to make up a Sacrament and confer grace and give Indulgences and such-like which no sober man will think a sufficient way for founding of his peace or to be a defence against a challenge in the day of Judgment 12. It doth altogether overturn that consolation that God alloweth His people For 1. there is great anxiety in the supposed way of attaining it 2. No certaintie of having of it and so it can yeeld comfort to none 3. According to their principles it may be lost and one that is justified to day may be in a stare of damnation tomorrow 4. It maketh their recovery difficult and almost desperat for as Bellar. in the forecited place asserteth it may have with it 20000. years continuance in purgatory Of this uncomfortablnesse and of all this matter more may be seen on Chap. 9. Lect. 1. 13. It excludeth knowledge and cryeth up ignorance So that Bellar. lib. de Iustific doth not fear to say that Faith ought rather to be defined by ignorance than knowledge per ignorantiam potius quam per notitiam 14. It overturneth and corrupteth the nature of holinesse and good works and all spirituall worship putting in I cannot tell what will-worship externall rites c. in the place of all practice mumbling and muttering unknown words for prayer afflicting of the body for mortification and many such like things have they These are but a part of the horrible absurdities of this way and yet we suppose are sufficient to demonstrate the truth of what we assert to
wit that this way is involved with many fundamentall inconsistencies with the Truth and way of the Gospel and so cannot be a possible way of attaining Salvation for it maketh men to count many sins not to be sins and so never to repent of them the sins that it discovereth it leadeth them not to the right satisfaction which only can be accepted for them to wit Christs Righteousnesse but to their own inherent holinesse and good works yea even this they corrupt and what they account saving Grace as Faith Repentance Humility and such like are nothing lesse than such indeed before God If it be again further asked what then are we to esteem of such as lived under Popery if all of them be excluded from the obtaining of salvation We answer with a fourfold distinction 1. We would distinguish these who might live under Popery and yet be keeped from the infection thereof and no way belong to that body from the native members thereof of such we have spoken Chap. 11. and 12. to such the Lord speaketh Chap. 18. Come out of Babylon my people such were rather captives under her tyrannie than subjects of her Kingdom of these there is no question but as the Lord sealed them for Him self Chap. 7. so did He alwayes singularly own them and accept of them 2. We may distinguish Papists in these that are antichristian worshippers and others who are superstitious and in some things are erroneous We call them antichristian who receive the beasts mark and number and give him worship in more than an humane manner ascribing to him a certain divinity infallibility universall supremacy and such like antichristian attributes and who 2. receive his doctrine in the complex contrivance thereof which is his number and 3. who joyn in his worship wherein it is antichristian as praying to Saints worshipping of Images adoration of the Masse and such like These in the former assertion we have excluded Again we call them superstitious Papists who might not altogether have keeped a distance from that Church in every thing but many wayes have been tainted with their superstitions yet so as to be keeped from an antichristian conjunction with that society or union therewith in things that are plainly antichristian but might be testifying against such by some sincere zeal and pure light Thus 1. we suppose that many did give some reverence to the Popes who yet did utterly abhor their grosse usurpations and blasphemies his assuming to himself what was proper to God and Jesus Christ and detest the base flatteries of others that ascribed these to him as to be supream head of all and that both in Civil and Ecclesiasticall things to be infallible to be countable to none to authorize traditions and such like and might only give him some reverence either from humane policie and Ecclesiastick constitutions such as was given to Archbishops Patriarchs c. or they might esteem him though erroneously and ignorantly to be a Church-officer for medling with things incumbent to Church-officers to meddle in without any opinion of his illimited or absolute power even as men might err in accounting Bishops Archbishops Patriarchs c. of divine Authority although they might disclaim antichristian tyrannous usurpation and practices in them and seek only to have that power subservient to edification 2. Further in fundamentall doctrines they may be pure although not altogether without errors even as were many of the Fathers 3. In worship they might joyn many superstitious rites as Crosses Altars Bowings c. yet abstain from worshiping of Saints and Idols and from accounting the Masse a propitiatory sacrifice although they might joyn in the Eucharist and such like Of such sort were Gersom Bernard and some others in the midst of Popish darknesse who were not altogether free of these superstitions yet still did check the Popish pride and usurpation and bound their authority and preserved the doctrine of remission of sins through faith in Christs Righteousnesse pure and pressed holinesse in some spirituall manner even in the midst of many superstitions that abounded and whereof they were not altogether free We suppose these last are no wayes to be classed with the former but might have had accesse to Gods mercy through Christ Jesus Because 1. although they had errors yet were they not such as were inconsistent with sincerity and the nature of the administration of Grace And 2. because they keeped the way of attaining pardon through Christ Jesus clear which being followed by them in their practice as