Union with Christ as if we were One Natural Person with him His Difinition of the New Creature as if it stood only in our New Relation to Christ. P. 90. The strange difference he makes between the way of Salvation before Christ's time and since P. 254 255 256 258. Their Sins were pardoned on Condition of Doing not given for all Sins at once much Dust left and they were subject to Lashes for Sin but now the Covenant is contrary in all these respects How contrary to the Sense of the Assembly and Elders at the Savoy ch 11. a. 6. The Justification of Believers under the Old Testament was in all these respects one and the same with the Justification of Believers under the New Testament He forgets that most of his Proofs be fetch'd from the Old Testament as Ezek. 16 c. Jacob loved in the Womb c. and seems not to distinguish the Covenant of Grace and that of Peculiarity But these with other Errours I pass by THE APPENDIX I Shall here repeat what I delivered in Pinners-Hall-Lecture which some Persons seemed greatly to resent and I leave it to any impartial Man to judge from what I have described as Dr. Crisp's Opinion whether I charged Men of his Persuasion with Falshood After I had fully acquitted Men of my Judgment from Pelagianism Socinianism and Arminianism which the Antinomians accuse us of I added with these Men It 's not enough that we hold That we were from Eternity elected to Grace and Glory unless we add That we were actually United to Christ and Justified from Eternity and in the Womb. It 's not enough that we say Christ did in the Covenant of Redemption undertake to save the Elect in his appointed way and time unless we add That there is no other Covenant for the Application of Christ's Benefits wherein God requires Faith and Repentance as the indispensible Means of our Pardon It is not enough that we own That Christ absolutely Redeemed the Elect so as to purchase Saving Graces as well as Benefits to be infallibly theirs unless we add That all others are in state of Devils as having no real Offers of Life on Gospel-Terms nor is their Salvation possible if they will repent and believe It will not please them that we affirm The Punishment of our Sins yea the Guilt of them as an Obligation to Punishment were laid upon Christ our Sponsor unless we add That our Sins themselves in their blot and filthiness were also transacted on Christ. It is not enough that we own That the Righteousness of Christ avails us as much as if it were personally our own yea was always intended for us and is so imputed to us as to be the Foundation of and Security for our Pardon and Right to Life and no Atonement for Sin or purchasing Price of Life can be demanded from us unless we also add That God esteemed us to have done and suffered what Christ did and suffered It sufficeth not that we say That we are Justified only by Christ's Merits as the sole procuring Cause or Righteousness for which we are Justified unless we deny That Faith and Repentance are the indispensibly required Conditions or Qualifications of those Persons to whom the Merits of Christ are applied for Justification It will not serve that we assert That Justifying Faith must be a Reliance on Christ as Priest and sole Atonement unless we deny That Faith must be also a fiducial Acceptance of a whole Saviour i. e. of Christ as Prophet Priest and King It 's not enough that we say We are upon Repenting and Believing put into a Justified state hefore any other Work unless we add That our Obedience to particular Precepts do not benefit us and that God doth not judicially approve of our sincere Actings as according to the Rule of the Gospel-Promises of those Benefits It is not enough that we say The absolute Promises are made to Christ for the be nefit of the Elect and pleadable by him unless we deny That the Gospel is an authoritative Command on Men to Believe and that under the Gospel-Sanction of Life and Death So that he that believes stall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned It will not please that we say That Christ purchased all Grace for us and by his Spirit worketh all Grace in us unless we add That he Believed Repented and did all for us so as we have nothing to do in order to Salvation It 's not sufficient that we own The Grace by which we do any Duty is from Christ and the Good promised to any Duty is for the sake of Christ unless we deny the ordained Connexion betwixt that Duty and that Benefit They say We set up Man's Righteousness if we tell Men that they must be holy and do good and take comfort therein as an Evidence of Grace and of their Title to Christ and as answering the Rule of the Gospel-Promises though we assert They must be Members of Christ and accepted through him or they cannot partake of any Saving Benefits thereby It is not right that we say God sees no Sin in Believers so as to cast them out of Covenant nor out of a Justified-state for it unless we add That God sees no Sin at all in them as theirs when they most offend It 's not enough that we affirm That Sin committed shall not eventually damn a Believer because he shall by the Spirit be brought to Repentance unless we add God is never angry with Believers for Sin nor ever corrects them as guilty of it With these we are Legal Preachers if we urge Faith and Repentance in order to Pardon though we declare that Faith and Repentance are the Gifts of Christ and Pardon is not the Effect of these Graces but of the Promise in the virtue of Christ's Blood or of his Blood applied for Forgiveness by the Promise We are Legal Preachers if we perswade to Holiness as the way of Salvation by the Ordination of Christ though we affirm that it is no way out of Christ nor but with a respect to Christ for whom it is accepted as what answers the Rule of the Gospel-Promise How are we decried as Legal if we urge Threatnings though as Motives to close with Christ and to walk in him Which being used to this end and the threatned Evil being avoidable on Gospel-Terms and pressed on fallen Man for his recovery they are Gospel and not Legal Threatnings It 's not enough That we assert and press Assurance unless we affirm That Justifying Faith is nothing but Assurance It 's not enough we say That we need the Spirit to discover to us our inherent Grace and to assist Conscience in it's Sentence That Grace is inherent unless we add That we must not try our State and conclude of it by Gospel-Marks of Sanctification but depend on an inward Voice of the Spirit saying Thy Sins are forgiven which we must believe if it agree but to the general Word viz. Christ came to save Sinners and believing this is all that Saving Faith the Gospel speaks of Herein I have in part described the state of the Case between them and us It 's true there are some small Differences among the Orthodox in Wording some of these things But shall we hereby give Advantage to such Errours as overturn the Gospel and Dominion of Christ under the abused Pretext of Exalting Christ and Free Grace Bear with this which for the sake of Christ and dying Religion I have ventur'd to declare not for the Irritation of any but the Edification of all especially some mistaken well-meaning People Conscience binds me not to palliate though I fore-see Reproach from some who would do well to remember the Caution the Spirit of God thought needful to such as boasted of a Faith without Works and still it appears too pertinent If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart this man's rereligion is vain Jam. 2. 26. SOME General Heads THE Elect are Children of Wrath till effectually called Page 4 The filth of Sin not transacted on Christ p. 10 The Act of laying Sins on Christ is not the discharge of the Elect p. 17 Mens Sins their own and not Christ's Sins p. 25 Our Sins laid on Christ before he was nailed to the Cross p. 29 Christ not abhorred by the Father p. 33 No change of Person between Christ and the Elect p. 41 Christ's Mediatorial Righteousness not subjectively in us and how imputed p. 42 Believers not as Holy as Christ p. 46 The Covenant of Grace explained and what a Condition is p. 53 57. The Covenant of Grace Conditional p. 63 Faith not a Perswasion that my Sins are pardoned c. p. 75 Prevailing Enmity a Hindrance to our present Interest in Christ p. 85 The Elect not united to Christ without Faith p. 93 What Union with Christ is p. 100 Justification not before Faith p. 105 Repentance necessary to Pardon p. 114 Sinners have much to do to be saved p. 129 The Gospel hath Threats and Promises p. 133 Holiness and Good Works necessary to Salvation p. 139 They are profitable and God pleased c p. 142 143 144 Our own Good should be intended p. 155 Assurance by Gospel-Marks and not by an inward Voice p. 165 God Chargeth Sin on Men and they should repent for repeated Pardon p. 175 Sin may hurt Believers p. 184 God afflicts for Sin p. 192 Sincere Holiness not Dung p. 199 102 Christ doth not repent c. for us p. 211 Conditional Proposals of Benefit on terms of Duty Gospel-Preaching p. 213 To excite Fear in sense of Danger not Legal Preaching p. 228 Christ more Exalted by the former Truths than by Dr. Crisp's Opinions p. 235 The Free Grace of God not honoured by Doctor Crisp though more Freeness be asserted by him than by these Truths p. 239 Part of a Sermon at Pinner's-Hall Anno 1691. The Edition of Dr. Crisp's Works I refer to is the last Anno 1690. FINIS
sinful and vain and no Saving Benefit is dispenced to any of us by this Rule 2. The Gospel includes the Moral Preceptive part of the first Law with some additional Precepts which suppose our Apostate state as Faith in an atoneing Saviour and Repentance for Sin These could not be enjoyned as Duties on innocent Man by a Rule of Happiness and Misery nor could they be necessary to his Right to Life because they would suppose him a Sinner The Gospel is taken in a large sence when I say it includes all the Moral Precepts but yet the Gospel doth so and they are the Commands of Christ as Redeemer to whom all Judgment is committed as well as the Law of the Creator 3. The Gospel hath another Sanction to the Preceptive part of the Law than the Covenant of Works had Though nothing be abated in the Rule of Sin and Duty yet Blessings are promised to lower degrees of Duty and a continuance in a state of Deuth with a barr to the Blessing are not threatned against every degree of Sin as the Covenant of Works did Can any doubt this to be the Grace of the Gospel-Promise Doth it promise Life to all Men however vile and impenitent they be Or doth it threaten Damnation or a Continuance of it on any true penitent believing godly Man because he is imperfect This Change of the Sanction supposeth the Death of Christ and his honouring the Law by his perfect Obedience wherein God hath provided for his own Glory while he promiseth Life by Forgiveness to imperfect Man and yet he insists on some degree of Obedience to which of his mere Grace he enableth us This the Covenant of Redemption secures to the Elect tho' the Grant therein is pleadable only by Christ as the stipulating Party for us and our personal Claim depends on the Gospel-Covenant whereof Christ is Mediator 4. This Gospel-Sanction determines as certain a Rule of Happiness and Misery as the Law of Works did though it be not the same For while it promiseth Pardon to all believing repenting Sinners and declares a barr to pardon to the impenitent Rejecters of Christ and Gospel-Grace it fixeth true Repentance and Faith unfeigned to be the Terms of Pardon So when it promiseth Heaven to the sincerely holy persevering Believer it fixeth sincere Holiness and perseverance in Faith as the Terms of possessing Heaven Hence the Use of Faith Holiness c. to these Benefits is not from their Conformity to the Precept but their Conformity to the Rule of the Promise Our applying Christ's Righteousness and relying on it would no more Justifie us than our sincere Holiness would Save us were it not for this Gospel-Promise That God will Justifie for Christ's sake all such as believe 5. Hence by Gospel-Grace there is a great difference between perfect Faith and utter Unbelief between sincere Holiness and formal Profaneness or Wickedness True Love to God and prevailing Enmity imperfect spiritual Duties and rebellious Neglects c. By the Law of Works nothing was Holiness but what was perfectly so c. But read the Bible if thou doubtest whether there is not a true Faith Holiness Love c. which be short of Perfection 6. God in the dispensing of Gospel-promised Blessings doth judicially determine a Conformity to this Rule of the Promise When he forgives he judicially declareth a Man hath true Faith when he admits into Heaven he judicially declares a Man sincerely Holy and Persevering As upon a view of his Guests he cast out him that had not on the Wedding-Garment viz. True-uniting Faith so he judicially determined That they who were not cast out but admitted to share in the Marriage Feast viz. made Partakers of Union with Christ and the Benefits thereof had True Faith and not a mere Profession As by keeping out the foolish Virgins for not having Oyl in their Lamps viz. the Spirit of Grace and persevering Holiness so by admitting the wise Virgins he judicially declared they had a Spirit of Grace and persevering Holiness Can any think that Forgiving Adopting Glorifying or the conveyance of every other promised Benefit given on God's Terms are not judicial Acts of God as Rector If so doth he dispence these blindly and promiseuously without any regard to our being Believers c. or no Or whether our Faith be true or no Any one would blush to affirm it With respect to what 's above declared the Gospel is called a Law of Faith a Law of Liberty c. and it especially insists on that sincerity of Grace and Holiness which the Rule of the Promise makes necessary in its Description of the Person whom it makes Partaker of its included Benefit And the main of our Ministry consisteth in pressing Men to answer the Rule of the Gospel-Promises and disswading Men from those things which the Gospel threatens shall hinder their Interest in all or any of its Benefits with an Aggravation of their Misery if they be final Rejecters of its Grace We call Men to be reconeiled to God upon which we know God will be at peace with them These things will help thy Conceptions still remembring that the Merits of Christ are the cause of this Gospel-Ordination His Righteousness imputed is the cause for which we are justified and saved when we do answer the Gospel-Rule And I exclude not this Righteousness when I affirm That the Righteousness of God Phil. 3. 9. principally intends the Gospel-Holiness of a Person justified by Christ's Righteousness both which by Faith in Christ all his Members shall be perfect in The Grace of God is hereby stated as free as is consistent with his Government and Judicial Rectoral Distribution of Rewards and Punishments and none need the Riches of Grace more than I. Reader Note That in this Book I still speak of the Adult and not Infants When I say The Difference is not I state my own Concessions and mean not that the Doctor is in all these of my mind Thou must expect to take up my full sence by a view of several Chapters and not only one because sundry Chapters referr to the same Points more or less And forget not That though the Doctor oft in his Book speaks to Men as Believers yet every thing is true of the Elect viz. They have as much a Title to all Saving Blessings only they do not know it This was his Judgment I have carefully avoided any Reflexion on Reverend Dr. Crisp whom I believe a holy Man and abstained exposing many things according to the Advantage offered if by any means this Book may become useful to such as most need it That the Father of Lights would lead us into all Truth and Love is the Prayer of thy Servant in the Gospel London May 4. 1692. D. Williams ERRATA PAge 3. Line 7. add 365. p. 5. l. 8. for ew r. we p. 8. l. 15. for 289. r. 274. p. 10. l. 17. r. Propogation p. 28. l. 4 for Chaist r. Christ p. 38.
