acts of saving faith p. 16â— 162 James must speak of two sorts of faiths p. 162 163 The Arminian Argument to prove that James speaks of declared justification answered p. 165 166 How faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only justifies p· 170 171 The Socinian and Arminian faith and Papists formed faith includes new obedience and repentance p 172 173 Contrarâ— to the Scripture which differenceth between faith and new obedience p. 174 175 176 Right to life eternall and possession of life eternal differ in their nature and causes p. 176 177 The necâ—ssity of Works p. 177 178 Possâ—ssion of life and right to life differ p 178 179 180 And contrare objâ—ctions removed ib. CHAP. XX. Whether or not suffered Christ for any sin against the Gospel only suâ—h as finall unbeleef which is conceived to be the only sin against the Gospel That Christ died not for all without exception The unwarrantablenesse of that Doctrine how the Law commands justifying faith and repentance how not p. 181 182 c. Sins against the Gospel are also sins against the Law p. 188 189 CHAP XXI Whether the Lord Mediator as Mediator command the same good Works in the Covenant of Grace which are commanded in the CovenaÌ„t of Works p. 192 193 Christ layes one way Evangelick commands upon the Elect and another way upon the Reprobate p. 198 How the Reprobate are still under the Covenant of Works how not p. 192 CHAP. XXII No promise of perseverance to Adam p. 194.195 Nor any promise to him of influences of Grace p. 195 196 4. Classes of obediences considerably compared among themselves p. 196.197 198 Christs obedience most perfect most of his own p. 196 Most undue or least of debt coming from God man so most meritorious p. 197 Angels obedience 2. Of their own but not so as Christs of his own and so lesse meritorious p. 198 3. The obedience of Adam more of his own then that of Angels yet lesse obedience ibid. 4. Gospel-obedience hath least of the nature of obedience p. 198 199 CHAP. XXIII The Law of Works râ—quired not simplie doing but doing to the end p. â—00 208 CHAP. XXIV Whether faith as true or faith as continuing to the end be the condition of the Covenant of Grace p. 201 202. Faith which endures to the end but not quatenus as it indures to the end is the condition of the Covenant of Grace p. 201 202 Faith in the first lively acts saves and justifies p. 202 203 CHAP. XXV Whether is Christs righteousnesse imputed and made ours because we believe and apprehend it ours or do we believe because it is ours because we believe p. 206 207 Faith presupposeth three unions 1. Naturall 2. Legall 3. Federal and maketh a fourth p. 208 209 There be four or five sundry Adversaries against whom the holy Ghost in Scripture contends in the point of justification p. 210 211 The dominion of the Law p. 211.212 What is meant by the oldnesse of the letter p. 213 How we are freed therefrom ib. A threefold bondage of the Law ib. Of the dignitie of the Gospel above the Laâ— p. 213 214 CHAP. XXVI Of the perpetuity of the Covenant of Grace and the considerable differences between it and the Covenant of Works p. 214 215 216 217. How it continues with these that are asleep in the Lord Mat. 22. Exod. 3.6 p. 216 Of the graciousnesse thereof p. 216 217 CHAP. XXVII Of Law-fear and Gospel-fear p. 217 218. Of the Law-fear of falling away and the Gospel faith of persevering p. 218 219 Why feelings of sin seldome wants unbelief and should have the faith of a payed ransome p. 221 222 CHAP. XXVIII Christ died not to blot out all sense of sin but rather to quicken a godly sense thereof p. 221 222 223 Contents of the II. Part. CHAP. I. Christs roome in both Covenants p. 225 Of Christs active and passive obedience how they concur as one satisfaction p. 229 230 CHAP. II. WHerein stands our right to Christ and the satisfaction made for us by Christ 2. Faith is not the cause of our right 3. Christs incarnation and dying are not favours meâ—ited by Christ. 4. How Adams sinne and Christs righteousnesse are ours p. 230 238. CHAP. III. How Christ suffered for us in our room and place 2. He died not for all and every one 4. How many wayes Christ may be said to die in our stead 4. The Lords so dying for all makes not all saveable in Christ nor the Gospel preachable to all Nations 5. Christ died in the stead of the elect p. 236 237 238 239. Though we did not substitute him in our place p. 249 250 The differences between Chrâ—sts dying and the punishment due to the Elect p. 250 251 252 The legall oneness between Christ and us p. 251 To die 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for us is to die in our stead in all eminent languages p. 253 Christ died not for sins and in the stead of sins as he died for sinners p. 256 CHAP. IV. How we are in Christ dying and crucified in him 2. A twofold crucifying of us with Christ. 3. A discourse of mortification 4. The actings of the mortified 5. That we are to be mortified in our affections p. 257 258 259. Though we die personally yet we died in Christ legally p. 259 We are not to desire a Law-wakening p. 259 â—60 What mortification is p. 261 The influence of Christs death on mortification p. 262 Four sorts of actings in mortification p. 265 266 We must be mortified to all sort of created things p. 268 269 270.271 Forbidden desires p 270.271 CHAP. V. The Covenant of Suretyship or of Redemption between God and the Mediator Christ. 2. Christ is not a meer witnesse but the Author of the Covenant 3. The Socinian way of Wâ—rks cannot quiet the conscience 4. Christ is upon both sides of the Covenant 5. Justice mediates not 6. Reasons of the entrance of sin CHAP. VI. That there is a Covenant of Suretyship between JEHOVAH and the Son is proven by 11. Arguments p. 290 291 292. Christ calling to the Lord his God proves this 291.292 2 Christ is a Servant Messenger Shepherd not by nature but free compact and agreement p. 292 3. Ar. Christ offered his service freely p. 293 4. Arg. There is giving and taking between God and Christ. p. 293.294 5. Arg. Christ received the seals whither he needed seals or not p. 29â— 296 6 Christ with the Father dispensed with the Law p. 296 7. Ar. Rich promises that speak a Covenant made to Christ. p. â—96 8. Ar. The Prophesies of Christ and the promises of and to him p. 298 9. Ar. Ask of me Ps. 2. 10. Arg. The work and wages of Christ prove it p. 299 And O how low a wager and how high a designe p. 300 11. Arg. Christ is admitted by an oath and the use of it against Apostacie of Believers p. 300.301.302 CHAP. VII The
eternall condemnation as Arminius disp pub 7. th 16.3 and the Scripture saith infants are guilty of this sin Eph. 2.3 Rom. 5. Psal. 51.5 Job 14.4 As also Christ must not have died for the sins of Infants if there be no sin in them they need not the ransome of Christs Blood The other bastard ground is the naturall antecedent desire and love of God to have all saved moved him say they to make this Covenant of Grace with all But this makes away free-grace and changes God as the blind Talmud which saith God hath a secret place in which he afflicts himself because he burnt the Temple and delivered the Jews to captivitie As also the Lord remembring the captivity of the Jews and their desolation he powres out two tears every day in the Sea or Ocean and for grief smites his breasts with both his hands And the Alcoran saith that God and the Angels wish well to Mahomet but cannot free him from death So made the Heathen their Jupiter to deplore the destinies which he could not amend And what is this but to say God hath passionate desires to have all Elect and Reprobat Men and Angels to obey and be eternally saved but he cannot help the matter and therefore must upon the same account be sorrowfull and mourn that he cannot get all saved which destroyes the power of grace and restrains the out-goings of free-love CHAP. XI The three-fold Covenant considered 2. The Law pressed upon Israel was not a Covenant of Works but a darker dispensation of Grace 3. The three-fold Covenant of Arminians refuted 4. Diverse considerations of the Law and the Gospel THere be who hold that there be three Covenants 1. A Covenant of Nature whereby God as Creator required perfect obedience from Adam in Paradice with promise of life and threatning of death 2. The Covenant of Grace whereby he promises life and forgivenesse in Christs Blood to believers 3. A subservient Covenant made 1. With Israel not witâ— Adam and all mankinde 2. For a time with Israel not for ever as the naturall Covenant 3. In Mount Sinai not in Paradice 4. To terrifie and keep in bondage the other from an inward principle required obedience 5. To restrain Israel from outward sins to prove the people that the fear of God might be before their eyes that they should not sin So they expound Exo. 20.20 the other Covenant was to restrain from all sin Yea and so was that on Mount Sinai to do all that are written in the Book of the Law Deut. 27.26 Deut. 28.1 2 3 4. c. to that same end to love God with all the heart and with all the soul Deut. 10.12 Deut. 5.1 2 3. Deut. 6.1 2 3. Deut. 5.29 Deut. 6.5 With all the heart with all the soul with all the might which is expounded by Christ Mat. 22.37 Luke 10.27 in as full a hight of perfection as ever was required of Adam 6. It was written to Israel in Tables of stone The naturall Covenant was written in the heart so was there a circumcised heart promised to Israel Deut. 30.6 though sparingly 7. It was say they given by the Mediator Moses as that of nature was without a Mediator Yea Moses was the Typical Mediator of the young Covenant of Grace The differences between the subservient Covenant and that of Grace 1. In the subservient God only approves righteousnesse and condemnes sin in that of Grace he pardons and renues Ans. Acts 15.11 We beleeve through the Grace of the Lord Jesus we shall be saved even as they under that Covenant Acts 10.43 To him gave all the Prophets witnesse that through his Name whosoever beleeveth in him shall receive remission of sins Abraham and David were justified in that sin was not imputed to them not by works Rom. 4.1 2 3 6 7 8 9 c. Gen. 15.6 Psal. 32.1.2.5 I said I will confesse my transgression and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Isa. 4325. I euen I am he that blots out thy transgressions for my own sake and I will not remember thy sins So David was a man according to the heart of God So Asa Josiah Jehoshaphat Samuel Baruch Gedeon Daniel the Prophets under that subservient Covenant except they be under a fourth Covenant were renued justified saved by faith Heb. 11. as under a Covenant of Grace 2. The former was do and live this was believe and live Ans. Doing and living was but a shuting them up under the Law that they might flee to Christ in whom they beleeved else the fathers must be saved and justified by works contrair to Rom. 2. Rom. 4. Heb. 11. 3. In antiquity the former came in as added 430. years after the promise of grace Gal. 3.17 Ans. True but he speaks of the Covenant in Sinai according to the strict Law part which could not save and so its different But that proves not two Covenants 4. In the former is compulsion and the Spirit of bondage in this heart inclining freedom and the Spirit of Adoption Ans. Yet the differences are accidentall there was a legall awing of the hearts as if they had been Servants yet Heirs and Sons they were Gal. 4.1 2. The whole Book of the Proverbs spake to the Godly as to Adopted Sons They were beleevers Heb. 11. Rom. 4. Acts 10.43 and so Sons as touching a spirituall state John 1.11 12. In regard of Oeconomie it was somewhat more rigid and legall they were restrained as servants Yet it was the Covenant of Grace by which beleeving Jews were justified and saved Acts 15. v. 11. Acts 10.43 5. In the former man is dead in this man is humbled for sinne Answ. Legally dead except they would flee to Christ and legally condemned but there was true humiliation for sins under that Covenant As David Josiah Hezekiah and all beleevers then as now were pardoned and justified 6. In the former there are commands not strength but here there be promises and grace given Ans. The full abundance of grace and of a new heart was reserved untill now And the Law could not make perfect nor give pardon in the blood of beasts as touching that legall dispensation But both grace the Spirit pardon righteousnesse and life were received and beleeved by looking on Christ to come 7. In the former Canaan was promised in this Heaven Ans. Canaan is promised only but sacramentally and that was a poedagogicall promise for the infancie of that Church but a type which was then in that Covenant and is not now make not two Covenants one then and another now Except ye say there was then a Lamb in the Passeover which was a Type of Christ to come and there is now no such Type because the body is come and Christ the true High Priest offered himself Therefore there are two Christs one then to come another now who hath come already The Lords dispensation with Israel is often called a Covenant now
to the necessitie of good works but the followers of Flaccius Illyricus dissented The Authors of the book of Concord condemne these of Flaccius their way and deny a necessity of efficiency in works to deserve salvation but yeeld a necessity of their presence that the work of salvation be not hindered 3. These distinctions are necessary 1. There is a jus and right to Gospel life eternall And 2. there is actuall possession of life eternall 2. There is a twofold jus One by the purchase of merit and the payed ransome of blood There is a right secundary by promise every promise giveth a right in a manner but its unproper 3. There is promise of life formally federall 2. There is a promis◠of life consequentèr federall 4. There is an order of things one going before the other as the Antecedent and the Consequent and in order of cause and effect 5. Law-obedience doth much differ from Gospel-obedience as Law-commands from Gospel-commands 6. GOD sent his Sonne to justifie persons but not to justifie works not to make inherent obedience perfect or our righteousnesse before God Asser. 1. If the new Covenant be considered strictly and formally in its essence he that beleeveth whether his faith be weake or strong is justified and saved Joh 3.18 36. Joh. 5.24 Act. 15.9 10 11. Rom. 3.16 Rom. 4.1 2 3 4 5. Rom. 5.1 for faith justifieth as lively faith and not as great or small Otherwise none should be justified and saved but the strong beleever whereas Christ died for the weak in the faith Rom. 14. Hence Mr. Sibs excellently Know that in the Covenant of Grace God requires the truth of Grace not any certain measure and a spark of fire is aswell fire as the whole element thereof we must look to Grace in the sparkle aswell as the whole flame all have not the like strong yet the like precious faith whereby they lay hold and put on the perfect righteousnesse of Christ a weak hand may receive a rich Jewell a few grapes will shew that the plant is a vine not a thorne There is a roome in heaven for thee who judges thy self for the number of lambes and babes weak in the faith in this Kingdome do far exceed the number of the strong and aged in Christ for the Scripture names the whole flock little ones babes his sheep they are not a flock of fathers and strong ones Asser. 2. There is a right to life by promise he that beleeves shall be saved Promissio facit jus creat debitum Godlinesse hath the promise of this life and of that which is to come And because a promise as a promise cannot create an equality betwixt the work and the wages as is proven this is an unproper right and not proper debt and takes not away the nature of a free gift This is no consequence at all the performing of the condition of the Covenant of Works doth justifie Adam by Law-works so as he is no sinner hath fulfilled the Law hath right to life eternall Ergo to beleeve to the end and fulfill to the end and fulfill the condition of the Covenant of Grace doth justifie the beleever by Evangelick works make him no sinner but a perfect fulfiller of the Covenant of Grace and one who hath due right by working to life eternall Certainly then 1. doing Evangelick gives us as good right to eternall life without the price and ransome of blood as doing legall gives to the same life 2. When we sin and fall in atrocious offences Adulteries Paricide Robbing we have as good right to Justification by works and life eternall by Evangelick works suppose he be a robber all his life as was the repenting theef as Adam suppose he had perfectly fulfilled the Law Now though believing be the condition of the Covenant of Grace it is of a farre other nature then perfect doing to the end and constant fulfilling of the whole Law in thought word and deed with all the heart and the soul and mind and all the strength For there is no sin here and so no place for punishing justice or wrath none can so believe but he sins and so deserves everlasting wrath If it be said that by the Covenant of Works he doeth deserve it but not by the Covenant of Grace for Christ hath merited to him life eternall Ans. 1. We speak now of the right that a Believer hath by Evangelick works to justification and life as contradistinguished from the merits of Christ this opinion saith that a man is justified by Evangelick doing because God hath made the like promise and the like jus and right by promise to doing Evangelick that he made to Law-doing if Christs merits be added to qualifie Evangelick works to adde to them the worth that they have then Christs merits must give life eternall by way of merit or a vertue of meriting condignly to our Evangelick doing as Papists say and so Christ hath made us saviours and redeemers of our selves and this is a right to life ex condigno more then Adams most perfite Law-obedience had 2. The Covenant of Grace commanding faith doeth by this opinion command all that the Law of Works doeth but in an Evangelick way that they be done sincerely Ergo it must forbid all sin which the Law forbids But the Law forbids not only unbelief finall unbelief but all the works of the flesh Also Christ must come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to louse and dissolve the Law which he denyes Math. 5. for if the Covenant of Grace condemne nothing but finall unbelief Christ in this Covenant must dissolve the Law but Christ sayeth he that breaks or teacheth men to break these is the least of the Kingdome of God But there is an other jus and right to life eternall by which Christ dying hath satisfied the Law expiated our sins restored as much and more glory to God by passive obedience by his sufferings as we had taken glory from God by our evill doing and so merited to us life eternall If any say abusing that place Rev. 22. 14. that we obtain this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and right to the Tree of Life and to Christ our life and everlasting glory which is our only right the only Charter of blood by keeping the Commandements Evangelically he must say that we first may keep the Commandements Evangelically before we have right to life to Christ and so before we beleeve 2. That we merit Christs right or merite by doing and that by Evangelick works we buy right to Christ and Christs merits and so Christ hath not merited to us a jus and right and title to life everlasting by dying and grace and a gracious right to do his Commandements by his death but that we by doing his Commandements do earne and sweat for a right to Heaven which is to say that we by doing merite and deserve the price of Redemption and that we merite Christ to our selves
by doing whereas it is he and he alone that hath merited to us Grace and Glory and all title to Heaven Not to say that a Charter of life from such a noble Superiour as Christ by the purchase of blood and of such blood the blood of God Act. 20.28 is some better then to have eternall liveliehood and free-hold from our duty and lubrick best works which are polluted with sin and by which though we were Evangelically conscious to our selves of nothing yet should we not be therefore justified 1 Cor. 4.4 for the righteousnesse in which is Davids blessednesse before Christ and Abrahams before the Law and ours under the Gospel is in forgiving of iniquity covering of sin not imputing of sin Rom. 4.1 2 3 4 5 6 7. But in all the Scripture our sins are never said to be pardoned and not imputed to us by our own most Evangelick doing for we are justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus Rom. 3.24 not by the Redemption that is in us and are washen from our sins in his Blood Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14 Mat. 26.28 Rev. 1.5 and sufferings not by our Evangelick doings and if such a case could stand the Martyrs sure might well be justified by their own blood and since no pardoning washâ—ng Law-satisfying vertue can be in faith works or our Evangelick deservings they can not justifie us nor keep and occupy the Chair of Christ. And the fault were the lesse if our works were onely called the way to the kingdom not the cause of raigning but they are called perfect both in their nature and conforme to the rule and also in order to the end to justifie us before God and to save us And if so all in Christ may say we have no sin contrary to Scripture Jam. 3.2 1 King 8.46 Eccles. 7.20 Prov. 20.9 Jam. 2.10 Yea though he that is guilty in one offends in all yet in the sight of God all flesh shall be justified this way Psal. 143.2 Nor can it be said that such works are perfectly conform to the Gospel because the doers beleeving in the lowest degree fulfills the condition of the Gospel But where it is said that the Gospel commands only faith in the lowest degree Then the Centurions faith the faith of the woman of Canaan and the greatest faith shall not be required in the Law For the condition of the Covenant of Grace cannot say they be required in the Covenant of Works and it is not required in the Gospel under the pain of sinning against the Covenant of Grace and of damnation for then all who have not faith in the highest degree should be damned and violate and break the Covenant of Grace contrary to the whole Gospel which saith that these who have weak faith are justified and saved and so the greatest faith shall be will-worship and a work of supererogation And because this way saith that all and every one of mankind are under the Covenant of Grace then 1. there shall be none living under the Law 2. no Law but only to beleeve in CHRIST shall lay an obligation on any Jews Christians under pain of wrath And if James be to prove that we are justified by works and yet mean that both faith and works concur as causes though faith more principally how can Paul deny that we are justified by works If Peter and John jointly work a miracle and heal the creeple man suppose the influence of John in the miracle be more yet it is not to be denyed that Peter wrought the miracle Nor doth the Scripture say that we are more principally justified by faith and lesse principally justified by works but the places alledged for salvation by works if works have a causative influence specially Matth. 25. speaks more for the preheminence of works Nor doth the Scripture insinuate any thing of the first and second Justification or of growing in Justification in having our sins not imputed to us to our very day of death and the Question must be Rom. 4. whether Abraham was justified by works done before circumcision or not Rom. 4. when as faith was not reckoned to Abraham when he was in uncircumcision and the blessednesse of righteousnesse by faith cometh both upon circumcision and uncircumcision vers 9. and he had faith and righteousnesse and was in Christ and regenerated when he was justified Though some taught Justification by the works of the ceremoniall Law yet Paul Gal. 3.10 states the Question of works agreeable to the Morall Law that are absolutely perfect and must be done by Grace And Paul might justly in the Epistles to the Romans and Galatians have excepted himself David Abraham and all the regenerate for they are justified by giving almes to the poor Mat. 25. as was Rachab by receiving and lodging the spyes The English Divines say How could the Scripture conclude from Abrahams being justified by works whence he offered his Son Isaac unlesse by works here we understand a working faith the Apostle must mean the same by works vers 21. that he meaneth by faith 23. for he cannot say vers 23. the Scripture was fulfilled in Abrahams being justified in the work of offering his son v. 21. which saith Abraham beleeved God and it was counted to him for righteousnesse Except it must be meant that the work of offering his son Isaac was counted to him for righteousnesse Now the letter of the Text expresly vers 23. saith that beleeving God was counted to Abraham for righteousnesse then the work of offering his Son must either be the beleeving declared by offering his son and faith working by that act of offering or if they be two sundry things he must then say this in effect Abraham was justified by the work of sacrificing vers 2â— causatively before God Ergo the Scripture is fulfilled vers 23. and Abraham is justified by beleeving causatively before God vers 23. which we cannot ascribe to the Apostle according to their minde who make faith and works the two collaterall and joint causes of Justification before God as if one would say Peter wrought the miracle Ergo the Scripture is fulfilled that Iohn wrought the miracle So Abraham was justified by works vers 21. Ergo Abraham was justified by faith 23. 2. The faith which Iames debarres from Justification must be the faith Iam. 2. by which Paul strongly proves Rom. 3. c. 4. we are justified without works If faith and works concurre as collaterall causes in our Justification before God as the Papists contend but the faith which James excludes from Justification is no faith at all But only 1. fair words to the hungry and naked and giving them supply for no necessity either of hunger or nakednesse and which cannot save and so is no faith and so can have no saving influence with works to justifie and save but such is the faith which James excludes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 14 v. 15. the
by the works of offering Isaac receiving the spies fighting the Lords battels suffering persecution of Saul For Iames if he say any thing for this cause that good works are the formall cause of our righteousnesse our merits and in the very place of the satisfaction of the blood shed by Christ we shall so be formall causes not of the declaratory act of justifying for that may be thought to be the Lord our Justifiers act yet of our own Justification and so should we fight and run for the Crowne of inherent righteousnesse of works as well as for the Crown of Life And what Scripture is there for that 3. A man shall be as just and sinlesse as he may say I have no sin I am just And in order to the Covenant of Grace which forbids no sin as some for this way do teach but finall unbeleef he no more needs forgivenesse of sins and the blood of sprinkling nor pardoning grace then the Elect Angels or Adam in the state of innocency and to that Prov. 20.9 as to that Eccles. 7.20 1 Ioh. 1. Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin The man Evangelically justified can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sinne 4. Noâ— needs such a man pray forgive me my sins as I forgive c. for he is justified from all Law-sins who is inherently holy and Evangelically just And so the Gospel is a new Law which does not forbid all sins that the Law forbids and the man is not under sinne though he sinne against the love of Christ. According to that if ye love me keep my Commandements Joh. 14.15 so he once ere he die beleeve For the Law say the Authors forbids not unbeleef nor any Evangelick unthankfulness against the Law of a ransome-payer which yet I judge the Law of Nature and Nations condemnes The Covenant of Grace forbids no sin but finall unbeleef and the beleever can not be guilty of that except he fall away 5. And it may justly be asked whether the beleever Evangelically justified who needs no grace of pardon of Redemption from sin in order to the Covenant of Grace needs the grace of renovation to keep him to beleeve for he needs no pardon for the weaknesse of his finall beleeving for the smallest weak faith is a fulfilling of the Covenant of Grace To these adde if James mean by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faith alone v. 24. by which he sayes we are not justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no other then the dead faith ver 20. and the faith which cannot save the faith of fair words to the hungry and naked when the vain man gives him nothing necessary for his body 16. the faith without works 17. the faith that cannot be shown to men 18. such a faith as devils 19. and vain hypocrites boast of 20. then sure the conclusion is for us and agreeable to the scope of Iames v. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye see then a man is justified before men and to himself and so really declared before God justified and saved by works as the fruits of saving faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not by faith only which is dead and without works For 1. he cannot exclude saving and lively faith For that beleeving God is counted to Abraham for righteousnesse saith Iames ver 23. for then the conclusion should contradict the premisses and he should say Abraham was justified by sound and lively beleeving Ergo we are not justified by only sound and lively beleeving 2. The Adversaries Socinians and Arminians who by this Text say we are justified by works know no Gospel-faith by which we are justified but faith including essentially new obedience the crucifying of the old man the walking in the Spirit and repentance as else where I cite Therefore when Iames saith we are not justified by faith only he must mean a naked dead assent as in the former verses We are not justified and that is it which we say Iames denies not but sayes that Abraham beleeved Gen. 15. 6. It is only beleeving but lively and not dead not a naked assent which was counted to him for righteousnesse and Gen. 15. Rom. 4. he was thereby justified and therefore Paul and Iames are well reconciled And the faith here excluded must be a dead faith not a lively faith and a true faith as the body without the soul is a true body and hath the nature of a true body though it be no living body So say they the faith that Iames excludes is a true faith when as it is evident it is no more true faith then the faith of Devils and Hypocrites 3. It is false by the Papists way and Arminians also that we are not justified by faith only which is a true and generall assent to the Word of God for they teach that in the first Justification we are justified by faith only without works as Paul proves but in the second Justification when a man of just is made more just say they he is justified by works as saith Iames c. 2. Now by this they are forced to say Iames speaks not of the first Justification but of the second but beside that the Scripture knows not two Justifications Iames must deny that the unconverted hypocrites and Rahab the harlot were justified by only faith as Paul saith and it were most incongruous to teach unconverted ones who never knew the first Justification how they were not justified in the second Justification And if James be speaking of the nature and causes of the same Justification before God only with Paul and not of the effects thereof it were false that James saith with reverence to the holy Lord that we are not justified by faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without works for Paul sayes it and proves it strongly from the Scripture and never insinuates that we are justified in a second Justification by works And sure he should not have denyed all the Jews all the Gentiles all the world Rom. 3 9 19 29 30. David a man according to Gods heart and much in communion with God when he penned the 32. Psalm and Abraham a beleever and effectually called Gen. 12. and justified when he Gen. 15.6 beleeved the promise of the seed Rom. 4. to be justified by works in their second or their Evangelick Justification Yea when James saith we are not justified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only he must mean fidem solitariam a faith solitary which hath no works conveying it as man sees not with eyes that are solitary and plucked out of the heart and separated from hearing smelling and the senses though faith if true and properly so called as they say this is must justifie as the eye sees only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the eâ—re onely not the eye hears now this faith hath a causative influence in Justification as well as works if it be proper and true faith as they say