no doubt it was by many might through Gods gracious dealing with them make them acceptable before Him so that their failings being of infirmity and not of malice might not be imputed to them but they accepted as penitents being sincerely affected with what they conceived to dishonour God although they did not discern every thing that was sin against Him Dist. 3. We would distinguish Papists living so and dying so from such as though living so might yet by Gods Grace have repentance conferred upon them at their death This hath been found by experience that many who have been tenacious of the doctrines and superstitions of Popery in their life have been yet at their death brought to abhor them and to betake them to the Righteousnesse of Christ alone for their Justification These where that Repentance and Faith were true as no question often it was are no wayes to be excluded or accounted worshippers of the beast 4. Distinguish times some thing might through Gods Grace be more dispensed with in these times of more universall darknesse than afterward in the breaking out of light and in Gods erecting a Standart for His Truth in the earth and bringing forth a visible Church-state for His People to joyn in which formerly was not hence communion in Church-fellowship with the Church of Rome is much more dangerous now than formerly which will appear upon these considerations 1. Because the Lord doth more peremptorily now threaten her and her followers and addeth more severe certifications to the same as we may see in this place now this is proclaimed If any man worship the beast c. the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God And again Chap. 18.4 2. Their stay now is more unexcusable because the Lord hath opened a door of freedom and they refuse it even as the peoples stay in Babylon while the captivity lasted was not imputed to them yet staying after the proclaimed liberty was detested and having with it ingratitude against their Redeemer and despising of their Redemption offered and a willing submission to that bondage contrary to the warnings and advertisements given them and Gods call to abandon the same 3. After this also things in the doctrine and worship of the Church of Rome became more deadly for Babylon refused to be cured and in the Lords righteous judgement it came to passe that their doctrines became more corrupt that thereby He might punish
their contempt of and enmity at the light which He had made to shine Hence it is that the later Schoolmen especially the Jesuits are more corrupt than the former as may be marked in the writings of diverse Schoolmen upon Thomas who do mutilate and corrupt many things in him so as they may agree with the late determinations of the Pope and the Councel of Trent and may be most opposit to those they call Hereticks an instance whereof may be seen in Cajetan in 3. Thoma qu. 48. art 5. where explaining that assertion of Thomas that only Christ ought to be called our Redeemer which formerly we had Bellarmin contradicting he laieth down for the qualifying thereof that bull of Leo the tenth concerning Indulgences and the application of the Saints purchases to others which was sent to him when he was his Legate in Germanie and forceth such a sense upon Thomas as might agree with it Thus also as we may see was done in the Councel of Trent where ever in all debates among Divines the most corrupt side was inclined to and concluded 4. Remaining in Popery now hath more contempt with it of Gods calling and hath greater snares as is said and therefore hath lesse ground now either to expect preservation from sin or wrath because Gods call requireth separation now more fully and in a more distinct manner than formerly He did as Revel 18. Come out of her my people be not partakers of her sin lest ye partake of her plagues which doth hold forth a spâ—ciall hazard in reference both to sin and wrath after the Lords making this to be proclaimed more than formerly it was LECTURE IIII. Vers. 12. Here is the patience of the Saints here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Iesus 13. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me Write Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works do follow them 14. And I looked and behold a white cloud and upon the cloud one at like unto the Son of man having on his head a golden crown and in his hand a sharp sickle 15. And another Angel came out of the Temple crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud Thrust in thy sickle and reap for the time is come for thee to reap for the harvest of the earth is ripe 16. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth and the earth was reaped 17. And another Angel came out of the Temple which is in heaven he also having a sharp sickle 18. And another Angel came out from the altar which had power over fire and cryed with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle saying Thrust in thy sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth for her grapes are fully ripe 19. And the Angel thrust in his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth and cast it into the great wine-presse of the wrath of God 20. And the wine-presse was troden without the city and bloud came out of the wine-presse even unto the horse bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs HAving shewed the foretold threatened and begun ruine of Babylon in the former part of the Chapter before the Spirit describe the perfecting of that judgement He casteth-in two words needfull for the strengthening of Gods people the first is vers 12. and respecteth the former words wherein Babylons ruine was foretold yet for the time Antichrist rageth and the Saints suffer This verse comforteth and encourageth them against that tentation two wayes 1. By granting that indeed this would be an occasion to exercise and try the Faith of Gods people and make it known which an hard time doth best whether they will keep the