And tells us P. 612. Our first coming to Christ is as a Coach is said to come to Town when it is but drawn to Town I shall make no further Remark on this than tell thee the Doctor distinguisheth not between what we are abstracted from the Spirit 's Influence and what we are by the Spirit 's Influence VVe are passive in effectual Vocation as that is God's Act on us but even then no Violence is offered to the VVill for the Mind dictates what it chooseth freely Under this healing VVork and that passiveness is not our coming to Christ but by the Effect of God's Act on the Mind and VVill we consent to the Call and that is our first coming and thereby we receive Christ and not before He is not forced on us but accepted from a Light that commends and a VVill that desires him VVhereas we come not a step whiles we do refuse and reject him Though I wonder why he speaks of any first coming against our VVills when his Principle is that we are united to Christ at latest in the Moment of Conception in the VVomb CHAP. XII Of Justification by Faith with a Digression about Repentance TRUTH I Have spoken of Justifying Righteousness chap. 7. Though Faith be no way a Meritorious Cause of a Sinner's Justification yet God hath promised to Justifie all such as truly Believe and requires Faith as an indispensible Qualification in all whom he will Justifie for Christ's Merits declaring That Unbelief shall not only hinder Mens knowing that they are Justified but that it is a bar to any Person 's being Justified while he continues an Unbeliever Reader Note 1. There is a Righteousness for which a Man is Justified This is only Christ's Righteousness This is the Foundation of the Promise and the Merit of the Blessing promised Nothing can add to it or mingle with it it 's sufficient and alone sufficient to satisfie Justice atone for Guilt and merit Acceptance and Life 2. There 's to be considered what the Condition of the Person is whom this Mercy is promised to He is one that hath this Grace of true Faith and exerts it into Act. This Grace is also required and commanded as indispensibly necessary to the Participation of Forgiveness Christ's Righteousness shall not be imputed to this use unless we believe And nothing shall hinder our Title to this Benefit if we do believe in Christ for the Promise is inviolable And this Faith being a Conformity to the Rule of the Promise some call it a Subordinate Righteousness not meaning any Righteousness for which Sin is forgiven for it 's Christ's Righteousness alone for which God Justifies us but it 's our answering that Rule by which Christ applieth his Righteousness for our Remission and a Right to Life and his Promise is the Ground of our Title Having premised these things for Explication of the Truth I proceed ERROUR The whole use of Faith in Justification is only to manifest that we were Justified before and Faith is no way necessary to bring a Sinner into a Justified State nor at all useful to that End Proved that this is the Dr's Opinion The Doctor p. 85. puts this Objection Is not Believing required to the Justification of the Ungodly Answ. An ungodly Person after he is Justified doth Believe But you will say It is an Act of Christ by Faith Ans. Then Christ doth not Justifie alone c. Nay I say more Christ doth Justifie a Person before he Believes c. He cannot believe that which is not and if he be not Justified before he Believes it he believeth that which is false but he is first Justified before he Believes then he believes that he is Justified The Doctor then asks But what doth Faith serve for He answers It serves for the Manifestation of that Justification which Christ put upon a Person by himself alone P. 86. We do not Believe that we may be Justified but because we are Justified P. 578. God doth add never a tittle of Pardon it self more to him that is a Believer than to that Person not yet converted to the Faith c. P. 597. I say Faith as it takes hold of Christ's Righteousness it doth not bring this Righteousness of Christ to the Soul but doth only declare the Presence of that Righteousness that was there even before Faith was He in that Page denies Faith to be so much as an Instrumental Cause of Justification In very many places he declares We are not Virtually but Actually Justified before Faith If thou ask when he thinks the Elect are Justified The Doctor tells us It 's from Eternity at Christ's death and the latest time is before we are born See p. 101 255 361 362 616 c. See more ch 1 2 3 11. Wherein the Difference is not 1. It is not Whether Faith or any Grace be a jot of the meriting Righteousness for which we are Justified 2. Nor Whether Faith or any Grace add any thing to the Value of Christ's Merits These I deny yea I add That if Christ's Righteousness could be applied for Pardon to the vilest Sinner before he Believes it would Justifie him but God hath declared it shall not be applied to Unbelievers 3. Nor Whether we are Justified the same moment as we truly Believe in Christ and the Blessing is not suspended for any time longer This I affirm because God Justifies us by the Promise as his Instrument and this Promise declares that he will Justifie him that Believes It 's a Christ truly Believed in doth Justifie us and a Christ so Believed on cannot but Justifie us 4. Nor Whether an elect Person once Justified shall by Christ's care be kept in a Justified state 5. Nor Whether God hath decreed That the Elect shall certainly Believe and so be Justified 6. Nor Whether True Faith be an Infallible Sign of Justification These four last I do affirm Wherein the Real Difference is 1. Whether we are Justified before we Believe This the Doctor affirms and I deny 2. Whether the Use of Faith in Justification be only to manifest our Justification which we personally had before This the Doctor affirms and I deny and add That Faith Justifies us by receiving Christ and therein answers the Ordination of God who hath promised to Justifie the Believer by the Application of Christ's Righteousness in this gracious Effect of it upon the guilty Soul The Truth Confirmed What I have said chap. 1. Of the State of the Elect and chap. 11. Of the Necessity of Faith to Union with Christ and chap. 3 4 10. render Enlargement needless Yet I shall add 1. We are Justified by Faith is the common Language of the Holy Ghost Rom. 5. 1. Gal. 2. 16 c. What is it to be Justified by Faith if we are Justified before Faith It contributes to our being Justified or words express nothing in a case of the highest moment Rom. 3 20. God justifieth the Circumcision by Faith and the
Heathen through Faith Must not Faith be at least present It 's impossible to exert an Act by a Thing when that Thing is not 2. Faith is enjoyned as an indispensible Means of Justification by Christ and complied with by All Converts to that End Act. 16. 30. Believe and thou shalt be saved Rom. 10. 9 10. If thou believe with thine heart thou shalt be saved for with the heart man believeth to righteousness not to Assurance only To be Justified was a Benefit which Paul and the other Converts had an Eye to in Believing Gal. 2. 16. We have believed That we may be justified by the faith of Christ. The Blessing of Justification is limited to a Believer and extended to such by such conditional and indefinite Clauses as these Rom. 4. 23 24. To us it shall be imputed for Righteousness if we Believe on him that raised up Christ from the dead Act. 10. 43. Whosoever Believeth in him shall receive Remission of Sins What a gross Notion would it create That Faith should be required by God in order to a Benefit and this Faith acted by the guidance of the Spirit as a Means to partake of that Benefit and this Benefit proposed and limited to all under an express respect to that Faith and yet that Benefit is ours before Faith hath a Being 3. The Gospel denounceth and declareth All Condemned till they do Believe It declares they are so and denounceth they shall be so Joh. 3. 36. He that believeth not on the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him And ver 18. He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already Here 's the Case of all Men by the Fall They are Condemned and under Wrath. Here 's the way of Relief A Christ believed on And they that believe their Condemnation is revers'd Here 's the Case of every Man that believeth not Wrath abideth on him The Condemning Sentence remains and Men are distributed into Condemned or Justified and this as Believers or Unbelievers Oh! that any can think all this Wrath that abides is no more than want of an Assurance that we are Justified Sure it 's more danger Joh. 8. 24. If you believe not you shall die in your sins Mark 16. 18. He that believeth not shall be damned Then they must be liable to Damnation whilst in Unbelief or they could not be Damned for Unbelief To be Condemned and Justified are Opposites at once none can be both Nor can God Justifie a Man whom he then and still Condemns 4. Unbelief is the cause why Men are barred from Justiâ—â—cation and remain obnoxious to Misery Joh. 5. 40. Ye will not come to me that ye may have life What undid the Jews Heb. 3. 18 19. They could not enter because of Unbelief And ch 4 6 7. And if Unbelief did not obstruct Life and a Right to it the Apostle would oddly inferr ch 4. ver 1 2 3. Let us therefore fear lest a Promise being left us of entring into his rest any of you should seem to come short of it c. for we which have believed do enter into rest How easily might I argue this Point from the Nature of Justification as it 's a judicial Act of God by a Gospel-Rule supposing Christ's Satisfaction As also from the immediate Effects of Justification which are all suspended as to Unbelievers God in all his Carriage not executing the Justifying Sentence on them but the contrary he leaves them many years Slaves to Sin and Satan void of his Spirit admitting them to no Communion with him rejecting their Prayers barring them from his Table suffering them to blaspheme and dishonour him he suffers them to remain Curses and Plagues to other Souls c. Doth God deal thus with the Justified What short of Hell is the Execution of the Curse if these be not Reader I leave it to thy self to judge whether all these things make Faith of no more use than to shew us the goodness of our state which we were as much possessed of before only we did not know it Is that all the change on believing which such great Expressions import Is our being now washed and justified 1 Cor. 6. 11. no more than we now know it Is Assurance all the motive we can honestly use with Sinners to believe Or the want of it all the Danger we have to threaten them with to any beneficial purpose against their abiding in Unbelief TESTIMONIES You have already heard the Assembly and the Congr of Elders at the Savoy Confes. chap. 11. a. 4. saying The Elect are not Justified until the Holy Spirit doth in due time actually apply Christ to them See ch 1. Of the State of the Elect Where I cited this Lesser Catech. Q. What Benefits do they that are effectually called partake of in this Life A. They that are effectually called partake of Justification Adoption c. You see that the Assembly do suppose our Calling to our being Justified and Justification is a Benefit flowing from it In the next Answer they tell us We are Justified by receiving Christ's Righteousness by Faith alone So not before Faith The New-England Synod p. 18. thus confute that Speech of the Antinomians viz. To say we are Justified by Faith is an unsafe Speech we must say We are Justified by Christ. The Synod fully prove this is false and add To say a Man is Justified before Faith or without Faith is unsafe as contrary to the language of the Scripture Dr. Owen in his Treat of Justif. p. 299. saith It must be remembred that we require Evangelical Faith in order of Nature antecedently unto our Justification by the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ unto us which also is the Condition of the Continuation of it This is as plain as can be and this he oft proves p. 306 c. The Grounds of the Doctor 's Mistake Because God Justifies the Ungodly that is the Man who the moment before he believed to Justification was ungodly yea and who still remains ungodly in the Eye of the Law of Works needing daily Forgiveness by Grace therefore God Justifies him who continueth wholly ungodly fifty years after Because Christ alone Justifies as he whose Satisfaction and Merits are the only Righteousness for which we are Justified therefore he thinks there is nothing else present in our Justification not considering that God Justifies the Spirit Justifies the Gospel-Promise Justifieth in sences distinct from Christ And so doth Faith though not as what meriteth yet as what the Promise requireth in all whom God will Justifie for the sake of Christ's Merits Because it 's Christ the Object of Faith Justifies therefore Faith in that Object is not requisite to Justification though it 's as plain as the Word of God can speak it 's a Christ believed on which Justifies It 's not Faith without a Christ can do it and Christ without Faith will not do it but on
Brethren Universal Obedience Sincerity and Singleness of Heart and all other inherent Qualifications are not Signs by which we should judge our state Serm. 16. he calls the Revealing Evidence of the Spirit and endeavours to prove this Immediate Revelation P. 473. he puts this Objection We will not deny but it is the Voice of the Spirit will satisfie the Case But suppose I hear such a Voice c. Here is the doubt If the Word it self did bear witness to this particular Voice of the Spirit then could I be satisfied this were the Voice of the Spirit of God that speaks but if the Word do not bear witness to this Voice c. I dare not trust it He Answers This Voice is always according to the Word But P. 475. he tells us The Word according to which the Spirit of the Lord speaks when he speaks Peace to his People is the Word of Grace And that Word of Grace is no more but this God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their Trespasses unto them This is the Word of Grace according to which it speaks reconciling the World to himself even the World when Men are no otherwise but merely Men of the World Reader Thou seest that the Spirit 's Voice according to the Word is no more than according to the general Account That Christ came to save Sinners And so if any Sinner have this inward Voice that Voice is according to the Word whether he be a regenerate Person or no. The Doctor in this Page and Page 476. shews That if this Voice be according to this general Rule we must not try it by any thing else or question it And adds As for Example There is the Voice of the Word of Grace we are justified freely by his Grace and there is this Voice in the Spirit of Man telling him according to this word That his Sins are forgiven him How shall I know saith he that this Voice is the Voice of the Spirit of God For Answer let me ask but this Question Is there any thing in the world of better credit than the Spirit himself And P. 474. Beware that you make not the credit of the Voice of the Spirit to depend upon the Word Obj. But he seems to allow Faith to give Assurance But I Ans. he tells us p. 491. Not as a Revealing Evidence nor as an effecting Evidence but it is a Receiving Evidence or it is an Evidence as it doth receive that Testimony which the Spirit holds out c. Faith doth take possession of that which the Spirit reveals and manifests to a Person c. It clears the Title to us though good in it self before c. And P. 493. Faith is the Echo of the Heart to the Voice of the Spirit The Doctor 's meaning is That Faith doth not evidence our Pardon as it is a Grace wrought in the Soul by the Spirit or as a holy Qualification but only as it doth assent to and rest in this inward Voice Obj. But he seems to own that Sanctification is some Evidence A. He tells us how P. 482. viz. When the Testimony of the Spirit is received by Faith and the Soul sits down satisfied with that Testimony of the Lord then also the gifts of God's Spirit do bear witness together with the Spirit of the Lord and the Faith of a Believer You see there must be Assurance first and then these do witness after not to guide our Hopes but over and above See P. 100. There 's no better way to know your Portion in Christ than on the general tender of the Gospel to conclude absolutely he is yours Wherein the difference is not 1. It is not Whether the Spirit witnesseth by his miraculous Operations to Christ and the Gospel which is a Truth and the meaning of many of the Texts which the Doctor produceth 2. Nor Whether the Spirit as a Worker of Grace in the Heart be an Earnest of Glory and Witness to our State 3. Nor Whether the Spirit witnesseth by and with the Conscience in the Manifestation of our Graces for Assurance 4. Nor Whether the Spirit of God may in some extraordinary Cases give an immediate Testimony by a Voice or some equivalent Impressions But then there is the Truth of Grace in the Heart though it was doubted before and nothing utterly inconsistent with true Grace either is in the Heart nor then appeareth to the Conscience All these I affirm The real Difference 1. Whether none attain Assurance but by the inward Voice of the Spirit pronouncing the actual Forgiveness of their Sins without manifesting their true Grace and Sanctification This the Doctor affirms and I deny 2. Whether the usual way of attaining Assurance is by the Conscience upon trial discerning and concluding through the help of the Spirit that a Man hath those Graces or Signs which describe a Man blessed and pardoned according to the Gospel This I affirm and the Doctor denies The Truth confirmed 1. This is the way which God appoints to attain Assurance 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves whether you be in the Faith prove your own selves know ye not that Christ is in you except you be Reprobates Here we are to try What 's our great Enquiry to be about Are we in the Faith which may respect Faith inherent or the Doctrine of Faith professed He concludes they must inferr Christ is in them except they had vile Hearts or were Men as to the frame of their Hearts unapproved by God For so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports 2 Pet. 1. 10. Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure How was this to be done By adding Grace to Grace abounding therein and carefully looking that these things be in you See from ver 5. to 11. 2. This is the way whereby the Scripture-Saints were assured They concluded their Justification by Sanctification and a State of Peace by the Truth of Grace 1 Joh. 3. 14. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren Ver. 9. And hereby we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him How was this See Ver. 18. Let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth and hereby we know c. Thus David Paul and other Saints concluded the safety of their state 3. Conscience is bound to condemn every Man in whom the contrary to these Graces do appear yea where it 's evident that they are wholly wanting It 's otherwise a seared Conscience 2 Tim. 4. 2. It is not the Candle of the Lord in Man Now there can be no Assurance where the Conscience condemns as the Apostle argueth 1 Joh. 3. 19 20 21. 4. The Spirit witnesseth with our Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8. 16. It doth not witness before our Spirit doth witness It is not a separate Testimony from our Spirits but it concurs with our Spirit as its Instrument