and not two 1 Joh. 5.11 And this is the witnesse that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath given us life eternall and this is in the Son 12. He that hath the Son hath life He that beleeveth hath the Son dwelling in his heart by faith Eph. 3.17 2. Faith before it come to seed and full harvest brings solid peace and comfort and saveth So Christ to the blind man Luke 18.42 thy faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath saved thee not a bare miraculous faith but that which apprehends remission of sinnes as he speaks to the woman who did wash his feet with tears Luke 7.50 and to the paralytick man Mat. 9.2 seeing their faith be of good cheer go in peace thy sins are forgiven If they be but forgiven conditionally so they beleeve to the end whereas they may fall away 1. What comfort and good cheer 2. What peace being justified by faith Rom. 5.1 3. What glory in tribulation Rom. 5. have they more then Judas the son of perdition What Covenant of life and of peace are we in What difference between our Religion and the Religion of Cicero Seneca and of all Pagans if Christ furnish not to us solid unshaken help and consolation And what a trembling hope have they that they be and are to fear they shall be in the condition of Apostate Angels to morrw What saith then Christ Mat. 9.22 Mark 5.34 Mark 10.52 Luk. 8.58 Luk. 5.20 24. Mark 5.34 Mark 9.24 yea and much more saith the Holy Ghost of our case even of everlasting consolation 2 Thessal 2.16 strong consolation Hebr. 6.18 all comfort 2 Cor. 1.4 lively hope 1 Pet. 1.4 Heb. 6.18 19. then Heathens can say Nay otherwise not so much for they promise not so much 3. Our lively faith is to believe our perseverance in lively faith as promised to us Jer. 32.39 40. Isai. 54.10 Isai. 59.20 21. Joh. 10.27 28. Joh. 4.14 1 Pet. 1.3 4 5. Joh. 11.26 27. As we believe life eternall and that purchased by the merite of Christs death the one as well as the other then faith as finall cannot be the condition And who can think that God commands faith in God Immanuel in the Covenant of Works But faith in God Immanuel to the end is not commanded in the Covenant of Works but only in the Covenant of Grace 4. Faith justifies and saves as sincere be it great or small but if it justifie not and save not but as it endures to the end then no man is compleatly justified and saved and united to Christ untill he die Since faith as all other graces in a child of God is imperfect and still growing 2 Pet. 3.18 and we are to pray Lord increase our faith none shall be justified and saved but he that hath the greatest faith if faith only which endures to the end be the condition of the Covenant and such a faith as groweth and indures to the end For take one who for twenty years believeth the first two years he being united to Christ hath right to Christ Joh. 15.1 2 3 4 5. Joh. 17.21 22. Joh. 14.16 Joh. 16.7 8 13. Joh. 4.14 Joh. 7.37 38 39. he shall not be judged not condemned hath passed from death to life shall never die Joh. 3.36 1 Joh. 5.11 12. Joh. 4.24 Joh. 11.25 26. then should he die the end of the first year of his believing by the Scripture he must be saved else he must be damned who yet died in true faith and yet never fell away which were strange But by this opinion either the remnant sound believing should be no condition of justification and salvation because the man is justified and saved without it and the faith of one or two years gave him right to Christ and saved him Ergo the remnant faith is not a condition of the Covenant but a persevering by grace promised and a persevering in that faith as also by their way who make persevering faith the only condition of the Covenant of Grace 1. Faith and works are confounded whereas to be saved by faith is to be saved before and to be justified before we can do good works and the jus or title to righteousnesse and salvation coming only from the price and Redemption that is in Jesus Christ is not more or lesse and growes not more then the worth of the ransone of the blood called the blood of God Acts 20.28 does grow and it is to be justified by grace and by faith and then works come in as the fruit of our justification and salvation Eph. 2. Ye are not saved by works lest any man should boast in a righteousnesse of his own coming from no merite of Christ which buyeth determinating grace and indeclinably leads and bows the will Otherwise we may boast that is glory in the Lord who worketh all-our works for us Psal. 34.2 Isa. 41.16 Isa. 26.12 The salvation and righteousnesse is the gift of God What then shall be the room of works He answers No room at all as causes of justification and salvation by an excellent antanaclasis as learned Trochrig for he answers We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus to good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Then by grace we have the full right to righteousnesse and salvation by the ransome of blood which is Christs Papists and Arminians dare not bring in Evangelick works or faith as an Evangelick work here though they be too hold 2. Being once made the creation of God in Christ and having obtained right by the blood of Christ to salvation we walk by his grace in good works as leading us to the possession of the purchased inheritance 3. The Authors of this stand for the Apostasie of the Saints and they cannot eschew it who make this finall faith that takes in in its essence good works as the soul of it or charity as Papists say as the form of it the only condition of the Covenant Quest. But is not life eternall given and promised only to faith which continues to the end Ans. Faith is considered two wayes In its nature 2. In its duration and existence As to the former saving faith is of that nature that it is apt to endure it hath a sort of immortality so the promise in titulo jure is made to that faith only which is of that nature that it must endure to the end and the promise of life and remission is not made to a saving faith under the accident of enduring to the end or for the years suppon thirty or fourty years or eight hundred years or above that Adam or the Patriarchs lived in the state of beleeving for a faith of some hours only shall save the repenting thief as well as a faith of many years And 2. life eternall in the possession is promised and given only to the faith that continues to the end not because of the duration because a longer enduring faith hath merit but that is
humane nature a chariot to convey to us the fulnesse of merite by satisfaction so must it be the mean of carrying to us the fulnesse of grace by sanctification and then when God Covenants with the Man Christ that love faith hope meeknesse humility and 〈◊〉 shall live speak and act in Christ out to us we are more strongly convinced to follow the footsteps of so blessed a guide Christ is a living glasse in which we see the beauty of grace As also his meeknesse and humility is the meeknesse and humility of God and all these graces have a seat and lodging in our Immanuel God with us they have a drawing and an alluring desirablenes from the Person the Lord Jehovah our King the mighty God the Father of ages in whom they reside The properties of the Covenant of Suretyship are 1. Freedom 2. Graciousnesse 3. Eternity As to the first Nothing could compell nothing could hire Christ for eternity to ingadge his Name in such a band since he well knew what it should cost him how dear it should stand him and saw what indignity shame pain curse and all these conditions before him And what could move the father since he might have followed the Law-course of Works 2. The first draughts of free-grace and the Lords unsearchable riches appears in the sure mercies of David in an everlasting Covenant Isa. 55.3 and Ps. 89.1 I will sing the mercies of the Lord. 2. For I have said mercy shal be built-up for ever Why v. 3. I have made a Covâ—nant with my chosen I have sworn unto David my servant 4. Thy seed will I establish for ever c. The giving of the Covenant 2. The design of a Redeemer 3. The sending 4. Anointing 5. The consenting of Christ. 6. His coming 7. Dying are all acts of grace God was no debter to the Man Christ or to any of his kindred and blood-friends more then he was to David and his seed but God would act grace in Christ and make him a samplar and the first coppie of free-grace to all his brethren that they might share with him therein But though he made Christ also a coppie of his Justice Rom. 3.25 and spared not his Son Rom. 8.32 yet Mal. 3.17 the â—ord deals not so with us And they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him And of Christ it is said Ps. 72.13 He shal spare the poor and needy And O what riches of grace and mercy and plenteous Redemption hath he manifested to us and therefore the more grace he shews to us the more freely and sonly should we serve him with lesse hirednesse and servile disposition If we could love God and Christ with a heart abstracted from heavens hire at least the pleasure of it for pleasure makâ— not any conform to God but holinesse doth and the heart not legally fearing the burning torment of hell it were good for since Christ hath freed us from the Law-wrath he takes it not well that we darre approach too near to the mount burning with fire nor does Christ allow our affections of fear and sorrow sadnes to act upon feared everlasting wrath we being justified by faith any other way then in a Gospel-consideration being casten down for our Law-deserving but so as we highly value our ranson-payer and serve him with godly fear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word Heb. 12.28 must note a difference between the fear and trembling and terrour upon devils for the torment of hell Mat. 8.29 Jam. 2.19 and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the godly fear of believers Heb. 12.28 which is also given to Christ Heb. 5.7 in whom there was no fear of hell torment and therefore the fear of him that can cast both soul and body in hell though it be another word Mat. 10.28 which Christ commands cannot be a servile fear legall for hell such as is in devils and men but a godly fear such as is consistent with the faith of deliverance from the wrath to come for Christ Mat. 10.28 commands that fear fear saith he to deny Christ before men Why fear him who can cast soul and body in hell And immediatly v. 31. Fear not therefore the same word that is v. 28. then he must forbid a fear opposite to servile fear and which stands with the faith of sons who are to beleeve the care of a father which is more toward his children then toward sparrows v. 29 30. And that the word noâ—â—eth a godly fear which is Heb. 12. beside other Greek Authors See Heb. 5.7 see Luk 2.25 Act. 2.5 Act. 8.2 Act. 23.10 and Heb. 11.7 Noah moved with fear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 built and ark sure the fear of everlasting torment in hell moved not Noah to build the ark for by faith which is saving he builded it v. 7. 3. Eternity is a speciall property of the Covenant of suretyship For 1. the parties are eternall Jehovah the Lord and the Son of God never began to agree upon the designation of the Redeemer for that work it was a bargain closed from everlasting Only the question is when the Son shal render the Kingdom to the Father 1 Cor. 15. whether or not the Covenant shal then ceaâ—e For 1. Christ shal then end his work of Redemption and shal fully and finally have purchased what his soul desires and shall have received his wages and injoy with his conquished bride an eternal sabbath 2. He shall interceed no more for sinners for the sinning of his redeemed ones shall have an end 2. The Son saith Camero shall leave off to raign quod attinet ad regnandi actum according to the act of raigning but as touching the Kingdom it self there shall be no end of the Kingdome But it may appear as there was a time when it was said of Christ Phil. 2.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He emptied himself and took on him the form of a servant So there is a time opposite to that v. 9. Therefore God hath highly exalted him which is not fulfilled in his resurrection ascension and sitting only at the right hand of God but when all power friends and unfriends and the Man Christ shal be subject to the Lord yea even the Son not as God for Christ-God is equall with the Father not as man for so in the days of his flesh as man he ever was and is and shall be subject to God but the Son shall be subject as touching the Office of a formall Mediatour 2. Another distinction is here needfull as Augustine and Ambrose he shall render the Kingdom to the Father not that he shall leave off to raign but that he then shal declare that he raigns not of himself but that he hath his power of raigning from the Father and he shall professe this before men and Angels and so
'le heal him Prov. 6.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to delve to plow inde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that worketh either on iron of timber Why we are more ashamed of uncleannes and falshood theÌ„ of pride Characters of sinfull stoninesâ—e of heart against God Of the morall concurrence â—f the word to the act of infusion of a new heart Job 9.20 Pro 28.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To be made narrow to be pressed in body or minde to afflict to vex Gen. 32.7 straitening was on Iacob by a Metalepsis it is to frame by pressing or keeping straight as Potters frame a vessel Hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 jotsâ—r a potter Eze. 11.13 The 〈◊〉 and unreasonable imaginations of the heart and the atheism thereof A heart delighted with God is the work-house of CHRIST A whole and enteer heart Half a sincere faith is no faith A fixed heart D. Prâ—â—â—on Some new heart or new spirit is an old heart Cant. 3 3. Cant. 5.7 A wel keeped heart is a new heart New affections what they are The necessitie of Works by the Law of faith an old question in the Church Our mistakes of Works of Grace of VVord of God of the works of God It s grace to close with all sorts of commaÌ„ds Galaenus de usupartuum Alphonsus decimus rex Castellae Melius ordinatiusque singula conderentur Pamphlet printed an 1647. p. 31. Luther Gal. 5. In libello de votis Monasti Chemn Loc. Com. de bonis oper cap. 1. qu 3. pag. 21 22. Confess August Apol art 20. Docent nostri quod necesse sit bona opera facere non ut confidamus per ea gratiam merâ—ri sed propter voluntatem Deâ— lib. 6. Concor p. 666. Some necessarie distinctions touching the necessity of Evangelick works Faith thogh weak justifieth Bruised Reed pag. 107 108. The right faith gives to life it justifieth not as Law-obedience The fulfilling of the condition of the Covenant of grace cannoâ— justifie as the fulfilling of the condition of the Covenant of Works shuld have justified The right of redempâ—ion is not ours by Evangelick doing as the place Rev. 22.14 mistaken is exponed by some By Christ dying we obtaine right to life and to Christ not by works Via ad regnum non causa regnaâ—â—i There cannot be a perfection in our faith and Evangelick works in order to the Gospel more then to the Law to justifie us If faith works concur jointly as causes of our justification neither can James deny truely that we are justified by faith nor Paul that we are justified by works English Divines Annot. on Jam. 2. Believing and faith Jam. c. 2. v. 21 23. must be believing and working faith The faith which Jam. excludes from justification is not the faith that Paul speaks of Rom. 3. Gal. 3. but a bastard faith only See Cartwright see D. Fuilk against the Jesuites of Rhems Jam. 2. Stapleton de sola fide justificante l. 8. c. 9. haec autem fides siue charitate mortua est Jam. 2. seu ficta hypocritica 1 Tim. 1. quantum ad perfectae justitiae vitam veritatem non autem quantum ad sâ—ipsâ—m sibique propriam virtutem c. Lorin Commen in Jac. 2.26 Sicut enim corpus non fit comparatio cum homine mortuo 〈◊〉 cum corpore nam homo mortuus non potest proprie vocari homo sed corpus mortuum est propricâ—â—tâ—pus Quo etiam pacto fides siue operibus est vere fides litet mortua Nec saâ—is placet 〈◊〉 addit Cajâ—tan in Comment fidem sine operibus mortuam quoniam opera sunt concomitantia 〈◊〉 Estius Com non comparat Apostolus fidem mortuam cum homine mortuo sed â—um corpore mortâ—â— sicut ergo corpus mortuum est vere proprie corpus ita fides mortua vere proprie fides est Expressions of a lively faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inniti herere recumbere est corporis 2 King 5.18 7.2 The Lord answered upon whose hand the King leaned Gen. 1â— 4 leane down under the tree 2 Chro. 14.11 〈◊〉 cryed to the Lord help us help us for we 〈◊〉 upon thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aspexit cum delectationes cum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est inniti recumbere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 silere tacere Ezek. 27.17 Ps 131.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Kal. 〈◊〉 est 〈◊〉 amore 〈…〉 bitumine â—njunctis Shimler in Lexico 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Firmiter initi unde sumitur pro securum esse â—o quod conâ—fidentiam sequatur securitas oppoâ—nitur dubitationi Est inaliquo spes omnes sic reâ—ponere ut secure quiesâ—at animus adversus omnia pericula res arduâ—s suscipere audeat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A summo ad imum deâ—olvit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Innixus conjunctus vicinus fuit confirmavit staâ—ilivit Saving faith noteth farre other lively acts then can be in the faith of hypocrites James speaks of reall justification before God but under the notion as declared and manifested to men to the conscience of the so justified Remonsteâ— Apol. c. 10· fol. 13 col 2. Jacobum de justificationis declaratione non loqui docent verbâ— ipsa Quis enim adeo vâ— cors est qui cum Apostolo contendere voluerit an homo declaretur justus ex fide fides enim quatenus fiducia est distincta ab operibus pietatis non est nisi in cordâ— homâ—â—is Theologia enim eorum non patitur credere hoc verum esse nam ne de operibus ipsis constare potest an sint bona opera non enim possunt esse bona nisi ex fide fiâ—â—t ex fide enim fieri non modo non potest alteri declarari sed ne illi ipsi id constare potest qui ea facit Quia reprobus illa eadem opera praestare potest Trelcatius senior de Justifica 1. Class Arg. 373. Paulus per quod homines credentes justificantur coram DEO docet Jâ—cobus quo modo justificari cognoscantur 2. Paulus fide verâ solum nos justificaris Jacobus quanam sit vera illa fides ab effectis probat 3. Paulus huic verae fidei tribuit justificationem sine operibus ut causis justificationis Jâ—cobus fidei fictae detrahit hanc vim contra veram probat ab effectis veris 4. Paulus negat bona opera praecedere justificandum Jacobus dicit ea justificatum sequi 5. Paulus à causis justificationis ad effecta discendit quibus detrahit coram Deo vim justificandi ut in solidum id tribuat Dei gratiae Christi merito Calvin Instituti li. 111. c. 17. n. 11. Iucidunt in duplicem Paragolismum Alterum in justificationis alterum in fidei vocabulo Tu credis inquit quod Deus est sane si nihil en istâ fide continetur nisi ut credatur Deum esse jam nihil mirum est si non justificet nec vero dum
scripture The dying for all and every one cannot be coÌ„ditional The promises are so made to all within the Visible Church as all are in Covenant conditionall The unbeleef of justified persons is against the Covenant of Grace and diverse other sins beside finall unbelief are the causes of condemnation All sins against the Gospell even finall unbeleefe are also against the Law and against God Redeemer Immanuel Dicique beatus ante obitum nemo supremaque funera debet How the Covenant of Grace is everlasting yet brokeÌ„ by men The Law commands repentance but not with a promise of life or as a way to life How finall unbeleef is the onelie cause of coÌ„demnation and to whom and how not For whom Christ died he died for their sins and for all their sins There is a world reconciled to whom God imputes no sinne and therefor all the world of Pagans Infidels cannâ—t be such as Christ died for and whose final unbelief he satiâ—fied for The Law the Covenant of Grâ—ce doe not one the same way command faith and forbid unbeleef How the reprobate are under the Covenant of Works Christ one way layes EvaÌ„gelick commands upon the Elect another way on the Reprobate Conditionall perseverance was not promised to Adam The considerable differences betwixt the influences of God given to Adam for his standing in obedience and these influences given to us in the second Adam The obedience of Adam only a duty not a promised benefite our new obedience is both a duty and a promised benefite Four kinds of obediences The excellency of the obedience of Jesus Christ how it was his own properly meritorious The obedience of CHRIST debtfull not dâ—btful in diverse respects Properlie so cal'd satisfactâ—oÌ„ is performed by Christ. Angels obedience properly obedience that â—s of grace and not their own Grace diminisheth of the nature of meriteâ— from the obedience Of Adams obedience how proper it was Gospel-obedience hath less of the nature of obedience then Adams obedience The Law is made as it were Gospel to elect beleevers the Gospel Law to reprobates Obedience from Law and from love how differenced Gospel obedience from grace how excellent and how far above civiliâ—ty in its fairest lustre Tremellius Trostius in Syria Ver. Gal. 3. Qui non fecerit omnia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hyeronâ— Maledictus qui non permanet LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chald. Para. Qui non permanserit Syria Versio Maledictus qui non perâ—â—iceriâ— Arab. Versio Qui non confirmabit Bâ—za Gal. 3.10 Qui non firmarit Magna vis Verbi Jakim Pagnâ— Ari. Montanus Qui non statuerit Faith as lively not as induring to the end the condition of the new Covenant Faith in the first lively act saves justifies How boasting is excluded by grace Boidius Comment Eph. 2. How faith saves not according to the dignitie of its act 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shindlerus notat in cum propter Calv. com Ezek. 20.11 Nulla igitur est in eo absurditâ—s si homines viâ—ant hoc est mereantur ex pacto vitam â—ternam Sed â—i quisâ—legem servat sequetur eum non opus habere Christi gratia Toletus Rom. 3. Adverte fidem non habere ex se officaciam ullam ut actus quidam noster est remitten di reconciliandi sed virtutem totam procedere ex objecto ipso nempe Christo cujus virtutem meritum disposuit Deus per fidem in ipsum applicare peccatori ad justificandum The Adversaries exclude not Law-boasting A twofold imputatioÌ„ of Christ one legall another Evangelick The mistake of Antinomians Obedience to the surety Christ is by a speciall Law Faith presupposeth three unions maketh the fourth We believe that Christs righteousnes may be made ours because it is ours we believe it to be ours also Four or five sort of adversaries who caused various coÌ„siderations of the question of justification in the Old and in the New Test. Of the dominion of the Law Ambro· Mori legi est vivere Deo quia lex dominatur peccatoribus cui ergo dimittuntur peccata is moritur legi boc est liberatur a Lege per corpus Christi hoc consequimur beneficium 〈◊〉 tradens enim corpus suum Servator mortem vicit peccatum damnaviâ— Christ Mystical Christ believers are freed from the law-dominion The Antinomian objectioÌ„ charged upon is answered by him There is a twofold dominion of sin The oldnesse of the letter and the newnes of the Spirit No gifts nor grace can be given by the Law How the Covenant of works is eternall How the Covenant of works is not eternal There is more of the Covenant of grace in the life to come then of the Covenant of works Other differences between the Covenant of Works and that of Grace The perpetuitie of the Covenant of Grace in the life to come Every thing in this Covenant is free Grace How fear of law-fear acts upon a beleever * So the faith of Joseph Mary that Christ their Son shal be great shal sit in the Thron of DAVID his father shal raign over the house of Jacob for ever Luk. 1.32 33. did wel consist with that holy and obedientiall fear of fleeing into Egypt for fear that Herod shuld murther that hopefull young King in his cradle Math. 2. What is to be done under tentations What way a fixed peace is in the children of GOD. A beleever ought not to coÌ„plain of a state of non justificatioÌ„ but ought to complain of a state of non sanctification Why feeling of sin seldome wants unbeleef OfteÌ„ when the believer complains of his own sanctificatioÌ„ because of guiltines lately acted he also unbeleevingly coÌ„plaines of Christ his performed satisfactioÌ„ as if it were weak Christ by his death removes not sense of sin CHRIST died not to remove Gospel sense or any sense of sin flowing from a naturall conscience The room of Christ in both Covenants The first Adam marres all the second ADAM mends all How the Law doth oblidge to both doing and suffering The righteousnesse of Christs person and of his merit Christs active obedience how it is meritorious for us Epist. David Parel de justi ch activa passivâ— 186 Satisfactio est redditiâ— voluntaria equivalentis alioquin indebiti 〈◊〉 alii ex propriis bonis non debitis No satisfaction could be at all except Christ had died because all the satisfaction of a surety might in Law have been refused and the Lord might have eternally punished Adam all his in a Law-way in their persons therefore there was need of a punishment agreed upon between God and the Mediator by a special Covenant this punishment must be satisfactory to the Law which required death Gen. 2.17 and so must Christ-God-man dâ—e The Scripture never speaks of Christs dying but it speaks of this intrinsecall end that they should die to sin and live to God for whom
the transient Law-dispensation and to set up Christ. 2. The Lord of purpose gave a positive Law forbidding eating of such a Tree added a threatning thereunto particularly suffered the Serpent to tempt and forsaw what frail nature would do that he might deal with man in a dispensation of free grace Obj. Did not God ordain that Adam should have life and righteousnesse if he should continue in obedience Ans. That was a decree conditionall of things the man that does these things shall live and showes the equitie and holinesse of the Law but it was not a decree of persons by which God predestinated Adam to a Law-glory as the end and to Law-obedience as the effectuall means leading to that end Q. Was not Adam chosen Ans. Adam according to the Lords designe finaliter objectivè was created in the state of predestination to glory and grace in Christ as touching his person but according to his inherent condition he was created in a legall dispensation which was a gracious inlet to Christ And according to his Law-state as he represented all mankinde he was Created as a lubrick and frail Coppie of weak nature Many who are such as are not chosen are Created and live under a Covenant of Works having onely some concomitant favours of the Gospel as the Preaching thereof 2. Common grace inward warnings 3. Protections of providence and forbearance in regard they are mixed with the Elect. The heathen cannot be said to have any inward calling to Grace and Glory because there be some remanents of the Image of God left in them which no more can be called universall Grace then the same sparkles that are left in Devils can be called Gospel Grace for they believe There is one God and confesse the Son of God Jam. 2.19 Luk. 4.34 Mark 1.24 Only if this be called Grace that the nature of man is so capable of Gospel mercy and the nature of the fallen Angels morallie not so 2. The offer is made to them of Christ not so to Devils we shall not contend Reason may seeme to say that all should have a share of Gospel-Grace but it may be replyed to reason why should it seeme to be a part of the goodnesse and bounty of God to will and desire all and every one to be saved and not to institute such a dispensation as all and every one should actuallie be saved 2. How should that stand he hath mercy on whom he will if free-will of the creature absolutely dispose of Salvation and damnation 3. How is it that the Calling Adoption and the offer of mercy is restricted to few and was confined to the Jews only of old But we are more ready to call the Lord to a reckoning for his dispensation of Grace to others then to use our own as becomes us 2. We cannot judge aright of God and of his goodnes except he be God our very way 3. It is a matter of no small difficultie to make right use of the Lords freedome of Grace and for clay humblie to adore Soveraigntie and not to stumble at the highnesse of his wayes who in these points hath wayes and thoughts above ours as the heavens are above the earth Isa. 55. CHAP. VI. It was condescension in the Lord to enter in Covenant with man 2. Temptations in fearing we are not chosen discovered 3. Beings and not beings are debtors to God 4. Self denyall required in sinlesse nature as in sinfull 5. Man considered three wayes WHither was God under an obligation to make a Covenant with man Hardly can any maintain the dominion and Soveraigntie of God and also assert an obligation on the Lords part of working upon the creature The Lord is debtor to neither person nor things He as Lord commands but it is condescension that he commands Covenant-wayes with promise of a reward to the obeyer The Leviathan in strength is far above Job he cannot command him Job 14.4 Will he make Berith a Covenant with thee wilt thou take him for a servant for ever That is the Leviathan will not engadge as a servant to obey Iob as his master A Covenant speaks something of giving and taking work and reward and mutuall engagements betwixt parties though there be something in the Covenant between God and man that is not in the Covenants of men The rationall creatures owe suitable that is rationall obedience to the Creator but God is under no obligation to give life especially so excellent a life as a communion with God in glory yet he does it What a God must he be who will come downe and put himself in a lovely and gaining capacitie to be a Covenanting debtour to our feeble obedience whereas he ows nothing and to make heaven and glory so sure to us that the heavens should sooner break and melt like snow before the Sun then his promise can fail Obj. True but faith is fixed upon the new Covenant-promise if I believe Ans. Yea but faith here is to believe that the condition it self is promised as well as the reward Obj. The condition of a new heart and of faith is promised but not to all not to me but to some few chosen only Ans. There be here a number of errors 1. Unbelief foments proud merite that we are to believe as much of God promised as there is conceived to be worth in self and in me to fulfill the condition But true faith contrare to self-unworthinesse relyes upon the Truth of God the excellencie of Christ and the absolutenesse of the promise 2. Sathan like a Sophist drawes the dispute to the weakest conclusion from the strongest to wit from the promise of God that is surer then heaven to the state against which there is a greater number of Topick Arguments then there can be against the promise of God As 1. What am I 2. Am I chosen or not So Sathan to Christ if thou be the Son of God command these stones to be made bread in point of beleeving its better that faith expatiate in viewing God Christ the Ransome of the blood of God-Man the depth of free grace then upon self and the state in point of repenting and humble down-casting we would read self and our own estate 3. It s Satan and the unbeleeving heart that would have our faiths greatnesse rising from selfs holinesse and goodnesse Whereas the greatest faith that Christ finds Mat. 8.10 looks away from self v. 8. I am not worthy and dwells much upon the Omnipotency of Christ in commanding diseases as a Centurian his Souldiers 4. When unbelief quarrels the Lord as untrue and weak who faints and wearies and one that is not the Creator of the ends of the earth it alledges only and pretends self-guiltinesse to justifie unbelief Yet Isa 40.28 though God be reproached as weak we seem to resolve all in this our own unworthinesse but we cannot get our faith stately enough and the truth is here we quarrell