commands of God in their practice making conscience of these and the faith of Iesus Christ that is it will discover true Faith from counterfeit and who are true Professours of that Faith that is true yet withall Gods people shall have no losse by it it will be but temporary and here is their trial that is Gods end to exercise Grace and duty are best tried and known in all ill time a suffering time evidenceth honesty more than prosperity and suffering is Gods peoples ordinary lot whether Antichrist be falling or rising The second word cast in for comforting Gods people is from the blessednesse of the dead it may be especially of these that suffered under Antichrist that die well in that difficult time The first consolation is from the outgate God shall give when these trials shall be over and Antichrist ruined The second from what might comfort them in hardest sufferings for the time it is casten in here before the sad things coming be set down for two reasons 1. To be a warning of the high degree that these troubles would come unto so that these that were living should count the dead happy that died well who were freed from these dayes See Solomon Eccles. 4.2 praising the dead more than the living The second thing in the scope is to encourage and comfort the Godly that took the right way of living so as to die in the Lord these troubles should not mar their blessednesse but though the earth should triumph over them when they were dead as Chap. 11. yet even then they were and should be blessed and therefore needed not fear or faint under these trials which were coming There are four particulars in these words 1. A preface implying a weightinesse in that which was to be delivered 2. A plain maxime Blessed c. 3. A qualification not restricting that blessednesse to such a time but shewing that it is specially agreeable and applicable to it from henceforth 4. The reasons of this application that they may rest The preface cometh in by way of diversion as if it were a singular thing thereby to make what is said the more remarkable 1. It is not Iobns inventing he heard a voice 2. It is no earthly voice but a sentence from heaven such as should be respected 3. What is said is to be recorded as usefull to Gods people Write saith he to Iobn which except it be some speciall Doctrine is not usually repeated The plain Doctrine or maxime that should be written in the hearts of all Christians is Blessed are they that die in the Lord. By which words three things are holden forth 1. An end common to all which is death 2. A difference in dying and that is to die in the Lord which is peculiar to some and opposit to dying in our sins Iob. 3.24 as Christ saith that is in effect under the curse and unreconciled to God through Christ So dying in Him is to be found in Him by Faith Philip. 3.9 3. A great odds and difference of the consequents of these diverse deaths the one are blessed that
grace and of a like nature with its rise even as it is grace here grace and works are opposed if of grace then not of works yea according to works so understood as causal is opposed to this purpose of God or His election as 2 Tim. 1.8 who hath saved and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to His purpose and grace in Christ Iesus Where 1. he joyneth saving which taketh in all and Gods purpose together and maketh the one grace as the other is 2. In both he opposeth works to grace which cannot be understood simply but as they look to merit otherwise both take-in works and what reason can there be given here why this Book is so often mentioned in this judgement but to shew that this last step of salvation is of the same nature with the first which certainly as to election can be called no other than of grace 3. Consider that when Christ speaketh more fully to this sentence Matth. 25. He mentioneth some works as visiting clothing c. which certainly as to the condignity of merit can have no proportionablenesse to heaven and glory And if any say he so accounteth them though they be not worthy Answ. 1. Then that is improperly merit whereas the other properly deserveth hell Therefore the expression is not alike on both sides 2. Then it followeth it is grace that maketh the sentence passe on them and not strict justice as on the other 4. Consider here that all small and great are judged infants possibly never breathing out of their mothers belly and can any say that such cannot be written in the Lamb's book of life or that they have done any thing to deserve this last absolving sentence It must therefore not be understood to infer merit to them To say by Baptism their sin is taken away Answ. 1. That is contrary to Graces way and the nature of Gods Covenant to Believers and their seed baptized or not for it condemneth all unbaptized or the argument will hold in them 2. In Baptism children are passive it is not their deed if childrens Baptism deserve any thing it must be here accounted on their score who performed it not on the childrens who must be judged according to their own works and not to the works either of Parent or Minister yet if it be considered that the judgement passeth according to the Book of life there is clear ground to lay it on grace and not on themselves or others and the rule is one to all the Elect. 