Our Spirits witness in the light of the Spirit as 1 Cor. 9. 1. My Conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost 5. A Testimony of the Spirit giving an Evidence of Pardon without any Evidence of Grace is not according to the Word of Grace for the Word of Grace never declareth any Sinners are pardoned but believing penitent Sinners It is not as mere Sinners the Word pardoneth for it flatly condemneth and leaves Guilt on all impenitent Unbelievers as I have proved chap. 8. 12. Therefore if there should be a Voice a true Voice of God carrying it 's own Evidence saying Thy Sins are forgiven it doth at the same time and by the same Voice witness to the truth of our Grace because he forgives no other according to the Word of the Gospel And if the Spirit should say to an impenitent Soul Thou art pardoned while such it is no Promise in the Gospel nor according to it but a new Promise and not to be tried by the VVord and the Writers thereof having had more of the Spirit than any now can pretend to it 's dangerous to rest on that Voice which will not bear the Tryal by the VVord c. 6. To have the ordinary way of Assurance to be as it 's stated by the opposite Errour hath very dangerous Consequences Most Saints must quit their Hopes and Assurance for they never had this Voice though they have greater stamps of the Spirit than any I ever knew pretend to this It makes all Examination useless and vain It overturneth one of the great Uses God hath assigned to the work of his Grace on the Heart It makes Assurance impossible without this miraculous Voice which can hardly carry its Evidence to a Soul that hath no Grace at all It 's a way too far Enthusiastick to be allowed in so stated a Case It gives the Devil a great advantage against Sinners to live in Sin and against honest People if once they find cause to question this Voice Yea it sets up the Spirit against it self if any can boast of Assurance by this Voice when their State is justly challengeable by the Gospel as wanting all sight of Gospel-Marks TESTIMONIES The Assembly in Confes. ch 18. a. 2. say It 's an Infallible Assurance of Faith founded upon the Divine Truth of the Promises of Salvation the inward Evidences of those Graces unto which these Promises are made the Testimony of the Spirit of Adoption witnessing with our Spirits that we are the Children of God And a. 3. they tell us A Believer being enabled by the Spirit may without extraordinary Revelation in the right use of ordinary Means attain thereunto And therefore it is the Duty of every one to give all diligence to make his Calling and Election sure that thereby his heart may be enlarged in Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost c. as say the Cong Elders chap. 18. a. 3. See a. 4. Both shew how Assurance may be revived from the Graces in the Heart The Synod of New-England oft confute the contrary Errour which it seems was one that sadly troubled them Errour 44. No createâ— Work can be a manifest Sign of God's Love Errour 47. The Seal of the Spirit is limited only to the immediate witness of the Spirit nor doth ever witness to any Work of Grace or Conclusion by a Syllogism Errour 67. A Man cannot evidence his Justification by his Sanctification but he must needs build upon his Sanctification and trust to it Errour 72. It 's a Soul-damning Errour to make Sanctification an Evidence of Justification Errour 77. Sanctification is so far from evidencing a good State thâ—â— it darkens it rather and a Man may more clearly see Christ when he seeth no Sanctification than when he doth The darker my Sanctification is the brighter is my Justification The Synod shew at large how each of these are contrary to the Scriptures And one 〈◊〉 the evil Speeches they confute p. 19. I may know I am Christ's Not because I do crucifâ—â— the Lusts of the Flesh but believe in Christ that crucified my Lusts for me See Errour 63 69. The Grounds of the Doctor 's Mistake Because the Spirit of God is a Comforter therefore he cannot comfort us by helping us to see the VVork of his Grace in order to Joy in his Blessings Because the Spirit was to convince the World of Christ's Righteousness as what alone could procure Life therefore he tells Men that they have an Interest in it without shewing them any change on their Hearts Because he was to take of Christ's Fulness and shew it to his Disciples therefore he immediately speaks peace to the hearts of such as are or at least appear his resolved Enemies Because by the Spirit of Adoption we cry Abba Father therefore we need not find any love to God to know that we are his Children Because the Spirit witnesseth with our Spirits that we are the Children of God therefore he witnesseth alone without so much as revealing to our Spirits that we have the temper of Children Whereas there are many great Effects of the Spirit manifest on the Souls of them to whom the Apostle speaks Rom. 8. 11 12 14 15 16. And the design of the place is more to express our Dignity and free Access to God under a Gospel-state than mere Assurance of Forgiveness Because a Natural Man cannot perceive the Riches of the Promise and the Spirit enableth a Spiritual Man by his Teachings to perceive the nature of them therefore by an immediate Voice he discovers to the Natural Man his Propriety in them even while he is and appears Natural Because there is Imperfection in the Graces of a Saint therefore he cannot see the Sincerity of them by the help of the Spirit without an immediate Voice CHAP. XVI Of God's seeing Sin in Believers and their Guilt by it c. TRUTH THe Sins of Believers have the Loathsomness of Sin adhering to them which God seeth and accounteth the Committers guilty thereby And they ought to charge themselves therewith so as to stir up themselves to Repentance and renew their Actings of Faith on Christ for Forgiveness Nevertheless they ought not thereby to fear their being out of a Justified State further than their Falls give them just cause of suspecting that Sin hath dominion over them and that their first believing on Christ was not sincere ERROUR God seeth no Sin in Believers though he see the Fact neither doth he charge them with any Sin nor ought they to charge themselves with any Sin nor be at all sad for them nor confess repent or do any thing as a Means of their Pardon no nor in order to assuring themselves of Pardon even when they commit Murther Adultery or the grossest VVickedness Proved that this is Dr. Crisp 's Opinion Reader Note That the Doctor speaks most of this concerning a Person as Elect though he uses the word Believer sometimes because he alone knows that he is Elect by
Impenitent as the Penitent 2. VVhat I have stated as Truth doth acknowledge and exalt this Free Grace of God I have affirmed and would admit the fullest Expressions to testifie that in these is the Free Grace of God in Truth Of mere Grace he elected some certain Sinners to Life upon no moving fore-seen Condition but yet to obtain it through Sanctification of the Spirit to Obedience and sprinkling of the Blood of Jesus Of mere Love to Sinners no way deserving it he gave his Son to die for them who also undertook to bring all the Elect to Salvation in the way appointed between the Father and him He without any thing in Man to deserve it gave his Gospel and thereby offereth in the virtue of his Son's Blood Pardon and Eternal Life to every one that will repent and truly believe and no penitent persevering Believer shall miss of Life by a failure of this Promise He freely and of mere Grace bestows Faith and Repentance yea gives his Spirit to create these and any other good VVork in worthless vile Sinners And though he will not forgive any that finally refuse to believe and repent nor save any ungodly barren apostate Man yet Pardon and Life are his free-Gift and no Grace or Duty merits them they being no more than the required Conditions or Means of our partaking them as the Gifts of God through Christ and so hereby he honours his own Government and no way indulgeth the boastings of Men. 3. The Opinions of Dr. Crisp as they differ from these Truths do not exalt the Free Grace of God His Notions may seem more to represent an unlimited Grace as blind and so more suitable to wicked foolish Men But it is not agreeable to the holy Nature nor just or wise Government or the revealed Will of God but greatly reflects on God's Grace beyond what I will mention Is it the honour of God's Grace that all the Graces of the Spirit should be needless to promised Benefits when he promiseth those Benefits to them Is it the Grace of an holy God not to esteem a Man filthy by the greatest Abominations and yet abhorr his own Image in his Saints as Dung Is it the Free Grace of God to account an Elect Person in the heighth of his VVickedness as pure and as lovely as a Saint in Glory and yet with-hold his Spirit from him many years Is it the Grace of God to leave his Precepts without any Sanction when he removed the Curse of the Law Never to express any displeasure when most provoked yea when he doth correct To have no regard to Good or Evil in Men in his judicial Distributions To leave Men so Imperfect in a VVorld of Temptations and State of Tryal free from all fear of Caution and to have nothing in them to influence their Perseverance and Holiness except a Principle of Gratitude though their Love be weak Can it be the Grace of God that his Subjects must have no Eye to his Rewards or Threats fear none of his Displeasure when they offend be confident of the Pardon of the worst Offences before they confess a Fault never fear a Rebuke for or Hurt in or by any Sin yea condemn any trouble on that account though he blame the contrary and his Spirit causeth these Relentings Is it the Free Grace of our God which renders him a Respecter of Persons in his judicial Acts as the Ruler and Judge of the VVorld because he bestows Grace as an Act of Sovereignty It cannot be his Free Grace who hath so wisely contrived the Kingdom of his Grace that he prevents Idleness and Neglect in Men as well as Boasting that he makes the Sinner speechless for being his own Undoer by wilfully refusing Christ as well as he secures the acknowledgment of his Free Mercy by all that are saved Can that Grace be his which nullifies all his Threats weakens the Authority of all his Commands turns all his Pleadings with Men into empty VVords nay direct Fallacies Is it the Grace of God that overturns the stated Order wherein Grace exerts it self becoming all the Perfections of God God's Grace first calls and therein unites us to Christ first quickens then dignifies first gives Faith then Forgives c. But by the Doctor 's Opinion this Order is inâ—erted all Privileges are applied to the Sinner before Grace hath made any Change on the Sinner It 's not the Grace of God which â—ets up his Decree in Opposition to his revealed VVill Acquits whom he declares Condemned Enervates the Ministry Seareth the Conscience Encourageth Spiritual Sloth Discourageth Obedience Reproacheth Godâ—iness gives Advantage to the Tempter Destroys the Rule of Judgment and Opposeth the general and plain scope of the Scripture the Experience of Saints and the Nature of Man as Rational as well as his Relation to God as a Subject in the way to an Eternal State It cannot be God's Free Grace which renders Men as safe for Eternity if they never heard the Gospel as by hearing of it for if they be united to Christ and pardoned in the Womb they need the Gospel only for Assurance but not for Title to change their Apprehensions but not their State How many more and some grosser Objections might be offered against that being the Free Grace of God which Dr. Crisp and his Followers speak of as Free Grace I desire to live adoring the Riches of that Grace that freely elected to Grace and Glory in Christ as the great Means of accomplishing this Purpose so many apostate Sinners that freely offers Life to the worst Enemies on Gospel-Terms with so much help as leaves the Blood of the Impenitent on their own Heads that freely bestows the Spirit to work the Dead and Ungodly to an Obedience to the Terms of the Gospel that freely gives by the Promise for Christ's sake Pardon to the penitent Believer and such amazing Dignity to such as he enableth to persevere in Faith and Holiness as the Rule of the Promise doth require This Grace I adore and own the best to merit nothing to forfeit all yea to deserve Hell by the Law of Works And I do renounce all that Saints have or do as any Atonement for Sin or Purchasing Price of the least Benefit much less of Salvation But yet I disown any Free Grace to be the Free Grace of God which overturns his Benefits from being Motives to Duty denies the total neglect of Duties with their contrary Evils from being a Barr to our Interest in those Benefits which by the Gospel he promiseth to those Duties and requires those Duties in order to this Rectoral Distribution of Blessings it being wisely provided for in the Dispensation of this Grace that he may Rule and Judge us according to his Relation to us and according to our rational Nature in a state of Tryal for a future Condition READER There are other Mistakes of Doctor Crisp's which I might instance as his Notion of the Nature of our
and certainly possess Salvation Yea as that Covenant was not made with the Elect though for the Elect so they have nothing to do as a Condition of this Covenant And to this all absolute Promises and Prophecies of Grace are reducible they being a Transcript hereof This Dr. Owen makes to be a distinct Covenant from the Covenant of Grace See his Treatise of Justif. pag. 268 269. 2. By Covenant of Grace I mean the way that God hath ordained to apply to Sinners that Salvation which is prepared by Christ and which he will enable the Elect to comply with Q. 2. What is intended by Condition A. I shall answer in the words of worthy Mr. Flavel Discourse of Errors pag. 248. An Antecedent Condition signifies no more than an Act of ours which though it be neither perfect in every degree nor in the least meritorious of the Benefit conferred nor performed in our own natural strength yet according to the Constitution of the Covenant it is required of us in order to the Blessings consequent thereupon by virtue of the Promise And consequently the Benefits and Mercies granted in this order are and must be suspended by the Donor or Desposer of them till it be performed such a Condition we affirm Faith to be Some call this a Consequent Condition but they mean not Consequent to the Benefit promised but Consequent to Christ's undertaking to enable us to do it Reader I would have thee note 1. The Conditions do not merit the Blessings promised 2. The Conditions are not uncertain for Christ hath undertaken that the Elect shall perform them 3. They are performed by Grace and not by Natural Power 4. They are performed by Men and not by Christ though it is by Christ that any are enabled to perform them It 's not Christ repents or believes in a Saviour but Men themselves 5. It 's from God's Will in the Promise that they are made to be Conditions he connected the Benefit and the Duty though he chose Conditions that were fit yet their fitness would not have availed to our interest in the Benefits unless he had promised that they should so avail A penitent Believer had not been saved but for the Promise though it 's unlike a God to have saved any that were not such 6. These Conditions are our Duty by God's Command and not less so by being made Terms of the Benefit in the Divine Grant 7. The Covenant though Conditional is a Disposition of Grace There 's Grace in giving ability to perform the Condition as well as in bestowing the Benefits God's enjoyning one in order to the other makes not the Benefit to be less of Grace but it is a display of God's Wisdom in conferring the Benefit suitably to the nature and state of Men in this Life whose Eternal Condition is not eternally decided but are in a state of Tryal yea the Conditions are but a meetness to receive the Blessings 8. The reason why we use the word Condition is because it best suits with Man's Relation to God in his present dealings with us as his Subjects in tryal for Eternity Christ as a Priest hath merited all but as a King or a Priest upon his Throne he dispenceth all He enjoyns the Conditions in order to the Benefits and makes the Benefits Motives to our Compliance with the Conditions He treats with Men as his Subjects whom he will now Rule and hereafter Judge Now what word is so proper to express the Duties as enjoyned Means of Benefits like this word Conditions The word Conditions is of the same nature as Terms of the Gospel There be few Authors of Note even of any Persuasion but they make use of this word in my sence as Ames Twiss Rutherford Hooker of New-England Norton Preston Owen Synod of New-England the Assembly of Divines c. And I know none have reason to scruple it except such as think we are United to Christ and Justified before we are Born To such indeed all such Terms are improper because they deny God's dispensing of Saving Benefits in a way of Government Q. 3. What is intended by the Benefits of the Covenant A. The good Things or Privileges promised to such as by Grace are enabled to comply with the Terms of the Covenant especially whatever is essential to our felicity Q. 4. Wherein do the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace differ from Conditions in the Covenant of Innocency or Works as vulgarly called For both lie in doingsomething though not the same thing nor to the same ends A. 1. The Conditions of the Covenant of Grace are performed by the Grace of Christ freely given to Sinners The Conditions of the Covenant of Innocency were performed by a strength due to and inherent in our innocent Nature 2. The principal Conditions of the Covenant of Grace express the guilt and misery of them that perform them Repentance owns our Filth and Guilt and Faith in a Redeemer expresseth our sinful and lost State neither of these could have place in our legal Righteousness as being utterly inconsistent with an Innocent Condition Nor can they have much room in Heaven where we shall be perfect whereas the Terms of the Covenant of Works implied nothing but Innocency and Happiness 3. The Conditions of the Covenant of Grace make us capable of no Happiness except what Christ hath bought and prepared for us his Blood is the Price of all But the happiness granted to sinless Obedience was immediately from the Creator and knew no Atonement or Mediator 4. The Blessings promised on the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace are meerly of Grace They be for another's sake and not our own they are given to such as are condemned by the Covenant of Works and that are still condemnable by the Law for the Imperfection of the performed Gospel-Conditions yea it 's Forgiveness which renders these Persons blessed Rom. 4. 7. whereas the sinless Obedience of innocent Adam made the Reward to be of Debt Rom. 4. 4. which we as being happy by Pardon must renounce 5. The Use and Interest of Gospel-Conditions is not from the conformity of them to the Preceptive part of the Law though in a degree there be that but from their Conformity to the Rule of the Grace of the Promise The Promise of Pardon through Christ being to the penitent Believer and no other Repentance and Faith become necessary and useful Conditions of this Pardon by the Order of God in that gracious Promise But by the Covenant of Works the meer Work gave an Interest in the Reward as it was Obedience to the Precept by a Sanction that had Goodness but no such Grace in it On these accounts I shall never fear that the Conditionality of the Covenant of Grace should turn it into a Covenant of Works till I see it proved That God can promise and apply no Benefit purchased by Christ to a poor Sinner upon the Condition of any Action he commands and freely enableth the