with God and his decrees under pretence of this what if he have not chosen me and I have no right to Covenant-mercies except I take a Law-way to earne them by fulfilling the condition 5. When we beleeve a conditionall promise if I beleeve I am saved faith relyes not fiducially upon the if I beleeve or upon the condition It s a weak pillar to a sinner to stay his unquiet heart upon to wit his own beleeving but faith rests upon the connexion if thou beleeve thou shalt be saved and it stayes upon the connexion as made sure by the Lord who of grace gives the condition of beleeving and of grace the reward conditioned so that faith binds all the weight upon God only even in conditionall Gospel-promises 1. Man is to be considered as a creature 2. As such a creature to wit endued with reason and the Image of God in either considerations especially in the former all that are created are obliged to do and suffer the will of God though they never sinned It s not enough to say that Sun Moon Trees Herbs Vines Earth Beasts Birds and Fishes cannot suffer the ill of punishment which is relative to the break of a Law for the whole Creation is subject to vanity for our sins Rom. 8.20 21. The Servant is smitten and sickened for the Masters sake and God may take from them what he gave them their lives without sense of pain and dollour for all beings yea defects and privations are debters to the glory declarative of God Prov. 16.4 Rom. 11.36 yea and no beings are under this debt God can serve himself of nothing yea that there are not created Locusts Caterpillars more numerous then that all the fruits of the earth can be food to them Preach the Glory of the Lords goodnesse to man and what are never to be no lesse then all things that have futurition or shall come to passe either absolutely or conditionally are under the positive decree of God else we should not owe thanks to the Lord for many evils that never fall out that the Lord turns away violent death violence of men and wilde beasts and many possible mischiefs contrair to Deut. 28.11 12. Lev. 26.6 Psal. 34.20 Psal. 91.5 6 7 8. And all these beings or no beings owe themselves to God to hold forth the glory of goodnesse wisedome mercy justice c. suppone there had never been sin Far more now who wants matter of meditation or can write a book of all the pains aâ—kings convulsions pests diseases that the Lord decreed to hold off so that every bone joynt lith hair member should write a Psalm Book of praises Psal. 35.10 All my bones shall say Lord Who is like unto thee Nor can any man write his debts of this kind But we are little affected with the negatives of mercies except we read them upon others and little then also Self-pain Preacheth little to us far more the borrowed experience of fallen Angels of Sodom of the old world c. leaves small impression upon stony spirits 2. Complain not that you have not that share of grace another hath if ye you think had it you would be as usefull to glorifie God as they but ye know not your self swell not against him that thou hast no grace O vessell of wrath thou owes that bit clay and all thy wants to glorifie his Justice 3. My sicknesse my pain my bands owe themselves to God and are debtors to his glory I and every one of men should say O that my pain might praise him and my hell and flamings of everlasting fire might be an everlasting Psalm of the Glory of his Justice That my sorrow could sing the Glory of so High a Lord But we love rather that he wanted his praise so we wanted our pain 3. God hath made a sort of naturall Covenant with night and day Jer. 31.35 For all are his servants Psal. 119.91 that they should be faithfull to their own naturall ends to act for him Ier. 5.22 Ier. 31.37 Psal. 104.1 2 3.4 and they are more faithfull to their ends then men Isa. 1.3 Ier. 8.7 The oxe and the asse being more knowing to their owner and the swallow and the cran being more discerning of their times then men are 2. They so keep their line that there is more self-deniall in their actings then in mans way as if fire were not fire and nature in it denied the fire devours not the three Children Dan. 3.27 28 The Sun stands still the Moon moves not Iosh. 10.12 13. The hungry Lions eat not Daniel ch 6.22 When the Lord gives a counter-command to them and that is a clause in the Covenant that the Lord entered with them that they act or no act as he shall be pleased to speak to them John 2.10 Isa. 50.2 Mat. 8.16 It is a most humbling Theame that an asse is more in denying nature and the cran and the fire then man yea then a renued man in some cases 4. But if man be considered as such a man endued with the Image of God and withall the Covenant be considered as such a Covenant as is expressed in the Ten-Commandements in which one of seven is a Sabbath to the Lord it will be found that many positives Morall are in the Covenant of Works that are not in naturall Covenants 5. So man must come under a three-fold consideration 1. As a creature 2. As a reasonable creature 3. As such a creature reasonable endued with the image of God In the first consideration man comes under the Covenant naturall common to all creatures So is Peters body carried above in the water as iron swims 2. As a reasonable creature he owes himself to God to obey so far as the Law written in the heart carries him to love God trust in him fear him But this can hardly bear the name of a Covenant except it be so called in a large sense nor is there any promise of life as a reward of the work of obedience here 3. But man being considered as indued with the Image of God so the Holy God made with him a Covenant of life with Commandements though positive and Morall yet not deduced from the Law of Nature in the strictest sense as to observe such a Sabbath the seventh from the Creation the not eating of the forbidden tree and with a promise of such a life And therefore though Divines as our solid and eminent Rollock call it a Covenant naturall as it is contradistinguished from the supernaturall Covenant of Grace and there is good reason so to call it Yet when it is considered in the positives thereof it is from the free will of God and though it be connaturall to man created according to the Image of God yet the Covenant came so from the Lords wisedom and free-will as he might have casten it in a new and far other frame And it cannot be denyed though it be most
for I am â—rudent I removed the bounds of the people 14. And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people and as one gathereth â—ggs that are left so have I gathered all the earth and there was â—one that moved the wing or opened the mouth or peeped This 〈◊〉 the fool-axe boasting against him that heweth with it And anoâ—her fool said Make an agreement with me by a present and come out to me Isa. 36.16 And this mad-nothing is above God chap. 37.10 Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee The Tyrant of Egypt the great Dragon that lyeth in the midst of the river said My river is mine own and I have made it for my self Ezek. 29.3 God made the Sea and all the Rivers There be three Pronouns in the mouth of another proud Monarch Dan. 4.30 And the King spake and said Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the Kingdom by the might of my power and the honour of my Majesty So soon as there falls from the great Lord of being a chip or shadow of created being especially where being is rationall and under a Law there follows and results the Lord withdrawing a proud supposed I and a vain conceit of self and a dream of God-head comes in with borrowed being And therefore created sinlesse self is to be denyed Adam denyed not himself and thought in his sick imagination he should be like God knowing good and evill Gen. 3. Christ the more excellent Adam pleased not that noble self Rom. 15.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He denyed himself as man as a gracious meer man to be God or more then a man And this self-deniall is in elect Angels who blush and are sinlesly ashâ—med of self and cover their faces with wings before shining Infinitnesse of Glory and proclaim him thrice Holy holy holy Isa. 6.2 3. And who knowes not we owne grace as our own my prayers my faith my holiness my tears as if grace had a relish from self not from God but Paul 1 Cor. 15.10 Not I but the grace of God not my grace in me that was with me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. But is there no paction between GOD and the creature Surely we must say that the covenant between GOD and Adam is of another nature yea and promises also then these that are between man and man for there is proper giving and taking betwixt the creature 2. The proper covenants between man and man require that both parties be free and independent one of another there may interveen a jus a right and a debt upon the promissor to him to whom the promise is made Omne promissum ex ore fideli cadit in debitum Jurists say there is no proper binding Covenants between the father and the son the lord and the servant for the son and the servant are not lords of themselves nor sui juris The father by no paction can remove the foundation of the debt of nature that the son oweth to the father for impossible it is but if such a man be son to such a man but he owe to his father as to an instrument quod sit vivat being and living and the son can not satisfie by paying the father for that summe and the father can not cancell the band nor give him an acquittance Far lesse can any recompence the Lord for life and being The fallen Angels and damned in hell and all wicked men are in the Lords Compt-book everlasting debters to him for being But God who is more then a Father to whom men are but painted fathers may thus farre loose the bond as he may command the son to sacrifice the father as well as once he commanded the father Abraham to offer up his son to God But God cannot resigne his right that he hath over the creature to a creature because he cannot leave off to be Creator and so cannot lay aside or make over Creator-right jus Creatoris to any 2. Say that a creature had a jus or right over the Creator it is either an uncreated right or a created right so to pursue God by Law as to cause him do him justice it cannot be an uncreated right for that were near to blasphemie For no created head can bear the royall Crown of the King of Ages If it be a created right this created right must be under the dominion of him who is universall Lord of all then may the Lord make use of it at his pleasure then may not the man make use of it at his pleasure for an absolute dominion of one and the same thing cannot be in the hands of two absolute Lords who may have contradictory desires concerning the same thing such as the holy Lord and sinfull men often are Let us correct the bold pleadings and the daring charges that our vain hearts put upon the Lord Why dost thou strive against him saith Elihu Job 33.13 for he gives not account of any of his matters Men dare say when they are under the vengeance of ordinary sufferings The wayes of the Lord are not equal Ezek. 33.10 If our transgressions and our sins be upon us and we pine away in them how shall we then live But upon whom should sins and transgressions and the punishment thereof be if not upon the carcases of the Authors Will ye raise letters to summond him Where is the judge Where is the Tribunall But he promised so and so But this is not the Question of strict justice that saith something against the veracity and faithfulnesse of God but nothing against the justice But neither doth a promise as a promise raise a plea of unjustice against the holy and glorious Lord suppose he should not fulfill his promise For 1. A paction by promise creats no equality of justice between thing and thing between wage and work otherwise he that is called to the Vineyard and labours from the third hour hath a just plea for he should have more wages then a penny which he gets who labours but one hour But the Lord makes not the equality or proportion between much labouring for many hours and the quantity and degree of the wage his râ—le But the Lord pleads the free Covenant for his standing rule Mat. 20.13 Friend I do thee no worng didst thou not agree with me for a penny And vers 15. Is it not lawfull for me to do what I will with mine own Hence read our sickly queroulus nature 1. Naturally we argue from much working and would conclude God much running long sweaâ—ing and pains in keeping the Covenant of Works should binde God except he be unjust to give me as many ounces and pound weights of Glory everlasting as I have fasted moments and told over prayers upon beads and uttered sighs Wherefore have we fasted and thou seesâ— not We work and keep the Covenant of Works but God payes us not our wage Though
man sins not before God nor against the law of the land in that he lives nor can he be called an usurper and unjust malae fidei possessour of his life For the sentence was not that he should take away his life with his own hand but that it should be taken away by the judiciall hand and executioner of the Magistrate Nor is this Providentiall right a right of meer permission but of positive donation and free-gift for then we might by the same reason say that Reprobate men have a right of meer permission to keep and injoy the knowledge of these that God is Superiours Parents are to be honoured the whole is more then the part Yea they have the same naturall and providentiall right by nature that other sinners have to the one as to the other 2. These who injoy that of which they deserve to be deprived they sin in the act of using as touching the substance of the act of living being eating drinking That is most false These who injoy that of which they deserve to be deprived they in modo in the way maner and end of living eating c. do sin It is true and such have not spirituall and supernaturall right in Christ which they ought to have if they be in the Visible Church and hearers of the Gospel to life being and the creatures and they sin in not believing Rom. 14. not eating for the Glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 Naturall men care not if they have and injoy things so they have them They have being so have earth stones c. they live so doe trees and hearbs they have health so have beasts and birds they swallow up many years so do Ravens and Harts and other beasts a long lump many thousand yairds and miles of life are sought diu sunt non diu vivunt But who lives for God who sleeps who wakes who eats for God and his Glory and they who make themselves their last end Idolatrously put self in the roome of God who only is the last end of all Rom. 11.36 Rev. 4.11 Prov. 16.4 and as good make self the first Author of Heaven and Earth and Creator as the last end Ye who eat and drink who pays your reckoning Christ Or are you usurpers Have you any Charter Or do ye robbe the Lord Q. What way is God ours A. By Covenant Ezek. 34.24 Genes 17.7 Jere. 32.38 Zech. 13.9 But he is not ours as if we had some gifted right and dominion over him as we have over the creatures 2. Nor is he ours as we are his the clay hath no soveraignty over the Potter Nor 3. is God simply as God ours but God as it were coming down in Christ to us Covenant-wayes as God incarnate to make out his goodnesse grace mercy to and for us 4. It s true God incarnate Christ is principally Gods 1 Cor. 3.21 not ours He is all for God he is Immanuel our Immanuel in order to save us and so is more ours then the God of Angels 2. God is the fluier of the Saints desire more to them then all heaven in the length and breadth thereof and all the inhabitants thereof Psal. 73.25 Isa. 63.16 more then all the Angels and Saints 1 Thes. 4.16 2. There is no hell to Christ but afar off God Psal. 22.1 Math. 27.45 no heaven but the glory he had with the father John 17.5 3. There is nothing more like a spiritual disposition then when the Spouse Cant. 3. hath soul-love to Christ I sought him whom my soul loved 2. She hath an ardent desire after him I sought him but I found him not 3. There could not be such diligent search after she found him if there had not been strong faith 4. And her conference with the watchmen Saw ye him whom my soul loveth saith She enjoyed Ordinances and means yet there may be which is to be observed a furniture of grace and a want of Christ I went a little further I found him whom my soul loveth Cant. 5. There is 1. a waking heart 2. A discerning of the Beloved and a telling over again of his words Open to me my sister c. 3. A stirring of Christs hand upon the key-hole of the heart 4. A moving of the bowels for him 5. A seeking of him and a praying but no finding nor answer 6. A love-sicknesse for him and yet a missing of himself I sought him but I found him not So compare Cant. 1.1 4. with Cant. 2 3 4. with v. 6 8. and other places it will be clear a God-head can only quiet the spirit and that its a question whether we know the field where the Pearle is and the Rubies Saphirs precious stones that are hid here which do in worth exceed the capapacity of Angels and Saints Therefore should his glory be the last end and stirrer of us in all our actings and grace the only efficient in all and so much of God if he be ours by Covenant as our wayes intentions may smell of him But there is much of the creature of self of gain of empty glory in our spirituall actings God weighs not down the creature nor heaven and union with Christ as Exod. 32.32 Rom. 9.3 2. It s a spirituall soul that misseth God rather then the train of all the graces of faith love hope dâ—siâ—e of and joying in him And know he is away though heaven were in the heart and can discern when the Ordinances are empty 3. It engages all we are hands knees body Exo. 20.5 Psal. 44.20 1 Cor. 6.19 self to be for God and to live wholly in him not in our selves 4. We are not to believe in believing nor to be sick of love with the love of Christ nor to make a god of faith or love It s a spirituall condition to have grace and to misse Christ. CHAP. X. Q. WHat are the false grounds of the Lords making the Covenant of Grace A. There are two bastard grounds devised by Arminians 1. Because the Covenant of Works cannot oblidge both to active and passive obedience but to one of them only say they and the Covenant of Works was so rigid that God could not follow it out and cast infants in hell for a sin which is theirs only by imputation and was pardoned to the first man that committed it Therefore he was necessitated to make a Covenant of Grace with all mankind none excepted But the Covenant of Works is broken and can now be a way of Justification and salvation to none but yet it oblidges all And sin cannot make us lawlesse for the spirituall Law is of an eternall obligation 2. They that never heard of Christ perish by the Law and not by the Covenant of Grace of which they never heard and the Gospel is written in the heart of none 3. The first Covenant was holy and spirituall and God should unjustly threaten death upon infants if they be not guilty of
it must either be a Covenant of Works or of Grace or a third Covenant But the truth is the Law as pressed upon Israel was not a Covenant of Works 1. The Law as the Law or as a Covenant of Works is made with perfect men who need no mercy But this Covenant is made with sinners with an expresse preface of mercy I am the Lord thy God that brought thee out of the land of Egypt c. It is made with stiff-necked Israel Deut. 29. Deut. 30. c. 31. c. 32. and that is called a Covenant from the end and object as motions are denominate from their end for the end of the Lords pressing the Law upon them was to bring them under a blessed necessity to seek salvation in their true City of Refuge Christ Jesus who redeemed them out of the spirituall bondage of sin 2. It was the Covenant made with Abraham which was a Covenant of Grace and though it be called Deut. 29.1 a Covenant beside that which was made in Horeb Because 1. Renued again after their breach 2. Repeated a litle before the death of Moses Deut. 31.28.29.30 3. Because there were some additions of speciall blessings cursings Ceremoniall Commands that were not in the formerly proposed Covenant Exod. 20. yet the same it was in substance to love the Lord with all the heart Deut. 2.10 12 13 14. The same with that of Abraham Deut. 8.18 That he may establish his Covenant which he sware unto thy fathers as it is this day When he is to deliver them out of Egypt Exod. 2.24 And God heard their groaning and remembred his Covenant with Abraham and Isaak and Jacob. So the Lord expones it in his appearing to Moses Exod. 3.6 Jer. 31.32 Not according to the Covenant which I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Aegypt Now that was the Covenant which God made with Abraham of which Circumcision was a seal Gen. 17. not of a temporary Canaan only but of heart Circumcision Col. 2.11 For the Lord expresâ—y tells thâ—â— when he took them by the hand as his married people to bring them out of the Land of Aegypt and out of the house of bondage Exod. 20. He meant no other Covenant then he made with Abraham of believing Gen. 15. and of walking before him and being perfect Gen. 17.1 2. which is somewhat more legall as Moses and the Lord himself expones it Exod. 2.24 Exod. 3.6 Exod. 20.1 2. And he showes them Lev. 26. if in their enemies land they repent and shall come out and meet the rod and their uncircumcised hearts shall willingly accept of the punishment of their iniquity 42. Then saith the Lord I will remember my Covenant with Jacob and also my Covenant with Isaac and also my Covenant with Abraham will I remember Beside there are not here three Covenants but one there is no word of the subservient Covenant with Israel in Sinai Except that when he mentions the one he excludes not the other For to walk before the Lord required in Abrahams Covenant Gen. 17.1 is to walk in all the ways of the Lord to fear and love him Deut. 10.12 13. and Samuel 1 Sam. 12.22 Joshua Josh. 24.22 23 24 25. And Mary Luke 1.55 And Zacharie ver 70 72 73. refer to the Covenant made with Abraham and Deut. 6. the Covenant at Horeb the Lord made with Abraham to give Canaan to his seed ver 10. Deut. 7.12 If thou hearken to these judgements to do them it shall come to passe that the Lord thy God will keep unto thee the Covenant of mercy that he sware unto thy fathers c. 3. This Covenant hath the promise of a circumcised heart Deut. 30.6 and of the word of faith that is near in the mouth and of the righteousnesse of faith clearly differenced from the righteousnesse of the Law by doing For so Paul Rom. 10.5 6 7 c. expones Moses Deut. 30.11 12 13 14. 4. The Covenant of Works taught nothing of the way of expiation of sin by blood typifying the Ransome of blood that Christ was to pay for our sins as this Covenant all along had sacrifices and blood to confirm it Exod. 24.8 And Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said behold this is the Blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words Now the words were the ten Commandements See Heb. 9. v. 18 19 20 21 22 23 24. 5. This Covenant is made with Israel only Exod. 20. Deut. 5. c. 6. Deut. 6.5 6 7.12 The Covenant of Works is made with all mankind 6. No people under the Law can be justified and saved thereby nor have their sins pardoned Rom. 3.9 10 11. 19 20. Rom. 4.1 2 3 4. Rom. 9. Rom. 10. Psal. 130 3. Psal. 143.2 Gal. 3.1 2 3. 10 11 12 13. But in this Covenant Abraham David Gen. 15. Psal. 32. Rom. 4.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. And the Jewes by faith have remission of sins and salvation as also the Gentiles have Acts 10.43 Acts 15.11 7. The Lord minds to lay aside the Law as inconsistent with the Covenant of Grace Gal. 3.18 If the inheritance be by the Law then it is not by promise but God gave it to Abraham by promise For to live by this Covenant is a life of promises all being here promised both faith the condition and perseverance therein and a new heart righteousnesse pardon and life A man that hath his estate in papers and in good words that are transient things may seem a poor man but to live by promises here is the rich life of the heirs of hope this is strong consolation under deadness absence faith working under-ground in the dark Gal. 3.21 If there had been a Law which could have given life verily righteousnesse should have been by the Law Though he commanded them to do the Law it was not that they should live thereby and though he commanded us the same it is another command as it were it is not so much now that we obey from the Authority of God Law-giver under pain of damnation though that be not laid aside but urged in a Gospel intention upon heirs as from the love of God Grace-giver as also there is an intrinsecall amaenitie in Christ drawing and obedience now becomes connaturall free delightfull Let these consider to whom the yoak of obedience is a torment and a man-mill 8. The Passeover and Circumcision Gen. 17.7 all along were seals of the Covenant as Baptism one with Circumcision in substance Col. 2.11 is the seal of the same Covenant Acts 2.39 40 41. Now the Law required no Circumcision no shedding of blood no Repentance no new heart but eternall condemnation followed the least breach thereof Paul saith indeed Gal. 5.3 If ye be Circumcised as the false Apostles would have that thereby you may be justified saved
you are debters to keep the whole Law perfectly as the only way to life and by no other Covenant can you be justified and saved now Abraham was not circumcised that way circumcision did bind Abraham to keep the Law as a Ceremonie and Seal of the Covenant of Grace commanded of God But the Law as a Covenant of Works doth command no Ceremonie no Sacrifice no Type of Christ Mediator at all It s true that first Covenant had Moses for its mediator but as he was a Type of Christ so Christ yesterday and the day was the reall Mediator but vailed The New Covenant hath better promises Heb. 8.6 Heb. 7.22 it s a better Covenant Heb. 7.22 hath a better reall not a Typicall suretie a better Priest who offered himself through the eternall Spirit Heb. 9.14 a better Sacrifice because of the plainenesse Iohn 16.29 2 Cor. 3.18 because the reall promises are made out to us because of a larger measure of Grace 2 Cor. 3.1 2 3 4. And the first Covenant is faultie Heb. 8.7 not because there was no Salvation by it the contrare is Heb. 11. but that is comparatively spoken because the blood of beasts therein could not take away sins Heb. 10.1 2 3 4. because forgivenesse of sins is promised darkly in the first Covenant but plainly in the other because Grace is promised sparingly in the former but here abundantly the Law being written in the heart John 7.39 Esa. 54.13 And it is true Gal. 4.22 23 24 c. they seeme to be made contrare Covenants But Paul speaks Gal. 3. of the Law as relative to that people and so it pressed them to Christ and keeps them as young Heires under nonage 2. He speaks of the Law absolutely as contradistinguished from the Gospel Gal. 4.21 so it is a Covenant of Works begetting children to bondage 2. Who come short of righteousnesse and the inheritance and shall not be saved 3. Who are casten out of the Kingdome of Grace 4. Who persecute the Godly the Sons of promise so is the Law as it was in Adams dayes and is now to all the Reprobate so the Godly are not under the Law and the Covenant of Works The Covenant urged upon Believers is to prove them when they stand afar off and tremble Exod. 20.20 Fear not saith Moses God is come to prove you not to damne you and therefore Calvine solidely observeth that Paul 2 Cor. 3. speaks with lesse respect of the Law then the Prophets do for their cause who out of a vain affectation of the Law-Ceremonies gave too much to the Law and darkned the Gospel and sayeth the one was 1. Literall 2. Written in stone 3. A Sermon of death and wrath 4. To be done away and lesse glorious whereas the Gospel is Spirituall 2. Written on the heart 3. The Ministrie of life 4. And glorious and praises put upon the Law agree not to it of its own nature but as it was used by the Lord to prove them Exod. 29.20 and chase them to Christ. The Arminians also especially Episopius make three Covenants 1. One with Abraham in which he requires sincere worship and putting away strange gods Beside 2. Faith and Universall obedience and promised Canaan to his seed and Spirituall blessings darkly 2. One in Mount Sinai in these three Laws Morall Ceremoniall and Judiciall with a promise of Temporall good things but to no sinners promise of life Eternall 3. A Covenant of Grace with a promise of pardon and life to all that believe and repent to all mankind but he denyes 1. All infused habits contrare to Isa. 44.1 2 3. Isa. 59.20 21. Zach 12.10 Joh. 4.14 Joh. 7.37 John 16.7 8. 1 John 3.9 he sayeth that 2. all commands are easie by Grace 3. That the promise of earthly things in their abundance is abolished in that we are called to patient suffering 4. That there is no threatning in this Covenant but that of Hell fire But the Covenant made with Abraham is that of Grace made with all the Seed Deut. 30.6 Deut. 7.5 6 7 12. Lev. 26.40 41. and made with all Believers who are Abrahams children Gal. 3.13 14 18 19. Rom. 4.1 2 3 4. Luke 19.9 yea with the whole race of man without exception 2. The second Covenant which promiseth only blessings is made rather with beasts that well fed then with men contrare to Psal. 73.25 Isa. 57.1.2 3. Psal. 37.37 and it must build some Chalmer in hell where the fathers were before Christ a dreame unknown to Scripture The third Covenant makes the Covenant of Grace a Covenant of Works and holds out life and pardon upon condition that free-will repent and believe and stand on its own feet for there is neither faith nor a new heart nor repentance promised contrare to Deut. 30.6 Ezek. 11.19 20. Ezek. 36.26 27. Isa. 59.19 20 21. Isa. 44.1 2 3 4 5. Zech. 12.10 CHAP. XII 1. All are to try under what Covenant they are 2. Threatnings under the New Testament are more spirituall 3. Desertions under both are compared 4. Considerable differences of such as are under the Covenant of Works and such as are under the Covenant of Grace 5. Of legall terrors 6. Of convictions compelled free legall c. Quest. 1. WHether should not all try under what Covenant they are Answ. Self-searching is a reflect act upon the state and such acts are more spirituall then direct acts and therefore it should be the work of all to try under what reign they are whether of the first or second Adam And whereâ—s Angels cover their faces and their feet with wings Isa. 6. before God and are full of eyes as without so also within Râ—v 4.8 We may hence learn such come nearest to the nature of these pure and heavenly Spirits who have eyes within to see what they are and their blacknesse of face and feet when they compare themselves either with the Holy God or his Holy Law 2. The Carnall man is a beast Psal 49.20 and beasts have no reflect acts upon their own beastly state 3. The more of a spirituall life is in any the more stirring in communing with their own heart the Law makes the more of life that is in the worme when tramped on the more stirring it makes deadnesse and stupiditie in not being versed and well read and skilled in our selves and our own heart argues little of the Spirit and estrangement to a spirituall Covenant nor can any lay hold on the Covenant of Grace in a night dream Quest. Whether are there rarer threatnings of Temporall evils under the New Covenant then under the Old Answ. It cannot be denyed except the threatnings of the Sword Famine Pestilence on Jerusalem and the desolation upon the Jews Math. 23. Math. 24. but in place of all the diseases of Egypt Levit. 26. and the long Roll of dreadfull judgements and curses temporall Deut. 28. denounced against the transgressours of the former