5. Consider that these works and books take-in all the Elect many of whom have many sinfull actions and few good and even those few are much corrupted and imperfect Now it must either be said 1. that no Elect cometh here to be judged but he hath more good at least to deserve heaven than evil to deserve hell which will seem hard to be said of profane men converted possibly an hour before death or we must say there are different rules to proceed by in judging the Elect some by grace and some by works which is contrary to the text that maketh one rule for all and certainly any that is well versed in these books will see no cause to plead thus and all others shall see it when these books shall be opened It is the ignorance of these that maketh men so plead So this according then importeth a suitablenesse and connexion as is said but no merit Inst. But it is deserving to the wicked therefore to the righteous Answ. 1. This word here may import no deserving that being as to the wicked elsewhere clear but a connexion with and suitablenesse of one of these to the other to wit wicked living and impenitent dying with damnation This is enough to vindicate justice that he thus proceedeth 2. Although it do imply merit in them yet it will not follow that it doth so in the Elect not only for the former reasons but 1. because the sins of wicked men are perfectly sins the good actions of the Godly are not so 2. Because with the one God proccedeth according to the Covenant of works punishing for want of perfect holinesse aggravated also in some by their unbelief who heard the Gospel but God proceedeth not by that Covenant with the Elect but by the book of like that hath the Covenant of grace depending on it 3. Because any sin deserveth wrath even the least being a transgression of the Law but many good works will not deserve heaven because they are debts and cannot plead the performance of that Covenant except they be alwayes and in every thing perfect for life dependeth not on living well this year or two years or for this good work or that but on a perfect righteousnesse which is marred by one sin even original sin though there be never more for bonum non est nisi ex omnibus malum ab unoquoque defectu If any ask why works are mentioned here and not faith Answ. 1. Faith and repentance are certainly included not as works deserving but as fruits of the Spirit in the Regenerate and the want of them is sinfull in the reprobate who heard and believed not And certainly according to this they who heard are more severely judged and therefore works here must be understood generally as it setteth out ones condition good or evil according to which the judgement proceedeth especially as they believed or not 2. Faith is not expressly mentioned because it is implyed in Gods purpose of grace under the book of life which taketh-in faith as a midse that it may be of grace Rom. 4.16 3. Because it is not justification from sin before God that is here recorded that is past but the manifestation of that before men and it is one thing to justifie before God and another to save one that is justified and declare them to be so and works contribute most directly to this 4. Works are especially mentioned in opposition to the wicked who are condemned for their sins and want of good works this stoppeth their mouth and sheweth the justice of the difference even before men yet upon the matter Chap. 21.8 unbelieving is reckoned to the wicked even as murder and adultery is and so among the works of the Elect must be comprehended their fleeing to Christ by faith whereby merit is overturned Vers. 13. By clearing an objection he openeth further what was said which may be many are rotten in the grave called here hell are drowned in the sea eaten with fishes c. under which are comprehended all desperate-like deaths as burning sowing in ashes rotten heaps of dead bodies together it may be said how can these dead be said to be raised and judged It is shown that even these same bodies by Gods power are judged with these that live in the flesh by which that which looketh most impossibleâ—like is brought about even as if willingly the sea and the grave had given up these
shew His God-head I am Alpha and Omega and I will be his God ver 6. and 7. He is brought in speaking 1. to confirm what is said it is God who undertaketh it and therefore it cannot misse He may be believed 2. To shew the greatnesse of the thing and concernment of it that God will Himself be as it were the preacher of it In this confirmation there are three severall speeches to the same end The 1. is vers 5. Behold I make all things new wonder not at this glorious change for saith he I that once made all things now I make them new new heavens new earth and Church c. as to their qualifications which all things relate to the passing of the former things mentioned vers 1. and 4. and Chap. 20.11 and shew that the omnipotency and faithfulness of Jesus Christ is engaged for bringing this about for His Churches comfort and strengthening of their faith in this great point The second word for the same end is Write for these things are true and faithfull The command is repeated to shew that there is a singular truth in this point he might record it and though it be implyed men ordinarily look on these things as passing words yet saith he they are faithfull and true The third word is vers 6. The repeating this so often He said unto me is for wakening attention and to mind us who it is that speaketh and that every word as a diverse sentence is to be weighed It hath two parts The first is absolute bearing out the certainty of the accomplishment of that great change spoken of as if it were already done It is done saith he that is old things are passed and all things are made new what ever was before promised is certain as done This looketh to the end as was cleared by the same word of the seventh vial Chap. 16. which sheweth the comtemporarinesse of these events as was then cleared The second part of it is conditionall holding forth the parties in their qualifications who may expect that glory vers 6. and 7. and these who have no right to this happinesse vers 8. which is as an use of the former grounds or is drawn to stir up Hearers to be in love with heaven from the offer of it on this condition and to scare men at hell in opposition to this by threatning particular sorts with it And therefore this offer is not to be looked oâ— as to be made after this begun making of all things new as in order of time but as holding forth the way how to come to this happinesse presently as to the offer though the happinesse be coming and by the offer of