Sinner to perform The Judgment-Day is past and a State of Tryal is over when-ever this is proved These things I have premised that if possible I may remove the Mistakes which govern the Minds of some well-meaning people The Truth TRUTH I shall express it in the words of the Assembly The Grace of God is manifested in the Second Covenant in that he freely provideth and offereth to Sinners a Mediator and Life and Salvation by him requiring Faith as the Condition to interest them in him promiseth and giveth his holy Spirit to all his Elect to work in them that Faith with all other saving Graces and to enable them unto all Obedience as the Evidence of the Truth of their Faiâ—h and Thankfulness to God and as the way which he hath appointed them to Salvation Large Catech. Quest. How is the Grace of God manifested in the Second Covenant 1. Thou canst not but observe that the Assembly did judge 1. That though God hath provided a Mediator for Sinners yet they have no interest in him till they believe 2. That the Covenant is Conditional They scruple not to call Faith the Condition of our Interest in Christ and of Salvation by him 3. That Christ and Salvation are offered to all Sinners on the same Condition though God effectually enable the Elect to obey the Condition ERROUR The Covenant of Grace hath no Condition to be performed on Man's part though in the strength of Christ Neither is Faith it self the Condition of this Covenant but all the saving Benefits of this Covenant are actually ours before we are born Neither are we required so much as to believe that we may come to have an Interest in the Covenant Benefits Proved that this is Doctor Crisp 's Opinion The Doctor spends more than a Sermon to prove this And saith P. 81. There is not any Condition in this Covenant Mark what I say I know I shall go against the Strain of some c. P. 82. Observe I pray you and you shall plainly perceive that Man hath no Tye upon him to perform any thing whatsoever on his Part as a Condition that must be observed on his Part and there is not one Bond or Obligation upon Man to the fulfilling of the Covenant or partaking of the Benefits of it P. 84. He puts this Objection Though Works be not the Condition of the Covenant yet we hope you will yield Faith is the Condition of the Covenant He answers I must needs tell you directly that Faith is not the Condition of the Covenant But the Reader may suppose the Doctor only means there be no meritorious Conditions No he excludes all things wrought by Men or in Men as necessary to their Interest in the Covenant Blessings For he tells us P. 81. That after we are in Covenant with God he will bestow these things upon us as Effects of the Covenant And P. 83. The Covenant in the actual Substance of it is made good to a Man before he can do any thing i. e. from Eternity and in the Womb. Elsewhere he says Before our Eyes be opened c. P. 600. c. Wherein the Difference is not 1. It is not whether God hath promised and Christ engaged in the Covenant of Redemption that the Elect shall believe and possess Christ c. This I affirm 2. Nor whether there be any Duty on Man's Part as a Condition of Christ's Undertaking or of the Certainty of the Things undertaken in that Covenant This I deny 3. Nor whether the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace be performed in our own Strength or be uncertain as to the Elect. This I deny 4. Nor whether the Performance of the Conditions move God to enact offer or appoint this Covenant whereby the Grace of Christ is applied This I deny and add That God enacted this Covenant before we were born and offers an Interest in it on its proper Terms to Men when Sinners 5. Nor whether the Performance of the Conditions of the Covenant be a purchasing Price or meritorious of the Benefits promised on such Conditions This I deny for Christ alone paid the Price and it 's the Covenant Promise gives the Interest in the Benefits to such as perform the Conditions 6. Nor whether the first Grace by which we are enabled to perform the Condition be absolutely given This I affirm though that be dispensed ordinarily in a due use of Means and in a way discountenancing idleness and fit Encouragement given to the Use of Means 7. Nor whether all the Conditions of the Covenant be of the same Use to the same Purpose or alike compleat Terms of the principal Benefits This I deny for Faith is supposed to all other Conditions and by Faith we are united to Christ c. 8. Nor whether upon Performance of the Conditions the Covenant Grant become not as absolute and the Right to the Benefit no longer suspended This I affirm for the Promise conveys the title as soon as the terms of the Grant are answered The real Difference 1. Whether the Elect have an actual Interest in the saving Benefits of the Covenant of Grace while they live in Unbelief This the Doctor affirms and I deny Of which see Chap. 10 11 12. 2. Whether God doth not offer the saving Benefits of the Covenant upon official Terms as believe and thou shalt be saved This I affirm and the Doctor denies 3. Whether the beneficial Privileges of the Covenant be not suspended on Terms of Duty as Doth not God forbear to pardon us till we believe This I affirm and the Doctor denies 4. Whether God doth engage to bestow the promised Benefits of the Covenant on all such who through Grace perform the Conditions This I affirm and the Doctor denies All may be reduced to this Whether our believing Confent to the Covenant of Grace be absolutely necessary by God's Command and Promise to our Interest in the saving Benefits of that Covenant This the Doctor denies and I affirm The Truth Confirmed 1. Each of the Benefits of the Covenant are offered to Men on condition and not absolutely in relation to God as his People is so Lev. 26. 3 12. If ye walk in my Statutes and keep my Commandments I will walk among you and will be your God and ye shall be my People That this refers to the New Covenant Relation is plain by 2 Cor. 6. 16. So is Union to Christ with a Communion in the Benefits proceeding therefrom Mat. 22. 2 3 9 10 11. They must come to the Wedding-Supper or have no share in it So is it of Pardon of Sin Acceptance to Life Adoption and Salvation Rom. 10. 9. If thou shalt confess with thy Mouth the Lord Jelus and shalt believe in thine Heart c. thou shalt be saved Rom. 4. 25. To whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord. Gal. 3. 7. They which are of Faith are the Children of Abraham See more of this in
the Chapters of Union Justification c. And note that it's Injustice to add new Terms of any of these Benefits if they be ours by the Covenant as absolute before 2. If the Covenant be not conditional as to the disposing of these Benefits it would follow 1. That all to whom the Offers are made have an Interest in them or it is not a serious Offer no nor a true Offer as not containing a real and mutual Connexion between the Benefit and the Duty 2. Faith it self is no more necessary to our first Interest in these Benefits than any other Grace nay than Unbelief Let no body object it 's a Sign for so is any other Grace yea so might be the Description of Paul by his Name by his Abode yea by his Sin viz. A Persecutor Paul the Persecutor of such an Age and Place would serve as well to evidence him a justified Man as his Faith Abundance of such Consequences to the very overturning of the Gospel and all Religion are unavoidable 3. Men are said to enter into Covenant with God Deut. 29. 12 13. To make a Covenant Psal. 50. 5. To keep Covenant Psal. 103. 18. To perform the Covenant 2 Chron. 34. 31. Take hold of the Covenant Isa. 56. 46. To lye to God in their Hearts not being right with God when they enter into Covenant with him Psal. 78. 36 37. They for sake the Covenant Dan. 11. 30. Broken the everlasting Covenant Isa. 24. 5. See also Jer. 50. 5. Shall joyn themselves to the Lord in a Covenant not to be forgotten Ezek. 20. 37. I will cause you to pass under the Rod and will bring you into the Bond of the Covenant All these Expressions are convincing that there is a Restipulation on Man's part and that it 's a Covenant with respect to that mutual Stipulation between God and us To suppose the Covenant to be the sole Act of God and an Act that 's meerly absolute renders all these Phrases impertinent and impossible Can we be said to make or keep the Covenant which is only God's absolute Grant It was his Act to appoint this Covenant and to enable us to make and keep it It 's his Act to restipulate on his Part but to deny it to be conditional as to the very Benefits is to make God to be the sole Party Covenanting c. 4. Consider the Seals of the Covenant viz. Baptism and the Lord's Supper and you will easily judge that they do not Seal absolutely but conditionally if absolutely then every one that partake thereof are saved If they Seal conditionally the Covenant must be conditional for by them the Covenant is renewed and the Benefits exhibited according to the Tenure of the Covenant it Self They do not Seal to us that we have the Grace to which the Benefit is promised but they seal the Benefits of the Covenant on supposition we have that Grace Hence 1 Pet. 3. 21. Baptism that saves us is not the putting away the Filth of the Flesh i. e. outward Washing but the Answer of a good Conscience towards God i. e. The upright Consent of the Heart to the Vow and Profession made in Baptism If Men would consider that a meer elect Person though by Revelation known to be elect yet whiles unregenerate is not entitled to the Lord's Supper sure they cannot but inferr That this Person hath not an actual Interest in the Covenant and all its Benefits whiles he continues so 5. I might shew that Unbelief and whatever are Sins contrary to the Terms of the Covenant are the only Hinderances to a Sinner's Interest in the Benefits of the Covenant and by these we are said to reject and refuse the Covenant The Scripture is full in this it lays Mens want of Forgiveness on their Unbelief as the culpable Cause c. It 's needless to shew how this infers the Covenant-Benefits are conditional 6. The Gospel promise being the way which Christ appoints to dispense saving Benefits to Sinners must have the same Rules with the Covenant of Grace This Gospel is his Testament and the same with this Covenant the Benefits are the same and the Covenant cannot be a disposition of these Benefits in a way contrary to this Gospel but this Gospel or Covenant tells us 1. That there is a Promise of the first Gâ—aâ—â— made to Christ for the Elect and by the Virtue of that Promise the Elect do consent to the Covenant 2. This Gospel or Covenant is the Means whereby that Faith is wrought 3. This Gospel commands and by the Power of the Spirit works that Faith in order to saving Benefits which Benefits it promiseth to such as do thus believe and to no other 4. This Gospel or Covenant invests Believers in those saving Benefits 5. It secures the Perseverance of Believers in that true Faith and the necessary Effects and Operations of it and thereby secures those Benefits as unforfeited But Christ never bequeathed or promised in the Gospel a Pardon or Salvation to the Unbelievers nor the Continuance of that Pardon or Salvation but on Supposition that this Faith perseveres and if the Gospel Promise say no such things I am sure the Covenant did not 7. The Account of the Covenant which seems most for its Absoluteness implies this conditional Connexion of the required Grace and the promised Benefits Jer. 31. 31 32 33. Heb. 8. 10 11 12. Heb. 10. 16 17. Jer. 32. 40. Ezra 11. 19 20 c. There be others that referr to the Restauration of the Captivity I 'll fix on that Jer. 31. 31. I 'll make a new Covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah 33. After those days I will put my Laws in their inward Parts and write it in their Hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my People and they shall teach no more every Man his Neighbour and every man his Brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them for I will forgive their Iniquities and remember their Sins no more This is quoted Heb. 8. 10 12. and 10. 16 17. To understand this we must consider 1. Whom is this Covenant made with 2. What cannot be inferred from this Scheme of the Covenant 1. Whom is this Covenant made with It 's with the House of Judah and Israel not the Men in present being but Men to be hereafter It 's after those Days I will make it So that it was after the Mosaick Covenant was to expire Ver. 32. and it could not be the only Covenant of Grace for that had its Being from the Fall And the sincere Israelites did not lose the Advantages of it by the Mosaick Dispensation as the Apostle Argues Gal. 3. 17. The Point before us is to know who this Israel and Judah be 1. They are either the natural Jews to be alive in those Days which this Promise refers to 2. Or true Believers who are inwardly Israel
Rom. 9. 6. 1. If it terminate on the natural Jews it 's the strongest Text for the Conversion of that People and describes the Extent of it viz. to all The Manner of it viz. by an immediate Influence for the most part and forgiving their Iniquities refers to their Sin in crucifying Christ for which that Blindness came upon them that is here removed If you take it in this Sence yet here is a Law written in the Heart which includes Faith in order to God's being their God and the Remission of their Sins 2. If true Believers or they that are inwardly Israel be meant as Rom. 2. 9. then it 's plain that there is Faith in all such who are the Parties with whom God makes this Covenant They are the Children of Abraham by Faith Gal. 3. 7. and no Unbelievers are Israel in this Notion If you take it thus the Text imports Perseverance great Sanctification and high Improvements in Holiness and Knowledge great Nearness to and Amity with God c. as the Benefits secured and reserved for the New-Testament-Times and all these to multitudes 2. It cannot be inferred from this Scheme of the new Covenant that as the Doctor would have it God doth not require any Duty as the Condition of the Benefits which he promiseth to give for here 's Gods Law written in the Heart before our Relation to him as his People or the Pardon of Sins and though this Text includes the Effects and Materials of the Covenant yet it doth not describe the whole Form of the Covenant for in other Places God requires the new Heart as a Condition of Life Ezek. 18. 31. Cast away from you all your Transgressions and make you a new Heart and a new Spirit for why will you die O House of Israel But turn and live Jer. 7. 23. c. Yea our Ministry which is the Ministry of the New Testament 2 Cor. 3. 6. is to preach Faith and Repentance for the Remission of Sin We are to promise the Benefits of the Covenant to all that submit to the Terms of it and to declare that all who refuse the Terms shall therefore be excluded from the Benefits as you 'll see Chap. 10 11 12 21. Testimonies You have already seen that the Assembly say the Covenant of Grace is conditional and Faith is a Condition of our Interest in Christ and Salvation and these are offered to Sinners on that Condition The Congregational Elders at the Savoy affirm as much Chap. 7. a. 3. The Lord was pleased to make a second Covenant commonly called the Covenant of Grace wherein he freely offers Life and Salvation by Jesus Christ requiring of them Faith in him that they may be saved You see they think there 's in the Covenant an Offer of Life if Men will believe and God requires Faith that we may obtain this Life The New England Synod confutes Errour 28. which was this To affirm there must be Faith on Man's Part to receive the Covenant is to undermine Christ. This the Synod say is contrary to Mar. 16. 16. Errour 38. was That there can be no closing with Christ in a Promise that hath a Condition expressed The Synod say this is erroneous and contrary to Isa. 55. 1. Mat. 11. 28. Mar. 1. 5. and adds If the Gospel it self be laid down in a conditional Promise if the Apostles and Prophets laid hold on such Promises to help to Union then there may be a true closing with Christ in a Promise that hath Qualfications and Conditions expressed So they brand as Errour 48. That conditional Promises are legal And Errour 81. Where Faith is held forth by the Ministry as the Condition of the Covenant of Grace on Man's Part c. there is not sufficient Bread which the Synod thus confutes This Position seems to deny Faith to be a Condition at all or at all active and so if Condition in this place signifie a Qualification in Man wrought by the Holy Ghost without which the Promises do not belong to Men. This is contrary to Joh. 6. 48. Doctor Owen saith Treat of Justif. P. 264. That Christ undertook that those who were to be taken into this Covenant should receive Grace enabling them to comply with the Terms of it fulfill its Conditions and yield the Obedience which God required therein How frequently doth he assert that our Interest in the Benefits of the Covenant depends on our answering the Terms of the Gospel 270 303 c. 351. He informs us A Covenant doth not operate by meer Sovereignty it becomes not a Covenant without the Consent of them with whom it is made Wherefore saith he no Benefit accrues unto any or Freedom from the old Covenant by this Constitution unless he hath actually complied with it hath chosen it and is interessed in it thereby Mr. Norton Orth. Evang. 172. affirms That the Gospel holds forth Salvation before Faith indefinitely not definitely Generally not Particularly Conditionally to every one not Absolutely to any one Hence this indefinite Proposition Whosoever believeth shall be saved containeth a Command and a singular or particular Conditional Promise c. He often proves Faith to be the First Condition See Turretin Instit. Theol. pars 2. p. 203. where he proves the Covenant of Grace to be Conditional How poor is the number that denies it The Ground of the Doctor 's Mistake He thinks every thing is a Price to buy a Benefit which is a compliance with the way God hath ordained to bestow the Gift whereas there 's a buying without Price which is our Acceptance of Life upon the Terms of God's Offer Isa. 55. 1. He thinks because God hath promised to Christ That the Elect shall believe therefore God cannot make Faith a Condition of any other Blessing which he resolves to bestow in order after Faith He thinks because Christ is given to be a Covenant that is he is appointed as a Surety to see the great Ends of the Covenant accomplished and secured therefore there is nothing required from Men as the way of their Interest in the Benefits of the Covenant though under the influence of Christ. He thinks because Christ is appointed to work Faith in order to Union and other Benefits therefore we must have an actual Interest in Christ and those Benefits before this Faith is wrought He thinks because all Grace after Union comes from Christ as our actual Head therefore Christ by his Spirit can work no Grace in us as our designed Head He thinks because God sovereignly decreed what Benefits he would bestow therefore he hath as our Ruler stated no rectoral Method of bestowing those Benefits Because the Covenant is everlasting as to future therefore he judged there can be no Condition on Man's part not remembring that the Covenant secures our perseverance in performing those Conditions CHAP. IX Of the Nature of Saving Faith TRUTH I Shall express this in the words of the Assembly and Congregational Elders at the Savoy Confes.