the New Testament but only internall Covenanting of the elect 5. Young Timothy and children of beleeving Parents and all the aged within the Visible Church have no right to hear the Preached Gospel before they beleeve and be the holy seed more then Pagans Yea 6. they can have no command of God to hear the Gospel nor any Covenant or Gospel warrand untill they be believers for if there were no promise made to hearing and considering the word if they shall beleeve while as yet they beleeve not and untill they be effectually called there can be no command and no Law to hear the Gospel and the Covenant-offer made in Christ. It shall then be no more sin for unconverted persons to turn away their ears from the Law and not to hear the Gospel 7. It were non-sense to say to men under the externally proposed Covenant repent hear the Gospel use the means receive the seals and yet you have no right to hear nor have we any warrand to baptize you untill ye beleeve for there is no promise made to you nor to your seed and children untill first you beleeve And it must say there was no threatning to Adam Gen. 2.17 before he sinned and no promise to Adam nor to any now do this and live untill Adam first sinned and first obeyed the Covenant and so if John Covenant to labour in Peters Vineyard and Peter promise to him four pence so he work twelve hours otherwise he shall not pay him four pence though John accept of the Covenant and work but one hour whereas his Covenant is to work for twelve hours then no man can say to John work for there is a promise made of four pence to you the other might deny no such promise was made to me except I work twelve hours It were sure unfaithfull dealing to John to say so For the four pence ought not by this Covenant to be given to him except he work twelve hours but he cannot without palpable falshood say I have broken no Covenant in not working twelve hours For though I consented to the Covenant and began to work an hour yet the promise was not to me simply but to me as working twelve hours but there is neither face nor faith in this Answer For the fulfilling of the Covenant is only to give four pence to John if he work twelve hours But the promise and Covenant was made to him and he hath foully broken Yea a conditionall Covenant agreed unto and accepted is a Covenant if we shall as in reason we ought distinguish between a Covenant in its essence and nature and a Covenant broken or fulfilled a Covenant or threatning is a Covenant and threatning oblidging Adam if it shall be agreed unto by silence as Adam accepted the threatning Gen. 2.17 by silence and Professours within the Visible Church by their professing of the Doctrine of the Gospel or Covenant of Grace their receiving of the seals and professed hearing of the Word are under the Covenant of Grace and engadge themselves to obey commands promises threatnings and therefore promises are as properly made to them Acts 2.39 as commands and threatnings exhortations invitations and Gospel requests are made to them But tho the Anabaptists ignorantly confound the promise and the thing promised the Covenant and benefits Covenanted The promise is to you and so are the commands threatnings whether ye beleeve or not the command is to you and layes an obligation on you whether ye obey or obey not and the threatnings are to you whether ye transgress or transgresse not It is true indeed the promise that is the blessing promised righteousnesse and eternall life is not given to you untill ye first beleeve Object Is not the promise made the same way to the aged as to the children and the same thing required of both The promise is to you and to your children But the promise is made to the aged only if they actually beleeve Ergo the promise is made to the children only if they actually beleeve and so not to Infants Answ. Neither proposition nor assumption can bear weight For the proposition when God saith I will be thy God O Abraham and the God of thy seed Is it needfull that God require the same conditions that is actuall beleeving that he may save Father Abraham and also actuall beleeving from hearing the word of the Covenant Preached from all Infants born of Abraham and dying in Infancy or then all these Infants so dying must be eternally damned Nay We beleeve many Infants we reserve to the Holy and Glorious Lord his liberty of election and reprobation Rom. 9.11 12. among the Jews were saved by the Covenant of Grace though they died Infants And this we condemn in Anabaptists that they show no revealed way of God of saving Infants of beleeving Parents dying in Infancy more then of saving Pagans and their Infants for to them both are alike without the Covenant of Grace and without Christ and therefore beleeving Parents have no word of faith or of the Gospel to pray for the salvation of their Children dying in Infancie for such prayers have neither warrant in the Covenant of Works nor in the Covenant of Grace by their way And yet that we are to pray is to be gathered from Gen. 19. â—8 2 Sam 12.16 Job 1.5 Mark 10.16 Psal. 28.9 and if we pray for their salvation they must be saved by either Law or Gospel It s not enough to say that we may pray for savages that never heard of the Gospel nor of the Covenant of Grace that they may be saved For seeing there is no name under Heaven by which men may be saved but by the Name of Jesus Acts 4.12 Joh. 14.6 There is no other warrand of praying for such then that God would send them the Gospel and since Christ prayed for Infants and blessed them which is a praying for them Gen. 48.15 16. Deut. 33.1.6 7 8. c. Eph. 1.2 Gal. 1.3 1 Cor. 1.3 1 Tim. 1.2 2 Tim. 1.3 See Mar. 10.16 he must own them as blessed in Christ in whom all the Nations of the earth are blessed and so Covenanted with God in Christ. 2. It is false that the promise is made only to the aged upon condition of actuall beleeving 1. It is made to their children expresly in the Text and for the way of their beleeving we leave it to the Lord. Nor is it true that the promise is made to the aged upon condition of beleeving The promise is made to them absolutely whether they beleeve or not But the blessing of the promise and Covenant of Grace is given and bestowed only conditionally if they beleeve The promise is absolutely made it s called conditionall from the thing conditionally given Obj. But is not this an approven distinction that persons are within the Covenant either externally professedly visibly or internally really or according to the intention of God Ergo such as are
6.12.15 Heb. 8.6 Heb. 9.14 1 John 5.1 is made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to your children of the New Testament to your Infants if they beleeve say they 1. Can Infants actually beleeve 2. Is not the promise so made to Turks if they beleeve But it were an easier way to Anabaptists to say infants under the New Testament are externally in Covenant where as Parents beleeve and members of the Church are followed with Covenant mercy only because they understand not and the administration is more spirituall under the New Testament and faith more urged God requires not the dipping of Infants in Rivers a ceremony more onerous more truely in women with child virgins diseased persons in winter in cold countreys against the word the second Command the third the fourth the sixth the seventh then that it needs to be refuted it being only a ceremony which they may well want But now Infants of beleevers are casten out for no fault of the Covenant of Grace 2. From Covenant mercy to the thousand Generation Contrair to Gen. 17.7 Exod. 20.5 3. From Covenant-prayers and Church-prayers Contrair to 1 Sam. 12. Ps. 28.9 Ps. 67.1 2. Ps. 103 4 5. 4. From the blessing of the Lords Covenant-presence who dwels in the Nation in the Kingdom Ps. 135.21 Ps. 132.13 14. Rev. 11.15 Isa. 19.25 Isa. 2.1 2 3. 2 Cor. 6.16 I will dwell in them and walk in them and be their God and they shall be my people 18. And I will be a father to you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord God Almighty Though this be spoken to all the Covenanted people of God yet are Infants casten out of the bosome of a Covenant Father and God 5. Infants are debarred from Covenant-calling and gathering in under the wings of Christ Contrair to Matth. 28.19 20. Matth. 23.37 Psal. 147.19 20. and excluded from Gods Covenant-choise Contrair to Deut. 7.6 7 8 9 13 14. Deut. 10.15 and left being heirs of wrath a prey to Satan 6. They are Excommunicated from Covenant-blessings earthly and the Tabernacle-protection promised in the Old and New Testament Contrair to Deut. 28.4 Lev. 26.6 7 8 9. Psal. 37.18.22.25 26. Psal. 92.10 Psal. 112.1 2 3. Ezech. 34.24 25 26. Ezech. 36.29.35 36 37. Ezech. 8.7 8. And in the New Testament Matth. 6.27 28.33 1 Tim. 4.8 Heb. 13.5 6. which were nothing if our Heavenly Father provide bread protection safety dwelling in the land and our houses to the fathers but the children had no charter but to beggery to the sword to be devoured by wilde beasts and the diseases of Egypt And the Infants have nothing from the Covenant but what Infants of Amaleck and Babylon 1 Sam. 15.1 2. Ps. 137.5 and of Sodom have Gen. 19. 7. They are members of Satan of the Kingdom of the Prince of darknesse not members of Christs Body since there be but two Kings two Gods Satan 2 Cor. 4.4 Eph. 2 1 2. Eph. 6.12 Matth. 12.29 and Christ the King and Head of his body And it is known that Infants within the Visible Church suffer incursions of Devils dreadfull diseases death and being without the Covenant as Pagans these evils must either be acts of revenging justice and preparatorie to the judgement of eternall fire or blessed in Christ But if the former they are damned if the latter what blessing is there without Christ 8. Being without the Covenant 1. Infants cannot be chosen and predestinate in Christ to salvation as Eph. 1.4 Rom. 9.11 nor given to Christ to be saved Covenant-wayes as John 17.2 John 6.39 nor loved from eternity nor in time as Arminians teach and so must be carried in Christ to Heaven or Hell or rather to a mid place without God or providence or decrees or fore-knowledge or counsel of God 2. They being without the Gospel-Covenant cannot be redeemed by Jesus Christ his Blood but some other way Contrair to Acts 4.12 3. If Infants be born without sin as Anabaptists teach they die and go either to Heaven and so Christ took not on him their nature and is not their Saviour or they go to everlasting torment and yet never sinned which is repugnant to Divine Justice Or to some third place of which the Scripture speaks not And yet the word saith Rev. 20.12 that the dead small and great shall stand before God and shall be judged And the Scripture saith Infants are capable of punishment and of being cut off and the Parents punished in them and they bear Covenant-wrath in their Parents As is clear in the seed of Jeroboam of Achab of others Ezod 20.5 Gen. 17.14 4. Neither remission of sins Justification nor life eternall nor Sonship nor Adoption in Christs suffering death and in the Blood of the everlasting Covenant can belong to Infants if they be without the Covenant 9. Nor can children be capable of being blessed of Christ or of his laying on of hands As Mark 10. if they be not under the N. Test. capable of Covenant-grace And it is to be minded that Covenanting Parents Luke 18. 1. Such as came to him to be cured of their diseases and beleeved him to be the Messiah the Son of David as the blind call him Mat. 20. and the woman of Canaan Mat. 15. Luk 18.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brought to him little Children as Mat. 8.16 Mat. 9.2 Luk. 4.40 they brought the sick 2. The children were not diseased nor possessed And the Parents being desirous they might be blessed as the event proved it is clear they were not children of heathen but members of the Visible Church 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of such is the Kingdom of God Luk. 18.16 we cannot think that his meaning is of such as such is the Kingdome of God as if all Infants of Jew and Heathen belonged as subjects to the Visible Church for then the Infants of all Heathen should be Covenanted members of the Visible Church and yet their Parents are without the Visible Church and when they grow to age they should without any scandall be Excommunicate which were monstruous nor can the Invisible Kingdom of God be of such as if all Infants because Infants were saved Nor 4. Can the taking of them be a meer Embleme that such were blessed for so beside that Doves and Lambs for meeknesse are capable of being taken in the armes of Christ and blessed Christ bids them in all times coming be suffered to come and not forbidden v. 16. which saith he desired the whole spece of Infants of the Visible Church to be brought to him Nor doth Christ make acts of Emblems ordinary but he will have children at all time to come to him forbid them not He once cursed the fig tree that was an Embleme and did but once wash his Disciples feet and that was an Embleme And 5. He could not mean that only Infants predestinate to glory should be suffered to come For he saith indifferently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suffer little children to come Now he should then have given marks to discern predestinate children and suffer them 2. And receive them only as Disciples in my Name Mar. 6.36 37. 3. He should have laid his hands upon some Infants as predestinate to glory and forbidden others to come And the Parents should have known what children are predestinate to life and should come and what not 6. The Text evidences that the Disciples had a prejudice and a carnall one at infants thinking they understood nothing of Christ and of the Kingdom of Grace The Disciples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rebuked these that brought them as Anabaptists do And Christ rebukes them and instates infants of beleeving Parents as members of the Visible Church 7. Nor was it extraordinary when Christ said suffer little Children to come but he would have the spece instated members of such a Kingdom Ergo some of the kind must be saved and examples must be verified saith Mr. Cobbet judiciously in some particulars 8. Of such is the Kingdome of God of such in Covenant relation is the Kingdome of God of such subjects For if Christs reason be of such for humilitie meeknesse want of malice and invy as 1 Pet. 2.1 2 3. Math. 18. Psal. 131.1 2 is the Kingdome of God he must mean by the Kingdome of God the Kingdome of Glory and the triumphing Church this sense is refused by Anabaptists 2. The Infants of Pagans and of all men by nature within and without the Church are as well marked resemblances of converts as they And we must say that Christ would have taken in his arms and blessed all the Pagan Infants and when they grow to age they should be for no fault but for age only Excommunicate from the blessing for Pagan Infants as well resemble humility and harmlessenesse if only the personall qualifications of converts and heart-converts not the Covenant and Church-holinesse of visible Professours be here meant as Infants within the Visible Church 9. There was no other designe and purpose in Christ in that emphatick expression forbid them not to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Math. 19.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 18.16 to me their Saviour as well as the Saviour of the aged but to hold forth the common interest of the whole spece of infants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 within the Visible Church their Covenant interest in Christ for there is no imaginable reason but the conceit of want of understanding the prejudice of Anabaptists only why the Disciples should have aimed to debar them or any poor sinners from accesse to the Saviour of sinners 10 Christ took them in his armes layed his hands on them blessed them Now this was a personall reall favour bestowed upon infants had infants been meer symbolick and doctrinall resemblances of the humilitie of reall converts and the young ones as much without the Covenant as Pagans and as uncapable of Covenant grace and Covenant seals because void of actuall faith now under the new Gospel administration as horses or beasts let the opposites of their Baptisme show what sort of blessing it was that Christ bestowed upon them if it be not 1. Of more value then Jacobs blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh or at least as reall and certain Christ the Lord from heaven must as Soveraigne who had power to curse the fig tree and it withered by his Soveraigne power have blessed in them the whole race of infants in the Visible Church and declared them Covenanted Church members under the New Testament in this eminent act of blessing the children and in commanding that all such might have free accesse to him as King since the young ones were Subjects of the Kingdome of God as well as the aged and expressely forbids that in time to come they be hindered to come to him Mark 10.14 Luk. 18.16 Math. 19.14 and three Evangelists are three sufficient witnesses 2. Christ the Lord is the Supreme and Soveraigne Lord of blessing and cursing for in him all the Nations of the earth and with them young ones a considerable part of the Covenanted Nations must be blessed 3. If Isaac blessed Jacob and he must be blessed Gen. â—7 29.33 and Jacob blessed the twelve Tribes Gen. 49.28 and Moses the man of God blessed Israel before his death Deut. 33.1 2. c. with Covenant blessings and they were really blessed Christ must as really with Covenant blessings have in this blessed the whole race of infants of Covenanting parents except Anabaptists say that it was some complementall salutation for the fashion that Christ bestowed upon infants when the Evangelists say he blessed them Math. 19.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 10.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. by the glosse of the Adversaries Christ blessed them symbolick and doctrinall resemblances of the humilitie and docility of reall converts and they were blessed as meer signes as the Elements in the Sacraments are blessed or as new made crucifixes are blessed and dedicated to divine worship as resemblances of Christ crucified and as Popish Images are symbolicallie blessed a strange devise are rather a strong delusion 4. If Christ prayed for infants as Matthew sayeth the mothers or parents sought that of him Math. 19 13. his prayers must be grounded upon the word of the Covenant and what could he seek for infants peace in these but Covenant mercies and salvation for Christ was not to work a miracle upon them and he satisfied the desires of these who brought them on their armes and therefore could not go on their feet nor give a confession of their faith they were born as the man sick of the palsie Math. 9.2 5. Now as Christ is always hard in his prayes Joh. 11.42 so his blessing he bestowed upon them though Anabaptists will have them without Christ and the Covenant and under the curse of God must either be a blessing of the Covenant of Grace or of the Covenant of Works for a third sort of blessing the Scripture knows not Moses takes all blessings up in these two Deut. 27.12 15 16. Deut. 28.2 3 15 16. Deut 30.19 I set before you life and death blessing and cursing and so doeth Paul Gal. 3.10 13 14. Heb. 6.7 8 14 15. But Christ could not bestow the Law blessing of Works upon these infants for they had not fulfilled the Law in their persons nor can infants or any flesh be justified by the Law Rom. 3.20 therefore must Christ have bestowed upon them the blessing of the Covenant of Grace Gal. 3.14 Heb. 6.14 let it be the blessing of remission and life or reall right to the Kingdome of God it is a blessing of the Covenant 6. The faith of the parents that brought them is holden forth Math. 19.13 Then were little children brought unto him that he might lay his hands on them and pray then had they faith in Christ that his praying and blessing should be availeable to infants it
34.15 16. 1 King 11.2 Ezra 9.2 12. Nehem. 13.23 Judg. 3.6 7. Judg. 4.2 3. Except there be some middle between a cursed and a blessed seed a seed in the Church and in Covenant and the seed of the Serpent of Heathen without the Covenant 2. A middle between the Kingdom of darknesse of Satan and the Kingdom of God of his dear Son Contrair to Eph. 2.2 3 4. Acts 26.18 Col. 1.13 14. 1 Pet. 2.9 10. Eph. 5.8 which is unknown to Scripture Yea the Covenant is made to Christ and his seed Gal. 3.16 and the same blessings of Abraham comes on us Gentiles Gal. 3.13 14. But he and all his seed were blessed and in grace by the externall call of the Covenant Ezek. 16.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. Deut. 7 7 8. Rom. 10.25 I will call them my people that were not my people and her beloved which was not beloved And this externall calling is of Grace and so Grace no merit as well as predestination to life is grace or for grace For whosoever are called not because Elect but because freely loved of such a God and without merit called Father and Son they are in a state of graceâ— But so are all within the Visible Church If any object by Christs comming all the Nations old and young are not become the Nations of the Lord and of his Christ but only true Believers even by our Doctrine Answ. They are become the Kingdoms of the Lord not only because they are truely converted but because they are the chosen of God in the Office-house of Christ and Christ reigns over them by the Scepter of his Word whom he is to convert And external Covenanting with God is of it self free Grace and a singular favour bestowed of God Psal. 147.19 20. Deut. 5.1 2. Mat. 21.42 43. Luke 14.16.21 2. It is free Grace that God will have hypocrites and real infidels to beget children to him that are internally in Covenant with him and fills up the number of the Elect by Reprobate Parents who are instrumentall to the in-coming in the world and into the Visible Church of many Heirs of Glory and in so doing there is a Church right communicated from Reprobate Parents to their Children that are Heirs of Glory 3. Externall Covenanting goes before internall Covenanting as the means before the end and the cause before the effect For faith comes by hearing of a sent Preacher Rom. 10.14 and the Preaching of the Gospel is a saving means of begeting a new heart and of a new spirit Hence 1. All must be first externally in Covenant before they can be internally and really in Covenant 2. God is a God simply to some and no more but a God to them in regard of outward Church priviledges as the Word Seals Protection Peace Hedge of Discipline his planting and watering by a Ministry But he is to speak so more then a God to others Hos. 2.19 I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse in judgement and in loving kindnesse and in mercy Now the Lord is joyned to back-sliding Israel in an externall marriage Covenant But Jer. 3.14 not in righteousnesse in loving kindnesse and mercy in reference to the rotten party In regard of which he saith v. 2. Plead with your mother plead for she is not my wife neither am I her husband Zech. 8.7 Thus saith the Lord I will save my people from the East Countrey and from the West Countrey 8. And I will bring them and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem and they shall be my people and I will be their God in truth and in righteousnesse Then he is not to all a God in truth and righteousnesse fulfilling the first and substantiall promise of ingraving the Law in the heart not that he keeps not Covenant even to external confederatâ— to wit the conditionall Covenant for if they should beleeve they should be saved but he promised not a new heart and faith to them 3. Because he is a God externall to the Elect and that of free Grace therefore he is a God in truth and righteousnesse to ingrave his Law in their heart But externall confederation is not the adequate cause for then he should give a new heart to all with whom he externally Covenants but the adequate cause is confederation external tali modo out of his discriminating love and free grace he is a God to some 4. He is a God to his Elect that he may ingrave his Law in their heart and inward parts so that the promising to be a God tali modo is the cause and the ingraving of a new heart is the effect Jer. 31.33 Jer. 32.38 And they shall be my people and I will be their God That is the cause 39. I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever for the good of them and of their children after them See the same order Ezech. 11.19 20. though the words ly not in that order there and here And Heb. 8.10.5 God is not then a God to any because they have a clean heart and the Law ingraven therein for then they should be in Covenant before they be in Covenant And so this is true because he is our God in truth and righteousnesse therefore we beleeve but this is not true because we beleeve therefore he is our God except we argue from the effect to the cause But to return Calvine on Matth 19.14 We hence gather that the grace of Christ is extended to Infant age for whole mankind had perished Beza Infants are also comprehended in the free Covenant Pareus its unlawfull to â—â—barre these from baptism and the Church whom Christ â—â—ds come to him c. Obj. But Christ commands not they be baptized Answ. Nor doth Christ in this place command the Parents to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord Nor speak the Evangelists of any Parentall duty shall we from that conclude it was not Christs mind that the Parents take care of the fourth fifth Command Pareus saith it was neither time nor place Mat. 28.19 he bids baptize all 3. He who prayed for them blessed them laid his hands upon them invited them to bring Infants to him of all which Infants were as uncapable as of the use and ends of Baptism and of actuall confession of sin and of beleeving judged they ought be Baptized 4. It s never to be found where any are Baptized but the Head of the Family is Baptized And when we read that houses were Baptized 1 Cor. 1.16 Acts 16.33 There is no more ground to say Infants are not Baptized then to say when the Lord saith to Abraham Gen. 12.2 I will blesse thee and make thy name great And 22.17 in blessing I will blesse thee And when the Lord saith Isai. 19.25 blessed be Aegypt my people he should mean he would blesse Abraham
of Works and also under the Covenant of Grace for they are contrair dispensations and contrair wayes of salvation He who is under the Law is not under Grace and he who is under Grace is married to Christ as to another Husband Rom. 7.4 and not under the Law 3. Saving grace is not in vain but effectuall 1 Corinth 15.10 1 Tim. 1.14 And wee are saved by the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ Acts 15.11 and no greater mercy can be wished to any then the grace of our Lord Jesus Rom. 16.20 2 Cor. 13.14 Rev. 22.21 by which we are called justified and glorified If it be said that this grace is not that effectuall saving grace bestowed upon the Elect but a generall remote gracious power by which we may acquire the saving grace proper to the Elect. But so 1. that grace saving proper to the Elect by this means is in the power of all Pagans and all must be gifted with a power to purchase that grace proper to the Elect That must be strange conquishing we must all be made our own efficacious Redeemers and Christ is a Saviour by merit not by efficacy For if this saving grace be infused it is either infused we doing nothing to which they cannot stand Or then it is acquired and so we make the generall grace saving and proper to the Elect which everteth the nature of saving grace and makes it the purchase of works And they must say that Christ hath merited a generall ineffectuall power to some and that he dyed to merit a speciall saving grace to others Let us have a warrant for this that Christ both died equally to save all and yet with two contrary intentions to purchase a power of believing which should be effectuall to some to save them and ineffectuall to others If it be said that Christ dyed to merite the same generall power to all but some make it ineffectuall some not This saith thus 1. That Christs death might have it's fruit and effect though all perish 2. That Christ dyed to merite a far off lubrick and possible venture of heaven such as was the case of the first Adam 3. Christ dyed not to purchase a new heart more to one then to another whereas 1 Pet. 1.18 19. the blood the Lord shed is to Redeem us from our vain conversation in a naturall state aswell as to save us from the wrath to come Then must Christ have died to buy Pagans from Paganism and Idolatry and that either absolutely and then why should multitudes so die in their sins If conditionally what can be the condition going before conversion to wit that we should be delivered from our vain conversation so we be willing before our conversion to be delivered from our vain conversation And shall not the Question recur concerning that condition In a word they will have Christs death to buy Heaven but not to buy faith without which Heaven is impossible Yea he no more bought to men a grace sweetly and strongly inclining the will to believe then he bought such a grace to the damned devils He purposed to give to all Pagans a power by which they should be made fit to perform all that the Gospel requires and be fit to be made partakers of the inheritance of the Saints Col. 1. And yet Paul gives thanks to God for that bestowed on the Colossians and God must by this call all men to Christ either mediately or immediately And say that God is prepared ever to give more and more as we use the former well and that all by sufficient grace saith Corvinus are disposed to conversion but that sufficiency is not habituall grace but actuall assistance conveying the Preached Word which is to bring all to free-wills power rejecting all infused power and to make an influence of grace which is in the power of free will to use or not to use and to stand in two 1. In a measure of heavenly Doctrine 2. In the stirring upon the heart Whence 1. Grace habituall so is denyed then the will needeth no healing 2. Grace universall is limited to the Word Preached then it is not universall For Pagans hear not the Word Preached 3. There is no other help given to free-will in every act but 1. Information by the Word that was the grace of Pelagius 2. Some influence of God in every act But that addes not new strength to the will Shortly they say Any man may know understand and believe the Gospel if the object be sufficiently proposed and revealed And so the naturall man can no more know and receive the things of the Gospel then he can understand the Metaphysicks the Acromaticks of Aristotle for these he cannot receive but judgeth them folly And so we are the same way blind dead stony-hearted to believe the Gospel as we are to know and believe the mysteries of Aristotles Philosophy Lastly this power of believing and coming to Christ cannot be in all men since the Scripture saith of all men even these within the Visible Church not excepted that untill the light of the Gospel savingly enlighten them they sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death Isa. 9.1 Math. 4.15 16. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 No man can come to Christ without the Fathers drawing and God teaching the heart Joh. 6.44 45. The naturall man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot understand the things of God but judges them foolishnesse 1 Cor. 2.14 His wisedome cannot be subject to the Law of God Rom. 8.7 He cannot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 call the Lord Jesus except by the Spirit of Jesus 1 Cor. 12.3 He is a withered branch being out of Christ and can do nothing Joh. 15.3.4 It shall be clear to any that the Holy Ghost denyeth any such power as they affirm It reckons not much to tell that Jesuites as Martmez de Ripul Swarez Alphonsus Curiel Duvallius Lod. Molma Did. Ruiz Vasquez Bellarmine Phili. Samachaeus Sorbonicus Gulie Estius Dominica Toletus Cardinalis Pirerius Salmeron teach that without saving grace men may and can first know morall truths shining vertues as heathens be free of sin as touching these vertues in their due circumstances 2. Keep the Commandements and Law of Nature 3. Dispose themselves for and obtain the grace of Conversion by their own industrie 4. Be victoâ—rious over this or that weighty temptation singly taken 5. That there is no intrinsecall hurt of free-will that it is wounded a little because of the darknesse of the mind and langour of nature but not dead to actions supernaturall 6. That we may love God as the Author of nature and Creator sincerelie And Arminians teach that we may without the Spirit of God know all truth quantum sufficit ad salutem sufficiently to salvation and so may will love and beleeve without the infused supernaturall habit or grace so their Apologie And the Socinian Catechism c. 6. pag. 212. and Socinus himself Praelect Theol. Cap.