it hereby to engage folks into it This offer as it pointeth out heaven as the result so it pointeth out the way means and motives leading and pressing to it at all times as the close of the seven Epistles Chap. 2. and 3. doth The offer beginneth with a description of Him that maketh the offer and beside that hath two parts The first part vers 6. The second vers 7. He describeth Himself as often in the first second and third Chapters I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end This is to shew 1. who it is that ofâ—ereth and that He may be trusted 2. That He should not be slighted nor refused duty tyeth to respect what He saith who now speaketh from heaven 3. That as He is Alpha in the beginning so now he appeareth Omega in the perfecting what He promised Every part of the offer hath a promise of eternal life upon a condition or to persons so and so qualified The thing promised veâ— 6. is I will give him of the fountain of the water of life This fountain is taken in Scripture sometimes for the graces of the Spirit that leads unto life and begins it Ioh. 4.10 and 7.39 Sometimes for the enjoyment of God who is our life as Psal 36.9 with thee is the fountain of life both come well in here but the last as the scope and great part of the promise which hath its perfection in heaven This is water of life and that for the excellency and perpetuity of its refreshing here is a perpetuall fountain whereas not one drop is in hell The condition runneth in the words 1. I will give him It is a free gift so is life eternall Rom. 6.23 2. And it is given freely that is without any price and compensation but it is obtained without money and whatever qualification be in the person thus freely begraced it is no cause of this gift Yet 3. this is qualified It is to him that is athirst that this gift is given as Isa. 55.1 Athirst is 1. one that needeth 2. one that is sensible of his need 3. one that would fain have as ever a thirsty man would drink as it were pained for want of it 4. It is one that will take and welcome the offer on any terms and think himself much oblieged to him that giveth it Hence under thirsting Isa. 55.1 and Matth. 5. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst is ordinarily holden forth peoples fitnesse to receive and willingnesse to consent to Jesus Christ as Chap. 22.17 whosoever is athirst that is as after followeth who ever will let him come c. by which we may see 1. The freenesse and largenesse of Christs offer that cannot be made broader and laid nearer folks than by faith it is done in this If they will receive and be willing c. they are welcome 2. The fit and qualified objects that the promise is made to poor hungry thirsty that may not want and yet have nothing to buy Come here the market is free 3. The consistency yea the necessary connexion of grace freely giving and the qualifications of hunger and thirst in the receiver for 1. this qualification disposeth them to make use of grace 2. To esteem of and prize grace as sicknesse doth of him who is the Physician This condition of faith thirst and willingnesse c. importeth no more on the receivers side any thing inconsistent with grace than that it is said he giveth freely and without money on His side This importing but a free receiving as that doth a free giving The second promise is large in two expressions setting out this happinesse he shall inherit all things he shall want no good thing and these all shall be his possession he shall have God who 1 Cor. 15.28 shall be all in all infinitly supplying and filling the room of all the riches honour contentments and comforts that men can imagine It shall be a greater possession than if they enjoyed all things For 1. God equivalently maketh up all that nothing is missed 2. Eminently and excellently He maketh up all that what ever comfortable â—ffâ—ct would be expressed from inheriting all things it is much more excellently and eminently from God This must be an excellent inheritance that is set out by such an
expression yet doth the thing enjoyed in heaven exceed the expression as far as the maker doth Hâ—s work and that which is infinite exceedeth what is finite for expressions cannot be gotten adequat and suitable to the thing The second expression sheweth how this is made out I will be his God and he shall be my son This comprehendeth all yea it is added as an addition to all things â— It is more to be Gods son and to have Him our God than to enjoy all things beside to be His son and so His heirs and joynt-heirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 What is that or rather what is it not Here now is a portion who would covet let them covet this as the best thing one day the truth of this will appear what great blessednesse is here when once His wrath is but a little kindled Psal. 2. ult O set your hearts on this it is the short cut to possess and inherit all things Who in all the world ever reached to enjoy all the earth yet that is little amongst all things but a Believer inheriteth earth heaven God Christ glory peace his soul even all things for God is his and with Him all things 1 Cor. 3.22 23. and will He not give to Him all things Rom. 8.32 yea is He not Himself all things as is said so that in heaven and earth the soul can wish no more Psal. 73.25 See on vers 3. The condition is overcoming which implieth 1. a fight with a world of enemies and corruption 2. A serious fight and constant war as for life 3. A difficult fight Yet 4. a victory and overcoming of all these enemies before there can be an obtaining of all things This saith folks will not slip nor sleep into these excellent promises and though fighting be not the meritorious cause of these yet it is the way to them and an antecedent going before them necessarily though not the causa sine qua non to our justification yet it is so to our glorification This thirsting importeth engaging and covenanting Isa. 55.3 Overcoming a being answerable to our engagements