of Faith ch 14. a. 2. Declarat ch 14. a. 2. of Saving Faith By this Grace a Christian believeth to be true whatever is revealed in the Word for the Authority of God speaking therein and acteth differently upon that which each particular Passage thereof containeth yielding Obedience to the Commands Trembling at the Threatnings and Embracing the Promises of God for this Life and that which is to come But the principal Acts of Saving Faith are Accepting Receiving and Resting upon Christ alone for Justification Sanctification and Eternal Life by virtue of the Covenant of Grace Reader weigh this sound Account of Faith Which if it were regarded and no Essential part of it excluded when Faith is considered as a Condition of any Gospel-Benefit How much vain Disputes would be prevented as well as Danger to poor Souls And one would think no Man need prove That it is not Saving Faith when any Essential part of it is wanting And that it must be Saving Faith when we mention Faith as the Condition or Moral Instrument of any Saving Benefit ERROUR Saving Faith is nothing but our Persuasion or absolute Concluding within our selves That our Sins are pardoned and that Christ is ours Proved that this is Doctor Crisp 's Opinion The Doctor tells us pag. 493. The whole Essence of Faith is nothing else but the Echo of the Heart answering the foregoing Voice of the Spirit and Word of Grace Thy Sins are forgiven thee saith the Spirit and Word of Grace My Sins are forgiven me saith Faith And the Soul that can assume thus from the Spirit and Word of Grace hath the whole Essence of Believing When the Doctor pag. 107. puts a Man on examining his Faith he hath these words How do I know I believe in Christ He Answers Do I rest my Heart upon this Truth Do I receive it as a Truth that I do believe Or do I reject it and will not receive it Then I do not believe But if you sit down and rest upon this Truth and receive it and do in reality believe it then you may absolutely conclude Christ is yours And pag. 296. If the Lord I say again give to any to believe this Truth That it is his Iniquity the Lord hath laid on Christ God himself cannot charge one Sin on that Man And pag. 158. he makes the difference betwixt a strong and weak Believer to consist in the Degree of this Persuasion See more in chap. 10 11. Wherein the Difference is not 1. It is not whether Assurance be attainable in this Life as the Effect of Faith 2. Nor whether a Sinner ought to apply yea doth personally apply the general Offers of Christ and Life by his own Compliance with the Terms of the Gospel For upon a true Acceptance of a whole Christ he is mine in virtue of the Gospel Promise which God will perform in giving Christ and Life to all that accept of him as he is proposed for our Acceptance 3. Nor whether a convinced Sinner hath at first a more especial regard to Christ's Priestly Offices and Sufferings as what are more sensibly fitted to his guilty State 4. Nor whether every thing recorded in the Scriptures must not be dwelt on with the same regard concern and assurance as the Essentials of the Covenant of Life 5. Nor whether Faith contain in it a reliance on Christ as the only Saviour and on his Satisfaction and Merits as what alone purchased our Pardon and Acceptance as well as it includes the realizing Assent to the Truth and unfeigned fiducial Consent to and Acceptance of a whole Christ in all his Offices All these I affirm The real Difference 1. Whether the whole Essence of Saving Faith consists in an Inward Persuasion or Assurance that our Sins are pardoned and Christ is ours This the Doctor affirms and I deny yea I deny that it is at all of the Essence of Saving Faith 2. Whether Saving Faith include not in its nature that powerful efficacious Assent to the Word and fiducial consenting Acceptance of Christ as Prophet Priest and King with a Reliance on his Merits and obediential Regards to God as the TRUTH above-mentioned doth express This the Doctor denies and I affirm The Truth confirmed 1. Faith is not an Assurance or Inward Persuasion That Christ is ours and our Sins are pardoned For 1. Men may have this Persuasion who do not savingly believe They in Mat. 7. 22. had this when they cried Lord Lord open to us Neither did the foolish Virgins seem without it Mal. 25. 1 2. Yea it's what the most profligate Sinners grow secure by to their own Destruction and this upon the general Word of Grace 2. Many true Believers have not this Persuasion let common Experience be consulted 3. Such as have had Assurance do by the Doctor 's Opinion fall into the Sin of damning Unbelief whenever they doubt their Interest in Christ and especially if they conclude that they have not this Interest A sad Doom on many pious Souls 4. This Persuasion should suppose an Interest in Christ and doth not give it It 's a false Conclusion That Christ is mine before he is so And must the great term of Life be a Lye We are to examine our selves whether we be in the Faith and so whether Christ be in us before we assure our selves that he is in us 2 Cor. 13. 5. And where hath God made this Proposition My Sins are laid upon Christ to be the Object of Saving Faith This Proposition is not God nor Christ nor any part of the Scripture unless you suppose a General Redemption and that to the actual Pardon of every Sinner And as the Word of Grace promiseth Pardon to none but a Believer so the Spirit speaks it to none but to the Believer as a Believer 2. Saving Faith includes the Essentials expressed in the above-mentioned Truth as Assent Trust Consenting Acceptance of Christ Reliance c. This appears 1. Faith can be no less than the Soul's Answer to the Call of God in our effectual Vocation And to this all those things are necessary 2 Pet. 1. 3. 2. The Scriptures describe Saving Faith by all these Acts It 's the Evidence of things not seen and Substance of things hoped for Heb. 11. 1. It 's a Receiving of Christ Joh. 1. 12. which must be as God gives him and that is a Witness a Leader and Commander of the People Isa. 55. 4. Acts 3. 26. to bless us in turning every one of you from his iniquity Rom. 15. 12. In him shall the Gentiles trust Isa. 44. 5. One shall say I am the Lord's and another shall subscribe with his Hand unto the Lord which express consent 3. Christ cannot be received as a Saviour nor as the Way of a Sinner to God if Faith include not these Great things He is not a Saviour if you exclude any of his Offices and as an intire Saviour we must receive him Mat. 1. 21. Can any Man receive
him as a Prophet and not believe and accept of his Teachings Can any receive him as a King that refuseth Subjection to his Government No for We will not have this man to reign over us was the Language of Unbelief as well as Damning to those Unbelievers Luk. 19. 14 27. and the same word signifies Disobedient and Unbelieving 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 10. 21. Can any Man come to Christ as a Priest and not rely on his Sacrifice for Pardon to be obtained by him And the word tells us we come to God by him if he be our Saviour Heb. 7. 25. But who can suppose that there 's this without any dedication of our selves to God c. Oh that Men were but wise enough to know what it is to receive a Ruler or a Teacher What Peace would it cause 4. A Faith without these Essentials could never produce those great Effects which are ascribed to Faith How could it purifie the Heart Act. 15. 9. Be a Shield against Temptations Eph. 6. 16. Works by Love Gal. 5. 6. Sanctifies us Act. 26. 18. By Faith we are risen with Christ Col. 2. 12. Is a lower Faith operative as I am Jam. 2. 17. Or can any call that which wants these A Principle of Obedience virtually including all Grace to say nothing of the unmeetness of a lower Faith to be the appointed Condition of Saving Benefits when it is the appointment of a Wise and Holy Governour 5. An Enlightened Regenerate Soul cannot act towards Christ when he is first presented to its view below these Instances It 's not a regenerate Heart that admits Actings contrary to any of these if it is a regenerate Heart it will discover it self in each of these upon the offer of Christ as a Saviour Act. 9. 6. Lord what wilt thou have me to do c. Sure a regenerate Principle includes a Disposition to all these Acts and the first view of Christ will excite and attract them Testimonies You have seen the Judgment of the Assembly and Elders at the Savoy in the Truth above stated Both also affirm ch 18. a. 3 4. Infallible Assurance doth not so belong to the Essence of Faith but that a true Believer may wait long and conflict with many Difficulties before he be partaker of it And the Assemblies Large Catech. Quest. Are all Assured c. They Answer Assurance not being of the Essence of Faith c. One of the Errours for which the Church of Boston in New-England dealt with Mr. H. was That there is no Faith of God's Elect but Assurance Dr. Owen in his Treat of Justification p. 111 112. denies that a full Persuasion of the Forgiveness of our Sins or That what Christ did and suffered as our Mediator he did it for us in particular or a particular Application of especial Mercy unto our Souls c. are of the Essence of Faith though all that have true Faith will endeavour it The Ground of Dr. Crisp 's Mistake Because Faith is the Evidence of thingsunseen that is it Assents to unseen Realities therefore he thinks that our Faith is nothing but an Assent to our particular Interest in Forgiveness Because the Word of Grace promiseth Justification to all true Believers therefore an Assurance of my being Justified is Believing Whereas I must first be a Believer in order to Pardon before I justly can or ought to believe that I am pardoned CHAP. X. Of the Free Offer of Christ to Sinners and of Preparatory Qualifications TRUTH CHrist is freely offered to be a Head and Saviour to the vilest Sinners who will knowingly assent to the Truth of the Gospel and from a Conviction of their Sin and Misery out of Christ are humbled and truly willing to renounce all their Idols and Sins denying their own carnal Self and Merits and accept of Christ as offered in the Gospel relying on him alone for Justification Sanctification and Eternal Life Reader Observe 1. Christ is freely offered to the vilest Sinners for their acceptance of him according to the Gospel 2. He is not offered so as if any Sinner might have a Saving Interest in him till they are willing to deny themselves renounce all Sins and Idols and do accept of and rely on him as a full Saviour according to the Terms of the Gospel There cannot be an Acceptance of Christ without a Renouncing of Sin and Idols and Denying carnal Self and our own Merits as Opposites to him And on the other hand to renounce Sin and Idols and deny our selves will not avail us without an acceptance of Christ and relianceon him 3. I mention some things that are antecedently necessary to our renouncing of Sin and Idols and to our acceptance of and reliance on Christ as Knowledge Assent Conviction of Sin and Misery and some Humblings of Soul which must attend all true Convictions These are Preparatory Qualifications not that an Interest in Christ always follows these but they dispose the Soul to a hearty acceptance of Christ in opposition to all rival Opposites and are necessary thereto in some degree 4. The declared Design of the Offers of Christ to Sinners is That they may be thus willing to accept of Christ and so partake of an Interest in him ERROUR Christ is offered to Blasphemers Murtherers and the worst of Sinners that they remaining ignorant unconvinced unhumbled and resolved in their purpose to continue such they may be assured they have a full Interest in Christ and this by only concluding in their own Minds upon this Offer That Christ is theirs Proved that this is Dr. Crisp 's Opinion I need give no Proof of it but this That it 's a declared Point which he oft strives to prove That all the Elect are actually united to Christ before they Believe yea before they are Born as you 'll see in the next Chapter So that all the design of these Offers is only to manifest to Men That Christ was theirs before as he tells us p. 100. Is not Unbelief a Bar to have a part in Christ He Answers It is a Bar to hinder the manifestation of Christ in the Spirit but it is not a Bar to hinder one from having a part in Christ. Obj. But the Doctor seems to insist on Mens coming to Christ and closing with him as p. 206. No Consideration in the world can so aggravate a Man's Condition would he make his condition as bad as the Devils themselves yet if there be but a Coming there can be no Consideration in the highest pitch of sinfulness for Christ to reject him And p. 202. Whatever thou art suppose a Drunkard a Whoremaster a Swearer a Blasphemer a Mad-man in Iniquity couldst thou but Come to Christ I say Come only Come it is no matter if there be no Alteration in the world in thee when thou dost come to Christ. A. 1. But Coming or Believing is no other in the Doctor 's Judgment than an Inward Persuasion or Concluding that Christ is ours
unto such and such Persons before he did put any Qualifications into them But I say farther that God gives actual Possession of this Christ and this Christ takes Possession of that Person before there be any Qualification Obj. When are the Elect united to Christ A. The Doctor tells you Before they are born P. 617. See P. 597 609 611 c. Of coming to Christ against your Wills See the end of this Chapter Wherein the Difference is not 1. It is not whether God hath decreed that all the Elect shall be united to Christ. 2. Nor whether God hath appointed and Christ agreed in the Covenant of Redemption to be in time the Saviour of the Elect and that whatChrist did and suffered pursuant to that Covenant was intended for the saving Good of the Elect. 3. Nor whether all the Power by which we believe and the Spirit who works Faith in us be purchased and given by Christ. 4. Nor whether Christ's giving us the Spirit of Grace do begin this Union and the Spirit given in order to saving Operations produceth this Faith whereby the Union is consummated 5. Nor whether Faith unites to Christ by Divine Ordination and not by its own Power or Merit or as a Physical Act. All these I affirm The Real Difference 1. Whether the Elect are actually united to Christ before they are born This the Doctor affirms and I deny 2. Whether the Elect are united to Christ till they are effectually called and truly believe This the Doctor denies and I affirm The Truth Confirmed 1. The Scriptures expresly affirm all uncalled unregenerate Unbelievers to be united to Christ and in a State of Separation from him The believing Ephesians were before Conversion without Christ Eph. 2. 12. Were they always united to Christ of whom Paul saith Rom. 16. 7. They were in Christ before me Or was Paul himself always in Christ Were not the Romans out of Christ while a wild Olive-Tree and untill they were grafted into the true Olive-Tree w ich they were upon their Conversion Rom. 11. 17 19. 2. The Spirit of Christ and Faith in him are the things whereby God hath ordained us to be united with Christ By one Spirit we are all baptized into one Body 1 Cor. 12. 12 13. Christ dwells in our Hearts by Faith Eph. 3. 17. on which account we are said to receive Christ Col. 2. 8. And are Children of God by Faith Gal. 3. 26. 3. The want of this Union is denounced against all such as have not the Spirit and are Unbelievers Rom. 8. 9. If any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his i. e. Let the Man be elect or not be the Man who he will if he hath not the Spirit he is not Christ's in this Union And it 's the Design of that Parable Mat. 22. 3. to 13. that they who accept not of the Invitation or do not sincerely and spiritually consent to Christ's Offer shall not be united to Christ or partake of the Marriage Supper 4. The necessary immediate Effects of Union are plainly wanting in all such as have not the Spirit and want Faith He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit 1 Cor. 6. 17. Can any unbelieving Wretch pretend to have one Spirit with Christ whiles his Inclinations Purposes and Carriage are so contrary Again If any Man be in Christ he is a new Creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. q. d. Let the Man be who he will he is not united to Christ if he be not a new Creature I hope none will doubt he is no new Creature who is carnal who is a Stranger to the New Man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness Eph. 4 24. When the Scriptures describe any Person in Christ Jesus they tell us they at least in purpose have crucified the Flesh with the Affections thereof Gal. 5. 24 and they walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Rom 8 1. It 's not they that have crucified the Flesh are in Chrâ—st which some might say would render it only a manifesting Sign of their In-being in Christ but these Texts do exclude all others from a present Share in this Union The like Places might be multiplied As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ Gal. 3. 27. If Christ be in you the Body is dead because of Sin c. Rom 8 9 10 But alas these and the like are not only wanting in Unbelievers but the direct contrary thereto prevalently reign in them and each of these Contraries do by a Gospel Rule subject Men to those Miseries as are inconsistent with the Members of Christ As If ye live after the Flesh ye shall die to be carnally minded is Death c. Rom. 3. 8. 6 14. 5. Union with Christ is determined to our effectual Calling This is the Means and Season of that Blessing God is faithful by whom ye are called into the Fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 1. 9. Hence the Instruments of our Vocation are said to espouse us to Christ 2 Cor. 11. 2. To beget them for him 1 Cor. 4. 15. This Privilege is peculiar to Christ's regenerate Seed and impossible to any that are not so 6. Unbelievers are not Members of the Catholick invisible Church which is the Body of Christ By one Spirit you are all baptized into one Body and have been all made to drink into one Spirit 1 Cor. 12. 13. There is a present effectual Working in every Part of this Body Eph. 4. 16. It 's by the Spirit 's Operation we are Parts of this Holy Temple and fellow Citizens with the Saints Eph. 2. from 18. to 22. Every Member hath a Measure of Faith and Grace Rom. 12. 3 4 5. None of these can be true of Men dead in Sin Nor can they be Members of Christ that are not Members of his Body 1 Cor. 12. 27. 7. Should they that are united to Christ apostatize from Faith they would thereby forfeit and lose this Union If any cease to be Believers they would cease to be Members of Christ. This is the Scope of Joh. 15. 2 3 4 5 6. If a Man abide not in me he is cast forth as a Branch and is withered Every Branch in me that beareth not Fruit he taketh away And is it not apparent that Apostacy sinks a Man into no more Unbelief than what prevailed before he believed at all 8. The opposite Errour would reconcile what the Spirit of God declares inconsistent The Apostle in vain asketh What Concord hath Christ with Belial or what Part hath he that believeth with an Infidel and what Agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols c. 2 Cor. 6. 15 16 17. By this Opinion Christ and Belial can be and dwell quietly in one Man for many Years and he that believeth and an Infidel have the same part in the highest Privilege viz. Union with Christ. In Uncleanness God receives all alike and