the root by a Metaphore is to pollute and defile Psal. 106. the land was defiled with bloods Hence the Hypocrite is all things and all men and nothing and no man but himself Hypocrisie is considered in it self and so it is opposed to sincerity Or in relation to these graces and duties which it fenzies and so it is opposed to all the true vertues which it lyingly and feinzedly represents as painting is opposed to realitie in nature being a counterfeiting of nature and it is opposed to things that are painted so a living man and a growing rose things obvious to the eyes of sense are most easily painted as colours lineaments as a mans body but things that fall under the understanding only as the soul and under the sense of smelling and touching are hardly pictured Ye may paint the man the roses the colour figure and the fires red flaming but he cannot paint the soul the smell of the rose or the heat of the fire It is hard to counterfite spirituall graces as love of Christ sincere believing intending of the Glory of God It s hard to get a coat or put painture on spirituall graces and the more ye counterfite the Spirit the more Divell-like is the forgerie for he changeth himself into an Angel of light There is some use for painted men for they serve for ornament but there is no use for faith but resting upon Christ nor for love but to cleave to God and please him and our neighbour In all duties we counterfite but the outward bulk of graces and actions and would seeme to do what we do not If the colour of graces and godlinesse be desireable it self is more desireable but to imitate only the externalls of the Covenant of Grace to keep a roome in the Church is to put a lie and mock upon the Lord and to reproach him with dimnesse of sight And such as hate Christ and the Godly in their heart and first cloath them with the coat of hypocrites lyers Samaritanes seditious men they much more hate Godlinesse he that would have the picture of the man stobbed or hanged would much more have the living man in person stobbed or hanged Hypocrisie is a resembling of a morall good for vaine glory It s not hypocrisie to suppresse tears in Prayer least the man seeme to seek himself nor for a father to seeme to be angry at his childe or servant when he is not angry nor to put on deafnesse at reproaches Psal. 38.12 They speak mischievous things 13. But I as a deaf man heard not It was prudencie not hypocrisie in Saul to hold his peace and misken when the sons of Beliall despised him it being the beginning of his reigne 1 Sam. 10.27 Nor is it hypocrisie in a Magistrate or Joseph to put on an other person to his brethren though if the ground be unbelief it is not lawfull for David to feinzie himself mad Nor for Ammon to counterfite sicknesse or to put a lie upon providence And yet it is not hypocrisie for Solomon to seeme to divide in two the living childe with a sword or for the men of Israel to flie before the men of Ai. A lawfull end and a right end and motive contributes goodnesse to actions that are not intrinsecally evill There is a naturall hypocrisie in all every man in both sides of the Sun is a lyar he that said he would wish that he might dwell in the land beyond the dawning of the morning where they are all sincere wished to dwell where there are no men for where-ever men are there are hypocrites and hypocrisie There is an acquired hypocrisie in all lesse or more and an habit thereof in not a few According to mens wayes so are men white and painted Hypocrites Herod professeth to worship Christ and mindes to kill him Math. 2. And Absolom covers treason and rebellion against his father and prince with the whitenesse of a vow at Hebron what better is the whoore and what more devoute to say Prov. 7.14 I have peace offerings with me to day have I payed my vowes under the vail of zeal they think it service to God to kill the Apostles Joh. 16. But the worst of Hypocrites is he who makes himself a Hypocrite not before God onely and before men but whitens and paints himself before himself and deceives himself 1 Joh. 1.8 It is strange a man hath such a power over himself as to perswade himself that he hath no sin not only in point of faith as such as deny any originall sinne in themselves or others as many seducers now do Socinians Arminians diverse Anabaptists and such as say the Law may be fulfilled by Grace we are justified by Works It is possible to be free of sin in this life and to be perfite so as they cannot sin But also practically a mans heart may deceive his heart and may perswade himself that he is Godly and Religious Jam. 1.26 and that his wayes are right Prov. 14.12 and may say within his heart and so think not only I am holier then thou and yet not be so much as ceremonially holy but remaine in the graves and eat swines flesh Isa. 65.45 but I say I am rich and which is above admiration I have need of nothing Rev. 3.17 that I have no need of forgivenesse of saving Grace of the Redeemer Christ of Salvation And this is so much the more dangerous that the prejudice and blindnesse of self-love doth more strongly perswade self-godlinesse then any godlinesse of the world and begets a more strongly radicated and fixed habite of believing self-godlinesse then Ministers the godliest of them and Professors and Angels and the Lord immediatly speaking so long as the revelation is literall Numb 22.12 24 28. and Christ Preaching in his Person Math. 8.9 14. Math. 21.43 44 45. Luke 16.13 14. Ioh. 10.24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31. and the Apostles Acts 24.25 26. Acts 26.2 3 4 5 6 c. 24. can be able to root out for they can fence and ward off and can let out blowes at all that ye can say and cary this habite of a false opinion of self-holinesse to Eternitie with them and stand to what conceited lamps they hear on earth did glister withall and plead against the Lord in his face that the sentence of condemnation is unjust Matth. 25.44 and that they deserve for their profession to be admitted in to the Bride-groomes chamber Math. 7.22 Matth. 25.11 Luke 13.25 and all such fairded Professors are externally only in Covenant with God And therefore these are sad marks when first ye hid your lusts and nourish them and feed upon the East wind of some created last end and have not God for your last end Luke 12.19 Psal. 49.11 Psal. 4.6 Ier. 22.17 2. When ye know not that ye are poor miserable blind naked Rev. 3.17 Math. 9.11 12 13. Luke 15.2 Luke 19.7 and ye were never in Christs hospitall and are
whole and need no Physick 3. Ye loath Christ but knows it not Luke 7.44.45 ye love Christ as a supposed Prophet and loath him as a Redeemer One may deadly hate Christ and not know it 4. Ye cannot compare the two states together the state of nature and the state of Grace as 1 Tim. 1.13 ye idolize your own choise to bear down Achabs Idolatrie but choose not the will of God to oppose Ieroboams Idolatrie 5. Ye want Christ and ye were not born with Christ in the heart 2. Yea ye are eternally lost without him and know neither the one nor the other Quest. 4. Whether or not are beleevers the parties of the Covenant of Grace Ans. These are parties to whom the Covenant-promise is made not these who already have the benefit promised in the Covenant but beleevers must have a new heart and consequently faith already therefore they cannot be parties with whom the Covenant is made As because the Image of God is not promised to Adam in the Covenant of Works but presupposed to be in him by order of nature before God make with him the Covenant of Works else he could not be able to keep that Covenant which we cannot say for God created him right and holy Gen. 1.26 27. Eccles. 7.29 Eph. 4.24 Col. 3.10 Therefore Adam in his pure naturalls as not yet indued with the Image of God cannot be the partie with whom the Covenant of Works is made for then the Image of God must either be a reward which Adam by his pure naturalls and strength thereof must purchase by working which the Scripture and nature of the Covenant cannot admit or then the Image of God must be promised to Adam in the Covenant of Works which is no lesse absurd And if faith be promised in the Gospel the Covenant of Grace must be made with some Israel and Judah as predestinated to life eternall and yet wanting a new heart For God cannot Covenantâ—ways promise a new heart to such as have it but to suchÌ„ as have a stony heart and beleeve not Ezek. 36.26 Deut. 30.6 Ezek 11.19 nor can he promise faith to such as have faith this way Quest. 5. Who are these that have the new heart and so are personally and really within the Covenant of grace Ans. Because the new spirit is given when the new heart is given Ezek. 36.27 Ezek. 18.31 Make you a new heart and a new spirit and many in our times boast of the spirit it shall be fit to speak of the new spirit and who are spirituall Hence these Questions of the new spirit Quest. 1. What is the seed of the new spirit Ans. The word of the Gospel therefore before Adam could have the Gospel-spirit the Lord must reveal the Doctrine of the Gospel the seed of the woman must tread down the head of the serpent Gen. 3. So the word and the spirit are promised together Isa. 59.21 Isa. 30.21 Thy teachers shall not be removed and thine ears shall hear this is the inward teaching a voice behind thee saying this is the way walk ye in it Isa. 51.16 17. Mat. 28.20 Go teach that is the word Loe I am with you to the end of the world that is the Spirit to make it effectuall by my Spirit Joh. 14.16 17. Object But Adam when he heard first the Doctrine of the blessed seed could not try the Doctrine or speaker by any new Doctrine Ans. The first Doctrine can be tryed by no other rule because it was the first rule it self nor can these principalls written in the heart naturally That God is God is just holy c. be tryed by any other truths because they are first truths As the sense of seeing cannot try whether the Sun be the Sun by the light of some other Sun that is before this Sun which is more lightsome For there is not another Sun before this the Gospel it self hath God shining in it to these who are enlightened as Adam was a Rubbie doth speak that is a Rubbie Obj. How then should Adam know what God spake to him and nâ—t to another are we not to try all spirits that speak Ans. There is a word immediatly spoken by the Prophets and Apostles that is to be tryed partly by the first Preaching the Lord made in Paradise partly by the effects that it converteth the soul Psal. 19.7 and smells of that same Majesty and the divine power of another life which is in the first Sermon Gen. 3.15 this is Verbum Dei immediatum But when God himself speaks in his own person to Adam to Abraham Gen. 22. to Moses Isaiah the Apostles that is Verbum Dei immediatissimum the fountain-word neither word nor speaker is to be tryed The Patriarchs and Prophets are never bidden try the visions of God for when God speaks them himself he makes it evident that it is he and only he who speaks and we read not of any in this deceived Angels or men cannot counterfeit God Obj. There have after the Canon of the Scripture is closed been some men who have Prophesied facts to come that fell out as they foretold just as Isaiah Elias and other Prophets then something is to be beleeved that is not written and such may have the Spirit and yet no word of Scripture goes along with it Ans. 1. Such men may have I confesse a Propheticall spirit but first they were eminently holy and sound in the faith and taught that the Catholick Church should beleeve nothing nor practise nothing but what is warranted by the Word Such as boast of Spirit or Prophesie and reject the word are therefore not to be beleeved 2. What these men of God foretold is a particular fact concerning a man what death he should die or a Nation or a particular such a man shall be eternally saved but no dogma fidei nor any truth that lays bands on the Catholick Church to believe that to the end of the world as all Scripturall truths do and a doubt it is if we are to beleeve these in the individuall circumstances of fact sub periculo peccati upon hazard of sinning against God we may I judge without sin suspend belief and yeeld charity to the speaker 3. If any object the Prophets did foretell particular facts concerning the death of Ahab the birth of Josiah which concerned particular persons I but they so were the maters of fact as the crucifying of Christ was a mater of fact as also they did by the intent of the Holy Ghost contain Historicall Morall and dogmatically divine Instructions so that the whole Catholick Church must believe them with certainty of divine faith they being written and spoken for our Instruction and they sin who believe not Quest. 2. What are we to judge of these truths revealed to Professors when they are in much nearnesse to God and the Lord is pleased to shine upon them in some fulness of manifestation of himself to their
1.11 9. A proud heart 1. resisted of God 2. Farrest from the lowly and meek heart of Christ Matth. 11.29 Phil. 2.5 6 7 3. Most near to Satans heart 1 Tim. 3.6 Q. Why are we more ashamed of an unclean lustfull heart then of a proud heart Ans. A proud heart is deeper guiltinesse and nearer to Satans nature And pride and unbeleef are sins more reproachfull to God and incroach more upon his Throne but there is more flesh in us then Spirit and we think that there is more of a beast in uncleannesse Quest. But we are more ashamed of lying falshood and stealing then of pride Ans. There 's more of being ashamed before men it being a carnall sort of passion then of being ashamed before God and falshood and lying to men are fleshly evils against common honesty but pride is a more Angel-sin or a more God-like sin a spirituall sin and pride is a sort of heart-heresie by which we judge but blindly we have reason to ascend and climb aloft to Gods roome Gen. 3.5 6. Isai. 14.13 because of knowledge parts power 10. There is deceitfulnesse and self-deceiving in the heart Isa. 44.20 the Idolater feeds on ashes a deceived heart hath turned him aside that he cannot deliver his soul nor say is there not a lie in my right hand Obadiah 3. The heart is the greatest liar on earth to say and gain-say 11. There is a wicked fearfulnesse in the heart to do evill Jude 12. feeding themselves without fear 3 Sam. 1.14 was thou not affraid saith David to the Amalekite to put out thine hand to destroy the Lords Anointed It s a godly fear to tremble alwayes at feasting speaking hearing sleeping company Prov. 28.14 1 Pet. 1.17 Phil. 2.13 Job 1.5 And in all there ly snares within and without the house 12. There is a wicked flintinesse of heart we shall have peace though we both hear cursing and walk loosly Deut. 29.19 we are fallen but Ephraims stout heart 2. will rise whether God will or not Isa. 9.9 And 3. the King of Assyria's stout heart will be as strong as God Isa. 10.12 13. And 4. its wicked stoutnesse to say godly mourning before the Lord is in vain Mal. 3.13 14. 5. It s wicked stoutnesse to rest upon your own righteousnesse and refuse to treat with God Isa. 46.12 13. 6. And vain stoutnesse to darre God in his own quarters and fight him Exod. 14.8.23 Exod. 23.8 13. Isai. 36.10 11 36 37. if it were in his own seas as Pharaoh and the Aegyptians would do 13. There is a wicked hardening of the heart when men make the Lord his word and mighty works the contrair party Exod. 5.1 2 3. Exod. 7.10 13 16 20 23. Exod· 8.5 6 7 15 17 18 19. Isai. 6.9 10. Zech. 7.8 9 11 12. Ezek. 2.3 4. Ezek. 3.7 8. Mat. 13.13 14 15. Act. 13.44 45 46. and oppose God in his word and works 14. There is a sinfull dulnesse upon the heart by which men are as weaned childen line upon line line upon line can do them no good Isai. 29.9 10 11. Here it is to be observed that we cannot Preach Omnipotency nor perswade a world to be created nor a new heart to be infused nor can we Preach to a Wolf to become a meek Lamb nor threaten the Sun to rise at midnight we but speak words about the new birth the husband-man but breaks the earth with his plough but God makes the corn to grow and he only not that the word is not the instrument of conversion of souls Rom. 1.16 Rom. 10.14 but how to the act of infusion of a new heart the word concurres as a morall and suasory instrument is above my capacity 15. There is a froward heart Pro. 17.20 that perverteth and is crafty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to pervert 16. A wicked heart Pro. 26.23 set on evil Eccl. 8.11.17 foolishnesse is bound to the heart Pro. 22.15 a dissembling heart when seven abominations are in it Pro. 26 25. 1. We take no◠heed to the imaginations and are not grieved for the constitution of the heart for actuall sins make originall sin to swell as two floods running into one maketh a hudge River 2. We take not heed to the young births of the heart with the concurrence of the mind fancie and imagination there are multitudes of forgeries clay-pots and imaginations framed as a potter deviseth vessels of earth of many quantities figures shapes great small narrow wide round cornered for the word is a potters word Gen. 6.5 1 Chr. 28.9 with all keeping keep thy heart Prov. 4.23 the word is to keep as the keepers of the walls Cant. 3.5 as sheepheards for it s in danger to be stollen away Hos. 4.11 2 Sam. 17.6 Hos. 7.11 Ephraim is like a silly dove without heart but we take no heed to the entry to see what goes in what comes out 1. What if there be no God Psal. 14.1 2. What if God see not Ezek. 9.9 3. What if man perish as the beasts Eccl. 3.19 It may be there is no heaven nor hell 4. What if there be no Christ nor Gospel but only questions of words Such clay-pots were framed by Gallio and Festus Act. 18.14 15. Act. 25.11 19. Hence come imaginations of things impossible Isa. 14.13 I 'le ascend to heaven saith Babylon I will set my nest among the stars Oba 4. Tyrus saith I am god I sit in the seat of God And new-wild-fire flights which are indeed old heresies are of this kind such are dreamers who see seven lean kine eat seven fat kine in re it s a lie 5. A new heart is the Office-house of Christ and a heart delighting in Gods wayes is a new heart where the Law is imprinted and ingraven in the heart Isa. 51.7 Hearken ye people in whose heart is my Law Psal. 40.8 I delight to do thy will O God thy Law is within my heart It s true there is a new delight in the heart but not a delight of the new heart Isa. 58.2 Joh. 5.35 for a delight in the Gospel as a good thing not as a good Gospel a delighting in Christ as a Prophet that feeds them not in Christ as a Redeemer Joh. 6.26 that saves them is not a new heart 2. The new heart is a heart universall wholly for God as God there is an inteernesse in it when the whole spirit and soul and body is kept blamelesse 1 Thess. 5.23 1 Pet. 1.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in holy conversations and godlinesses 2 Pet. 3.11 Half a globe though exquisitely plained or half a cart wheell is not a globe nor a cart wheell Externall things may be devided one may be an hearing Professor and a drunken Professor and a praising a singing Professor in publick and not a praying nor a believing Professor in private spirituall duties cannot be devided half a faith half a love is no faith no love saving grace is
an essence that consists in indivisibili and cannot be parted 3. A new heart is a fixed and established heart by Grace it 's a new state not a new transient flash a new heart Deut. 5.27 All that the Lord our God will speak unto thee we will hear but the Lord saith verse 19. O! that there were such a heart in them but it is not in them 4. 1 Sam. 10.9 God gave Saul an other heart then a changed heart is not a new heart a new spirit or a new gift in Jehu is not a new heart It 's not newnesse that makes the heart new but Gods new ingraving Jer. 31.33 5. A heart keeped with all keeping is a new heart Prov. 4.23 both the words note exact diligence in keeping as watchmen and sheepherds with all keeping at all times Psal. 119.119 some pull their hearts to pray and hear but not while the sabbath or under a storme of conscience and the heart is a word in some company not at other times and in other company 6. The heart is new where the affections are all faith as it were and all sanctified reason and zeal is a lump of angry reason and fear a masse of shining reverence and love only soul sicknesse and pure adherence to God the instinct of faith wholly on God as the last and only end 2. The heart is new when the affections are equivocally or at least at the second hand set upon the creature but as nothing can be seen but what either is colour or affected with colour so nothing is fixedly sought after but God he onely feared and served Mat. 4.10 Deut. 10.20 only desired Psal. 73.25 only loved Deut. 10.12 Cant. 3.2 3. the soul sick of love for only only Christ Cant. 2.5 Cant. 5.8 he only trusted in Jer. 17.5 7. Psal. 62.5 1. Nothing is all good and all desirable but God and God in Christ Mat. 19.17 Cant. 5.16 the shadow of the Sun in the fountain is not the reall Sun the stirrings of the pulse of the affections towards the shadowed good of the creature should be lent and like the beating of the pulse of a dying man with a godly contradiction loving and not loving joying and not joying 1 Cor. 7.29 30. mourning and not mourning CHAP. XIX 1. The place of Evangelick works in the New Covenant 2. Possession of glory and right to glory considerably different 3. A twofold right to life 4. We are not justified by Works 5. The place of declarative justification by Works Jam. 2. discussed 6. Faith and Works different 7. Possession of life and right to life cleared 8. Faith and finall believing both commanded in the Law finall unbelief not the sin forbidden in the Gospel onely 9. How life is promised to works Evangelick IT 's a grave and weighty Question to rid marches between the two Covenants in their conditions the one requiring the obedience of Works the other Faith It 's not to be said that for fifeteen hundred years no man did doubt of the necessitie of good Works Paul propones the objections of the Antinomians Shall we sin and continue in sin that Grace may abound Rom. 6.1 this they spake through the occasion of what he taught chap. 5. some have said they are hurtfull because we abuse them some arbitrarie and indifferent because they are not necessary to justification O! what pronnesse in us to suck out of the doctrine of free Grace poyson how kindly to desire there were no Law against treason because the Prince pardons All sin is virtually Atheisme to wish the existence of a Law and so of a just holy and unchangeable God were not and we can hardly believe this And 2. what rising of heart and carnall reason is there against the first acts of providence why and what necessity was there to make a Law to forbid the eating of an Aple God foreseeing that thence should come the ruine and endlesse damnation of all It had been good God had never created such a Tree 2. That the eating thereof had never been forbidden 3. That it had never had such a name as the the tree of knowledge for it deceived Evah 4. That God had not given free-will to Adam 5. That he had given him confirming grace in the first moment of Creation But Observe 1. Satan started first the dispute concerning the equity of the Law and that we are Disciples of and apprâ—ntises to Satan when we tosse and rackot arguments in our carnall heart-Logick against the holy Law of God Gen. 3.2 and make the heart a ferrie boat to cary messengers and divellish thoughts hither and yonder in questioning the goodnesse of the Law and the acts of providence and therefore it is speaking Grace to close with the sweetnesse not only of the Law written in the heart and these inbred principles of honesty and truth to hurt none to obey God for Satan raised not the first dispute about these but with all the judgements and testimonies of God as David Psal. 119.127 128. vers 86. All thy commandements are faithfull 1 Sam. 12.7 Stand still that I may reason with you of all the righteous acts of the Lord. It s a mind like Christs that hath an heart prejudice at no one command by an other and is sweetly friended with all that God commands Math. 3.15 It becomes us to fulfill all rightenesse and O! how sweet to have no heart quarrell but a sweet stouping of soul unto and an adoring of God in all providences and acts or decrees he hath concluded or done in time or from Eternitie These draw deep in the decree of Reprobation God had an hatefull designe against me 2. The Gospel is an untrue and fabulous dispensation What a spirit is Galaenus who reproacheth Moses because he teacheth not that God works ever and by necessity of nature what is most good for the creature And that Prince who said that if he had been Counsellour to God in the time of the Creation many things should have been created ordinatius melius in a better order and state then they were Let the man be remembred who called the Gospel a fable and the spirits who reproach the Scripture as inkie wisedom 1. A bare dead forme bare flesh c. and weak ones under desertion who feed upon reports and lying news from Satan God hated me before time and carries on a design of eternall ruine to me therefore I have no right to hear to pray to eat to sleep 2. Yet the necessity of good works is asserted by Luther the Augustine Confess and Apol. Arti. 20. docent nostri c. Evangelick works are necessarie not to merite but by the will and commandement of God Calvin calleth them inferiour causes of the possession of our salvation The dispute began upon occasion of the book called Interim Anno M.DLXVIII and in Colloquie at Altenburge Melanthone and the Divines of Wittenberge assented
purpose of heart to obey either obedience or faith formally 5. If to be justified by faith in Christ as not only Jesus who saves but as Lord who commands then we are justified by love for we are to love him not as Jesus only but also as Lord 1 Cor. 16.22 Eph. 6.24 especially since all the works of the Law come under the command of love Matth. 22.3.7 Luk. 7.27 Deu. 6.5 Rom. 13.8 6. All these thy faith hath saved thee Matth. 9. Luk. 7. only beleeve must be of this truth thy good works hath saved thee only do good works And it is strange that Paul saith Eph. 2.8 By grace ye are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God 9. Not of works lest any man should boast Nor could Paul make an opposition between grace and works as in Rom. 11.6 if the grace of beleeving and good works were one in the New Testament for so we should be saved by works and not by works And Paul by an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 takes that away Yea but we are saved that is justified and delivered from obligation to wrath by the works of free-grace He answers nay but neither are we saved or justified by these works of grace as by means or causes For we are first saved and justified before we can do good works for good works are the fruits of free-grace since v. 10. we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus and so justified and saved in Christ Jesus to good works that we should walk in them Yea and Paul undenyably removeth this doubt 1 Cor. 4.4 I know nothing by my self that is by his grace I am free of such sinnes as bring condemnation and so he must abound in works of grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet thereby and notwithstanding of all my inherent holinesse by works of grace I am not justified 7. There should be no ground of gloriation and boasting more then this by the Socinian and Arminian way if we should be justified by works which come from free-will not determined by any grace either habituall or actuall which is merited by the death of Christ but do proceed from pure free-will which separateth the beleever from the non-beleever Then might we glory and boast that we are not in the debt of Christ or of his grace for that which is our formall righteousnesse before GOD and so no flesh can say they are justified by grace but that we are justified by nature the same way that Adam should have been justified without being beholden to CHRIST or to his death Asser. 3. There are not properly the same causes of the possession of Life Eternall and of the righteousnesse of Life Eternall The ransome of Christs blood is only the cause of the right For jus or right to Life Eternall is a legall and a morall thing eâ—s morale and hath a morall cause as a man hath right to such a City being the Lord and owner thereof by birth or money or conquesse or by gift or grant of a Prince or of the Citizens themselves but possession and injoying the houses and rents of the City is a Physicall thing ens Physicum and hath a Physicall cause as eating drinking lodging sleeping wearing of cloaths to defend the body from the cold So the legall right a man hath to the bread and lodging he hath in an Innes but the Physicall causes are hunger appetite bodily necessities so require and his pleasure to make use of such necessities Hence the eating drinking may be Physically good and the right jus legale very bad he may have no right to the bread when he comes to it only by spoil and rapine So the legall right jus legale to life eternall is the ransome of blood that Christ payed our Goel our friend and kinsman to make the inheritance ours but that great I may say almost Apostolick light Mr. John Calvin saith good works are as it were the inferiour causes of the possession of life So simple possession is one thing and quâ— jure aut titulo but by what Law-right he possesseth is another thing But 1. Good works are necessary necessitate praecepti by the command of God and promise 1 Thes. 4.4 1 Cor. 6.20 Eph. 2.10 Matth. 28.20 and where it is said 1 Tim. 4.8 Godlinesse is profitable to all things having the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the promise is opposed to the Law And that is a strong Argument Gal. 3.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If the inheritance be of the Law it is no more of promise but God gave it to Abraham by promise Covenant-promise What is that to the Galatians and to us Gentiles Mâ—ch every way For three notable points are therein 1. The heavenly inheritance promised to the seed to Christ and his ver 16. not a pâ—or earthly Canaan as Sociniâ—ns and Papists say were promised to Abraham and his seed except they say that an earthly Canaan was promised to Christ. 2. That Covenant-promise of an heavenly inheritance made to Abraham the same is made to the believing Galatians the Gentiles and their seed else Paul saith nothing for the Doctrine of Justification by faith to the Gentiles contrair to the purpose of the Apostle 3. There is an inheritance by Covenant-promise a promise of eternall life made not to works as the price that buyes the right for sure then Christ must have dyed in vain 3. Works are not necessary simply necessitate medii for then we must exclude all Infants But the necessity of a Precept inferreth a necessity of means ordinary to all capable of a Command that they do good and sow to the Spirit that they may reap of the Spirit life everlasting Gal. 6.8 3. They are necessary for the glory of God Math. 5.16 1 Pet. 3.1 2. 1 Pet. 2.12 4. They are necessary by the law of gratitude which is common both to the Covenant of Works and of Grace as we are debters to God for being so to God-incarnate as ransoned ones for everlasting life 1 Cor. 6.20 Luke 1.75 1 Pet. 1.18 and eternall well-being But such as will have our works the formall cause of our justification they put them in the chair of Christs merite and they must be meritorious as Adams legall obedience should have been yea but not but by and of gracious estimation God so esteeming them say they True but as is proven neither was Adams obedience meritorious but by Gods estimation Yea and Calvine gives a power of meriting ex pacto to our works But our works of grace are dyed and washen in Christs blood and justified that they may justifie us But the Scripture speaks nothing of justifying of works or not imputing sin to our works Antinomians dream of a freeing of both the person and works of a justified man from Law-obligation and that is a way indeed to justifie works of murther
and adultery in David or any justified man from being sins against the Law of God But because our works of grace have an intrinsâ—call power of meriting and justifying communicated to them by the merits of Christ they must be far more our formall righteousnesse before God then Adams righteousnesse was his justification and life before God And if our works of grace have no power of merite or worth communicated to them from Christs death then must it follow though Christ had never dyed our works may have the same gracious esteem of God the same power of meriting of justifying and saving they now have Yea and since Christ hath redeemed us from our vain conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 by his blood Why but as he hath redeemed us from hell and purchased salvation to us by giving us grace by our own good works after conversion to redeem and justifie and save our selves so he hath redeemed us from our vain conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 by giving us grace to do such works before we be redeemed from our vain conversation and before we be converted as we may merite our conversion and Redemption from our vain conversation If it be said he absolutely and without any condition that is required on our part by his blood redeems all whom he hath given his Son Christ to die for from their vain conversation 1. All mankinde without exception for by their way he hath died for them all must be redeemed from their vain conversation and converted Nothing can be more false 2. The Gospel to no purpose and the Gospel-Commands shall in vain crave obedience or so much as the duty of hearing the Gospel from such as are not yet redeemed from their vain conversation or not yet converted For that Redemption is promised to them â—bsolutely without any condition required of them saith this way Obj. If works have a causative influence on the possession of glory as working on wages and fighting on victory then must they have influence on just possession also For possession except it be just is no possession but usurpation Answ. Possession is essentially the enjoying of any thing pleasant gainfull yea or honest whether the title be just or unjust The Title is accidentall to the Possession Obj. 2. He that possesseth the Crown possesseth the Diamonds and pretious stones and the worth of the Crown Therefore he that possesseth life possesseth the right and title to it Answ. True but hence it followeth not but possession and right to what we possesse do differ in their nature Nor do we properly possess the right of possession for the right or title is modus rei non res the maner of and the due or the undue way of the possession thereof Obj. 3. Is not possession of eternall life from Christ as well as the title or right to the Crown from Him Ans. True both are from Christ but not the same way Possession of the Crowne is the enjoying thereof and is from free grace and we as willing and sanctified agents make use thereof But Christ alone bought with his blood the title and right to it And when he gave his life for the rightfull and due possession of glory to us we did contribute nothing either request or help to procure the title and the grace to enter in to the possession by faith is the fruits also of free grace Nor can it be denyed but our good works by which we enter into possession of the Crown are also the fruit of Christs death but yet not so as there is any meritorious or federall power of deserving the possession communicate to our works Only they are made by Christs death the oblidged way to the possession of life Obj. 4. How then is there a promise of the life to come made to Godlinesse 1 Tim. 4.8 Answ. That promise is neither a promise of the Covenant of Works for by the deeds of the Law no flesh can be saved Nor is it a federall promise of the Covenant of Grace strictly so called except any would say that it is called a promise especially for faith which is speciall Godlinesse and the acknowledging of the truth which is according to godlinesse Tit. 1.1 and so a promise made to the Godly in so far as he is in Christ by faith and in Christ is the promise of life 2 Tim. 1.1 Nor 3. is the promise of a title and right which is made to Christ our Ransone payer made to our Godlinesse as if it did buy our right to life eternall or were the price thereof 4. Life is promised to Believers who work not because they work And 5. the Lord in these only showeth the order of bringing men to glory not the causes of the right and title to glory except we say the mowing of the first quarter of the Meadow is the cause of the mowing of the second because it makes way to the mowing of the second and the mowing of the second quarter is a cause of the mowing of the third and so forth untill all be mown As because God gives grace to work to run to use means therefore he giveth of free grace the crown of life in the possession thereof Obj. Adams Law-obedience should only have so and by this way been the cause or way to the possession Ans. Not so if Adam had perfected his obedience he should have claimed life by right of sinlesse federall merit ex pacto without suiting of it by any title of grace merited by CHRIST not so we It s true beleevers are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worthy Rev. 3. but that is legally in Christ the Head not that the meritorious worth of Christ goeth out of himself and renders our works intrinsecally meritorious CHAP. XX. Whether or not suffered Christ for any sin against the Gospel only such as unbeleef finall which is conceived to be the only sin against the Gospel That Christ died not for all without exception The unwarrantablenesse of that Doctrine how the Law commands justifying faith and repentance how not IT may appear that Christ suffered not for any sin which is onely against the Gospel such as finall unbeleef If any sins be considered in any other respect as against the Gospel only then Christ was not to suffer for any such sin so considered for where no death is threatened none is explicitely due and where it is not so due to the sinner nor should have been execute upon him there it could not have been due to Christ nor executed upon him For the Gospel threateneth not death to any sin but finall unbeleef and rebellion and for that Christ never died therefore Christ died not for any sin as against the Gospel nor suffered that which is no where threatened But this is most doubtsome and cannot well stand It s true that Christ suffered not for finall unbeleef it being the proper sin of some reprobates to wit of such as hear the Gospel Joh. 8.21
4.5 Matth. 12.36 37. they are everlastingly punished And if Christ have suffered on the Crosse for all the sinnes of the Reprobate how are they judged and condemned for these sins as the Scripture saith And what Scripture saith they are condemned for the guilt of only unbelief or that Pagans are condemned for Gospel-unbelief where as Sodom Gomorrah Mat. 10.15 the men of Niniveh Mat. 12.41 Tyrus and Sidon Mat. 11.21 and such as have sinned without the Law Rom. 2.12 13 14 15. are freed of Gospel-guiltinesse and condemned for sinnes against the Law and yet this same way saith that there is a Gospel-Covenant made with all even thousands of Pagans who never heard of a Gospel never ingadged themselves by any profession to take the Lord for their God in Christ yet Christ bare their sins on the Tree and made his blood applicable to them by a Gospel-Covenant if they shall beleeve Whence they must all break the Covenant of Grace of which many of them never heard and be condemned for no sins but the last act of Sodomy gluttony parricide for the Gospel threatteneth not death to any sin but to finall unbelief say they There are not any sinnes committed against the Gospel but they are also sinnes against the Law because God incarnate and Immanuel is God and leaves not off to be God consubstantiall with the Father because he assumes the nature of man Then as the first Command oblidgeth Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac when God shall reveal that Command and Moses and the people are by that first Command to believe their deliverance out of Egypt and so if the firâ—â— Command oblidge us to believe and obey all Commands and Promises and Threatnings of God revealed and to be revealed because the Lord is God then must Christ God Redeemer and Immanuel be beleeved by this Command and so finall unbelief and finall despising of Christ God Redeemer is as directly against the first Command and so not a sin only threatned and forbidden in the Gospel as simple unbelief and simple despising of Christ God Redeemer For the believing final believing and unbelief and unbelief continuing to the end differ in the accident of duration not in nature and essence As a Rose that grows for a moneth only and a Rose of the same nature that groweth and flourisheth for three moneths Otherwise Christ could not have pronounced Peter blessed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 16.17 in the present for believing in the present for he should not have been blessed to the end as Solon said of his blessed man And this cannot but subvert our faith crush the peace hope consolation of weak Believers to whom undoubtedly the promise of perseverance iâ—â—bsolutely made Jer. 31.31 35. Jer. 32.39 40. Isai. 54.10 Isai. 59.20 21. Joh. 4.14 Joh. 10.27 28. 2. If there be as formall a transgression of the fiâ—st Command in finall unbelief as in unbelief simply considered and in the other sins of Judas and other Apostates Why but as Christ bare in his body the sins of unbelief and satisfied for them he must so also bear the sins of finall rebellion and unbelief And shall we believe that Christ payed a satisfactory ransone of blood upon the crosse for the yesterdayes unbelief of Judas and not for the dayes unbelief If it be said No man can break the Gospel-Covenant for it is an everlasting Covenant Ans. It s an everlasting Covenant but yet all who sin against the commanding love and authority of our Immanuel especially they so professing to be his do truly break the Covenant but they so break it as it leaves not off to be the Covenant of life both to the breakers if they repent and beleeve and to others for so is the nature of this Covenant and so it is everlasting but the Covenant of Works if once broken ceases to be a Covenant of life for ever because the nature of it is to admit of no repentance at all Obj. Does not the Law command the sinner offending God to mourn and be humbled and confesse Ans. It doth But it injoines not repentance as a way of life with a promise of life to the repenter as the Law or as a Covenant of Works commands to its native and proper Covenanters obedience and every single act of obedience as a way to obtain the reward of a Law-life nor does the Law as a Covenant of Works command justifying faith and reliance upon God Redeemer or Immanuel but rather as the Law of Nature or as the Law of thankfulnesse to a Ransoning and Redeeming God the Law does this Though in a speciall Covenant way the Gospel command faith in Christ. Obj. But finall unbeleef as against God Redeemer and so considered is the only breach of the Covenant of Grace He that beleeves not is condemned as the man that rejects the only remedie of sin Ans. The only breach of the Covenant of Grace is too narrow to be the adequat cause of damnation for many Pagans who never heard of Christ and are under no Covenant but that of Works are condemned not for not beleeving in him of whom they never heard Rom. 10.14 nor for breach of the Covenant of Grace but for breach of the Covenant of Works 2. Unbelief may be called the nearest cause of damnation to such as 〈◊〉 within the Visible Church as the wilfull refusing of medicine which only and infallibly would heal the sick man of such a disease is the cause of his death but is the Morall cause For the disease it self is the Physicall cause or the materiall cause of the mans death And without doubt uncleannesse covetousnesse sorcerie lying idolatrie c. and many the like sinnes beside unbeleef are 1 Cor. 6.9 Eph. 5.5 6. Rev. 21.8 Rev. 22.15 Jud. 6.7 8. 2 Pet. 2.17.10 11 12 13 2 Thes. 2.9 10. 1 Pet. 4.3 4. 2 Pet. 2.2 3 4 5. the causes of the damnation of many visible professours where as this way saith Christ did satisfie upon the Crosse for all thâ—se sins and the damned of visible professours suffer in hell only for finall unbeleef And it seems unjust that both Christ and they should suffer satisfactory punishment for these same sins done against the Law And as strange that Châ—â—st should die for any and not die for their sinnes since the Scripture useth the word of dying for sinnes Rom. 4.25 delivered from our sinnes Christ is a pâ—opitiation for our sinnes and the same way not for ours only but for the sinnes of the whole world he died for sinners Heb. 2.17 that he might make reconciliation for the sinnes of the people that is for the sinfull people or sinners Heb. 9.28 so Christ was once offered to bear the sinnes of many That is to bear the sins of the sinfull many that he died for Heb. 10.12 But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sin sat down on the right hand of God that is after