Observe it then and wrestle so as ye may obtain seing so much dependeth on it and happy is he that overcometh He and every one of them enjoyeth all things and yet none of them enjoyeth anothers portion to one anothers prejudice But as men now enjoy the whole Sun and its light and wrongeth not others by it so then all shall enjoy God fully as to their capacities yet so as there is no want to others That infinit ocean of the Godhead being able to fill all the cups that come to it or are casten in â—t and being such that all may also swim in it when they are full and that Sun of righteousnesse being so clear as to shine on all and to make shining all the eyes that shall behold Him The qualifications to say so of these excluded on the other part are set down ver 8. and we conceive for these ends 1. To presse the receiving of the former offer from the ill of missing it which is the main scope 2. To shew that every one overcometh not and so cometh not there 3. To shew who overcometh not to wit these that ly under the practice of sinfull lusts as here By these sorts understand all other sinfull wretches lying in sin as if they were expressed the most abominable sorts whereof are indeed named yet not at all to exclude others By it we may see also that this must be heaven for these that get not these good promises are cast into the lake and second death O what great odds is there between the end of sin and holinesse what ever men now think it will one day yea in that day appear in its native colours These particular steps or sorts of sins to wit eight are mentioned to shew 1. That there is but one way to Glory but many sins whereby men passe to destruction 2. That by the setting down of these more particularly the happinesse of heaven and the qualifications of these who enter it may be the more conspicuous being put together The first sort of sinners that is excluded is the fearfull or coward opposite to the former fighter and overcomer It is not these who are feared to come short Heb. 4.1 nor these that fear to sin and desire to prevent it Heb. 11.7 nor such that fear that their faith be not good or that they be presuming as the woman Mark 5. and 33. But such as 1. dare act nothing for Christ are cowards and not valiant for Him though not directly against Him such as fearing them that can kill the body Matth 10. sway with every corrupt time as the beast Magog c. and cannot fight against them to any hazard but forsake Christ. 2. Such as are feared to fight against lusts and never appear against them in the field the weak heart Ezek. 16. is evil such a fear as the evil servant had Matth. 25.25 which maketh men lazie in holy duties and trading for Christ as if they were afraid of them the sluggard saith there is a lion in the way this is he who shifteth duty 3. Such as dare venture to suffer nothing for Christ as the Worthies did Heb. 11. The second sort is unbelievers not properly or only infidels much lesse these who are of a weak or little faith that is mixed with doubting and want peace but such as never received the free offer of Christs Grace indeed whatever their profession was that never did flee from the Covenant of Works to rest on Christ for salvation These are Ioh. 3.36 condemned already and this unbelief shall condemn as much as any breach of the Law in that day it will condem that ye believe not according to that command 1 Ioh. 3.23 as to be a murderer to be a witch or a warloch Quest. How differeth it from weak faith Answ. Weak faith hath a sure ground but a weak grip of it therefore it is feared for it But unbelief hath a weak ground but thinketh its grip sure Therefore it is not troubled 2. Weak faith hath much fear of unbelief Mark 9.24 and would be rid of it this unbelief is willingly and so wrestleth not against unbelief but against doubting and fear lest its security be marred 3. Weak faith is clear of its own need and Christs fulnesse but its weaknesse is in its peace or its gripping of Him or byding by Him and as to the fruits of faith it findeth these weak to say so but unbelief is clearer of its peace than of its need c. and whether we take unbelief as a failing on the right hand by presumption or on the left by despare both are unbelief and opposit to faith in Christ and are excluded here The third sort are abominable who by sins against nature have made themselves vile now these are reckoned with such were these in Sodom and these Rom. 1.26 c. The fourth sort
have need of Christs bloud to make them white 401 Fleeing to Christ for refuge the best way to escape trouble ibid. Christs Intercession vid. Intercession Christs sympathy with Believers see Sympathy Christs marriage with the Church considered in a threefold respect 691 692 Of Christs personall reign upon earth and the different opinions about it 710 711 Christs personall reign upon earth refuted with the absurdities that follow thereupon 714 715 These who reign with Christ on earth are living Saints and neither Martyrs nor Saints departed 716 718 The word Church three wayes taken in Scripture why the Revelation is sent to particular Churches why to the Churches of Asia and why they are termed seven 20 21 How Churches use to be un-churched 76 Why the Church of Ephesus is particularly threatned with this ibid. How un-churching is a punishment to the Minister 77 If there can be any particular Church without some sincere professours 218 The sad condition of the Church before Constantine's time and the flourishing state thereof which did immediately follow upon his Government 374 375 376 What time and state of the Church these winds and that sealing spoken of chap. 7. do relate to 381 The flourishing state of the Church is one of the greatest evidences of Gods glory in the world and one of the greatest grounds of praise 397 The Church of Rome plagued under the sixth trumpet and yet she repenteth not but continueth in her idolatry murthers c. 450 451 The Church of Rome justly charged with