is their Father though they resolve against being Separate Men can though God saith they cannot partake of the Table of the Lord and of the Table of Devils 1 Cor. 10. 21. For Union and Communion with Christ be the Heart of the Benefits included in partaking of the Lord's Table Reader Weigh these things and thou canst hardly conceive what Act of God an Union before Faith can be ascribed to It 's not to the Decree for that only resolveth it shall be in future It 's not to God's appointing or Christ's engaging to be a Mediator for thereby he undertook in time to raise a Seed which in the fulness of Time God would gather in one in him Eph. 1. 10. It 's not in Christ's assuming the humane Nature for that admits all Mankind to be united to him as well as the Elect. And what Mr Sterry and others talk of a radical Union with Christ as he is the top Branch or the universal Spirit of the Creation in a Nature distinct from his Divine and Humane it's fordid to such who know of but two Natures in Christ and if granted would not prove the Doctor 's Notion of actual Union TESTIMONIES The Assembly Confess Ca. 26. a. 1. and the Elders at the Savoy Chap. 27. a. 1. affirm That we are united to Jesus Christ by-his Spirit and by Faith A. 5. Only the Elders add We are not thereby made one Person with Christ. The Lesser Catechism hath this Question How doth the Spirit apply to us the Redemption purchased by Christ A. By working Faith in us and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual Calling The New England Synod confute this as Errour 37. We are compleatly united to Christ before or without any Faith wrought in us by the Spirit They sum up their Confutation of this in these VVords If there be no Dwelling of Christ in us no coming to him no receiving him no being married to him before and without Faith But the former is true Errour 16. which Boston Church charged Mr. Hutcheson with was That Union to Christ is not by Faith Errour 38. The Synod Confutes is There can be no true closing with Christ in a Promise that hath a Condition expressed Errour 69. Though a Man can prove a gracious VVork in himself and Christ to be the Author of it if thereby he will prove Christ to be his this is but a sandy Foundation He never read Doctor Owen who did not find him as express in this as any Man can be Norton Orthod Evang. P. 291. Union in order of Nature though not of Time followeth Vocation P. 181. Union not without the Act of Faith P. 222. It 's by the Spirit and Faith The Grounds of the Dr's Mistake Because Christ is appointed and given to raise a Body eternally elected thereto therefore he thinks they are this Body before they be raised Because all after-After-Grace is from Christ as our actual Head therefore he thinks Christ cannot by his Spirit work the first Grace as our designed Head VVhereas the Spirit makes us an Habitation to God Eph. 2. 22. And it 's a strange conceit that Christ can exert no Act of Power on a dead Soul in order to Union but Men must infer that Union prior to it Because the natural Body cannot see without a Head therefore Christ cannot convert a Sinner to bring him into his mystical Body One might better infer the Head cannot see without the Body and the Body sees as much as the Head and the Head sees no better than the Body and so conclude Christ can see nothing till every elect Person be a Member and every Member seeth as well as Christ and the dim Sight of every Member makes the Sight of Christ as blind as his Because Christ received Gifts for the Rebellious that God might dwell among them therefore God dwells among them before those Gifts operate or be communicated to them Whereas the Apostle Eph. 4. 10 11 12. tells us how these Gifts are the Means by which the Elect are converted and made Believers and so come to partake of Union with its peculiar Effects Because from the Parable of the Vine the Gardiner puts the Graff into the Tree before there 's Sap or Fruit therefore he thinks a Man is in Christ before God puts him in Christ by the Spirit and Faith which is the only ingraffing the VVord tells us of besides external Church Privileges Rom. 11. 17 19. I may as well argue a Member of Christ must always do wicked VVorks because the Graff bears always Fruit of its own Kind and not after the Kind of the Stock into which it is ingrafted How sad is it to strain and abuse Parables or Metaphors against the Scope of the Gospel because God condescends to explain some Truths thereby as if all that belongs to the Metaphor teach and prove any Doctrine because that one Point for which the Lord useth it is illustrated thereby VVhat VVork may soon be made by fond People if this be true Because we are chosen in Christ from eternity that is elected to obtain Life by him as Mediator therefore we are one with him before any uniting Bonds Reader I forbear to represent the Nature of this Union as he seems to state it P. 104 105 648 649 615. hoping he meant better than many of his VVords do import but for thy own Good know that upon believing we are made Partakers of Gospel-Benefits we are related to him for all the Advantages which the Metaphors of this Union express He loveth enricheth and honoureth us as a Man doth his Wife He directs rules and quickens us as a Head doth the Members He ministers Grace for Fruit and Exercise as the Root doth to the Branches Yea This Relation he 'll keep undissolved and yet more the very Spirit that his Humane Nature received in Fulness abides in and worketh a Conformity to the Life and Temper of Christ in all his Members which at last he will perfect to the utmost of our Capacity But yet fansie not that we are deified with God or christified with Christ or one natural Person with him as if he had a superangelick Nature which was a sort of a commen Soul or that our distinct Personality shall ever cease with other Notions destructive of God's Government and of all Judgment Beware of confounding God and the Creature or making Christ the Subject of our Graces because he is the Author of them Obj. But you said in the Errour that Men are said to receive Christ against their VVills A. The Doctor tells us Our first receiving of Christ is when Christ comes by the Gift of the Father to a Person while he is in the Stubbornness of his own Heart and the Father doth force open the Spirit of that Person and pours in his Son in spight of the Receiver P. 99. In P. 98. It 's as a Physician poureth Physick down the Patient's Throat and so it works against his Will
6. 16. Are all these things consistent with Pardon before Repentance Can I be subject to perish and pardoned at once Can God command Repentanee under a Promise of Pardon and yet suppose I must be pardoned before Is the turning of the Heart from the power of Satan to God urged and directed to this end that I may receive forgiveness and none follow my turning but all be before it 3. There 's no Saving Faith that includes not this purpose in it Can I fiducially consent to Christ and not intend to leave my wickedness Dr. Owen well proves That Justifying Faith cannot be without a purpose of heart to obey God in all things Treat of Justif. p. 40. And adds Neither is it possible that there should be any exercise of this Faith but where the Mind is prepared disposed and determined unto universal Obedience See the Assemblies and Elders Account of Saving Faith ch 9. 4. Without this Purpose we do not accept of Christ as the Way to God It would be strange that the great Term of Life should terminate in Christ who is the Means without any respect to God who is the End Whereas Christ is able to save such as come to God by him Heb. 7. 25. and others he will not save Act. 20. 21. God was not thus over-looked when Paul testified Repentance towards God and Faith towards Christ. And indeed without this purpose the Soul never answers God's Call and so must be Pardoned before effectually Called 5. We cannot receive Christ as King without this Repentance of Heart To receive him as King is to renounce all Usurpers and resolve Obedience to his Will And we must receive him as King or Lord or it is not the Christ we so receive Col. 2. 6. As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord. God gives him a Leader and Commander Isa. 55. 4. And so must we take him or never hope for Forgiveness by him 6. Without this purpose of Heart no Man accepts of Christ for Sanctification The Assembly and Elders at the Savoy tell us Conf. chap. 14. a. 2. That Saving Faith accepts of Christ for Sanctification I am sure God gives Christ to bless you in turning every one of you from his iniquities Act. 3. 26. And can that Soul believe to Forgiveness that thus receives him not Or can any one thus receive him who intends not to turn from Sin to Holiness 7. A resolved purpose to continue in Sin and Rebellion against God is Damning let Men pretend what they please I hope I need not prove but one of these Purposes must have place in every Heart when it is dealing with Christ about Salvation And I think I have proved That a Resolution to continue Rebels will bar any Man from a possessing of Christ. See chap. 10. 8. It 's not to be allowed that it should not be necessary to renounce our Sins with our Hearts in order to Pardon when it is necessary to renounce our own Merits or Righteousness Is the one opposite to Christ and is not the other so Will one make us backward to accept of Christ and will not the other do the same Is the one inconsistent with a true Approbation of a Saviour The other is no less For Christ is to save from the Power of Sin as well as the Guilt and he that submits not to him with a desire of both duely accepts him for neither I might further evidence this from the necessary fitness of Repentance for Pardon It is very unsuitable to the Nature and Government of God to pardon a Sinner that resolves to rebel and not to return This seems too low a Provision for his Honour c. Nay it would render our Faith a meer selfish thing and all our Compliance to be a meer concern for our own Impunity whiles Sin is still resolved and God's Dominion rejected and Christ's Design of restoring the Image of God slighted and opposed It were easie to shew that Repentance and Faith are so near to and inclusive of each other that one is put for the other and the Call to one is a Call to each The Judgment of others The Assemb Confes. ch 16. a. 3. say Although Repentance be not to be rested in as any Satisfaction for Sin or any Cause of the Pardon thereof which is the act of God's Free Grace in Christ yet it is of such necessity to all Sinners that none may expect Pardon without it You see though they justly exclude the Merit and Causality of Repentance yet they affirm and by many Texts prove the Necessity of it to Pardon and forbid any Expectation of Pardon without it And in their Directory of the Visitation of the Sick they advise a seasonable propounding of Christ and his Merits for a Door of Hope but it is to none but to every penitent Believer The Elders at the Savoy tell us ch 15. a. 5. There is no Sin so great that shall bring Damnation on them who truly repent which makes the constant Preaching of Repentance necessary Dr. Owen tells us That before the first Act of Justifying Faith there be Convictions Shame Fear Sorrow and other afflictive Passions and hereon a Resolution doth ensue utterly to abstain from Sin with sincere Endeavours to that purpose c. Treat of Justif. p. 299. he tells us That without this in the order of the Gospel an Interest in it i. e. Christ's Righteousness is not to be attained c. And again Justifying Faith includeth in its Nature the entire Principle of Evangelical Repentance so that it is utterly impossible that a Man should be a true Believer and not at the same instant of time be truly Penitent And therefore are they so frequently joyned in Scripture as one simultaneous Duty Yea the Call of the Gospel unto Repentance is a Call to Faith acting it self by Repentance c. And then tells us The First Act of Faith respecting the Grace of God in Christ is not conceived in order of time to precede its actings in Self-displicency Godly Sorrow and Universal Conversion from Sin to God See p. 300 301. These things Dr. Owen asserts though he ascribes no Causality of Pardon to Repentance Which will offend none who deny any Grace in Man to be a Cause of Forgiveness among whom I own my self See Mr. Anthony Burgess's Reasons for the Necessity of Repentance to Forgiveness True Doct. of Justif. lib. 1. p 157. Thus I have done with this Debate which lies I hope more in words than some unthinking Men imagine And the generality of Divines affirm as I do CHAP. XIII Of the Necessity and Benefit of Holiness Obedience and good Works with Perseverance therein REader Note that whatever is spoken in this Chapter of any Act of Grace except penitent believing refers not to the Forgiveness of Sin or the Sinner's Admission into a justified State The Benefits I here treat of are the not Forfeiture of Pardon the Possession of Heaven and some other particular Blessings
shall proceed to the Proof of the Truth which is comprehended under these Heads 1. Sinners have much to do in order to Salvation There be few Leaves in the Bible but argue this It 's the Scope of all the Revelations of God to Men since the Fall It 's true we have nothing to do in a way of Atonement or Purchace but it is as true we have much to do in order to our Participation of what Christ hath purchased We must repent that our Sins may be blotted out Act 3. 19. We must believe that we may be saved c. Our Lord is express if you know these things happy are you if you do them Joh. 13. 17. All Gospel-discoveries are made known for the Obedience of Faith Rom. 16. 26. And Christ will take Vengeance on all them who obey not the Gospel neither Christ nor Gospel will secure them 2 Thes. 1. 8. The Revelations of God to Men are not a bare Description of Duty and Benefits but an Injunction of Duty in a Connexion with Benefits Rom. 10. 9. If thou confess with thy Mouth the Lord Jesus and believe with thy Heart thou shalt be saved 2. I could shew there 's no one saving Benefit granted to a Sinner but on supposition of his Doing See much of this Chap. 8. 10 11 12. and Ch. 21 22. Christ never intended the Application of his Merits for our Privileges without ordering them as Motives to Duty on our Part. 3. The Influences of the Spirit of God and God's Institutions have no Causality in our Salvation if Men have nothing to do in order to be saved It 's plain that Salvation is ascribed to the Spirit and also to the Means of Grace Neither of them are the Atonement or Price of Salvation therefore they must save as they operate on the Soul in order to its Actings Rom. 1. 16. 1. Cor. 1. 21. And this must be as it answers the way appointed for our Participation of Life 4. On what account is it said that we believe to the saving of our Souls Heb. 10. 39. and Repentance to Salvation is the Expression of the Spirit of God 2 Cor. 7. 10. What Sence can be affixed to these and the like Phrases as they are opposed to their Contraries as destructive if Men do nothing towards their Salvation See Jam. 2. 14. Can Faith save him Yea and I may ask 5. What meaneth the Holy Ghost when he saith In so doing thou shalt save thy self and them that hear thee 1 Tim. 4. 16. Sure the Argument is not strong if it be true we can do nothing for Salvation 6. The Destruction of Sinners under the Gospel is still laid on not Doing they are condemned by the Law but they remain condemned and their Ruine is fixed and so they are twice dead for want of doing somewhat Ye will not come to me that you might have Life Joh. 5. 40. How oft is the Ruine of Souls laid on not Turning not Repenting c. 7. If Men have nothing to do for Salvation then Christ hath no Rule to judge them who lived under the Gospel I hope none will say the judicial Sentence will pass on Men as elected or not elected Doth it agree to the Proceedings of that Tribunal at that Day to say Thou shalt be damned because thou wert not elected Is this the Account the Scripture gives Doth it not proceed on the Difference in Mens Carriage and Tempers See the Parable of the Talents They who improved their Talents were saved he that hid it in a Napkin was therefore damned Mat. 25. 21 24 28. Consider any Description of the last Day and you 'll find God saves and damns with a Respect to Mens Neglects and Compliance with his Gospel 8. I could easily demonstrate that if Men have nothing to do in order to Salvation the Ministery of Christ and his Apostles the Ministery most apt and most blessed to Souls to this very day is all a Vanity and Falshood they are cold Pleadings with Sinners that are not backed with Life and Death Remove saving Benefits and undoing Dangers from being Arguments to Compliance with the Will of Christ and any Man may read the Success of such a Ministery and to use these Arguments to persuade Men to repent and believe if we have nothing to do for Heaven is a manifest Falshood and Trifling It 's awful to consider how inconsistent some Mens Application is with their Doctrine though it 's well their Uses to the Unconverted have so much Truth in them 2. True Holiness sincere Obedience or good Works and Perseverance are the Way to Heaven and so necessary to the Salvation of a Believer that without them he cannot be saved and continuing in them he shall be saved This might be evidenced by many Reasons 1. It is not saving Faith which is not operative to these Effects It ceaseth to be true whenever it wholly fails of purifying the Heart and working by Love Many affirm That all Graces are seminally in Faith as in their Principle Such must grant that as Faith justifies us at first in receiving and relying on Christ so it continues to justifie us by continuing those Acts and exerting it self in those other Operations which are essential to its Nature And thus some expound Jam. 2. 20 24. 2. Obedience good Works and Perseverance preserve us from those contrary Evils which do subject Men to Condemnation I keep my Body under least by any Means when I have preached to others I my self be a cast-away 1 Cor. 9. 27. I shall add to this in some following Heads 3. The Gospel-Constitution doth by its Promises and Threatnings make Persevering Holiness Obedience or Good Works the necessary way to Heaven These are not only a Natural but a Moral meetness for Heaven That this Point may be clear I shall 1. Shew that the Gospel-Constitution contains Promises and Threatnings which affect all of us as a Rule of Happiness and Misery it 's so to the Elect yea Believers as well as others 2. That by this Constitution Persevering Holiness Sincere Obedience or Good Works are necessary to Salvation 1. The Gospel-Constitution contains Promises and Threatnings which affect all of us as a Rule of Happiness and Misery By these God governs Men and Mens Hopes or Fears should be directed by these as their Rule Dr. Crisp not observing this hath run into those Mistakes which open a door to all Licentiousness though he intended it not His whole Scheme implies That Christ doth not distribute Blessings or Punishments by any Rule that referrs to the Actings of Men. I have proved the contrary chap. 8 c. For if the Covenant of Grace be Conditional and Faith and Repentance are Necessary to Forgiveness c. the Substance of this must be granted But I add a few Reasons more 1. Most of the Promises and Threatnings in the Bible that referr to the State of Souls are Evangelical Promises and Threats They are not the Sanction of the
he looking upon them in his Son is pleased to accept and reward that which is sincere although accompanied with many Imperfections Both also tell us Chap. 18. a. 2. That the Promises are made to Graces The Elders Chap. 15. a. 2. say That Believers Sinning are renewed through Repentance to Salvation Of the Necessity and Benefit of Faith I have given their Judgment before The Assembly and Elders Chap. 1. a. 7. tell us Those things which are necessary to be known believed and observed for Salvation are clearly propounded The Assembly's Large Catechism Q. How doth Christ execute the Office of a King A. Among other things they say In rewarding their Obedience and correcting them for their Sins Q. How is the Grace of God manifested in the second Covenant A. Among other things Requiring Faith as the Condition of their Interest in him c. Giving his Spirit to his Elect c. to enable them unto all holy Obedience as the Evidence of the Truth of their Faith and as the Way which he hath appointed them to Salvation Q. What hath God required that we may escape the Wrath and Curse c. A. That we may escape the Wrath and Curse of God c. He requireth of us Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus and the diligent Use of the Means c. You see they think Obedience and Good Works are rewardable that the Exercise of Graces do us much Good that Obedience is the Way to Salvation that we have much to do and that to escape the Wrath and Curse I shall transcribe part of the New-England Synod's Confutation of that Speech of the Antimonians If I am Holy I am never the better accepted of God If I be unholy I am never the worse This I am sure of be that elected me must save me To this the Synod answer This Expression imports that though a Man's Conversation be never so holy and gracious yet he can expect never the more Manifestation of Gods Kindness and Love to him Contrary to P. 50. ult and Joh. 14. 21. It implies That though a Man's Conversation be never so vile yet he needs not fear nor expect any Expression of God's Displeasure and Anger to break forth against him contrary to 2 Chron. 15. 2. And in a Word it imports That God neither loved Righteousness nor hated Sin and did take no Delight in the Obedience of his People Contrary to Psal. 45. 6 7. and 147. c. It 's true the Foundation of Election remaineth sure but it 's as true that whom he chooseth he purposeth to bring to Salvation through Sanctification of he Spirit 2 Thes. 2. 13 14. The 19th Errour of Mr. H. All Commands in the Word are Law and are not a Way of Life Errour 43. the Synod Confutes is The Spirit acts most in the Saints when they endeavour least Errour 48. Conditional Promises are legal Errour 50. It 's Poverty of Spirit when we have Grace yet to see we have none in our selves Doctor Owen Of Justif. P. 222. We grant that 1. God doth indispensibly require of him a justified Person personal Obedience which may be called his Evangelical Righteousness 2. That God doth approve of and accept in Christ his Righteousness so performed 3. That hereby that Faith whereby we are justified is evidenced proved manifested in the Sight of God and Men. 4. That this Righteousness is pleadable unto an Acquitment against any Charge from Satan the World or our own Consciences 5. That upon it we shall be declared righteous at the last Day and without it none shall be And if any shall think meet from hence to conclude unto an Evangelical Justification or call God's Acceptance of our Righteousness by that Name I shall by no means contend with them Where-ever this Enquiry is made not c. but how a Man that professeth Evangelical Faith in Christ shall be tried judged and whereon as such he shall be justified We grant that it is and must be by his own personal sincere Obedience P. 156. It is commonly said Faith and new Obedience are the Condition of the new Covenant c. If no more be intended but that God in and by the new Covenant doth indispensibly require these things of us in order to his own Glory and our full Enjoyment of all the Benefits of it it is unquestionably true P. 158. our whole Obedience through his gracious Appointment hath a rewardable Condecency with respect unto eternal Life P. 207. These Duties are so far necessary unto the Continuation of our Justification as that a justified State cannot consist with the Sins and Vices that are opposite unto them So the Apostle affirms If we live after the Flesh we shall die P. 208. If this be that which is intended in this Position That our own Obedience and good Works are the Condition of the Continuation of our Justification namely that God doth indispensibly require good Works and Obedience in all that are justified so that a justified State is inconsistent with the Neglect of them it is readily granted The Ground of Doctor Crisp 's Mistake He thinks because God eternally intended us all Benefits in the way he determined therefore he appoints nothing to Men as the Means of partaking of those Benefits Whereas this way Christ himself may as well be excluded by the Decrees he not being the Cause of Election but the Means of effecting it and all Endeavours for Life Health Estates c. may be as well prevented for God hath determined how long we shall live how rich we shall be c. Because a Sinner can obtain nothing by virtue of the Covenant of Works therefore what a Believer doth can avail nothing by the Grace of the new Covenant Because Christ hath merited all things as a Priest with a Right and Purpose to bestow them on the Elect therefore he can fix on no way to bestow them on his elect Subjects as Motives to obey him as a King Because he hath delivered us from the legal Rule of Misery and Happiness therefore he hath no Promises or Threats to govern us by in this State of Trial. Because Christ is the only Way of Atonement and Purchase therefore there can be no other way of his own ordaining to obtain the Effects of his Purchase Because we can merit nothing as of debt for doing therefore we can of Grace receive no Benefit by doing though God doth promise it Because we can do nothing for Life with a Thought of buying it therefore we may do nothing for Life as the End that moves us in the Use of indispensibly required Means Because God of his Mercy saves us at last therefore he shall not in the mean while duly govern us in order to Salvation Because we cannot merit Pardon therefore God can order no Grace or Duty to be through Christ rewardable with any other Blessing CHAP. XIV Of intending our Souls Good by Duties we perform TRUTH THough we ought