he had offered a sacrifice for sinners 1 Pet. 3.18 Christ once suffered for sin that is for sinners 1 Cor. 15.3 I delivered unto you how Christ died for our sinnes that is for the persons of us sinners 1 Joh. 3.5 He was manifested to take away our sinnes 1 Joh. 4.10 Herein is love that he sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sinnes Rev. 1.5 To him that loved us and washed us from our sinnes be glory Gal. 1.4 He gave himself for our sinnes Now it must not be asserted but proven that in all these places where he is said to be a propitiation for the sins of the world and hath taken away our sinnes speaking as these Authors say of the whole Visible Church and not of the elect onlie that Christ hath died and by his death hath taken away some sinnes and hath suffered for some sinnes and not for all sinnes not for the finall unbeleef of sinners if it be said that we cannot teach that Christ suffered for finall unbeleef we grant it But then we say that Christ suffered not for finall unbeleevers and for the other sins of finall unbeleevers since suffering for sins and for persons that are sinners to bring them to God 1 Pet. 3.18 are conjoined And God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not imputing their trespasses unto them 2 Cor. 5.19 Therefore there must be a pardoned and a justified world and so a truely blessed world as Paul and David teach Psal. 3â— 1 2. Rom. 4. and so a loved John 3.16 and chosen world followed with the separating love of God to man which saves some foolish ones and serving diverse lusts and saves not others and so there must be a love and mercy of predestination amor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not common to all the world as is clear Tit. 3.3 4 5. Eph. 2.1 2 3 4 5. We seek a warrand of Gods not imputing to this loved world their trespasses against the Law and of his imputing to the same world the trespasses of rebellion and finall unbelief And how Christs blood shed for persons both reconciles them to God and leaves them in wrath imputes not their trespasses to them and makes them blessed as David sayes Ps. 32.1 and imputes their finall unbelief to them and leaves them under a curse Nor shall it help the mater to say that finall unbelief may be considered as both against the Law and as only forbidden in the Gospel And in the former respect Christ hath suffered for it not in the latter For if the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the contrariety between finall unbelief and the first Command as it is a rebellion against God manifested in the flesh be satisfied for by Christ on the crosse How can it condemn the person as sure it doth Joh. 3.18 36. Joh. 8.21 24. It cannot be said that Christ died for finall unbeleef so we beleeve 2. What speciall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and repugnancie to the Law of God is there in finall unbelief that is not a repugnancie to the Covenant of Works and Grace both And what repugnancie to the Covenant of Grace which is not also contrair to the Law This I grant which I desire the Reader carefully to observe the Law and the Covenant of Grace do not one and the same way command faith and forbid unbelief I speak now of the Covenant of Works and of the Covenant of Grace as they are two Covenants specifically and formally different For 1. the Law as the Law commands 1. Faith in the superlative degree as it doth all acts of obedience and so doth it Gospel repentance Because the Law commands all obedience most exact and perfect and condemnes faith in the positive degree though sincere and lively as sinfully deficient The Gospel doth only require sincere faith and condemneth not for the want of the degrees of faith most perfect though the Law of thankfulnesse to the Ransone-payer which Law is common to both Covenants require that we believe in the highest degree because Christ hath expressed to us the greatest love Joh. 3.16 Joh. 15.13 2. The Law as the Law requires faith not finall only but faith in Immanuel for ever and that we be born with the Image of God that we beleeve at all times under the pain of damnation But the Covenant of Grace because it admits of repentance and holds forth the meeknesse forbâ—arance and longaâ—iâ—itie of Christ is satisfied with faith at any time or what hour of the day they shall be brought in 3. The Law requires faith with the promise of Law-life The Covenant of Grace requires faith promises grace to beleeve with promise of a Gospel-life 4. The Law requires not faith in Christ with sinners Covenant-ways as a work to be legally rewarded for it finding all sinners and all by nature Covenant-breakers cannot indent with thâ—m that have broken the Covenant to promise life to them by tennor of the Covenant which now ceaseth to be a Covenant of life and cannot but condemn and is now rendered impossible to jâ—stifie and save by reason of the weaknesse of the flâ—sh Rom. 8.3 All the reprobate then are this way under the Covenant of Works that they are as it were possible Covenanters lyable to suffer the vengeance of a broken Covenant but not formally active Covenanters as Adam was But if Christ suffer for finall unbeleef as it is against the Law as the Law how is it charged upon reprobates as a sin against the Gospel only Since no wrong done to God Redâ—emer can be any thing but a sin against God and a â—reach of the first Command I deny not but finall unbeleef hath an aggravation that it is the nearest barre and iron gate between the sinner and the only Saviour of sinners but yet the putting of such a barre is a sin against the Law Neither can it be said that only finall unbeleef is the only meritorious cause of damnation to such as hear the Gospel For beside final unbelief there is also a contrariety betwixt the murthers Sodomies c. of professours and the Law for which they suffer in hell eternally Rev. 21.8 c. 18.7 Quest. Whether doth the Lord Mediator as Mediator command the same good works in the Covenant of Grace which are commanded in the Covenant of Works CHAP. XXI Ans. ACcording to the matter of the thing commanded quâ—ad rem mandatam he commands the same and charges upon all and every one the morall duty even as Mediator for he cannot loose the least of these Commandements but simply they are not the same quoad modum mandandi It shall not be needfull to dispute whether they be commands differing in nature For not only doth the Mediator coÌ„mand obedience upon his interposed Authority as Law-giver and Creator but also as Lord Redeemer upon the motive of Gospel-constraining love In which notion he calls love the keeping of his Commandements if they love him Joh. 14. the new
promises to the Reprobate though in teaâ—ms Evangelick yet are Law to them if Cain do well he shall be saved if Judas beleeve he shall be saved because God by Grace fulfills not the promise in them Obj. 1. Then shall Gospel-obedience be of lesse worth then Law-obedience which floweth not from Grace which Christ hath merited by his death Ans. It s not denyed but it is obedience so the Scripture Heb. 5.9 Rom. 1.5 Rom. 6.17 Rom. 16.19 2 Cor. 10.5 1 Pet. 1 5. Act. 6.9 Act. 5.32 37. But 2. It hath lesse of the nature of obedience but more excellency Who would say Peter labouring in the Vineyard of John for wages does properly obey if we suppon that Peter hath from John not only soul will body arms and legs but the inward infused principle of willingnesse the habite and art of dressing Vines the nearest propension and determination of will to work so have we in the Gospel but in the Law though the Lord who gives being does also give his Image to Adam and his influence to obey yet the Image of God is concreated and Adams own grace especially merited by Christ is supervenient and a meer stranger to us and the influence though it did predetermine Adams will yet it is connaturall as it were naturae debita not merited by Christs death and so we give more of our own when we give the fruit of Creation which God hath bestowed on the Pismire and the Worm then when we give the obedience of Grace 2. The obedience of Adam though rationall and perswasive there being a lamp of light in the mind yet came from the feared authority of the Law-giver under the pain of damnation the Gospel-obedience is by the word Act. 2.37 is by way of perswasion Christ saith not Peter thou art afraid of hell feed my Lambs but Peter loves thou me feed my Lambs For a Law-obeyer is not to beleeve life eternall but in so far as he shall keep the Law perfectly the Gospel obeyer so obeyes as he beleeves deliverance from wrath and life eternall but his beleeving is not reckoned to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Law-debt but of love and Grace-debt See Rom. 4.4 Matth. 6.12 these promises 1 Tim. 4.8 Luk. 12.31 Matth. 19.29 are exponed by the promises made to the overcomer Rev. 2. Rev. 3. which is by faith 1 Joh. 5.4 5. 3. But it is most true Gospel-obedience hath these excellencies 1. It is a plant of a more noble Vine coming from the merit of blood yet is not our obedience comparable to Christs for a work of Law or Gospel Grace hath a necessary reference to no wages of its own nature but only by the interveening of the free pleasure of God But Christs obedience intrinsecally from the excellent dignity of the person hath a meriting vertue 2. It works more eminently then nature It is a pillar to support sowning nature and acts in more excellent subjects in CHRIST in the Elect Angels in the Redeemed ones and makes them stones of another nature and this is the handie-work of CHRIST Isai. 54.11 I will lay thy stones with fair colours and lay thy foundations with Saphires v. 12. I will make thy windows of Agats and thy gates of Carbuncles and all thy borders of pleasant stones What do morall men that work on clay and make clay pots all their life and know nothing of the actings of saving Grace Fairest civility is but roustie iron the basest of Mettals and they sweat and hammer upon Law-works being strangers to Christ and his gold O! what a difference between praying and hearing out of discretion and by necessity of the office and praying in the Holy Ghost and hearing in faith CHAP. XXIII Q. VVHat sort of doing the Law requireth The Scripture is clear that consumate and continued in doing to the end is required by the Law Paul interpreting Moses Deut. 26.27 Gal. 3.10 Cursed be every one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who continueth not in all that are written in the Law to do them Deut. 26.27 Cursed is he who shall not confirm It is a word they use in inacting of Laws when we say Be it statuted and ordained the word in Piel is three times in the Book of Esther to ordain by a Law Which clearly saith that the Covenant of Works was a work of justice and such a time God set to Adam so as to the end he was to run it out but how long he was a viator or traveller in his course of obedience no man knows CHAP. XXIII Whether faith as lively and true or faith as continuing to the end be the condition of the Covenant of Grace THese who in all points as in this make this new Covenant a Covenant of Works contend that faith as enduring to the end must be the condition of the new Covenant 1. Because the promise of the reward 2. The reward is given to him that endures to the end And this faith say they is the adequat and compleat-condition of the Covenant of Grace as full and consumate obedience to the end in degrees and parts 2. But faith as lively and sincere is the condition of the Covenant the nature and essence of this faith is to continue to the end but continuance to the end is an accident all condition of this onely essentiall condition of the Covenant faith quae which endures to the end but not quâ aut quatenus as it endures to the end is that which saves us and justifies us as the condition of the Covenant 1. Faith as lively units us to Christ and justifies whether it be come to the full perfection or not Otherwise 1. no man should be ingrafted in Christ as brâ—nches in the Vine Tree no man partakers of the Divine nature no man quickened but he that dies in finall beleeving Whereâ—s Joh. 5.24 he that beleeveth before his finall continuâ—nce to the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath passed from death to life and shall never come to condemnation And in this is the difference of the condition of the Covenant of Works that Adam had no right to life by one or two the most sincere acts and highest in measure except he continue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Law saith Deut. 26.27 Gal. 3.10 to the end otherwise at the first act of obedience perfect in degrees and parts God behoved by Covenant except the Lord should break the first Covenant himself before man sin which is blasphemous to have given him confirming grace and the reward of life but the condition of the Covenant of Grace is that He that beleeves Joh. 3.36 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not condemned yea is freed from all condemnation Rom. 8.1 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath life being really unâ—ted as the member to the head as the branch to the tree mystically as the wife to the husband legally as the debter and the surety becomes one person in Law the summe one
by accident in regard of the right to life and because God hath commanded persevering in faith life is given only in possession to such a faith as endures but we cannot say that the accidentall endurance and existence of faith for so many years doth save and justifie as the living so many years makes a Child an heir to a great estate for his being born the eldest son makes him his fathers heir CHAP. XXIV What faith is required in the Gospel THere is a legall faith a duty commanded the object of which is twofold 1. Truths relating to the mind revealed and to be revealed So Adam had a habit or habituall power to beleeve the Law and the Gospel upon supposition it should be revealed As a whole man beleeves skill in his Physitian to prevent diseases ere they come and to remove them when come It s folly to say Adam stood in need before he fell of a supernaturall power to beleeve Evangelick truths if he beleeved God to be true he had such a power as to beleeve all was true that God should reveal 2. Adam had a faith of dependencie to rely upon God in all possible evils feared 2. The promise of life is not made to Law-faith more then to Law-love or Law-fear or Law-desire more then to any other but the promise is made to Evangelick-faith that layes hold on CHRIST as our righteousnesse But for obeying the Commands Adam was to live Gal. 3.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in them by doing them Ezek. 20.11 As Lavater there is no absurditie if it be said men shall live that is merit by free paction life eternall but then saith Calvine if a man keep the Law he needs not the Grace of Christ. Obj. If faith be imputed as it layes hold on Christs Righteousnesse it must be the meritorious cause of Justification and by its inherent dignitie for there is nothing more essentiall to faith then to lay hold on Christs Righteousnesse Ans. If faith were imputed as righteousnesse according to the act of laying hold on Christ it were true but the act of faith is not imputed but that which faith layes hold on it being an instrument to wit the Righteousnesse of Christ it is not an act of beleeving saith a Jesuit And though they say the works Evangelick are from the habit of grace so was Adam a patient when God concreated his Image and habituall righteousnesse in him But Arminians and Jesuits do not say nor darre not that predeterminating Grace is from Christs merites therefore yet the sinner may more boast then Adam and say I have justified my self by the acts of free-will which is indifferent and from under all the bowing and determining or swaying of the Grace of Christ for the free-will should have so whether Christ had died or not died CHAP. XXV Q. WHether is Christs Righteousnesse imputed and made ours because we believe and apprehend it ours or do we believe because it is ours first before we believe Ans. There is a twofold imputation one legall another which for Doctrines cause we call application or reall though the legall imputation be also reall but not to us as the former the Lords act of laying the iniquity of us all upon Christ Isa. 53.6 and the Lords making him sin for us that is a sacrifice for sin 2 Cor. 5.21 evinces necessarily the truth of this the former imputation For 2 Cor. 5.21 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not imputing their trespasses unto them If it be expounded of actuall reconciliation of persons it may say something for the other imputation but the other imputation is clear Rom. 4.3 Abraham beleeved God and it was counted to him for righteousnesse v. 7. Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered v. 8. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sin v. 9. Faith that is that which faith beleeved as hope is put for the thing hoped for Col. 1.5 Rom. 8.24 was imputed to Abraham for righteousnesse though Gomarus give another exposition to wit that by faith or the act of beleeving we obtain this to be reputed righteous and it suits better with the Text. And as to the former imputation God could not in justice wound Christ for our transgressions nor bruise him for our iniquities nor could the Lord break him nor deliver him to the death for us all except God had both made him the sinner that is imputed and reckoned him the sinner in Law for intrinsecally and inherently he was not the sinner but holy harmlesse c. and laid our debts upon him Isa. 53.6 and except he had been willing to have been counted the sinner and had said thou hast given me a body here am I to do thy will Psal. 40.7 Heb. 10.6 7. this reckoning of Christ to be the sinner is not only in the eternall decree but also a laying of our iniquities upon him in time Isa. 53.6 or a dealing with him in Law in punishing him as the sinner And 2. by using the humane nature as an instrument of our Redemption on the Crosse. Antinomians take this imputing of our sins to Christ and reckoning Christ to be the sinner to be the justifying of the sinner which is a grosse mistake for so without beleeving all that Christ died for should be justified upon the Crosse. But the Scripture is so far from ascribing Justification to any but to a beleever that it saith Abrahams faith was imputed to him for righteousnesse Now the faith of multitudes for whom Christ died when he suffered on the Crosse is a very nothing Many are not born and a nothing or a non ens cannot be counted for righteousnesse It is to be observed that payment made by the surety absolveth the debter so as the Law except it be the generall Law of gratitude requireth no act of love of faith of service from the debter nor doth the Law of suretyship in its essence and nature require that the Creditor sub eo titulo should pay the homage of faith indeed when the Creditor is both the Creditor and the offended Party and also the supream Law-giver GOD he may require of the captives the obedience of faith So would justice which saith we should hurt none give to every man his own presse that the debter repay to the surety so far as he is able to make up his losses but to pay the obedience of faith as a part of the ransome due to offended Justice is no Gospel-Law nor any part thereof nor can it bea◠truth except we deny the reall satisfaction made by Christ which both Papists do weaken when they mix the merit of faith therewith and Socinians deny 4. The satisfaction performed upon the Crosse for sinners though it be for a certain particular number determined of God quoad numerum numerantem quoad numerum numeratum both as touching the number so many not all
be also spirituall and lively and seek of us the lost Image of GOD by way of commanding yet there is no promise of the Spirit made in the Law neither gifts nor grace and both are given by the Preaching of the Gospel 2. No miracles are wrought by the Law to confirm the Doctrine of the Law for it is not new nor is the gift of miracles given as a reward of Law-obedience miracles in genere causae finalis are wrought to avenge Pharaoh and the Aegyptians Law-obedience but the miracles are wrought by the Name of Jesus Act. 4. and for the confirming of the Gospel and for the good of the Church See Gal. 3.1 2 3. CHAP. XXVI Of the property of the Covenant of Grace the perpetuity thereof Quest. VVHerein stands the eternity of the Covenant of Grace And what other properties there be of the Covenant Ans. The Law and Covenant of Works is a rule of everlasting righteousnesse and so may be called an everlasting righteousnesse containing precepts of the Law of nature intrinsecally good such as to know love fear trust in him as the only true God and in this sense it is an eternall Covenant But 1. it is not eternall in the positives of the second and fourth and fifth Commands the way of worship the means as Ceremonies Sabbath Magistracie and such like which are not to continue in the life to come and so neither faith nor hope in God through Christ 1 Cor. 13.13 Rom. 8.24 25. 2 Cor. 5.7 nor a Temple nor Ordinances nor the Kingdom of Christ as now dispenced are to be the binding rule for eternity to such as are confederats of the Covenant of Grace Rev. 21.22 23. 1 Cor. 15.24 though more of the smell and remnants of the Covenant of Grace of the Lamb of praises to him who was slain Rev. 5.9 11 14. be in the life to come then of the Law-Covenant in regrad of our standing in a state of glory for evermore by the Mediator to keep the nature in an eternall union for evermore by the Lord Christ his being cloathed with our nature glorified for ever Rev. 3.21 Rev. 5. Rev. 7. Rev. 20. Rev. 21. Ch. 22. And in that we shall be ever with Christ God-Man Luk. 23.42 Joh. 17.24 1 Thess. 5. 2 Cor. 5.8 Phil. 1.23 17. in an eternall state of glory though not in regard of an advocation and intercession for fallen sinners As 1 Joh. 2.1 2. or of praying that our faith fail not when winnowed as Luk. 22.31 32. In a word there is a mediation of the triumphing reign for the standing of the glorified nature and a mediation for the reconciling of and interceeding for of sinners The latter must cease when the Kingdom is given up by the Sonne to the Father 1 Cor. 15.24 The former is eternall and shall never cease 2. The Law as a possible and standing way of justifying and saving sinners is not eternall but is now ceased to all flesh the Man Christ only excepted but the Covenant of Grace stands as the only way under heaven by which sinners may be saved and after the Covenant of Grace there is no dispensation which Libertines and Familists call more spirituall without Ordinances and a way as they speak of all spirit of pure spirit 3. The Covenant of Grace is eternall in regard in it there is promised actuall grace and continuall influences of grace from the Head Christ the High Priest to keep the confederats in obedience and in perseverence to the end And no such influences either for the habit of grace or for the continuated acts thereof are promised in the Covenant of Works in regard Adam a man and poor men in him do undertake to obey Whereas Christ-Man binds and undertakes as head Covenanter and Surety for all the under confederats and for sinners in the Covenant of Grace Which difference is much to be observed between the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace And for that cause the Covenant of Works is 1. more independent and requires more of mans strength and less grace then the other 2. It stands more by precepts lesse by promises having only one promise of a reward and hyre to the obeyer and consists all of precepts the other though it want not precepts especially it is his command that we believe in the Son of God yet stands most by promises and this Covenant gets the name of a promise or the promise Acts 2.39 Rom. 8.9 compared with Acts 3.25 Gen. 12.3 3. The Covenant of Works hath more of hyre more of man of nature of earning and working and more of mans Covenant where he binds for himself and the other partie for himself without the mutuall help of any of the confederate parties 4. The Covenant of Grace is thus also eternall in that the buried and dead parties Abraham Isaac and Jacob are still in the Covenant of Grace and there remains a Covenant-union between Christ and their rotten flesh sleeping in the dust which is not an union by faith or by any actings obedientiall of dead men as is most evident if we compare our Saviours words Matth. 22.32 with the Lord speaking out of the Bush to Moses Exod. 3.6 and God is not the God of the dead but of the living noâ— is the rising of the body promised in the Covenant of Works nor is there a standing Law-Covenant between the Lord and dead Abraham requiring the condition of faith from buried men Onely there is a warrand to say that the Covenant is everlasting because it goes beyond time and stands with the dead in Christ Matth. 22.32 2. Because two great promises of the Covenant the rising of the body and life everlasting are fulfilled after time is ended Joh. 6.38 39. 1 Thess. 4.14 16 17. and adde to this the publick owning and confessing of the Saints before the Father and the holy Angels which is publick remission and declared justification before the world of Elect Men and Angels Luke 12.8 Matth. 10.32 3. Because after all these to walk among them as their God and dwell among them Rev. 7.15 16 17. when they are cloathed in white Robs and are before the throne serving him night and day and that the Lord should be their God Rev. 21.7 after they have overcome all temptations is fulfilled eternally in heaven Now for God to walk among a people and be their God is to be a Covenanting God to them as is evident from 2 Cor. 6.16 Lev. 26.11 12. Jer. 32.38 Zech. 13.6 2. The second and principle propertie of the Covenant is the graciousnesse and freedome thereof therefore is it made with sinners without hire or price and every article and lith of it is Grace 1. The whole Gospel is the word of Grace Acts 20.32 Col. 1.6 the Bargaine a pâ—ction of Grace and the new Covenant Heb. 8.8 for Grace is a new thing and nature an old thing the condition of the Covenant to beleeve
is a gift of grace Phil. 1.29 the mercies bestowed and promised are all of free grace for we are justified by his grace Rom. 3.24 freely and are saved and called with a holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace 2 Tim. 1.9 For by grace saith Paul are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Eph. 2.8 and the new creation is framed in us of grace But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ Eph. 2.4 5. and the new heart promised Ezek. 36.26 is given upon this account v. 32. Not for your sakes do I this saith the Lord be it known unto you be ashamed and confounded for your own wayes O house of Israel We have remission of sins freely of his grace Eph. 1.7 In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of sins according to the riches of his grace Col. 1.14 Perseverence is promised of free grace Jer. 31.35 Jer. 32.39 40. Isa. 54.10 as life eternall is the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6.23 and every influence of grace is of free grace Phil. 1.13 Joh. 15.5 and CHRIST the Surety of the Covenant of free-grace and love is given Joh. 3.16 to taste of death for every man Heb. 2.9 CHAP. XXVII Of cases of Law-fear and gospel-Gospel-faith How a child of God fears Law-threatnings FRom these properties flow diverse cases touching the stability of the Saints their perseverance their temptations their standing in grace 1. If they cannot fall away who are thus seated in the Covenant is not free will left to much loosnesse of security Answ. Not at all For a principle of Godly fear is fixed in the heart and so in free will never to depart from God Jer. 32.39 40. And where this Godly aw is the heart is in a Godly trembling and fear and darre not be loose wanton and secure to fear nothing but fears alway Prov. 28.14 and fears and trembles at the Lord and his goodnesse Hos. 3.5 A Godly heart trembles more for fear of grace and the debt of grace then of justice and wrath and fears sin more as it is against the bands of grace and against Christ and Gospel-love who can save then as it is against Law the Law-giver and him who eternally destroyes And so the aw of heaven hath a stronger impression then the terrour and aw of hell Quest. 2. How can the fear of falling away and the faith of perseverance absolutely promised and absolutely given consist together Ans. The Law-fear of falling away and the Gospel faith of persevering are not consistent The fear legall of the least sinne is a fear of hell and of eternall wrath to be irrecoverably inflicted but because the person is under grace the beleever cannot fear this fear except the Law-fear be letten out against him as a temptation but it is not his oblidged duty so to fear 2. The Law-fear upon a beleever is conditionall and not absolute as he fears hell and falling away jure as his deserving if God should enter in judgement with him and if he were not in CHRIST But he is oblidged to a Gospel-faith which layes hold on Christ righteousnesse and deliverance from condemnation and if Christ and interest in him be hid from him and nothing on but Law-fear that is a triall not a duty of Law-fear But there is a Godly Law-fear or a Gospel-Law-fear which is a Godly horrour conditionall for that which is never to be inflicted but yet according to deserving may be inflicted and this is the terrour of the Lord which breedeth Gospel perswasion 2 Cor. 5.11 and so may well stand with Gospel-faith and assurance of deliverance from falling away and of being stablished and confirmed to the end As a child in the fathers arm threatened to be cast over a sharp Rock in the Sea may have horrour and fear and cry out for fear and yet beleeve so his fathers compassion as he will not throw him in the Sea because the threatning is ordained not to be exercised but that the child may so much the more thrust his arms about his fathers neck Quest. 3. What is the best victory over temptations from such fears Ans. As in all temptations so here overcoming is attended with precious promises which are to be read Rev. c. 2.7.17.26 27 28. c. 3.5.12.21 Rev. 21. For 1. Feavers of the Law that have no kindly cools and relenting by the promises of the Gospel tend not to the strengthning of the life of God but only when they leave a standing self loathing and loving of Christ. 2. It argues the strength of faith after many yea six foyles to stand as the Army that is broken six times yet rallies and draws up again is often at the seventh time victorious 3. Such as stand against a strong and mighty tentation bâ—ing pressed out of measure above strength as Paul was 2 Cor. 1.8 9. in so much saith he that we despaired even of life But wee had the sentence of death in our selves do prevail to the being taught of God not to trust in our selves but in God who quickens the dead For here there comes reall strength from fighting As he who by strength of nature lives and convalesceth after a running boatch and strong pestilence goes through pest-houses and is never infected again So the worthies by faith who overcame strong temptations Heb. 11. to the end keep the fields and prevail till death 4. Godly fear of self-weaknesse and trembling at sin which may darken the feelings of received mercies and sweet influences addeth strength Something of that is here 2 Cor. 12.10 when I am weak then am I strong 5. A fixed peace in assurance of deliverance from condemnation and quietnesse in beleeving pardon and righteousnesse in Christ ought alwayes to be as touching the state of Justification for the questioning of this in a beleever if Antinomians will yeeld to truth is contrair to faith and no warrantable assurance But 2. a fixed peace in David immediatly after blood-shed and adultery before beleeving of the remission of these particular sins be in the Lords order renewed is security and not Godly peace Psal. 32.3 While I keept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day 5. I acknowledged and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Psal. 51.1 2 3 c. prove this But it may be said doth not this holy feeling of and trouble for the particular hainous guiltinesse brangle the fixed peace and the persons faith and confidence that he is in a state of justification Ans. Not at all for the outcries of the child of God Rom. 7.24 under not a finger or an arm or a leg but a body of sinne O wretched man who shall deliver me from the body of this death are good and
much feeling of pain argues much life And such as in this regard say I thank God I was plagued and pained but now nothing ails me I have peace I am rich I have need of nothing Revel 3.17 I am all whole must be in a dangerous case Indeed the complaining of want of justification and of the righteousnesse of God in a believer and a raising of the foundation as Psal. 31.22 Jonah 2.4 I am cast out of thy sight are both false and bastard-feelings and hastie unbelief for this is a reflection upon and a reproaching of the Office of the Healer of sinners This is contrair to faith and the former is a complaining of the body of sin that can hardly be sclandered so a complaining of self and the feeling of inherent corruption weakens not but strengthens faith And complaining thus and triumphing in a believed justification do well consort in Paul Rom. 7.24 O wretched man c. v. 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord and Rom. 8.1 Then every feeling of sin is not contrair to faith as Mr. Town and other Antinomians teach some godly tender feeling foments faith Q. 6. How cometh it to passe that seldome feeling of sin wanteth unbeleef Ans. Our looking in a Legall not in an Evangelick way upon sin doth occasion unbelief for looking to the sicknesse of the sinner is but abused when this use is made of it that the question which Christ hath aboundantly answered Ah he hath not who satisfied and payed my ransome justified me also by the Redemption that is in him but the strong body of sin which leads me captive Rom. 7.23 doth also lead rather mislead me to doubt whether the ransome was sufficiently payed and I sufficiently and freely by his grace and the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus justified as Rom. 3.24 And because the sinner feels the stirring and too vigorous acting of a body of sin which is his own work he removes the foundation-stones laid by Christ and questions the well done work of Christ and thrusts in his sickle into Christs harvest which is upon the mater to say Ah my sanctification is nought or small Therefore Christs satisfaction is weak so the man laying the burden upon the wrong back will take and pull off the burden that Christ in his own body did bear on the tree as 1 Pet. 2.24 and wrestle under his own body of sin himself and he thinks he will do the busines better himself then Christ. This is that which Antinomians imput to us groundlesly but it is our sinfull weaknesse so to be troubled at the indwelling of a body of sin as we doubt of and call in question the work of Justification and the satisfaction of Christ. But there is good cause why the sinner quarrel with himself and complain of a body of sin and yet not only quarrell with Christ but exalt Christ and by faith close with the absolutenesse of his gifted satisfaction and righteousnesse And this is as easie by the Grace of God as we see the more that a gracious soul abases himself as one carnall and sold under sin Rom. 7.14 as one in whom there dwells no good as touching the flesh v. 18. in whom sin dwells v. 20. as one brought into captivity to the Law of sin and a wretched man 24. so much the more doth he exalt Christ the only deliverer Rom. 7.25 Rom. 8.1 23 33 34 35. and why should not our blacknesse commend Christs beauty our deadness exalt his life our sinfull wretchednesse his glorious office in saving and our emptinesse and drynesse his fulnesse of the anointing who is all fulnesse CHAP. XXVIII Christ died not to blot out the sense of sin but rather to quicken a Godly sense thereof THe more of Christ and his sufferings be apprehended the more Godly sense of sin so far is Christs death from bloting out all sense of sin For if sense of sin be all one with a simple reflecting knowledge that we once sinned then the Godly in this life from grace not from the stirring of the Law do both know and acknowledge what they were 1 Tim. 1.13 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord c. I was before a blasphemer and a persecuter and injurious but I obtained mercy Tit. 3.3 We our selves were also sometimes foolish disobedient c. Yea the glorified cannot before the Throne sing the glory of the Lamb slain and the price of Redemption payed Rev. 5 12. to redeem them from sin but there must be even in glory this sense of their debt though without heart break or sorrow Then it cannot be a Doctrine of the Gospel that paying of our debt and the ransome doth score out of a gracious memory the counts of a payed debt The more I know what Christ hath done the more I should kisse and imbrace the gracious surety and these kisses of Glory and that song worthy is the Lamb c. say that grace and the faith of the price payed do inlarge rather the holy memory and sense of sin then obliâ—erate it Hence the translated out of sense of grace cast back their eye to the pit the drudgerie of bondage they were once in Epâ— 2.3 4 5. Tit. 3.3 4 5. 1 Tim. 1.13 14. with loving and praising the riches of grace And must it not be good to read old counts and weep for joy and cast and dart up praises to him who is at the right hand of the Father and sorrow for old debts and love much him who freely pardons 2. If sense of sin be taken for the unbelieving feeling of and judging my self cast out of his sight and condemned whereas yet I am in Christ and it is God who justifies me who is he shall condemn Rom. 8.33 34. We shall agree with Antinomians this is indeed the hastie sense of unbeleef Psal. 31.22 Joâ— 2.4 Hence let them be rebuked who say not that Christ in the Gospel hath taken away this sense of sin Yea many redeemed of the Lord are weary and laden but they render themselves weary and then sinfully complain that Christ will not ease them In which unconverted ones in the dead-throw are more to be justified then they the one being under a reall burden and the spirit of the Law acting upon them the other act the Law at their own hand and will receive the spirit of bondage to fear again whether it be reason or not He is the less to be pittied who casts himself with his own hand in prison 3. There is a Gospel-sense of in-dwelling of sin bringing forth the mourning of the dove and tears that are so innocent as they wrong not Christ or his work of redeeming and justifying Of this Rom. 7.24 Christ sure takes not this away Beleevers lodge a body of sin in them as sighing patients and as captives half against their will at least their renewed will does contradict this guest Rom. 7.14 15 16 17 18 c. 23 24.