these 451 452 Whether the Church of Rome be guilty of idolatry 454 455 c. The Church of Rome proven to be an idolatrous Church from her practice and Doctrine 456 457 To what state of the Church is the measuring of the Temple of God and of the altar of them that worship therein to be referred 476 The Church more generally and more particularly considered 477 Upon this that there was a true Church under Antichrists tyranny it will neither follow that the Church of Rome was or is the true Church nor that we have our ordination from it 510 511 A Nationall Church doth well suit with the time of Antichrists fall and the Gospels flourishing the objections to the contrary are answered 511 512 513 514 What is sufficient for constituting a person a member of a true Church or how true Churches are to be constitute 516 517 518 The Churches first war with the Dragon a description of the parties with a narrative of the successe 521 522 523 The series of the Churches condition between her open sufferings under the Dragon and heathen persecuters and the manifest appearing of the Beast or Antichrist 529 530 The devil's design against the Church the means he useth to prosecute his designe the Churches safety and preservation 530 531 The occasion of this new war against the Church and how it differeth from the persecution raised against the man-child 530 The end of the Churches fleeing from the face of the Serpent and what is to be understood thereby with the time to which it is applicable 531 532 533 That there is a Catholick visible Church in the dayes of the Gospel and some considerations for making out the unity thereof 538 539 â—hat the Catholick Church is the first Church and fountain from which all particular Churches do â—low'â— and some objections to the contrary answered 540 541 Church of Rome vid. Rome What sort of separation is called-for from the Church of Rome 680 The songs which are in heaven for the enlargement of the Church the parts of the song the grounds thereof the party who exhorteth to sing and the persons who are exhorted 689 690 We are not to understand any state of the Church militant by the new heaven and the new earth which Iohn saw but the happinesse of the Church triumphant with some objections to the contrary answered 748 749 750 751 752 The comfortlesse grounds laid down in Popery for easeing a troubled conscience 446 Conditionall Redemption See Redemption The Lords tendernesse of the consolation of His people and whence their discouragement ariseth 469 The way of Gods Covenanting with a sinner laid down 234 Severall sorts of Covenants 237 The condition of a Covenant is taken either more largely or more strictly ibid. A difference betwixt these priviledges of a Covenant which flow from it as such and these which are only conditionally promised to the parties thus related ibid. Faith and works in what respect the condition of the Covenant and in what not 238 The Covenant of Grace like a Marriage Covenant or like free Adoption and not like that bâ—twixt Master and Servant ib. Covenanting preceedeth Justification 239 What we are to understand by the cry of the souls under the altar 364 D THat the first Day of the week is understood of the Lords Day and why it is so called proven 28 29 That this Day is of Dâ—vine institution provâ—n and objections to the contrary answered 30 31 That it is lawfull to call it Sunday and why ibid. How this Day is to be sanctified ibid. Why Christ is called the first begotten from the dead 5 Spirituall deadnesse twofold 177 That totall deadnesse may consist with a good name from others and a good conceit of a mans self ibid. Christs death was not only to confirm His Doctrine or give a copy of obedience or purchase to Himself a power to forgive sins but it was truely and properly a satisfaction 280 Who these dead were who lived not again till the thousand years were expired and how they are said to live again then 732 733 How hell the sea and grave give up their dead 747 What power the devil hath over men held forth in the extent of it from Scripture Severall conclusions also for clearing it 149 150 By what means the devil useth to prevail in tempting and how little weight is to be laid on his testimony 150 151 Whether the devil was not cast into hells fire fiâ—st when he fell 738 What it is to die in the Lord. 596 The difference betwixt a morall specifick dâ—fference and a physical cleared 141 Severall conclusions touching Discipline and the exercise of it laid down 99. Why Iohn was called the Divine 2 The nature and usefulnesse of pure Doctrine with the evil of error especially when it infecteth these who are Ministers in the Church or men of great gifts and blamelesse lives 430 The principles of the Popiâ—h Doctrine do most natively lead to anxiety and the reasons thereof 439 440 What is meant by Christs setting an open door before a Minister how he may know it and what way he should make use of it 191 192 196 197 The Dragon who pursueth the woman with a description of him his properties and effects which followed upon his being cast down from heaven to earth 522 527 528 What is meant by the Dragons making war with the seed of the woman and why is it not said that he made war