a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory Were all Doing for Life and an Eye to gain by Service such a legal and wicked thing as some represent it sure the blessed Jesus would have admonished his Disciples and not answer them as he doth Mat. 19. 27 28 29. Then answered Peter and said unto him behold we have forsaken all and followed thee What shall we have therefore And Jesus said unto them verily c. Ye shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel c. 4. The Doctor 's Argument from the Vanity of proposing our own Gain by Labour and Duties because all is fixed and given already is to make the Decree an effectual Means to overthrow the Government of Christ and brand all his Offers to Sinners with Weakness and Falshood Should not poor Sinners pray as they can abstain from Sin consider and apply the Word with an Eye to Conversion Why doth God call them to this Should not they wait and strive to believe and repent with an Eye to Forgiveness and escaping VVrath VVhy else should God encourage them with an Offer of these upon such Terms and tell the Unbelievers that they refuse these Mercies by new Forfeitures But by the Doctor 's Scheme the Elect may be idle and the Non-elect do best when they despair for there 's no Connexion between these Benefits and these Graces or Duties And so the Non-elect are in the same Case with Devils there being no serious Offer to them nay their Case is worse than Devils for these Offers are made to them for no other Design but to increase their Condemnation Nay every Sin of their's is the Sin against the Holy Ghost that is every Sin is alike the Unpardonable Sin and not only that Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost To say no more Christ hath no Rule of distributive Justice but his own eternal Purpose and Men's Regards to his promised Benefits are all forbidden even when our Respect to them is that which subserves his Government and is supposed in all the Methods of it 5. And why should we intend the Glory of God the Service of Christ or the Good of others Are not these as determined as our own Good Hath not God fixed and secured his own Glory Doth Christ need our services more than our selves Shall any other Persons receive more Good than God hath already given and provided for them Why should we intend these in our Duties more than our own Profit the very same Reason excuseth from all and so we ought to intend nothing at all I could shew had I Room that we cannot sincerely aim at our Souls good but we therein aim at God's Glory Nor doth God ever require us to intend his Glory but in a Concurrence with an Eye to our own Salvation TESTIMONIES You have seen in the last Chapter the Assembly's and Congregational Elders Judgment and that we are not the less under Grace for being encouraged to do good by the Promises c. The Case is so plain that I shall only give the Judgment of the greater part of those Reverend Divines whose Names are set in the Front of Dr. Crisp's Works and interpreted by the VVeak to a contrary purpose than what they intended These Divines in the Preface to Mr. Flavel's Book against Antinomianism which they approve of inform us That to say Salvation is not the End of any Good VVork we do or VVe are to act from Life and not for Life were to abandon the Humane Nature it were to teach us to violate the great Precepts of the Gospel it supposeth one bound to do more for the Salvation of others than our own 't were to make all the Threatnings of Eternal Death and Promises of Eternal Life we find in the Gospel of our blessed Lord useless as Motives to shun the one or obtain the other It makes the Scripture-Characters and Commendation of the most Eminent Saints a Fault Had I seen this sooner it might have spared some of my Reasons The Grounds of the Doctor 's Mistake Because we ought not to do any thing from Carnal Self-love therefore we ought to do nothing from Rational and Spiritual Self-love Because Christ redeemed us that we may not live to our selves as our own Lords therefore we must not in obeying him regard the Rewards he promiseth us as he is our Lord. Because we must aim at God's Glory above all therefore we must not at all intend our own happiness in the enjoyment of this God Because we must aim at the good of others therefore we must not aim at our own good Because we should obey God from Gratitude and Love therefore we should not obey him from any Hope or filial Fear Because God hath engaged to give Life and Happiness to the Elect when they have finished their warfare and work therefore they must not intend the obtaining that happiness in any part of that work or warfare CHAP. XV. Of the way to attain Assurance TRUTH THe ordinary way whereby a Man attaineth a well-grounded Assurance is not by immediate objective Revelation or an inward Voice saying Thy Sins are forgiven thee But when the Believer is examining his Heart and Life by the Word the holy Spirit enlightens the Mind there to discern Faith and Love and such other Qualifications which the Gospel declareth to be infallible Signs of Regeneration And he adds such power to the Testimony of Conscience for the Truth and In-being of these Graces as begets in the Soul a joyful sense of its reconciled State and some comfortable freedom from those Fears which accompany a doubting Christian and according to the Evidence of these Graces Assurance is ordinarily strong or weak ERROUR Assurance is not attained by the Evidence of Scripture-Marks or Signs of Grace or by the Spirits discovering to us that he hath wrought in our Hearts any holy Qualifications But Assurance comes only by an inward Voice of the Spirit saying Thy Sins are forgiven thee and our believing thereupon that our Sins are forgiven Proved that this is Doctor Crisp's Opinion P. 491. Would you know that the Lord hath laid your Iniquities on Christ you must know it thus 1. Is there a Voice behind thee or within thee saying particularly to thee in thy self Thy Sins are forgiven thee Dost thou see this Voice agree with the Word of Grace that is Dost thou see it held out to most vile and wretched Creatures as thou canst be and upon this Revelation of the Mind of the Lord by his Spirit according to that Word doth the Lord give thee to receive that Testimony of the Spirit to sit down with it as satisfied that upon this thou makest full reckoning thou hast propriety in this particularly to thy self If thou dost receive that Testimony according to that Word here is thy Evidence Thou hast thy Propriety and Portion in this On this Point the Doctor spends much time Serm. 15. is to prove That Love to the
Earth Psal. 16. 3. The Imitators of Christ Was not this it for which Caleb was said to have another Spirit And upon account whereof we must love the Godly as begotten of God Is it not pleasing to God to which he hath made so many Promises for which he so commends Moses David and all the Saints calling such a peculiar People c. It 's no small thing with which Christ is so pleased in his Spouse as you see in the Song of Solomon Can that be Dung which is a Meetness for Glory an Honour to God and Credit to Religion How can it be acceptable to God through Christ if it be Filthiness and changed into the Nature of our Flesh and Corruption Wickedness will never be accepted with God for Christ's sake though imperfect Goodness shall Read what is spoken of Sincerity Uprightness c. and see will it agree to what 's mortal Poyson What a reproach is it to Christ to call his Life in us and the Beginning of Glory by this Title Nay to make his Triumphs in us so low as that all he hath improved his Members to is mere Filthiness It 's well if the Scriptures can escape clean if all the Works of the Spirit are thus debased when they pass through Men. But I less wonder that Doctor Crisp should speak thus of the Righteousness of Saints as in them when he is so positive that the Enemies of Christ may have Sincerity and Singleness of Heart towards God and a constant Purpose and Inclination of Heart to the whole Will of God and reach the very Practice of the VVill of God in universal Obedience And that therefore none of these are a sure Sign of an Interest in Christ. See p. 450 451 452. TESTIMONIES Read what the Assembly and Elders at the Savoy say of Effectual Vocation Sanctification and Good VVorks chap. 10 13 16. And so of Faith and Repentance The New-England Synod confute as Errour 36. All the Activity of a Believer is to act to Sin And Errour 35. The Efficacy of Christ's Death is to kill all Activity of Graces in his Members that he might act all in all Read Dr. Owen's Treatise of Holiness annexed to that of the Spirit The Grounds of the Doctor 's Mistake Because our Goodness extends not to God for his profit therefore he regards it no more than Dung and Filthiness Because we are after all our Obedience unprofitable Servants to God and less profitable Servants than we should be therefore our Holiness is as unpleasing to him as Dung. Because God abhorred the New Moons and Sabbaths of the Hypocrites therefore he loaths the sincere Obedience of the Upright Obj. Doth not Israel say Isa. 64. 6. All our Righteousnesses are as filthy Rags Ans. But that is spoken of Persons and not of real Holiness It 's the same as Mic. 7. 4. The best of them is a Bryar And Isa. 1. 6. From the crown of the head to the sole of the foot we are putrifying Sores Corruption had invaded the very Priests and the generality of the best Professors who seemed the most righteous And that the sence of the place refers to Persons see the Verse before Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousness c. Behold thou art wroth for we have sinned q. d. VVere we VVorkers of Righteousness thou would'st meet us and we should rejoyce But because we are not so but have sinned thou art wroth See ver 7. There is none that calleth on thy Name that stirreth up himself to take hold on thee q. d. VVe are all remiss the best of us are as Prayerless See the 6th ver it self We are all as unclean things our Righteousnesses are as filthy Rags we all fade as a Leaf q. d. There 's a general Apostacy and Degeneracy among us But allow that it were spoken of Righteousness as a Quality will it follow that because the dead Shadow of Righteousness in so backsliding and defiled a People was Rags that therefore the lively Actings of Grace through the Influence of the Spirit must be menstruous Cloaths or Rags Obj. The Apostle saith Phil. 3. 8. For whom I have suffered the Loss of all things and do count them Dung that I may win Christ and be found c. 1. A. If this Place speaks of Gospel-righteousness as his own things which he counted Dung it doth not prove that Holiness is Dung all it can inferr is that in Comparison with winning Christ it was esteemed as Dung And who must not own that compared with gaining Christ the best thing in us is vile yea compared with his Righteousness But yet it may not be vile in itself asRivals with Christ we must hate Father and Mother But doth it follow that Father or Mother are hateful absolutely considered No VVe are bound to love them when not compared with Christ. I need add no more in answerto the Doctor 's Reason but though I own the imputed Righteousness of Christ for our Justification yet I think to ground it on this Place is a Damage to the Truth and therefore I add 2. A. Gospel-holiness or Righteousness is not here intended by Dung The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was that Dogs-meat which he renounced and left to those Dogs which Term they gave the Gentiles V. 2. to glory in VVho were those he calls Dogs They were the Concision alluding to Baal's Priests or the Jews that rejected Christ by an Opinion of more Excellency in Jewish Observations and an Abuse of the Mosaick Frame VVhat were the Things he counted Dung I answer They were the Jewish Privileges and that conceited Christless Righteousness which he once valued as those Dogs at present did But it was not that Gospel-holiness which by the Grace of Christ he was now Partaker of Obj. How do both these appear I answer plainly from the whole Scope of the Chapter 1. They were his Christless Privileges and Righteousness which he called Dung. For 1. his Discourse is a Warning against the Jewish Perverters and Opposers of the Gospel Ver. 2. Beware of Dogs beware of Evil Workers beware of the Concision 2. He states a Comparison wherein he opposeth them and includes a great Part of Gospel-holiness in that Opposition Ver. 3. For we are the Circumcision which Worship God in the Spirit viz. not carnally and with beggarly Elements as they do and rejoyce in Christ Jesus q. d. We feel a true and solid Joy in and by Christ whom they refusing to accept of are without yea and are tormented with Guilt and Fears for their way make not the Comers to it perfect And have no Confidence in the Flesh That is in being the natural Seed of Abraham by descent and not his Spiritual Seed by Faith as Rom. 9. 7 8. Neither because they are the Seed of Abraham are they all Children c. That is they which are the Children of the Flesh these are not the Children of God c. Or else in being Partakers of the
the Prophets even Isaiah himself yea Christ and his Apostles were all Legal Preachers The Law in this sence is that which Converts Comforts Healeth Saveth c Whatever is spoken in Praise of the Word of the Truth of the Commandments of God and Christ are spoken of the Law in this sence And it is the same with the Gospel as I have proved chap. 20. And they are Enemies to Christ and Souls that disdain to be such Legal Preachers 2. But there is a Legal Preaching which is opposed to the Gospel and this indeed is a Crime the word being used as a Reproach this must be intended if Men understand what they speak of And to that this Chapter refers TRUTH Legal Preaching is to Preach the Law as a Covenant of Innocency or Works or to Preach the Mosaick or Jewish-Covenant of Peculiarity But it is not Legal Preaching to require and persuade to Faith Holiness or Duties by Promises and Threatnings according to the Grace of the Gospel and direct Men to fear and hope accordingly ERROUR Legal Preaching is to call People to act any Grace or do any Duty as a required Means of Salvation or inward Peace or to threaten them with Death or any Affliction to cause Fear if they commit the grossest Sins and backsside and fall away or to promise them any Blessing upon their Obedience to the Commandments of Christ or urge the Threatnings to persuade Sinners to believe and repent Proved that this is Doctor Crisp's Opinion P. 616. If Persons are not united to Christ and do not partake of Justification before they do believe c. then mark what will follow That there will be bringing to life again the Covenant of Works c. Obj. How doth this follow I Answer Thus you must of necessity press upon your selves these Terms or such like I must do that I may have Life in Christ I must believe there is no Life till I do believe Now if their be Believing first then there is Doing before Living P. 561 562. This likewise batters to the ground that way of urging Men to holiness which some hold forth That if Men do not these and these good Works and leave these and these Sins then they must come under the wrath of God c. The Love of God constrains the Faithful and not the Fear of Wrath a sense of being delivered from it not a fear of Wrath to come P. 559 560. Obj. Some will say The Preaching of the Terrours of the Law and the Wrath of God and Damnation and Hell-fire unto Men is a safer way to take Men off from Sin than to preach Gracc and Forgiveness before-hand c. A. I say If we preach Wrath and Damnation we must either make them believe they lyc under the Wrath and that Wrath shall come or we must make them believe that though there be Wrath yet it shall not fall upon them Now if we tell them of Wrath and Damnation and say they are secure from them and they belong not to them to what purpose do we tell them of Wrath we had as good hold our tongues c. And he shews how it 's bringing back the Covenant of Works to tell them that God will be angry with them if they commit Sin or do not such and such Duties Wherein the Difference is not 1. It is not Whether it is Legal Preaching to preach Duties or Holiness as if Men must perfectly believe and obey or they shall unavoidably perish 2. Nor That it 's Legal Preaching to denounce Wrath and Hell as Miseries from which there is no relief by Christ in the way of the Gospel 3. Nor That it is Legal Preaching to press Men to Faith Repentance and other Duties as if they were to be performed in their own strength without the Grace of Christ and Influences of the Spirit 4. Nor That it is Legal Preaching to promise Salvation to any Action if the Performer thereof be Unregenerate Unbelieving and Impenitent 5. Nor That it is too much Legal Preaching to be always pressing the Duties of the Law of Nature but to neglect Preaching Faith in Christ and Repentance Regeneration c. and so to neglect to make the Person Offices Sufferings and Intercession of Christ as also our Relation to him and Dependance on him as Mediatour with other Gospel-Mysteries known to their Hearers 6. Nor That it 's Legal Preaching to preach that our Faith Holiness or Good Works stand in the same place now as Perfect Obedience did under the Law viz. To render the Reward to be of Debt or be the Meritorious Righteousness for which we are Justified 7. Or That it is Legal to preach that our best Obedience doth not deserve Wrath by the Law as a Rule of Misery and Happiness Or That it doth not need Forgiveness or is any Supplement of Christ's Righteousness yea or to neglect to call Men to renounce all in themselves as any Atonement for Sin or Cause of Pardon and to look to Christ as the only Propitiation Purchaser of all our Blessings and Cause of the Acceptance of our Persons and Performances 8. Nor That it is Legal Preaching to omit to urge Men to Obedience by Gospel Motives as what Christ Suffered the Love of God in him the Benefits afforded by him the Helps he vouchsafes the Relations he admits us to and the like 9. Nor That it is Legal to shew Men their Misery and Sinfulness and not to inform them of the Gospel-way of Salvation 10. Nor That it is too Legal to neglect to improve holy Souls to an ingenuous Obedience from Love to God as well as a holy Fear 11. Nor that it is Legal to encourage such Fear as imports a Life of Torment destructive to our Hopes and Joy Or as if every Miscarriage should over-turn Assurance though the dominion of Sin be not justly suspected 12. Nor that it is Legal Preaching to assert Judaism or the Mosaic Pedagogie viz. to press Circumcision Sacrifices a Covenant of Peculiarity Jewish Priesthood Sabbath or an Abuse of the Law in Opposition to Christ our Saviour who is the End of all Types c. All these I affirm These indeed make up that Preaching of the Law which is opposed to Christ to Grace and to the Gospel The real Difference 1. Whether it 's Legal Preaching to require People to Repent and Believe that their Iniquities may be forgiven for Christ's sake This I deny and the Doctor affirms against the scope of the Gospel as I have proved chap. 8. 10 12 20 c. 2. Whether it be Legal Preaching to press Holiness and Gospel Obedience as necessary to the Salvation of a Justified Person This the Doctor affirms and I deny upon Reasons given chap. 8. 13. 17. 3. Whether it be Legal to threaten such Penalties as are short of Damnation against such Offences as are consistent with Sincerity and yet avoidable by serious care and diligence This the Doctor affirms and I deny for which see