then the second ADAM No more of this here It is a question the Threatning standing Gen. 2.17 how the active righteousnesse of Christ can be a cause meriting to us life and satisfying the Law when there is no suffering for the breach of the Law which expresly required death in the sinner Not to say that it seems too near to make Christs dying needlesse if his active holinesse do the businesse Nay we cannot so teach CHAP. II. Wherein stands our right to Christ and the satisfaction made for us by Christ 2. Faith is not the cause of our right 3. Christs incarnation and dying are not favours merited by Christ. 4. How Adams sin and Christs righteousnesse are ours OUr right to CHRIST must be considered more accurately then ordinarily it is Whether it floweth from 1. the merite of Christ Or 2. from the grace of predestination Or 3. faith in Christ. 1. Conclusion Grace is either objectivè out of us as the free love of God having mercy on whom he will Or subjectivè merited by Christ to us and bestowed upon us As touching our right to God as incarnate 2. As dying for us 3. As his satisfaction is made ours are of diverse considerations For if God out of free love sent his Son in the world Joh. 3.16 and if he out of free-grace that separateth the race of man from Angels took upon him the nature of man to wit of Abraham and not the nature of Angels Heb. 2.16 Then sure by the merits of Christs death it cannot come that God came in the flesh to save sinners For the effect cannot but come from the cause but the cause flowes not from the effect nor is the effect to wit Christs Incarnation and his dying the cause of that love and free-grace of God which moved God to send his Son in the flesh but posterior unto and latter then that love for because he loved us he sent his Son in the flesh to die for us 2. This cannot then be true Christ by his dying for the Elect merited and deserved that God should be made Man for us for this should be true also by the blood of Christ and by the redemption that is in Christ God sent his Son in the flesh and the Son took on him our nature by the blood of the Covenant nor can this be true Christ merited by his death that he should die for us for so it should be true that Christ by his blood shed his blood for us Where as because he loved his Church freely he gave himself for her Eph. 5.15 Who loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2.20 Hence 1. though grace be the cause of grace as because he of grace ordained us to glory therefore of grace he calls and because of free-grace he calls of free-grace he carries on his work and gives of grace perseverance and glory Yet there is a fountain-grace of election to glory which hath no cause nor merit not the merit of Christ for its cause but is the cause of causes and of Christs merits As one fire may produce another but the element of fire was not produced by another element of fire but by God in creation And one Vine Tree brings forth another but the first Vine Tree was created by the Lord only 2. Conclus Nor have we to speak acurately right to Christs satisfaction nor to his righteousnesse by faith 1. Because the Lords free-grace in laying our sins on Christ Isa. 53.6 and his making him sin for us 2 Cor. 5.21 does rather give the right to his satisfaction God would have Christ to stand for so many chosen of God upon the Crosse and for no other 1 Cor. 1.30 Ye are of him through Jesus Christ who is made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of God to us wisedom and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption Nor is there any act of faith interveening by which Christ became our surety and ransone-payer upon the Crosse and not the surety of others 2. It is ordinary to our Divines to say by faith we do apply Christ and his righteousnesse but if we speak properly application is possession and a putting on of Christ and his righteousnesse Now title or Law-right to an inheritance and possession of it are different natures and have different causes but faith gives not law-right to Christ and his righteousnesse not so much as instrumentally My receiving with my hand gold my eating and drinking the flesh and blood of Christ by faith Joh. 6.53 54 c. doth presuppone some right to that gold but no man can say that receiving of gold and eating of bread and putting on of garments gives a man right to gold bread or garments He that possâ—sseth an inheritance hath some right to the inheritance by birth buying purchase or gift the possession in its nature and causes may be unjust yet it is possession Nor can it be shown what causative influence even instrumentall faith hath in our Law-right to Christs satisfaction and righteousnesse except it were a meritorious cause of our right by way of instrument which can hardly be said 3. We may ask how Christ so died for the Reprobate as his death is a remedie applicable to them by the ordination of God so as they shall have life eternall if they believe For 1. there is either a jus and a Law-right to pardon and life eternall merited bâ— Christs death to the Reprobate or no such thing is merited If neither be procured by Christs merite the Patrons of this way shall say there is no serious offer made to them yea there is a jus a title to life eternall and remission which all the reprobate may challenge even a right to remission and life eternall so they beleeve Well then it is the same right conditional to life and pardon which is purchased to the Elect yea this must be purchased whether they believe or not Then there is no more in the kind of the Law-right to Redemption and life eternall and remission of sins purchased to Peter then to Judas or Cain And therefore hath Christ bestowed as much tender love in dying for the Reprobate as in dying for his friends And Christ saith there is no greater love then this Joh. 15.13 As for the efficacious intention of applying of Christs death to Peter when as God had no such intention of applying it to Judas that is an act of eternall predestination not a fruit of Christs death and as for the grace of beleeving it was purchased to all Reprobate and Elect only the Lord applyes not his death and bestowes not the grace of beleeving upon the Reprobate but for right to faith to remission to perseverance to life eternall this right must be purchased but faith it self is never bestowed upon them But there is a ransome of blood given for faith and purchased by CHRISTS merit But CHRIST is never called the Head of all men Elect and Reprobate but the Head of the Body
is infinite because of the infinitnesse of the person before and without the decree of God 2. Nor is it true that Christs dying for all and every one which is a dream makes salvation possible to all so that the Covenant is Preachable to all upon condition of beleeving Act. 10.43 To him Jesus Anointed who went about doing good and so was man v. 38 to him who was slain in our nature not for all and every man v. 39. to him whom God raised up the third day v. 40. To him gave all the Prophets witnesse as it is v. 43 that through his Name who ever beleeves in him shal have remission of sins 2. And this would be considered whoso beleeves in Christ are justified and saved how it is universall It is most true thus There is a sure connexion between faith and life eternall and the connexion is decreed of God or the concatenation of the end and the means or of the means and the end faith and salvation And it is true whether all beleeve or none at all beleeve and whether all or none at all be saved as is this whosoever shall keep the Law perfectly shall be justified and saved by the works of the Law But 1. it makes neither faith nor salvation possible to Pagans and Reprobates nor perfect obedience in doing the Law nor Justification or salvation by the works of the law possible to any living man But the Question is whether the connexion of the former be made true by the decree and revealed will of God promising life to the beleever by no means but only by this because Christ died for all and every one And so this should have been false if all Pagans and Reprobate and Elect beleeve they shall be saved if Christ had died only for the Elect. This must be proven either by Scripture or by some solid reason from Scripture for it saith this Reprobats can not have life by beleeving in Christ crucified for them except it be true that Christ was crucified for them but none can be saved by beleeving that Christ died for them except they also beleeve that Christ rose from the dead and ascended and interâ—â—eds in Heaven for them Then one might infer this could not be true but false if Reprobats beleeve they shall be saved except Christ have died risen again ascended and interceeds for all Reprobate and Elect. For true and saving faith the only condition of salvation must lay hold on the Resurrection Ascension and Intercession of Christ as well as on his dying for all The reason why it cannot be true that Reprobats shall be saved if they believe except Christ have died for them is â—y this way they cannot beleeve that Christ hath died for their sins except it be true that he died for their sins Yea I answer they cannot beleeve that Christ rose again for their righteousnesse except it be true that Christ also rose for the righteousnesse of the Reprobats this latter they cannot say It is said by Christs dying for all God hath now a conditionâ—ll will of saving all and every one Elect and Reprobate if they shall beleeve which conditionall will was not in God before Christs dying for all Yea without Christs dying for all salvation upon condition of beleeving had been impossible But not to say that it is unworthy of the Holy Lord that new wills and new decrees should arise in him upon any thing that falls out in time such as the crucifying of the Lord Jesus Such Doctrine we condemn in Vorstius and in Arminians as is well observed by D. Twisse such a decree as this that God should say I decree will and intend remission and life purchased by the death of Christ to all Pagans that never hear the Gospel to all Reprobats so they shall beleeve in Christ And yet I never decree they shall beleeve nor have grace to beleeve saith no more then there is a connexion between faith as the condition and remission and life eternall as the thing promised as when God had decreed that Jerusalem should be burnt and deny grace to obey Yet saith Jeremiah from the Lord Jer. 38.17 If thou wilt assuredly go forth to the King of Babylons Princes then thy soul shall live and this City shal not be burnt with fire and thou shall live and thine house And the Lord says to Cain Gen. 4.7 If thou dost well and shall savingly beleeve as Abel thou shalt be accepted Then was that connexion decreed of God it containing a most just condition of life and a condition to which Zedekiah and Cain were oblidged but that the death of Christ made the Lord to intend and decree conditionally and in any tearms either acceptation to life or remission to Cain as the end and well doing as the means or intended to purchase the grace either of the one or the other is not warranted by Scripture for both the one and the other are the fruits of the merits of Christ Show 1. how God can will and decree such a thing to the Reprobate for it s as if a father would say I purpose to sell such a plot of ground to my son so he pay me an hundreth Crowns When 1. the son by no possiblity hath or can have the hundreth Crowns but only from his father 2. When the father of his free pleasure hath decreed never to give him the hundreth Crowns or the plot of ground 2. Show how faith is made possible by Christs death when it is not purchased to the reprobate by Christs death it is not surely made physically possible by Christs death if it be said that it is made possible morally rationally and objectively to them because there cannot be an offer of life made to Reprobates and to all upon condition of faith except Christ have died for the Reprobate that is denyed and never proven If one should come say they to the Antipods or to such as never heard of Christ and Preach the Gospel he should not before he Preach look for any new establishing of the conditionall Covenant who ever beleeves in Christ shall be justified and saved but should take it as granted it was made with them before therefore by Christs death the Gospel of it self is Preachable and may be Preached to all Nations quovis seculo in any age as it was to Job Ans. If any come to the Antipods and any Nation that never heard of Christ having the gift of Tongues and Preach to such or by his own industrie acquire the gift of such Tongues and by the strong hand of providence Preach the conditionall Covenant these providences should be a command and the setting up of a shining torch there should prove these people as to the elect among them in Gods minde were a Covenanted people no lesse then the Church of Samaria And there were no need to expect a new establishing of the conditionall Gospel-Covenant But how is that proven to be from
this because God sent his Son to die for all and every one of these Antipods and made the Gospel-Covenant with all and every one of them before the Authors shall be ebbe of Scripture here And if these Antipods should all and every one refuse the Gospel and kill the Preacher and never one either receive the Gospel or propagate to any that may receive it Then such an Apostolick mission is not in Scripture and the lawfulnesse of that mans call to me is to be questioned and I should judge his own Spirit not God sent him Nor is this true that the Gospel is and was Preachable and of it self may be preached to any age Job lived before the giving of the Law and Melchisedeck and they had the call of God to Preach to them to whom they Preached 2. It shall be denied that Jonah had sinned if he had not preached to Nineveh except God had expresly commanded him to preach to Nineveh otherwise it had been the sin of Godly Prophets who lived with him in the time of Joash King of Judah 2 King 14.25 and they had been guilty as Jonah in not Preaching to Nineveh Yea all the Ministers and Apostles and Prophets had sinned in not Prophecying to the Phylistins Syrians Persians Bythinia Samaria whereas the Apostles Matth. 10.5 Act. 16.6 were forbidden to Preach the Gospel to the Gentiles to Asia and it were strange to say Ezekiel sinned in not preaching to a people of an unknown Language whereas the Lord expresly says he sent him not unto them Ezek. 3.5 6. and that Rom. 10.15 How shall they Preach except they be sent is meant of the Apostles and of all lawfull Pastors And there may be running and no sending of God to Nations Jer. 23.21 and Psal. 147.19 20. when he denies he declared his judgements and his statutes to any Nation by sent Prophets as he did to Jacob if the Gospel then was of it self Preachable to all Nations Prophets unsent might have Preached these same judgements to other Nations that were Preached to Jacob though not sent of God But that place Psal. 147. and diverse others would say he choised only Israel as his Covenanted people As Deut. 7.7 8 9. Deut. 10.12 13 14 15. Exod. 20.1 2. Psal. 78.5 6. Amos 3.1 2. Deut. 27.1 2. to them only he revealed the Covenant of Grace then was it not a Covenant of its own nature that might at any age be Preached to all Nations But what is then revealed in these decrees if the Reprobate beleeve they shall be saved Ans. Not Gods intention conditionall or absolute to save them or to give them faith or grace merited by Christs death to beleeve for then some good-will and love of election the Lord should bear toward the election of such and should desire all the Reprobate to be saved so they would believe and yet by this way no more is there grace purchased to them by Christ to beleeve then there is grace purchased to them to performe obedience to the Law Now the Authors will not say that by Christs dying for all there is a conditionall will in Christ or in the Father to give life to all who perfectly keep the Law for this conditionall will or means and end was in God before and suppone Christ had never died for sinners 2. This would say that the Reprobate were to beleeve that Christ died to save them having purchased life to them and to believe that he died not to save them all for whom he died because they are not to believe he died to purchase faith by his death or grace to beleeve without which salvation is impossible it cannot be said that God absolutely intended to save them whether they beleeve or not even while as there is such a decree in God because he hath decreed both the end and the means to wit having ordained for them salvation and having ordained for them faith nor is there any such decree in God toward any but the Elect only therefore this conditionall decree if all and every one beleeve all and every one shall be saved can infer no love of God through Christ to the persons of all and every one to have them saved more then this can infer a love of saving all and every one to be in God or to have been in the Lord before the fall of Angels and men if all and every one of Angels and men shall perfectly without sin to the end keep the Law then all Angels all men Elect and Reprobate shall be saved eternally Now no man found in judgement can say this conditionall can infer that God had a good will to save some Angels not to save others More then this if all and every man beleeve in Christ they shall be saved can infer that God hath a good-will to save Reprobate men and not fallen Angels In a word no simple conditionall propositions can infer the desire or good will of God to the persons of men or to have the things done except God effectually work the condition As this if all fulfill the Law perfectly men and Angels and all men shall be saved by the Law cannot infer that God hath a good will to the persons of all Angels and all men to justifie and save them all without exception by the works of the Law the contrair whereof he decreed For this connex proposition may stand true with the salvation of all Angels of all men of no Angels or no men according as the Lord shall be pleased of his good pleasure and free grace to work or not to work the condition of moving the will of Angels and men to keep the Law And therefore these connexions nihil ponunt absoluti they place nothing absolutely to persons but only to things to wit 1. that it is the duetie and obligation of all Angels and men to perform absolute obedience to the Law as they would be justified and saved by the Law and its the duty of all men in the Visible Church to beleeve in Christ. if they would be justified and saved in Christ. 2. That there is a wise connexion between means and end obedience legall and life faith and life according to the approving will of God and yet neither means nor end may ever come to passe or fall out and neither means nor end may ever be decreed of God to fall out Yea God may decree absolutely that none of the extreams shall exist as God decrees if Zedekiah shall yeeld to the King of Babylon Jerusalem shall not be burnt and yet according to his decree or will of purpose the Lord hath decreed that the yeelding of Zedekiah and the safety of the idolatrous Citie should not come to passe but the contrair So God decrees if Judas repent and beleeve he shall be saved according to the will of precept and yet according to the Lords will of purpose neither did the Lord decree or intend the repenting and saving beleeving of
the comforter the infant may at once both suck the breasts and also sleep And is one flower more to be smelled then the whole Garden And shall feelings and raptures and manifestations of God in his out-goings be courted and over-courted by us beyond the God of all comforts There is need that the heart be deadened to sense for feeling and sense is fiery and idolatrous and were sense more mortified at the out-goings of faith hope love it were good for our faith should be the more lively and vigorous to lay hold on God Q. Is it not lawfull to be taken and feelingly delighted with the influences of God Ans. Sure feeling of it self is not faulty the fierinesse and excessive fervour of feeling is faulty especially when terminated upon created actings of love faith joy desire hope and not upon influences as coming from the free Grace of God otherwise we are but sick and pained of love of our own gracious actings because they are our own and this is the sicknesse of selfishnesse Ah! a Godhead a Godhead is not known 23. Nor must we be in a too lively way taken with our own stock nor trust in the habit of grace or the new heart for grace in us is a created rose that spreads fair and broad and smels well but it is not God nor Christ that we may learn not to trust in our selves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 1.9 But why but we may trust in our renued selves now furnished with a stock and infused habits the excellent blossoms and blooms of heaven Nay not in our selves thus fitted but in God who raises the dead for it s not possible both to trust in renewed self and in God And Paul never meant that any that professeth CHRIST is to lean upon sinfull self or upon lost and condemned self And sure it is as selfy to be alive to infused habits as to misken Christ and think being once a convert we can send our selves all the rest of the way to heaven without Christ we need not Christ for a Guide or a Tutor it s within us may save us And nothing can be more contrair to a living the noble and sure life of continuall dependencie by faith on the given Leader of the people Jesus Christ then to trust on habits of grace they are not Christ. 25. Ah! who is that mortified as to be dead to the created sweetnesse of joy and the right hand pleasures of God and the formall beatitude of glory and alive to the only pure objective happinesse of glory And yet that is mortification to love and be sick and thirsty for heaven not for the pleasures of the Garden and the Streets of Gold and the Tree of Life and the River of Water of life but for only only God the heaven of heavens And therefore we cannot be alive to pure and the only abstracted and unmixed God head except we be thus dead to heaven 26. There is a deadnesse to the letter of the promise The promise saith M. Ambrose is but the Casket and Christ the Jewell in it the promise is but the field Christ is the Pearle hid in it Christ removed the promise is no promise or but â—aplesse signes 27. We must also be dead to the rayes out-shinings and manifestations of God to the soul here and must transchange God in all presence and all love embracements and no more but he dead to the house of wine to the lifâ—ed up banner of love to love-kisses of Christ to the love-banquets and to the felt lying as the beloved all the night between the breasts for these nearest communions are not God himself There is required a godly hardnesse for receiving sparkles of hell and some draughts of sore trying wrath and the hell of his most wise and righteous frownings and necessary absence and night of hiding himself 28. And should not the Church be dead to providences of fair weather and Court or the blessing of a godly King David Ezekiah and mortified to miraculous deliverances dividing of the red sea defeat of enemies to confirmation of the truth by Martyrdome and sufferings to blood He who is dead to himself and his body and ease and hardned against contradictions of sinners against torment of body cold imprisonment sicknesse death and can in patience submit to all providences is crucified with Christ if God give or withdraw he is dead to both 28. All who are dead with Christ are dead to all dead worship saplesse ceremonies and formall worship Col. 2.20 Gal. 4.9 and are lively in the serving of God and fervent in spirit serving the Lord And rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh Phil. 3.3 Rom. 12. CHAP. V. Of the Covenant of Redemption between God and the Mediator Christ. 2. Christ is not a bare witnesse to confirm the Covenant but the Author of the Covenant 3. The Socinian way of works cannot quiet the conscience 4. Christ is upon both sides of the Covenant 5. Justice mediatâ— not 6. Reasons of the entrance of sin ISai. 49.8 I will preserve thee saith the Lord to Christ and give thee for a Covenant of the people Hence the 1. Question How is Christ said to be given as a Covenant of the people Ans. As Isai. 49 6. he saith I have given thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth that is as Act. 13.46 47. I have thee O Christ to be the Preached Light and Guide of the Gentiles and the Preached Saviour declared and proclaimed by the Preaching of Paul Barnabas and the Apostles and Pastors So I will give thee for the Covenant that is the Preached surety and Mediator of the Covenant Heb. 7.22 Heb. 8.6 When the first Covenant was broken he makes with us an everlasting Covenant even the sure mercies of David Isai. 55.3 2. I will give thee as the only one who is the subject of the Gospel and Covenant of Grace For to Preach Christ and to Preach the Gospel and New Covenant are all one 3. I have given thee to be the confirmer of the promises they are all yea and Amen in thee 2 Cor. 1.20 Gal. 3.16 And 4. by thy death thou confirmes the Covenant and seals it with thy blood Heb. 9.15 16 17 22 23 24. Heb. 13.20 Q. But Socinus denies that Christ is the purchaser or the obtainer by his blood as it were of the New Covenant for he did not by his death procure or merit pardon to us he is only the surety or Mediator of the Covenant And Crellius and he say the cause why the confirming of the Covenant is ascribed to the death of Christ is because as by a slain beast and divided into two parts Covenants of old were established so by the death of Christ the Covenant of Grace was solemnly confirmed and sealed Ans. Christ is so the Surety as Mediator
salvation upon their own Socinian faith that is their indifferent relying upon the Saviour Jesus and their own holiness watchfulnesse obedience love to God Sure the comfort joy peace assurance subjective that they have in their conscience can be no stronger then the objective and fundamentall certitude of standing persevering overcoming flowing from free-will which is woefully free and indifferent to persevere and stand or not to persevere not to stand but to fall away It s a stronger consolation and the strongest should be the Christians choise that is founded upon the Fathers giving and the Sons receiving of sinners and the faith of salvation to me which relies and leans upon Christs undertaking for me that I shall not be lost nor casten out then upon my undertaking for my self The fifth Argument is from Christs receiving the Seals Who so receives in his body the Seals of the Covenant of Grace Circumcision and Baptism and yet needs no putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh by Circumcision and needs no forgivenesse of sin no regeneration no burying with Christ in Baptism as Col. 2.11 12. Rom. 6.3 4 5. and eats the Passeover and needs not that the Lamb of God take away his sins as Joh. 1.29 since he is holy and without sin he must be under the Covenant and God must be his God in some other Covenant then sinners are for these seals are proper to a Covenanted people strangers and Pagans might not receive them but these in Covenant only Gen. 17.7 Exod. 12.48 Matth. 28.20 Col. 2.11 12. and Christ must have received Seals for other uses and ends then sinners received them to wit to testifie that he was the God of both Jews and Gentiles and that he was the undertaker for us in a Covenant of suretyship for us to perfect a higher command then any mortall man was under to wit to lay down his life for sinners Joh. 10.18 and beside that for our cause he was made under the Law to fulfill all righteousness and so was Circumcised Luk. 2.21 Baptized Matth. 3.13 16 17. did eat the Passeover with the Disciples Mat. 26.18 19 20. Mar. 14.18 Luk. 22.13 14. he in coming under that state in which he must because a man fulfill the Law and be under even Gospel commands so far as they were suteable to his holy Nature testifieth in obeying all commands even of the Morall Law and as the Son of God he was under no such obligation that he was under a speciall ingagement and compact to God for the work of Redemption And we are taught to feel what imbred delight and sweetnesse of peace is in duties when Christ Covenants with God to come under the Law and under the hardest of commands to lay down his life for sinners because it was a Law and command by Covenant that hath most of obedience which hath most of a Law Q. Was Christ such an one as needed seals to his speciall Covenant with the Father Ans. He needed no seals at all to strengthen his faith of dependency for there was no sinfull weaknesse in his faith yet he was capable of growing Luk. 2.52 For the Law requires not the like physicall intention and bendednesse of acts of obedience from the young as from the aged 2. In that the receiving of the seals proves Christ to be Surety of the Covenant of Grace it makes good that he was under the other Covenant and to perform the obedience due to the speciall command of dying as to a command of Covenant 6. Argument is from the Lords libertie If God might in justice have prosecuted the Covenant of Works and Adam and his might justly have suffered eternall death for sin for the Law is holy and just and the threatning Gen. 2.17 just except the Lord had of grace made another Covenant then must the Lord send or not send a Saviour to suffer and be a suffering Redeemer and Surety as pleased him or not pleased him and if Christ may refuse to undertake or willingly agree as pleased him and Christ being Godâ—consubstantiall with the Father might have stood to the Law-way of works For who or what could have hindered him to follow a course of justice against all men then if both agreed to dispense with that Law-way to save man Here is Covenant-condiscension between JEHOVAH and the Son of quieting Law and pitching on a milde Gospel-way 7. Argument from the promises made to Christ He to whom the promises are made as to the seed so as in him they are yea and Amen and he who is eminently the chief heir of the promises as ingaged to make good the promises on the Lords part to give forgivenesse Jer. 31.34 Heb. 8.12 perseverance Jer. 32.39 40. Isa. 54.10 Isa. 59.21 peace Ezek. 34.25 Lev. 26.6.11 12. yea and a new heart Jer. 31.33 Ezek. 11.19 Heb. 8.10 life eternall Joh. 10.28 and to make good the promises upon our part by fulfilling the condition and giving habituall grace Jer. 31.33 Ezek. 36.26 and actuall influences Jer. 31.34 to know the Lord Ier. 32.39 40. Ezek 36.27 to and with him God must strike a Covenant of suretyship that he shall have the anointing in its fulnesse above his fellows without measure to make good all these promises as Mediatour for it is not simply grace and life that the Lord bestows upon his people but grace out of the store-house of the Mediatour God-Man Now this must be given to Christ by promise Gal. 3.16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made he saith not and to seeds as of many but as of one and to thy seed which is Christ He cannot well mean mysticall Christ that is Christ and all his for they are indeed many and numerous as Isai. 2.1 2. Isai. 60.1 2 3 4 5 6. Psal. 22.27 compared with Rev. 5.11 Rev. 7.9 for the promises are made to Christ-God-Man eminently not formally For 2 Cor. 1.20 All the promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen For the promise is made to us for Christ and through his grace then the promise is made first to him and more eminently and to us for him Propter quod unumquodqueâ—ale id ipsum magis tale 2. The promises are fulfilled and made good not because we fulfill the condition but for Christ in whom and by whose merit both the grace promised and the grace habituall and actuall to perform the condition be it faith repentance humility c. is freely given to us 3. Christ is he who makes the Covenant and all the promises Act. 7.32 Who said to Moses I am the God of thy fathers the God of Abraham 34. I bave seen I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Aegypt and I have heard their groaning and am come down to deliver them And now come I will send thee unto Aegypt And v. 35. Moses is made a Ruler and a deliverer by the hands of the Angel that appeared to