with the woman her self 537 538 E WHat is meant by the Saints reigning upon earth 292 By Earth is understood the visible militant Church and not alwayes the unconverted world 345 346 Who are to be understood by the Earth and them that dwell therein 558 What is the proper and immediate effect of Christs purchase to the Redeemed 307 What we are to understand by the twenty four Elders spoken of Chap. 4. 273 What the Elders question and Iohn's reply and the Elders answer do import Chap. 7.13 14. where that innumerable multitude are described 398 399 Civil and morall men may be great enemies to the Church and Religion 354 Why these Epistles are directed to the Church-guides or Angels see Angel Wherein all the Epistles agree and direction how to make use of them 66 67 If any truely Godly may be led away into Errour 166 That Satan aimeth mainly to seduce Christs servants unto Errour and why 167 That it is a great aggravation of Errour when Christs servants are seduced thereby and why ibid. 168 That repentance for Errour is very rare and why ibid. Some Errours inconsistent together and opposit one to another wherewith the Church may be at once assaulted 383 384 F FAith necessary to Justification vid. Justification Different opinions about the way of Faiths concurring thereto 236 Some considerations and distinctions laid down for clearing the way how Faith concurreth 237 Faith only the condition of Justification 238 A double peculiarity of Faith beyond any other grace in the point of Justification one of being the condition of the Covenant which floweth from the Lords extrinsick appointment another of being an instrumental cause which floweth from its intrinsick aptitude 240 That Faith doth peculiarly concur in the point of Justification and that Works do not concur therewith cleared and proven 240 241 The main act of saving Faith 306 Whether Faith and other saving graces be the fruit of Christs purchase 308 They who are sound in the Faith will be exceeding tenacious of their testimony 363 Marks of that fear which we should shun 45 How Christ's feet are like unto fine brasse vide Brasse How Christ's eyes are said to be as a flame of fire 38 There is a fire coming from the Altar which hath terrible effects 416 Of the change made by fire at the great day 756 What we are to understand by those fountains and rivers mentioned chap. 8. ver 10. 427 428 The fountain of life what 762 G A Gift for the Ministery what it is and what it includeth 199 200 What we are to understand by the sea of glasse and what by standing thereupon 274 275 602 603 Glory is the compleat outgate of Believers trials 393 That there is but one God and three distinct persons in the Godhead where of the expressions used in this mysterie 5 6 7 8 Whether God intended the salvation of all men conditionally in giving Christ to die 300 How can the glorified behold God since He is invisible and whether they all alike enjoy Him 773 774 How great a God He is whom we worship 397 There is nothing which can be a ground of praise but it is in God ibid. Gods people in their difficulties would strengthen themselves in the faith of future glory 400 What enemies we are to understand by Gog and Magog 737 Why is the Church compared to Gold since there is so much corruption in it 51 52 The Gospel at its first coming amongst a people ordinarily prevaileth most and why 342 343 A flourishing state of the Gospel is not long free of errors and offences following it 354 355 Church government opposed by Satan and the reason thereof 82 83 84 That there is a Government in the Church distinct and independent from Civil-government proven and objections answered 85 to 89 That it is not arbitrary for the Church to confederate for governing the Church but that which de jure ought to be done 90 Absurdities wherewith a Church government distinct from the Civil is loaded answered 93 94 Wherein the power of this government consisteth and who is the proper subject thereof handled both negatively and positively 97 98 99 How little reason men have to be jealous of this government 100 101 102 103 Concerning the nature and difference of common and saving grace 120 How a man should try the sincerity of his grace 123 Baxter's opinion about the difference betwixt common and saving grace related which doth not really differ so far from the common opinion as at first it would seem to do 125 126 Two distinctions laid down to clear the difference between common and saving grace and wherein the difference lyeth 127 That the habit of saving grace in the renewed doth dâ—ffer from any thing which can be in the unrenewed 129 130 That there is a difference also between the acts of a gracious man and acts of any other proven by instances and arguments 131 to 139 The trial of grace by its kind is safest and that which discovereth hypocrisie best this is Christs way the contrary is attended with inconveniences 133 134 Grace is a necessary qualification for a Minister and in what respects which is much to be regarded both in peoples calling him and in Presbyteries admitting him neither is it impossible to take trial herein and what length may be attained and aimed at in this trial which doth not infer but overturn the rigid way of trying Church-members 202 to 209 The grace of our Lord Jesus is that which a gracious man wisheth to himself and others as that which is comprehensive of all happinesse 781 782 H IT is not indifferent for persons to hear whom they will and the evils that attend it 64 When new errors may be esteemed old heresie 155 Heresie and error wait ordinarily upon the Churches outwardly prosperous condition 383 Heresie and error one of the greatest plagues whereby God in His holy justice punisheth those who receive not the truth in love ibid. Heresie and error a terrible judgement and what the nature of it is 422 The heresies of the Arians Macedonians Nestorians c. when and how suppressed 536 537 Who they are whom Hereticks seek mainly to seduce 166 What an excellent condition it is to be in Heaven 394 Some beginning of Heaven here and wherein it consisteth 402 How we are to understand the passing away of the Heaven and the Earth and what this new Heaven is 753 754 Whether the Heavens and Earth which now are be substantially changed ibid. Some things premitted to the glorious description of Heaven 757 Heavens happinesse set forth and described 759 760 A more particular amplification of Heavens happinesse 761 to 772 Where Hell is and whether any materiall fire be there 739 No coming to Heaven without holinesse 763 764 How we are to understand the number of ten horns 648 The type of the white horse explained 340 341 The type of the red horse 344 345 To what time these persecutions relate