State 2 Pet. 3. 17. Seeing you know these things beware lest you also being led away with the Errour of the Wicked fall from your own Stedfastness He will most safely walk in Love and maintain Assurance that is in awe as his Sins grow strong and his Graces decline I might shew that all God's Threats are despised if without this Fear yea his being our future Judge is slighted his wise Methods of Government are dis-regarded and one great help to our Salvation lost by opposing this Fear Fear him that can cast Soul and Body into Hell is Christ's Charge Luke 12. 5. And if thou do that which is Evil be afraid Rom. 13. 4. And if we must fear the Magistrate as the Minister of God's VVrath here much more eternal VVrath if we sin our selves into such Symptoms as the Gospel declares a Danger of eternal Damnation by for though the Gospel doth not say as the Law that all Sinners shall be damned yet it saith that all impenitent Sinners shall be damned And this we are bound to preach and not gratifie the Devil to the Ruine of Souls But they are in danger who are above this kind of Preaching and Security Libertinism and Stops to the Conversion of Sinners will prevail as this Preaching grows unfashionable Nay let me hear a Man of this Opinion preach a few Sermons and I 'll demonstrate he 'll give the Lie to his own Principle by urging Fear by some Arguments from Danger or he 'll expose himself to the Contempt of all when-ever he disswades from Sin TESTIMONIES I have recited so much belonging to this Head Chap. 1 8 11 12 13 16 17 19 20. that I need only add to the last Chapter New-England Synod condemns as Errour 32. After the Revelation of the Spirit neither Devil nor Sin can make the Soul to doubt Errour 48. Condional Promises are legal Errour 52. It 's legal to say we act in the Strength of Christ. Errour 56. A Man is not effectually converted till he hath full Assurance Errour 57. To take delight in the holy Service of God is to go a whoring from God Errour 59. A Man may not be exhorted to any Duty because he hath no power to do it Errour 70. Frequency or length of holy Duties or Trouble of Conscience for the Neglect thereof are all Signs of one under a Covenant of VVorks Errour 68. Faith justifies an Unbeliever that is that Faith that is in Christ justifieth me that have no Faith in my self Errour 76. The Devil and Nature may be the cause of a gracious Work All these that Synod confutes as also that Speech if Christ will let me sin let him look to it upon his Honour be it With these Notions so exclusive of Fear and Care were they pester'd Doctor Owen Of Justif. P. 52. assures us he had written very much of the Nature and Use of Threatnings under the Gospel and the Fear that ought to be ingenerated by them in the Hearts of Men. The Grounds of the Doctor 's Mistake Because the Law of Works made Life to be of Debt for perfect doing therefore it s legal to call Men to do what Christ commands in order to any Benefit which he promiseth by the Grace of the New Covenant to bestow on such as shall so obey him Because it 's legal to denounce Wrath as unavoidable therefore it 's legal to denounce VVrath that it may be avoided Because God is not angry with his People for Sin when he hath forgiven them it upon Repentance therefore they should not be called to fear his Anger as a disswasive from Sin or Motive to Repentance when they have sinned Because we cannot say the Elect shall at last be damned being that God will bring them to Faith and Repentance that they may be saved therefore it 's legal to tell them they shall be damned unless they believe and repent though Christ oft tells them so Because the Believer is not in a state of Wrath therefore it 's Legal to warn him against Apostacy from the Terrour of that VVrath which Apostacy would bring him under And Note Reader That all awful Expressions against Apostacy are especially directed to true Believers Because we should not destroy the Hope or Joy of an humble watchful Christian therefore it 's legal to allarm and awaken the drowsie careless backsliding Christian. CHAP. XXII Of the Exalting of Christs I Do observe that the Pretence for these Opinions is That they exalt Christ and Free Grace Under this shadow Antinomianism set up in Germany This was the great Cry in England above fifty years since The Synod of New-England expose this as one of the Speeches of them whom they call Autinomian Here is a great stir about Graces and looking to Hearts but give me Christ I seek not for Graces but for Christ I seek not for Promises but for Christ I seek not for Sanctification but for Christ Tell not me of Mediation and Duties but tell me of Christ. P. 19. Dr. Crisp very often bears upon this Point as if all he said were to advance Christ and Grace I shall therefore enquire Whether the Opinions of Dr. Crisp or the Truths I have stated do most exalt Christ and Free Grace It were enough to say That I have proved his Opinions to be Errours and what I have laid down to be Truths Then Christ is more exalted by these Truths He needs no Lyes to advance his Praise and knew how to provide the best for his own Glory by what he hath revealed But for farther Evidence I shall insert 1. How Christ is said to be exalted according to the Gospel It is not what we fancy will Exalt him but what he declares conducive to his Praise that he will accept for Glory He that will not allow Men to worship him in a way they think most devout but binds them to his own Rule to exceed which is Superstitious will less venture his Glory to our ignorant Methods whereby we are apt to diminish his real Glory when we conceit he is exalted It 's an Honour becoming his Person and Offices which is his Honour and not what seems dazling to our blind Affections His Divine Glory cannot be added to but only declared It 's only the Glory of Christ as Mediator that I shall speak of As to this Christ is exalted when every Knee bows to him Phil. 1. 11. VVhen made a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and remission of sin Act. 2. 23. VVhen his Kingdom is enlarged Ifa 49. 4 5 6. VVhen his People are filled with the fruits of Rightcousness Phil. 1. 11. VVhen their Grace is perfected 2 Thes. 1. 11 12. VVhen they suffer and act vigorously for him Phil. 1. 20. VVhen we own his Priestly and Kingly Office relying on the first as that whereby Satisfaction is made and all the Blessings for Sinners purchased yielding to the Kingly Office as that whereby he applieth the Effects of his Merits Zech. 6. 13. VVhen
Intercessors as Christ and in the same Sence viz. in the Virtue of Merits made personally ours We have a Righteousness in us which is able to save the World and capable of being imputed to their Justification VVe need no Forgiveness but are saved by the Covenant of VVorks as claiming Life by its Sanction immediately which is inconsistent with all Remission yea or Imputation of Christ's Righteousness which did no way consist in Forgiveness but in a full Satisfaction This would denominate us Saviours from the Moment we were justified if not before VVhereas we still need Pardon and continue justified by the Efficacy of the Righteousness of another and must look to Christ as the only Subject of it all our Days Our justified State is a Continuance of the blessed Effects of he Righteousness of Christ from first to last That Cause is still productive of Supplies as our Guilt returns or Necessities and Capacities renew or grow but our Redemption is ever in Christ Rom. 3. 24. 3. That we are as Righteous as Christ is not a proper or safe Speech It 's true indeed our Pardon and Acceptance is firm and lasting and will no more fail us than the Righteousness of Christ will fail it being the meritorious Cause and Security thereof and the Benefits can abate to none who answer the Gospel-Rule of it's Application But yet we are not as Righteous as Christ We are not so as to Sanctification he being perfectly Holy we being imperfectly so though really Holy And it 's to be noted That Believers are said to be Righteous in the common sence of the Scripture on the account of Sanctification 1 Joh. 3. 7. He that doth righteousness is righteous And to suppose the Elect to be as sanctified as Christ even while they wallow in the mire is a strange Position But suppose the Phrase refers to Justification yet it is not proper For 1. Christ is denominated Righteous on the account of what he personally did and suffered He derived not Righteousness from another but possessed it as Originally his own He is eminently the Righteous 1 Joh. 2. 1. whereas we are reputed righteous for the sake of what Christ did and not for the merit of what we have done Is it not unagreeable to hear a redeemed Sinner say I am as worthy as he that paid the Ransom Or a pardoned Worm say I am as righteous as he who merited my Pardon 2. Christ was so Righteous as to merit the Forgiveness of all his Seed He is so Righteous as to make many Righteous or safe from the Threat and entituled to the Reward according to the Gospel-Rule But we cannot justifie one other Person by our being righteous We are not righteous enough to save a Brother Psal. 49. 7. 4. Though Christ be perfectly holy yet his Holiness is not so imputed to us as that We are therefore perfectly holy This is evident For 1. Holiness refers to Sanctification and not to Justification 2. Holiness is a Conformity to the Precept as describing what is Sin and Duty But it refers not to the Sanction which determines the Reward and Punishment and so to be Holy and to be Righteous are distinct Conceptions Having premised these it follows 3. That to be Perfect in Holiness while we are in our own Persons Imperfect is impossible ungrounded and absurd 1. It 's Impossible being a Contradiction To be perfectly Holy and not perfectly Holy at the same time are inconsistent If any doubt whether they are imperfect in Holiness they are little acquainted with the Law or with themselves 2. It 's Ungrounded I know that it will be objected That it 's so by Imputation But the Gospel knows no Imputation of this kind we may as well infer That we are Omnipotent and Omniscient because Christ is so I understand that the Promise gives to the imperfectly holy Impunity and Right to Life on the account of Christ's Merits But where hath God said he will esteem the Imperfect to be Perfect as to what he declares them imperfect in Or hath God ever said we are thus perfect He may deal with a sincere Christian who is called Perfect in comparison of others as if he were perfect having provided for his Justice and Honour in doing thus by the Satisfaction of Christ But he cannot account him perfectly Holy The very Union in Marriage doth not transfer habitual Qualifications from Husband to Wife Is a foolish Wife perfectly wise because her Husband is so No though she receives Benefit by his Wisdom 3. It 's Absurd Our restored Holiness is through the Operations of the Spirit and not by Transfusion If the very Holiness of Christ's Person be in us it is his Increated Holiness or Created If his Increated then we are Gods and not Men for there is nothing Increated but God If the Created Holiness of Christ's Humane Nature be in us it must depart from him or cease to be in him as far as it 's derived to us for the same individual Quality cannot be in two Subjects at once though the same for Kind may be If we are as Holy as Christ what hinders us to be entituled to the same degrees of Glory and Honour as he And all this being founded on the Change of Person between Christ and us we may well say we are Christ's even every elect Person severally And if our perfect Holiness should be surmised from the Union between Christ and Believers that indeed would not be a change of Person but the making Christ and us one Natural Person And then on the same grounds as we can say we are as holy as Christ is we may say we are as much Gods as Christ as Wise as Christ as entituled to Worship as Christ we do all that Christ doth in Heaven or Earth and he doth all as we Sinners do we give what he gives and he receives what we receive Distinction of Persons is gone Christ and we do nothing and are nothing as distinct Persons A thousand such things are unavoidable Consequences 4. Can this be reconciled to the scope of the Scriptures wherein Believers are called to grow up in Christ Eph. 4. 15. To perfect Holiness 2 Cor. 5. 1. Grow in Grace The defect of Holiness is bewailed by all the Saints Wretched man that I am saith the Apostle Rom. 7. 24. I press forward c. Phil 3. 12 14. that is Oh that I were as holy as Christ designed to make me and as I shall be at the Resurrection And the want and weakness of Holiness is oft reproved by God even in his own Children 5. The Fifth Head to be proved is That Believers are not as to Holiness without Spot Blemish c. Experience may convince of this But I pass it by as having occasion to speak to it in Chap. 16. Testimonies The Assemlies Large Catec puts this Question What is the Communion in Grace which the Members of the Invisible Church have with Christ They Answer In
their partaking of the Virtue of his Mediation in their Justification Adoption and Sanctification and whatever in this life manifests their Union with him So that in their Judgment it 's the Virtue of Christ's Mediation operates on us and not that the Mediatorial Righteousness is in us The Elders at the Savoy c. 11. a. 1. say Those whom God effectually Calleth he also freely Justifieth not by infusing Righteousness into them but by pardoning their Sins and by accounting and accepting their Persons as Righteous not for any thing wrought in them or done by them but for Christ's sake alone c. Again they add By imputing Christ's Active and Passive Obedience unto them The same say the Assemb Conf. ch 11. a. 1. Thou seest it s Christ s Righteousness is imputed for Pardon and not infused The Elders at the Savoy inform us also ch 27. a 1. All Saints that are united to Christ although they are not thereby made One Person with him have Fellowship in his Graces Sufferings and Glory c. and have Communion in each other's Gifts and Graces Thou findest they judge we are not One Person with Christ by our Union and it 's a Fellowship for our good we have by Christ's Graces Glory and Sufferings but they are in him as the Subject and not in us And ch 19. a. 6. they declare The Law is useful to Believers to shew them the Corruption of their Natures and Lives It s plain then with them we are not without Spot or Blemish The Assemb Conf. ch 32. a. 1. and the Elders at the Savoy ch 31. a. 1. agree That it 's after Death our Souls are made perfect in Holiness One of the Speeches condemned by the New-England Synod was this If Christ be my Sanctification what need I look to any thing else in my self to evidence my Justification To which they Answer This Position is unsound because it holds forth Christ to be my Sanctification so as that I need not look to any inherent Holiness in my self whereas Christ is said to be my Sanctification because he worketh Sanctification in us p. 20. p. 63. They observe it as an Errour That Christ is our Sanctification in the same sort as he is our Justification They elsewhere condemn such as made Christ the subject of our Graces Dr. Owen of Justification pag. 509 510. disowns That it can be said we are as Righteous as Christ And then asserts To say we are as Righteous as Christ is to make Comparison between the Personal Righteousness of Christ and Our Personal Righteousness if the Comparison be of things of the same kind But this is foolish and impious for notwithstanding our Personal Righteousness we are sinful he knew no Sin And if the Comparison be between Christ's Personal Inherent Righteousness and Righteousness imputed to us Inhesion and Imputation be things of divers kinds and thus it 's fond and of no consequence Christ was Actively Righteous we are Passively so c. The Righteousness of Christ as it was his Personally was the Righteousness of the Son of God in which respect it had in it self an infinite Perfection and Value But it is imputed to us only with respect to our Personal Want not as it was satisfactory for all but as our Souls stand in need of it c. From the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ it follows only that those to whom it is imputed are redeemed and saved not at all that they are Redeemers or Saviours And pag. 242 243. Imputation is not the Transmission or Transfusion of the Righteousness of another viz. Christ into them that are to be Justified that they should become perfectly and inherently Righteous thereby for it is impossible that the Righteousness of one should be transfused into another to become his subjectively and inherently And the Doctor adds That the Righteousness of Christ is imputed to us as unto its Effects hath this sound sence namely The Effects of it are made ours by reason of that Imputation It is so imputed so reckoned unto us of God as that he really communicates all the Effects of it unto us See pag. 310 311. What can be spoken more oppositely to Dr. Crisp I might add Mr. Norton of New-England who tells us Orth. Evang. p. 305. Though Christ obeyed the Law formally yet it 's not the formal working of Obedience or doing of the Command but the good Virtue and Efficacy thereof that is imputed to the Believer What heaps of Testimonies could I produce But I confine my self to these few The Ground of the Doctor 's Mistake Because Christ suffered in our stead that the fruit of his Suffering might be our deliverance from suffering and our being saved at last therefore he thinks there is a Change of Person Because we are made the Righteousness of God that is Partakers of Forgiveness and a Right to Life through Christ's Atonement for us which be Mercies so eminently the Contrivance and Gift of God therefore he thinks the very Mediatorial Righteousness of Christ is subjectively in us Because we are accepted with God for Christ's sake therefore he thinks we have the perfect Cause of that Acceptance viz. All Loveliness upon our selves Because the Church is now without spot so as for Christ's sake to be accepted and not detested by God and is on the account of the beginning 's of God's Image pleasing to Christ and will hereafter be perfectly sanctified without the least blemish or any such thing therefore he thinks it 's now without Blemish or Imperfection Because Christ's perfect Righteousness is Security for our Pardon and inviolable Right to Glory therefore he thinks we are as Righteous as he as to Justification and Sanctification too Because Christ is made of God to us Wisdom Sanctification c. therefore he thinks we are as Holy as he whereas the meaning of that place is That Christ is appointed and given to enlighten renew and redeem us by his Merits and by his Spirit If this be not the sence of it we are as wise as Christ for he is made to us wisdom Reader Observe that the Doctor thinks all these great things are true of every elect Person whiles in his Blood and unregenerate state as much as of any Believer who indeed hath the privilege to know it CHAP. VIII Of the Conditionality of the Covenant of Grace THis being a Point of great Concern I shall premise an Enquiry into some Particulars for explaining the Subject of this Chapter Q. 1. What is the Covenant of Grace A. 1. It is not the Covenant of Redemption between the Father and Spirit as one Party and the Eternal Word the Lord Jesus as the other Party Were this Covenant understood I think many well-meaning People would be undeceived In that Covenant all the causes of Man's Salvation are adjusted and secured all Satisfaction and Merit are on Christ as his Undertaking yea it 's provided there That the Elect shall obey the Terms of Life