break and the smoaking flax shall he not quench He was most compassionate to sinners inviting them to come Mat. 11.28 29. crying and shouting with a loud voice to the thirsty Joh. 7.37 journeyed from heaven to seek and to save the lost Luk. 19.10 came to serve them with his heart blood Mat. 20.28 his bowels were turned with compassion to perishing souls that wanted the feeding Pastors Mat. 9.36 He sighed deeply in his Spirit at the perverse unbeleef of his deadly enemies the Pharisees Mar. 8.12 wept and shed tears at the foreseen destruction of Jerusalem Mat. 23.37 Luk. 19.41 42. and yet that City slew him Loved as the tender Physician to be much in company with sick sinners Mat. 9.11 12. Luk. 15.1 2 3. Luk. 19.1 2 3 9 10. O what rejoicing when he layes the lost sheep on his shoulder Luk. 15.5 When v. 20. he sees the home-coming sinner he ran fell on his neck and had compassion upon him and kissed him and made a feast and sang and danced for joy There is no humility like his to wash the feet of his servants there is no patience like his who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously 1 Pet. 2.23 As a lamb dumb before the shâ—arer Isa. 53. How gaining of souls was he who preached in the Temple in the Synagogues in the Villages in the Ship at the Sea side at every Table he came to at every Feast at every confluence of people at every way side and stood still and talked with a woman and wanted his dinner upon that occasion And thought he dined well when he gained to the Lord the soul of a woman and of them of Samaria who hated him and refused to lodge him How faithfull and free in rebuking the Pharisees and Rulers and in declaring the truth of the Gospel that he was the Son of God though they attempted to stone him for his free Teaching None mortified to honour as he that refused to be a King Joh. 6.15 and was willing to be worse lodged then birds and foxes Mat. 8.20 and being rich for our cause became poor 2 Cor. 8.9 and endured the crosse despised the shame suffered the contradiction of sinners Heb. 12. and did run and fainted not And was he not a patern of love who laid down his life for his friends Joh. 15.10 even when we were enemies Rom. 5.10 He pleased not himself Rom. 15.3 honoured his Father Joh. 8. sought not his own glory v. 49.50 and saith true Job 5.30 I seek not mine own will but the will of him that sent me Joh. 8.29 I do alwayes these things that please him He faithfully expounded the Law Mat. 5. refuted heresies Mat. 22. glorified God with his miracles he was subject to his Parents Luk. 2.51 payed tribute to the Prince himself Mat. 17.27 and taught others to obey lawfull Governours Mat. 22.21 would not usurpe the place of a Judge Luk. 12. v. 13 14. and witnessed a good confession before Pontius Pilate 1 Tim. 6.13 and was for that cause born and for that end came he into the world that he might bear witnesse unto the truth Joh. 18.37 none so self-denied he pleased not himself sought not his own glory nor his own ease nor his own will but submitted to the will of God In all which we are 1. to look upon Christ who went about doâ—ing good Act. 10. as one who 1. was Covenant-wise designed of God and anointed with the Holy Ghost and power to do what he did and to be what he was for our good and it s much for the establishing of our faith that Christ was all this for our salvations sake by counsell and Covenant These gracious qualifications Christ-God undertook to have for our good and they were not given to Christ as personall and proper for himself but as head for we may here distinguish the grace of the person and the grace of head-ship though they must not be divided But as the light and heat of the Sun is not if we may so speak private or personall for the Sun it self but for the earth and all that live and grow out of the earth that need the influences of the Sun and have eyes to injoy the light thereof The water of the fountain is not for that hole or cave of the earth from whence the fountain doth issue but it is very often to 〈◊〉 in streaâ—â— to be a river for the use of the whole land All these excellencies and graces are in Christ not as his to speak so personall induements but as the publick treasure that we may receive of his fulnesse We should think it a strange exorbitancy in nature if all the trees flowers herbs on earth should refuse to receive influences and growing from the Sun and deny to be oblidged to the Sun for light and heat and our unwillingnesse to receive from Christ the publick grace that is made his by Covenant when a publick conâ—ignation by compact is made for our good proclaims our unbeleef and our wicked estrangement from Christ as if we had said let Christ be gracious for Christ only I shall not be his debtâ—r Nor is it from the naturall connexion between head and members or because simply Christ is man as we are though the humanity be ground thereof nor is it because Christ simply is anointed with the fulnesse of the Spirit for he is head of the body and Lord Generall Captain of his people noâ— by nature only not because of grace simply but by Covenant-purchase Rom. 14.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this end Christ both died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living There 's a Covenant between the Father and the Son that Christ should die not simply but for and in the name of the heirs of glory such as are designed friends for his dying is a relative and a legall binding and buying by Covenant of so many certain persons and upon this he is made Head and Prince and exalted to give of his fulnesse to give repentance and forgivenesse of sins to the house of Israel Act. 5.30 31. Ah! how do we love to be beholdâ—â— to nature to self for Heathen and Pagan vertues by education and morall exercise which is but wild corn and we seâ— not how unwilling we are to trade with Christ or to buy from him fine gold yet it was given to him without measure as to the universall fountain and head for all his 2. All these are in Christ that he should be a living coppie which we must follow And he is a more lively example then the Gospel it self for Christ is the acted Gospel And if ye look on Christ loving beleeving hoping praying there comes more life and warmnesse from his actions then from the word when we consider that as God would have the
Covenant-resurrection nor any Covenant-salvation can be given or promised if they be not in Covenant The New Test. Kingdome of CHRIST is spirituall though there be in it external signes and seals How faith does sanctifie the unbelieving wife to the beleeving husband Mr. Rich. Baxter plain Scripture proof for Infant Baptism 4 Arg. on â— Cor. 7. p. â—8 99. Of federall holinesse The Covenant external is made with a society or visible Church that out of them God may gather heirs of glory What federal holines is The being born where the Gospel sounds of that nation race is the ground of Covenant-holines as well as the faith of the nearest parents The faith required of these to be baptized Act. 8.37 Mar. 16.16 is real saving faith not visible only The formal grouÌ„d of baptizing These to whom the promise is made should be baptized But the promise is made to children Act. 2. The sense of the words the promise is to you and to your children If all be really believers that are in Covenant with God under the New Testament al the Kingdomes of the world which are the Lords and Christs Rev. 11.15 must be believers internally in Covenant with God How these words and to your chilâ—dren are not limited Externall Covenanting the blessing of the Gospel Preached to the Nation is but a Ceremony to the opposers of Infant baptism contrair to all ancient Prophesies Isa. c. 2. c 19 Jer. 23. Isa 11 c. If there be no Covenanting under the N. T. but that of real beleevers there can be no Covenant obligation upon the non-converted to hear to beleeve the Gospel to receive the seals A conditional Covenant hath the compleat essence nature of a Covenant and they are truly in Covenant that are under it Anabaptists provide no sâ—lvation by Law or Gospel or by JESUS CHRIST for the saving of Infants born of beleeving parents more then for saving of Pagans and their Infants It s false that the promise is made to infants to the aged only upon condition of believing How visible professors are really within the Covenant not really within it The new heart is not promised to all who ought to repent and to be baptized What is promised Act. 2.39 whether a new heart be therein promised or excluded Mercies of the Covenant are not alike and the same way promised to the Parents in covenant to wit Elect and Reprobate The Covenant of Grace is considered two ways in abstracto in concâ—â—to The new heart is promised to such special Covenanters not to Covenanters in general and as Covenanters The new heart is considered as a duty commanded And 2. as a blessing freely promised The Reprobate are not in the Covenant of Grace as touching some speciall promise How the Lords Argument for Circumcision fits us for Baptisme A comparing of the command of Circumcision and of the command of baptism in three If actuall faith be required in all to be baptized there shuld be a command of self-examining in the N. T. of all before they be baptized How many wicked absurdities must follow the excluding of Infants from the Covenant of Grace Remonstrant Scrip. Synod ar 1. p. 2. Thes. 9 10. Infants not predestinate to life in CHRIST not redeemed in CHRIST Infants neither capable of heaven or hell by this way Infants saved without Christ not capable of Grace of remission justification Of the children brought to Christ. Of infants as infants the Kingdome of God is not Hyeronymus increpant non quia nollent iis salvatoris manu voce benedici sed quod non dum habentes plenissimam fidem putarent eum in similitudinem aliorum hominum importunitate lassari Chryso Hom. discipuli expellebant pueros causa dignitatis Christi Christs taking in his armes the children blessing them did not act mere resemblances and Emblems The efficacy of Christs blessing the children They came that hee should pray for them Christs blessing of the children not as when the elements are consecrate His blessing either a Law blessing or a blessing of the Covenant of Grace A Covenanted seed is prophecied to be added to the Iews under the New Testament There is Covenanted visible seed prophesied to be under the N. T. Calv. in loc Haec promissio Abrahae data ad totum populi corpus spectabat The Covenant promise is prophesied to belong to such a certain seed If there be not a Covenanted seed under the New Test. the children of beleevers under the New Test. must be a cursed seed It s a state of coÌ„mon grace to be within the Visible Church It s grace that Reprobats are instrumentall to the in-coming to the world and to the Visible Church of the heirs of glory God is a God in truth to some and how to others The cause why we believe is because God is thus and thus in Covenant with us Calvin unde Colligimus ad hanc quoque aetatem extendi ejus gratiam Quid vero ilâ—is precatus est nisi ut reciperentur inter Dei filios Beza Ipsi quoque Infantes in gratuito Dei foedere comprehenduntur The Covenant blessing of the house is the Covenant blessing of the seed The place Rom. 11.16 if the root be holy so is the branches opened The Jews to be born are intentionally holy in the root and when they are born they shall be actually holy The same Covenant in the substantialls is in the Old and New Test. The one Covenant of Grace is called the Covenant of the Lord by way of excellency in the Old and New Test. A short opening of Ro. 11. to v. 17 By the holy root cannot be meant the predestinate to glory only Paul Rom. 11. speaks of a visible not an invisible body Infants of the Jewes are cut off with the root and shal be re-ingraffed with the root The seed are in Covenant not by birth as birth but by such a birth so so graciously priviledged Covenant-holinesse externall is not the adequat and compleat cause of ingraffing really in Christ. Considerable differences between externall and internall Covenanters Personal Covenanters cannot fall away but Nationall conditionall and visible Covenanters may The Covenant of grace is not made with all and every one of mankinde Psal. 147.19 20. There is no universall revealing of CHRIST to Americans and to all mankind which is either subjective by a power or universall grace given to all or which is objective by the light of nature in the works of CreatioÌ„ pointing out Christ as the place Psal. 19 4. mistaken is cited The place Psal 1â— 4 vindicated Carol. Fermaeus in Analys ad Romanos c. 10. p. 205. The true Exposition of the place Psal. 19 4. by our Interpreters P. Martyr in loc Deus ut inquit Psalmâ—s voluit notitiam suam naturalem per creaturas coelestes publicari in universum orbem Ergo Euangelium curavit identidem evulgari Quomodo igitur potestis dicere
suspendio vita se exuit Nequaquam aegre fero inquit Socrates nam in Theatro veluti in magno convivio verbis vexor 9. Deadnesse to an office or a place of authority 10. Deadnesse to pleasure 11. Deadnesse to all the world 12. Mortification to creature-comforts to multitude friends hosts armies chariots horse father son daughter husband to city to our mother-countrey c. 13. A deadnes to Captains stoutnesse and valour in warre to birth 14. A deadnes to youth pastime play laughter to hunger fulness 15. A deadnes to Ordinances There be twoâ—things in Ordinâ—nces 16. Deadnesse to prayer 17. To faith and hope we pray to our owne prayers 18. Deadnesse to coÌ„forts and feeling How farre we may be taken with feeling 19. Deadnesse to the habit stock of created grace 20. Deadnesse to the sweetnes of heaven 21. To the promises M. Isaac Ambrose prima media ultima life of faâ—th c. 9. Sect. 2. pa. 2â—1 22. Deadnesse to the out-shinings of God to take aright absence presence 23. Deadnes to fair providences of court Godly Princes miracles 24. To saplesse wil-worship Q. 1. How is CHRIST given as a Covenant of the people Is 49 6 Socinus de Servato l. 2. c. 16. Christ is not the coÌ„firmer only but the Author of the Covenant of grace The death of the Testator how it confirms the Covenant It is true that the death of the Testator to wit such a death of one who is more then a Testator or only man even God man procuâ—es as a meritorious cause life remission c but this it does not as the death of a Testator and dying friend but as such a so excellent so satisfactory a death which no Martyrs death can do There is a far other thing in Christs blood then power of sealing and witnessing the truth which is in the Martyrs blood The Socinian way quiets not the waâ—ened conscience by maÌ„â— works but by the blood of Christ apprehended by faith this is done Christ is upon both the Lords side of the Covenant upon our side the satisfactioÌ„ iâ— most 〈◊〉 Justice as justice seeks satisfactioÌ„ but Soveraignty of free-grace not justice determines how and who shall pay Justice is not the mediating and interposing attribute but free-grace Our glory was work and wadge to Christ but of free grace to us we bought it not Deep reasons in the depth of unsearchable wisedom why the Lord who can hinder sin to enter in the world thought fit it should be None sick speaks no Saviour no such PhysitiaÌ„ as Christ It is a deep of wisedom that the same men that now are fire-wood eternally in the lake of brimstone might have been if so it had pleased GOD proclaimers of the glory of his grace in heaven the now heirs of glory in their place God might have holâ—en up the lawâ—dispensation for ever but then there should have been no place for the Ark of glory J. Ch. The Gospel-woÌ„ders of grace should not eternallie have been biâ— Whether of the two be most excellent Law-innocency or Gospel-repentance Christ Man must be in Covenant with God Arg. 1. For the Covenant of redemption becaus Christ câ—lls the LORD his God 2. Arg. From the Lords calling of his Son to his Office 3. Arg. Christ his offering of his service to GOD proves this Covenant 4 Arg. The Fathers giving of the elect to Christ to be redeemed and the Son his willing receiving of theÌ„ proves this Covenant The persons being given of the Father to the Son speaks strong consolation it s no consolation at all to depend upon free-will 5. Arg. Christs receiving of the Seals of the Old New Covenant proves that there is such a Covenant Why Christ received the Seals 6. Arg. God might have followed a Law-way with al flesh not have sent his Son the Son might have refused to be sent 〈◊〉 Ergo by compact Christ came 7. Arg. All the promises how they are made to Christ. Christ is he who made the promises and the Covenant CHRIST is an ingadged Suretie for the standing of a weak believer 8. Arg. From the promises concerning Christ. 9 Arg. Christ is bidden aske a people froÌ„ God the Lord promiseth that he will hear 10. Arg. The relatioÌ„ of Christs working for wages and the Lords paying him his wages does prove this Covenant A design of love in the heart of Christ toward low man as his alme end 11. Arg. The Lords Oath â—o Christ when he is made Priest and King provs this Covenant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 CHRIST is a sworn Priest and Intercessour for the hour of temptation The most sweet providence of God in designing a Physician to us before we be sick Armin. de Sacerdatio Chri. pag. 14 15. The harmony of the Attributes of God in the declaration of mercy truth justice c. is sweetly made out by this Covenant The sending of the Spirit and the Spirit his free consent to come is not a proper Covenant Gods love in acting for man in time Paul Bayne Comm. on Eph. 1. v. 4. The Lord choosed us not in Christ because he saw us in him by faith The mutuall delights of love between the Father and the Son in their thoughts of the Covenant-love to man Ambros. hexa l. 6. c. 16. Deus fecit Coelum non lego quod requierit fecit terram nec lego quod sic requieverit fecit solem lunam stellas nec ibi lego quod requieverit lego quod fecit hominem quod tunc requieverit Bernard Serm. 64. in Cant. Quid violentius triumphat de Deo Bernard hom â— Super missus est videas si attendas in Christo tristari laetitiam pavere fiduciam salutem paâ—i vitam mori fortitudinem infirmari The strength of Gods love to man which we too little value No lesse everlasting love could save us There are different parties in Covenant of Redemption and Reconciliation Help layed upon Christ The Covenant of Redemption most to be eyed Two parts of the Covenant of Redemption one before time another in time How seasonable and timous the Covenant of Reconciliation was the Physick the Physicâ—an came both in time to the sicknesse 4. Differ The Covenants do differ in the matter work and wages 5. The Covenant of suretyship differeth from the Covenant of Reconcâ—liation in coÌ„mands 2. Promises 3. And conditions CHRISTS emptying himself was no act of obedience but a most voluntary free act beyond all obligation CHRISTS Covenant helps our Covenant he hath a place in our Covenant How the promise is made unto Christ Gal. 3. v. 16. Da. Pareus Comm. in Gala. 3.16 Hoc semen in quo benedicentur omnes Gentes Apostoâ—lus interpretatus erat non collective de multis vel omnibus Abrahamâ— posteris sed individue de uno Christo â— quo non â—am corporalis quam spiritualis benedicto hoc est justitia
36.26 27. Jer. 31.31 32 33 34 35. Jer. 32.39 40. Neither can there be confidence and faith in God through the sure mercies of David nor peace nor solide consolation nor warrand to pray for the Lords gracious bowing of the will to be his seed except it be beleeved Covenanted that God shall be the God of his people and their King not over the element of the sea only to rule it and over the mountains and the stones and rocks but also over the particular wills and the willing and nilling choosing of good and refusing of evill in the men of the Iles. And how could the Son pray Father give the inheritance of the Heathen to me according to promise Ask of me and I will give thee c. Psal. 2. If the Father could answer nothing but what Arminians and Socinians say he answers as also the beleever out of the fleshes weaknesse must dictat this return of prayer Son with good will I grant the Heathen and the ends of the earth to thee in heritage and possession so they be willing to submit to thee But what if they refuse to obey either me or thee I did never Covenant with thee Son to do more then I can try thy strength and force their free-will if thou can if they be willing well and good it is there is a bargain My approving and commanding will is that they be thy seed and thy willing people but my decree is not to Lord it over their will that is a fundamentall act of Government that all my subjects have liberty of conscience to will or nill as they please Nay but the Covenant of Suretyship includes the sure mercies of David and the Lord gives band word and writ and seal of blood and the Oath of God to the Son Psal. 110.4 Heb. 7.21 for the will Isa. 53.4 Behold I have given him for a witnesse of the people a leader and commander to the people But what if they will neither lead nor drive Yea the Lord promises they shall not need to be driven they shall be willing and run 5. Behold thou shalt call a Nation that thou knowest not and Nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the Lord thy God and of the Holy One of Israel for he hath glorified thee And a strong reason of this is given the Gentiles run Whence comes this forwardnesse of the Gentiles who knew not God Because saith Isaiah of Jehovah thy God of Christ Mediatour in Covenant with thee Psal. 22.1 Joh. 20. â—0 because of thy God the Holy One of Israel the running saith Calvin notteth the efficacy of the calling and they run to Christ because of Jehovah and the mighty power of God in the Man-Christ â— Noteth because saith Piscator And another reason because he hath glorified thee O Christ he hath declared thee to be the Son of God by thy rising from the dead ascension to heaven given thee a Name above all names Rom. 1.4 Phil. 2.7 8 9 10. So Musculus Piscator Marlorat Gualther Diodati So the running of the Gentiles to Christ is the glorifying of Christ and a part of the reward it s Christs glory that he hath a seed that runs after him Then And M. Dickson upon these words Ps. 2. Aske of me after Christs resurrection and declaration of his formerly overclouded Godhead he should continue in the Offiâ—e of his Mediation and Intercession and by vertue of his payed ransone of Redemption call for the inlargement of his purchased Redemption among the Gentiles for this is the Fathers compact with the Son saying aske of me and I will give thee the Heathen so that both by free Covenant and by merit Christ challengeth a seed and it were unjustice in the Lord with reverence and glory to his Holines to deny to Christ that for which he hath given a condign ransone and price But he hath payed a condign Covenantâ—ransone of his own precious self and offered blood for hâ—s seed Hence 1. though a weak beleever cannot by merit suit a bowed will and a circumcised heart from the Lord Yet 1. may be suit it by the band of the Covenant of Redemption between Jehovah and the Son and a Redeemed one may say it was an Article of the Covenant of Redemption that my stony heart should be taken away and a heart of flesh given to me and faith hath influence to be supported that God articled Covenant-ways such a wretch as I am to Christ and look as the book of life called the Lambs Book of Life contains so many by name head and in all their individuall properties Jacob Paul c. that are written and inrolled for glory so are all and I by name in a Covenant-relation given of the Father to the Son Joh. 17.3 9.11 Joh. 6.39 and that is surer then heaven or the fixed ordinances of nature Jer. 31.35 36. Psal. 89.37 38. Happy such as can ride at this anchor Though I mean not that the decree of election and the roll of the Mediatour to me or the gracious Suretyâ—Covenant between Jehovah and the Son as relating to me by name must be the nearest object of faith or that alwayes a beleever doth read this roll but his faith often is and ought and may be supported thereby 2. Christ may suit by vertue of both the Surety Covenant and by the justice of God his condign merite to me a fixed will to run the way of his Commandements Christs appearing with blood Heb. 9. and his prayer as high Priest Joh. 17. prove that in Christs Bill for us there is justice the merite of blood and that his Advocation is 1 John 2.1 grounded upon justice and he stands there as Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the righteous without sin now imputed not now made sin nor made a curse but by order of strict justice justified and righteous and the act of Suretyship taken off and as the hand-writing against us is cancelled upon the Crosse Col. 2. So the hand-writing of oblidged punishment due to Christ as our Surety is removed and he now justified in the Spirit without sin Heb. 9.28 Such a one as cannot die Rom. 6.9 Rev. 1.18 and cannot die a death satisfactory for sin because as beleevers cannot die the second death Christ having died for them neither can Christ suffer the second death again or be twice a curse for once he died for all But our faith is so supported not a little in this I darre not put merit or justice in my suits to God but I beleeve it is and must be in Christs bill and that bill is for me mercy and only mercy is in the sinners bill but the justice of a condign ransoner is in Christs suits and so faith looks to Christ As 1. having the first Covenant-right to heaven as the great Lord receiver of the promises And then we have a second right in him 2. Faith looks to Christ as having
more right to us because he hath the right of justice then we have to our selves for its free-free-graces title which we have to our selves for we gave no ransone for our selves and we gave no ransone for eternall life and therefore all the doubtings and acts of unbeleef in order to the Surety of the Covenant do resolve upon some apprehended breach between the Father and the Son that either the one or the other or both have failed to each other and have broken the Articles of the Covenant which is a reproaching of both the Father and the Son So that nothing is more necessary then to beleeve firmly the Covenant-faithfulnesse of God 3. What strong bands of beleeving and holy living have we from this Surety Covenant When 1. good-will and freegrace is become the ingadger of the faithfulnesse of God as he is true God and with a Covenant-tye to keep sure our salvation as he will be true to his Son and so to himself and to his own Holy Nature that we shall be saved yea and not that only but by Office as King and High Priest he hath laid bands upon himself and made it the duty of his Office to save us So that any good man thinks his office of a King and a Prophet or a Priest lays bands upon him to acquit himself faithfully in the charge So that Christs sworn Office of High Priest lays bands upon him to compassionate as a feeling head all his own and to be touched with their infirmities then must unbeleef in these particulars say we judge that Christ will not do his duty in his Office and that he shall break his faith of Suretyship and fail under his band of Suretyship How needfull then must the firm perswasion of compleat qualifications and fulnesse of anointing of Christ for the compleat discharge of his duty be O! beleeve him to be the faithfull High Priest who expiats and heals you in all the measure kinds degrees circumstances of time place of the particular transgressions you are guilty of Psal. 103.3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities who healeth all thy diseases And if a man judge himself ingaged to go about such duties as his surety and ransone-payer in his name hath promised far more are we to walk as the redeemed of the Lord since there was an eternall Covenant-undertaking between Jehovah and the Son of God that we should fulfill the undertaking And sure it is Law-faith or beleeving of Law-threatnings cannot have such influence upon our spirits to cause us obey the Law as the motives of a concluded act of suretyship and closed compact between the Father and the Son that we shall obey him And indeed it is a meditation that morally and spiritually should obtain from us that we be holy as he is holy and strongly melt the rocky heart When we remembred that JEHOVAH as a designed Surety gave band for the heart of a sinner from eternity and enters himself Cautioner for our rebellious will it should put us to beleeve so much and morally lay bands on our will Q. How are we to conceive of the act of Suretyship A. Jehovah from eternity decrees that the Son be the designed person who shall take on our nature and lay down his life for sinners The Lord promises he shall have a redeemed seed for a reward In this offer Jehovah ingadges that we shall be Christs seed and so shall be by the immortall seed born again and shall beleeve and be gifted to Christ as saved here Jehovah undertakes that we shall beleeve 2. Christ agrees to the designed person It is written of me and so decreed of God from eternity I delight to do thy will I shall lay down my life for these given to me And here the other party Jesus Christ coming by his own consent to die does also undertake 1. In dying to ransone us from hell and merit life to us and make us his purchase So 2. he being a Saviour by merit he by his death purchaseth the Spirit and meriteth the new heart and so undertakes for us in this regard both parties undertake for us And the Spirit being the same very God with the Father and the Son also is by his own consent designed comforter and actor in his way by the anointing without measure that he puts on the Man Christ and the grace given to his members But the only formall parties in the compact are the Lord Jehovah and the Son party consenting before time and his Manhood in time becoming one who imbraces the Covenant of Suretyship and calls the Lord his God Ps. 22.1 Joh. 20.17 Rev. 3.12 Isa. 55.5 Hence if we imploy faith and hold out to the Lord the undertaking for us in the Covenant there is an answer framed to all our temptations from our own frailty As Adam and the Angels fell and how can we stand But God said never of them as Psal. 89.19 I have laid strength upon one that is mighty and Christ was no designed undertaker for Adam nor was Adam to beleeve such a thing Therefore it is fit to observe that not only the Head Christ and the body changes names as the body is called Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 and Christ called David Isai. 53.3 Ezek. 34. Ezek. 37.14 David my servant shall be King over them So also many things in one Psalm are spoken of David both in an Historicall and Typicall truth as Psal. 22. But there are some things Psal. 16. so spoken of David that they are true only Typically of Christ and spoken Prophetically as David saith Ps. 16.10 Thou will not leave my soul in grave neither will suffer thine Holy One to see corruption And the Apostle Peter denies that this can be exponed of David for Acts 2.26 27 28 29 30. and Paul Acts 13.34 35. And as concerning that God raised him from the dead now no more to return to corruption he said on this wise I will give you the sure mercies of David Wherefore he saith also in another place thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption 35. But David after he had served his own Generation by the will of God fell on sleep and was laid unto his fathers and saw corruption And it is not to be doubted that the Prophecie Psal. 22. They divided my garments they pierced my hands and my feet is only a Prophecie of Christs being crucified Nor was ever David crucified To say in another case David was crucified will not help for it might be said in another case David saw no corruption for all beleevers are delivered from the dominion curse and sting of death Hence it may well be said that same Psal. 89. must prove both the Covenant of Suretyship and the Covenant of Grace v. 3. I have made a Covenant with my chosen I have sworn unto David my servant thy seed will I establish for ever and build up thy Throne to all Generations Though it be